The Christmas tree has risen

We did it. Well, actually Jonathan did it while I was in the kitchen making some homemade hot chocolate complete with homemade whipped topping. The Christmas tree is up.

After drinking our chocolate I surveyed the tree, wanting to admire some of my favorite ornaments. I was surprised to see there were empty branches, void of any festive ornaments. I thought I must have imagined the extent of our ornament collection, but once I went hunting, I found that many ornaments weren't on the tree! We missed two boxes of our favorites that were sitting in our closet. Good thing we found them. I would have been heart broken if I hadn't been able to put up my Echo Lake Bear. He's an institution.

But where's my holiday spirit

Here it is Thanksgiving Day, and my holiday spirit is no where to be found. Not even two radio stations playing Christmas music can get me in the mood. In fact, I've vetoed them, opting for R&B and alternative stations. I love Christmas, so I don't know what gives. Right now my Christmas tree is sitting in its little box waiting to be pulled out and put together. But I can't seem to find the magic. This isn't me. My tree always goes up on Turkey Day.

Where are you Christmas?

Check out my new boots

They're riding boots. But there will be no riding, just strutting my stuff. Can't wait til they arrive. I ordered them in black.

Burning foot and a nugget of inspiration

MS strikes again. I had felt it coming on. The tingly numb feeling in my right foot started a week ago. I knew what was coming. It was inevitable, because so often with MS, it's slow building, progressing to something worse. Taking its sweet time til suddenly you realize you feel like shit or that something just doesn't feel normal and diminished. Take my last relapse, for example, dizziness turned into to full blown chunks. I couldn't keep anything down for a weekend straight. Of course, it subsided, and once again, I was back to normal. Or as normal as I can be. So I've been waiting for the big nasty MS monster to come trip me up.

Last night, while enjoying Twilight with Amanda and her sister Jill, I felt it: my whole foot went completely numb, as if it didn't belong to my body at all. The movie was enough to distract me, but when I got home, it was a different story. My foot felt as if it was on fire, just burning away. If you've ever come in from the freezing cold and put your hands or feet in hot water, and you've felt a tight burning sensation as if your nerves are being exposed too quickly. This is similar to what my foot feels like. So tomorrow I'm taking yet another jaunt to the neurologist to see what she can do, because it's hard to concentrate and sleep when you feel as if your foot is on a pyre.

By some stroke of luck, flames aside, writing inspiration has struck. I've been waiting, with plenty of false starts, music-jamming brainstorm sessions, and blank-screen staring, patiently for some trickle of something to write about. Who knows if my latest idea will pan out, but if not, I'm hoping it will just lead to something better. A New York Times best-seller perhaps.

Damn cheap clothing

I will buy no more cheap clothing. I will buy no more cheap clothing. I will buy no more cheap clothing.

Tonight, while cleaning up from dinner, I turned around to Jonathan's face practically in my crack, as in my butt crack.

"What are you doing?!"

"Did you know your pants have holes in them?"

"What?! No!"

Said pants: my cheap-ass yoga pants that I had worn to yoga today! Jonathan said that it was only visible when I bend over. Well, glad I didn't do that but through the entire class, and in the front row. So I'm making a resolution: I'm not buying any more cheap clothing. It's just not worth my pride and sadness when they fall apart. But, egad, prices are so high on durable (read: none ass-bearing) pants. And if you know me, I'm frugal, but it has to be worth it. I'm sure the person behind me in class would agree.

Scene-Stealers.com movie review: Twilight

Getting a whiff of the holidays

I just got a whiff of someone in the office wearing Winter Candy Apple. It just may be enough to trigger my holiday spirit that, oddly enough, has been hiding this year.

Listening to: Glasvegas

They're Scottish. You can really hear the accent. Kinda catchy.

Email surprises

Iphones are the best. My sister sends me pictures she snaps when my nephew AJ is at his cutest. Like little eye presents. Despite the miles, we stay connected. We also videoconference via Skype, so AJ remembers who I am. Every now and then, he'll ask "Jes-ca?" And we'll Skype or talk on the phone. And I get to use my animal noises. I love that you can appreciate them. It's like our own silly language.

The most recent picture present was classic AJ. He wanted to wear a hat. Of course you did. Hats are cool, and even better on you. You're the best little buddy. The best.

How does a cruise that goes to Egypt sound?

Just delightful. Jonathan and I are in the throes of researching European cruises to possibly take next year during our anniversary. Check this out: Rome, Capri, Athens, Kusadasi, Istanbul, Mykonos, Cairo, and Alexandria. Oh please, oh please let us go. Course, we'd have to cut way back on spending. And if we do decide to go, Jonathan decided we'd need the right camera. So we're also in the midst of researching SLRs. I could take my very own pictures of pyramids and the Acropolis. We're also thinking about learning up some Italian. Anyone tried that Rosetta Stone?

Mmmm, daydreaming...

Oh, and the ship offers yoga. That's pure bliss.

Yes, we will

I voted. This was probably the most pivotal presidential election since women and African-Americans were given the right to vote. What a huge step. I already feel the change. Do you?

I'm a great aunt again!

Looking just like my beautiful niece when she was a baby, here's Carsen being held by his daddy.