Once Per Year

I confess. I'm doing it. I've been doing it for weeks already. Listening to Christmas music, especially when it's not shoved down my throat for eight hours each day, is wonderful fun. All those annoying songs that made me want to scrunch up my fists and scream two years ago now delight me again. Crazy, eh? I was even online yesterday downloading new songs from iTunes. I have big plans to put all the Christmas music I own on my iPod and torture Jason with it as we drive five hours up north this Friday. Yay! I imagine we will be driving into the snow so the music will seem especially appropriate.

I'm one of the weird ones, I think. I'm captivated by snow. I got so excited when it snowed for the first time the other night that I had to call Jason to the door to see it. I caught some on my tongue. Why get upset? Seriously. Unless a person has just been transplanted from Hawaii, snow should not come as a surprise, something to be met with dismay. We get it every year. Every year. It's pretty. There's something very exhilarating about crunching through the crisp white, exhaling a warm cloud with every breath. I love snuggling up under blankets. I love the sound the heat makes when it kicks on at my house. This all makes me believe that I should give skiing a try. I just need to get over my fear of heights and the general idea that ski lifts are not secured and I could fall out. No, seriously, I could. I would panic and fall. Or I need to forget the fact that Jason brained himself to the point of wooziness a couple years ago while snowboarding for the first time. Sounds like an entirely safe sport. Hmmm...maybe I'll give it more thought and stick to catching snow on my tongue for now.

Speaking of snow, let me talk about Hawaii. I've been going through my yearly longings for all things tropical lately. I think I may have even fooled my new Facebook friends into believing I actually live on Maui. Sigh. If only. Jason could be a police officer in paradise by now, happily ticking off the years until he gets to 25 and retirement with a full pension. Again, how bad can crime get on the Valley Isle? I'd just need to get my entire family to move with me. Ten hours on an airplane (a full six over nothing but ocean) would be more than could be tolerated even for a visit, I fear. How would it be to spend Christmas in 80 degree heat? I heard stories of Christmas Day barbeques the last time Jason and I visited and talked with native islanders. Strange. Christmas in shorts and a tank top, with grilled hamburgers? I'm such a fan of experiencing four seasons. I'm not sure I could adjust...even for Maui. But frequent vacations could be tolerated, very well in fact. I think I will start putting money away again. Our next trip will include an additional week and possibly a different island. I suppose it's time to explore the other things Hawaii has to offer.

One more hour until I get to go shopping for snow boots. Is it weird that I live in a state that experiences snow every year and I do not own a pair of snow boots? I'm tired of slipping around in my dress boots or getting snow in my shoes. Enough is enough. Fashion be damned.

I don't like to talk about it but I was able to muster up exactly zero motivation yesterday during my day off. I had a laundry list of chores I could have accomplished. I paid the bills annnnnd...that's it. Oh, and I changed the sheets on our bed at about 11:30 at night. That was my day. Exciting, eh? Today, I worked (or am "working" currently). I called my uncle to tell him that Jason and I will not be able to make Thanksgiving dinner at his house. I attempted to call my mother-in-law to firm up turkey day plans with her, but was thwarted by the answering machine. I did some homework. As was stated, Jason and I are going shopping for boots and winter coats later. Perhaps a Target trip will also be in order as I have a list of items I need (though isn't there always items to need from Target?). Tomorrow, we will venture into the cold yard to clean up the leaves for the last time and possibly hang Christmas lights. I can redeem my weekend still. I have faith.

I also have my sights set on our bedroom. I have a new rug to roll out and trim to paint (yes, four years later there is still trim to paint). I want to wash the curtains and clean the blinds. I'm just trying to decide if I can wrestle the rug down by myself, as Jason doesn't know about it and thinks I'm planning on returning it to IKEA. It will make a bigger statement if he sees it already on the floor and set into place. Harder to return once it's pinned down by our bed. Hee, hee. We'll see what I can get done this week. It's a short one and I have to get ready for our trip up north as well.

Time to be off, I suppose, and find library-related trouble to get into until we close.