Monthly Archives: December 2011

Christmas

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I had a really great Christmas. Everyone was way too generous in their gift giving. When questioned about this they simply would say “it’s just that kind of year” or “I love you!” and who am I to turn away the generosity of others because of their love for me?

Before Christmas I had actually not been in any sort of spirit for it, barely getting presents for anyone at all. I made out my Christmas cards while very sick, with no address book so I had to look up everyone I could remember and missed a lot of people, and I’m lucky I got out the 20 I did.

My favorite gifts were intangible — seeing friends I haven’t seen in a long time, getting to spend time with family members I love, seeing the happy smiles on faces of people who enjoyed what they receive, getting to try something new and simultaneously fearing and loving it (we drove on the 35 degree incline of the Bristol Motor Speedway, which hosts two NASCAR races a year, and I was so terrified my eyes were moist, but I would of course love to do that again).

I feel like I’ve lost my knack for writing tight blog posts, so just keep bearing with me.

My stepdad gave me the NASCAR track gift AND a Tempurpedic pillow when I told him that the pillow I was sleeping on in the camper made my neck better. He also showed up to a movie he knew would have a lot of things in it he wouldn’t care for, just so we could all be together. My mom gave me the gift of promising to come here in February to help me clean and organize the apartment. If you hadn’t noticed, Dawg and I never showed you a video of our home after we moved in. That’s because it’s a disastrous mess in here, mainly because of all the stuff I lugged here from Vermont. It all needs to go, or be organized so that it fits neatly here, and my mom is riding the Megabus to come all the way here to do that.

And Dawg’s mom told me she wants me to call her Mom. Because I’m a keeper. :)

My brother’s family sent us gifts from Vermont all the way to Tennessee so we could open them with my mom and stepdad. They were too generous, and I told them so, but they’re happy about it and I now have a fridge filled with peanut butter cups of varying shapes, and a neoprene cover for this MacBook Pro I’m typing into right now.

Dawg gave me items that tugged at my heartstrings because they were from him to me, and they are sentimental to us. And I loved watching him open his gift from Georgie because she truly got him one of the best gifts of all time — 4 pairs of pajama bottoms in a huge box, one pair flannel, one pair fleece, one pair cotton with Santa hat skull, and one pair polar bear. :)

I am a flawed person, and yet these people still love me. Such a great gift. The best, in fact.

Riding in car with boy

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For the first time in almost exactly 3 years I heard from my ex-husband. He emailed me to pass along a message from the company from which we jointly leased my car that my lease will be up in May and they need to discuss the return with me.

I called the leasing company to check on all my options, because Dawg and I really love that car like a member of the family. We even call my car a pet name. I took down all the information then discussed it that night with Dawg. I could buy the car if I wanted, but the amount still due plus the finance rate they were offering just wasn’t financially reasonable. I asked him to help me make this decision, because the car I get next will be our car, even if only my name is on the title and loan, and I’m not great with making this particular life decision. He agreed. We are in the early stages of discussing what car we will get next. I know it will meet certain criteria (or, at least, that’s the plan) but beyond that I am excited to see what we jointly choose together. And this time I will buy, not lease.

I am sad that my current car will be going back to the car company, but am slightly relieved that the very last item that was still jointly owned by me and my ex-husband will finally be out of my life. It’s an old, bad habit to worry that I am disappointing that man with any of my decisions, and if we don’t have any financial responsibilities together he can be disappointed all he wants with my life choices but my decisions won’t negatively impact him in any way. That is a big relief.