one hundred.six.

i'm playing the christmas classics radio station and the christmas shoes song came on. not sure how that qualifies as a classic...

characters you might meet if you worked at a coffee shop [names have been changed to protect their privacy]:

1. "Phil"- the taxi driver turned carnival guy. hoarse voice. never showers. frequently gives customers directions, whether they ask for them or not. Gets a coffee not because it's good, but because it's cheap and he needs the code at the bottom of the receipt to access the internet.

2. "Nancy"- friendliest hospital worker ever. clutches her hands to her heart when wishing you happy holidays. A coffee in a mug and a tea bag for later.

3. "Paul" - student from the local community college. Always tired. Always gets a seven shot White Chocolate Mocha. I start his drink for him before he comes in.

4. "Jim" - some important somebody in the community, something with the chamber of commerce? Important. Small amaretto latte with whip important. Also start his drink for him before he comes in. He calls me Christina and always asks about my weekend.

5. "Edward" and his wife "Bridget" - the British couple. Small latte people, they keep it simple and keep it cool. Sometimes they grab a cookie or a croissant. I ask them questions just to keep them talking. They might get annoyed.

Tonight was one of those nights where you try to make chocolate chip cookies for your boyfriend and it just does not work. Your boyfriend is playing super nintendo mario world with your sister. You are in the kitchen and you make two different batches of cookies and still manage to screw both of them up in one way or another, even though you always make chocolate chip cookies and they turn out just fine. It's just the one time your boyfriend is over and requests cookies that you screw up. Two different batches.

Not that this happened. It was just...y'know...that kind of night.

This week was one of those weeks where your entire family is all together and it's crazy wonderful. Even family from Tennessee makes the trek up to spend Thanksgiving with everyone, and they bring their new daughter that you are both ecstatic and intimidated to hold because she is just so precious.

Crazy wonderful. I love my family. I love six of the cousins on one couch watching Home Alone, constant noise, lots of food. Just as it should be.