Having a Very Freaky Geeky Christmas

PEACE AND QUIET. I didn't even realize it made that much of a difference. But here I am at the library and, as no one wants to be out this week if they don't already have to be out because they probably are spending a good deal of their time out, it's... very quiet. I mean, even for a library. Whereas at home... I have small children. With lots of new stuff. It's chaos, really, and I couldn't figure out why I wasn't managing to write anything (in my journal or to post here, and certainly not anything USEFUL), but now that I'm here in the PEACE AND QUIET it all suddenly makes sense.

But don't get me wrong, it's been a very nice week. Christmas is, as you know, my Favorite Thing Ever, and it was particularly good this year because my overworked husband still managed to be around for most of it (as opposed to Thanksgiving, which he wasn't around for anything of, and I was depressed about it). On Christmas Eve this was thanks in part to a change in schedule that actually worked out for the better. We HAD been going to my parents' house in mid-afternoon for a family gift exchange, then early dinner, then Mass, then Big Ol' Annual House Party, only LAST year they went and changed the Mass time to 4:30 (without us knowing about it); but this time we knew in advance and could plan accordingly, and as it worked out J could DO his afternoon shift at the plant and THEN we could all leave and they could drop me off at the church RIGHT on time for this 4:30 Mass, and THEN we'd all go home (to my parents') and eat dinner and exchange gifts and THEN have the Big Ol' Party start-- SO IT WAS ALL PERFECT! Spent the evening playing Apples to Apples with my cousins and had a thoroughly good time.

Next morning was fun at home and later in the day was decent at the inlaws'; Monday was a nice break; J actually took vacation days yesterday and today-- yesterday was our anniversary, but we spent most of the afternoon at my aunt's, which was also nice, and the kids ran wild with other people their size. Good times all around. Tomorrow night we've got a get-together with my sister-in-law; night after that the kids are going to grandparents so we can have a PROPER anniversary date night; we will probably do Absolutely Nothing of Interest on New Years Eve, as has become our wont, but in general, nice week.

But now, I could continue being mature and demure and generally above such material things as Bragging About Presents I Got, BUT INSTEAD I'M GOING TO BRAG ABOUT PRESENTS I GOT. Because I got a few things that absolutely Rocked, and it's made me appreciate that sometimes it's GOOD to be excited about having things that aren't Completely Practical. I got (from magnolia___ a book of Pink Floyd piano music, and I got Queen's Greatest Hits (one of those collections you suddenly realize, "How is it I DON'T ALREADY OWN THIS?") from the inlaws, both of which filled that lately-entirely-too-neglected "rockin'" half of my soul (I suspect if I devote more of my time and energy to music, I may find a resurgence in enthusiasm for the rest of my life... now to just go about DOING that). AND THEN, my husband went and got me a thing that has been languishing on my Amazon wishlist which I NEVER expected anyone to get, but I left it on there stubbornly out of a sense of completeness: the special edition "Yearbook" set of Freaks and Geeks.

DUDES. It's so utterly GEEKED OUT I don't even know where to begin. I'll begin with the inside covers: see, the whole "box" is built like a high school yearbook, and the inside covers are filled with autographs to Sam and Lindsay from the other characters in the show, and it is SO completely authentic-looking and absolutely in-character-- each inscription tells a story-- IT'S WONDERFUL. Then the book is full of inside articles and pictures and snippets and things; and then of course you've got the DVDs of the show itself, which is one of my favorite TV shows of all time, because of course I tend to love all the TV shows that get cancelled ridiculously prematurely (okay, this and Firefly. And The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles in high school).

The thing is ridiculously expensive. I kept it on my wishlist because, dangit, if such an item exists, I AM the intended audience. I didn't just love this show, I LOVED this show. And, for pete's sake, my son has the exact same name as one of the main characters, and although that wasn't OUTRIGHT intentional, it wasn't an accident, either! So it just seems right that I, of all people, SHOULD have the Very Special Edition. But we aren't exactly rolling in spare cash. Frankly, we're struggling to pay the bills each month, and we do scrimp. Luckily I get paid for the One Book activity manual in December, which becomes our instant Christmas Budget, so I never feel I have to be TOO stingy at Christmas. But still, my instinct is always there, to not spend money unless it's on something we Really Need, and if it's not something we Really Need it had better be a really awesome deal. And $75 bucks for a TV show set (and that's the DISCOUNT price)? Even a really special edition? Just a stupid amount of money. I'd never have considered buying it for myself.

But when I held it in my hands Christmas morning, beholding all its Awesomeness, suddenly none of that mattered, even though obviously my husband had spent the same money from the same account that I never would have considered spending. Because this was Awesome. And it was MINE. I OWN THIS COMPLETE SET OF AWESOMENESS. It's like a STATUS symbol or something. I am SUCH a FAN that I HAVE THIS SET OF ULTIMATE COOLNESS! YOU don't, because I'm just THAT MUCH MORE OF A FAN THAN YOU! NYAH NYAH!

So I've come to understand the joy of the occasional splurge purchase. That sometimes having something totally impractical is Just Worth It.