Christmas with the Martens

Adam and I have had a long standing argument about whether you celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Growing up he opened presents on Christmas Eve after he got back from church. I believe that is wrong because you are essentially putting Santa on a schedule. Santa could only come in the hour he was at church! How rude is rushing Santa like that? My family gave Santa all night! He could come anytime his big old butt sauntered through our front door (I didn't have a fire place). Basically, we struck a compromise that we would open up the gifts from each other on Christmas Eve, and gifts our families had sent us on Christmas Day.

So on Christmas Eve we went over to a couple friend's new condo for a little get together, they cooked a lovely dinner for us and possibly the best brownies I have ever tasted, and yes I consider myself a brownie connoisseur.

(Ignore the manginess of Sarah's legs, she was wet from her walk).

When we got home, we both took Sarah for a long walk. Afterwards, we decided to open our gifts from each other and for Sarah. We put four milk bones in Sarah's stocking and put it on the floor. We wanted to see if she could figure out how to get to them on her own. But instead of turning the stocking upside down or searching inside the stocking, she decided to CHEW THROUGH THE STOCKING. Getting drool all over it and forcing us to get her bones out for her, which I'm starting to think was her master plan after all.

After settling Sarah down, we exchanged our gifts starting with our stockings. We always stuff each other's stockings with candy and little practical items we need. I stuffed Adam's stocking with reese's, mini-hand sanitizers for work, a Mario kart pez dispenser, and candies that are shaped like lumps of coal (since I bought them I've been telling Adam all he was getting was a lump of coal in his stocking, I'm easily amused). Adam stuffed mine with a bunch of candy and hair ties (since I'm always losing them and running out of them).

We then exchanged gifts. It was kind of ironic because we both got each other slippers and games! Adam got me Freudian slippers. A play on a "Freudian Slip" because I'm a totally geeky psych nerd and he knows me. And I Love Them! I gave him Green Bay Packers Slippers for reasons that are probably obvious. I also gave him Donkey Kong Country Returns for the Wii and I got Sims 3 Ambitions.

On Christmas Morning, we opened the other gifts. We got tons of much wanted DVDS and gift cards from Adam's family. And we both got kindles from my mother (love them, I've read two books already!), and she also got me a kitchen aid artisan mixer. I have long lusted in my heart for this mixer. Now it is here all buttercupy and beautiful, and I have no money these week to buy anything to bake with it, so it is sitting on my counter taunting me while I look up recipes online.

 

For Christmas dinner, Adam cooked what his family calls BBQ and the rest of the world knows as sloppy joes. It wasn't fancy, it wasn't a big deal, but Adam never ever cooks so its so nice to have him cook for the two of us, while I sit back and gorge on Christmas candy and watch Christmas movies on TV.  It was a lovely Christmas.

24 Fan Fest Marathon

Last week Adam spent 27 hours in a box in the middle of Hollywood and Highland watching TV. If that sounds insane, it is because IT IS.  A few weeks ago I received an e-mail I had received from this entertainment mailing list that I somehow ended up on. It was about a event concerning his favorite TV show 24. I forwarded him the e-mail with this note, "I know you can't do this, but thought it was neat." But he of course decided to do it.

The event was a continuous 80 hour 24 marathon to celebrate the release of the 24 complete series DVDs and to try to break a world record for most hours of TV watched. First place was 10,000! Adam really thought he could win it, but I felt like maybe it would just be a fun life experience. Plus I didn't want him to feel pressured or like I would be disappointed in him if he failed.

So he took a few days off, and rode the subway down to Hollywood last Thursday. Before it all started, they had a kick off party that many of the celebrities and celebrity fans attended. So he met the director of the show (who gave Adam his own personal 24 pin that he wore on his jacket-which I think Adam would count as the highlight of his life), Gregory Itzan (Charles Logan), and Lou Diamond Phillips!  I was really, really sad that I couldn't at least go to the party. But I had to go to school, which is currently sucking out my soul.

The competition started at 9 and for the next 27 hours I kept my phone glued to me like he was at war. I didn't know when he would call, so my cell phone was causing me so much anxiety. If I realized I didn't know where it was, I would have mini-heart attack until I found it again. I even managed to not be scared in the house when I was at home alone at night. Not that I have a reason to worry. I live in a fairly safe neighborhood, have bars on all my windows, and really tightly locking doors. Notice I didn't say guard dog. The truth of the matter is I actually think Sarah would go after an intruder, I mean she hates anyone who comes to our front door. But part of me still wonders if she might just roll over and ask to be petted.

Everything was going well until the evening of the second day. I could tell he was fading and was overly concerned about quitting in the middle of the night because the subway doesn't run past two. And I knew the next phone call I got would be one telling me he was done. And I was right. I just wished he had quit before the middle of the night or the next morning because all I wanted to do was go to bed! (Not that I had right to complain considering Adam had been up for forty hours)!

He had a lot of fun and was given the complete 24 DVD set just for participating.