Where to begin...

So Midnight Mass was a drag. First of all, we got there early, way too early, as if we were competing for a parking spot at St. Mike's in Olympia. Then, the priest was long-winded, he couldn't land the plane. And he took every opportunity to work the crowd, even before the blessing asking visitors to raise their hands and say where they're from. Also, he didn't seem to have a plan for his sermon; he just went from cliche to tangential cliche. It was well past two when we finally got home, and unlike in Seattle, we weren't able to turn on the tv and watch John Paul, because, well, John Paul is with the Lord now. Also, Las Vegas tv doesn't broadcast Mass at St. Peter's. Oh well.

On Christmas Day we stayed home, mostly, preparing for the Uncle J and Auntie M to come over. Dad and I went on a quest to find non-gross wine, went to three different stores, came home with a mediocre chardonnay. I had been looking for a vinho verde. Mama got a little obsessed with cooking, and made turkey, pansit palabok, roast pork. I made caesar salad wid anchovies, stuffing with sausage and apple, and mashed potatoes with evaporated milk. It was good. I made two batches of gravy, the first one tasted like burnt drippings, the second one was a subtle, butterless triumph. When the others came over, we fed them, and then opened some brown elephant gifts (no rules, just opening). There was some off key karaoke. The kids invited us to go bowling, but I thought we better spend the evening with Mama.

Today we had leftovers for breakfast. There was a shopping exursion... we took the loooooooong way around the city. There seemed to be a dust storm blowing. Once we got to Ross, I looked and found nothing I liked, so then I walked around the enormous strip mall, came back to Ross only to find the women folk not even close to wanting to leave. I asked my dad for the keys to the car, so I could at least sit, but he said that he was hungry, and that I should buy him lunch. So we drove across the enormous stripmall parking lot to the mexican place, which was authentic but not necessarily good. I had three tacos.

Then we went to the outlet mall near the strip, the one the tourists all take taxis to.... That place was a zoo. I went into a number of stores but didn't find any shoes that I wanted to buy. My sister, on the other hand, bought plenty of stuff. Me, I will pay a lot for a good pair of shoes, and then wear them for two years until they fall apart. That's all I want, and I don't mind if they cost a lot.

We came home and ate leftovers. Now my mom is watching tv with the dog and my sister and I are computing. Computing! We might catch a 10:00 o'clock movie.