My mom and brother are here, and Patches is very pleased. So am I, for that matter! Though, obtaining them from the airport was no easy task. As you can well imagine, LAX is a barrel of fun the few days leading up to Christmas. I was in the wrong lane at one point, and when I tried to get over, not only did Angry BMW-Truck Guy honk angrily at me, he also sidled up alongside me to shoot angry laser beams from his eyes into my car. I tried to give him a look back that conveyed telepathic strangulation, but it didn't work, and the next thing I knew, I was driving right past Mom and Garth. I kept trying to get over, to no avail. I'd have to go around the airport in a giant, slow-ass traffic, circle.

I looked at my cell phone sitting in the car door handle and said, "Garth, please call me!" Trying my hand at telepathy again, you see. Moments later, my phone chimed its little doorbell sound which means, ding-dong, you have voicemail that you wouldn't have if I actually just RANG when people called!

"What?? No, no," I said to my phone. "Why didn't you ring?!" I dialled the voicemail hoping that Garth left his number in his message.

My phone: "You have entered the wrong password."
Me: "Oh my god, no I did NOT!"

I re-entered the password, which it accepted that time, and gave the traffic dirty looks while listening to Garth's message. No number. I looked in missed calls. No number again! Suddenly, my phone rang.

"Thank god!" I shouted as I flipped the phone open, only to rant to Garth about the whole situation, complete with tons of obscenities. "And I saw you guys," I said, "but that ASSHOLE wouldn't let me over and then some dick cut me off and anyway, I'm in this fucking traffic trying to get to you guys I'm so sorry I missed you the first time around!"

Garth assured me all was okay, and I tried to keep my cool. Luckily, it didn't take me a year to get back over to them, even though it still kind of felt like it. I waved at them, and they hopped in as quickly as possible as we discussed the state of madness that is LAX.

Truly though, as soon as they were in my car, I felt worlds better. My stress slowly melted away with each passing mile toward home.

We spent the afternoon and evening catching up, sharing stories and pictures, laughing a lot, grocery shopping and cooking dinner. We also watched a recorded episode of The Amazing Race, which I may just have to start following. (I want to see if that chick dumps her jerky husband on the spot, like I hope she will! That guy is horrible. Why did she marry him? Did he ever have redeeming qualities? These are questions I want answered, people.)

All in all, we're having an awesome time, and I'm incredibly happy they're here!