Traditiooooooooon.......Tradition

Every year, I get each member of my family an ornament that symbolizes something significant that happened to them. It's kind of become a tradition and I love it; especially when we decorate and pull each one out and remember the year. This year, instead of going to the mall and buying them, I decided to make them. (Because I hate going shopping at the mall unless I'm desperate...especially this time of year). After hunting through mom's craft closet to find the polymer clay and stuff, I got to work. We couldn't find the pasta machine to help knead the clay to an easy molding consistency so I had to do it all by hand...at first. Boy, were my hands exhausted! When we finally found it, the work went a lot quicker and easier.

Dad - He ran for a seat on the School Board and won. His campaign signs, flyers, and handouts had a pencil as the main logo so I made a figurine of him holding a pencil. I think it turned out pretty well (and it's my favorite one). I was really nervous about doing the face because of my perfectionist tendencies and it had to look just right. You never realize how hard it is to make a human head - glad I'm not on that part of creation-duty. Luckily, I got it on the second try. Dad was pleased that I was generous with the hair on this little guy.

Mom - She is always the hardest to find an ornament for because she's always trying new things all the time, so the choice of topics to choose from are endless. This year, Mom and Dad are "empty-nesters" so the ornament speaks for itself. If it doesn't, let me explain. It features an egg-less nest with a mommy bird and a daddy bird. This one's not as lifelike as Dad's, but it's super fun. While I was making it, Baby Brother thought I was making feet standing in manure. Not quite!

Me - The most significant thing that happened to me this year was my study abroad so it was natural for my ornament to be a native London element. And hence the "Mind the Gap" logo. If you don't understand or recognize it, then you need to take trip. Okay, so I won't/can't be that mean. It is the phrase, well-known to any London traveler as the voice which rings out every time the "Tube" (subway) door open. What it really means is "watch out for that giant hole between the train and the platform".

Baby Brother - This year, he graduated high school so I made a graduation cap on top of a diploma. The second year of college gets an ornament featuring the school's mascot/logo...just to prove loyalty to one institution. This was the last ornament I made and at that point, my hands and brain were exhausted. It's not the most exciting or nearly as intricate as I had planned, but I'm still happy with how it turned out.

While I worked, we listened to old Christmas cassette tapes, and Mom decorated the tree. Usually I do the decorating, but this year I passed the job off to Baby Brother (since he'll be gone for the next 2 Christmases). But, as usual he ditched out on us and didn't get it done. Mom therefore took it upon herself. I haven't seen her do that in a long long time and it brought back memories. At least back to when the parentals would "dispute" while trying to direct the other how to put the lights on while Baby Brother and I argued over who got which stocking. With each ornament, she told me something about it; their first Christmas, ornaments from mom's world trips, my first baby ornament, bead icicles she and I made when I was little, our homemade noodle ornaments from school, and various school pictures in popsicle stick frames. She even set aside some of my favorite ornaments for "the future". I got a twinge of excitement for the day when I can decorate my very own tree in my very own home.

I'll Be Home For Christmas....eventually

This year's trip home was the worst travel experience I've EVER had. Early Friday night I found out that my flight for Saturday was canceled. Nobody heading to the East was going anywhere!!! The weather was horrendous with DC receiving record snowfall (3+ feet) and highest windspeeds EVER. When I called the airline to transfer my ticket, I was on hold for 3hrs, two separate times; not to mention the 6+ other times I called but refused to wait longer than 20min. I was beginning to worry when it looked (and sounded) like the weather wouldn't allow me to get home till after Christmas. I was told that they could get me a flight out early in the morning, but if I got stuck in some airport, I'd have to pay for my own lodging. No thank you, I'll stay overnight for free right where I'm at. In order to guarantee me some kind of flight before Christmas, dad went ahead and purchased another ticket online so all I had to do was get the refund for my original one. Once again, the call call-hold music and I became well acquainted and finally, 2hrs later, I got through. I had a flight home!!! It wasn't a direct flight, but at least it would get me home by Christmas. I was scheduled to leave Sunday at 2pm with a layover in Chicago and an ETA in BWI at 10:30pm.

......OR SO I THOUGHT......

Everything started out perfectly. I got to the airport, checked my bags quickly, got through security super fast, and found the gate easily. I had my book, music, and Sudoku puzzles to keep me company so all was well as I waited for 2hrs for the plane to arrive. It arrived on time and we left 5min early. The old man on the seat beside me would not stop talking the entire 3hrs to Chicago!! I pulled my book and iPod out when I thought we was finally sleeping, but 2min later he popped his head forward and started talking again. Finally, we landed in Chicago where I was scheduled for a 2hr layover.

.......THAT'S WHERE THE FUN BEGAN......

I found the gate and sat down to wait out the 2hrs. Not so fast! 1hr into the wait, the loudspeaker proclaimed that there's been a gate hold on all flights heading east and so it'd be an extra half hour before we'd get going. Okay, I can handle that! I'd finished my audiobook and turned off my iPod to watch the Steelers vs. Packers game. The gate down the hall from us was apparently watching the same game, but our TV had a 5 sec delay from theirs. In the final milli-seconds of the game, where the game winning catch was caught by mere toes, we heard the other gate celebrate, but weren't sure if they were a gate-full of GreenBay or Pittsburgh fans till our TV showed us that indeed the Steelers were a dominating presence.

...A BRIGHT SPOT MAY COME EVENTUALLY...

2hrs later, we were still waiting. The plane sitting at our gate was waiting to take off so our plane wasn't going to be leaving any time soon. 3 1/2 hrs later and I'm still not on my way home. 4 hrs later and our plane had finally arrived. I had an "A" boarding pass and was soooo happy to get an aisle seat with no one sitting in the middle. Definitely a plus in my not so fun day of travel. There was a lot of turbulence when we finally got in the air and that just made me nervous. Take-off and landing are my least favorite aspects of flying because I don't like that feeling of my stomach lurching up and down unpredictably (hence why I don't like rollercoasters). I'm fine when we're in the air, but the ups and downs are not fun for me...at all.

......THE END IS HERE AT LAST.....

After circling the airport for an extra 20min, we finally arrived at the gate at 2am. 12 HOURS AFTER THIS TRIP BEGAN!!!!!!!! I was about to kiss the ground, but decided against it for reasons of sanitation and I was just too tired to get down there. I was cranky, tired, and definitely not wanting to be on a plane again until at least July. Our bags changed carousels 2 times before I finally saw my bright blue suitcase crawling along the conveyorbelt. Baby Brother found me wandering around and guided my half-dead body to the car where Mom and Dad were sleeping, "anxiously" awaiting my arrival. Finally, yes FINALLY, I was almost home. 1 1/2hrs later (15 hrs after my trip began) we pulled into our driveway and all three of us crawled to bed. At that point, I was too exhausted to care that I slept in my clothes, on top of my blankets, holding my book, and still wearing my glasses; I was just glad to be home...at last. 3am on Monday.

"I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, IF ONLY IN MY DREAMS"...almost happened to me

The first shall be last; and the last shall be first

Why is it that whenever you're looking for something it usually ends up in one of two places - where it's supposed to be, or the last place you'd look? I will hereto discuss the latter. Next time I go looking for something, please tell me to look in the last place I'd think it'd be. That's where I'll find it. Note to self!