A Cartoonish Life

The total haul (from friends AND family):
--all the bath and body stuff (bubble bath, body wash, lotion, bath fizzies, loofah, pumice stone, wash glove)
--manicure kit
--pocketknife
--black cherry candle
--Elton John's Greatest Hits CD set
--Liz Phair CD
--Kill Bill Vol. 1 soundtrack
--two bras
--The Two Towers: Extended Edition CD set
--Vanilla Musk perfume
--$45 in gas money (in form of gift cards from Speedway and Mobil)

Christmas went okay for us this year. Like every year, we went to Grandma's and had food and opened presents. Troy, Diane, TJ and Sandy came for their haul before trotting off to get more. TJ really seemed to like the magic kit we got for him, and it didn't even cost us that much. But Sandy...I swear, that girl is just hard to please, but it's not like we really care. Part of me wanted to smack that snot upside the head and go, "Life isn't all about Abercrombie and Fitch, dear." You should have seen the look on her face when she opened up the Love's Baby Soft that Grandma got her. The best I can sum it up?: "Oh, wow, nice. This must have cost her a whole fifteen bucks." Sorry, hon, but money's tight; neither Hunter not TJ nor I got anything extravagant this year.

That seriously made me think. Let's take Sandy into profile, shall we? She's sixteen years old. She's involved in cheerleading and tennis. She's a social butterfly. Her parents are divorced; she doesn't have much to do with her father, but her mother's side of the family spoils her rotten. Her mother lives vicariously through her and gives her everything she wants, even though my uncle (my mom's brother) has reminded them both that they ARE NOT RICH. But Sandy expects the best of everything and for others to bend over backwards for her at the drop of a hat. She lives for cheerleading and socializing, wearing expensive designer-name-brand clothing. What kind of a life is that, carving out a personality through someone else's name just to be popular? Man, am I glad I'm out of high school. Damn pretentious times.

Looking back, I am now GLAD of the way I turned out.

Which reminds me, I should think of New Year's resolutions. That, and I'm gonna go take a nap. (I pigged out at Grandma's. I'm now a touch sleepy and full.)

Merry Christmas to all!