Christmas Celebrations, Part I

We already celebrated our House Christmas, where I received from my roommates the first two seasons of "Arrested Development," the wittiest and funniest and cleverest television show that has ever existed. Last night Amanda and I joined Mom and Dad for a Christmas dinner at Lone Star Steakhouse, where I dined on delicious ribs. Mom got a holiday pina-colada which tasted amazing. We opened presents back at the house, and I got tons of books and stuff for my car, lots of goodies. Today we went to my dad's side of the family Christmas celebration in New Carlisle. It was good to see the family, to talk about theology, and to do so over coffee I made in the French press my grandma bought for me. She also bought me a book on Alaska's Inside Passage, probably the most beautiful and scenic place I've ever been, a place I want to revisit. I dream of becoming a famous author and having a summer house there where I can go in seclusion and hammer out novels. Now I'm back in Cincinnati, to relax for a night and to sleep well in my own bed (Ams says it's uncomfortable, but I love it), and tomorrow afternoon I am driving to Lexington to celebrate Christmas with Mom's side of the family. I got my grandma a copy of my latest novel, "Dwellers of the Night" (it's a trilogy, and she read the first book and loved it, and now she gets the whole trilogy in one hardback volume!). Once I return to Cincinnati tomorrow night, the festivities are over, except for a New Year's Party I'm throwing here at the house (and by party I mean two or three friends are coming down to hang out and watch the ball drop).