Someday, you'll accompany me.

Gata the Grump.

Oh, I’m a whiny-pants. But you know, we all are at some point.

I guess it all stems from all the communication difficulty I’ve been having lately. No phone, French, deaf grandpa… You know, I’ve always considered myself a solitary primate. But it’s funny how much I miss you all when you’re gone.

And there’s no better place to loose communication than in NYC over the holidays. Thinking about just the sheer amount of people in that little island is maddening. Then add in the holiday factor, when you’re supposed to be surrounded by gobs and gobs of friends and family. And splat, here’s Cat; all by her lonesome in the middle of Central Park, surrounded by 4 million people.

The kind of lapse of communication I’ve experienced in these past few weeks is unprecedented. I've nixed the internet before, because I crave it like a drug sometimes, it's disgusting. And I kinda enjoy it when my phone's lost/stolen/broken. A part of me likes the way I've made up up for it this time around, by post-carding and letter writing. But, a part me just cannot wait to have a face-to-face conversation with someone who cares very much about it. Or even just being able to be silly and giggly with someone.

I worry if I’m thinking too much about the “experience” of this and not making any time to have fun with it. But, I’m not unhappy, that’s for sure.


My first stop in the big city was the American Museum of Natural History.

I find myself hyper-critical of all museums now. But, the AMNH's takes its special place. I LOVED that place when I was a kid. I wanted to come to New York every summer JUST so I could go there. So, it was a sweet little reunion for me. But, I guess I'd forgotten just the sheer amount of taxidermy in that place. They should call it the American Museum of Things Teddy Roosevelt Shot Before it was Illegal. There are other things, like, you know, the largest collection of gems I've ever seen in my life, some stuff that crashed into earth a few million years ago, some casts of really old hominids, you know.


I always go straight for the monkeys.

As noted, I saw Juno at a 25 screen theater on 42nd. My theater was on the sixth floor of the building. And they had a terrace.




Little girl.

And here's a giant Christmas tree.


Now, my experience with Rockefeller Center is minimal, because I've never been to NY during the holidays. It's a lot bigger than one block and I'm pretty sure I circled a few times before I found the dang tree. I was sort of confused. But, I should have known exactly where it was. I should have followed the Texas accents straight to it.



My cousin Teresa sent my grandfather one of those edible arrangement things. He seriously just paced around it for a few minutes, muttering "Oh my God. What the..". It was really precious and totally made up for the remark he made about "the coloreds" the other night.

I bought tea lights and paper bags today. I think we all, in New Mexico, know what that means. If I blog-not before the Noel, I hope everyone back home has a fantastic few days off. I'll miss the posole, my wiggle butt and the leftover Albuquerque Turkey sandwiches. Special well wishes to my parents, Chase, Max, Rachel, and Savvy (SINCE THEY TOTALLY READ THIS!) as well as Teresa. Take good care of my momma, cousin!

I'll be with my grandfather, screaming at him, since he refuses to wear his hearing aids, my Aunt Colette, her boyfriend John, her daughter Gina, and Gina's priced Yorkshire Terrier Niko. Be it a mop dog, I'm excited about some puppy. That'll be all the Christmas present I'll need.