Things seem like they are getting back to the pandemic-normal, with both Alex and Missy finally off quarantine and back to school - even though Monday and Tuesday were e-learning days. Alex is back to work since black Friday as well, and already racking up some good hours......Natalie's 18th birthday (aka cheesecake day) was Thursday. She doesn't want to do birthdays anymore, so we'll do cheesecake day, I guess. She wanted to go to Fazoli's for her birthday dinner, so we did. We headed to FW, ate at Fazoli's, and went back home, where we had cheesecake. Beth took her shopping at the clothing and makeup stores as well.....Alex and I got his application for Digipen Institute started (at the last moment for the no-fee November), so we're on the way to getting this college stuff taken care of, finally.....I have the gray painting in the living room and dining room finished now, except for one more nail blister I kept seeing after it was finished and I had to go back and fix. It looks really good, very clean, very modern. I painted just a bit of the accent wall in the dining room and it became apparent quickly that it was much too green. Unfortunately you can't return custom mixed paint at Menard's, so we had to pick another color and hope we got it right that time. We stayed with the teal, but a much bluer teal, which looks very nice so far (I only have the wall edges and corners painted)......one reason I had to finish the painting in the living room quickly this week was so we could get the Christmas tree up. It's up, much earlier than last year, but still undecorated.....