Shopping, dropping, rising again

Today was the shopping day with Mom. We do our Christmas with each other as a shopping trip. We usually have one thing we're looking for that we can never find, but we spend the day together and always have fun.

Mother loves to go out to breakfast, so we started our day at the K&S, a little country restaurant near my house, were you can usually get breakfast for two for under $10. Mom likes going there, and it is a neat little place. They also have a great flounder plate, if you like that. A generous portion (usually the fish is sticking off the plate), with fries, slaw, and hush puppies, for about $7. It's a great deal. After several cups of coffee, and me getting all melty watching the beauty of a redneck man have breakfast with his little girl, we were off. Mom wanted a jacket she had seen at Target, which we got, so I was able to give my gift idea for her Christmas to my sister. Mom can be a bit hard to buy for, but nothing like Dad.

I got a cool Old Navy shirt with a bear on it (yay), and a silicone basting brush I had been wanting, which we just happened to run across at Big Lots for nothing. We had lunch out at Jason's, which Mother just loves. Apparently there isn't one in Columbia, or she hasn't found it. I try to spoil her a bit, because she spends so much time doing for others, and doesn't get that much done for her usually.

After a run through the furniture place, we were home to rest up and get ready for Donnie's (aka D'relda D'remus) Christmas party.

D'relda's party has become one of the few harbingers of the holidays for me. It is always fun, and I always love seeing everyone. There are some people that I only see at the Christmas Party and the Hat Party (more on that later). There's always a dirty Santa gift exchange, which can be a bit heated at times. People bring some good stuff, and sometimes the gifts are a bit hotly contested. I brought a drunken Santa this year, a little electronic dancing gizmo that didn't go over nearly as well as I thought it would, but then I never know what's going to be hot. Last year it was a little electronic humping Chihuahua, and one year it was a picture. This year, it was a picture too, and there was a bit o drama.

Donnie's cousin, Marty, is not only a dear person, but a fairly gifted photographer. She framed and matted several of her pictures into a frame for the gift exchange. They were stolen twice (surely you have all played Dirty Santa), and were out of the game. Well one guest at the party (whom I shall not name), stole those pictures after they were out of the game, and was heading for his car with them. Donnie had to put me in charge of the gift game while he went out to get them back. Thankfully, it was resolved without a fuss.

I made a spectacular mistake at that party one year, but completely by mistake. I don't think I can tell that story now, but I was horribly embarrassed. I hope everyone has forgotten it. No one mentioned it anyway.

I have to say, after a day of shopping, I was pretty worn out, and really didn't feel like going to the party, but once we got there and I had a drink and started talking to people, Party Steve showed up, and I had a great time. It really was good to see everyone, and Mom had a good time too. There is always a good mix of gay and straight at the party, and she always enjoys it.

On the way home, it's always more fun to have someone to re-hash the party with. After a midnight snack, we hit the sack. Tomorrow is flea market day!! Yay!~

And it finally feels like Christmas