For the first time in more than 10 years, I’m starting to develop a small sense of Island pride. Isn’t that weird? A decade of loathing my hometown as a provincial, sheltered rock and all of a sudden I’m like “Well it IS sort of pretty…” Is this what happens when you get older? Provincialism starts to seem quaint? Oh dear.

During my Christmas visit to Bainbridge, I was so overtaken with hometown pride that I was actually motivated to go buy myself a Bay Hay and Feed sweatshirt. These shirts are iconic Bainbridge Island shwag, and I don’t know what made me decide I absolutely had to have one. But I did. It’s a light blue hoody with tractors on it.

This is to say that I had a great holidays on the Island, hanging out with my mom and her girlfriend, my dad and his girlfriend, my godfamily, my aunt, and even my two cuzzies, who I can be seen with here. Austin isn’t wearing a shirt because goddamnit if you were a 16 year old hotty with burgeoning pectoral muscles you wouldn’t either.

Being an only child, I always clean up on the prezzies. This year, however, my father rose to the challenge and gave me the best web geek present EVER! Also: my little ponies.

Andreas, meanwhile, stayed only one night with me on the Island (we slept in my mom’s school bus) and then headed off for Montana. There’s no need to cluck about us spending our first married Christmas apart: we couldn’t give a flying fuck, and you shouldn’t either.

I realize Thanksgiving was a month ago, but I’ll say right now that I’m thankful for Christmases with a family with whom I can be totally myself. All my friends talk with ashen faces about their trips home to dysfunctional families, but I look forward to fireside chats with friends who I just happen to be relations. How did that happen? Who knows, but I’ll consider myself blessed regardless. Now THAT’S a prezzie!