Well, it's been nearly two weeks, but I'm back.

No explanations necessary, I suppose. Anyone who celebrates Christmas understands what a mess the whole season is and what time it takes up. Add to that the management of living in two cities, plus the unpacking and settling in. Then throw on a copy of Diablo II given by one's sweetie for Christmas... What time has there been?

All the above is true, of course. I've been swamped and stressed and pretty lost in everything. But there's more to it than just that. I've been feeling a great deal of disconnection to the various ties in my life.

Not everything is bad. Working from home has been a blessing so far. The ability to take short breaks during the day with Lisa, and the short commute home after work (being only 5 seconds to walk out of my office into the living room) has gone a long towards repairing the damage the move caused to us both. Our level of 'snappishness' is a hell of a lot less than during the move.

My work hasn't suffered either. I've found that despite the slow Internet connection, my much faster computer makes up for it. I've been able to communicate with the office well, and get all my assignments done on time.

Even my relationship with my family has improved. Spending a couple days a week at my Mom's house is more time with them than I ever had when I actually lived in the city. It's a funny world.

It's the rest of the connections in my life that have sort of fallen aside. Ever since the move, I've been struggling to make myself catch up with everything. I've been virtually ignoring my email games, leaving them to sink or swim without me (and have even been called on it by one of my players). This site has languished and I fear to even look at my forum. The cobwebs are probably thick enough to catch an elephant. Even my Vampire games have been neglected, despite scheduling my in-town time to coincide with them.

I haven't got around to setting up ICQ on my new computer, so I don't chat with any of my friends. We haven't made any new friends in town, so we don't generally go out much. Lisa's starting to drag me along on her shoots for the station, I suspect just to get me out in the sun.

Don't fret about me, though. I'm getting better. I've started posting here and on my email games, I'm going to a Vampire game tonight and tomorrow is Joel's New Year's party, which will give me the chance to reconnect with my friends in town.

I am coming back to myself. It's just taking much longer than thought it would.

Christmas was wonderful. I didn't think it could be, but it was.

A lot was stacked against us. My family couldn't make it out, and Lisa was on-call the whole holiday so we couldn't come into Calgary to see anyone until New Year's. In fact, someone at her work scheduled two ridiculous shoots on Christmas Day itself, forcing Lisa to have to go out.

Still, it was nice. Lisa's parents came out for the day, and I went out on one of Lisa's shoots with her. I think it should be a tradition to go outside and do something on Christmas morning. It was cold and crisp and white and silent. Everything Christmas should be.

It was almost too silent. Medicine Hat completely shuts down on Christmas Day. I think there was a 7-11 open on the highway, but that was it, baby. We only spotted two cars on the road the whole day.

And yes, I made off like a bandit. Lisa had been squirreling away money for months, and opening my presents was like unearthing a pirate's treasure. I got three (three!) watches - a goofy plastic one which pops open to dispense chicklets, a nice Timex digital with a built-in compass, and a gorgeous new pocketwatch that I'm scared to ever wear, lest I even scratch it. Some nice shirts and a fuzzy sweater, the aforementioned copy of Diablo II, a digital organizer, an entire BOX of Star Wars figures, movies on DVD and VHS... Man. That girl can NOT stick to a budget. Not that I'm complaining.

Lisa's folks got us a new blender and a crock pot, my folks gave me a big emergency roadside kit for the car and a nice Isotoner scarf thing for Lisa. Granddad basically filled a bag with booze and candy and stuck it under the tree.

We cooked our first turkey and it turned out juicy and tender (you can't go wrong with a Butterball). We even built a gingerbread house.

The best thing about this Christmas is how long it's lasting. With Lisa's shoots, it took almost all day to open the presents, so there was no dull sleepy part in the afternoon. Tomorrow we exchange gifts with Ronja and Joel, and New Year's Day, we're back at my folks to open gifts with my sister and her husband. So it's taking the whole week to see everyone that we love and share the season with them.

I almost wish it could be even longer. This is fun.

Share the warmth in the forum

Smell-o-vision?

So where have you been?

Take me home, big fella