Countdown to Christmus!

It's drizzly and dark here. I'm working like a maniac. People are asking me retarded questions about the Internet. I'm addicted to the Hallmark Channel and cheap Tetrapaked wine. And yet, I am PSYCHED, because in about 48 hours I'll be leavin' on a jet plane for sunny Santa Fe, New Mexico, home to my man, my mountain and my wrestling gray kitties. Woohoo!

It's snowing buckets at home right now and John promised that he might even go hiking in the snow with me, or at least drive me up the mountain and sit in the car listening to music while I hike. (Sorry, inside joke there—John hates hiking.) There's a whole cord of firewood stacked up in the living room and a Christmas tree bent over a little at the top because it's slightly taller than the ceiling. And at the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, there's a barstool shaped like a tractor seat and a margarita with my name on it. Plus a new train that I can ride for free to and from Albuquerque. Can you tell I'm giddy with homesickness?

I've never been away from home for so long before. I mean, I've moved a bunch of times, but I've never had a home with my stuff and pets and husband in it and gone someplace else for four months. And I hope I never do that again, honestly. Not that I'm not really enjoying this stint in Sweden, but as the departure time on that SAS flight grows near, I'm increasingly ready to get the hell outta here for a few weeks. (That's right, a few weeks. The office is closed till January 7th and then I'll be attending CES in Vegas, which puts me back in Stockholm the week of the 12th.) I don't feel I'm offending any Swedes by admitting this, either—the weather here is miserable by any standard, and everyone who can go away for the holidays is doing so.

I've been largely insulated from the recessionary blows during my stay, so it will be interesting to feel the difference in the U.S. I know people are really struggling with layoffs and holiday bills, so this season more than ever will be a good time to do something nice for people in need. Maybe I'll go to the local soup kitchen and cook while I'm in town.

Speaking of cooking, while I'm in Santa Fe I'll also be preparing a holiday meal to be featured in the November 2009 issue of the Swedish food magazine Allt Om Mat (yeah, they plan way ahead). My friend and former pastry kitchen colleague from SantaCafe, Mark Bixby, will be my co-chef for the meal, and the event will be photographed by Stacey Adams, who also shot our wedding. I can't wait! I'm thinking I'll take a bit of a break from blogging during the holidays (seeing as I won't be in Sweden and all), but maybe I'll post a couple photos from the dinner just for fun.

My one wish is that I could swing through New York on some leg of my trip to visit my friends there, especially Christine and Shamus who just got engaged! ("Christ-mus" is pictured above at a 2006 holiday party, before they were even dating) Congrats, guys!