So Thursday I flew five hours and then I jumped in a car and drove five hours. It was a long day but the drive was actually really nice. It’s a pretty drive up the Northern California coast, but you can’t be in a hurry because the roads are narrow and windy. I didn’t like it so much when we used to get up at 4 a.m. on a Sunday morning so we could get to Infineon Raceway for a bracket race and then turn around and drive home after a long day of racing. This time I could relax and enjoy the trip. I’m really glad to be home.

I’ve been shopping like mad everyday, but I think I’m finally done with all my present buying. I did the annual multi-day shopping trip with my Dad, and my younger siblings, Kim, Jessica, Austin, and Kevin. We were smart and started each of our marathon shopping days off with lunch so I think full bellies helped ease the arguing and chaos that usually ensues. These trips have become a tradition for us and I always look forward to it. We all pile in my Dad’s pick-up and go to every store in town. The six of us seem to make a really grand entrance every time we go in a store. Kim knocked over a whole display when we walked into a nice Irish sweater store. I about broke the glass door of a little boutique that we walked into when I swung the door open. My Dad was very patient through all this but at the end of the last day, he just couldn’t take it anymore. He patiently and willingly waited in the pick-up and listened to football while we frantically ran through the mall for the last of the last-minute items. We snuck a picture with Santa for our Dad.

Besides the shopping with my family, another holiday ritual for me is meeting up with my kindergarten teacher. I think I talked about having lunch with her last year when I came home. Mrs. McHenry is my all time favorite teacher. I actually had her for Kindergarten and first grade. I went to a really small school in Carlotta, Calif. There were only about 70 students Kindergarten through eighth grades. I’m thankful that Mrs. McHenry got my education off to a good start. We talked and reminisced over chips and salsa with some other friends at a good Mexican restaurant in Fortuna.

Last night I went to sushi with my Mom, her friend Ron, and my sister, Kim. We went to Tomo in Arcata. We always used to go there for birthdays, graduations etc. I made them take a picture with me. I don’t think my Mom has been in many blog photos.

I realized a lot of my blog pictures lately have shown me eating out and that doesn’t even show the half of it. As always this time of year, I tend to do a lot of eating out and indulging in good food and beverage. I also tend to find that my pants are too snug for comfort by Christmas time. However, this year I’ve been really good about staying disciplined and exercising. Throughout the whole year I’ve been good about finding a place to work out no matter where I am in the country. I found some good kickboxing classes in places like Charlotte, Denver, and Phoenix. I have also gone running in some random neighborhoods. I hit the gym the day after I got here. My Mom and I used to do step aerobics when I was in high school so for old time sake we went back. It was kind of fun, but stepping up and down and spinning around is kind of dizzying. We prefer going for walks outside rain or shine. She has some cool trails near her house. We trudge through the muddy forest, up and down some really steep terrain, and over creek beds. I guess I’m better at keeping my balance in mud than ice.



Well I better get going so I can get my Christmas Eve jog in. It may be a short one because I have a lot of wrapping to do. If I don’t go now I won’t go at all. I hope you all have a very merry Christmas. I’ll let you know how mine went on Thursday.