I'm so behind on my Christmas shopping its ridiculous. I probably should decide what to get people. I mean, Christmas is officially one week away. Gotta get on this...
I did have a nice festive week last week. We had our "family" Christmas exchange, which of course means we get a Brock's Block! Actually, Brock was pretty well behaved. Every year I think to myself, we must be getting a little older we don't do as crazy of things as we used to. Two of us thorough countered that point but I'm getting ahead of the story. Mama Goldfish drove me to the old apartment where she, Kareem and I did a deep cleaning. You see, Alejandro and Clark called us the night before to warn us that they suspected bed bugs were in the apartment. Only Alejandro was getting bitten, and he sleeps on the floor, but it was a serious cause for concern. Mama G and I talked and realized there were no alternative locations, so we had to make the place as clean as possible. Even though they had vacuumed and sprayed poison, we went it an moved all the furniture around, vacuumed again, sprayed again, bagged up any clothes that may have been exposed, and put clean sheets on the couch. Overall, it was teh deepest cleaning we'd done in a long time (and I should know, I lived there!). In fact, when Mama G or Kareem would ask where something was, I still remembered and was giving better answers than Clark or Brock. It was amusing. Like I said, the place hasn't changed much.
Anyway, after playing a charades game successfully proving that the "family" can play games without hating each other (we used to get in such fights) and watching Mixed Nuts, Mama G's favorite Christmas movie (there's a really young Jon Stewart in it!), we finally did the gift swap. It was a small party though most (except for Sunshine Knives) decided to brave the threat of bugs. Brock, Clark, Alejandro, their other houseguest Clamber Cooker, Green Suited Pastaman, Mama Goldfish, Kareem, Nemesis, Diet Lemonade, Bridges, myself, and another friend of ours visiting from Florida. Small for us anyway, and the first time in a long time no significant others were present. The swap went smoothly despite fears that it would "ruin Christmas" and everyone seemed relatively satisfied. I, naturally, ended up with the gift Spam Boa, mailed in since he couldn't attend. (BTW Spam, I'll mail the gift you got one of these days). It was bacon popcorn and fake snow, courtesy of Utah stores!
Naturally, I had to make the snow. This is where old habits die hard. You may recall that there is a reason Nemesis is called Nemesis. This goes back to all the crazy battles we had in undergrad. To this day I like to tease here, doing things like steal her fork from dinner when she's not looking or poke her and pretend someone else did it. She usually reacts, well, violently and it inevitably devolves into battle. All I have to say is, this time, she started it. As I was showing off all the cool snow, she picked up the powder out of the cup I made it in and through it in my face. Naturally, I then "accidentally" dumped some on her head. What followed was 30 minutes of a snow fight in the kitchen. The tile was covered in wet powdery snow. We were slipping and sliding around. It was in our hair, on our clothes, in our mouths after the stray lob of snow caught us mid sentence, it was up our nose, all in all it was everywhere! And we couldn't even make snowballs just toss the powder at each other. Good thing we'd mopped earlier. The fight was epic and will go down as one of our greatest ever. Some things really don't ever change. I bet when we each have kids we'll train them to battle each other too. Like Pokemon.
So I had a quick minute around University and then back home. I'll be back up this week so maybe spend more time with peoples before Christmas. Quote of the weekend:
Brock-Wait. I never left you crying.
Mama G- What about that time I got the ticket and was crying in the car and you were like, "Well, I got to get up early" and left.
Brock (abashed)- Sorry I left you for the sake of my early mornings :-/
I spent the earlier parts of this week working for my dad. I was housekeeper Monday, dusting and vacuuming and cleaning his new office. I was plumber Tuesday, fighting with installing a sink on an old pipe, requiring several trips to Lowes and Home Depot to get the right pieces to fit in the new sink. Needless to say, we ended up calling a plumber after we figured out we needed to cut some copper pipes. Wednesday I was a mover, and we physically loaded up his office in a big truck, make three trips lifting shelves, computer equipment, boxes and crates among other things. So yea, I was manual labor. My poor bro worked all week with the unpacking, but I was relieved for having previous plans as described above. Still, good family, manly fun/work, sparing me from that trip to the gym I wouldn't make.
Now for some more serious Christmas reflections.
I was sitting in Mass today and the first reading was about David wanting to make a temple for the Ark, which was the equivalent of housing God. Then the reading was about Mary being told by the angel Gabriel that she was going to give birth to Mary: literally housing God in her body. As Catholics, we believe that the bread and wine literally become the Body and Blood of God, and we eat that, housing God within us every Sunday. So when I think about how Mary said yes to God without any real hesitation, and think about how I say Amen (I agree, or believe) to receive God, in a sense I am making the same commitment as Mary did. And what a decision! To say yes to God to that level, to take something Diving into you, raise Him from a child. I mean, I am terrified about raising a kid whenever life gives me that chance. Imagine if you kid was also the Son of God. Nor pressure right? While I unconsciously knew all that, it was one of those moments where it hit me really hard. I believe that I house God, and all that comes with that, and yet does the impact of that hit me every week? Nope. So this Christmas, as we celebrate the coming of God in our hearts, I hope to remember that I also celebrate this every week.
That's my serious thought for the day. On to more Disneyland tomorrow! Merry Christmas everyone! Safe travels and happy visits with family, friends, or your own musings. See you next week.
-JTY
Listening to: Mary Did You Know- a heavy Christmas song that I've also seen used for Lent. Youtube it. There aren't many good versions but listen to the words if you want to get the impact of that "yes" i was talking about earlier.
Reading: Been having trouble finishing Feast of Crows. been distracted by...
Playing: Star Wars The Old Republic. So fun despite lag, glitches, and the fact that my friends don't have the early access I do. Still, come Wednesday, it gets real.
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