Dear Grandma,
It's Christmas Eve today and if the week hands me one more challenge I might possibly have to light something on fire. Don't worry though, that's a pretty common threat from me and I have yet to follow through. I've had so many frusterations with work this week I am going to bypass the subject completely. It would be a waste of time and it will only make me have to talk about it more. I have the blues and I knew I would. It's the first Christmas I have missed with my family since I have lived in Omaha, not that it will be "missed" just delayed. The traditions of Christmas Eve on Mary street are some of my favorites of all the year. I wish I was back home, having supper, going to church, opening presents - but I wll be here, nuring my sick kidneys and babysitting my pager all while anticipating the "bad" weather. I put that in quotations because some of these Nebraskans are whack jobs when it comes to weather and like dad said earlier this week "They panic and we South Dakotans get a six pack, put in a beatles cd and try to get the car stuck."

I wish I had more positive things to say this time around. I'm just really bummed and frusterated. The scare I had with my kidneys this morning has me paranoid and having the PA tell me that they would be concerned about cancer if I were a 60 year old overweight smoker. I know I'm not, but if there is one word that I would prefer never hear it's that one.

That being said, it's Christmas. I'm lucky to have a wonderful family, great friends. Christmas is when you make it and I am certainly looking foward to hitting the interstate on Wednesday to head home to celebrate the holidays with my family. It's just hard to watch everyone around here doing just that. I am thankful though, and I definitely shouldn't complain.

On the bright side I thought of somehting. This year I can spend Christmas with you. Because this year nobody can take that from me. So I'll see you on my couch this evening for a stack of Red Box movies.

Love you
Merry Christmas
Kristen