My favourite holiday game involves me asking the people around me what would be the worst gift I could get them. When they (inevitably) say that they would be happy with whatever I got them, I go on the attack. I list off the worst possible gifts I’m considering purchasing them and watch them pretend that they would love it. Eventually however, they admit they would hulk out if I made them large installation art made out of animal bones and corn husks and I declare victory. I thought I had perfected this conversation until I called my mom today…

Me: I was just curious… what would you think if I got you an Ihop gift certificate for Christmas?

Mom: What’s Ihop?

Me: International house of Pancakes.

Mom: But we don’t have one here….

Me: I know. But there is one in Edmonton. You could just take the 5 hour drive for pancakes and come right back. 10 hours roundtrip, but they are pretty tasty mom.

Mom: Well, that sounds good. I’d like a great reason to go to Edmonton, I haven’t had pancakes in a long time. I would hate to use this gift alone though, so I might ask you along for the trip.

Me: But I can’t eat pancakes.

Mom: No, but you can have juice. Besides, wouldn’t you feel bad not being there to see my appreciate my gift?

Do not try to outwit the person who brought you into the world.

Mom:1 Me: 0

If I die tomorrow please know that the last thing to make me happy wasn’t a well timed phone call, extended olive branch or a surprise Christmas card in the mail. All of those were lovely, but the last thing to have made me almost weep with happiness was purchased on a whim for $7.

It was JP Spa Gingerbread Sugar Body Scrub.

An impulse buy chosen to help get me ready for Christmas since the 900 gazillion Christmas CD’s purchased, on-going hunt for a fantastic Christmas tree and fashionable red polish I was sporting weren’t doing it. I was skeptical, because I’m not really a fan of gingerbread, but I’m glad I took a chance. This $7 purchase has changed my life. Or at least, my showers.

I opened it tonight and felt the heavens open up. I actually jumped up and down with excitement, it smelled so… lip smackingly delicious. Mouthwatering. It smells like all promises kept and love letters received and every good thing that’s ever happened to anyone- ever. After standing in the shower inhaling what paradise must smell like for a ridiculously long time, I smeared it on my legs and went”ohh ahh!”. It’s like…. mmmmagic- multiplied. The perfect texture- not too grainy but not too… well, not-grainy. And after the water washes off the grainy bits, you are just left insanely soft skin. It’s almost illegal how good it makes you feel.

It’s magic, -that’s all there is too it. I’ve never had a better shower, never smelled so good and have never been more convinced that heaven does exist.

In short, I’m ready for Christmas.

I’m sick. Again.

And instead of having a boyfriend who will make me soup and hold my germy hand and pass me kleenex when I sneeze with abandon, I am single and have a cat who stares at me.

And then leaves.
Which is fine. I don’t want the cat to get sick. He’s old.

I’ve decided to relish this opportunity and not feel bad for missing work, or skipping a chance to Christmas shop or continuing my law breaking scheme. Today is a day to watch movies with a rootbeer candy canes and an orange juice IV. And while my germy eyes scanned my humble movie collection I realized that while sick, stressed out, or tired, there are certain movies I will watch again and again.

These include:

- Good Will Hunting (Fav Quote: “… and let me save you the suspense, this girl you’ve met she’s not perfect either.”- the idea of not having to be perfect comforts me when I’m wearing sweats, with itchy eyes and a runny nose)

- Say Anything (Fav Quote: “I am looking for a dare to be great situation.” OR “The rain on my car is a baptism, the new me, Ice Man, Power Lloyd, my assault on the world begins now”. Because anyone who refers to himself as Ice Man is cool in my books.)

- Sweet Home Alabama (Fav Quote: “Like I could tip a cow BY MYSELF!”- because I completely understand where she is coming from. It’s … impossible.)

- Garden State (Fav Quote: “I’m okay with being unimpressive. I sleep better”)

- JFK (I don’t have one, but I do appreciate how serious Kevin Costner can look in those glasses)

- Rounders (Fav Quote: “If you can’t spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker”-or pretty much anything said by Teddy KGB)

- When A Man Loves a Woman (It’s not about the words, it’s about Andy’s eyes. I’m swooning.)

- Bottle Rocket (Fav Quote: “I don’t think your happiness is quite appropriate” or ” We almost did it, didn’t we?”

- National Treasure (Fav Quote:”We have to steal the Declaration of Independence!!”. I wish I was joking about this movie but I must come clean. I’d like to think I’m drawn to it for it’s references to American history, but, it could also be Nic’s ability to both squint and growl at the same time. Nicholas Cage just sucks me in like a black hole.)

Feel free to drop off soup. Or presents. Or soup and presents.

Little Known Fact: I was in Brownies

I started out as a mere pixie but worked my way up to full Brownie status in record time because I hated not wearing the sash and having a chance to wear badges. Why? Badges = Flair

Even at an early age, flair was important to me. And although I no longer remember most of the badges I earned (other than a cutthroat game of lawn bowling that gave me the bowling badge and my cake baking badge that would have made Martha Stewart squeal with glee), I still like the idea of showing off your talents through badges. Or… as I call them, flair.

Which got me thinking. As we get older, the obstacles we surmount and the goals we reach become even bigger, so where is the flair now? There are definite achievements and battles I’ve had to overcome that I feel are completely badge worthy and should be showcased on some ultra hip sash-like accessory.

These Include:
- learning how to cha-cha in Spain
- surviving a really bad break-up (notice the ‘really’)
- explaining to my college students why theatre makes them better people when they all just want to go for a smoke
- teaching my ma how to do a tequila shot in Mexico
- discovering the perfect sentence to whisper
- backpacking up an Italian *mountain while fighting mono
- letting it go (it? Him?)
- speaking at a funeral, playing a musical instrument at a wedding and holding a baby without dropping it
- moving a too big couch into a too small elevator (unless you’ve attempted it, you have no idea)
- not always asking ‘what if?’
- baking the worlds best cookie
- possibly liking cats

Still on my flair list (it sounds a lot more hip than ‘to-do’): becoming a skilled snorkler, understanding how to do my taxes, learning how to catch a baseball and becoming modest.

Can we ditch the brown cotton sash with the gold piping though? I’m thinking they could be improved…
* Erin, it was a mountain.

Today I couldn’t find my Ohio quarter. I retraced my purchases and realized that I spent it. On a cup of peppermint tea.  Life is not fair.

Only 45 more states to go.

Again.

I found an Ohio quarter in my bag today which made me ridiculously happy.
Only 44 more states to go.

brandy: Do you think we could have Dali Lama like calmness if we could ask the entire world one question and get it answered?

Matt: I suppose if it was something like “Will I ever be completely fulfilled?” or “What’s the purpose of my life?”

brandy: No, I was thinking more along the lines of “what the hell do you all want from me?”

Matt: That could work.

It seems people read blogs, but instead of leaving comments, they email you directly to complain about what they don’t like. Or better yet, they call you. (The ‘better yet’ isn’t sarcasm, I’m bored out of my tree at work.) I have decided that in the fairness of all the lovely chicks I know to give them their own list…

1. How to chug a beer (classy, I know)
2. When to stop talking.
3. Two words: false eyelashes.
4. How to catch a gopher.
5. Soccer moms are hot.
6. How to run in high heels.
7. “It’s difficult to do anything but love someone when that’s exactly how you feel”
8. I could not date a man named Destiny.
9. Nothing happens if you don’t show up.
10. Tequila makes me want to dance.

Everything else I learned from Mr. Dressup, National Geographic magazines, Martha Stewart, late night tv, or through the painful experience of trial and error.

1. You can never have too much hot sauce.
2. If you want something- initiate it.
3. Why it’s important to have transmission fluid checked.
4. How to not punch like a girl.
5. Sweats can be beautiful.
6. How to grout.
7. They don’t know what they are doing either.
8. How to spit.
9. Regrets don’t equal mistakes.
10. I hold my breath when I sleep.