I always buy a gift that is wrapped, has a bow and label on it that is signed from the Beast and myself but no name on it.  I believe it's called a *gift for the unexpected guest*.  I try to make it interesting but on the generic side.  For instance:  I'm sure you've seen those gift packages that have a mug or two in it and either some exotic coffees, teas or hot chocolate and a couple different types of cookie packages.  They aren't expensive but are appropriate for either a man or woman.  Heck, some can even be given to a child.  Or those fragrant candle assortments.  You get the idea, I'm sure.  Sometimes, I have gone so far as to have bottles of wine or liquor in a decorator bag, ready to give to someone old enough to appreciate it.

I've had unexpected guests a time or two that showed up on Christmas Day so, some years, those gifts have been used.  If they aren't used, I save them for some other occasion during the year.  Sometimes, I just use them myself.  But I always, always have at least one under my tree.  There are actually some years that the very first gift I buy is the one intended for the unexpected guest(s). 

I know it's strange but I wondered....am I the only one that does that these days?  Inquiring minds really want to know. 

I finally got all my shopping done for everyone but the Beast.  I just may not buy him what I intended to originally since he went out and bought a bunch of new pots and pans.  He went and bought a new cast iron pan for making his pancakes and french toast.  This time, I gave him full instructions on how a seasoned pan had to be treated so he doesn't go and screw it up again.  I really do hate to have to do that over and over again.  He's ruined two on me because he wouldn't listen.  I think he finally may *get* it.  One can only hope.  He bought a few other pots we needed.  I wanted a good Dutch oven.  He got me a really nice stainless steel one.  Nice and heavy with a glass top and a heatproof handle.

He bought a new waffle iron.  Bigger than our last one since it makes four nice squares.  I figure that now we can use up all of the batter and I can freeze the squares then toast them when we want some later on during the week.  Kind of like my own homemade *Eggo waffles*.    He also found me a nice size double boiler/steamer pot.  It's the perfect size for us so I gave the Princess the bigger one I had that was totally useless to me and a real pain in the ass to store.    She also inherited my perfectly good waffle iron that he was replacing.  She told me they made chocolate chip waffles for breakfast Sunday morning. 

He bought a few different sizes of frying pans to replace the rather cheap aluminum ones we had.  They were so warped that it became a pain to cook anything in them on our smooth top stove.  The pans just didn't cook evenly with a bottom that didn't touch all over (or is that under?).  No matter.  He spent almost $300 on what he bought so I was thinking I could treat it as he suggested....our present to each other.  Heck, I already have my presents...the new desk and chair. 

I told you the Beast bought himself a new desk, right?  Well, it was delivered on Saturday and the Beast had to take the old one apart and throw it in the back of his truck along with MY old desk and some boxes and things.  He's going to take them down to our dump in the next day or two so we won't have that hanging around.  No way will they fit in our bin.  For two old people, we manage to fill it up with just our regular garbage each week.    I know!  Amazing, isn't it?

Anyway, after it was in it's place, I opened up the drawers on it and it is really neat.  He's got a little sliding insert in one of them that will hold things like stamps, paper clips, pens, etc. and you still have all the room underneath to use for other things.  He always, always does me one or three better.  The desk is cherry...and I mean WOOD.  Not pressboard or pine (which I know is wood also but still....!).  It's just beautiful.  It does have one drawback.  His computer chair arms won't allow him to get close to it.    It's always something.  I'm sure he will be buying himself a new one soon enough.

I'm really exhausted from my shopping today.  I got presents, presents and more presents.  Sheesh.  I am so sick of looking at stuff, you wouldn't believe it.  I stopped at a woman's shop called Maurice's here and found some great clothes.  I almost bought a sweater for Sheepie but I kept thinking that I would just HATE it if she didn't like it.  So, I decided that since I actually have two other minor presents for her (a nice warm blanket since she had mentioned she didn't have enough blankets to keep her warm in winter), I will just wrap the two I have and give her cash so she can buy something she actually likes. 

I got Tara's boys some warm up out fits and will give them some cash besides.  Kids always like cash.  I bought the baby another present so he has three now (but he won't get cash...LOL).  I also bought Chewlee another present.  I swear, I can't hardly go into Walmart and look through their Garanimals outfits and NOT buy her something.  The prices are sooooo reasonable and the quality is excellent.  Not many real bargains you can find these days.

I just realized that I have two more presents I need to buy.  OMG...I can't believe I forgot to get them.  I know why.  I was just so exhausted and my back hurt me so badly that I couldn't wait to get home so I could sit down (or lay down) and just relax.  Just sitting still works.  I have a pillow behind my back right now and, after taking a pill for the back when I got home, it's just now starting to stop hurting.  The crowds were just incredible.  When I was at Maurice's, it had actually started and I had the thought that I should have anticipated it and taken a pill before I left.  I just wanted to get my shopping done and be home before it got dark.  Because of the long lines, that didn't happen, however.  Oh well.  Live and learn.

Love you all but I need to get this posted before it becomes a book.  I'm sure we all have our shopping nightmares.  Thankfully, I could lean on the cart even though it was full and almost toppling over.    I got a baby to smile and laugh while I was waiting in line.  Babies always seem to know grandmas. 

So, after her goodbye's to the Princess, she headed straight for her high chair and wanted *soup*.  I tried to talk her into some cereal or eggs but she insisted she wanted *soup*.  So, I put her in the chair and left her putting on the little seat belt (she loves to do it herself) while I prepared some chicken noodle soup for her.  I was shocked because she ate the whole can !  Then she ate a large handful of cheese curls besides.  When she was finally done eating, she waited for me to wash off her hands for her then she wiped her tray.  She had to stop and admire the Christmas tree and tell me all the ornaments she recognized. 

She went all around the bottom of the tree then wanted me to pick her up so she could see the other ornaments further up.  It's so cute to watch how much their faces light up when they are young.  We headed for my computer room and then she was ready.  She laughed when she saw her chair was already in place next to mine so she grabbed her blankey and sat down.  I told her what we were going to watch (Monster movies, baby!) so then she had to put the DVD into the tray and close it.  She plunked herself down and we watched *Godzilla, King of the Monsters*.  It takes a while for Godzilla to show himself but she was leaning forward and ready.  Then she had to jump in my lap so she could protect me when the monster came back.    Yeah....protect ME!

She can't really pronounce *Godzilla*....sometimes she says what sounds like *zilla*, others *jilla*.  I just wonder if she will try to tell the Princess what we did or what movie we watched.    The movie she liked the best was *Godzilla's Revenge*, which really isn't a good name for it.  It's alternate name is *All Monsters On Parade* and that's the reason she loved it.  It's a story mostly about a little, lonely boy with a vivid imagination.  He's picked on by what he refers to as his personal *Gabara*.  He dreams of going to Monster Island.  When he does, he makes friends with Godzilla's baby son (Minira).  While on the island, all of the different monsters that Godzilla has fought and defeated are shown still trying to defeat him.  There's more to the story but I won't go into it.  Suffice it to say, she loved all the monsters but started cheering for Godzilla to *get 'em, get 'em* when he was fighting the *bad* monsters. 

All in all, we watched four different movies.  She wasn't really crazy about Rodan since it's a *birdie* to her and there's no time they really try to impress you with how large it's supposed to be that a child could relate to.  Oh well, she at least liked Godzilla.

She never did take a nap today.  She was tired once and I went to rock her in my rocker recliner but she suddenly got wise to what I was doing, jumped out of my lap and arms and ran out the door saying she *has to see what papa is doing*.  Yeah, right!  So, I decided that if she needed a nap, she would lay herself down on the floor (she's done it before) or else she would more than be ready for bedtime after she takes her bath.

She was excited about going to see Santa tomorrow.  I told the Princess that *she BETTER!* and I know she really wants the picture of Chewlee with Santa so we shall see.  She said she would call me and let me know how Chewlee did with her visit.  She sure recognizes all the different Santa's on my tree, including my Mickey Santa and Minnie Santa....I told her that Minnie was Mrs. Santa. 

Later, when the movies were almost over (the Rodan movie was concluding), she heard the front door open.  With that, she had to see who came in and when she saw it was Johnnycakes, she yelled *Daddy!* in such an excited voice and ran into his arms.  We  got her shoes and jacket on her, she gathered up her blankie and proceeded to *help daddy* by carrying out the roll of wrapping paper I sent home with him so he could wrap some presents he bought for the Princess.  He said he didn't care if they were wrapped or not but the Princess wanted presents she could unwrap.  Especially after spending four hours wrapping the gifts for him and the baby. 

We got a *snow alert* for our area.  Right now, it's still too warm for it to snow since it's 37 degrees.  But the temp is dropping rapidly so we will probably get what Bratfink says they got last night and most of today.  Wonderful!  I need to get out and finish up my Christmas shopping tomorrow and I just hate driving in snow of even a tiny depth.  We shall have to wait and see.  It probably won't stay on the ground long since we are supposed to go above freezing (around 38 degrees).  So maybe it's not MUCH above but it will do.  Plus, with the sun out, it will all help.

I feel bad for New Yorkers.  Their temperature was 20 degrees but with 60 mph winds!    I know.  I don't even want to know what the wind chill factor was.  It just made me grateful I am here and not there. 

Now about spammers.  I think we all get spam in our email boxes.  I get tired of turning them in at times.  But I can tell without opening them if they are spam or not.  I get advertising from other sites that I buy things from or use for information or have warranties registered....those are not what I am talking about.  It's those sites that trap your information by having spybots on various servers.  It's why I run my program about every other day to get rid of those things.  I have noticed a drop in the spam I am getting these days, too.  But, they are persistent because every time I run my program, it finds more on my computer.  I hate that shit.  I know there is nothing to be done but you would think some of those sites would be able to clear some of the ones that attach themselves that are NOT theirs!  They piggyback.  It's amazing to me how they can do that kind of stuff.

They talk about having some kind of *web police* and I don't approve of that at all.  Which means that I will just have to get used to needing a program that will prevent all those damn spybots from slowing down my computer.  I remember the Beast running it on the Princess's computer once when she was a teenager and finding almost 300 of them.    I know.  I wish the antivirus programs could also find and stop spybots, don't you?

Most of my memories are of my mother decorating.  She was so artistic.  I remember her and a couple of my aunts taking match boxes and even empty thread spools and wrapping them up as gifts with tiny little ribbons and bows even.  All to make centerpieces for the Holiday table.  Mom also baked cookies of all kinds (and colors) and I would get to use the cookie press to make some of the different shapes.  Stars, bells, reindeer...I'm sure some of you remember that.  My cookie press is battery operated.  No more turning the round handle.  I remember putting my face down on the table so I could see the dough coming out as I turned it and be able to stop it in time so it wasn't a shapeless blob.

The younger kids got to decorate some of the cookies even.  Red and green sugar, chocolate sprinkles and, sometimes, even those little hot cinnamon dots.  I loved how our house smelled during the holidays.  I also loved how nice everything looked.  From the fancy lace tablecloth on our dining room table to the buffet.  Our tree was always set up in front of the three angled (like a bay window nowadays) windows so it could be seen outside at night.  It was also the focus of our living room then.  I always wondered where my parents hid the presents for all of us kids.  It wasn't in our house but I have a feeling it might have been in dad's trunk or at our grandparents.  It could actually have been in our shed because I didn't go outside during the winter except to run to the store, go to school or do an errand for a neighbor.  I hated winter even then.  It would never have occurred to me to check in the shed, isn't that weird?

It's been a long time since I had to hide presents.  Of course, nowadays I put them up because of Chewlee.  I won't put them under the tree until after this Saturday.  I don't want her getting all excited and thinking they are all HERS.     She thinks if she lays claim to something, it automatically makes it hers.

Speaking of presents.  The Princess actually tried to bribe me to wrap two presents for her today.  I laughed and told her she had learned her lesson so I would wrap the two for her....no problem.  I'm just not sure if they are ones she is leaving here for Christmas day or if she needs to take them home with her.  Oh well.  I am sure I will find out.

Bratfink sent me an early Christmas present.  It was kind of a shock because it wasn't her name on the label.  But, as soon as I opened it, I knew it could only have come from her.  It was a set of Godzilla movies.    We happen to love them.  It's the same set she has so we can *watch* them together some time while making our comments online.  We like to do that.  I can't tell you how much it tickles me to have them. 

I am almost out of my Theraflu so it means I must journey out into the world tomorrow.  I may as well do the rest of my shopping since that list is shorter now that I know my youngest son and his family won't be here.  *sigh*  The poor baby is still pissed off that his vacation got canceled.  Worse, he even volunteered to work all the other holidays so he wouldn't have any problems getting this one off.  Hahahaha!  Just goes to show you.

Time to get this posted.   Remember just 7 more shopping days until Christmas.  Love you all and have yourself a Merry Christmas one and all!

The bad news is that my youngest son (he's my baby...sniff, sniff), his wife and my three grandkids (his children...okay...so maybe he's not quite the baby you might imagine) won't be able to make it for Christmas.  It seems that his vacation time, which he had granted to him MONTHS ago, has been revoked.  Everyone who was taking time off from now until after the new year was told *no dice*.  It has something to do with making a quota of some sort and too many people being off at the same time.  Since they are a service industry and they provide service to hospitals (we never close!) they all must work.  In fact, he has to work Christmas day. 

Yes, I was disappointed.  I get to see so little of them all and haven't really had time to spend with my daughter-in-law in ages.  But, you do what you must in order to eat and have a place to live.  In this economy, there's not much you can do about that.  So, I will send them their Christmas cash tomorrow and hope they have a good day.  My daughter-in-law has family that lives closer than we are so I hope they get to spend some time with them.

We will still have 9 adults and two little ones.  That will be a nice crowd and we should be able to visit and relax for a while.  Now it's just a matter of finishing up what decorating I want to do and shopping for gifts.  It was too darn cold today to do what I had hoped with the outside of the house.  It will have to wait.  Worse, after saying that we would have some sunshine and no rain until the weekend....THEY LIED!!!  We have a 50% chance of rain tomorrow.  *Sigh*

In spite of this all, the idiot (me) still feels wonderful and happy.  I get this way around Christmas anyway.  I don't get all depressed when it's over either.   I've seen other people get that way once the Holidays are over but I seem to stay happy.  Like I said, I am an idiot I guess.  Bratfink says I am too nice (?).  Well, that's her opinion.  Maybe the two things are tied together somehow.   Oh well.  I can't worry about that.  I feel like Alfred E. Neumann sometimes.  For those of you that aren't familiar with him, he's the *What?  Me worry?* character from Mad Magazine.  Either blissfully ignorant or incredibly optimistic.  Take your pick. 

I got some laundry done and even managed to feed the Beast and myself.  Of course, that's if you count soup as a meal.  With a cold, I do.  He's been coughing and sneezing so I guess *I* infected him.  Hehehehe (insert evil laugh here). 

I mentioned that I am still decorating.  Well, that didn't progress at all.  Sorry.  I would give most anything to wake up and feel good so that I could get a few things done, including finishing up my Christmas decorating.  I kind of miss Buttmunch's help there.  She really helped me out decorating the front porch and the deck out back.  *sigh*

We are supposed to see the sun this week starting tomorrow and lasting through Saturday.  It's also supposed to be in the 50's for a high and only light winds.  Thank goodness because the little led lights I have need the sun to recharge.  Hell, they need it just to charge up since they ARENT charged up right now.

I wouldn't care if I didn't feel great if I was done with my shopping but I'm not even close.  I don't like just handing out cash (although that is part of my gift to my kids).  I just HAVE to buy them something personal.

Johnnycakes dropped off Chewlee for a bit tonight since the Princess still had a few more gifts to get so she went right after work.  She had called me earlier to make sure it was all right with me (and, of course, it was).  My Chewlee also has a cold and Bratfink suggested that I might have gotten sick from her.  Whatever was she thinking????  My baby wouldn't do that to me, would she? 

The baby starts a new day care next week.  It's much closer to home and is church operated.  The classes are also smaller and she will get more individual attention.  They will be working on her potty training, too, which I think is marvelous.  She MUST be wearing those pullups.  Her biggest problem is that she knows when she poops but she tells you AFTERWARD.  I am hoping with a smaller class, she can get a bit more attention (and praise) and it will be more helpful.  The day care is also only a few miles from me in case of a problem. 

I had to laugh at the Beast.  He was talking to AM tonight.  She called when she got her Christmas card from us.  She always asks about the Princess and Chewlee and the Beast said to her, *That kid is just getting cuter and cuter!*  He even remembered how old she was!    You have no idea how incredible that is.  I doubt he ever remembered how old his own kids were when they were growing up.  Of course, this is just ONE, not a bunch. 

I was watching some DVD's I picked up when I was out with the Princess and one of them was called *The Mummy Lives!* with Tony Curtis.  Talk about a movie that should never have been made.  Not only is the casting incredibly bad but so is the plot.  It was truly forgettable.  My sis checked and it was made in 1993.  All we can figure out is that he (Tony Curtis) must really have needed the money.  He just did NOT fit the part he played AT ALL.  DO NOT BUY THIS MOVIE UNLESS YOU ARE A FAN OF BAD ONES.  Trust me, even $1 is too much to pay.  I bought it for laughs but spent most of my time cringing.  I'm a fan of bad movies but this one...well, it's going into my *dead file*.  It will probably never be viewed again.

I talked to Mustachio online last night and he got his Christmas money and was feeling pretty good.  I guess it helped.  He said he took some of it and got himself a military type haircut.  I guess that means SHORT.    He has some beautiful curl in his hair now that he's older.  When he was young, it was so stick straight that you couldn't really layer it.  If you did and screwed up even a little, it showed.  He was also a platinum blonde (all my kids were to start out with) but it darkened as they got older.  They are pretty much dark blondes now except where Lady Clairol is concerned.

  Buttmunch and I worship at her shrine but at different angles (if you get what I mean).  She uses a dark auburn and I will always be a blond.  I have tried every color and, although I have the skin tones to be a redhead of any color, I was born a blond and will remain a blond until they tuck me away for eternity.  Or however long these bones last.

Which brings me to a kind of scary subject.  I just can't imagine NOT being alive.  Know what I mean?  I told my kids I am going to go out kicking and screaming all the way.  I want to live as long as I possibly can without being one of those slobbering, brainless people that are so pathetic and make your heart ache for them and their families.  But, perhaps, when death comes to take them, it's an easy transition because they really are not aware of true LIFE as I mean it.  I hope I am like my great-grandmother on the Irish side of the family and can walk in high heels after 90 and live in sin.  :laughter:  She was active almost to the day she died.

Well, time to go.  I need to take another dose of the Theraflu because my nose is starting up again and so is the coughing.  God Bless Novartis for this product.  I am beginning to really love it.

Where did that phrase come from anyway?  Sick as a dog?  Well, we use it and we pretty much know what it means.  I went to bed early so I could get a good night's sleep and it wasn't long before I regretted it.

I started hacking due to phlegm dripping down my throat from my sinuses.  I grabbed some tissue which I had put on my nightstand in an apparent premonition of what was coming.  I couldn't keep up with it.  I became exhausted from the blowing, hacking and coughing fits.  Then came the hot and cold flashes.  I fell asleep for a while and woke up shivering because I had a tiny little 4x4 section of our king size quilt to cover me. 

I got up, totally pissed.  Made the dog get OFF the bed and grabbed the 4x4 section and PULLED it OFF the Beast.  He can't seem to turn over UNDER the covers.  He turns over and pulls more covers with him.  He looked like a small hill with all the covers on him.  I know he was pretending he was asleep when I straightened out the covers and got back underneath.  I was soaked and should have changed my top but I was just too tired.

Later on, when I finally dragged myself out of bed and berated the Beast for his cover hogging, he actually tried to blame the dog for it!    I know.  I told him he has a really bad habit of doing cover hogging.  He not only had ALL of the covers but even the whole electric blanket on him.

I had to get up because I needed to cancel the first ticket I had bought for Sheepie, which was a one-way.  I got that done and found out that we need to be at the station in order to change her return time.  That works out okay because we need to figure out what is best for whomever is picking her up.  There's one that leaves at 7:30am and another one that leaves at somewhere around 1:30pm.  That one has a stop and doesn't get in to Tallahassee until about 9:40pm.  I need to talk to Sheepie about that.

I don't know how long we can continue to pay for these tickets that only get her here for a couple days.  It would be nice if she could make up her mind to stay longer but...as long as she has a boyfriend....we are fighting that.  Remember how it was way back when we were young?  I try to keep that in mind.

I'm still decorating, believe it or not.  I have accumulated so much stuff over the years that I have a problem finding spots for things now.    It's the bad part about having a much smaller house than we have ever owned before.  I'm down to the last of it now and it WILL get done no matter how I feel.  I took a dose of Theraflu Warming Relief...for severe cold & cough.  It's the daytime formula so no worries about it making me sleep.  Besides, even the stuff that makes others sleepy doesn't seem to affect me for some reason.  I don't care.  I don't want to be PUT to sleep; I want natural sleep.

My room is a mess, too.  I have stuff out that needs to be put into boxes for wrapping later.  I'll have to mark the boxes so the right people get them...LOL.  I've got stuff for Tara's little one, stuff for Chewlee, stuff for Buttmunch, Sheepie, the Princess and Tara.  I still need to buy for Tara's other boys and the Beast.  He's the tough one because he spares himself nothing.  Of course, one can always buy him clothes but I prefer to try to find something he doesn't know he needs yet. 

We then headed back here to the Brat Farm to allow her to wrap up her presents for Chewlee and Johnnycakes.  Little did *I* know that she figured I would help her wrap up all these gifts.  Little did she know that I had a plan.....

For years, because of the Beast's *bah-humbug* attitude, I had to wrap up all the gifts for everyone by myself.  I didn't get any help from the kids at all, although the Princess was more than willing to stick on the bows for any presents and that was pretty much it even when she got older and could have been of some help.  So, I did not help out but I sure watched.  I offered some assistance as far as placement of the boxes on the paper to waste less and, finally, started helping her by handing her pieces of the tape when she was getting very tired and frustrated.  I did, finally, tell her why I wasn't doing more.  She needed, at least once, to find out what it was like for me all those many years.  It's a tough lesson.  I just wonder if next year she will buy fewer gifts or learn to like using the predecorated boxes? 

The Beast actually came into my room (and made me jump because he was so quiet) and offered to take me out to dinner.  I, of course, was more than willing rather than face another night of his bean soup, no matter HOW good it was.  So off we went to O'Charley's here and we both had prime rib.  It was wonderful but then, have you ever had one that wasn't?  I would have traded it for a charbroiled t-bone or filet but any port in a storm.  The stuffed baked potato and fresh salad was absolutely wonderful, too, but really too much food for me any more.  That's the bad thing about getting older.  Not as active means not as much *fuel* needed.  The dog loves that stuff though....LOL.

I came home and ended up laying back to rest while I watched Tomb of the Dragon Emperor on HBO.  Ever since my copy of it *disappeared*, I've missed being able to watch it when I watch my other Mummy movies.  I fell asleep for a short time about midway through it so I'm glad they repeat it.  I thought I would get this up and posted before I sit back and relax to watch what I missed earlier. 

Love you all and I hope you are managing to get your gifts wrapped, ready and under the tree.  Mine are going right into my closet in here until after next Saturday which will be the last babysitting day before Christmas for me.  Only then will I feel safe to put them under our tree. 

Today I got up and was just so full of...well, stuff I had to blow my nose to get rid of.  I couldn't believe it!  I felt great the night before but I bit the bullet and decided to take a decongestant and just get my ass moving.

I changed the linens as is my wont on Sundays...although I AM flexible there...LOL.  The Beast was anxious for the flannel sheets to get on the bed since it's gotten progressively colder here and he likes to turn down the heat at night (doesn't everyone?). 

I also got busy and started finishing up my Christmas cards.  Yeah, I'm a slug.  But I only have about five more left to do and that's because they need more than a quick note inserted in them.  These are to a couple of long-time friends and it's become our habit.

The Beast had wanted to go to Sam's Club but I gather he got up early to cook his bean soup.  I had cut up the onions for it last night while he was soaking the beans.  When I woke up this morning, it was all I could smell.  It smelled GREAT, btw.  With all the hacking and sniffling I was doing, I had to wait to try it out but I think he outdid himself this time.  He was lucky I had some ham frozen from our ham we had about a month ago.  I saved some just for soups.  I can't believe he actually started it without considering whether or not I had any left.  Sheesh!  MEN!

By the time he was done with his bean soup (talk about a watched pot!), he needed to take a nap so going to Huntsville was out of the question.  He also hates to drive in the dark and it would have been by the time we got home.  We do like to stop at Outback if we can but not when it gets dark so early.  It's really too bad that they aren't at least open for lunch on the weekends or during Christmas holiday shopping time.  I think they miss out on business because most of us are willing to splurge a bit on ourselves while shopping for others. 

I got a couple gifts wrapped but they aren't under the tree just yet.  I don't want to take any chances that the baby will get at them and I still have one more Saturday before Christmas that she will be here.  They are all getting put in the guest bedroom closet until after that.  It may not seem like much but it's a lot to me.  One more thing I can check off as taken care of.  I would have more wrapped but realized that I forgot about boxes.  Yeah, I'm a dork.  Sometimes.

As of now, I have no idea when we will be heading to Sam's Club which kind of saddens me because I had hoped to check out a few things for gifts while we were there.  Oh well, Boaz tomorrow or Tuesday, depending on the weather because the shops are not in an enclosed mall.  It drizzled today and was kind of nasty out.  If the weather is really bad, I may start doing some online shopping while I can.