Christmas was… Okay.

We didn’t really DO anything, but it seemed to consume a vast amount of my time.  (Also, on Christmas Eve Day, I went to the ATM.  I got distracted by my brother and it ate my card.  Merry Fucking Christmas to me!)

I spent time at my father’s and at my mother’s.  Both of them knew I NEED a new computer.  (This one is… Well.  Yeah.  It’s horrific.)  I haven’t had a new one in five years.  I’ve literally spent half a decade freaking out over computer issues. I had fifteen service dispatches on the piece of shit Dell laptop I bought in college until finally they sent me a “complete system replacement” (aka, a new computer) and that?  Well, the screen FELL THE FUCK OFF and it wasn’t under warranty.  My mom gave me her extra laptop (a Dell she hated, and she has since gone to a Mac because of how fucked up Dell is) and it has decided it will not work when the battery is in it.  At all.

I will never, ever, EVER buy another Dell.  Those things are disgusting, their service techs are incomprehensible, and their on-site serve people have lost screws inside my computer (it rattled cheerily when I moved it), broken the casing on my computer, and one of them spent the whole  time talking about his ex-girlfriend and how she won’t leave him alone because he’s so awesome.

For the record, he was not awesome.

ANYWAY.  They gave me money enough to get a new laptop.  Sweeeeeeeeet.

(I talked to The Man about this.  He asked where I was going to get it.  I said I’d go to the website, customize a computer, and beg the nice people to make me a magical machine of merriment and pay them whatever they want.  He said I actually needed to do research, not just buy direct from the first manufacturer’s website that catches my eye.  He’s nuts I tell you, absolutely insane.)

Also, I’m going to Mexico for a week at the end of February.  My mother, who has more money than she knows what to do with, has gotten herself a beautiful casita there complete with a rooftop garden, beautiful interior, and a maid/cook for six weeks.  She hates winter, so she’s decided to leave it for a while. And she’s taking my brother and me with her for a week!

I’ll finally get to use some of my Spanish.

Also… Something I considered to be a VERY nice Christmas present… Praise!  In his words:

I must commend you on your patience and your general state of “adultness”. I’m impressed and glad as hell. I was reorganizing the hard drive on my desktop, actually the back up drive, and I ran into one of your old schedules (from around Oct 2008).

Reading that, I have to say the improvement; in your attitude, demeanor, maturity, and general tone, is amazing.

You haven’t gotten all whiny or angry or petulant or demanding like the Chloe of a year or two ago. I’m impressed. You’ve grown. That’s good.

It’s nice when hard work pays off.  I’ve been SO goddamn Zen!  My tongue is sorer for the biting, but it’s getting easier to be mature without chomping down on my tongue.  I’m also more at peace. And, it would seem, so is he.

So… I’m doing very well.  We’re talking and working through our “issues” or whatever you want to call them.  It makes me really happy that I’m not all PANICKY.  Panicky is something I do really, really well.  And… As hard as it is to compliment myself, I think Antonio is right.  I’m being much more adult about things and it’s made life SO much easier.  And… Damn, I realize this will spawn its own post, so I’ll have to make it its own post later!  

I have to get baking.  I’ve got work tonight and a staff meeting tomorrow and it’s the only time all the staff is together near the holiday – so I gotta make some sort of Christmas effort.  Bleh.