Bob was off yesterday, so he bought the Christmas tree and put it up. We're going to decorate it tomorrow night and have our little traditional tree-trimming party (just him and me and some snacks--fondue, chips and dip, sandwiches, stuff like that). I went ahead and put the lights on it last night, because that's always the most time-consuming and difficult part, and I bought a new tree skirt tonight.

I have an old one that I made, but I've never really liked it, and every year when I put it out, it made me unhappy, so while I was out tonight, I got a new one. The cats have already been under it.

We went with a real tree this year, since Dinah has destroyed two artificial ones the past two years. Bob said he spefically bought a sturdy-looking one, knowing she'll climb it. She already has, apparently--when I went downstairs and got the lights, I ran across a piece of silver tinsel garland, and I brought it up and wound it around a few branches of the tree.

This morning it was pulled out of the middle of the tree, and several stars were in the hallway. I imagine that means that Dinah climbed it sometime in the night, but as far as I can tell, it's still holding up. Bob tied it to the wall with fishing line, of course.

I had dinner with Misty tonight, and Bob did some Christmas shopping. While we were eating, my phone rang, and when I answered it, Bob said, "Are you with Misty?" I said I was, and he said, "Can I talk to her, please?" I handed her the phone, and she excused herself and walked over to the other side of the restaurant to talk to him. I'm assuming there was some sort of Christmas gift advice being requested, but that's just a guess . . .

Misty has pneumonia. She went to the emergency room Sunday night when it hurt her so badly to breathe that she thought she had broken a rib. She's feeling better now, but pretty tired, I think. I feel like I'm getting a cold--I was sneezing all day and my eyes are itchy and watery. Actually, it feels more like allergies than a cold, because my colds generally start out with a sore throat. I took some vitamin C and echinacea when I got home, anyway, and an antihistamine. Hopefully it will be better in the morning.

This week has been pretty crazy, trying to catch up both at home and at work, and not succeeding terribly well either place. Oh, that's not really true--I'm in pretty good shape at work--it's the home stuff that's suffered. There's still a suitcase lying in the hallway that has yet to be unpacked, I've been doing laundry a load an evening all week, and I still have a few Christmas gifts to buy. I don't think I've been to bed much before midnight any night this week, but I'm pretty much resigned to that.

I should be able to finish up the shopping on Saturday, and clean the house before Barb comes on Sunday, then make the food (spinach dip and a salad) that I'm taking to Bob's parents' house on Monday night, and that reminds me, I need to call my mother and see what she wants me to bring on Christmas day . . .

And I'm peeling! I came home from vacation with two new swimsuits, a henna tattoo that's almost completely gone by now (except for the odd spot that makes me look like my hands are just really dirty), and an uncomfortable, although not debilitating, sunburn.

It's gotten to the point now where it's just mostly itchy, and I noticed when I looked in the mirror tonight that my skin is starting to flake off around my hairline and at the sides of my eyes. That should be lovely for Christmas.