Excitement nearing fever pitch!

That's not me. It's my parents. They've never been away from home for Christmas and they are so cute -- really excited. I feel as though our roles have been reversed.

I had been worried about what we'd do for dinner on Christmas day because I'm not much of a chef, goodness knows, and the kitchenette here at the apartment is pretty spartan.

Turns out Dad already booked something on the Internet. And it's a sign of how excited about this trip he must be, because it's a wildly extravagent Christmas Dinner at a fancy hotel called the Merrion. I don't even want to know how much it's going to cost. He said the money they are saving by staying at my place instead of a hotel should more or less cover it (!). Mom doesn't know yet as it's also his present to her.

The only thing I'm worried about is that none of my clothes are really up to scratch for such a fancy place. There's the black lace number I picked up at Oxfam on George's Street. It is really pretty but it smells of mothballs. It's from the 1950s and while it's gorgeous I haven't gotten around to having it drycleaned and it SMELLS its age. That's the best I've got and I think I'll have to run with it and the shiny shoes I picked up in Penneys.

BTW, Glendalough -- I've been there in the summer and now I've been there in the winter too and my personal opinion is that winter is the time to go. Sure, it's cold up in the Wicklow Mountains but what could be more beautiful and Gothic than snowflakes whirling around a medieval monastic settlement and the lakes? Loving it.

Tonight Mom and Dad are actually staying IN as finally, after basically running around since they got here, they are tired. I'm tired too...but not so tired I can't go on a date! We are exchanging our gifts tonight as we won't see each other until the 27th. Want to know what I got Him?