Yes, I took a long winter's nap.......and all that jazz....

Just when you thought Stories from the Road hit the road.....I'm back.
(and I brought lots of pictures.. ummm...more like evidence .....)

Proof of my survival....my official 56th Birthday picture......January 23, 2015

Now, where were we?
Ah, yes, it was Christmas.
I am pretty sure Christmas is what did me in......
And, sadly, I don't really think I'm completely recovered from it all....in all aspects of life.
Even my house is suffering.....

Hard to imagine this corner of the dining room looked this serene and lovely for Christmas Eve dinner!  At the moment, this buffet is piled high with Christmas china and glassware, holiday serving platters and whoknowswhatelse!

Although the holidays were lovely and filled with family and fun, it was also filled with too little sleep, an inconvenient house fire on Christmas day during the evening gift opening session (yes, it's true!).....and a reminder to buy a fire distinguisher!....

Here's the proof....see the fire starting in the background?  We had no idea when we took this picture! I was just taking a picture of my daughter showing off her gift from her cousin (my niece sitting next to her).....

Then, there was lots of cooking, lots of clean up and more cooking and clean up...and then a little bit more...
No sooner did we bid farewell to Christmas weekend, it was all about gearing up for more visitors,  Carmen's birthday, more comings and goings and more cooking and clean up.  And, of course, a little break in there to go to work....
So, considering that we also had lots of Thanksgiving activity and other activity in between Thanksgiving and the holidays, it was non-stop, non-stop for close to 6 solid weeks.  

But, this old girl  held up rather good.....as the evidence below proves....
(and, to be totally honest, I thank my Lap Band!   I would have never have had the energy or the desire to keep up with this version of life in Judiland 100+ pounds ago)

Cooking up a feast on Christmas Eve

Celebrating Carmen's birthday with our lovely daughter and her fun beau

Celebrating with my sisters....at a fun  little place when my niece from Chicago stopped into town

Celebrating New Year's Eve at one of our favorite downtown restaurants before heading to the theatre to usher out 2014 by seeing the musical "Motown"

Bringing in 2015 at midnight at our favorite bar of all time with wonderful friends....

And, then back in the kitchen on New Year's Day to cook up a storm for family and friends

That's where the "holding up pretty well" ended.  
No sooner did I shut the door on the dishwasher for the final load of dishes on New Year's Day did my body decide it was time to crash.   
I turned to Carmen and said "I think I am sick...."
And, I was oh so right!

And, the timing couldn't have been more awful.
You see, we were due to take off  the very next day for a lovely, fun filled Pittsburgh-style weekend at a lovely hotel for a 3-day wedding extravaganza with all the Pittsburgh trimmings for Carmen's cousin's gorgeous daughter.
It was not the time to get sick.....
I decided it was time to ignore my body and just get on with it.
So, I put on my lipstick, dressed myself up and headed into what was to be non-stop fun activity with family and friends from all over the country...and Italy.
I made it through the first day activities with all the energy I could muster and then I made it through the wedding ceremony......

And, what a gorgeous ceremony it was! 

And, then I managed to make it through one martini, part of the fabulous dinner and a few sips of a delicious wine......

The evidence to prove that I did make it through dinner!!!

And, then, I just gave in. 
Unfortunately, even my Lap band couldn't save me.
So, I hobbled up to my wonderful king sized bed in a beautiful room overlooking our beautiful city and I crawled into bed......and I slept...and I coughed....and I slept....and I coughed......
Day 3 came and went.
As everyone else partied it up and enjoyed some of my favorite places in our fabulous city, I watched Food Network, drank Thera-flu concoctions and slept in the comforts of that lovely room....I didn't even have the strength to feel sorry for myself....
No sooner did I recover from that nasty illness, I was off to New York City for several work-related events......

Yes, I hung out on Wall Street....here's the New York Stock Exchange....

.......only to return home with another bout of some kind of nasty illness.....
Which brings us to today.....
The remnants of that second nasty illness...or was it really the first nasty illness?....still remain.
And, I still need to chase Christmas away from my house.....
And, there's still gifts to exchange.
And, I want to get back to my running....and many other things.  
But, I made my first stop of getting back to things here....at Stories from The Road. 
I've missed you and I sure hope you missed me.....!

Oh, by the way...the good news?
Yes, there's good news.....
I actually lost 6 pounds since Thanksgiving.

PARTY TIME!!!

2 martinis + Judiland=PARTY TIME!

 Oh, and did I mention that today is my dear father's 94th Birthday?

My father enjoying his grandchildren on Christmas Day!