happy birthday > merry christmas > happy new year > etc

a lot has happened since my last blog! I apologize to you readers, and the 10% of you who actually comment once in a while...

happy birthday: I had a birthday. {insert your birthday wish to me here _____. } Thanks! It was good. For the last 5 or 6 years my birthday has involved: staying at my parents' house, my friends are typically away (in college they were there and now that I live here my friends here go to their families' homes, thus leaving me friendless again), and the family gets together. Extended family is good. But it's always so funny when my mom asks what I want for dinner or what we should do on my birthday. And it's always the same: we pick people up at the airport, everyone travels in, gathers at my parents'... and we eat. This year, mom is allergic to a hundred random things like soy, aunt renee's a vegetarian, uncle dave is mostly a vegetarian, and uncle walt needs a low sodium diet. So do we really think I get to pick my meal? I've never been a particularly picky birthday dinner person, so when salmon is an option everyone can eat, I know it'll be good. Salmon. Yummy salad. Veggies and Bread. mmm. Good solution.

Fortunately, several of my girlfriends were in town and available for dinner the night before my birthday. (You see, my birthday isn't just my family's travel day. It's America's holiday travel day.) I asked Dad to make some pancakes. He happily did so. With a special sourdough recipe: we're serious about pancakes at the Jackson house. Waffles, sausage, bacon, fruit. What more could a 26 year old ask for from her father for her birthday?

Well, they bought me a new cell phone. It's pretty [awesome]. And a bluetooth headset, which I've decided to only use while accomplishing things at home (laundry, cleaning) or in the car. I refuse to be that person in public spaces speaking to invisible people. I do not wish to appear as someone with a mental illness or multiple personality disorder. I'm scatterbrained enough as it is.

Christmas was good. (See diet restrictions above.) Considering the circumstances, mom made some pretty great food. And with so many old people at the house (7 over 50, and three with an average of 90 years), things tend to revolve around sitting and reading, solving puzzles, conversing, taking naps, taking neighborhood walks, shuttling to and from grandma's, and preparing meals, eating meals, and cleaning up meals. Oh, and dessert. There is always dessert. Occasionally there are billiards or movies or climbing or museum outings...

Dave and Emily always have to play 50/50 with our family and her family. I am not jealous that they joined two families in the same city. While it's convenient to see both families with one trip... it seems so complicated to mesh their own traditions as a couple with two extended families. Expectations, schedules, presents, meals, and family time. This year there was a spreadsheet with daily time, meals, and where they'd spend each night! I suppose they have to be that organized. It's cool to see it work more smoothly with each visit/holiday they come back for. I think I will have to marry someone with family in another city/state/country, and perhaps we'll live in a whole other place and have our own community there. Then we'll spend holidays by ourselves so as to avoid all conflict between holiday expectations. Or not. It will work out. Perhaps the older I get before that happens, the easier it will become to adapt to such things.

and New Year's: I usually feel like it's overrated. Which is why I love traveling for the holiday. Saying happy new year at a bar = normal. With friends in New Orlean's, sharing a hurricane at Pat Obrien's? That's memorable. Hanging out at home watching the fireworks on tv = normal. But when it's at Jessie's house north of Seattle and she made a creamy shrimp soup for a few of us who just drove up from Portland, along the coast through very green territory, and we're telling stories and watching the local station showing the firework @ the spaceneedle. That's memorable. This year: I almost bought a ticket to fly to Nashville, visit Liz for a few days, and then drive to Chattanooga to meet up with Floridian friends... but I decided not to at the last minute. And then FL decided to back out! o well. maybe next time, friends.

So this year: I went over to Katie and Rachel's, we skipped Allison's party with Gwen and friends (sorry guys) and decided to be bums: games, talking, hot chocolate with bailey's, a quick visit downtown for the ball-drop, and a short walk to say hi to friends @ Quinn's.

Happy New Year.
How was yours?