Christmas and What Not

This holiday season has been INSANE (in the membrane :) )!!  Of course it always is, but it seems as we get older, the more hectic it really becomes.  I didn't take a SINGLE picture during our get togethers, so I'll have to steal (I mean borrow) some from some unsuspecting family members later on.

Christmas Eve Chris and I had to work...just till the afternoon, though.  And let me tell you (if you don't already know), working on Christmas Eve is awful!  Just awful, and it's even more awful when you realize you really are in the real world and part of the real world means working on Christmas Eve.  Even so, after we made it home and gathered our gifts, we headed to Hot Springs for Christmas Eve.  My family, for as long as I can remember, have always spent Christmas Eve at my Grandma and Grandpa's home, with all of the extended family.  Except this year, my step-Grandpa (my Peepaw), is in the hospital not feeling so hot, so Christmas Eve was held at my mom and dad's.  It was tons of fun and the house was bursting at the seams, but some of the Christmas Eve traditions were lost.  For example, no broccoli supreme to fight over with my cousins.  No pottery to steal from an aunt.  And no jumping up and down on the beds with my little cousins and nephews.  Other than that, we had a wonderful time and maybe we'll make new traditions at mom and dad's.

Christmas Day was without the usual traditions as well.  Normally, we are all at my mom and dad's, get up in the morning and open presents.  Then dad makes a big breakfast and feeds us the most awesome food ever.  This year, we got up, met at Jon and Kricia's, without a big breakfast, and opened gifts.  James wasn't able to come this year :(, but we all sent him goodies to make him feel like he wasn't missing out.  We opened gifts with the boys and let them open all of ours as well.  Chris and I got Grant a Little Tykes digital camera, and he LOVED it.  I was so pleased, and he let Chris teach him how to use it.  Jon got all of us tickets to see the Hogs play in March when the 1994 Championship Team has their reunion during halftime, and mom and dad got 3 new photos to replace the old ones of us in the hallway.  

After we did all that, we headed to NWA to do traditional things with Chris' side of the family.  Jon and Emily were able to be there and we had a great time!  Jon and Jim grilled some not so traditional Christmas food (like shrimp) and we had a wonderful meal.  We opened gifts, took some silly photos, and had a great time.  Baxter got lots of treats and some new toys.  We are going to have to buy a new toy basket for him, his is stuffed!

We stayed in NWA a couple days and took care of some business.  We shopped, ate yummy Italian food, great pizza, and headed home yesterday.  We were so exhausted this morning, we slept in, which never happens with Baxter.  Looks like it's going to be a beautiful week and a wonderful start to the New Year!  Hope you all had as much fun and craziness as we did!

An addition to the rules

Do you remember when I blogged about the rules while visiting your friendly neighborhood audiologist?  Well, I feel the need to add two.

Rule #6.  When you come to purchase a hearing aid, please do not bring your crazy friends with you.  Especially if they enjoy spending your money.  

Rule #7.  Please do not allow crazy friend to call me 3 times in one day when she doesn't even comprehend the words that are coming out of my mouth!

Thank you,

Your Friendly Neighborhood Audiologist

Life

Chris and I seem like we haven't seen each other in forever!  With Chris' schedule being nutty this close to the holidays, it seems like we are always passing each other.  So, today is our fun day.  We have lots of fun things planned, like buying bubble wrap, sending a box of goodies to my brother, and then tonight, babysitting our nephews.

Earlier this week a professor from my school came up for a site visit.  We took him to the Flying Fish to eat (well, we drove, he paid) and then the next day he came up to my work to check things out and meet my supervisors.  It was a little pointless, but it was fun to catch up on all the gossip.  

Last night we played with some friends, Jennifer and Joe.  We went to eat, had ice cream, and then came back to watch the 'House Bunny'.  Which, by the way, was totally NOT worth the dollar it cost to rent it.  We invited some other friends, but they had plans with family (party poopers), so we'll have to do it again when we are all available!

Oh, and I know you were all dying to know, my foot is healed!  Well, at least so far it is.  

Happy 5 days till Christmas!

Jingle Bell Run/Walk

Today, I got up and did the Jingle Bell Run/Walk with my mom and some teachers from her school.  Our team name was the "St. Nick's Chicks".  Cute, huh?  My mom walked it last year, and I was in Texas so I couldn't, but I joined in this year and it was so fun!  The Jingle Bell Run/Walk benefits the Arthritis Foundation, and I think I may have stiff joints when I wake up in the morning!

The Run/Walk is 3 miles long from the River Market to the Capital, and back.  My mom is a speed walker, so it took me a little bit to catch up to her pace, but I did it!  Our final time was 51:38!  Ok, that may seem like forever to some of you in shape people, but for me, it was a miracle to come in under an hour! :)

My number

Mom and I before  the walk with our antlers on.

The 'St. Nick's Chicks', plus Craig O'Neal

After the race...exhausted!!

After the race, we all went for a yummy meal at Macaroni Grill.  Then mom and I bolted and went to Target and then to Kohl's.  I came back home, because now I have some serious pain in my right foot.  But that's okay, better to be waited on :)

A Letter

Dear Creepy Guy,

Yes, you really were creepy.  So creepy, in fact, I tried to get out of testing you.  I tried to find a male audiologist to test your creepy hearing so that I wouldn't have to.  But, guess what?  They were busy.  So I sucked it up, gathered my nerves, and dove in.  And I accomplished what I set out to do!  I conquered your creepy self with your creepy hearing, and I'm better off for doing it.

I don't know where you learned it was OK for being creepy, but whomever taught you, they were wrong.  Real wrong.  It's not OK to be creepy to other people you have never met, let alone a woman you have never met.  It may work in the bar, but not in the Audiology world.  

When you propped your leg up so I couldn't move, I thought "This guy is STRANGE". 

And when I glanced at you, you put your leg down and told me I needed to get you something to prop your leg on.  And again I thought "This guy is STRANGE, and WIERD".  

Then I proceeded to tell you that I was going to give you some words to say, and you said "Just as long as you don't talk dirty to me" And I thought, "This guy is STRANGE, WEIRD, and on the verge of CREEPY".  

But then, you looked right in my eyes and said "Well, maybe you could talk dirty to me a little bit."  And I thought, "This guy is STRANGE, WEIRD, and CREEPY".  No doubt about it.

So that's when I left the room for a good 10 minutes.  To hunt down another audiologist to take you off my hands.  But then I learned that I was going to have to learn to deal with your kind, so, like I said before, I gathered all my strength and walked back in.  

And do you remember what I saw when I walked back in?  You were spread eagle in the chair, leaning back as far as you could to spread your legs as far as you could in your semi-acid wash denim jeans.  But I tapped on the window to wake your CREEPY butt up, and I tested your hearing.  

So, dear creepy guy, please don't come back to see us.  I can't handle anymore of your CREEPINESS.  

Thank you,

The Creeped Out Audiologist