I'm hanging out at Molasses' avoiding chores. About an hour ago I decided I didn't want to sleep any more and pulled on some sweats and fired up the computer.

So. Here I am. Ahh self-indulgence...

Let's see. Both of these holiday weekends should have been four-dayers since the company wanted to give us two days off as holidays after a two-day weekend. But I want/need some extra cash so I went in for overtime on both Mondays.

It meant a day that I didn't get to see Molasses, but that's why I'm getting paid double.... On Christmas Eve I went back to my apartment before heading to my parent's house and found Molasses' present waiting for me. All I can say is: He SHOULDN'T HAVE!!! It's a stereo system with a three CD changer, dual cassettes and programmable station memory and it has a remote that can program sleep or wake music. Sheesh. I feel so lame. I got him a book.

I wrapped the last few presents and headed to Fullerton. I had a lot of stuff to pull out of my car and conscripted my baby brother to help. (Please keep in mind that my baby brother is about a foot taller than I am and probably heavier...sheesh, and he's eight years younger) Anyway after our third trip from my car to the Christmas tree my brothers and parents were hiding grins. It was neat }:>

My sister, in typical fashion was no where to be found. *sigh* I should have slept in her bed but my mom said she had said she would be back by midnight. I gave up waiting at two am and crashed on the couch. She came home at six thirty and went straight to bed so I didn't get to talk to her and we were supposed to collaborate on my dad's present. Then about eightish we started preparing for mass and only my sister and oldest brother weren't ready, so the rest of us went without them. When we came back we had light snack and my parents glared at Ana and Pepe until they left for church (of course in that was yelling, fruitlessly, at Pepe to wear something nice, and him arguing back that the clothes don't make the man. *sigh* My brother going to mass on Christmas day, unshaven in shorts and a t-shirt. Typical.)

Then we went in and opened our presents while they were at church. I felt a little bad though because my youngest brother, Juan, was being typically rude and disrespectful to my mother and I reminded her of the time that she kept Pepe from his presents on Christmas because his grades had been so terrible. She actually took it to heart and decided to only let him open one present and then really got mad when he opened two more. It's frustrating because Juan is a junior in high school and it's slightly late for that kind of discipline. But I really wouldn't know what to do so....

My mom was surprised and happy with her camcorder but I don't know if she's actually tested it or gotten a tape for it, but she quickly started talking about using it in Mexico or her first grade class which I was totally expecting so... I'm getting good at this }:> She likes her coffees from the Hawaiian store that Molasses got her and was still pleased though it was obvious I had pointed them out to him.

I got my dad a watch like he wanted, and though the band was too big the face was exactly what he wanted, I also got him a book about St Joan of Arc and the autobiography of the captain of the Endurance. My mom actually got him all three books of the Lord of the Rings in one edition. The stunning thing is he actually started reading them!! He complains about them being so weird, but aparently he's game. I guess you have to know my dad... He can be as stubborn as anything when he decides he doesn't like something and long ago he decided he didn't like fantasy things. So that he was even agreeing to go see the movie and read the book is just... wow. Just wow. And he liked the drill that Molasses gave him, even if we had already tested it.

I gave Mario a couple of videos - Shrek and Ghost Dog. I made sure to tell him to watch Ghost Dog when mom isn't around, I'm sure she wouldn't like it. And then so he can't complain about how much he hates the clothes I get for him I gave him a gift certificate for Miller's Outpost, or, excuse me, Anchor Blue.

To Juan I gave two computer games that I hope he likes. One was Deus Ex which 1) seemed to actually just be the demo version and 2) they already had the full version. And the other I can't remember the name of.

Molasses gave all the boys a sound system to use with their computer games, and all reports say it works fantastically.

We were well finished opening stuff when Pepe and Ana got back so Pepe opened his stuff over lunch. He liked my book on the stupidest airplane ideas ever. He wanted the game Half-life and my sister got it for him. So he was sorta unimpressed by my gift of Civ III. I'm hoping he'll at least try it out before he gives up. And I hope the other boys try it too...

I gave Ana one of Face Forward books and Molasses gave the other. She seemed to like them okey...

My own presents were pretty outstanding, because I wasn't expecting anything. I mean I figured I would get something, but that it would most likely be something I didn't want and had no use for. So they were all pretty surprising. My sister got me a really beautiful dress, it's just too bad it was too small. I got a nice pot and pan set, several plates, some silverware and cooking untensils.

I guess I should start cooking now }:> I got some candies and a few gift certificates, but it was really all just nice }:>

That evening I took off for Molasses' and we exchanged our gifts, or anyway he opened my present.

Then on Wednesday we did a little bit of shopping at IKEA and took it easy. I worked on Thursday and hung out with him that night. Friday same, only it was my dad's birthday and we took him to Lone Star. As predicted he absolutely loved his steak. Saturday work, hang out. Sunday we went to Kenny's and watched them practise HRD. It was neat till it started to rain. I passed out on the recliner while Kenny played Monster Wrangler and Artemis woke me up when she climbed on me to sniff me. She's a pretty cat }:>

Sunday night Molasses' older brother and his sister-in-law flew in to spend a week here. we went to a late dinner at the Pantry and I went back to my place.

Monday I worked and then went back to LBC and got a light dinner with Molasses & fam. Then he and I went up to the party. It was a nice, quiet affair so I enjoyed myself more than I expected. The friends were friendly and the conversation intriguing.

(Note to self: grab a trade and write a cover letter, goddammit!!!)

(for those keeping track my dad went in for surgery on the skin on the part of his leg that was found with cancer. It was removed quickly and he was out in an hour! Yay! I don't know how they keep track of this but I hope that that was all that was needed.)

yesterday we slept in really late. And can I just say something: Despite all of the trouble, and forgetting about sexual pulls in all kinds of directions and trying to ignore how other people do or will feel or think. How ever much some people would be jealous or hurt or not care, or even cheer for it (because my friends' thoughts and feelings do matter to me), Molasses and I have come through a lot. And I am so deeply in love with him that it's hard to remember what else I wanted from this world. It can bug me, because thinking about it can make me feel very sad and guilty because I have something so good and that the process of getting it was so very bad to some of my closest friends. But I wouldn't trade him for the world.

Anyway yesterday we mosied on down to LBC to meet with his brother and sister-in-law who had gotten up at four to go watch the Rose Parade in Pasadena. We got lunch and headed to Disney's California Adventure. It was pretty neat, and it was so cool to see the Electric Parade again. I was giggling like a little girl. Because we only got to spend the evening there, we didn't get to do very much, so I want to go back at some point.

Yes, Disney is terrible, the epitome of corporate sponsorship of fun. But it is fun, and since no one else does exactly what they do, market pressure says they can charge whatever kind of money they want. *not* being a capitalist myself, it still makes perfect sense to me.

Then Molasses and I went to dinner at the Spaghetti Factory in Fullerton, and headed back to his place. His brother and sisterinlaw headed out to his Grandmother's house and are still there.


There now. All caught up. I guess there's nothing to do but do my laundry. *sigh*