The results came back. I have pertussis and pneumonia. Gee, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to me. I am grateful to have gone in for a second opinion because if I would have believed what that yahoo of a first doctor had said to me, I would have been miserable and much more ill than what I currently am.

In better news, I had a family-filled Christmas. Christmas Eve was very low-key as we skipped our usual visiting and church services because I felt so rotten. I've never missed visiting on Christmas Eve, so it just didn't feel right. I feel guilty because we always go to visit my godparents. My godfather passed away in February of this year, and Christmas Eve was his birthday. My godmother just sold her house and moved into an apartment, and nothing was the same. I feel pretty guilty not going to see her because she's had a hard year. Even though Claus had living in the nursing home with Alzheimer's for quite a while, it's still difficult to believe that he isn't here with us, laughing and joking. I didn't buy a bag of Hershey's kisses for the first time in probably 20 years. I always gave him a bag of those for Christmas because they were his favorite.

Christmas Day I spent with my dad's side of the family. It was so nice to spend time with my nephews. I rarely see them except for holidays because I live 3.5 hours from the rest of the family. They don't come and see me, so I always have to make the trek to see them. It gets old, but I don't want to miss out on the boys growing up. I saw my stepdad's side of the family and some of my mom's family on Christmas Day morning while I was on my way to my Dad's. My parent's host Christmas dinner for those people who are without family or friends or resources at the store. My sister and her brood, and my cousin and her family came to help out. It sure was busy there! I wish that I could have stayed because it sounds like it was a lot of fun.

Every time I come back home, I feel like I really should move back. Maybe not back to my hometown, but somewhere that isn't so far away. I certainly don't want to teach up here again- been there, done that at most of the schools around via ITV. I'm still trying to work out what I want to do when I grow up. I love spending the time with my students, that's why I've been teaching for 9 years. It's the rest of the bureaucratic crap that I deal with that's pushing me away. Tell me in what other profession out there are the people who make the decisions and mandates not members of that profession?

Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, or whatever you happen to believe or not believe in. 2009 is just around the corner, and may it be a better year than 2008!