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My, how long it’s been.
Dec. 27th, 2001 01:11 pmFriday
After a non-productive day at work, I headed home. Liz had arrived in the afternoon, so she and Marie were chatting when I arrived. We put in a pizza for supper and watched the Simpsons. We broke out the Simpson’s Clue after supper and I lost (once again). It is painfully obvious that I’m terrible at Clue, but at least I got to be Krusty the Klown this time around.
Terry called and talked with Marie. He had a few questions about the upcoming Holiday party. She mentioned that we were spending a quiet evening in and that he could head over if he wanted to. He spent the last week in Stevens Point, building a house for his boss’s son. We broke out The Game Of Life shortly afterwards and had a fun time. I married an Internet porn star the first time around and married Terry the second time. Terry came in-between the first and second game, so we enjoyed a rousing game in which Marie won (both times). Terry stuck around for a while afterwards and for a split second, it seemed like old times. In college, it was always the four of us spending our free time enjoying the fine art of conversation and laughing our foolish asses off. Something changed along the way, and while we don’t get to do our usual routine very often, for a night it was like we were 19 all over again.
The night forged on and Terry left around 11:00 or so. We pretty much called it a night after that.
<>u>Saturday
Saturday Marie and I awoke and got ready while Liz slept in. Amy was due to arrive around 11:00 and the four of us were planning to go see The Lord of the Rings before the Holiday party. We got a call from Marci, who was also coming into town but not planning on getting here in time for the movie, informing us that she indeed was up for the movie and got an earlier start than they planned. So, Marie jumped on the Internet to purchase another ‘advanced’ ticket for Marci and we were off to meet her at the theater. Liz and Amy wanted to stop ahead of time at the gas station to get some ‘munchies’ to sneak in, so I obliged and left the getaway car running as they went inside to get some water and candy. Note to self: Don’t rely on Amy and Liz to hurry, had we actually been robbing a bank we would have been easily apprehended by the authorities.
Went to the theater and found Marci. Made our way in the ‘Advanced Ticketholder’ door and handed our two printouts to the ticket ripper (one with 4 tickets for myself, Marie, Amy and Liz and the other with Marci’s ticket on it). The ticket ripper simply ripped both sheets of paper in half, handed us one half and waved us through, never looking at the number of tickets on the paper. Note to self: Next time, buy one ticket and bring along 47 of my closest friends to sneak them in with no one being the wiser.
Made our way to our seats and had a grand ol’ time with the movies. No good previews this time around and the same mind-numbing commercials as usual. Ick. Lord of the Rings was a very entertaining movie but it was a little on the long side. Just under 3 hours (like 2 minutes under 3 hours) so I got ‘lazy ass’ syndrome but it was worth it. For those of you who don’t know the story, there is this evil ring that the Bad Guys want to get their hands on. Elijah Wood needs to bring the ring back to where it was created for it to be destroyed. The movie is his quest to do so. Everytime he puts on the ring, he has visions of death and this Evil Vagina that draws ever near, trying to consume him (or something). A good time was had by all.
After the movie, we made a quick stop at the grocery store for some last minute stuff for the party. Russ (Marci’s roommate) arrived soon after (he had dropped Marci off at the theater so he could meet up with some friends in Oshkosh). Marie and I whipped up the taco jazz and Amy made the Beef/Spinach/Cheese tortilla roll ups. By 5:30 we were ready to head to the conference center for the party. Got the place decorated and the food arranged/in the fridge for the party. We then played some UNO and waited for the guests to arrive (with the party starting at 7:00).
The waiting indeed was the hardest part, but then people started to show up. It was raining just a little bit but that didn’t last long. Everybody brought way too much food but we had a good variety. We had about 22 people total, which was nice. Pretty much a ‘reunion’ of friends. We all got in a circle at one point and played “Two Truths and a Lie”, in which everyone had to say two truths and a lie, and it was up to the rest of us to pick out the lie. Here were mine:
I have been to Canada
I am allergic to dust
I have never eaten a Big Mac
It was a lot of fun and I’m really glad I brought the camcorder along. I think I got some pretty good video or at least all of our friends on tape. I tried to not be too invasive or annoying. Didn’t take a whole lot of pictures, but so it goes. Most of the rest of the evening was spent either playing Cranium or visiting with people. It was really nice and I think everyone had a good time.
Everyone stayed until 1:00 or so and then decided to call it a night. We got cleaned up and took out the trash and headed back to the apartment. Amy, Liz, Marci and Russ all stayed at our place. Since Marie and I had to be up early to head to Wausau the next morning, we went to bed soon after we got home.
Sunday
After not nearly enough sleep, we got up and got ready to go. We had packed before hand, so it was just a matter of showering and leaving. We made sure that the gang locked up on their way out and made our way to Wausau. Made it to Marie’s mom’s house by about 12:30. Marie’s brother and his girlfriend were also there. We opened up presents and got some cool stuff. Marie and her mom/stepdad all went in together to get me the Adbusters ‘Media Foundation Package’ or something, including a one year subscription, video, calendar, postcards, all back issues, and book written by their founder. It was a nice surprise and I’m anxious to read through it all. Also got some blank CDs, a Jaguars stuffed frog (?) and other assorted goodies. We had a big meal afterwards and then watched the Packers beat the Browns. Spent the rest of the night playing cards and staying awake so we could catch “Home Movies”.
Monday
I didn’t wake up until 10:30 the next morning, which is pretty much unheard in the life of me. I *never* sleep in past 8:00 on the weekends. I don’t know what it was, but I was tired. We got ready and had some lunch. Then we made our way (me, Marie, her mom and stepdad) to Rice Lake to stay over at Marie’s aunt and uncle’s house for the night. We got a chance to visit for a while, which was nice. Had a bunch of snacks for supper and I did a lot of reading. I brought along both The Air Conditioned Nightmare and Me Talk Pretty One Day. I finished Me Talk Pretty One Day before the night was over. Quite a hilarious collection. But, I’m getting ahead of myself here. After supper, we went to church at the Methodist church in Barron (which is where Marie’s mom and family grew up). First time I’d been to a Methodist service, it was very disjointed but cool. It’s usually a good sign when they have a ‘Pregnant?’ sign with information in the ‘lobby’ of the church that it’ll be along my lines of thought.
Marie’s mom seemed to be in a big hurry to leave when it was over and commented that it ‘went long’ since it was over an hour. We stopped by the cemetery where Marie’s grandparents were buried as well, which is the first time I’d been there.
Went back to Marie’s aunt and uncle’s house and watched some of It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story before going to sleep.
Tuesday
On Tuesday we got up and got ready. Headed back to Barron to Marie’s other aunt and uncle’s where the festivities would be taking place. (editor’s note: good god, this is getting long and detailed. My advice? Skip to the end) We arrived a little early so we helped get things in order and watched the chaos unfold.
Everyone arrived eventually and we sat down to another huge and great meal. Marie’s uncle Dave (who is really into computers) got his hands on some home movies of Marie’s grandparents (his parents) and put them on CD (for the computer), DVD and video to show everyone. So I got a chance to watch that with him commenting on who was who and where the video was shot, etc. It was interesting to see and learn (a bit) about them. They died when Marie was 12, so it’s been a while for them to be gone but her mom’s side of the family is very close, which is very encouraging.
I don’t know what it is, but it seems that this year I’ve been a lot happier in regards to the holiday season. We spent a lot of time in the car and I did a lot of thinking about how much I like family get togethers and how everyone got along. I don’t know if it’s a reflection of the current state of affairs or what, but it was just pleasant.
Anyway, after opening up gifts (I got Sim City Unlimited 3000 or something, that I think I will be exchanging for The Sims), we hit the road. Two and a half hours back to Wausau and then another two hours from there to Oshkosh, we had a long road trip ahead of us. Made it back to Oshkosh without incident and called my brother and sister-in-law to chat for a bit. My parents were over there as well, so it was nice to talk with them. Marie and I exchanged gifts (and spoiled me once again) and I think we both did pretty well. Otherwise, had a quiet night putting our things away and watching some tv before turning in.
Wednesday
Woke up and made our way to Target to get some holiday deals. This consisted of 4 rolls of wrapping paper, some deodorant for me and some drain cleaner. Who say we don’t know how to party? Came back home and I scanned in some pictures while waiting for Carrie B. to arrive. She couldn’t make it to the party because she had to work, but made home and we were glad that she could come to visit. She arrive and we ‘chewed the rag’ for a while before she had to head back home. She got us a vegetarian cookbook, Chomsky’s Propagandhi and Public Opinion and some kick ass sounding tea. I’m not much of a ‘hot’ drink drinker, but I’m willing to try most things. She swears by it, so maybe some night this week we’ll indulge.
After she left, we made our way to Cy’s Bistro for lunch and then to my parent’s house for a visit. Opened up the exchange gifts that we missed out on since we were in Wausau. Marie got two CDs while I got Rollins’ Smile, You’re Travelling and Ben Folds’ “Rocking the Suburbs”, which I am listening to right now.
Came home after that and Marie gave me a much-needed haircut. Most of the rest of the day was spent reading or watching television. Such is my life. After supper I decided to chronicle my last 5 days, which you’ve just gotten done reading.
Random thoughts of the Holiday Season:
Marie and I finally found out why bad kids get presents on Christmas morning instead of coal. Two words: Mommy Sex. If Mommies are spending time kissing Santa Claus, who’s to say they aren’t ‘going further’ with Pere Noel? He’s got to have needs after all of his travelling and it just makes sense that the Mommies that put out have happier, albeit rotten kids on 12/25. Why didn’t I think of this sooner?
All in all, I got too much stuff, but I got a lot of books that I think will be a treat to read.
Carrie A. got me a Mystery Machine van, on account of my Scobby Doo impression. She’s all heart.
After a non-productive day at work, I headed home. Liz had arrived in the afternoon, so she and Marie were chatting when I arrived. We put in a pizza for supper and watched the Simpsons. We broke out the Simpson’s Clue after supper and I lost (once again). It is painfully obvious that I’m terrible at Clue, but at least I got to be Krusty the Klown this time around.
Terry called and talked with Marie. He had a few questions about the upcoming Holiday party. She mentioned that we were spending a quiet evening in and that he could head over if he wanted to. He spent the last week in Stevens Point, building a house for his boss’s son. We broke out The Game Of Life shortly afterwards and had a fun time. I married an Internet porn star the first time around and married Terry the second time. Terry came in-between the first and second game, so we enjoyed a rousing game in which Marie won (both times). Terry stuck around for a while afterwards and for a split second, it seemed like old times. In college, it was always the four of us spending our free time enjoying the fine art of conversation and laughing our foolish asses off. Something changed along the way, and while we don’t get to do our usual routine very often, for a night it was like we were 19 all over again.
The night forged on and Terry left around 11:00 or so. We pretty much called it a night after that.
<>u>Saturday
Saturday Marie and I awoke and got ready while Liz slept in. Amy was due to arrive around 11:00 and the four of us were planning to go see The Lord of the Rings before the Holiday party. We got a call from Marci, who was also coming into town but not planning on getting here in time for the movie, informing us that she indeed was up for the movie and got an earlier start than they planned. So, Marie jumped on the Internet to purchase another ‘advanced’ ticket for Marci and we were off to meet her at the theater. Liz and Amy wanted to stop ahead of time at the gas station to get some ‘munchies’ to sneak in, so I obliged and left the getaway car running as they went inside to get some water and candy. Note to self: Don’t rely on Amy and Liz to hurry, had we actually been robbing a bank we would have been easily apprehended by the authorities.
Went to the theater and found Marci. Made our way in the ‘Advanced Ticketholder’ door and handed our two printouts to the ticket ripper (one with 4 tickets for myself, Marie, Amy and Liz and the other with Marci’s ticket on it). The ticket ripper simply ripped both sheets of paper in half, handed us one half and waved us through, never looking at the number of tickets on the paper. Note to self: Next time, buy one ticket and bring along 47 of my closest friends to sneak them in with no one being the wiser.
Made our way to our seats and had a grand ol’ time with the movies. No good previews this time around and the same mind-numbing commercials as usual. Ick. Lord of the Rings was a very entertaining movie but it was a little on the long side. Just under 3 hours (like 2 minutes under 3 hours) so I got ‘lazy ass’ syndrome but it was worth it. For those of you who don’t know the story, there is this evil ring that the Bad Guys want to get their hands on. Elijah Wood needs to bring the ring back to where it was created for it to be destroyed. The movie is his quest to do so. Everytime he puts on the ring, he has visions of death and this Evil Vagina that draws ever near, trying to consume him (or something). A good time was had by all.
After the movie, we made a quick stop at the grocery store for some last minute stuff for the party. Russ (Marci’s roommate) arrived soon after (he had dropped Marci off at the theater so he could meet up with some friends in Oshkosh). Marie and I whipped up the taco jazz and Amy made the Beef/Spinach/Cheese tortilla roll ups. By 5:30 we were ready to head to the conference center for the party. Got the place decorated and the food arranged/in the fridge for the party. We then played some UNO and waited for the guests to arrive (with the party starting at 7:00).
The waiting indeed was the hardest part, but then people started to show up. It was raining just a little bit but that didn’t last long. Everybody brought way too much food but we had a good variety. We had about 22 people total, which was nice. Pretty much a ‘reunion’ of friends. We all got in a circle at one point and played “Two Truths and a Lie”, in which everyone had to say two truths and a lie, and it was up to the rest of us to pick out the lie. Here were mine:
I have been to Canada
I am allergic to dust
I have never eaten a Big Mac
It was a lot of fun and I’m really glad I brought the camcorder along. I think I got some pretty good video or at least all of our friends on tape. I tried to not be too invasive or annoying. Didn’t take a whole lot of pictures, but so it goes. Most of the rest of the evening was spent either playing Cranium or visiting with people. It was really nice and I think everyone had a good time.
Everyone stayed until 1:00 or so and then decided to call it a night. We got cleaned up and took out the trash and headed back to the apartment. Amy, Liz, Marci and Russ all stayed at our place. Since Marie and I had to be up early to head to Wausau the next morning, we went to bed soon after we got home.
Sunday
After not nearly enough sleep, we got up and got ready to go. We had packed before hand, so it was just a matter of showering and leaving. We made sure that the gang locked up on their way out and made our way to Wausau. Made it to Marie’s mom’s house by about 12:30. Marie’s brother and his girlfriend were also there. We opened up presents and got some cool stuff. Marie and her mom/stepdad all went in together to get me the Adbusters ‘Media Foundation Package’ or something, including a one year subscription, video, calendar, postcards, all back issues, and book written by their founder. It was a nice surprise and I’m anxious to read through it all. Also got some blank CDs, a Jaguars stuffed frog (?) and other assorted goodies. We had a big meal afterwards and then watched the Packers beat the Browns. Spent the rest of the night playing cards and staying awake so we could catch “Home Movies”.
Monday
I didn’t wake up until 10:30 the next morning, which is pretty much unheard in the life of me. I *never* sleep in past 8:00 on the weekends. I don’t know what it was, but I was tired. We got ready and had some lunch. Then we made our way (me, Marie, her mom and stepdad) to Rice Lake to stay over at Marie’s aunt and uncle’s house for the night. We got a chance to visit for a while, which was nice. Had a bunch of snacks for supper and I did a lot of reading. I brought along both The Air Conditioned Nightmare and Me Talk Pretty One Day. I finished Me Talk Pretty One Day before the night was over. Quite a hilarious collection. But, I’m getting ahead of myself here. After supper, we went to church at the Methodist church in Barron (which is where Marie’s mom and family grew up). First time I’d been to a Methodist service, it was very disjointed but cool. It’s usually a good sign when they have a ‘Pregnant?’ sign with information in the ‘lobby’ of the church that it’ll be along my lines of thought.
Marie’s mom seemed to be in a big hurry to leave when it was over and commented that it ‘went long’ since it was over an hour. We stopped by the cemetery where Marie’s grandparents were buried as well, which is the first time I’d been there.
Went back to Marie’s aunt and uncle’s house and watched some of It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story before going to sleep.
Tuesday
On Tuesday we got up and got ready. Headed back to Barron to Marie’s other aunt and uncle’s where the festivities would be taking place. (editor’s note: good god, this is getting long and detailed. My advice? Skip to the end) We arrived a little early so we helped get things in order and watched the chaos unfold.
Everyone arrived eventually and we sat down to another huge and great meal. Marie’s uncle Dave (who is really into computers) got his hands on some home movies of Marie’s grandparents (his parents) and put them on CD (for the computer), DVD and video to show everyone. So I got a chance to watch that with him commenting on who was who and where the video was shot, etc. It was interesting to see and learn (a bit) about them. They died when Marie was 12, so it’s been a while for them to be gone but her mom’s side of the family is very close, which is very encouraging.
I don’t know what it is, but it seems that this year I’ve been a lot happier in regards to the holiday season. We spent a lot of time in the car and I did a lot of thinking about how much I like family get togethers and how everyone got along. I don’t know if it’s a reflection of the current state of affairs or what, but it was just pleasant.
Anyway, after opening up gifts (I got Sim City Unlimited 3000 or something, that I think I will be exchanging for The Sims), we hit the road. Two and a half hours back to Wausau and then another two hours from there to Oshkosh, we had a long road trip ahead of us. Made it back to Oshkosh without incident and called my brother and sister-in-law to chat for a bit. My parents were over there as well, so it was nice to talk with them. Marie and I exchanged gifts (and spoiled me once again) and I think we both did pretty well. Otherwise, had a quiet night putting our things away and watching some tv before turning in.
Wednesday
Woke up and made our way to Target to get some holiday deals. This consisted of 4 rolls of wrapping paper, some deodorant for me and some drain cleaner. Who say we don’t know how to party? Came back home and I scanned in some pictures while waiting for Carrie B. to arrive. She couldn’t make it to the party because she had to work, but made home and we were glad that she could come to visit. She arrive and we ‘chewed the rag’ for a while before she had to head back home. She got us a vegetarian cookbook, Chomsky’s Propagandhi and Public Opinion and some kick ass sounding tea. I’m not much of a ‘hot’ drink drinker, but I’m willing to try most things. She swears by it, so maybe some night this week we’ll indulge.
After she left, we made our way to Cy’s Bistro for lunch and then to my parent’s house for a visit. Opened up the exchange gifts that we missed out on since we were in Wausau. Marie got two CDs while I got Rollins’ Smile, You’re Travelling and Ben Folds’ “Rocking the Suburbs”, which I am listening to right now.
Came home after that and Marie gave me a much-needed haircut. Most of the rest of the day was spent reading or watching television. Such is my life. After supper I decided to chronicle my last 5 days, which you’ve just gotten done reading.
Random thoughts of the Holiday Season:
Marie and I finally found out why bad kids get presents on Christmas morning instead of coal. Two words: Mommy Sex. If Mommies are spending time kissing Santa Claus, who’s to say they aren’t ‘going further’ with Pere Noel? He’s got to have needs after all of his travelling and it just makes sense that the Mommies that put out have happier, albeit rotten kids on 12/25. Why didn’t I think of this sooner?
All in all, I got too much stuff, but I got a lot of books that I think will be a treat to read.
Carrie A. got me a Mystery Machine van, on account of my Scobby Doo impression. She’s all heart.
