Christmas

12/23

This should be the second day of my trip and I should already be home now enjoying the holiday season with my family.  I should already be repulsed by anti-gay remarks and feeling unwelcome.  But because my flight was cancelled due to the weather I still have not arrived.  Yesterday my boyfriend drove me to the airport.  We said our goodbyes.  It wasn’t emotional.  I will only be gone for a few days and it isn’t like we haven’t spent several days apart in the past.  I stood in line for about an hour after I noticed on the screen that my flight was cancelled.  I spoke to my good friend Luis about recent big time drama (perhaps in another blog) while I stood in line.  When I finally reached an attendant, she was able to book me on the last seat for a flight to Denver and then to Tulsa for the next day.  It was a little frustrating but I wasn’t that angry about it.

Because of being delayed for a day, I was able to spend the evening, which turned into a late evening, with my boyfriend, Luis and his boyfriend, and a friend of theirs.  They were making merengues and boy were they good.  I think I ate ten of them!  It was nice to just relax in the comfort of friends.  We even watched Ratatouille.  I don’t like watching animated movies much but it wasn’t too bad of a movie.  

Today my boyfriend drove me back to the airport.  I checked in and made my way through security.  I had several hours until my flight because I had arrived so early because I didn’t want any problems like yesterday.  I decided to get online and browse the web for a while.  My trip has been pretty uneventful so far.  

Every year when I go home it always feels weird.  I don’t know if it’s because I feel out of place or if it’s because I haven’t come out to them yet or if it is some other reason.  This year is especially sad.  This will probably be the last time I see my granny.  She is old and keeps getting sicker and sicker.  The last time I saw her she didn’t even know who I was.  It was so sad to see her like that.  Also, this will probably be the last time I see my dog that I’ve had since I was a child.  He’s been deaf for several years now but now my mother says he is also going blind.  He’s always been such a good dog and it’s sad to think he won’t be around the next time I visit.

 

When my parents greeted me at the airport in Tulsa my dad said, “What’s that?  A purse?”  I was only carrying my laptop bag so it sort of struck me off guard when he said that.  It’s a good thing I hadn’t received my man purse from Blowesha and Umair yet!!  On the drive home we caught up on things, joked around, and just relaxed in the car.

Home was the same as always.  Not much had changed.  

My visit was pretty uneventful.  I visited with family, took it easy, and ate WAY TOO MUCH!  It was nice to see my family after not seeing them for a year but at the same time I was ready to return back to Chicago.  I love my family but for some reason it feels less and less like home each year I return.  

It makes me wonder, “Have I really changed that much in the three years I’ve been in Chicago?”

 

School, Christmas, and Roommates

I can not believe that this semester is already coming to an end. I have two and a half weeks of class left and then finals and then I’ll be done for about a month. I think my grades will be the best they have ever been. I decided to cut back on my hours at work because it was really interfering with my study time. In the past, I was working 35+ hours/week while taking 15 hours of classes. It was not fun. Now I am only working around 20 hours/week and taking 16 hours of classes. The workload is significantly less. My stress level is significantly less. And, my love life is significantly better! (But more about that later.)

I finally got rid of my roommate (who also happens to be my ex!). He was always so messy and I hate to live in a messy place. I like to clean and organize and one of my coworkers always tells me how obsessive I am. Obsessive? Really? Who woulda thunk it?

The roommate search has been a bit overwhelming (especially since one of them backed out of moving in!) but I think I found someone that I really like. He moved in last weekend and is so nice. At first, I thought he is Native American but then tonight when I asked him he said he is Filipino! I stood staring at him in disbelief. How could this be? Had my ricedar (kinda like gaydar, only more sensitive to all the BEAUTIFUL rices out there) failed me? Everyone who knows me knows what a rice queen I am. If Where’s Waldo? had been Where’s the Ching Chong? then I would have won every time. So, it really surprised me when he told me. I guess it is because he looks more like a tribal filipino, if such a thing exists – definitely NOT my type of asian. So it’s just him and me living in this huge apartment of mine for now until I can find someone else to move in.

With my ex roommate gone I feel a little lonely, not because he is gone but because he took Lucy (his dog) with him. She and I always had so much fun together! I really miss her a lot. At times, I want to get a small dog but then I realize how much work it would be and how little time I would have to spend with him. And then, sometimes I think I would like to have a cat. Cats are very little maintenance (kinda like me!) but I have allergies to cats so that seems like a bad idea. I’ve almost decided on getting some fish. I’ve always enjoyed watching fish swim around. It always relaxes me. But, I wonder how much work it will be cleaning the tank. Maybe after Christmas I will get some.

Speaking of Christmas, it’s almost here!!! Yay! I’ve been looking forward to the Christmas season since February. I’m especially excited this year because I have a wonderful boyfriend to spend it with. It’s been several years since I had a boyfriend during the holidays so it is going to be extra special, and not extra special simply because it’s been awhile but also because he’s extra special. I’m going to get a small Christmas tree this year (since the one from last year is my roommates and he moved) and decorate it all up. Hot apple cider, carolers, walking arm-in-arm trying to keep warm, making Christmas candies, ham, turkey, pies, mistletoe – I just love this time of year!

For anyone wanting to shower me with gifts, I will have my amazon wish list completed soon!

My podcast is almost finished. I edited it last night but there are still a couple things I can’t get exactly how I would like. I’m going to have Blowesha help me this week with it and I will probably publish it early next week. I know ya’ll are barely able to function with the anticipation of such an exciting event. If you’ve ever wanted to say you knew someone famous before they were famous then now is your chance!