(Yes, I intended to write an entry for every day. Alas, my parents� net access died the day I got there, and thus I�m posting the paper journal entries I wrote instead a few weeks late. Sorry �bout that.)

1/1/2002:

Dear 2002:

Please don�t be even worse than 2001 was. If you could be an improvement, I�d much appreciate it.

Please please please please please don�t let things get worse.

Thanks-

Jennifer

There�s one good bonus about Channel 4 here losing their NBC affiliation- having nothing else to air, they promptly reran the Rose Parade. Since I usually sleep through it every year, it was great to see it in full for a change!

Things went more calmly this time than they used to, way back when I had to attend these things. Mom wasn�t as yelly as she�d been in the past, though she did mutter a few times that she wished she wasn�t doing this.

D&B asked if I�d made them dinner (hah!) when they got in. T&L talked about how they didn�t do anything yesterday because they were tired, and I was glad I don�t plan on having kids. Tam�s around 30 or so and is too pooped to pop? Eeek.

Justin was adorable. Just as they were about to bless the food, he farted. We all cracked up, but I really did. Tammy did the "That�s not funny, Justin!" parent thing (why do they say that for things that clearly are funny?), and I, as usual when that happens, could not stop cackling away!

Dadwise, it was a hard night. He had to, er, leave the dinner table twice for long periods of time (I think he got to actually eat for about three minutes), and the rest of them were kind of freaked out about it. "Does this happen all the time?" etc. No, but what timing. Mom also ended up breaking down earlier in the night when Tammy asked how Dad was, and Mom told her how she�d found an article on what he has, and it coldly mentions "intellectual deterioration." Don�t you just love long words that mean you�re becoming stupid? I feel so bummed out and sorry about it all. I guess to some degree she�s as bugged as I am about that, "he can�t help it" or not.

Other than that, things went pretty well. No marital comments, a few "find yourself something to do" remarks, but that was it. Phew. Auntie D didn�t even comment on my dishwashing skills, though I suspect she didn�t get it when I said I didn�t know where Mom wanted the food stashed and in what, so we�d better leave it for her to take care of.

When they were leaving, D&B were trying to get Justin to say Happy New Year, but he came out with "Happy Screwed Year!"

I am trying not to take it as an omen.

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