better than last year.

Family gathering was comparatively chilled out this year. It was kind of a pleasant thing. All of the grandchildren are growing up enough to not be super hyper and have pretty decent conversations (youngest is about 14), no new marriages are happening until next year and we're free of decidedly little 'uns for the time being. Still pretty light on any veg food but some nice concessions are being made for me after over a decade of non-meaty living that aren't unappreciated (set aside salad with no bacon, etc.) And jokes at my expense were pretty well avoided. neat. I've got a great family, actually, I'm very lucky. Christmas eve is one of the very few times of year they all routinely stay up and out past 11 or 12; so after family reveling and soaking up bad late night (usually unavailable) cable viewing with my brother until nearly 4am and getting a less-than-restful air-mattress sleep, I'm kinda spent. I don't care how cheesy and melodramatic it can be, I'll watch pretty much any episode of vh1 behind the music. Last night was Cyndi Lauper. Neato.

Today we saw a movie with Mom, which we've done for the last three years. Not quite mass, but probably more entertaining.

Presents, food, stuff like that. okay.

Blah, I'm super tired. Must go to work tomorrow. Hope I'm not getting strep throat. Pleeeeeaaaassse no strep throat. okay. sleeeeep.