So as promised, 2018 has started off better. I went to Ohio in December to get a car, and came home just in time to make it to the Corner of Wrongness Christmas party, which is held on NYD every year because we are -sadly- grown-ass adults with busy lives and that works best with most of us traveling for the holidays. These are the same group of NaNo friends that I’ve had for ten years in some cases.
CJ got himself invited when I was gone (he probably was anyway, but I’ve got a nasty habit of not assuming anyone’s invited anywhere ever because reasons), and showed up under the intent of taking photographs of the event. I made dessert in a hurry when I got there, which was vanilla mousse, and used mini candy canes on the top. The dishes I used were actually from the hospital stay* – LOL! And everybody loved it because reasons. Also, look at the pic. How freakin cute is that?? My original plan had just been crushed up candy cane bits, but then I saw the minis and they were absolutely perfect. In many ways. But more on that in a sec.
We drew names this year because some of the group felt bad they couldn’t afford amazing presents for everyone, which I understand. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get the fun of going around and trying to get something for everyone on my budget**, but I understood too. We set a price range, but I don’t think anyone stuck to it, or like me everyone managed to get such good sales that it just looks that way. I got a friend a T-shirt and a Hardback and I was under our $25 limit, but the stuff should have been almost $50 otherwise.
The best part has a little bit of a back story to it. I had found a book at the library that was a choose your own adventure retelling of Romeo and Juliet, and of course I checked it out from the library and promptly took it to writer’s group where we passed it around. I checked Amazon so I could put it on my wish list and then found out there’s also a Hamlet one.
So fast forward to Christmas-At-New-Year, where we decided we’d go youngest to oldest to open presents, which puts me near the end of the list and is kinda fun because I get all the fun of watching people open presents, but I still have the anticipation of what mine is until almost last.
So just before me is Steph, younger by about three months, and she opened Choose Your Own Hamlet. Then I opened my present – From Steph! – and got Choose Your Own Romeo & Juliet! We laughed about that for a while!
Afterwards, I had a game to play, so we cleaned up the wrapping paper and were about to start it when CJ said he had something for me and to hang on a sec. I had to close my eyes because he was “too lazy to wrap it”. Ahem.
I said, “Yes, Stupidhead.” Hand in question is his. Oddly enough, we have the same ring size…
So I stood there with my eyes closed, and he started in on how last year sucked and “I think that we should put last year behind us and start this year off the right way. I couldn’t think of a better way to do it than this…” I opened my eyes and there he is on one knee and my friends – who were pretty much all there when we met, who were the same group that actually stood up and applauded when he was able to walk in to Panera again after everything – were there cheering us on, so it was really sweet. I don’t like proposals in front of a crowd just for crowd sake. But it was really nice to have the people there that were there when we met. (Two of them are going to be in the wedding, so you know…)
I did the hand over my mouth crying thing, I kissed him, I put the ring on, I kissed him, I kissed him, I kissed him, and then he said… “You haven’t answered me yet…”
Oh, honey, in girl-speak I did. Like eight times. So I said “Yes, stupidhead.”
Because, really, what else do you say to that?? Like I put the friggin ring on!!
Anyway, here’s to a better 2018. More stuff coming up, but this is where I have to end it for now. I still have a few updates to come and I’m a little behind on LetterMo, but I’ll get them up as soon as I can.
*So, every meal in the hospital, they’d waste one of these black plastic dishes to bring us two packs of pepper and if we were lucky, salt. I saved about 30 of them. I wish I had kept more. They’re fabulous for individual desserts.
**On my budget, past years have had $1 or $5 limits. It’s amazing how happy you can make a friend with a token gift that means something just to them. Steph loves bread. One year she got a bread scented candle. Liz got nail polish in the right shade of purple. Small bags of coffee are fabulous for the coffeeholic in your life. Dollar tree is always a good choice if you’re careful and know what you’re doing. It’s great to get some big item that you have on your wish list, but I’m of the opinion that it’s just as great to get something small that shows you’ve been paying attention to what your friend likes and doesn’t like, too.
Mandi M. Lynch 