There’s a particular whiplash that hits when you come home after a trip: you go from airports and schedules and “holiday mode” straight back into your own driveway, your own couch, your own to-do list—like the universe flipping a light switch.
This year the landing was actually…good. Quiet, a little nerdy, a little cozy. The kind of post-Christmas decompression I always think I want, and then forget to actually allow myself.
Dec 27: Rob’s House-Sitting Wrap-up
Rob had been holding down the fort while I was gone, so my first night back was basically: re-entry + catching up + tinkering.
We did what we always do when we’re left unattended:
- a little AI poking and prodding
- a little web project noodling
- a lot of “wait—what if we try this”
And somewhere in there I started the gift-wrapping marathon, because that’s the part of Christmas I never do early enough. I wrapped, re-wrapped, hunted for tape, lost scissors, found scissors, and swore at at least one piece of paper that refused to behave.
(Also: yes, there was a side quest in the mix… but that’s a story for the next post.)
Dec 28: Jason’s Christmas
The next day was the real heart of it: driving over to see Jason; getting there before he got home from work so I could stuff the stockings, dropping off the wrapped gifts, and let the holiday finally become what it’s supposed to be—simple and close-range.
We settled into an evening that felt like it had been engineered specifically for us:
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (vintage cool, perfect background mood: sharp suits, sharp dialogue, sharp corners)
- Lasagna (the correct winter food)
- Wine (A Spanish Grenache: the correct winter companion)
Then we did the best part: opening presents—slow, no rush, with time to actually look at things and laugh at the choices and appreciate the weird specificity of knowing someone well.
I’ll spare you the full inventory list here (I can already hear the internet yawning), but I will say this: the Hot Wheels situation escalated quickly, and I regret nothing.
To be continued…
This post is the quiet, domestic middle chapter: the landing, the catching up, the “home” part of the holiday. The next one is where I get a little more obsessive—because New Year’s Eve deserves something properly curated!
I’m glad you had a safe trip, and the decompression time is essential. It looks like you had a lovely continuation of your holiday and received some cool things! It certainly sounds better than being stranded at an airport and having to go to work the next day!