It’s the final day. We shake out the Etch-a-Sketch tonight and start over tomorrow. or the next day. or the next. We decide…I hope you all have a fabulous night and are surrounded by love and laughter. I hope that tomorrow if I don’t get to see your face, that you spend the first day of the year relaxing, and being grateful for another day. Here’s my NFTU for the day, I thought I’d share it with everyone…MUAH.

Misti, soon the new year starts, so now’s a great time to:

1. Wipe the slate clean.
2. Focus upon what you really want.
3. Chart your course.

Right?

Well… only if you want to risk having to repeat these steps for the same wishes next year! Maybe this is splitting hairs, but here’s an adventurous alternative:

1. Give thanks that life is… just as it is (and that it’s been… just as it’s been). Because of it, you’re now “READY.”

2. Define what you want in terms of the end result. Don’t worry about the hows, or even the course. KNOW that what you want is ALREADY yours in spirit, by divine LAW, just focus on the certainty of this ownership, understand it, claim it, and “it will be on earth, as it is in heaven (spirit).”

3. LET THE UNIVERSE show you the way via your impulses and instincts that appear as you take inspired action. Don’t worry that your first steps seem silly or futile. And if you don’t know what to do, do anything! Go! Get busy! Do not insist on intermediary successes, only upon the end result.

2011 is going to be your year (it already is),
The Universe

Sitting here at moms watching Wonderbaby play with Tonka Chuck, and thinking about loading and unloading my car…it’s almost enough to just move here. Gross. I do hate to leave. It’s been a great (mostly great) weekend. The stress of dealing with my dad and his wife and her kids that live with them coming over and just staying yesterday…well needless to say when I found that out I was pissed. Everyone was pissed. It funked up the entire plan for the holiday. I woke up with a fever blister yesterday, mom with one today, and my left eye hasn’t quit twitching since it started Sunday. Nice. We look like we all escaped from the nervous hospital.

But it’s behind us. The stomach is starting to settle down, the knots are starting to go away…and I’m sad. I’m sad that my reaction is what it is. I have to say, I did pretty well this year and didn’t let it creep up on me until Saturday. 364 days out of the year, the decisions my father and his wives have made do not ever effect me. That one day though? Fucking kicks me right in the ovaries.

I am holding on, with both hands and white knuckles, to the lesson I learned at Wal Mart yesterday. Upon loading up my suv with all of our purchases, Mom and Taryn got in the car and a couple walked past me with their cart, heading to their car, and the girl asked me, “do you have a few dollars to give us so that we can go buy more groceries?” My IMMEDIATE response was “no I don’t. I just spent all of my cash.” and just kept right on into my car. I got in and we all commented about beggers and about how it was such a scam and about how if you were going to ask me for money you should have asked me BEFORE I just bought my new bedroom tv and the new holiday decorations…and then I got a pit in my stomach. I literally felt ill and said as much to my sis. “Turn around. see if you can find them” I had a few dollars in my mad money hidey hole in the car, mom got some money, sis found some dollars and I drove through lines and lines of traffic hunting down the couple and we drove up beside them JUST about the time they were pulling out. I honked, and we rolled down our window and handed them the money and said Merry Christmas. Go get your groceries. The look on the woman’s face was….well I cry now again, typing it. They both JUMPED out of their car, held hands and ran back into the store.

I cried. all the way to wherever we went next. We are all so blessed. We are all so lucky. Even with fractured family trees that are held together by duck tape, even with the pain and the losses we’ve felt throughout this year, even with the heartbreak and the financial crisis…We. Are. Blessed.

So. That’s what I’m trying to hold onto today. That’s what I want you to remember this week. It’s not just a day on a calendar. It’s not who get’s what from whom. It’s not this divorce, or that step-whatever. It’s not this bill, or that party…

It’s kindness.
It’s tolerance.
It’s being absolutely present in your gratefulness. It all goes by so quickly…doesn’t it?

Let’s remember today, to be nice to one another. . . even though somedays that’s the hardest thing ever.

I am in Arkansas with the family. We’ve opened presents. We’ve been to Candlelight Service. We’ve snacked and sipped. We’ve sung songs and danced a little. I am awash with the blessings of the night and an overwhelming sense of gratefulness for all we’ve been through this year.

I wish you peace.
I wish you health.
I wish you happiness.

Merry Christmas, friend.

I love you.

and him, too…

woke up this morning to a grownup tv that is messed up. it’s all fuzzy and doubled on the screen. I have no idea what is up. I wasn’t home last night to watch anything. Immediately annoyed. BOOM!
so I’ve put on an ep of Family Guy on the Roku, poured a cup of coffee and am about to get in the shower for this powerhouse day. GAH. annoyed. annoyed. annoyed

I was supposed to go see a play last night but plans fell through, so we went to the movies instead. The cheapo ghetto movies, which was just fine with me. We saw the How Do You Know with Reese Witherspoon. It was good…ok. Have any of you seen it? Whatddya think?

Gotta get ready peaceout.

My teensy weensy week starts today. . . and I’m booked solid from 10 till 7 or 8 today and tomorrow and Thursday morning is booked with openings in the afternoon. I’m happy happy for the clients and the work! Equally excited for the social engagements this week. Tonight my friend Kris and I are ushering at CityRep in order to see Santaland Diaries for free. (hey. they need volunteers. I need to not spend money) Tomorrow is Trivia with my guys (we’ve won three weeks in a row! woot woot!) and Thursday is Christmas Adam (honk honk) with my PseudoSisters et. al.

I’ve got a few things to do before heading to the family for Christmas, supplies to pick up, whatnots to gather, packing and planning. I’m ready for some time off. I’m excited to see the boys open their presents and get excited.

I went to the movies yesterday, saw The Fighter. HIGHLY recommend it! GO!!!! There are several coming out this week that I want to see, and I still haven’t seen Harry Potter. I love holiday movie watching. I watched Toy Story 3 last night…holyhell. It was rough. But good.

What else? I’m still gathering info on the debt classes. I’m thinking I probably won’t do the weekly classes but just read the books and follow those. . . at this point that is what I’m thinking, anyway.

Ok, have a fabulous day! This is me getting ready to go bang some hair. Peaceout.

I’m seriously considering doing the Dave Ramsey money thing. I’ve had several clients work that program and one of my YaYa’s did it this past year and is completely debt free.

let me say that again, COMPLETELY DEBT FREE.

I’m not saying it was easy for her, but it didnt take the entire year either.

I’m really really looking into it and considering it.

with the new job change, and the roommate, this year I should SHOULD be making more money than before. I need to manage it and get control over it.

So that’s what I’m thinking about. Have you heard of it? Have you done it or know anyone who has done it? Tell me your thoughts.

The family comes back to Oklahoma tonight to begin the Christmas celebrations. I’m excited. Also have a busy busy day at work so THANK GOD for that. Tomorrow, I’ve got auditions for a show called Skin Deep, and Sunday I have a bartending gig.

looking at that, I don’t feel bad about taking Christmas Eve off of work.

Still trying to lock down kitty care for next weekend, but other than that everything’s a go!

Happy Friday, ya’ll.

I’ve been on a BBC America kick the last few days. I got caught up in some crazy reality show…wait. I think that was on the gay channel. It’s confusing.

This week has flown by, work has been dismal but I’m making up for it tomorrow and saturday. I’m home tonight, it’s quiet. There’s moisture in the air, smells of snow. I’m caught between wanting to move the few things in the garage and fit my car in, or just deal with it tomorrow and get the car in later this weekend. I think it’s supposed to only be some flurries.

Went out to eat, which I’ve been doing entirely too much of these last 10 weeks, with my friend from work, and now, now I’m home and should be doing laundry and cleaning and i’m sure doing chores, and I just want to curl up on the couch with my new book that I’m devouring and enjoy the Christmas lights and just bless the evening and let it go.

How was your day? Are you enjoying the holiday spirit or are you over it? I’ve finalized my travel plans for Christmas. I’ve decided to take Christmas Eve off of work. Christmas Adam (because Adam came before Eve honk honk) is spent traditionally with my PseudoSisters and Family. So we’re hammering out a plan for that. I’ll sleep in a little and then drive the next day to Arkansas and just be with my family. We’ll do presents and church that night, then Christmas Day the kids will get Santa and they’ll hustle off to Sisser’s in-laws. My dad will arrive and we’ll have the afternoon and evening with them when Sisser returns. Sunday will be just for us. We’ll go shopping and just putz around and rest. I’m sure I’ll just come home Monday morning. Note to self, must check with roommate on her travel plans and make other plans for kitty care if need be.

so anyways. that’s pretty much all I did today. I’ma peace out. There’s an ep of Star Trek: TNG that involved the holodeck and Jen Luc on a vacation and I’m all over it.

We all want it and need it don’t we? The weekends go by so fast, and even if you’ve nothing planned but relaxing and rebooting, there’s still that need for one more day. My Tuesdays are generally the slowest of the week, so I do have a little leeway with it. For example, I don’t start until 11 today and then the majority of the afternoon is empty. . . room for call-ins. Room to possibly get my hair done. I look like a cheap hooker with these roots.

I’ve been fighting a cold the last few days. Last night’s sleep was interrupted by coughing, snotty cant breathe attacks. I’ve been doing the homeopathing route, Vicks on the feet then socks, my ACF cough and cold ground up gopher tasting liquid, Neti pot, along with my claritin and some generic sinus/cold meds. It’s so dry in the house that I’ve kept a pot of water boiling on the stove…All that said to say…I could just use one more day!

How was your weekend? Did you get to reboot or were you running around like a chicken with your head cut off? It’s a busy time of year. This week is relatively slow as far as commitments after work go, hopefully the days will be super busy! It’s payday this week so that’s awesome.

and with that thought, I’m getting more coffee. Happy Tuesday, you Normals are only a day away from Humpday! Woot Woot!!!

It’s cold here. It’s so cold it’s hot kind of cold. Thankfully the wind isn’t beating us but still. Brrrrrr. We’ve cranked up the heat a little here which in turn makes it so freaking dry in the house that we’re all dying. I’ve kept a pot of boiling water going on the stove this weekend and that has helped. I’m fighting allergy cum cold cum coughing fit kind of gunk so I’ve had the ACF going and the Vitamin C and the Vicks on my feet with the wool socks made with love from my friend in New Hampshire. I’ve been on the couch sleeping most of the afternoon and made myself a good dinner of roasted veggies and Froast! Hot cider. It’s all good.

I’ve got one week to get my sis’s present in the mail or I have to wrap up an IOU. Dangit. I’m annoyed by that but who knows. We’re doing family/step family/bonusmom exchanges this weekend and I’m so excited to see everyone and to give the gifts!!! I love it!

Our salon Christmas party was last night. It was weird not going to the Duncan Brothers party. Mandrea invited everyone over to preparty before they went and it was awkward and somewhat painful but I said Hi and left to go pick up my new friends and we had a good time full of laughing and it was just fine.

This is about all I have to report. The weeks are blazing fast, only 12 days till Christmas. Can you believe it? I’m enjoying the season so much this year. It feels good to feel good.

Gathered last night with my Gal Pals, Martha, Nancy, Karen, Barb and Carolyn. We are a motley crew, with me being the newest member of this group who’ve been friends for a lifetime. I’m the youngest of the group by anywhere from 10-20 years, though it makes not a bit of difference to anyone. Age schmage.

Life gets busy. We all know it. But this week we, at the spur of the moment, decided to gather for a little drink, a little nosh, a little laugh. Who the hell knew we’d laugh SO MUCH!!!

We talked of handbags,and Ludivine and automatic cork screws, and being overserved, and Hot N Ready Pizza and multiple weddings and children and working and poor choices and Carls Nuts and blindness and Christmas Music and oh my God I haven’t laughed this hard since…

well. that’s too long.

Seriously. It was solid crazy laughter for three hours.

Today, as I awoke with the kitties snuggled in because it’s soooo cold outside it’s hot, and I was immediately warmed by the knowledge that I have these women in my life. I am so grateful for them. They have given me more than I can ever give back…in time and tears, in support and furniture, in counseling and in cocktails…They are equal parts Shaman/Prophet/Guardian Angel/Devil on my Shoulder Who Only Wants One Cosmo.

Once again, I’m reminded that I have more love in my life than most marriages see in multiple lifetimes.

Happy Sunday.