It has been a while since I have written and I am not promising myself that this entry will be anything more than an organized mess. My focus is so fleeting lately. I am having a hard time paying attention to anything for a long period of time.
I have also started with the catastrophic thinking again. Like a nightmare that won't end, one tiny thought of I hope Beau didn't slide off the icy road goes into a full blown scenario of how I would get the call, how the funeral arrangements would be made and how life would ever go on without him and it plays out like a movie in my head. M Knight Shamalamalam knows nothing on writing a scary script! I physically have to shake my head to make the thoughts go away.
I have lots of things I want to write about that happened in December. I know one day I will want to remember this but it seems like it was so long ago that the events are a bit fuzzy.
We had many Christmas parties that we attended this year. First, we attended Terry's party. It was great seeing many old faces from High School. This atmosphere was fantastic, everyone was having a good time. We danced and drank. Some drank more than others because at one point I was given a gift by Laura, a pair of festive red and white striped socks trimmed in fur. I really liked them. Apparently, I looked as if I needed immediate gratification because in a snap I was flipped back in my seat, boots off and she was putting the socks on me and a couple of girls above my head making dirty gestures. After looking back at the pictures, them Bitches threw me around like a ragdoll! Talk about your Girls Gone Wild! We took a multitude of pictures that night and I will always have those to look back and laugh.
Next, we had Beau's company holiday party. I had only ever met one or two people that he worked with before this night. I thought we would sit with the people that I had met but we ended up having dinner with a delightful couple, Melissa and Chris. I am glad it worked out that way because the events that followed were so much fun. I definitely had too much wine, much too fast. Crazy things were coming out of my mouth and I couldn't stop them. It was like a flooding toilet with no plunger! After the dinner we went to Jim Porter's. Not typically, my cup of tea but it was super fun.
There was a band playing mostly 80's tunes. At one point, I decided that it would be a fabulous idea to ask Grandpa Biscuits playing the keyboard if he would sing "Happy Birthday" to my friend....Bonnie. AKA Melissa. Not only did they oblige, later in the evening they sang "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean". Can you say Rollin'!! They must have really liked that Bonnie! Poor Melissa, now has a name plate reading, "Bonnie" on her office door but she was such a good sport! Did I mention I pulled a hamstring? Yep! It is still sore. Somehow and don't ask me to elaborate but somehow I accidentally fell into the splits. I think it had something to do with the fact that I took off my boots. Them damn things were killing me! Yes, I did get escorted off the dance floor to retrieve my shoes....luckily I wasn't the only one. What a great night!
Next stop. Ugly Sweater Christmakuh party at the home of one of Beau's work friends. What a fabulous old farm house built in the 1800's. Jason gave us the ten cent tour and since he was already tipsy by the time we arrived and a bit wordy we definitely got our money's worth! I haven't hung around with 20 somethings in a drunken social setting since my 20's. Made me feel young again, if only for a little while. What a fantastic time of playing cards, drinking games and Jason teaching Beau the two step or the Waltz or something that you would have to take formal lessons to learn. As the ugly sweater's go, it was so funny seeing so many people dressed in ugly snowmen ladened garb!
Christmas at the Flores house is probably like most peoples. We have to celebrate it about eighty different times with different sides of the family. Of course, the same set of family usually doesn't do it two days in a row. Christmas Eve at Beau's parents are for exchanging presents between the aunts and uncles and nieces and nephews. We also, draw names between all of Beau's sisters and spouses but we ended up doing the exchange on Christmas Day this year. There is always a theme and this year it was yellow, their late Grandpa's favorite color as a surprise to their Mother. Now, this is just my opinion and it probably wouldn't be a very popular one but I guess I see it differently since I have lost a father and he and his sisters have not. I didn't think it was a good idea at all. Beau didn't think it really was either but he rarely voices his opinion where his family is concerned. Why would you want to give someone a reminder to cry the first Christmas after they have lost a loved one? There was a lot of crying that night and Christmas Day but it wasn't nearly as bad as I had anticipated. Christmas Day came hours later than it has since Danielle was an infant. The children did not wake me up until 8:04. I remember the time exactly because it should be in the Guinness Book! The ripping of paper ensued and lasted about a half hour. All of the preparation for a just a short time. It is kind of like a first date! We got all gussied up and headed to Beau's Mom's house for the first dinner and the 2nd present fest. Later, that day we went to my Cousin's house where she had also made dinner. I ate very little at Beau's Mom's so I could also eat with my family. However, by the time I got to her house, there was hardly anything left. I almost can't wait until I have Grandkids and they all must come to me. We waste half of the day traveling and the other half worrying that we are not traveling fast enough. Christmas is always hectic. That's why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
We had ourselves a New Year's Party at the New View Bar. Buffy and I pulled together a great spread of food. We drank and munched and danced into 2010.
I always hope for a better year but I will be content if it is just the same as last year. All in all, 2009 was one of the best years of my life.
