Goodbye, Christmas

Despite the fact that Brian continually insists that Christmas is 12 days long (ending on Epiphany, January 6), I already feel like it's over. I'm back in Chapel Hill, getting ready for work tomorrow --and for once, I really wasn't ready to leave home. Christmas wasn't as awful as I had anticipated (it was actually very nice, despite the un-Christmasy temperatures) and for the first time in a very, very, VERY long time, I had nothing to do and didn't feel guilty/bored. I spent most of Friday and Saturday reading and sleeping (helped along by a seriously bad headache on Saturday), and I have to say I wish I could do more of it. Work last week was beyond exhausting, and I ended up covered in bruises and barely able to move (thank you, whoever decided to send autistic kids to the roller rink). I'm hardly looking forward to it this week, besides that fact that no one will be in town for New Year's Eve--hence, I'll have to spend it alone. I think I was dreading most coming back here and being lonely--thankfully Brian comes back on Friday, as we have to go to a wedding on Saturday.

But enough for the negative.

For Christmas this year, I have to say my favorite gifts were decorations I can put up next year--I found it really hard to get in the spirit when all I had was a wreath on the door. I got a little plush tree on a stand (John), a Santa mug (Lara), a "Santa's Favorite Cat" pillow with a picture of Maddy (Brian's family) a Snowbabies statuette with penguins (Brian's grandma), and some snowman mugs/dessert plates (Dad). It's nice to start collecting things like that, and hopefully it will make next year's Christmas more...Christmasy. I also got a GPS (which is a seriously good thing, if you know how much I get lost) and a new iPod, as my old one died a watery death back in the spring when my thermos leaked. Not to mention a new thermos, one of those metal ones rather than the plastic ones, which I've heard are bad for you, and anyway start to smell after a day or two, and are hard to wash.

I also went to see Valkyrie, against my better judgement because I can't stand Tom Cruise these days but Brian asked, and he so rarely wants to see movies that I couldn't turn him down. It ended up being really good, in part because Tom Cruise's massive ego, which usually overpowers any character he's playing (Mission:Impossible 3, anyone?) actually contributed to the character, which was one of the major players in the plot to assassinate Hitler in 1944. I recommended it if you like dramatic WWII movies (there aren't many explosions, etc., but the plot made up for it).