The Biggest Shopping Day of the Year

I've gone from 'Let's JUST EAT' to 'I'm Never eating again!'

There was a promise that I would show the after of the roast beef, but it was devoured before any cameras could be whipped out. Yummamente! Everything was delicious and the company was delightful. Frieda's family is so outgoing and appreciative, and we had so many laughs. It was a perfect day.


The night however was restless. After a few coffees with Bailey's, we switched to straight Bailey's and you know where this is heading.
I decided that we needed music in the bedroom, along with zillions of candles. So I brought up my boombox****, (it's red and matches my new Tommy Hilfiger red down comforter) the remote control, and the Andrea Bocelli Romanza cd. Good music to lie and bed and commune to.
Adults only moment...
Afterward, we blew out the candles, and without my glasses I tried to turn off the boombox from the remote. I hit every button several times before discovering I was holding it upside down. Finally I got the thing right and it went silent.
At precisely Midnight, the boombox lit up and began to play the Bocelli! I leapt out of bed and again pushed every button until it went dark and silent. At that point I realized that my head was gigantic and pounding, so I went for water.
Big gulps of head-clearing water and back under the covers.
While I was out, Jet the pet found his way in and set up camp between Dave and me.
Minutes later, head still pounding, I felt an urgent need of a haircut. (reference: NPR's Car Talk; Tom and Ray Magliozzi; euphemism for needing a bathroom break).
Returning to bed I was lulled by the gentle zzzz's emitting from Dave and the rhythmic purring from Jet. Regular breathing became snoring and tossing and turning soon followed, arousing Jet who preceded to jump on my lower abdomen, resulting in another urgent haircut.
I remembered that I left a bottle of ibuprophen in the bathroom and finding it in the dark was simple. Opening it was not. Eventually I downed the necessary two with great swallows of water, followed moments later by another haircut trip.
Back in bed, Dave is whistling and gurgling . Experience has taught me that the only way I will ever be able to get back to sleep is to get him a drink of water...
I do.
He stops.
I sleep.
Another haircut.

OK, so it's 5am and time for Dave to get up and go to work. Jet agrees that the night is over, and I should get out of bed too and let Popeye out. Jet is deaf and his compensating meow is so loud that we worry the neighbors will complain. Popeye refuses to ask for anything for himself, he's from Minnesota, and relies on Jet to articulate his needs. Fifteen meows and I'm outta bed, holding the front door open wide and the dumb cat just stands there, waiting and sniffing
while the cold wintry air floats over my bare feet.
I surrender.

That's it for me. I'm awake and ready to face the busiest shopping day of the year.

****http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00008W7LF/ref=e_de_a_smp/102-7107026-1006521?v=glance&s=electronics&vi=pictures&img=14#more-pictures