Our Lady of Perpetual Hell

You think the Abominable Snowman is scary? Feh! I didn’t finish my Christmas shopping until December 23rd. Now, that’s scary.

I just hope there’s a Carl Kolchak action figure under the tree for me… I totally need one, now that I know they exist. (There’s a Barnabas Collins action figure out there, too… Oh please, Santa, please! I really have been a good grrrl this time!)

I can only begin to tell you how relieved I am that I don’t have to deal with Christmastime travel this year. Especially when I hear of the Denver airport (a frequent stopover for me on my flights between Salt Lake and Sarnia) having been closed for a few days because of inclement weather… Brrr, I wouldn’t need that bonus stresser to add to the already noxious mix… The expensive flights! The busy airports! The full planes! The late take-offs and landings! The missed connections! The crowded overhead bins! The lost luggage! The screaming babies! The stress the stress the stress! Plus, I’d've had to’ve gotten my Christmas shopping done a helluva lot earlier than, um, yesterday. And I’d've had to buy only stuff that could travel well (and wouldn’t cause an international incident with airport security or at Customs). Nope, don’t miss that. So instead of sitting, stranded and freaked out, in the Denver airport, this year’s Christmas prep has been so laid back that I was able to go for a 10k run yesterday and a 5k today. Instead of mulling over the suitability of gifts that can withstand my bag getting run over on the tarmac by airport baggage handlers, I was able to go to my sister’s yearly ultra chi-chi martini party this year. Instead of wrapping everything when I got home the day before Christmas, the wrapping’s all done already this year. Instead of having to postpone Dad’s birthday ’til I got into town, we could have it on the right day this year. Intead of being bummed out that I was just gonna hafta get on another goddamn plane next week and head back down to SLC, I am happy to report that my employment contract has been renewed and I am all set for 2007.

It was a memorable year–mostly for good reasons. I got to come home, I bought my first new car, I took up running and ran my first race, and I got to meet one of my favourite film directors and see a show by one of my favourite bands. Sure, there were some things I regret now… Like, f’r'instance, that two hundred and fifty fucking nine dollar speeding ticket. But, overall, it has been a pretty good year for me.

I have been cheered by the successes of my friends, too: Karen and Chris and Craig and Vail all got new jobs, Todd got not only a new job but also had a solo exhibit of his art, Peter and Kelly (the mysterious “K”–revealed at last!) aced various and sundry long-distance races, Laurie took up the sport, too, and finished her Learn To Run clinic with flying colours and will be running her first race on New Year’s Eve… It goes on and on. Congratulations to all my friends on all their accomplishments in 2006!

Merry Christmas, everybody. And thanks for reading this navel-gazing kvetch-fest this year.