Tuesday, January 6, 2009

home (and home again) for the holidays

despite the travel annoyances that led to my trip home being extended (not to mention approximately 10 hours of driving to and from the airport for my parents), i was really, really glad to be home for so long. it was, in fact, the longest i have been at home for probably years, and since i didn't make it home last christmas, it was especially nice.

my family has never made too big a deal out of christmas, but we do have a few traditions. one is watching "love actually" on christmas eve. (this year, or i guess i should say last year, we watched it on the 27th, but same diff.) also, my mom always makes this breakfast, which i love with all my heart.





the big highlight of the holidays this year was a trip to aspen for new year's, because sometimes we are just fancy like that.



if you are planning on visiting aspen, i recommend you invest in a large, ostentatious cubic zirconia ring, with the stone being at least the size of your eye ball. you should wear this at all times, even if you are skiing or going to the grocery store. everyone else's (elses'?) rings will have real diamonds, but if no one looks closely, a little cz will help you fit in.

the big highlight of the aspen trip was an entirely decadent and heavenly christmas present in the form of a half-day at the spa. we are talking full body exfoliation, hot oil massage, deep scalp treatment, hot packs, hand and foot massages, facial... the works. plus lots of lounging around in the steam room. and, as if it could get any better, i didn't have to wear clothes for any of it! like i said, decadent and heavenly. when it was all done i was so relaxed i literally could not stand up. my "technician" had to get me a drink of juice with extra electrolytes. now that's being relaxed. you know?

the lowlight of the aspen trip was a bomb scare that shut down the whole commercial core (aka: downtown aspen) on new year's eve. it was pretty wild. all the people staying in those swanky condos at the foot of the ski mountain had to spend the night in the high school gymnasium. (that may or may not have included paris hilton. we haven't been able to determine one way or the other.) all the restaurants and hotels and private clubs (including the famous caribou club, where our eccentric "homes of the rich and famous" tour guide, elizabeth, had invited me to join her) were shut down. so we rang in the new year with hot dogs, frozen cheesecake, "the bourne ultimatum" and carson daly in our non-swanky but also non-bomb-threatened, out-of-the-core condo. since the real highlight of the trip was being with these people, it didn't really matter what we did.




i rounded out my extra days with first-time viewings of the old "indiana jones" movies, a trip to target, that favorite suburban mecca, dinner with some of my most favorite denver friends, steve and sarah, and copious use of the "that's what she said" joke. as in, "this could last all night." "that's what she said." or, "i hate it when they pop up." "that's what she said." and, in case you were wondering, the answer is no, that joke never gets old.

5 comments:

Joelle said...

Sounds like a woderful trip.

Anonymous said...

OK, all of you Frances blogophiles, time for a contest. Given the less-than-stellar (but in the end beneficial for the Johnson family) performance of Delta Airlines, I think that, using Delta as a acronym, we should come up with what it means. Permit me to give you a few examples, just so you know how the contest works:

Sabena (the old Belgian airline) means Such A Bad Experience Never Again

Alitalia (the old Italian airline) means Always Late In Take-off And Late In Arrival

British Airways means Bloody Awful

You get the point.

Here is my entry for Delta: Don't Ever Like This Airline

Let the fun begin

steve said...

at first blush-

Dung Everywhere - Less Than Average

Driving Every Last Traveler Away

Disastrous Experiences - Labyrinth [0f] Total Apathy

Disturbingly Evil, Like Total A**holes

I know I cheated with the "of". I'll waste my day at work thinking of more.

Your Mom said...

I feel less bad for the rash of 'that's what she said' jokes I've been relying on comedically, lately. thanks.

Anonymous said...

Steve -- "Driving Every Last Traveler Away" is the best. You can't improve on such perfection. Well done.
-Amy