Happy New Year to one and all!
It's been about a week since I updated this, so let's dive right in, shall we?
Christmas with Julia was absolutely tremendous. We had SUCH a good time and it was fantastic having her on the actual Christmas Day this year. I got some great pictures and she got some wonderful gifts from Santa Claus. She LOVED the Cinderella table and chairs set and it was such a great day. On Christmas Eve we baked cookies and wrote letters to Santa and the kid is just so downright adorable. And she provided me with a moment in which I will never forget:
On Christmas morning, she came down the steps and ran over to the gifts, so excited. She checked to see if Santa ate the cookies and milk, which he did, and she was getting ready to open her gifts. She tore through the little gifts in her stocking, and at this point I ran into the kitchen to get something to drink for the both of us. So I get back and sit down by her, and she looks at her big pile and then at my little pile, back at her pile and then again at mine. Then she proceeds to bend down, pick up a few gifts, and come over to me and say "Here Daddy, I want to share my Christmas gifts with you." It totally blew me away and I got tears in my eyes as it was so precious and genuine. Thinking about it afterwards, I must admit that it is the nicest thing another human being has ever done for me. What a blessed child I have. I love her SO much.
My ex-wife can be such a bitch sometimes. She really hurt my feelings on Christmas. I, no matter what holiday, always make it a big deal that Julia and I buy a present for Mommy, wrap it, buy and sign a card, ya know, the whole nine yards. This year I got Julia's mom a beautiful windchime, cost be about 27 dollars. On Christmas Eve, Julia and I wrapped it, I had Julia write out the card herself, the whole deal. So, I pull up to her house on Christmas afternoon and I tell Julia to give her mom the gift and the card and a big Christmas hug. So she does. My ex-wife turns to me and goes 'Thanks!'. And then walks in the house.
Yeah, nothing. Not a gift from Julia or even a card. I actually stood there for a few seconds kinda just unable to move. It fucking HURT. In thinking about it, I know exactly what is going on. Just as she quickly replaced me as a husband, she is now trying to replace me as Julia's dad with her new husband. The husband thing I can give a fuck about, but she'll never replace me as Julia's dad, no way. My exwife wouldn't give a fuck if I was dead, and to be brutally honest, she probably would prefer if that were indeed the case. Fuck that bitch. She's just as cold hearted to others as she was in bed. Still, it won't stop me from still buying her gifts from Julia and having Julia make/sign her cards. I want to raise my daughter the correct way and will continue to do so. I bet you a thousand dollars that my exwife got something for her new husband from Julia, but not me. Oh well. Again, fuck that cold bitch.
Ya know, Ben Folds is a great piano player, but my God does he have a terrible voice. Someone needs to take the vice off of his balls because he sounds like a whiny little bitch. Awful.
New Years weekend as a lot of fun with Lori and Mary. Friday night I went out with Tina which was a lot of fun, and Saturday I met up with Lori and Mary and her two friends to watch the Penn State game (yes!) and to see my friend's band, who are just absolutely tremendous. An awesome time was had by all, in fact, I had a lot of fun. New Years I went to Lori and Marys for a big party and had a great time. Lori and I kissed for New Years, nothing crazy hot like super tongues or anything, but still it was nice. We also went out to lunch on Christmas Eve. We'll see where all that is headed but who knows. Anyway, good times!
Football season, at least in my mind, is over. We all went up to the bar to watch the games for the last time this year on Sunday, and it was cool. I cannot believe that the Eagles are going home. A difficult year, at best. Well, we'll be back. Speaking of sports, wasn't the Winter Classic cool as fuck? Can't wait to get the Flyers back roaring again and am making plans for a trip down to Clearwater for Spring Training. My trips this year include Spring Training, New York (possibly twice), and Kansas City. Should be a good year for travel. Last year, let's see, I went home three times, Tampa a bunch, Vegas with Marilyn, and I think that's about it. Maybe one day I will tell you all the story about me and Marilyn in the Vegas airport, but I just don't feel like talking about it right now.
I have been on a MAJOR cleaning spree and have kicked so much ass in my house it hasn't been funny. I took down the tree and in doing so wanted to clean a bunch of shit, so I drug out all the old bins of my stuff from the closet to sort out all that crap that was in there from my old house. Wellllllll, I got 6 bins down to two, and got rid of so much crap I didn't want anymore. I came across so many cool things, a lot of things I forgotten about. Things that my grandfather gave me, my high school class ring, a cool zippo lighter, my Phillies replica Championship ring, all kinds of old photos and negatives, all kinds of shit. It felt GREAT to get rid of all that crap and now stuff can actually fit in the closet, like Julia's bike. I took 9 - NINE! - tubs/bags of garbage to the dumpster last night. Really, it didn't make much of a difference in places you can see, but the closet is so much cleaner and accessible, stuff is much much more organized, and it just fels good to have cleaned so much and gotten rid of a bunch of crap I don't want anymore. The living room is the last thing to clean as I already scrubbed my bathroom with Clorox so that is done, my bedroom and Julia's bedroom are finished, and so is the kitchen. Almost done!
Sara and I are doing just fine. She is visiting in January and everything is cool, but however, this really isn't even a real relationship. This long-distance stuff is for the birds, it really is. I don't like it one bit. She's a great girl and all, extremely filthy which is awesome, adores me and respects me which is even better, but who knows. I'm not trying to think about it too much.
Oh -- great news -- my mom called and my brother Stevie was granted his disability. That is bigtime news for my family and I am so happy for him. Also, my dad's parents actually gave him their truck (I know, I couldn't believe it either), and they also got their mortgage reduced with a lower rate. They are off to a good 2008 and I told them that this is going to be a great year for them. And me.
Yes, I am trying to think very positive that 2008 will be a great year for me. You have to think positive to allow positive things to happen to you. I look forward to a great year with my daughter, I look forward to a few special trips, and just look forward to another year of growth. I think I am doing pretty goddamn good if I do say so myself.
May you all have a blessed 2008 and may all your dreams come true in this upcoming year.
Remember: Relationships are like glass. Sometimes it's better to leave them broken then hurt yourself by trying to put it back together.
