the Dalaverse

I absolutely love the Oldies 100 DJ who played "Bad Moon Rising" tonight. Rock on, brother.

We just got back from the hospital again. Dropped off some books and magazines and CDs, hung out, watched TV, the nurse was really awesome. She said that Daddy might, might be able to come home tomorrow evening, in which case I'll be taking the Metro to Union Station and picking up Grandma Libby by myself, which ought to be an adventure. If not, we'll just have to put Christmas off a little longer. We're going to do stockings at Shady Grove tomorrow and leave the rest of the stuff for later (except that I'm going to dig under the tree for Good Omens, the only small paperback-shaped package under there).

The rest of the holiday traditions are being altered. No Christmas morning sausage and eggs (appropriate, huh? *wince*), maybe just a short visit to Grandma Lorraine's, which is fine with me because the kids aren't going to be there anyway, but it'll be nice to see Grandma. She didn't come to dinner tonight and I guess spent Christmas Eve at home alone. Well, with my cousin Jenny, but Jenny sucks and is useless.

We did manage to stop by Aunt Caroline's tonight, although we didn't stay for dinner and present-opening. It's just not Christmas without five or six brats shrieking over the haul from their overindulgent grandparents. Beth and DJ and the baby were there, having dropped in to visit Dad earlier. He says he actually had a nice conversation with DJ the Yuppie. Augggggh Jamie is so cute. He laughed when I made faces at him. Larissa's kids were almost subdued for them. Jack only pinched me three times. Christopher continues to be the coolest twelve-year-old ever. He's teaching Nicholas to read and he helped Nancy make the roast. Lauren is nearly as tall as Christopher and says that she's bored with the work in her new school, which is excellent because she was having trouble in math a couple of years ago. My Allie clung to me the whole time we were there. At least she's a skinny six-year-old, or else I wouldn't be able to still tote her around like that. It's good to be hugged and adored.

Still going through with the annual Nightgown Exchange and the Opening of the Out of Town Relatives' Gifts. Then some wrapping and to bed.

I should probably eat something. All I've had today is half a bag of Pirates Booty, which is not exactly among your more filling kinds of snack food. I could not eat a single thing in the hospital, not even vending machine food. I know it's completely pyschological, but it all tasted funny to me.

Thank you, more than I can say, for the love and the well wishes, and I hope you're all having merry holidays.