My butt is now shaped like the seat to our minivan.  (Yes, minivan, bite me, it's perfect for us as it holds all our junk for camping and has the perfect spot for my wheelchair.

As I was saying, my butt looks like the seat, it is now flat with lines and button marks.  We started off just after dawn for the day of shopping, running, general mayhem, of the last few days before Christmas.  

First stop: the mall.  Ugh, yeah, the mall.  But, I had nothing to do there.  Hooray!  I sat in the van, book in hand, and bid my love adieu.  (God, that sounds so fucking weird coming from me.)  Okay, I sat, gun magazine in hand and laughed at Tony as he headed into the bowels of hell.  

I read part of an article on concealed hangun permit laws in the USA which was wrong in several places and pissed me off, then drifted off to sleep.

Yeah, it seems I can sleep anywhere when I'm tired.  The van, the couch, the desk stool.  Yes, the desk stool.  My chair here is the bottom of an older wheeled desk chair.  The back broke off of it sometime ago and it's perfect for me.  Everyone else hates it, but I would cry if it were to ever leave.

Back to our day.  He came out of the mall, seemingly victorious as he was grinning.  We headed to the our next destination, stop number one for Mom's list o' stuff.  Done and done and then, breakfast.  A quick drive through run, we woofed down our grease and sugar filled meal and headed back to the mall.

Yep, he forgot one thing, and braved the mall again.  I stayed in the van again, since the mall doesn't offer electric carts and he obviously can't wheel me in my chair and Christmas shop for me at the same time. 

(Note to Spotsylvania Mall officials, electric carts would be wonderful things for your disabled patrons.  I would spend a lot more time and money with you, if I could get around, by myself, there.)

Target was next.  Packed to the gills with people who seemingly can't see below their noses as they continuingly bumped into me and got in my way.  And grumpy, good grief, I've never seen grumpier people two days before Christmas.  What happened to 'tis the season to be jolly?  

My goal was wrapping paper for Mom and stocking stuffers for Tony.  I found wrapping paper but the stocking stuffers were slim pickings.  We headed out, making the decision to hit the Walmart in the town where Tony had to fill out some school paperwork.

By this point we had driven 50 miles, eaten one junk food meal, and umm, a couple of cookies, each, and drank enough caffeine for a dozen people.  We had been up all night, and sleep was still hours away, other than my naps in the van.

Off for the 70 mile drive to the next town.  The miles actually went by fairly quickly as we sang and joked and generally enjoyed ourselves.  We really are one another's other half, scarily enough.  I can't imagine any other person on the planet who I would want to spend that many hours with.

Paperwork done, final stop: Walmart. Oh, hush, we are not the only people who shop at Walmart as they are always filled up with people.  I just seem to be the only one online who admits it.

Stocking stuffers, enough for 12 people, purchased and placed in the van.  Another run through a drive through for further sustenance and then the final 40 miles home.

Where I collapsed in a heap on the couch and Tony wrapped presents.

Oh, I had good intentions.  I was going to bake cookies.  Yeah, right.  The ingredients are still in their bags, where they shall remain until I feel like dealing with them.

Then, only then, did we collapse into bed.
Smile, 
 Suzy Smith