Dear Diary,

It is our last day at the station before our holiday break. The show today was our Christmas extravaganza, which means not much planned for the show…so, we asked people to call in with requests, shout-outs or any other holiday items.

I have not packed yet, that is on my list. I need to get in to the Florida mind-set. Unfortunately, my legs are amazingly pale and I don’t think anyone needs to see that.

I keep having dreams about my sister. I think I feel guilty it is the holiday season and we still haven’t spoken. However, my mind has not changed. All in good time, I guess.

I am so excited to see Heather and Allison. I haven’t seen Allison since the wedding in February. Which reminds me, this is our first Christmas as a married couple. Part of me wishes we had gotten a tree to decorate, but it was one of those things we never got to. We will definitely do it next year, perhaps in a place we will enjoy living more.

Have a very merry Christmas and a wonderful new year,

Dear Diary,

This weekend was awesome. On Friday, we checked out this bar I have been hearing about. It is called McTeague’s Saloon and it is on Polk. What a great place with a cool vibe. I loved the jukebox. I could have spent all night there.

Saturday, we cleaned the house. We are saving some dough doing it ourselves. Plus, with the two of us it doesn’t take that long. After that we hit the gym. I wish I was a little more fit before seeing friends down south. I will be popping in to Simply Beautiful today to do some wrapping away of the impurities. There are a lot of impurities around this time of year.

We had such a great time in Napa yesterday. So many people came out, the crowd was huge. It was overwhelming. I can’t wait to get the final numbers for the amount we raised for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. Gap Outlet and Banana Republic Factory Stores are giving a portion of the entire day’s sales.

We are going to do a nice quiet Christmas Eve dinner at home. We were going to go out, but we have decided to cook instead. I mean, Jeff will cook instead.

Talk to you tomorrow,

Dear Diary,

I was talking to Jeff last night, we both agreed that this has been the longest week ever. In fact, I have talked to a couple of people who feel the same way. I am sure it is because we are all working on last minute things and excited for holiday break.

Jeff and his co-workers are only working a half day today and then they are going to volunteer in the afternoon. Their company isn’t doing a holiday party either, so they are going for pizza after the volunteer. I think that is a great idea.

Ken, Eddie and I are going to have lunch today. In lieu of giving gifts, we are going to eat and have drinks. We are trying a new place today. It is called McTeague’s and it is a country joint in the city. It sounds like fun.

I wrapped Jeff’s presents yesterday. I love doing that. It is one of the holiday traditions that gets me in the spirit. My dad used to pay me to wrap presents for him when I was a kid. He wasn’t very good at it and I loved it. I’m glad we get to spend Christmas together.

Talk to you tomorrow,

Dear Diary,

I think I have come over the hump. I went to lunch yesterday with Ken and Eddie. I think I really needed some fun, relaxed time with pals. We had some food, some drinks and some laughs. And even though nothing has changed with our financial issues, we still don’t know who will rent our townhome….or whether or not any jobs are safe…sometimes, you just need to kick back with friends and be thankful for what you do have.

I saw my friend, Alex, after lunch. He is not only my pal, but my hair artist. While he processed my roots we got caught up. He is headed to Mexico for the holidays. I am so jealous. Jeff and I want to go back there for our one-year anniversary…but it doesn’t look like it is in the cards…meaning, it is not in the bank account.

I am excited our event in Napa this weekend. Not only are we blowing out prizes every 60 seconds, but Gap outlet is going to have some huge deals. Plus, 5% of all the sales from that day will go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. We will be out there at 1PM, so I hope the weather is nice.

Today, we are having an ugly holiday sweater party. I don’t have a sweater, so I am wearing my ‘Jingletini’ shirt. That works.

Talk to you tomorrow,

Dear Diary,

I am so happy Jeff is feeling better. I hate it when he is sick. He was back to his old self yesterday. He even cooked us dinner. What a doll.

One of our potential renters went to check out our townhome in Minnesota last night. She said she and her fiance have to talk it over and they will let us know. I am keeping my fingers crossed, however, they can’t move in until March. That is going to make a tight couple of months.

Eddie and I went to grab lunch yesterday. It was so crowded. Everyone was having holiday parties. That kind of atmosphere gets me in the mood for the holidays.

I made an appointment to get my roots done. Gotta look half-way decent before I head to my homeland of Florida. Although, I don’t think roots stand out too much down there:)

This week is going by very slowly. I feel like a kid before Christmas, waiting for Winter break. I am excited to have some time off with Jeff.

Talk to you tomorrow,

Dear Diary,

Jeff came down with a nasty flu bug Sunday night and it knocked him on his butt Monday. He was so weak, he could barely walk from the bathroom to the living room. His nail beds were blue. I felt so bad for him. He hates being sick. At least it is this week and not next week for Christmas.

I bought my last gift yesterday, so my holiday shopping is complete. One thing that gets me feeling Christmas-y is wrapping presents. However, I don’t want to do that since we are traveling. Can’t security at the airport unwrap them? Jeff and I will exchange our gifts before we go, though. So I get to wrap his at least.

The weather this week has been a doozy so far. It has been cold and rainy. It’s nice, it washes the urine off of the city streets.

I am somewhat frustrated with our tenants in MN. They are out at the end of the month…pretty much leaving us in the lurch. So, I am trying to get potential new renters in to see the property, and the current ones won’t answer the phone. Hello…we need to get this place rented…this economy stinks.

Happy holidays.

Talk to you tomorrow,

Dear Diary,

I think I might have finally felt some Christmas spirit this weekend. I finished up my shopping for everyone. That is a nice feeling. I even figured out what to get Jeff.

Jeff and I had a great weekend together and I was sorry it was over so quickly. We baked cookies, watched holiday movies and just relaxed. The weather rainy and cold, so it was a perfect time to stay inside.

Jeff was very patient with my fascination with Fa-la-la-Lifetime movies. They are so bad, they are good.

I feel like a kid who is ready for Christmas break. I am excited to see my dad and step-mom  for the holidays. I get to see my girls, Heather and Allison in Florida. It is going to be fun. Only one more week to go.

Talk to you tomorrow,

Dear Diary,

I am so happy it is Friday. I had a doctor’s appt. yesterday. It was one of those yearly ones. Everything went smoothly…well, as smooth as it can go when someone is looking at you intimately and this is the first time you have met. That is one thing about moving to a new city…having your first doctor’s appt. She was very nice and reassuring.

I asked her about testing for the breast cancer gene. Since this test has become available, it seems the logical thing to do since two women in my immediate family have passed away from breast cancer. My doc gave me a referral and I have decided to take the next  step. I will make any huge decisions later.

An article about the morning show is coming out this weekend. It will be in the Pink Pages of the Chronicle on Sunday. Ben Fong Torres came in to the studio to interview us. I hope he liked what he heard. I am excited to read it…good or bad.

This weekend should be laid-back. Jeff and I are going to check out some rental properties. Even though we can’t get out of our lease early, we can still see what is out there and fits our tastes.

Talk to you tomorrow,

Dear Diary,

Yesterday, I awoke with the most awful nauseous feeling. I haven’t felt like that since high school when I was getting a pre-ulcer. That had something to do the with parents splitting up. I am on a steady diet of Prilosec to regulate it, but I guess I hit a spike this week. I have a tendency to internalize and with the way things have been going, I am not surprised.

The meeting with our landlords was fun and they are both amazing people. However, it doesn’t look like we will be getting out of our lease early. The apology from the garage nut-ball was a joke and the president of the board at the apartment seems to be holding a grudge. Jeff and I have just decided to use the time to look for a better neighborhood, screen the other tenants better and make sure the next place we go, we are absolutely sure of and not rushed.

The holiday show was a smashing success. We got to meet so many people from all over the bay area. I had so much fun and the night was over in a flash. Gretchen Wilson was exactly as I had imagined, Bucky Covington was amazingly nice…or was that his twin brother Rocky? You can’t tell them apart and they were both walking around. I was very happy with the whole event.

We have gotten some nibbles on our townhome back in Minneapolis. There are a couple of people interested. Our fabulous friend, Mark the cop, is going to do us a huge favor and interview the potential tenants. I asked if he would wear his uniform….LOL.

Talk to you tomorrow,

Dear Diary,

It seems to be the over-whelming consensus from our friends and family that we should do whatever possible to get out of our apartment complex. I do not look forward to moving again, but I don’t think it is healthy to have this impending sense of dread whenever I head towards my home.

Jeff and I were talking last night. It has been one interesting speed-bump after another. I truly love living here, but it has never been this hard for me to acclimate to a new city. It’s the little things that wear on you. This apartment issue is one thing after another. When you go home, you want to feel like it is your sanctuary and a place to relax.

Our landlords sent the crazy, parking manager an e-mail asking her to apologize. That is very nice of them but to be honest, Jeff and I don’t care if she apologizes. The damage is done. As long as she is employed there, we will never know what crazy thing to expect next.

Alright, enough complaining. Onwards and upwards…whatever that means. There are some wonderful things to look forward to…like the holiday show tomorrow night:)

Talk to you tomorrow,