Many thanks to BJ for the idea and for organizing the effort.

For those in the family who weren’t able to go, here’s some video of the surprise. If you can’t see the video below, you can view it on YouTube.

[video http://www.avelinomaestas.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/HPIM1589.mpg nolink]

Anyhoo, considering the incredibly positive experiences I’ve had with my Mac in the past, I was of course disappointed in the Leopard upgrade, but I’m up and running and everything is working fine now.

I’ll be heading to New Mexico in the morning, pausing at the El Paso airport while my dad drops off my sister and picks me up. I’ll try to get some blogging done while there, but, either way, Merry Christmas!

8) Christmas Eve midnight Mass in Spanish with the overpowering scent of frankincense filling up the overly warm church. Pure torture for a small child, but oh how I’d belt out the carols… And when we came home we could pick one present and open it. Gah! The torture of picking just one!

All I can say is that this list applies for my family almost to a tee — the only major differences being location-based (we never went to Old Town for shopping, since we were in Silver City and all). Also, my mom, sister and I would always go looking for a Christmas tree. We’d head to the Gila National Forest near Pinos Altos or around Bear Mountain.

And we’d spend hours searching and searching. And Aislinn and I would fight, eventually split up, and head off in search of the perfect tree. And, finally, we’d settle on a tree (sometimes after tears had been shed).

Now, cutting it down and getting back to the car was an entirely different story: one year, I used the saw on my Leatherman tool.

I’ll actually be home for Christmas this year. More specifically, I’ll arrive on Christmas, stopping to say hello to my sister at the airport in El Paso as she hops on a plane to come back to D.C. My poor dad, who gets to do all the driving.

I joined my mom and sister for a production of The Nutcracker this evening, my first real trip to the ballet.  The performance had a bit of a Washington D.C. spin (it was set in 1882 Georgetown) and incorporated not a small amount of Americana (Katchina dolls, the Western frontier, Frederick Douglass).

And former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner played a guest role as The Ambassador.

The performance was the first time on-stage for a seven-year-old girl (Isabelle Johnston), who’s father is a Marine serving in Iraq. Since her pops was going to otherwise miss the show, the production was taped, and will be broadcast for armed forces personnel throughout the world.

Me: Listen, I don’t think I’m going to be able to make it in this week
Boss: Oh, no? What’s the problem?
Me: Well, I think I’ve caught a vacation.
Boss: I’m sorry, come again?
Me: Well, my mom’s got this week off from work, she’s going to be spending it relaxing mostly. I think she gave it to me. She seemed pretty contagious.

For some reason, I don’t think that will fly.