Funk the holidays

It's official. I'm in a funk.

Usually the holidays get me pumping. I am ready to celebrate and see people. I have energy. Things seem good. But something is wrong. My holiday cheer has taken the wrong way down a one-way.

My phone has been ringing off the hook for days now. I can't stand it anymore. Every time it rings I get this tightening knot in my stomach. All I can think is, "LEAVE ME ALONE!" This is the number one indicator of holiday cheer gone haywire. Normally I feel like nobody ever calls me. I can go whole days without it ringing once. But now that it never stops I can't stand it.

My sister and bro-in-law fly in tonight and the post-flight ritual is to meet at the restaurant of their choice. Tonight it's Snuffer's and it begins in T-minus sixty minutes. But I don't even want to go. They will be there along with additional family twenty somethings and some of their friends. It could be around ten people. Every time they fly in they make a beeline to a restaurant. Their typical Floridian dinner-out choices are limited compared to the Tex-Mex Shangri-la of Dallas. Usually I can't wait to begin the festivities surrounding their visits. But like I said, something is wrong.

I spent the better part of the day helping paint Dad's new house. I love painting- and it's amazing how much better rooms look with a fresh coat on. But I am tired. My ankles are tired. My legs and knees and arms and wrists are too. And I can't even muster up the energy to hop in the shower. Which leads me to my next problem.

Cooking. Thanksgiving is at Whit's house tomorrow. She is having a ton of people over. Last I heard it was up to seventeen. My guess is that not that many people will show up, but it could happen. My job is to bring a dessert. Whit and I both love our grandmother's chocolate torte. So that's what I'm bringing. It doesn't really involve "cooking," but it does take a trip to the store, which I have yet to do. Seeing as I'm covered in paint, can't seem to get myself into the shower, and am in serious need of some deodorant, the store seems a long way off. But I know I need to get there to get the ingredients to make the dessert to chill overnight to take to Whitney's house tomorrow. Stress.

Then there's the whole matter of the actual Thanksgiving Day. With seventeen people around I'm pretty sure that there won't be ample seating. My main focus will be the game. But if some of the others are couch hogs I will be uncomfortable therefore threatening my enjoyment of the game. I am trying to picture where all of these people are supposed to fit tomorrow. Diffusion, right? But that will lead some to the laundry room and others to the bathroom. Doesn't seem feasible. So I am anticipating a very cramped, awkward, overheated, very loud, standing-room only Thanksgiving Day. I hope I'm wrong.

Then I work on Friday. I traded my Saturday shift because Friday night is Whit's bachelorette party and I definitely don't want to work at 8am after a night of boozing. I have to go straight to the party from work which means I'll have work stink on me the whole night. Going out is always prefaced with a shower! But it's a no-go with this night. There is no time. And... I have absolutely nothing to wear. I meant to get to the mall today, but it didn't happen. And yesterday it didn't happen either. Or this past weekend. I'm not sure where all my time is going but I can tell you that none of it is free.

So here I am procrastinating and watching the time tick away. It's getting down to the wire. I need to focus.