I'm back and was wonderfully relaxed until my alarm had the nerve to go off at 6:30am telling me that I had to go back to work. Crapass! I come in to find that 4 folks have been laid off and that more are coming every month. I'm not on quota, so I should be ok, but you never know. Then Youngster calls in sick, so I've got all HER work to do today, on top of the catch up from last week. Arg!

I'd thrown out my shoulder/neck last Friday...probably when hauling my stolen bootie of 4 bottles of champagne out to the car. Anyhoo, by Sunday driving to my mother's was painful and I embarassing, as I was moving stiffly just like my mother's Dick does. Monday driving to Boston was agony and I couldn't even hold the baby without crying out. Yeah, that sucked. Blixx thought it was perhaps stress related and I have to agree. By Christmas day I was pretty much ok and could play with V and it just got better after that. I come in to work today - haven't lifted anything at all or done anything other than sit in front of my computer and reply to the 67 e-mails that I condidered relovent - and my neck/shoulder are stiff as a board and kill! Yep, it must be stress related. BLIXX WAS RIGHT!

While overall my own Christmas and New Years were very nice, there was some sadness there. Nana...Grip's wife's grandmother....passed away on Christmas eve. She had told everyone that she didn't want to ever spend Christmas away from the family and I think she just decided to let go. Of course we're all very sad at the loss of such a beautiful person, but I think it's better than she went when she did, rather than to suffer needlessly. Yesterday my mother called to tell me that my uncle Garcia's father Paudie passed away. He'd been in and out of the hospital for years and in poor health for years before that, so I can't say that the news shocked me, but it is still sad to see him go. I worry that these things come in 3's. Please light a candle for each of these loved and loving people.

Over the course of my holiday vacation we saw LOTR, which we both found to be excellent. We rented Castaway, which I didn't mind once I woke up, and Memento. Go rent this movie...right now. It's a wacky story that starts at the end and works to the beginning, about a man who has no short term memory. Wicked good two thumbs up. We rearranged our livingroom to better accomadate guests...and our own loafing together. We can now both cuddle on the couch and see the TV. Woo Hoo! We're having a SuperBowl party, even if the Pats don't make it, and you're all invited.We cleaned out closets and filled 3 jumbo trash bags with clothes for Salvation Army. We did all of our laundry. We laid around and did nothing for at least 2 of my vacation days. We hung out alone, we hung out woth friends. All in all, a good time.

We celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary by going out to Tiano's,a wonderful and expensive restaurant in Worcester. We went all out with cocktails, a goat cheese & chicked app that was out of this world, 2 fabulous dinners, then cappuchino's with out tiramisu for desert. We took our time and remembered years past and had a wonderful night. We followed that up with an hour at our hot tub rental place, where Blixx broke out with a bottle of champagne and candles to make the mood even more romantic. Oh baby...the hot tub was awesome!!!!! We've resolved to get one ASAP when we get a house.

I'm not one to usually keep resolutions made in drunken haste as the clock strikes midnight, but this year I've got one that we'll stick with come hell or...hell again! We're getting a house in the first quarter of this year. The closet cleaning is toward this goal, as I want the move to be as streamlined as possible. Step 1: taxes. I will do whatever I can to facilitate them getting done as early as possible. Step 2: The Mortgage. We were approved for a good amount before Blixx got laid off last Spring. We'll have even more in savings, as well as a healthy income to prove that he's not a risk. Even if we have to put 10% down, we can do it. No problem. Step 3: Find THE HOUSE. This one will be a snap, since I've been looking all along. It's that simple and so help me, I'll be in my own house in just a few months. I'm not sure that Blixx takes me seriously -he scoffed at me for asking him to start throwing stuff out that we don't need. He said I should be patient. Nope, not going to happen any more.I'm hell bent.

Got to go earn the benjamins. Peace.