Monday, December 29, 2008

A white Christmas, among other things

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been lazy. Christmas in Connecticut was great. Mandy's family and my family are eerily similar, so I got to practice the same traditions but with different faces.

The plan was that I was going to leave for Grand Central after I got off work on Wednesday and be in CT around 9:45 p.m. Well, my office closed at 2:30, so I rushed over to the Terminal and made it there by 5. Before I got to Grand Central, I was really worried about finding where I was supposed to be and all that. My only experience with Grand Central was when my mom and I came to NY to tour colleges, and I remembered this vast sprawling underground city with countless trains. But when I got there, it was extremely easy and I bought my ticket and found my terminal right away. There was even a cool light show to watch:


I was really happy to be able to get to CT early because that meant I got to meet pretty much all of Mandy's extended family and participate in a gift exchange. I forgot what it's called, but it's where you all get a gift and go around in a circle and you can either pick from the pile or take someone else's gift. It was fun, and I scored a sweet fleece blanket. It was also Mandy's grandma's 78th birthday. Apparently they never really celebrate it because it's on Christmas Eve, but this year they did, so it was cool to be a part of that.

We all got up around 9:30 on Christmas, and it was really exactly how it would've been in Florida. Everyone took their turns opening gifts, we had a big breakfast afterward and then family came over for a big turkey dinner. The Easters were overly generous with their gifts for me, and gave me a pretty warm sweater, cashmere scarf, candle, umbrella and some other cool things. Mandy's mom even knitted me a stocking and stuffed it with candy. After everyone left after dinner, we all played Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader and Scrabble into the night.

The day after Christmas, Mandy showed me around town. It's a very small, picturesque place and the 11 inches of snow they received a few days before made it even more beautiful. We met Mrs. Easter for lunch and then went to the mall to take advantage of the after-Christmas sales. I got a few pairs of black stockings that I really needed, and then two turtle neck sweaters that were only $10 each from New York and Co.

Mandy's mom is a hairdresser, so on Saturday she cut and colored my hair, which saved me about $300 (at least). My hair is a lighter red now, which I really like. Then, it was time to go. Mandy's brother had to pick his girlfriend up at Newark Airport, so they drove me back to my apartment since it was pretty much on the way. It was great not to have to lug my suitcase on the subway, and they got to see where I live. I really can't explain how grateful I am for all the kind things they've done for me.

On Saturday afternoon, my friend Britney came to stay with me. Originally, she planed to come up to NY for New Year's Eve with her friend and they would stay at her friend's boyfriend's place. However, after she booked her ticket, the boyfriend decided he didn't want Britney to stay with him, which is really shitty. So she didn't have a place to stay. So she stayed with me on Saturday night and we went bar hopping in the Village. We had a great time and met some interesting people along the way.

On Sunday, her friend's boyfriend changed his mind and decided it was okay for Britney to stay with them, so she packed up and we headed to the Financial District where he lives. He greeted her with a big hug and said how happy he was to see her, which disgusted me. How could you call someone a friend and then literally leave them out in the cold in a huge unfamiliar city? What if I hadn't been there? Where would she have stayed? Gross. I don't have any patience for fake people.

I had a quiet night last night, which was fine by me. I watched some TV, talked to my parents on their new Webcam, got groceries delivered and went to bed early. New Year's Eve is Wednesday, and I still have no idea what I'll end up doing. I have no desire to go anywhere near Times Square, and I don't feel like going to an uppity club and spending an obscene amount of money to get in. What's more disappointing is that Revival is hosting a private party, so I can't go there, which really sucks. We'll see what happens.

3 comments:

katnc24 said...

Aw, that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard. Her family is amazing and I hope to be as lucky when I come up!

As for NYE in Times Square, do it! Get a bunch of people together and stash a flask because it's kind of like the airport in "Love Actually." You'll see, "Love actually is all around."

I know, I'm cheesy. But it was impressive to see all these "rude, angry" New Yorkers huddled into one area, keeping warm, sharing liquor, etc... it's worth at least one miserable, freezing trip. I promise.

Anonymous said...

I did New Years in Times Square last year and it it was actually fun!

Danielle

Mandy in Real Life said...

I'm so glad you were able to come! Happy New Year :-)