Missing -- holiday spirit.

I just can't find my holiday spirit. If anyone has any extra, send it my way.

I'm going through the motions but can't get in the spirit. This is the most disorganized Christmas I can remember -- counting when the kids were small and I was working two jobs. Back then it was hard but at least I could make a schedule and get things done by plodding along doing one task at a time, but this year so much is out of my control. I can't do this until someone else does that, and it's driving me crazy! But....it's better than it was a month ago. Much better. The room's done. (I can't believe I'm saying that.) Last week, J looked at me and said, "Is it really finished?" We can now go out the side door to get to the car (like we normally did before the storm), but if we're not careful we find ourselves still going out the front door and walking through the front yard, then through the side yard, finally making our way to the car. There is a path worn in the grass and all the workmen used to laugh and say that it would be back to normal one day. They were right but it's taking a while for us to believe it.

I broke down this year and let J get an artificial Christmas tree. I never thought I'd do that but it just doesn't matter to me anymore. The kids are going to have a fit when they come home but.... We didn't get a prelit tree (because they were out of the one we wanted) so I asked J to decide on what color lights he wanted on the tree. I should have known better. He grabbed the purple and gold lights that I'd bought for football season. Here's the problem. The box said the lights were purple and gold, but in actuality they are more orange and lilac. Now, I ask you, what the hell color ornaments go with orange and lilac? To say this is the most unusual Christmas tree we've ever had is a bit of an understatement. Yep. The kids are going to have a fit when they get here.

J is officially laid off -- although he has been into work two days this week. It's a hell of a thing. He had an interview Monday and has another one Friday. If neither of those come through we'll be hitting the road again. It's a hell of a thing. I'm grateful that there's work; it's just not local. He was talking to a shop in Lake Charles, La yesterday and they wanted him (us) to go to St. Croix -- and leave this week. He told them he'd let them know by the end of the week but as far as I'm concerned, it's a no go. Not only is the cost of living ridiculously high but if a hurricane comes there is no where to evacuate to, you just have to deal with it. Yeah. I don't think I'll be moving out of the frying pan into the fire. At least now when storms are coming we can leave.

I can't wait until the kids get here. There is no way we are going to have everything entirely ready but we'll be close. There are dozens a few things that they can help finish up. That's their Christmas present to us -- it was their suggestion, so we'll be busy. So, maybe this wacky year will end with us having the new room complete, the patio ready to be enjoyed, and....J and I packing up the 5th wheel and hitting the road again. It's a hell of a thing.