Today is Pat Dewenter's birthday!!!

This more than midly exciting winter retreat began with waking up at 6:30. You'd think nothing good would come of that. But it all went uphill when Chris, Pat Hague, Pat D., Lee and I hooked up at Chris and Lee's. Piling into Lee's classic, we shot coffee and ate lemon crisps at Cafe a go-go.

Monopoly consumed our minds. I was the first out. Lee and Pat D. wiped me out, and Pat Hague and Chris fell not long after.

What do you know? We ate at CHINA COTTAGE! Pat D.'s Mom and Dad paid for our meals and we celebrated Pat D.'s birthday. Sixteen - when is he getting his temps??? All the guys wrapped up some gifts for me. The cards said they were passionately in love with me, it was hilarious. They gave me two boxes of fortune cookies and stole one of my dino books and wrapped it up :-). General Tao's chicken and egg drop soup erased the shakes, as I hadn't eaten except for a bowl of Honeycomb during the Monopoly franchise.

The night wasn't over yet! Pat Hague went over to Ashlie's, and Lee went to the slavehouse at the Towne Mall, but Chris, Pat D., Ams and I ate whisky meatballs and homemade applesauce while watching Payback with Mel Gibson. I haven't seen one bad Mel Gibson movie. He's phenomenal. All my friends agree.

We hung out at my place. Mom pulled up into the driveway and she popped out with a brand-new puppy wearing a Santa Clause hat. A cocker spaniel, Mom bought it for Grandma as an early Christmas gift. Grandpa is infuriated :-). He'll get over it.

My early Christmas gift - a CD player for my '93 Jeep Cherokee. Quacktastic.