Been a while. I was going to update on the end of October, but the internet was barely functioning then. In November it was out for about two weeks. My mom had it, my dad kind of had it… I had zilch.

Before all of that, on October 25 and 26, Mom and I cleaned out the storage unit as well. That was exhausting, but fun despite I cursed like a pirate that day. We found Grandma’s silverware, which has been lost to us for about seven years and brought back a lot of stuff I thought should have gone to good will.

The house was a mess for days and was only cleaned up when Thanksgiving came around the corner. Thanksgiving rolled up as well as cleaning out Grandma’s old house on the 29th. Why? My eldest brother and his wife will be moving out soon. They were going to move out on the 3rd, but that was postponed due to difficulties in the moving service and the house needing fixing.

Anyway, on the 29th, we moved out furniture, dishes and so forth. Some of the stuff would go to good will or storage and others into our house. The house was a mess for days. The garage is still being used as a storage unit. Still that weekend we managed to move in some of the furniture, rearrange an entire room and so forth.

December was a brief reprieve in the beginning despite there was gift wrapping (I’m the gift wrapper here.) Then on the seventh my mom has a week of vacation. This entailed chores, errands and doctor visits. Sadly for Mom, I was hitting my exhaustion point, Tom came around had an annoying health issue rear its ugly head. So I was out cold half the time. I also apparently cannot eat corn products like I used to. Wah.

My birthday has come and passed. It was the usual. I woke up, got a gift from Mom, received an e-card from Dad, got ready to go shopping. The trip is mainly for my Mom to get Christmas gifts for her co-workers. For me it is to eat lunch there. Window shopping isn’t so bad, I just rarely find anything of interest. I never bring money anyway. I need not spend any more this time of year if there should be something that miraculously catches my eye.

We hit the usual store my mom frequents and oddly enough there was a store that had minerals and crystals on display. I knew I wasn’t going to get anything, but it sparked my interest. Sadly, I did see something I wanted (but saw no practical use for.) It was a huge turquoise nugget that filled the palm of my hand.

The price was hefty and though it was my birthday I’d never ask for such a thing. Mom wanted to buy it for me, but I refused due to the price. In the end I suggested splitting the cost. We did and I went home with a lovely stone. It is my birthstone and I collect crystals. So, yeah… it was pretty awesome despite being what I considered profuse in cost and wasteful all around on a logical level.

My birthday meal was at the usual German restaurant and I had the soup again. It was awesome as usual.

There was a nice surprise as well. Brooke emailed me that morning. She wished me happy birthday and we caught up some. She disappeared a while after the second day and I was becoming disappointed again. It happens all the time someone pops up out of the blue. They talk a day or two and then disappear from the internet for years to come if not indefinitely. To my relief, she emailed me today.

The rest of the week was Mom being off work and soon things have gone back to relative normalcy for a while… Well, minus the fact that the vacuum is missing. My brother borrowed it this weekend, but has yet to return it. The carpeted floors are very sad. I am getting bothered by them. I hope he returns it soon.

Other than that, there isn’t much else to note. Christmas is coming up and the brief reprieve will end. Why? My sister will be flying down for the holidays. She might arrive on the 23rd or the 24th. Sure, we love her… but the house sure gets hectic and unnerving feeling when she is around. Pretty much extrovert in a house full of introverts. Scary times.

Sigh… well… that is that!