Christmas time is here...

It’s been a rough year and things didn’t really go as planned, but I’m looking forward to next year with hope and optimism. This time last year we were excited about 2008. We were moving into a great new apartment and everything seemed possible. I had no idea Brian was about to quit his job and my job was about to go downhill. We would soon be flying into a downward spiral of empty bank accounts, shitty jobs, Medical mysteries and bills, bills, bills, all ending with the return to the Rogue Valley.
I think Brian thinks I hate it here but that’s far from it. I love being close to my family. I love the snow and just having seasons again is fantastic. I love waking up next to Brian in our Beautiful apartment that we never could have afforded in L.A. I love the mountains and the forests and the creek and all the beautiful landscape of southern Oregon.
My job is ok. I mean the people here are fantastic and what I do all day is fine it’s just hard being on the bottom again. I’ve spent the past four years working hard at being an Admissions rep. Even when I wasn’t one I was trying hard to become one. When I was offered the position as a REP at LARS I was on cloud 9. I figured I was finally set. I was on my career path. I could grow old and retire there or at least learn enough about Admissions that if I ever left I’d be sure to find another School to call my home.
Now I’ve gone from being the Number 2 rep at a prestigious school in L.A. to an Administrative assistant. Like I said before there is nothing wrong with the job it’s just such a step backwards sometimes it’s a little painful. But again I’m very optimistic for 2009. I think there is a lot of potential to grow with this company and if I do well where I am, I’m sure I’ll be back on top before long.
Brian’s health situation is still dragging on. I’m not nearly as scared as I once was, now that we know what it is. I’m just well, we’re both just so ready for this to be over and to put it behind us. You can read all the details in his blog, but long story short, the surgeon we were referred to has decided to take his sweet ass time in removing Brian’s benign tumor. We we’re hoping when he went in on the 19th that they would be removing it but instead the doctor wants to run some more tests (that we probably can’t afford) and do the procedure in an O.R. (more money out the window) and it’s not going to happen until after the first of the year. We know he’s just trying to be thorough but for Pete’s sake we just want that damn thing out of him already.
Christmas was very different this year. Normally it’s a struggle trying to balance out Christmas time with Brian’s family and our family. Perhaps it’s because we no longer live thousands of miles away, but this year Brian’s family seemed to take a step back. We really weren’t sure what they were doing so we ended up spending the whole day with my family instead.
I was super bummed my sister couldn’t make it down from Portland. The weather has been a little extra nasty this season and she just wasn’t up to braving the drive. Barring more bad weather, she might come down for New Years. I hope so. I haven’t seen her in over a year.
So minus one sister, we had an excellent family Christmas. Brian and I drove over to my parent’s house on Christmas Eve, stopping briefly to wish the Bartlett’s a Merry Christmas. Curtis Bartlett and Brian pretty much grew up together and his family is like our extended family. Curtis’s folks, Bill and Debbie, have always seemed to care for Brian more like a son than a family friend. I’ve always thought it was very sweet and they’ve always been so welcoming to me. They’re good people, to say the least.
So anyway, got to my folks around 9pm where I found my mother in tears exclaiming that she was canceling Christmas. She’s been working long hours at Harry and David for the past few months and I think she was just feeling completely unprepared and over whelmed by Christmas. I can’t say I blame her. I think my sister’s decision to not come down was like a nail in the coffin and mom was suddenly a wreck. I told her we had come all the way from eagle point with all our crap and we weren’t going home so she was stuck with us. I gave her big hugs and helped her clean, wrapped up some packages and passed out. Sadly I can’t stay up much past midnight so I completely collapsed around 12:30am. I guess Brian and Mom stayed up until 3am playing vids and wrapping presents. Needless to say we were not up at the crack of dawn to open presents.
I think I crawled out of bed around 10am or so and drug myself down the hall to the kitchen for some coffee. Mom was already there with a fresh cup just for me. Brian got up shortly thereafter and last but not least dad made his way to the living room for presents and pastries.
Christmas Eve, before we headed over to my folks, Brian and I had already opened our presents to each other. I really hadn’t planned on getting him anything since we’re so damn broke but then he told me he’d gotten me a little something so I thought I better find him something as well. I’d actually been thinking about getting him this little shiatsu massager for a while now. He get’s these awful headaches and a neck rub often seems to be about the only thing that will help him. Unfortunately my fingers get tired after a while so the shiatsu seemed the perfect solution. What I didn’t realize is Brian had secretly gone all out for me for Christmas.
When we sat down to exchange presents, Brian goes to the stockings we’d hung by our fire place and brings one to me, stuffed full of Christmas goodies. I felt just awful as I didn’t get any stocking stuffers for him this year. Then he hands me a package that contains Kingdom Hearts 2, which I’ve been wanting for ages. So I get all blubbery and start covering him with kisses which is when he informs me that there’s more. He brings me yet another package. I couldn’t believe it. He got me an iPod. Not just any iPod mind you but the 120gig iPod classic complete with video.
This is fantastic for a multitude of reasons. I’ve never had an iPod of my very own. Brian and I had purchased one to share a few years ago but it predictably became Brian’s iPod pretty much the moment we opened it. I’ve been asking for an iPod of my very own ever since.
So I’m sitting there, feeling just awful that Brian has masterfully orchestrated a magical Christmas for me and all I got him was a lousy back massage. But of course this is when he reminds me that this is really not the norm. Most of the time when it comes to holidays I am the one that goes all out and Brian is the one left feeling like crap that I out did him. He reminded me of my birthday this past year and how I’d been begging for an iPod and he hadn’t actually gotten me anything. So this year, Christmas goes to Brian. He gets to be the big gift giving winner and I get to be the one doted upon. I guess I can let him win, just this once.
Oh so back to Christmas at my folks. After we passed out a few presents and had some pastries mom and I decided to go for a drive in Big Red aka the Excursion w/ Bond aka the dog. We actually had a white Christmas this year which, while not unusually for southern Oregon, is never a guarantee. So we bundled up, hopped in the car and headed out to the lake to take a gander at the beautiful, snow covered countryside. Bond sat in my lap, taking it all in while mom and I looked for side roads for her to show off her 4 wheel drive. It was a blast.
When we got back I spent a few hours trying to get my folks computer running a little better. I’ll just tell you they’re running Vista and leave it at that. Then I helped Mom cook a delicious meal of Cornish game hens, mashed potatos, green bean casserole, fresh made rolls, and cranberry-jello salad. It was fantastic. I ate until I could eat no more.
After dinner we headed home, watched “It’s Christmas Charlie Brown,” a few episodes of House and then it was off to bed. Then of course I had to get up and come to work this morning. Brian’s got a paid day off today, lucky Duck. Oh well, at least it’s Friday.