I should mention that my much anticipated vacation did NOT NOT NOT turn out the way I wanted. I ended up with the WORST case of strep throat I have ever had in my life. I'm talking "sweet Jesus take me now" strep throat. It was like a combination of flu, with the body aches and horrid pain, and strep with the devil beating a little drum on the back of your tonsils kind of bad.

At any rate, I made my way to the doctor and got some antibiotics and slowly started to get better. BUT not before enduring two weeks of chest pains and heart palpitations which I have since discovered are the result of a thyroid medication overdose. Yes. Good times.

I'm telling you, I don't think I've ever been so nervous in my life. Not even when I had cancer. There is something about your heart doing oddball things that will make even the most calm person want to crawl out of their skin. AYE.

Anyway, it was scary and awful, but I'm okay now. I stopped taking all drugs completely for a few weeks and am slowly re-introducing them into my system and I am okay. I just had these visions of never being able to run again, which quite honestly was devastating for me. I really truly love being able to run and work out and the thought of not being able to do that because I felt like my heart was coming out of my chest was really sad.

Indicentally, when you are having chest pains and the like, it is quite easy to begin having panic attacks, which I have dealt with for almost all of my life. Knowing that I'm having a panic attack is half the battle. I just concentrate on getting through it and knowing I'm NOT going to fall over dead. But it is frightening, nonetheless.

anyway.

And now I have two more days off before I have to go back to work. John & I got impatient and opened presents yesterday :) It's good to be a grown up. I got cooking school (yay) and I'm going to take the Indian cooking class, snowboard bindings, a cute apron, and some kitchen stuff.

My uncle is in town from Texas, and his birthday was yesterday. After dinner we all went back to my parents house and spent a couple hours just laughing our faces off and chatting. And I have to say, it's really nice to sit at the grown-up table. :) I am surrounded by a family of funny, charming, amazing people. And a few that are crazy, but we love them anyway. :)

Merry Christmas everyone. :)

XOXO Ally