Christmas already?

My dear mother came to visit this weekend. She came in on Friday night and caught up on her TV shows while I went and played with my friends. I know this sounds terrible. My mother comes to visit and I take off??? Well, for one, she insists on watching JAG, which...David James Elliot is pretty and the writing is OK, but I'm just not interested. She also likes watching my Thursday night tape (CSI, Without a Trace) that I've most likely already seen. And also? She comes once a month, so it's not like I haven't seen her in a year. That, and she TELLS me to go! I swear. So anyway, I went. And we met up with our friend Shaneice whom I haven't seen in about 8 years and Jessica hadn't seen in about 10! So needless to say, we had some catching up to do. She's doing great with a wonderful husband, but they're moving to Washington DC in December so we had to catch up ASAP. I'm so glad we got to get together with her. She's a wonderful person and completely deserves her good fortune.

Then on Saturday, my mom helped me clean up the apartment (she's so good to me) and then took me to lunch/dinner (it's fun to eat at four thiiiiirty PM!), which was amazing. I don't know if Salt Grass Steak House is just a Texas thing, but if you see one and think maybe you should try it? Oh man. It's divine. I didn't have to eat again until this afternoon. That's 24 hours without solid food. I ate that much. And it was that good.

Sidetrack: I'm watching the Dallas reunion special. That song is so stuck in my head for the next week.

So after we ate, we went shopping. We walk in....giant Christmas tree. We turn right...a Christmas kiosk selling ornaments. We go straight ahead....Bath and Body Works has little red and green "Christmas trees" of gift boxes set up. Christmas threw up in my mall and it's not even Thanksgiving. I didn't know that the passing of Halloween marked the beginning of the Christmas season. I guess one month of commercialization just isn't enough. Christmas used to be fun. It actually used to be my favorite time of year. All the cinnamon, all the sparkly stuff, all the twinkly lights, all the pretty songs. Now I dread it. It conjures up memories of frustration and exhaustion. All the wondering if I got the right people the right gifts. All the driving. All the pressure to be everywhere at once. Of course, it's not me they want to see. It's the precious child they want to see, which I can completley understand! She wants to see them, too! I just wish there was a way that didn't require me driving from Dallas to Wichita Falls to Oklahoma City and back to Fort Worth in about 3 days. Even driving from here straight to OKC and back is 5 hours of driving (usually done during a 24-36 hour period). Is that really the way my baby should spend her holidays? In the CAR? I really don't know how to make this situation better. I can't just NOT go. I guess I just wish they'd let me decide where we go and when. Stop all the pressure. Not only do I have to negotiate with my family, I have to negotiate and plan with the co-parent. That's tough to do with someone who can't seem to plan more than a week in advance. I mean, I'm a planner. If it were up to me, Christmas 2004 would've been nailed down December 26th, 2003 and at the very latest, September. I just hate it because I can't say anything. I can only bitch and whine on my blog. Lucky you! I'm sure once we get everything planned out and negotiated, everything will be happy and fun and we'll have a good time. I really wish I could enjoy the holidays more. Dreading Christmas isn't exactly the path I want to take. I prefer the March-October holidays, I guess. Here's to St. Patty's Day! (And oh yes, just wait till Valentine's Day! Just watch for the claws to come out!)

Back to the Dallas reunion: they* recently did a study of how people outside of Texas viewed Dallas, as in the city itself. They found that most people still perceive it as the same as was depicted in the TV series. So....everyone thinks we all wear cowboy hats and boots and live on ranches and drive into downtown every day to do some shady oil business? I guess it's a step up from "they make you leave your car at the border and you have to ride a horse the whole time." Yes, I told that to someone once and yes, they believed me.

Man, there sure was a lot of shootin' in this show.

So anyway, Saturday I went out again and....was that a guilty look I saw? I have my suspicions on who this Mr. Anonymous could be. Jessica made a good point in that maybe he was speaking metaphorically when he said "I see you over there..." But then again, he did say "coming" and not "going." I know, I know: don't overanalyze! But if I want to solve the MYSTERY, I must. Don't you people watch CSI? But this mystery doesn't have fingerprints. Only words. But don't worry, Mr. Anonymous. If I figure out who you are, I won't be mad. But I still need some more observation of the suspects before I reveal who I think you might be.

*"they" meaning the Dallas Convention and Tourist Bureau. I can't find the exact article that I read, so you'll just have to trust me.