Not a bad Christmas, all in all, despite the cold that Santa brought for me.

We had a party Christmas Eve - mostly a closing night/cast party for the show. There were 14 people, including me and T. We made a big Cuban feast - roasted chicken, black beans, rice, cornbread, salad - and ate and drank and exchanged some silly gifts and played Trivial Pursuits. It was loads of fun and a really lovely way to spend Christmas Eve - good friends, good food, lots of laughter. Of course, I was sniffling and sneezing and blowing my nose like a maniac, but had fun all the same.

Kelly and Es brought me this bootleg video tape that I watched with them once years ago, and it is truly one of the funniest things I've ever seen. This guy was making his own commercial for his RV dealership and I guess when they went to edit, there were so many outragious out-takes that they made a tape of them. The poor guy is just freaking out left and right and swearing and can't remember anything he's supposed to say, even though he wrote it, and it's sooooo funny. We watched it twice during the evening and all laughed ourselves sick.

I got my main Christmas present early since there was no way T could hide it from me. It's a drum kit, now sitting happily in my basement. I've been taking drum lessons, but had nothing to practice on. Now I do. I'm very excited. I dragged everyone downstairs at one point or another during the party to admire it. We just have to muffle it a little so the neighbors won't kill us, and then I can bang away to my heart's content.

Christmas Day was a little harder, as I felt worse and was tired from too much cheer the night before. At one point, I even considered not going to my folks place. Imagine, me considering giving up Christmas dinner and presents in favour of staying home and sleeping. But I took some cold pills and dragged my ass out the door, along with the mashed potatos and sweet potatos that were our contribution to the feast.

It was pretty low-key at my dad's, which was good. 12 people, including the new nephew who was once again the centre of attention and received most of the presents, although, as my sister says, all he cares about right now is boob and a clean diaper. I didn't get to hold him all night, as I didn't want to pass on my germs but I gave him the little hat I knitted the other day and it looked really cute on him.

Lots of other cool gifts - DVDs (we got the "Taken" series, both seasons of the Michael Moore show "The Awful Truth", plus a couple of other movies, inculding one of my favorites of all time, The Stunt Man), a great book of knitting patterns, a gift certificate to the yarn store, new purfume.

Today I've been lounging in my pjs, trying to finish the baby blanket I've been knitting. It's huge and seems to be taking forever. Tonight we're doing mexican food at my sister's place.

My birthday is on Sunday, and tomorrow I'm off to get a new birthday tatoo. Haven't quite decided what it will be yet. Maybe the sign for Capricorn. I hope this cold abates enough for me to enjoy the birthday party Sunday night.

Off to lie down again now.