Seriously, I was sick a lot

Even after all of the running around and the general sickness and the feeling that I wasn’t well-rested at all during this holiday season, I am quite contented with it. Especially now, New Years Day, when I’m sitting at my mama’s, sipping on peppermint tea and getting over a cold that I can tell won’t last much longer. I have today and all weekend to enjoy my family and to read and relax… and to kill zombies on the xBox 360.

I made out on books this Christmas. My sister is spectacularly unimaginative when it comes to buying gifts for me – instead of thinking about what I might like, she asks me what I want. I know that some people are hard to buy for, but I am not one of them. Indeed, this Christmas my roommate Shon said, "I always know what to get Sarah. Anything purple, anything bath-related, and she’ll be happy." Oh, and he also got me a book! My sister, on the other hand, seems to think I’m some big mystery, even though she knows me quite well.

In the past, I’ve said, "I don’t care what you get me, but I don’t want to know what it is! That ruins it!" This year, I decided to make it easier on her. I told her I wanted books. She asked what kind. I told her I wanted strange books. She asked me to name off some titles I wanted. I told her some of the titles.

She got me "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters," a joke-urban dictionary and a book full of Chuck Norris and Mr. T "facts." I should tell her what to get me more often.

My mom also got me books, and some vampire movies, and some Spongebob Tupperware for my lunches (it’s about time the people at work learn about my Spongebob love). And some gorgeous-smelling bath stuff – Nutmeg Vanilla Cinnamon, yum!

As usual, I put some thought into my gifts, but I also had more money to spend this year, which does make things easier. I’d like to think that I not only got people things that they wanted, I also got some stuff that they needed, but stuff that they’d be excited about too. And I made some things for some friends, but with busy-ness and sickness, I haven’t finished them yet. Soon, though.

Last night my mom and Billy and his boy Marc and Owen and I had our little New Years Eve celebration. Junk food, a video game extravaganza, some Trailer Park Boys (HILARIOUS show), and then Poinsettas for the adults, cranberry juice for the kids while we watched the ball drop. I smooched Owen on the cheek after we counted down, and then we watched some Spongebob until Owen fell asleep. Poor Nicky had to work, and then she had to work again this morning.

I think 2010 is going to be pretty sweet. As I’ve mentioned before, I wasn’t happy during pretty much the first half of 2009, although things have definitely improved.

Workwise, I’m frickin’ ecstatic – I enjoy my job, I have enough different things to do that I never get bored, I have HELP (never underestimate the power of good help), I have a boss who not only works hard herself but also respects the work of her people and who actually listens to concerns and problems, and I like going into work every day. So that’s better.

Family-wise, the only thing that could improve is my mother’s health – her hips and knees, to be specific. Otherwise, my family is awesome and will continue to be awesome.

Friend-wise, I’m going to try to see people more, and maybe to make new friends. With new work and with holiday stuff, I feel like I haven’t seen a lot of my friends very much, but I will improve on this. I’ll try not to get into my usual winter thing of holing up at home – it will actually make me feel better to get out and hang out, and I need to remember that.

I want to write more – I need to work on my self-discipline.

And I want to re-join the gym. For the racquetball, especially.