Emmitt Otter, partner intervals, and Christmas.

It's gettin' to be about Christmas time, and I for one love Christmas. It's the only time of the year that I really ever felt connected with my family. Most of the time I always felt I was visiting another person's family. As if there was some key to understanding these people that I hadn't been filled in on. It's difficult because my mom's family is very close. Irish catholic, and fairly enthusiastic drinkers. My mom's best friends are her sisters. When we went on vacation growing up, we went with my aunts/uncles/cousins. When people in my family tell stories, they never start with "my buddy so-and-so and I..." it's always "your uncle/dad/mom/aunt and I did..." They've all got boats, cabins, and spend a lot of time at the Lake of the Ozarks.
It's very odd, and sometimes very hard, to be on the fringes of that. I like them as people, I love them as family, but my friends are my friends, and my family is something different. When I tell stories, they involve people with different DNA. I don't drink. I spent my honeymoon hiking the Inca trail. I think the lake of the Ozarks is boring. There isn't much my family members and I do together, but during Christmastime, it doesn't matter. During Christmas, being family is enough. We tell old stories, play pool (and usually some silly game my mom makes us play) open presents, eat a lot of food, and generally enjoy each other's company. Some of them still drive me nuts, but they're the exceptions. That's the true beauty of Christmas.
Part of that is watching Christmas movies that I grew up with (none of that Tim Allen schlock for me thanks) so Nightmare before Christmas, How the Grinch stole Christmas (animated, not Jim Carrey) , A Christmas Story, and Emmett Otter's Jug band Christmas all get watched in some form or other during the Christmas season.
Where I grew up, that last one is on T.V. every Christmas, but around here, no one's even heard of it. I bought it on DVD and watched it with the wife. It's a muppet movie, and really the plot is pretty simple and fairly predictable, but I really like the songs in it and it reminds me of Christmases visiting my grandma in the Ozarks. I recommend it highly for anyone who likes the muppets, or country music. Or maybe it's just me.
I am taking a few days off work for the holiday, so I don't know how much I'll be posting.. so I'm going to post my holiday workout schedule:

Tonight:
Heavy uppers:
bench:
5x2@185+bands

chins:
6,4 au naturale
4,4 with band help.

Push press:
5x5@ 155

bent rows:
5x5@155

Friday:
I'm going to the day class at BJJ.

In the afternoon, was going to do partner work: you work, I rest, you rest I work, but
all of my workout partners bailed so I stayed home and did some KB work:

100x long cycle clean and jerk.
20x each side snatches
44lbs

saturday:
BJJ


sunday:
changed my mind. I hadn't realized that I didn't schedule a leg workout this week.
It was tough, I was pretty tapped going into it, but I got through it.

8x2@225+chains 45 sec rest

glute hams against mm band
4x10

Monday:
BJJ

tuesday: rest.. it's Jesus' birthday.

Merry Christmas.