Back to... normal?

More or less.

Yesterday, I took care of errands online and in person, getting ready to fly out for the holidays with family. Also went to see Tangled, the new Disney movie which has a very singable score (no surrpise!) and is superbly done. More later.

Today's big plan is to clean the top half of my apartment--otherwise known as upstairs--and take care of a few more errands.

A friend and I plan to drive through my 'hood tonight and view the lights. Yesterday evening as I was driving myself home, I was nearly blinded by one display--everyone seems to have gone all out this year in the 'hood, and since the very very rich people live in my 'hood, that's saying something. Lawn crews were out and about for a month stringing, hanging, tossing carelessly-yet-elegantly, and inflating. I suspect it is for the same reason people have brought their HumVees and big ol' SUVvies out of the garage and are driving them around. In my very very conservative-yet-filthy-rich 'hood, the poor times are over and we're all about celebrating... despite reality.

Lest you think me filthy rich, I assure you, not so. I live on the right side of the tracks--literally!--(for now) amidst them, but I am an observer only. But I do observe that Jags, Lexae, and the prevously mentioned HumVees are out and about without shame--despite the undoubtedly huge gas bills.

Tonight for our lookie-loo trip, I plan to break out my stash of Angelina's powdered cocoa and make us a thermos of the same. Nothing like looking at lawn ornamentation while sipping the best Paris cocoa! What I need is some full-bodied milk or, heavens, cream to make it super special.

Big D is sunny and mild, but the hometown will be snowy and cooooolllllddddd. Have to pack for that, for both Jack and me.

Christmas plans: read books, watch terrible TV, cook, write, play with Jack, be bored... and therefore unstressed. Create my list of 50 Books to Read in 2011, and start reading them. Go see The King's Speech with parents. Go see The Fighter, maybe with my sister. Watch the snow fall, lie on the ground, melt... watch the deer, many birds, and turkeys in my parents' yard--oh, yes, it is clearly on some animal version of "safe places to hang out."

Sounds crazy, right? But not in a Drah-Mah way, like my everyday life. Nice.