receding urgency, redux.

It's always a little depressing to me how quickly the holidays end, for something so grand you would think there would be a little more of an emotional hangover, but alas it doesn't seem so, only a rush to look ahead to the next thing.

If you don't know what that is for you, stores are already jumping to help remind you with promotions for the corporate holiday of all corporate holidays, valentine's day. Just fyi.

I've been a little absent from the blogging scene for the past few weeks. Once I hit the pineywoods of east texas, napping on the couch became an activity I looked forward to more than writing about the happenings of christmastime in tyler, texas. Yes, the chronic laziness set in, my rush mode evaporated, and all was well with the world.

Christmas was wonderful and I enjoyed the time with my family. We always do what I call, "big family Christmas" all day Christmas Eve at my Grandparents' house, and then just the four of us usually on Christmas Day. My dad came to wake me up at 7 on Christmas Eve morning and told me to hurry and get up because a main water line had burst at my Grandparents' house and now the 32 people would be coming to our house in mere hours. I helped my parents tidy up and start prepping. Two of my cousins have 3 kids combined under the age of 4 and they are all adorable, one I got to see for the first time, I really love spending time with kids, they're so refreshing. Around 8:30ish people started to either leave or follow us out to our property in the country to shoot off fireworks, which some of my boy cousins and my sister along with my uncles and dad did with vigor while the rest of the females watched and reprimanded. Christmas day was good as well, very relaxing with the 4 of us, my Grandparents from the day before, and one aunt and cousin who were still staying with them. I love my big loud family.

I also went to the Alamo Bowl with a few friends and overall it was a fun trip, the game a little disappointing but, eh, I'd say we're all used to it by now. However I did have the best hot sauce I've ever had at a restaurant on the Riverwalk, Courtney, you and Josh need to go to Rio Rio, our food was good, but the hot sauce was amazing! I wished I could have bought jars of it.

I'll blog more later about some other things, including a book I read over the break that was insightful and generally misdirected but a worthy read.