Monday, December 29, 2008

The Holidays - A Break?

The Holidays are so damn busy. I went to visit the family in my hometown for six days and I feel like I was there for only three. Too bad it doesn't go by that quickly when I'm at work.

I flew out on Tuesday and was lucky enough to be on the only flight that wasn't canceled that day. My luggage wasn't as lucky but it only took an extra day to get it. Oh well. On Christmas eve my Mother's side of the family meets at my Grandmother's house where we eat a meal of Mexican food and take a twenty minute break to open gifts. I somehow got out of the clean up crew this year because I was busy upstairs wrapping the gifts for my parents. It isn't that difficult because there are only ten of us so I don't feel bad. I think we were out of there by eight.

Christmas morning is the best. It's just me, my parents, and my brother. Mom didn't feel like pulling the fake tree out of the attic this year which is fine with us. After we moved away she bought a very modern fake tree and she leaves all the decorations on, throws a big bag over it, and stores it that way. We don't really care if there is a tree or not as long as we have champagne. We drink mimosas and eat quiche while opening gifts and this year Cold Case Files was on TV. That gives the room ambiance while we thank each other for whatever we got.

I got some really fantastic gifts. One of which was a photo shoot with Teresa at Wiz of Oz Photography. I never got out of the dress up stage of life so this was the most fun I could imagine having. I told Teresa I was up for whatever since I didn't have any intention of using the photos for something specific. She put me in this black dress she found at Goodwill and the next thing I know I have a new header for my blog! I have seen about four of the photos so far and will get the rest in a couple months. Here is one of my favorites.


Later Christmas day we usually celebrate with my Dad's side of the family but all my cousins got married and started having babies so it is harder to get together. We went to visit my grandparents and saw a few relatives. My aunt's cooky boyfriend never even came into the house to say hello to anyone. He hid outside. We were not offended or anything but it was pretty funny. Christmas night we always spent tearing down all the decorations during my childhood. Since there weren't any this year we just cooked a huge meal. That was a pleasant change. While the rest of my family tried to digest and started passing out, I went out with an old friend for a drink. This was the only time I bothered to do that this year. The longer I'm gone the more I lose touch.

Friday night we went to a dueling piano bar. It was fun but the guys playing sort of sucked. Saturday my grandmother helped me put black streaks in my hair. She is a good sport. That evening we had dinner with her and her boyfriend.

My flight to Chicago was canceled due to Mechanical problems and they told me I couldn't get on another one until Tuesday. That isn't okay. I had to wake my brother up (he only had three hours of sleep) and ask him to drive me to Chicago right away. He lives in Chicago so this isn't that big of a deal. He just wasn't planning to leave for another five or six hours. Luckily I made a flight out of Chicago and was able to get home sweet home last night.

That brings us to date. Next I will tell you about my new nephew.

30 comments:

Gary's third pottery blog said...

well then!!!!
My wife says: "the camera loves you Knight!"

Reb said...

Love the new blog header! Can't wait to see the rest of the photos.

It sounds as though you had a great Christmas.

jaycoles@gmail.com said...

Wow, Now I have one more Blog to read. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I have subscribed to your blog. I love it. And I wish I lived in NY so I could come see you in person. More Videos please

GMEyster said...

Great header - love the hair and the "upside-down" view!

Sounds like you had a nice time with your fam. Glad you made it back safe and sound ;o)

Jay said...

Glad you had a good time with the family. It's always nice to get to spend time with the family and get back in touch with everyone.

My mother used to do the same thing with her artificial tree. Just set it, ornaments and all, in a closet and put something over it. And then she would pull it out on Thanksgiving night and be done with decorating. LOL

LOVE! The new banner! Very beautiful!

Anonymous said...

I like the Wiz's work while the Wiz works if the work of the Wiz works. ...


They're good pictures. Must have been some funky airplane mojo going on in the mid-west because I hear lots of people couldn't leave.

Knot

fiwa said...

Sounds like you had a great holiday - food and champagne, can't beat that.

What a great present they gave you! I love the new blog header picture, but the one of you surrounded by smoke is the coolest thing I have ever seen. You're going to make that your profile pic, right? Can't wait to see the rest of them - looks like that was a lot of fun.

Dana said...

What??? You were in Chicago and didn't call me?? KNIGHT!!!

Damn! But glad you had a great holiday without me *sobs*

Anonymous said...

Dood.

Fantastic header but umm... the other picture?

Serious stink eye.

Nice ;)

tt said...

My nephew couldn't get out of Chicago on Saturday night....had to layover..sux...but he finally made it back to NY too. :)
Great pics...i agree with everyone...the camera loves you babe!
Have a great New Years!!

Karen said...

Wow! That is some photo. Hot stuff!

Tall Lanky Jew said...

Um...wow!! This pic is sexy as hell!!
Ps-Kids... Smoking has been proven to cause cancer!

Tink said...

As if it were hard work to make you look hot. Pfft. But the photos are gorgeous regardless. I can't wait to see more!

furiousBall said...

jeebus, new header pic rocks.

Anonymous said...

The camera most definitely loves you!

Ken said...

That's some flashy header you got there. I love the smokey picture too. Looks like you should be in front of a camera more often.
What a great present and it sounds like you had a great time with family.
The cooky boyfriend, did he just lurk around the house looking in windows or what? Funny!

Michael Knight Rambo said...

Hey... what happened to the buildings?
Yeah, no. I like the new header better.
Happy New Year.

Knight said...

Thanks Potter's Wife!

Reb- It turned out well. Too much eating maybe.

Jay- Thank for coming over. I subscribed to yours as well.

GMEyster- Thanks. It isn't actually all that comfortable to lay in that position but it worked. Did you see the nephew for the Holidays?

Jay- If I had any place to put a fake tree I would do the same thing. Taking hours to decorate something that is only up a couple weeks just isn't my style.

Knot- The Wiz does good work. I don't know what in the hell was up with the planes. The airlines just suck.

Fiwa- It really was a lot of fun. The best part is seeing the pictures so I can't wait to see what else is on the film.

Knight said...

Dana- I thought of you as we were driving to the airport. If I had any warning that I would be driving through Chicago I would have tried to contact you for sure.

Mike- That evil eye is for you my dear. It is intended to give one the feeling of Behave or I will rip off your sack. Did it work?

TT- Hmm, I wonder if we happened upon the same flight. I'm glad he made it back okay.

Karen- Ha, Thanks. I'm starting to wonder if maybe that vanity line I crossed was a bit too much. Oh well. What is the point of taking pictures if you can't share them with your blog friends?

TLJ- Thank you for the disclaimer darling. That one lit cigarette made my hair smoky for the rest of the day.

Knight said...

Tink- Thanks. Speaking of looking hot being easy, I'm still waiting on more of your photos.

Furiousball- Why thank you. Don't do anything dirty with it!

Kcinnova- Thanky you but I don't know about that. I have a feeling she just sent over the best pics of the bunch. I won't be posting any of the two hours worth of photos where I most likely look ridiculous.

Micky-T- Ah yes, that aunt's boyfriend! We were all in the tiny little house opening gifts and chatting for a couple hours. We sit in the living room in front of the big window facing the front yard so we could see him the whole time. When he arrived he never came inside. He shoveled the drive (which was nice) but when he ran out of stuff to shovel he just sat out in the cold and then hid on the side of the house until my aunt gave in and said goodbye. So strange.

MKR- I figured the buildings were old. I have had them up for probably over a year now. Time to change things up. Plus, it's kind of amusing to open a page to a chick with scary eyes looking broken on the floor, no?

Anonymous said...

the Blog header is HOT!!!!!!!!! I mean damn!!! lol lol!!

I am glad you had a great time with family during the Holidays!! Gramma has a boo(bf) go gramma!! lol lol

Cant wait to see your new hair.....
Did I tell you your header is HOT??? LOL!!!

See ya!
Happy New Year!

Ed & Jeanne said...

Yowzah! Very nice photo banner. Of course if that was a Twister game...you've lost...you're touching. And I'm thinking the black fingernails work better on you...

Michael Knight Rambo said...

Hey, quit beating yourself up- your eyes aren't that scary!
Thanks for the message. I wrote a story just for you.

Bethany said...

Love the pix and can't wait to see the rest. You really are photogenic and, what fun, a photo session without a purpose...I'm jealous. Glad you had a nice trip. We missed having you here and let me just say that it is now evident that you have a very calming effect (affect, I never know which one!) over my brother.

Anonymous said...

I won't let you anywhere NEAR my sack till you change your blog roll from spazoid's space to mind of spaz ;)

Schmoop said...

Love the new header...Love the picture...Love everything. I love being full of love!! Have fun tonight. Cheers Hot Stuff!!

Knight said...

Calm- Thanks Babe! Yeah, Grandma and her Boyfriend got a dog together last year. They were engaged briefly but then decided they had both been married enough already so they are just living together. Bow chicka bow wow.

VE- How did you know it was twister? It took so long to photo shop the game out!

MKR- I pride myself on being scary. I'll come by now.

Bethany- Thanks! It looks like you guys had a really nice holiday with everyone together. I have never been told I can be calming by anyone before but I think I know what you mean.

Mike- Yeah, I keep meaning to do that. You are so needy. Like a woman.

Matt-Man- Are you sure it's love that you are full of ;) ? Bring in the new year the proper way!

Anonymous said...

Knight: I hope that's not true. I would make one hell of an ugly woman, instead of just a slightly homely man ;)

Farmer*swife a/k/a Glass_Half_Full said...

I love you too! Um, I mean I love your "header" too! The new one. And, that old fashioned cigarette thingie!

How did she do that! I have an awesome camera -- I need to learn how to do that! And, the black dress came from Goodwill? Awesome!

I wanna' see more pictures too! We are addicted to you! Oooooh, since we are staying and and just cooking up a bunch of good New Year's finger eats? Maybe we can review your pictures from New Year's and pretend we were with you!

Well, not we, but me! Do you go downtown and do the crazy Dick Clark party??

Happy New Year's!!

(Oh, come to Texas in late July or Early August and I'll do a photo shoot for you in the cotton!!! And, then you can click off "meet a blogger." Though, Gary is a whole lot closer.)

GMEyster said...

No, I stayed local this year. Glad you had a great time!