As planned...

I bought no one anything for Christmas and surprisingly I didn't feel any guilt about this. This Christmas was actually pretty awesome, in fact. The preceding Hawaii trip and then coming home just in time to relax and focus on my goals for the coming year was just what I needed. And then yesterday, in a good mood, I decided to accept the invite to go to my ex's sisters house and it was a good day. I didn't even mind staying until 2am either. Everyone was hugging my neck, his dad was a riot the whole evening, love was just flowing, the grub was spectacular, and his sister that I usually don't care for was the picture of wonderful (this is the one who's wedding I dreamed about crashing, lol). Her new house is gorgeous, GORGEOUS. She has fantastic decorating taste and it inspired me to go shopping. She even told me that she had recently battled cancer and its now in remission. Did I say that the food was OFF THE CHAIN? OMG, was it. I had two plates piled high and every single item on it, except his mama's potato salad, was the BOMB. I still love his oldest sister though. Me and her were like peas and carrots back in the day and she even came to my housewarming last year all the way from Victorville. Anyway, everyone welcomed me back in as family, as though I'd never left. And it was better than my own famiy's shindigs. I saw my mom briefly the day before and yesterday she and my step dad drove to the casino to gamble for the holiday after making their rounds around town playing Santa and Mr. Claus. This morning she called and told me that my 14 year old niece and 18 year old nephew were asking about me, surely looking for gifts I bet. They are spoiled rotten and both think I'm John D. Rockefeller. Unfortunately for them that ship has sailed. In previous years I've bought them fantastic gifts - gold bangles that she lost, an American Girl doll that she cut bald...a $50 baseball cap that he sold! smh, expensive tennis shoes that he left over a friends house...etc. They're practically grown now and still ungrateful so I'm through without remorse. Their older sister is 20 something and despite me spoiling her rotten for years she forgets about me every Christmas and only buys her mom and my mom a gift every year. I don't even get a howdy-do. So this is liberating for me. Fuck em. Sorry.
Anyhoo, I was surprised that my ex's sister who I used to couldn't stand handed me a Christmas gift last night. A pretty silver monogrammed keychain and a make up bag from Sephora. Nothing too fancy but the thought was what warmed me. I have no desire whatsoever to restart a relationship with my ex but I damn sure am going to miss his family. Sucks for us that he sucks. Maybe they're trying to win me back for him, lol. Who knows, but they are the bees knees.