james nunn | blog

We are currently driving back to Frisco after visiting Gilmer for Thansgiving. The boys are exhausted – a common result after a visit to see Grandma & Grandpa, and Uncle Jake. We are both a little tired as well, but more relaxed than when we heading there on Wednesday.

Our entire visit involved eating, resting (including naps), walking and relaxing. When we arrived Wednesday night, we were treated to ham, sweet potato casserole, and a multitude of other delicacies. The casserole was unbelievably good!

Turkey day was busy for Chris’s mom as she worked on the Thanksgiving creations that was to become main meal for the day. The rest of us try to help, but I always feel that my contribution is best provided after the meal in the cleaning up. Of course the pooches LOVE to visit at these times of the year due to the yummy leftovers they enjoy.

Did I mention desserts? No? Well Chris’s mom is singly responsible for destroying whatever little health we have, by making the most incredible desserts (they are addictive, so one can’t avoid eaten them).

I am thankful that on this trip home we do not have leftovers. Leftovers from Gilmer MUST be consumed – it would be a sin otherwise.

It’s always nice to visit, but equally nice to head home.

Cute Bonding Moment
Originally uploaded by MelbGuy.

This is one of my favorite pics from our recent camping trip. Colby gets so tired at times that you can see his head nodding up and down as he fights the urge to sleep. Chris took the opportunity to cuddle into him as he was doing this, and he quickly drifted off to sleep.

The boyz are both just so tired right now after their weekend adventure, so there is a lot of sleeping going on right now.

I’ve added more pictures from our recent weekend camping trip, so be sure to check some of these out.

Today, I snapped a couple of pics with Chris and the boyz, and suprisingly they were extremely cooperative.

Yesterday we went to Gilmer Wal*Mart – a joy at any time of the year – and picked up some gifts for the boys, along with a picture that Chris wanted to get printed for his mother (we have the same one hanging in our house). He also found a couple of other tooly things for his father. Oh, we also went to this hardware store where we bought a “two-bit” axe for his father (it was on his wishlist). Fun place.

Last night we watched Family Vacation (the Chevy Chase version), then Catch Me if You Can, and then – ugh – A Christmas Story (“You’ll shoot your eye out kid!”). After that I had to go to bed.

After the boys woke up (the second time) I knew it was time to get up and start the morning. Bosley and Colby were so excited. It was like they knew it was Christmas morning and they needed to get to their toys under the tree (well they weren’t under the tree, but we did have stockings for them both).

Chris’s family gives out the presents from under the tree and then it’s a flurry of paper and ribbons as we dive into our gifts. I must have been a good boy this year (in fact, I think I was extremely good). I got myself a Quesadilla Maker & Halo 2 (thanks Aurelia and Ron), which I found out could have been just one of three copies (it seems my addiction to this game is widely known), a Josh Groban CD (Closer, thanks Jake) and one of my wishlist movies, Longtime Companion (thanks Chris). Actually Chris also got me a Steve Walker print, Key West Connections, which I absolutely love — it reminds me of meeting him for the first time, even though that took place in New Orleans (NoLa is the other place I love, besides Key West). I also got a new Palm (which is still travelling to me through FedEx), but Chris printed out the product sheet and wrapped that – it was really sweet.

After a sluggish beginning to the day, Chris finally ventured out to the stores so I could get some gift wrapping done. It seems everytime I wanted to do some, he was there. I know that “all will be known” on Christmas morning, but I like to have at least some resemblance of suprise when he tears open the gift wrap. After I got that done (record wrapping time), I drove over to the stores to get some last minute things (like doggie treats, etc) for our trip to the country.

We both got home and started to get the car ready for the journey. The boyz were excited, as they usually are, especially as Chris was egging them on with “do you want to go see grandma?” or “let’s go see uncle Jake.”

As we were getting ready, my mother called, so I chatter with her for about 20 minutes or so. She was concerned that we might miss each other given our travels (and hers). This will be the first holiday season when my mother doesn’t have anyone but my sister around, as my younger brother moved to Queensland earlier in the week to join my eldest brother (we don’t talk about son number 2). It seems she has the whole week of the holidays planned, and when I was chatting she mentioned that as much as she loves the kids (referring to the grandchildren), she was looking forward to not running all over the place on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to make sure she gets to see them. It’s an odd thing with my family, my mother travels to see them, not the other way around – which always peeved me off. She was always catching trains, trams or buses to get around, where my brothers had cars and child seats. Anyway, I’m hoping that she enjoys her time with her sisters and brothers over the break. I”m going to try and call her “somewhere” on Christmas Day, but we’ll see how that pans out.

Finally, we got the car moving toward Gilmer around 5:15 PM. We stopped for coffee along the way, and experienced the longest wait for Starbucks I’ve ever had. It seems that everyone else had the same idea as us, just at the same time.

The pooches were very excited (as they normally were) when they got to the grandparents, and instantly started to mark their territory. It was 22F (-6C) when we arrived, and was meant to get down to 14F in Dallas (not sure if it got that low here). It was pleasant, as the fire was roaring and the house was toasty. Jason – Chris’s brother – has decided he can’t make it for Christmas due to his car being rear-ended prior to leaving. Chris thinks it’s a muse to just get out from coming, as he works for a body shop, and has previous experience in the insurance game – so getting a hire car would be no problem. His parents are a little upset about it, but I’m sure they will recover.

It seems the cold is playing havoc with my sinuses/head, so I headed to bed early to get some shut eye and rest. Need to remember to get some Dayquil.

Let me start by saying that I am in absolute shock!  I have just gotten off the phone with my mother – the one in Australia.  Anyway, we are doing our normal chat, and then suddenly this:

Mum: Andrew and Gina are doing well, and I think they will sort things out.
James: That’s good.  I hope it all works out for them both (sigh) So, Howard has finally called an election, it’s about time.
Mum: Yes, I think I’m going to be voting for him this time.
James: . . . . . . . .

Now let me explain something.  My mother has ALWAYS voted for the Labor Party.  The conservatives were an evil group of rich businessmen who had no interest in looking after women like my mother, not to mention the failing health system that she is battling with my sister (or at least so she has told me in the past).  I am UTTERLY stunned.  Gone is my sleepy, time for bed, state of mind.  Now I’m sitting here (after a perfectly fun evening) wondering what the hell is going on over there in that place called “home.”

I think my mother knew I was suprised … speechlessness comes so infrequently to me, and she may have picked up on this.  What is she thinking?  She claims that he is going to be provide a “safer” Australia.  How?!?!  By making it the fifty-second state of the US? (Side note: the fifty-first is the very populated state of ignorance.)  I am just dumbfounded.  We chatted about a few other things, but my mind was just ticking away with so many questions.

Anyway, I decided I was going to review the information on the two major parties sites.  The ALP (Labor) has their platform on the web in a variety of formats – all about making sure their message is available to everyone.  So then I looked at the Liberal Party.  Hmmm… a nice picture of John Howard with Aussie military personnel.  Ah there it is… teh Liberal Party platform.  Odd… it’s in picture format and only twelve pages long.  I’m confused.  Has my mother been so absorbed by the Herald-Sun tabloid news-style, that pictures speak to her louder than words?  The LP site has no platform, well certainly not as at 1:15 AM this morning.  It’s only 33 days till the election… maybe it will be uploaded soon.

Till then, I’ll just sit here scratching my head.

Chris and I are spending the holidays over at the in-laws in Gilmer Country. It was a nice day, and we have been relaxing prior to the dinner. Chris’s mom cooks very well, though like most southern women, she spends a great deal of time in the kitchen. In a way I’m glad we changed my mother’s thinking on Christmas dinner, though we had 100F weather to help in that decision.

Got some great things for Christmas, and as usual, I’m very fortunate to be spending my holiday season with the man I love and our boyz (pooches). Chris’s parents aren’t overly comfortable with “us” being together, but they are making a huge effort, and I respect them for that. Chris’s mom is quite wonderful and makes visits all that more better.

Ah … we must be in the country – a gun shot. Something I’ll never get used to … but that is why I live where I do.

Nearly time for dinner, and some “family” time.