Christmas Break, Days 6, 7, & 8

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Merry Christmas!

Shopping: Last year, Thomas gave me one of those shiatsu massage chairs. Fantastic. So fantastic that earlier this month I broke it. And I have missed it terribly. So terribly that I went shopping, only this time I got a massage mat that I can lay down on and that has heat. I ♥ it. ♥ it, ♥ it, ♥ it. Deeelightful.

I've also spent a lot of time making candy--fondant for fondant centers of chocolates, and a batch of carmels. I have yet to dip any chocolates, but I would hate to be without a project, wouldn't I?

For Christmas Dinner, I went to Jane's. She was my department head my first year here, and her best friend was my principal the first two years. They always have Christmas and Thanksgiving together, and they are kind enough to invite me along when I don't go home for a holiday. When I called to see what I could bring, Jane said an appetizer, so I made a spinach and ricotta cheesecake with smoked salmon and capers on the top. I must admit that it turned out well. Unfortunately, though, there was a lot left over, so I'll be eating it for a while. The dinner was fantastic, delicious beef tenderloin with a bleu cheese sauce, everyone there was so nice, I had a wonderful time. Although I don't think I'll be invited to play spades again, as I tend to bid a little wildly, and Jane's mother is a card shark.

I also spent a lot of time on the phone with my family and with Elizabeth. I think Dad liked the glasses I got him, a lovely red, and Alan was very funny giving me the play-by-play as he opened them. Amilynne called me early before she went to work and we opened presents over the phone. She got me a cool persian rug mousepad, it's beautiful, but she got the one that replicates the rug Freud draped over his couch, so now that my mouse rests on it, it tells me a lot about its mother. David sent me 8 1/2, a Fellini film that I like a lot.

I also talked to mom, she got engaged.

Tonight when I got home from dinner, my carbon monoxide alarm was going off, and I couldn't get it to stop. You can silence it for like two minutes, but then it goes off again. I feel bad for my neighbors, because I'm sure they could hear it (I can hear theirs), and I don't know how long it had been going off, since I was gone for about 6 hours. I had to call the emergency maintenance number and get them to come--I had a pilot light on my stove that wouldn't stay lit, so he cleaned that up re-taped a hose, and replaced my alarm. I was sad to call the on-call guy at 10pm on Christmas, but I didn't want to die in my sleep, either.

So that's the big day. Now a week to recover, and then back to the grind.