Ghost of Christmas Present

What started that first Christmas you were out on your own?

Slowly evolved into something of tradition now amongst all of your friends. Your annual holiday bash become a fixture. THE event of the winter season.

To each of them? Low key? You are almost synonymous with Christmas itself. And while you always hold it just before Christmas itself, you pride yourself in being able to provide a sense of family & togetherness to people you know who don't really have families with warm receptions to go home to. And the running gag.

The joke about how Melinda is never not a lightweight? How there is never enough chairs? But always way, way too much food?

Oh boy, that last one...

The in-jokes are nice.

And sure. Ugly Christmas sweater parties are a tired concept at this point. Admittedly. That horse long clobbered to death.

But your friends sure still seem to love it. If even ironically, on top of the existing onion skin of irony. And on some level? You still pat yourself on the back for transitioning to that format when you did, during the pandemic. Sure things were all blurry webcams over Zoof. But bulky sweaters did wonders to hide some of those lockdown pounds.

The problem is those stubborn pounds never quite did go away.

In fact, they steadily seemed to multiply.

Gone is the scrawny little figure that squeezed into that amazing thrift store find. It currently gathers more dust than glances. And there's no chance in hell of you squeezing into that any more. Hell, you probably couldn't fit it around either one of your sturdy thighs at this point. Singularly.

And now? All the "more to love" style platitudes & euphemisms you drop, pretending to accept it are still not enough to quiet that nagging self-consciousness in the back of your head. Even the bulky sweaters you seek out each year seem to leave less & less to the imagination each time now.

But that's going to change. First thing, with the new year! And you mean it, for real this time!

Even if you had said that for the past six or seven years consecutively.

Anyway, it's that time of year again! Time to party hard-y.

And you want to be stoked. Really.

But...

Okay, look... 

It's not that you've shed any of that holiday cheer per se. You're not going around goin' "bah humbug" or anything. The holiday itself? You love that all the same!

It's just that...

Well...

Who needs the hassle of planning a party? Really. And each time trying to up things over the last? It's just left you... somewhat jaded.

It's all just a great deal of time & effort.

Over time as a result, the invite list has gotten smaller, more intimate. Less "blow out" & more a tighter & tighter-knit gathering amongst your closest friends. You're looking to keep it all just a hell of a lot simpler.

You've liked the idea of scaling back. It's led to a much more fun experience for you, as the one throwing the whole shindig.

Which is why you feel a little uneasy about Sadie from work's completely unannounced plus one. She kept threatening to set you up with someone. And you halfheartedly kept telling her maybe. But now, as someone you were already on the cusp of inviting, she seems to have followed through on that threat.

What's worse? Her friend is admittedly kind of hot. And without much else frame of reference, seems to have passed the uggo sweater assignment with flying colors, wearing what looks like a T-Rex with a Rudolph nose bursting forth from their chest. Uniquely hideous & gauche in all the best ways.

But tonight? Of all nights?

When you are actively going for what could be your frumpiest fit of all time? In an itchy, one time wear sweater that arrived yesterday a size too small, hugging your rolls & making you feel like a stuffed sausage? Now? Now is the time Sadie from works decides to take it upon herself & introduce you to what could be a potential soul mate?

Wait, why is her friend blushing? What is with their bashful look?  

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Damn. Nothing like posting Christmas stuff on NYE still. I had really hoped things slowed down to get a second to breathe, but they really hadn't. Still, I'm just going to keep plugging along, so don't mind me.

Between her shape, the ugly sweater, & the pajama bottoms, I was aiming to go for something frumpy, but comfortable looking. And perhaps a bit on the bigger side for what would be the second installment of a three part weight gain series. But I also kind of wanted to show a natural progression in personality too over time. I was hoping to give the vignette another pass before posting but I have to leave for a party & need to schedule this. So I might do an edit & will notify you if anything changes with that.

Anyway, hope you rang in the new year happily & safely. And while things might be tumultuous with the incoming year, I'm still going to hope that happiness & healthiness persists. Merry New Year!