I didn’t realize year’s end approached so quickly. New Year’s Eve hadn’t entered my consciousness until I noticed the NFL cancelled “Monday Night Football” because of the holiday. Oh well. Tomorrow I’ll write some proper year-end notes. Tonight I’ll stick to the journal.

Last night I took T and S to the local high school basketball game. We hung out near the visitors’ side, since my friend C was in attendance, and his brother played for our opponent, but I would rather be on the visitors’ side anyway. Too many people from the schools know me and look at me (I perceive) as if I’m slightly off-kilter. Notice I said I was in the high school. Maybe the high school drama rubs off on the adults as well. The boys watched the game and raided the concession stand while C and I talked. I cut out with the boys by about 6:15. N was asleep by the time we arrived home. M and T hit a party down the street. S begged off so he could watch the Patriots game. We had a great time together, especially in the second half, and we were so wired when the game ended we couldn’t get to sleep. S read comics and I read some Greek plays until about 10. I didn’t sleep well and woke by seven. M said she was up all night, like me, so I let her sleep until about eleven. The boys watched old “Underdog” episodes and played Wii while I cleaned and worked out on the elliptical. Brief sidebar…I watched Samantha Brown’s Barcelona episode while knocking out 30 minutes on the elliptical. Rarely do I want to visit, right off the bat, someplace Ms. Brown visits, but Barcelona looks cool.

After a shower I started the laundry and settled onto the couch for more football. Within a few minutes I conceded the remote to S because none of the games seemed very interesting. Instead of watching I hit Costco and the supermarket. When I returned home I made burritos. My burrito folding technique sucks. Burritos, however, might be the perfect food. Later, after M and the boys went sledding with half the neighborhood, I took a bath and read “Jane Eyre.” Once dry I continued with the book under the covers in my room and knocked out over sixty pages through early evening. S and I watched the football highlights. N fell asleep on my lap. I made a special point of reading with T in his room. He and I don’t get to hang out, just the two of us, enough.

The house is quiet now. I’m not sure what to do. Maybe I’ll make tea and pray. Good night.