Good Christ.

Saturday I wake up in Michael's bed, on his side, in the exact same position that I routinely jab him in the ribs for being in: on my back with my arm flung up, over my head.  I probably woke up because I was snoring loudly like what he does which is why I poke him in the aforementioned ribs in the first place.
My mom came over and we headed out to Jay and Andrea's in Abbotsford for Christmas eve.  We went, with Andrea's extended family, for Chinese which has become a bit of a tradition.  It's also become a bit of a tradition for a lot of people in Abbotsford because the last time we went we had to wait for over an hour for our food and I thought I was going to pass out from hunger.  This time we went at 4pm and by the time we left the place was almost entirely filled up and there was a line up of people picking up food to go.  Madness.
My mom and I lost at Pictionary against my brother and Andrea.  Come on: I had to draw "sonic boom".  Also "pennant".  You know what pennants look like?  They look like flags.  When was the last time you used the word "pennant", anyways?
Woke up, exchanged gifts.  It was a wonderfully minimal year this year which is what I wanted.  I gave my brother the L. Ron Hubbard "Dianetics" book, Andrea some gift cards for the movies, my mom some "one free lunch" and "one free dinner" coupons (I noted that they expire on January 6th, 2012).  I still received a laundry list of things, the highlight being a very promising looking Tempranillo from my brother who doesn't drink.  He is so naive when it comes to alcohol that, after he left the store, he wasn't sure that what he had bought me actually was wine (not unlike how I recently went in to buy sherry and came out with port and so... now I have port: I'm thinking Stilton cheese and chocolate?).  I'm not sure if my mom told him that Tempranillo is one of my favourite varietals or not, so if he just randomly picked that out on his own that's actually pretty freaky.  Andrea gave me a funky scarf from Disneyland.  My mom made some donations to SomaFM and the BCSPCA and also got me a calendar which benefited a local animal charity.  The otters look really angry.  I'm getting anxious for whatever month that is.
Then I went for a 40 minute run because the 400 calories that I burned is just going to make such a huge dent in what I've been eating over the last two weeks.  Sweet baby Jesus.  I am actually craving salad.  I haven't had a hunger pang since early December.  Not good, kids.
Then, through an epic gale which knocked out power to thousands and blew the roof off a barn, we drove to UBC for dinner at my Nana's.  19 people.  It was great.  I got to have some good conversations with three of my cousins who have become very interesting, attractive, pleasant young men.  I got to see my cousin's newest baby and witness their oldest exhibit hiccups by saying "hiccup!" a lot.  Kids are weird.  She got the best present though.  I don't know if it was tongue in cheek, but she got a little plush puppy that fits inside a little purse so just its head sticks out.  I assume the designer of this particular toy either lives in Kits, or is Paris Hilton. 
Wonderful to see all my cousins, aunts and uncles.  I like how our family is growing up.  The "kids" are really turning in to nice boys that are progressing from grunting their answers to have learned conversations ranging from the environment to housing prices to how easily Hyundais roll over in the snow.  Apparently they are quite round.
It's weird, Christmas.  This whole frenetic wind up which culminates in some gift giving and a dinner that takes a long time to prepare and then is over so quickly. 
Anyways, I am rambling.  Too much lefse and krumkake, surely.
I hope everyone had a happy Christmas filled with love and good cheer.
Merry merry!