Deck the halls

Christmas is coming! It's practically here! If you want a present from me, you need to tell me straight up. Otherwise you're not getting ANYTHING! And nothing over $1, please. I'm here to give you my official plans for Christmas. Wednesady (Christmas Eve) morning, I will load up with my cousin Rob and we will drive to Dayton, OH to his parents' house. My mom will be there already and we'll have a nice quiet Christmas at the Neely house. Quieter than you might think, since all the kids and grandkids will be at the the in-laws. My Aunt Beth is an amazing cook, so I'm definitely looking forward to chowing down. Plus, if all goes as planned, I'll be able to acquire a different car while in Dayton. One that actually works! We'll see what happens. Tomorrow night is the Trophy House Christmas Dinner. This year it's going to be at Sperry's, which is a fine dining establishment in Nashville. Very nice! I'll have the water. Oh, what? Larry's paying? Then I'll have the sirloin! Mushroom sauce on top for just $8 more? Sure, why not. And throw in a few lobster tails for good measure. Ha! Not really. I'll keep myself under control.

A few things that went right today

I talked to my friends in China for over an hour today.

I worked an hour and a half of overtime (plus another hour tomorrow morning).

I didn't chop off anything while using various sharp tools at work.

I blogged for the second time this week.

Blog post of shame

I'm not even going to bother explaining why I haven't been posting. Suffice it to say that I just didn't feel like it. So here goes something.

In the past few months I have:

Moved with Matthew, Jennifer, and the kiddos into a brand new town home that has a room that is all mine and just for me. And it even has a door. And a bathroom. And a closet.

I have not had a car to drive since October 15 because my car won't pass emissions and the temp tag expired. Thank you Matt Britton for giving me a ride to work everyday since then. You're a champ. My car is currently being fixed by the most awesome guy ever. Bill Simpson lives near 840, south of Franklin. He works out of his home and can fix your car for loads cheaper than any garage can. How does $200 instead of $600 sound? Awesome, that's how. I should be driving again by the end of this week.

I went to MS for Thanksgiving and had a blast. The food was amazing, almost worth the two years away from home. I did miss the pecan pie, though. Christmas is coming, I'll just hope for some then.

I still miss China a lot, but I'm getting used to being in the US and don't feel quite as much stress from the change. Although after 4+ months, it's still not a walk in the park.

I'll try to be better. It's all anyone can ask or expect.