It's Coming...

So, today was my last chance to get the bulk of my Holiday errands done. And boy, did I make the most of it. I have been washing dishes, washing linens, cleaning the kitchen, making dashi soup stock for my miso soup, shopping, more shopping (all food and liquor...no more gifts!), wrapping gifts (still have to wrap Hubby's stuff, though), shoveling the driveway, and much, much more. I went to bed last night thinking, 'oh, crap! I need space in my driveway for 2 more cars!' So, today I had to shovel a lot more of my driveway than I normally would.

Not a great picture, but it's hard to get good contrast in a picture of snow. But, I think, and boy oh boy do I hope, that this will be the last of my shoveling duties for awhile!

On another note, but still related to Christmas, I am actually looking forward to Christmas Day. After work, of course. My hubby is...well, his family is Jewish. His parents took him and his older brother to Temple until they were each Bar Mitvah-ed, then they were left to decide for themselves what they believed. But Christmas is such a high profile holiday that just about everybody is home for the day (or more), so everybody celebrates in their own way. I left most of my family back in Michigan when I was 20 and moved out East with my Aunt (my mom's baby sister...she is just 4 years older than I). Then a few years later, my mom and dad moved my sisters out here. Before we had family out here, Aunt and I just spent the holidays with any other friends of ours who were without family. It was a ton of fun...just friends having dinner and hanging out. When there was more family, we decided to do Christmas Eve together so that we could still have Christmas day for fun with friends. Hubby's Jewish tradition was to go to the movies and have Chinese food for Christmas day, as that was about all that was open for business on Christmas Day when he was a kid. Every year, the theater gets more and more crowded and the Chinese restaurants seem to do a good business...and I don't really think it's because more Jews are moving to the area...but, I could be wrong.

Anyway, this year, we may be doing Christmas Day with friends! I'm kind of excited, as I really miss that from the 'old days'. Plus, this Christmas we are seeing the Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey, Jr.

Now, I know he has had a sorted past with all the drug use and whatnot.

But, I just get so gooey inside when I see him. I remember so little from my youth, but one thing I remember was my grandmother taking Aunt and I to see Chances Are. I'm pretty sure it was his first movie, and I'm pretty sure he was the reason I wanted to see it.

Hubby mentioned a second option, but I can't remember what it was and I'm pretty sure if he goes to see the other one, we'll be seeing different movies!

Oh, and I can't wait for A CHRISTMAS STORY to start tomorrow night!! I love that movie!