Happy New Year!

Visiting my mother and writing a new blog post were the only must-do things on my list today. It's almost 7 PM and I'm just now getting to #2.

The holiday 'season' passed by in a blur, as usual. I guess the season is all about the lead-up to the day. Once Christmas Day is over, it's all over. My sister Lisa and I went to The Annapolitan on Christmas Eve Day for their Holiday Dinner. There were over 200 people there (I think there's around 90 residents). It was so nice! I've said it so many times but I'll say it again. We're SO glad my parents are living there.

My daughter worked Christmas Eve but we spent some time together when she came home, then a few hours in the morning before she headed to her dad's. I spent a really nice day with my neighbor Kelly and her guests.

Are we hams or what?

I was ready to head back to work on Monday. I'm finding I don't do well with too much free time. It was a quiet week at work, and will probably be a slow month. Hopefully not too slow, since I work on commission. Rob was able to visit mid-week and we had our Christmas then. I think his favorite gift was the Dr. Martens shoes I got him. Mine was the Apple gift card to use towards the iPad3 I'll get as soon as it comes out. I.can't.wait!

I chose to be proactive and make New Year's Eve plans instead of staying home alone (Rob works every weekend). I'm so glad I did. My friend Kit and I drove to Manassas, VA, about an hour away. We checked into a hotel, and our high school friend Lisa met us there. We went to Kit's sister's bar/restaurant. It was SO out of my 'norm'. I felt like I was sightseeing! So many people smoking and drinking. Such loud head-banger music. It was fun until the smoke finally got to me. We headed back to the hotel and hung out by the fireplace for a while. It was so great to be together. There's nothing like old friends!

I spent a few hours with my mom today. She hasn't seemed like herself since this past Saturday, and I made an appointment for her to see her doctor tomorrow. She's just too quiet. I hope she's OK! I finally cut her hair. She was quite the wild-looking woman.

The top two pictures are, of course, the 'before' pictures. Doesn't my mom look great in her new glasses?

I'm ready to get cozy with my book, the biography of Steve Jobs. I hope it gets me so relaxed that my new evil friend insomnia stays away tonight.

Happy 2012 my friends. I wish you health, and happiness. Wealth would be great too, but I know that health is the most important thing.