I'm glad Christmas is over. I got some very cool presents, but it was a sad, sad day. I sobbed like I haven't sobbed in a long time. More than once. I'm all teary just thinking about it. Enough of that.

My most favorite present is my baseball, signed by the 2007 Red Sox. I've been wondering what makes this year so special. I've always liked the Red Sox, but was most of the time a fair-weather fan. Occasionally when they were doing well, I'd get sucked in. Like in 1978, 1986, and 2003. Each time, my hopes were dashed. Dashed! After the fiasco of 2003, I swore I'd never get sucked in by them again. Even in 2004, I never got sucked in until the ALCS. Of course, I thought for sure they'd stuck it to me again, but they rallied and won the next 8 games and so became champions. It was nice. We were all happy. But I didn't feel vested in them, as I got sucked in so late in the season.

This time was different. First, in April, we bought a mattress that could be free if the Sox won the WS. I even spent more than I would have on the slim possibility that they would win and the mattress would be free. Three days after we bought the mattress, the Sox were in first place in the AL East. Then in August, I started watching games. I saw them hit four home runs in a row in a repeat game from April; I saw Buchholz' no-hitter (but went to bed before the end, not realizing it - I watched the whole thing the next day); I saw walk-off home runs from David Ortiz. It was very thrilling. Well, we all know what happened in the post-season. So this year is different from 2004 and every other year, because I got sucked in and my faith was rewarded (to steal a title from a dvd) this time.

Oh this cracks me up. I elfed Lowell, Beckett, Papelbon and Francona. It's so goofy I almost can't watch. But I have to: Red Sox Elves.

This is a picture of my dog Java. She's wearing a T-shirt of mine from when I was a little kid. You notice it says "Boston Patriots," something they haven't been called in like 36 years. It's fitting that my Boston is a Boston fan.

There are only two main things left to do in our construction: replace the boiler and paint the house. The first is being done today. The second, I don't know when. It seems to me that it's too cold to paint outside these days and the fresh 4 inches of snow doesn't help things, either. Although the snow does make everything look very Christmas-like.

Speaking of Christmas, I'm really trying to get into the spirit. I've been playing Christmas music, especially my father's favorite: Handel's Messiah. I put up our Christmas tree and decorations. We put the wreaths up on the house and put the candles in the windows. But the pain is still there. I guess it always will be there. I do love Christmas decorations, especially white lights. They help me think back fondly on old Christmases and my Dad and remember how safe and warm and loved I felt.

Here's an awesome website for Red Sox info and she has an online Red Sox advent calendar, too! I look forward to clicking on it every day: Center Field.

I guess a higher education is not necessary to read this blog. Supposedly this website scans your blog and determines how educated one needs to be in order to read it. I'm OK with this, because I think I write pretty well. I've been told so, anyway.

I wonder if I use words such as supercilious, penultimate, quagmire and xenophobia if it'll change my rating.

Wow. I guess I failed in a big way to update my blog every day. Oh, well. I made a valiant effort. The pressures of hosting my first Thanksgiving at my house overwhelmed me. The good news is that our Thanksgiving was great! Everyone brought something which was so helpful; my mother stayed here and she and Robert and I worked as a well-oiled-cooking-machine! We did a great job. I think everyone liked it and it's a good thing that Thanksgiving only comes around once a year, because I sure was tired.

And for the first Thanksgiving without my father - sometimes I still can't get my mind around the fact that he's gone and will never come back - it was a pretty good one. I think he would have liked it.

Here are some pictures.
Me, Robert and my Mom in the background. She's making gravy and Robert and I have just dissected the turkey:


This is the table:


Here's Robert and his Mom:


And Angie and her parents:

Wahoo! Mike Lowell has agreed to a 3-year deal and is staying with the Red Sox. That is totally awesome!

Here's the article

Last night we went out to The Melting Pot to celebrate my birthday. The actual day is Wednesday, but we thought that going out for a big meal the night before Thanksgiving was not a great idea. So we opted to go out on Saturday. It was awesome! I love fondue and this was very very good. Not as great as the fondues my parents used to make for us back when we used to ski, but almost.

I can't forget to write in my bloggybloggington today. This blogging every day is pretty difficult. It's hard to think of something to write about.

My town, which charges exorbitant real estate taxes and yet provides no services in return, thereby requiring us to bring our garbage to the dump, has recently instituted a new set of "dump rules". These include a 30-minute time limit; a limit on the number of trips per day, and a no-picking rule. It's kinda crazy that a town would have to do this, but apparently people hanging out at the dump all day is a problem in our sleepy little town. This story made it all the way to the New York Times which was pretty embarrassing. I only hope it wasn't a question on Wait wait don't tell me. That would be really embarrassing!

This is a picture I took last January, after a particularly nasty ice storm. The sun coming through the ice enveloping the trees was really pretty. I think we lost power for three days. It got really cold in the house - everything was down to about 37 degrees inside. It took a full 24 hours to heat the house back to warm.

I'm not sure why I chose to post that particular picture, except I've just been shopping for Advent calendars and with Thanksgiving coming up, I'm looking forward to the holidays. I bought one for us, and also for Sarah, Steven and Elizabeth - but mostly for Elizabeth. I think she is old enough to get a kick out of opening up a little door every day on the countdown to Christmas. So thinking about the holidays naturally has me thinking of winter and this picture is what came to mind. I was kind of hoping for a little bit of snow this morning, but it didn't happen. I wasn't hoping for an accumulation, just a bit of snow in the air.

Next week we are having a whole bunch of people over for Thanksgiving. I've never hosted a dinner party, never mind a Thanksgiving. I'm a little nervous, but I think it'll be OK because my Mom is going to help me. She's an expert.

The painters were supposed to come today, but didn't show up. And I don't think it was because of the rain, as there's plenty to do inside as well as outside.

My fireplace doors are in and they look gorgeous.

Work at my house is winding down. Just a few things left to do. I always said that it would be Thanksgiving by the time they were done. Little did I know... But it's because I added stuff on to the job, not because they are slow.

My opportunities for using the torch now are getting fewer and fewer. It's just too cold. Or I'm too old to sit in the cold. Whichever it is, I just don't want to.

So that's about it for today. I'm bummed that Beckett didn't win the Cy Young award, but what can you do?

I don't have too much to write today.

I'm updating early, because today we're flying home! Hooray! I get to see my dogs and cat today. I can't wait. I want to snuggle with Java. She is so funny. The other day, Robert told me, she was barking at a boston terrier slipper that the cat had been playing with and left on her sunbeam blanket. She was mad because it was taking up room on her blanket in the sunbeam and she wanted to lie there. What a silly goose!

This place in Florida reminds me so much of my father. I'd lie in bed and think of him leaving in the morning to go get the paper, or some bagels. I'd look over to his chair and see the book I got him for Christmas a few years ago. This is the home that my parents have owned the longest - because they sold our childhood home in 2001 - and I have the most memories of him from the longest time ago attached here. Plus the memories of that horrible week in February.

Anyway, enough ruminating on that. I'm looking forward to coming home, seeing the dogs, and hearing that Dustin Pedroia was named AL Rookie of the Year. *Fingers crossed*

My mom has a pastel drawing of my dad hanging in her house. It was drawn when my dad was 5 or 6 years old. The expression on Elizabeth's face is the same as my Dad's in that drawing - especially the eyes. It's amazing how sometimes when you look at her, you see him shrunk down.

This has been a very trying week. My mother is now grating on my last nerve and I just can't wait to get home. I keep being reminded of my dad and the days surrounding his death. It's just not fun. I think this is my last ever trip to SW Florida. If I could, I'd leave today.

This is a picture of my Mom and Robert in the hot tub.

Today was kind of fun. We woke up late, had breakfast and then hot-tubbed it until early afternoon. Then my Mom went in for a nap, and Robert and I went to Target to pick up a few things. Nothing major.

I've alluded to my free mattress on more than one occasion. Robert and I bought a new mattress back in April because 1) we wanted to get a new one eventually and 2) the store was having a contest and said if the Red Sox won the World Series this year, the mattress would be free. So we decided that we should probably buy during the contest period just in case. I had a nagging feeling that this year might be a good year for them. Of course, I think that every year, and have since 1978. But this time I was right! Something like three days after we purchased it, the Sox made it to first place in their division and never left all season. They totally rock.

I just picked Robert up at the airport. I'm happy he's here. And I'm happy to be coming home on Monday. It's late so that's it for today. I was going to write about my free mattress, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

I feel like I need to pepper this blog with photos, especially because there's not much to write about. This is a photo of the front yard I found on my Mom's computer. It's very foggy. I thought it was kind of pretty.

This morning my Mom and I went to the Coach store and she bought me a new bag for my birthday, which is coming up. It's totally awesome.

As nice as it is here, I wish I were home in NH with my dogs and cat. I miss them. Oh and I miss my husband, too, of course. LOL. ;) He's coming down tomorrow. I can't wait. Then we're flying home Monday afternoon. I can't wait for that either.

I miss Martha, too. And Angie. And Katie. And watching Red Sox games. And my Father. And my glass and torch. And the birds in my backyard. And my free mattress. And The People's Court. And my bathtub. And my email. And Sarah and Elizabeth.

I'm lucky to have so much to miss.

This is my new stoop. I've wanted a granite stoop for a long time - well, maybe about a year now. It got put in on Monday, after I left for Florida, so this picture is the only time I've seen it. Last night I had a nightmare about the stoop, if you can believe it. It's hard to describe the stoop of my nightmare, except to say that it was made from molded plastic, resembled a hollow tree stump with a large root, and would have tripped the first person to step on it. I was in agony. But Robert sent me the picture from his cellphone this morning to ease my concerns and luckily it's nothing like the stoop of my bad dream.

How cute is she?