Christmas and Rigmas

As many Christmas's as Neal and I have spent apart because he's been at work on the rig....well, it never gets any easier. I'm glad that we at least got to have Christmas with his family last weekend. They also surprised us with an impromptu housewarming party at his parents' house. Marilyn apparently spread the word that anything that was red and/or fleur-de-lis-ish would work in our house. It was really sweet and we got some pretty cool stuff. I'll have to take pics of some of it once I think the house is ready to be showcased. We did, however, get a clock that has a picture of Jesus on it along with a saying from the Bible. Now, ya'll know that I go to church and stuff, but uh...I don't exactly decorate our house with religious items besides a few crosses here and there. So I'm not sure what to do with the clock. The Catholic in me won't let me give it away so I guess we'll just have to hang onto it. I felt a little awkward opening it at the party with a beer in my hand.

Neal is actually talking about possibly going into 'directional drilling.' If he decides to do it, he will probably be gone for the first 90 days for training with a weekend off here and there. After that, the schedule will be 14 and 14 or 14 and 10 or something like that. I told him that if he is really serious about it, he needs to bust a move now before pregnancy and kids and all that. The one upside to that type of job is that it would set us up financially. Like, I wouldn't have to work if I didn't want to. (I mean, I don't see myself quitting or anything because I love my job and I've worked hard to get where I'm at, but it would be nice to know that it's a option.) None of this is a definite, it's just something that we're talking about.

So I'll be at my Dad's Christmas Eve and then am going to Houma for Christmas Day. Then back to work Monday and Tuesday and then off from Wednesday through Sunday. Yeeeaaaahhhhhyaaaahhhhh!

Love Actually

It feels like Christmas now because we've put up the tree and have watched Love Actually. And it's cold as balls outside, so there's that too. There has been ice on my windshield in the AM for 4 out of the last 5 days. I really need one of those remote-start vehicles that I can turn on from inside the house and let warm up before I get in it. The little Jeep Jeep just is not that technologically advanced.

I've done half of my Christmas shopping online already and will do the next half the old fashioned way this weekend. Hopefully I get up early enough Saturday morning so I can go to Target, etc at the crack o' dawn and get everything I need. I'm thinking that if I get there early enough I won't have to deal with all the Northshore yats, their over-sized SUV's that they can't drive, and their inability to acknowledge anyone else's personal space.

We have to go to Baskin next Friday for Christmas with Neal's family. It will be a quick trip; I'm going to leave work early Friday so we can be there by 5 Friday night and then we'll come back home Saturday morning. But since I'm leaving work early Friday, I have to miss the official work Christmas party Friday afternoon. I'm not too broken up about it though; they've got booze and all, but the food sucks and a big group of the public works guys lurk in a corner by the bar and blatantly stare at every female in the room. So if you want a beer, be prepared to be visually assaulted by a bunch of greasy guys in wrangler jeans and work boots on your way to and from the bar.

Neal will be at work for Christmas, but he's off for New Year's. I am taking off the Wednesday before NYE, and my office is closed Thursday and Friday that week. This means that we will have 5 whole days off together without work or anything. I honestly can't remember the last time that happened. Last January, maybe? I mean, 5 whole days? I don't care if we just sit at home and stare at each other....so excited!