Here I’m sitting in a very non-Christmas swing. No tree, no gifts, no Jesus, no Santa, no Magi. And, thank fucking Christ, no snow.

Instead, we’re gearing up for the upcoming trip to the other side of the planet. I’m making that sound dramatic, but it’s kind of nice and quiet. I’m digging it well enough. Although it is disconcerting. It’s a little strange to know that the folks with whom you spent a thousand twenty, or I guess in my case more like 45 Christmases, are all assembling without you.

Actually, for Christmas Eve they were down at least one besides me. My sister was planning to bail on the whole holiday thing, why, I’m not sure, but as of this morning she’s booked on a plane for tomorrow. In Dickensian style, I think I may have been her Tiny Tim. Of course, my style was less generous, caring orphan and more bitch, but you gots to use the tools nature gave you, and mine is bitchy observation. Glad to have helped.

The irony is that I was headed off to the circus, well, the Cirque of the Soleil kind, rather than midnight mass. It was pretty damn good. Our evening was then capped with a rather tasty Angus ribeye for two. We went for the beef because of the certainty that somewhere in Braintree my own family had enjoyed some cow earlier this very day.

Once, I had thought of something interesting to write tonight. It’s gone now.

My week barely ended with piles of work and frantic last minute struggling to close up shop and safely leave town secure in the knowledge that I would still have work to which I could return. Miracle of Christmas miracles, as the work day ended, I not only secured a haircut appointment thanks to a confluence of luck and other people’s cancellations, but I also squeaked out some Ambien for the flight. Better living through chemistry.

I’m ambivalent about taking drugs to fly. But, I’m more certain about how much I don’t as a rule sleep on planes and consequently get my ass sorely kicked by lack of sleep and jet lag on the long haul flights. The first flight to Hong Kong is about 15 hours of cramped boredom. The second jaunt is a mere 4 more hours. With luck and drugs we’ll arrive well rested in time for lunch in Kuala Lumpur.

Wish I had a good ending to this ramble…

Tomorrow the holiday. So maybe there’ll be more.

Technorati Tags: Asia, California, family, holidays, tired, travel