Tis the Season.

My parents recently visited for the Thanksgiving holiday and after the festivities died down it was time to bust out the Christmas decor. Needless to say we waste little time and since its usually just the roommate and me, I did not put up a fight in their wanting to help.

Christmas is always a special time of year but not for things like traditions, the house I grew up in, or waking up to a snowy yard. Actually I don't have any of those things. But the random traditions my family thinks we are starting. Like the Christmas we spent all day watching "A Christmas Story" and decided it would be way better to go to a Chinese restaurant in Sketchville, Utah then to slave around making some sort of real meal. Turned out to be a little to sketchy so we went to the next best thing... the 24 hour Mexican joint, Betos. Delicioso et Feliz Navidad.

Or the Christmas my family moved from South Carolina to Arizona and we were not only unwrapping gifts... but our whole house. And my dad went crazy and bought himself a dozen Apple Products... and a Bowflex bench. Then the light in the pool went out and Dad and Nelly joined the Polar Bear Club to fix it. Also Coco wore this:

But going even further back, there was the year Santa brought Nelly and me two adorable hamsters. But somehow Santa didn't realize Mistletoe and Spot were of different genders and later that spring Santa surprised us with another gift... 10 hamster babies. It was awesome.

Oh and one time we were driving from South Carolina to Texas and were only two hours out when our old Winstar Van broke down and we waited for hours to ride back with "Bucky" the Tow Truck Driver. Then we had to shove everything in our old Ford Contour and then make the trek back out there. Not as much leg room.

The best Christmas as a kid was in Virginia when two sets of grandparents bought us the new Nintendo64 and we got a big trampoline for the backyard. Not to mention the acquiring of the Princes Diana Beanie Baby Bear, which was the best on the market at the time. We had it all back then.

The plan this year is for my dad's parents to fly in so it will be the three grandparents and their first and favorite grandchild. So I was hoping this was going to be a great Christmas.

Well my grandparents, Oma & PopPop, showed up Tuesday afternoon so I met them and the roommate for lunch and then they toured around my office for a bit before I had to get back to work. But before their arrival my uncle had wished me a "Very 'Gerry' Christmas". "Gerry?" I replied. And he explained "Geriatric." Oh the foreshadowing was uncanny.

We had a great time during their visit but it was a littler rough Skypeing my family in Alaska and cousin in New Jersey and who is talking of who and 'what did he say' and 'I can't see anything' and... it was rough. Then we ended up having Christmas on the 24th because my grandparents fly standby since my grandfather used to work for the airlines and he was worried there were not going to make it home for their many doctor's appointements. So he scheduled them to leave at 7:30am on Christmas morning. Yay.

After they left and we got home and I went back to bed at 6am, it was like total turn around. I turned into pathetic Lauren without her family and was bawling my eyes out uncontrollably watching my parents and brother open their presents in Alaska. Pitiful.

I did nothing all day but watch T.V. I skyped a little with Blake and we exchanged our presents. Then I mustered up enough gusto to go to the gym to try out my new Nike+ thingy and then I stayed up until midnight watching The Hangover II. Merry Christmas to Me.

Okay, enough with the pity party. Today was much better. The roommate and I ran a few errands before going to see Breaking Dawn this evening. Two of the errands included going to two different Einstein's Bagels to get 39 free bagels. That's right, FO FREE! One of my friends has them cater for her work all the time and she gave them to me. Clearly she knows me and my love for Einstein's so well.

The movie was the best they've made. I like this book the best so I am now anxious for part II. It took me this long to see the one today because I really do not like to two major actors. Oh well.

I hope you and yours and a very Merry Christmas or a Happy Hanukah or a happy time realizing you didn't have a Gerry Christmas :) Just kidding roomie!

Boom. Posted.

The Ups & the Downs.

Last month the long, everlasting reign of my LG Lotus phone, otherwise known as 'the scrone', ended. It was a great Homecoming evening when, and without warning, the scrone fell through a 3 story staircase and did not survive to tell the tale.

I am still in the process of getting my old contacts back (those were lost in the great fall of 2011 as well). But its not so bad because my new iPHONE 4S has pulled my contacts from my Mac through the iCloud. Holy Moly it is so nice. Although, having the iPhone is almost equivalent to babysitting, I am in constant fear of dropping, losing, scratching or breaking it. But the paranoia is completely worth it. New phone pretty much equals new life. 

This new life has brought about many things. I am constantly connected with everything and everyone. It gets obnoxious at times but I understand the joy in posting to Facebook that I am thoroughly enjoying a single serve apple pie and ice cream. I feel as though people need to know that, they want to know that. It is important to know that Lauren is alone and is providing herself with an individual apple pie. 

Another great feature is Siri. Siri is a little device that is essentially the idea of calling up AskJeeves for whatever you want. Sometimes I be like "Yo Siri, what's the forecast, dawg" and she be all "I'm really sorry about this Lauren, but I cannot help you right now" and I be like "Siri, you trippin'"

No seriously, she can be helpful when she is connected to the network. Don't believe any of those stories you hear about her telling jokes and stuff... at least she won't for me. She could care less what I have to say to her.

She doesn't love me.

I have also been enjoying the many variety of apps on my new phone. Words with Friends is my most consistent one. I finally figured out that I need to try and use the double word and other point boosting columns, sheesh. Although this game is pretty ridiculous because I make up a word and it earns me 30 points but this won't fly:



Pull-ease.

Another thing that has happening recently, and very much unfortunately: 

I backed into something and dented my poor little Tribby. Nothing makes you more sick to your stomach then damaging your car. Ugh. Luckily my parents came in for the Thanksgiving holiday and my dad and I had some bonding time over replacing the taillight and removing the bumper. All is well now. 

There you go, update has been completely loaded.

Boom. Posted.