Why is it every time I have a day off I'm wide awake at 5:30 in the morning?  Really?  Why!?!  I could sleep in until noon if I wanted to BUT NO...I'm up early with nothing to do.  Tomorrow we have to be at the airport at 5:30 am.  Do you think I'm going to wake up that early tomorrow and be this wide awake????  Nope, of course not, I'm going to have to dragging my butt out of bed.

So here is the itinerary for our next week.  I came up with some, I think clever, titles for each day.  I based it on songs.

December 24, 2011 — “Leaving on a Jet Plane” to Las Vegas (Peter, Paul and Mary)
In 1 day, 6 hours and roughly 21 minutes I'll be sitting down to an In-N-Out Burger, sinking my teeth in the best burgers around. I know that Dylan thinks my countdown to In-N-Out Burger is weird but its one of things I look forward to on our many trips to Vegas.  My plan for tomorrow is 7am flight to Vegas, rent the car, drive to Hoover Dam to check out the new engineering marvel, the bypass bridge and than back to Vegas to In-N-Out of burger. After that I don't care what we do.

December 25, 2011 — Christmas in “Pahrump a pum pum” (from Little Drummer Boy)
I also look forward to seeing family again.  We are spending Christmas Day with the Wards in Pahrump a pum pum...ha ha I love that name, it always reminds me of The Little Drummer Boy.  Only seems fitting to be there on Christmas.

December 26, 2011 — “Going to California” (Led Zeppelin)

We are driving to California the day after Christmas. We are heading to LA to see my cousin Steve and his family.  I haven't seen them since 2000.  Ironically, the Badgers were in the Rose Bowl that year too.

December 27, 2011 — “Happy Birthday” Kim (general)

What are we going to do for my birthday?? I'm not sure. Maybe Eric will buy me something Rodeo Dr.?  Ya right.

December 28, 2011 — Driving down the “Pacific Coast Highway” (The Mamas & the Papas)

Leaving LA we head down the Pacific Coast Highway to San Diego. We are meeting my cousin Bev at the Safari Park.

December 29, 2011 — Do You Wanna, “Tijuana Taxi” (Glenn Miller)

Early morning wake up call for our trip south of the border to Tijuana.  Mom said she has never been to Mexico and being we are so close we are taking there on a tour from San Diego.  I know it is really Mexico but ha it works.  After we get back the plan is for a cruise of the harbor.

December 30, 2011 — Back to “Sin City” (AC/DC)
Back to Sin City we go to meet my cousin Jerry and his family.   

I think the trip will be fun.  Hopefully all goes well.  My goal is to blog each day.  We will see if that actually happens. :-)

Enjoy this playlist from my Share the Warmth Concert. It will play the whole concert.

Danielle, Mom and Dylan
at the Holidazzle Parade

As I wait for my website to publish pictures, I decided to reflect on this past weekend up to this point.  It has been a great weekend.  My family came up yesterday for the Holidazzle parade in downtown Minneapolis.  We went out for a great dinner first with Greg and Celeste.  After the parade we went back to the hotel and swam for a while and than played some cards and ate pizza in the room.    We played the card game "31."  I haven't played that game in like 10 years.  It was one of my grandma's favorite games.  I was the first one knocked out. :(

This morning, after church, we opened gifts.  We drew names this year.  Nancy had me and I got my glass and metal 9x9 square pans and a DVD.  Dylan had Eric's name and he got all three Revenge of the Nerds, a gift card to Kwik Trip and candy.  I had Nancy's Greg and Eric had my mom.  Mom really LOVES her gift.  Eric insisted  we get her a digital photo frame.  I loaded it with about 200 pictures.  So when she opened it, I plugged it in and let the slide show begin.  She was very happy...Eric is so smart!

Soon we will have lunch with Greg and Celeste and at 2pm is my Share the Warmth Concert.  I'm very happy that Mom, Mike, Danielle and Eric are coming to see me perform.  It has been a great weekend.  I love these happy times with family.

Happy December!
Mother Nature didn't waste anytime sending us the cold weather.  I read that it is suppose to be 4 degrees tomorrow morning.  Yes!  I love it.  Well not really but I tolerate it.  I was thinking about this the other day. The first couple weeks of cold weather, all I want to do is move south.  But after that I look forward to walking outside after work into the crispy, clear, cold air. Its so refreshing.  It also means that the ice rinks will be open soon and of course Christmas is around the corner.

Speaking of Christmas...I didn't realize there were so many Christmas movies/shows.  Every night its something different on the TV and they all seem to have same theme.  Evil Santas, Injured Santas, Comatose Santas, Drunk Santas  and Sappy Love Stories...blah, blah, blah how many Christmas movies can one take before they want to scream?  Oh, and Eric has to watch all of them.

Next weekend is my family Christmas.  They are all coming up here.  A weekend of fun and family. Holidazzle Parade, dinner, my concert, Very excited!

Only 17 days to Christmas but we will be opening presents before that.  All my presents are bought, wrapped and under the tree.  Eric still hasn't bought his presents yet.  Procrastinator!!!! 

16 days, 11 hours, 24 minutes until our vacation.  SO EXCITED!!!