If it's not hot it's not Christmas

As a friend recently told me, if its not hot its not Christmas, so I am confused down here in the tip of Texas... it is cold outside and there are carolers walking down the street singing, it feels like winter down here. As for the carolers... I am hiding behind the curtain typing so that I don't have to sit there with a smile on my face where I become the audience of one watching them sing. Does that seem Bah hum buggy?

I substitute taught today and watched Pleasantville 3 times in a row. Although I like the movie I never realized how painful watching movies is for a teacher... having to watch the same presentation over and over again. I did look through some art books, read some magazines, read the first 20 pages of Siddhartha and read another part of the Life of Pi, which has me questioning if animals hate living in Zoos or not. In my spare time I thought about the weather in Austin and that work was probably cancelled. I thought about my old house in Austin and how many plants are probably dead now after the recent cold snap up in Central and North Texas. How the house was yellow, and that I used to think to myself... Blind Melon sang about a yellow house, Van Gogh rented a yellow house in the south of France and painted it many times over. I felt in good company at the time but now I live in a beige house with a newly painted aqua door. I thought my new house needed some zip. I thought about Mana and wondered how she was doing. I have been working 12 days straight and I work again tomorrow. I have been subbing, working at a gift shop, decorating for events, taking photos of children for the holidays and trying to get my own house together. I have been calling friends, buying gifts, and otherwise staying very busy, yesterday was a 12 1/2 hour day. My sister and I have been working on a party that was held last night at the McAllen Country Club so we were decorating all day. The attorney that was hosting the party want a very swank party with the feeling of a chic bar that reminded him of a big city and I think we pulled it off (pictures coming soon). My sister had the vision and we were able to give him the feel he wanted. There was even a VIP tent where everything was in red including the drinks. We had 2 kinds of cigars with long matches, large glass ashtrays and pillows that read Naughty on one side and Nice on the other. So... I made it home at about 10 o'clock at night... my house was freezing. I cozied up in bed turned on Jon Steward to lull me to sleep, and then my sister called... at 11 PM... Hello insomnia, how you been, it has been so long since I saw you last.

I have been having fun with my iPod, loading up tons of music and buying others that I don't have. Came across a blast from the past, Mazzy Star. Reminded me of when I first arrived in San Marcos, 1994. It is Jodi's 30th birthday this weekend and I will not be able to attend. It is also my father and brother-in-laws company holiday party. I have been invited to 5 holidays parties that I can count this far one tomorrow, one Sunday, 2 next Thursday, one next Friday and one on the 22nd. I have also been invited to a party in Austin next Saturday. I never knew how busy a small town could keep me, maybe more busy than Austin. Goodbye anonymity...

So on that note... Happy Birthday Jodi...