Anyone Up for a Little Christmas Camping?

Originally published December 29, 2005 (to the site no one knew about). Yes, I've only been blogging for two days and already I'm running repeats. But, as NBC pointed out to us a few years ago: it may be a repeat, but if you haven't seen it yet, it's new to you!

I'm at home this week. Or, more accurately, "home home." (My parents' house, for those of you who didn't start using this terminology sometime freshman year of college when you suddenly realized "home" referred to your dorm room and you needed a new term for that other place you call home.)

Remarkably, we are all here for Christmas this year, after having spent the last two at Grandma's and the year before that Liz and I spent Christmas in DC, having come home at Thanksgiving for the holiday and Mom's surprise birthday party. At any rate, this is the first time in three years that all five of us are in the house at the same time. Thus, sleeping arrangements must be carefully choreographed, since the bedrooms we grew up in are no longer bedrooms, nor do they hold the requisite number of beds.

Liz has been home for two weeks, so she's already settled into the only real bedroom space that exists. And Steve reclaimed his old room--now the office/TV room wherein I write this, and which boasts a loveseat-like piece that folds out into a twin bed.

My accommodations: a sleeping bag and a twin-sized air mattress typically used for camping. In fact, it still had some "tent sand" on it from the last use. Now, before you go cursing my evil parents, you should know that Dad very kindly blew up our acceptable-for-guests queen-sized air mattress a couple of days before I got home. And, upon my arrival, it was nearly flat. I opted for the guaranteed-to-stay-inflated camping mattress, rather than taking my chances on waking up at 3 A.M. on the hardwood floor with a now-deflated air mattress between me and said floor. Quite the rational choice.

But still...As I snuggled into my sleeping bag on Christmas Eve, vinyl air mattress making funny plastic groaning noises beneath me, I couldn't help but be grateful that none of us had anyone Special to bring to Christmas (not that we ever have, but it could happen, right? Some day?) Because, oh my word, where would he/she have slept?!?!?!