- Ticket to NYC in January bought
- Passport renewed
- ESTA granted (even though I'm flying just before it comes into effect, I thought it best to take no chances, and it's valid for two years anyway)
- Deciding whether to have my big birthday party next May in Vegas or NYC - it's looking more like NYC, as most of my friends are east of Chicago and I know how people are strapped for cash/time these days. So in January I'll be scoping out a birthday party venue.

- I've got my fingers crossed that the weather doesn't turn to shit at the end of this month and that I'll be able to visit my homie for NYE.
- I'm thinking about attending this camp in the summer. (I did it when I was in middle school and I still remember it fondly.)
- I'm also thinking about taking a week sometime in the summer and going to VA Beach to drink fruity cocktails and read shitty novels. I did that for a few days last year and it was awesome.
- I need to figure out what my homie and I are going to do for Memorial Day weekend this year. (Last year we went on the ridiculously epic trip to NYC and are thinking about a repeat. Or maybe Toronto.)

- No plans to leave the area for Christmas despite all family being elsewhere.
- BUT! Going to visit my grandma at the end of Jan to surprise her for her 90th birthday.
- AND Driving to Athens (GA, USA) for a long MLK weekend. Good friend there who lives on a farm, and I'll tell ya, fresh eggs rock.

1. I'm sitting in an Amtrak station *right now* waiting to board a train to Birmingham, AL. Going to see BitterOldPunk for the weekend!

2. No other travel plans for the holidays.

3. I'd like to take my partner to Washington DC next year, but it'll depend on finances.

1. Had to cancel Puerto Rico trip in January because baby wrangler fell through (grandma was going to come with, and look after kiddo while we were at a lavish wedding but now can't).

2. Starting to make plans to go to New Zealand in May or so

3. BP: oooh let us know if you make it to DC - we might come down for a little visit.

1. Well being unemployed, everyday is a vacation.

2. Driving to Western Mass at Xmas to see my family

3. Hopefully getting back in time to visit my college roommate who I haven't seen in about five years.

1. The Athenians heard I was coming and started rioting, so I cancelled that bit.

2. The Istanbulians don't seem to have caught on yet, so I'm heading out there on Tuesday unless they start too.

3. Flying from there to my parents' place in the North of England for Xmas.

1. Christmas in Calabash, check
2. Vegas for New Year's, check
3. Tickets for Brazil purchased, check.
My husband is going to Little Rock, and I DON'T HAVE TO GO WITH!!!!!!!!! Check

1. Trip to North Carolina is off to a good start. I'm enjoying suburbia, my brother's zoo, and the fact that my brother forgot to turn the heat on last night and I almost froze.

2. Need to pack and jump into the car to drive down to Charlotte to watch the Broncos CRUSH the Carolina Panthers. BOOYAH!

3. Can't wait to head to Tampa next Sunday. I need to take 4 weeks off more often.

1. New move-in date to new apartment is January 10. Hooray for having extra time to pack!

2. I will be spending all of my vacation time packing. Boo!

3. Cannot wait to get into new apartment. And buy new furniture... and unpack...

When will you be in NYC, ej? Perhaps I can schedule my trip there to see you.

1. I wanted to be far away from NY on New years eve, but it looks like this isn't going to happen. The work in the kitchen may still be underway (it's supposed to start Wednesday; I left the super a copy of the new plans, explained that no walls were being knocked down or plumbing added and made it clear that the management co. MAY NOT come in).So far, I haven't been invited anywhere.

2. I'm going to Chicago for AWP in February, staying on for a few days afterwards and then going up to Wisconsin. Still haven't firmed up the travel plans.

3. I don't know where I'll be on my birthday in May.

4. I'm very grateful that Specklet and TheDonF had me over for dinner on Thanksgiving.

Hmm.

1. I'm off work from December 25, returning Monday, January 5.

2. I have to visit my mother/stepfather/brother/grandfather, who all live in a city 10 hours' drive away.

3. It's really expensive and difficult to hire a cat-sitter for that period, particularly because one of my cats has asthma and needs his puffer at least once a day. Technically he needs it twice a day but usually is okay with once a day if I've been slack.

Thus, I will be renting a car and driving with the two dudes. Fortunately, they love driving. They just relax the whole time. The dude with asthma (Ninja) has driven this trip with me several times.

I plan to leave xmas day (or eve, if we are let off work early enough -- it's supposedly just another workday but usually I find employers kick out the staff after lunch-ish.) I always come back early, saying I want to be back for NYE, but I'm not even sure I'll go out NYE -- I mainly like being back and settled before going back to work, rather than driving 10 hours one day and going to work the next.

The problems:

1. I am ultra-concerned about money right now. Bill collectors are calling and I have nothing to offer them.

2. My credit card accounts are blocked right now, due to the aforementioned brokeness, and I must figure out a way to make a payment on one of them that's enough to get it un-blocked, so I can actually rent this car (plus have enough credit on it to cover the usual amount they reserve -- $300 or $500, I think.)

3. I probably should talk to my mother about this -- I would actually like to suggest that I postpone this trip and come closer to my birthday (February 17, mark your calendars!!) or even better, having THEM come visit ME for once, but I know how important my xmas visit is to her and I know she looks forward to it, PLUS I know how disappointed she will be in me that I am having money worries. I always feel SO TERRIBLE by her reaction when I express any money concerns. Overall, if I suggest postponing the xmas visit I will feel like a terrible person even for saying it.

So... insert giant SIGH here.

Sorry, that was a mega-bummer post in a fairly happy thread! Ugh.

loiseau: email me

Vacation? What is this thing you call vacation?

Well, actually, I have twelve days off (including weekends) to look forward to from Christas through New Year's (sometimes it's good to be a teacher), but we're not planning any big trips right now. Trying to save a bit, pay off the credit cards, too. Plus, Jon works retail, so it's impossible to get away this time of year. But we are going to see Chuck Berry at BB King's New Year's Eve, which will be way cool (you're welcome to come along, brujita, if you like -- I think there are still tickets available; we're at the later show).

OMG! Jan and Ardiril in NYC at the same time! How awesome would that be? (And, ej, if not Vegas in May, perhaps Atlantic City? It's a cheap bus ride or rental car ride away from NYC, and I've been meaning to check out the Taj Mahal, a rather spiffy looking, though surprisingly affordable, casino, complete with gorgeous pool and health spa, and right across from the peer/rides, too. Might make a rather nice birthday venue. Perhaps an early/additional Bunnystock? Just a thought...)

1. We're going to Tacoma a week from tomorrow for the entire week of Xmas.

2. I no longer have a proper winter coat, so I'm going to have to take care of that somehow before I go. (Borrow from sister? Buy one at Target?) Ah, the perils of living in L.A.!

3. I'm planning on taking lots of books, but two that I was counting on from Paperbackswap aren't here yet. I hope they arrive in time!

(oh, and by way of explanation re Tacoma: scodyboy grew up there, and his family still lives there. Because otherwise I realize that it seems like an unusual holiday destination. I should see if any Seattle bunnies might have any time free for a little get-together that week!)

scody - buy a classic that'll last for years. I can really "see" you in a wool pea coat (tailored for women, kinda pinched in waist)!

*ahem*

No vacation for the mister and me at the moment. His holidays start Dec 22 and end Jan 5. We'll probably make a overnight run to Mum's (Everett, WA) at some point in that stretch of time.

We want to go to La Push, WA sometime in the spring. I was going to ask bmarkey where he and science girl stayed but he seems to have disappeared. =(

1. I have the week after Christmas off.
2. There was some talk about going to Charleston to scatter my parents' ashes in the harbor but given the current climate of family drama, it's impossible to have them all in the same room, let alone coordinate a trip to our old hometown a full four hours away so forget that. I guess the ashes will sit in my garage forever. Is that bad? It's bad, isn't it?
3. So I almost certainly will go nowhere, as usual. I'm finding the holidays a bit difficult this year.