Today was quite possibly the best Christmas ever!

I went down to meet my sister, and we exchanged gifts. I got her a PRODUCT(RED) shirt from the Gap that said TREASU(RED) on it, which she put on immediately. (It helped that, when I arrived, she was still wrapped in a towel from her shower.) For me, she ordered the "Yes We Did" poster by Shepard Fairey, commemorating the Nov. 4 election of Barack Obama as the 44th U.S. president. I loved it! I would've gotten it for myself, but I can't make political contributions, and the order form said this would be such a contribution and, once I was asked for my employer's name, I quit filling out the form. So, my sister got it for me.

After we were done with the gift exchange, it was off to Tropical Chinese, where we had a 1 p.m. reservation. The place was packed! Apparently, even the Chinese go here to eat! Since it was lunchtime, there was all kinds of dim sum being offered from steaming carts. However, I had to order off the menu: Emperor's Prawns in a Grand Marnier sauce, served with the best broccoli ever and a side of steamed rice. I'd been looking forward to it since my first trip, when I decided to order "something new" -- and fell in love with a new dish. My sister ordered from the dim sum carts, and I tried some shrimp dumplings and part of a sesame ball (filled with lotus seeds). It was all well and good, but nothing could compare to the Emperor's Prawns.

After we were full, we packed up the leftovers and dropped them back at her apartment before heading to the movies. We weren't sure what was playing at exactly what time, but we were flexible. We settled on "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," which started 40 minutes later. It was a full house, and I enjoyed the film. It did seem to drag at times, but I thought it was a good movie. Of course, both my sister and I picked the precise moment that Brad Pitt reached his "ultimate hotness." (And, yes, the man can act, too.) By the time the movie was over, it was dark out. Even though it wasn't yet 7 p.m., I was tired. We went back to her apartment, where we lit the Chanukah candles and I retrieved my leftovers.

So, here I am, back and home, enjoying the last bits of Christmas lunch and deciding what to do next. After all, I am officially on vacation. I might as well make the most of it, right?