I need some Christmas spirit. Yes, it's just now December, but I feel like I'm missing out on the holidays and if I'm careful, they'll pass right by without me even noticing. This was my first Thanksgiving not in Ohio and it was just weird. I've always flown back to Ohio for Thanksgiving to be with family and friends. We relax at home, play games as a family, have the Farmer family over for dinner and just laugh a lot. And I get to spend time with favorite high school friends. And it's colder and holiday-like.

Being in California for Thanksgiving was different because of the weather, but also because it was a change in tradition. We didn't spend the day with the Farmers and we didn't have a nice casual intimate dinner. We were lucky enough to be with our family friends out here, but it was a much bigger more elaborate deal than I'm used to...and I missed out on seeing my best friends and, more importantly, the birth of little Calleigh McCane. Oh I was so sad Wednesday and Thursday of last week.

Now I'm craving just a little bit of the holiday spirit. I will be going with my family to Mexico on vacation for Christmas, so I won't get that warm homey feeling then, either. I get to visit Ohio next weekend and get a little taste of home, but other than that I will have to get to work here bringing the holidays into our apartment. I started with some Christmas lights around the TV to make me feel better.

Perhaps I will convince my roommate to come with me and actually go out and buy a real tree for the first time since I was about 10.