📅 December 2013

After the half-day and shopping, I scrambled to think of gifts for Mary and Daniel. I ended up giving Emily a sock monkey scarf, Daniel an Arduino so I could teach him and 3D lion painting, and Mary a super soft blanket with candy. I went to my parents for my family's Christmas party. The usual family was there for a good time and a lot of good food/cookies. The best part probably was playing Cards Against Humanity - my great aunt Shirley would say absolutely anything while Emily would make other people read cards for her.

The next day, @paul and @terry and I woke up and exchanged gifts. Paul got me a bunch of fancy peanut/almond/cashew butters, and Terry got me a cheese club subscription and these awesome red corduroys. I am going to die of clogged arteries looking good. I got Terry some new paddles for the canoe (that are long enough for us to use), and Paul a fox handled serving tray plus a dog bed to lay in front of the fire.


After that I went to my parents house again to do Christmas there. My mom gave us and all the siblings a really cute photo frame with these old postcards of Buffalo in them. We have the Peace Bridge, city hall and an aerial of downtown.


I also got this 90's puffy ski vest that I love. We napped and ate the rest of the day before watching Silver Linings Playbook for the 10th time. I feel ridiculously full right now. I'm back home and the living room smells so bad right now. I called Sarah and we are catching up on the phone a bit before bed.

Today was a half day at work for Christmas Eve. I loved being able to ride home while it was still light out. On top of that, I started on new project today involving wastewater treatment plant upgrades that I'm actually looking forward to.

After I got home @paul and @terry and I headed out to iron out last second gifts. I'm such a bad gift giver, which I thinks stems from me hating shopping so much. I almost didn't have anything for my siblings but I kind of lightbulbed in the last hour on what I wanted to do for them, which I think will work out great.

The pumpkin continues to decay especially after @mike deflated it by stepping on it. There's a weird trail of pumpkin juice down the porch now and it just keeps flattening further. I wish we took a timelapse of it, it would be amazing.

The party the Monday night at Natasha and John's was real fun. It was awesome meeting them. @terry, @xandra, @heidi and @Dianne walked over together. I don't remember the names of all the people I met but I'm sure I'll see some again.

The food was so good, especially the mac and cheese, vegan chili and of course the cookies. @terry brought this 8% beer which made the night a little crazy but that is okay. We finished the night with a walk back and a stop at Nietzsche's before Terry and I made it home.




Erin's baby/picnic basket

I had lunch today with some of my coworkers at Rachel's Mediterranean on McKinley Parkway in Hamburg. The topic of today's lunch revolved mostly around sack-tapping weirdly enough. I always saw the Rachel's on Delaware near Chippewa but had never been there. This new location was a lot like a Chipotle-type restaraunt but with kebobs, wraps and rice bowls.





I got the falafel wrap which had good falafel and tahini, but almost too much of pita compared to the filling. It was around $7 bucks. I'd definitely get it again, but I'd rather go to Shish Kebob Express or somewhere cheaper for the same quality I think.



The weridest part were these three bros who came in with open Four Lokos. First of all who drinks Four Lokos on a weekday noon and second of all brings them out to lunch?
Maybe I'm just jealous (not of the four lokos).

I think it's time to give up candy. I thought I was doing well a while back in terms of giving it up but its crept back into my life, even when I'm eating healthy otherwise. Just look at all the junk food we have, it can't be good for you. Not to mention it's so expensive. Once this is gone I won't be replacing it.

A good chunk of this weekend was taken up by being a massive capitalist and going Christmas shopping at all the big spots - the galleria, Viddlers in East Aurora, the Boulevard and Hertel. I went with @paul and @mike. @terry was sick and I think he would have wanted to murder us by the end anyway.

It definitely would have been way too overwhelming if it wasnt for Paul and Mike.

The galleria was crazy, especially JC Penny's. they were clearing out all this weird Martha Stewart food for a dollar including eyeball gumballs? This woman handing out coupons came up to Mike and Paul asking if they were brothers - then said they had a picture of them in the back. There was also a fiasco with the checkout desk and a bottle of (d)rapes on the counter. Paul let them know which was probably a good idea.


Mike's dream nativity set


Fraggle Wig


Martha's Eyeballs


Drape Jar

Satuday morning we went to Viddlers - it was packed. Still full of so much cool and weird stuff but I think all the fumes and outgassing gave me a headache.
Wasn't depression food really bland and nutrient poor?

Just why?

Then we got back and ate at Saigon Bangkok on the Boulevard. I love their fried tofu and pumpkin curry.


We almost died getting up to Trader Joes and the Christmas Tree Shop. I've never been there before, it was like Joann Fabrics and Dollar General had a baby together.

Santa pooping jelly beans - the perfect gift for everyone on your list this year

We also stopped at Premier. Although I ate their amazing baked cheese last time I refuse to have anything from there again. They never needed that tax break to move from Kenmore so fuck them.

On the way back we stopped on Hertel to get a few more gifts including the House of Olivies. They had this amazing Meyer Lemon oil I tried. I can't believe we got so much done, it was exhausting for doing absolutely nothing.

Today is winter solstice - the only place to go from here is up.

A happier Basra
Boys of summer

The new Cards Against Humanity trump card.

On Thursday Emily, Carrie, Lindsay, Julie and Andrew came over to decorate cookies with @terry and I. Well I should say bake too, because I rode home so late I made Lindsay roll out the dough so we could bake them.

We used all my mom's cut outs and decorations including Bufanda, the holiday character no one knew about. For icing we made one out of eggnog and powdered sugar since we had no real milk. I was eating it out of the bowl by the end of the night.

I don't really have any pictures of them decorated because we ate them all while sang Usher and JoJo.




Bufanda the holiday character








All finished frosting

Every year, my family celebrates fesitvus, ala Seinfeld. Its basically a pointless holiday they made up in reaction to commericalism of Christmas, where you "air your grievances" with everyone. The tree is substituted with a metal pole, theres a weird dinner, and the night ends when the head of the household (in the case the dog) is pinned during a "feat of strength" . Its kind of hard to explain without having seen the episode but its bizarre and fun. Here's a website about it that looks like its stuck in the 90s as well.

On Wednesday, I picked up Mary from the train station (2 hours after it was supposed to arrive) after dropping off Alex (you owe me gurrrrl, next time its the 16 bus for you) and headed home for festivus. I was going to bring Terry but it got too late, which is too bad because my parents really wanted him to come. Dinner was a carbfest since my mom was sick - homemade mac and cheese, toasted raviloi, a big salad, bagels, and the biggest freaking snickers I've seen for dessert (eaten with a fork and knife - also Seinfeld).

I love my family but everytime we're all home together I realize how much we just scream, even in a regular conversation. I guess when you have that many people in a small space its what happens. Even Midnight barked like crazy the whole night.

I should have taken a picture of the grievances, they're the best part.