Let's see. I'm making a list and checking it twice. Well, once. Tree decorated Windows decorated Christmas cards sent out Presents bought Present for grandchild sent out Get Christmas decorating boxes out of living room Mend Christmas tree skirt Set up miniature village Set up Santa collection Update Christmas music collection Bake cookies Pick Christmas and New Year's Eve menus Sound familiar? And I've only got us two here to do for. But we are having Kippy for Christmas Eve and Day, maybe Marilyn if she hasn't booked a flight for Winnipeg, and then the other two Muckheads--Amy and Todd--for New Year's Eve and Day. My errant son, Lee, and his girlfriend may wend their way westward and actually make it for this holiday unlike Thanksgiving in which they didn't (and didn't even call, ahem). That's the trouble. All this focus on holiday doings and plans, then January 2nd hits and, wham! Nothing! And it's so dreary outside all January, well, at least here in Ohio. And usually not even enough snow to brighten it up. But I had fun at The Muckheads yesterday. Amy had spaghetti and meatballs ready to eat when I got there. Then we sat around and talked till it was time to go to the play. I could skip the part about the play because it was not lighthearted Christmas fare, or happy fare for any time of year but I'll go ahead and mention it. It was rather Gothic-like and violent. Like Amy pointed out, it glorified rape and mayhem on women. Although I didn't like the storylines at all, some of the actors were pretty good for an independent, off-the-wall acting group. Kip said that the one he went to the year before wasn't as grim and dark as this one was. Amy and Todd decided to skip out at intermission but Kip and I braved it out till the end. The last two playlets were better but the themes were still death. Sure made me feel good to get back to my ordinary life. We were too tired to play Cranium like we wanted so we watched Survivor. We all think the players on Survivor this season aren't as interesting so it's been kind of a yawner but it's been nice to see new challenges and new quirks added. I think Burnett should not split them into two tribes at the beginning but lump them all together in one tribe. Then for the challenges split them up evenly at random. Now, that would be interesting. The highlight of the evening came when Todd got into doing his Neil Diamond impersonation. He sounds damned good! Kip joined him and it was so funny to hear them singing "The Rainbow Connection" in Neil Diamond voice. This carried onto the next morning even. Well, we went to bed, of course, but upon awakening it stated up again. Todd sang me Happy Birthday Neil Diamond style. I was very touched. Amy and I went to Bob Evans for breakfast while Kip and Todd went to work. Then she and I stopped at JoAnne Fabrics so she could get some beads and string to make Hannah--her niece and my granddaughter--a necklace. We found a couple of kid's craft items and decided they would make interesting and fun gifts for Hannah. Back to her house, I wrapped my present to Hannah but we ran out of tape so Amy would have to do her later. I left my package with her to ship with her things. After a round of Mario Party, I headed home. Always have to have that round of Mario Party when I visit them. They think it's so funny that their mom will sit and play a video game with them like that. But home I had to go because I was feeling pretty tired. I hadn't slept as well in their recliner as usual. It wasn't the right recliner. The one that's more comfortable was in Kip's room to make way for their Christmas tree. Then their neighbor had to open and shut her front door several times when it got to be daybreak. It squeaks loudly. She let her dog out for his morning duties and then the dog barking to be let in woke me up. Then it was her door again a little bit later. Then it was her sweeper and, well, you get the picture. So, I was ready to go home. If I hadn't felt so tired I might have stayed. But we were now in a Winter Weather Advisory for 1-3 inches of snow to start falling in the evening so I wanted to try to avoid that. Kip was really wanting me to stay to play Cranium. But I just didn't feel like I could stay any longer. They'll be bringing the game down for New Year's Eve. And any others they want to play. We love to play board games together, if you haven't noticed. It was always a tradition to buy one new game for Christmas. That's it for today. I'm still tired out from the visit. Time to vegetate with some Sims.