12.25.98

    The gravy was a little burnt. The mashed potatoes were kind of lumpy. The honey-glazed ham was warmed in the microwave. The corn came out of the freezer and the breadsticks popped out of Pillsbury. The wine was from a friend and the candles were little puddles on coffee saucers. It was wonderful. Our first Christmas together.

    We got up this morning at 8 a.m. and hurried out to the tree. Okay, we made coffee first and discussed how we wanted to dig into the gifts but the spirit was childlike. In fact, we discovered this morning that we both woke up around 11:30 at night (we went to bed at an oddly early hour last night), both used the restroom and both thought it was morning and time to open gifts. I can't even imagine what would cause us to do this.

    The other night we had similar dreams involving celebrities, fast food and chase scenes. Perhaps I read too much into these things but having three themes in common in which we both remember and discuss our dreams in the morning is sort of singular. Commence mind meld now.

    I got some awesome gifts for Christmas. From T.'s parents I got some clothes and a nice briefcase/tote that will be handy for job interviews and whatnot. From his sister I got this awesome little book titled "Hustlers, Beats, and Others: expanded edition of the classic study of deviance." It has the dark photo of a pool player on the front. Original copyright is from 1967 — I can't wait to see what sort of ideas it holds. I'm really starting to get a kick out of these reprints that seem so popular right now. I wonder if significant turning points in our culture can be defined partially with a renewed interest in the past.

    My parents gave T. and I a Cephalon 2 quart sauce pan from our wedding gift registry. This was actually a very cool gift. Our cookware is somewhat lacking. They also gave us cash and matching (?) Lands End plaid shirts. Actually, they're kind of special because it is the plaid from my mom's side of the family who has Scottish roots. My mom has a beautiful, floor-length skirt and scarf made out of the family tartan that she got when we visited Scotland. So that's nifty and they're really comfy. I also got Flash 3.0 from mum and dad and a Kenny South Park doll from my little brother. My older brother sent me a CD which he says "is popular in Texas" of the Ugly Americans. It's surprisingly good. A strange mix of country, cajun and surf (or so I say).

    From T. I got the best stuff. He gave me some of the softest, polar-bear print pajamas. I'd be wearing them still if I didn't go out for a walk today. He got me two books: "Women of the Beat Generation" which looks awesome after the first few pages and "The Art of Maurice Sendak," a 300 page, hardbacked, coffee-table book with tons of his drawings along with a biography. It's just beautiful. Plus, he got me the 30 Greatest Hits of Aretha Franklin, a two-CD set. But, no, it doesn't end there. He also got me a gorgeous silk blouse and skirt with a cute little cardigan sweater. But the crème de la crème has to be the 4x5 Wacom pen tablet. I'm stunned. The pen tablet is quite a sexy piece of hardware and I can't wait to set to work in Flash using it.

    I got T. a navy blue hooded sweatshirt and a long-sleeve v-neck that looks just too cute on him. I also got some super-spiffy golf balls (supposed to go farther faster or some such witchery) and a new golf glove for him as his was looking worn. He also received a Speedo gift certificate and a Fossil watch. He seems pleased with his gifts.

    All in all it has been a wonderful and relaxing Christmas day.