Spo-Reflections

What’s top of my mind: What sort of Christmas (if any) will happen this year. 2024 may see little if any Christmas; if this happens, it will be only the second time in my life.* We’ve had no discussion of it what we are doing if any. Someone works nearly nonstop up until 24 December. When he comes home he’s exhausted and goes right to sleep. I could on my own haul out the holly but it grows tiring to do all myself. Where we usually put up the tree is presently barricaded off so Harper won’t go there to make accidents. Even if I were to put the tree up somewhere else, it would be a lot of work, and I fly to Michigan soon after. So, it all maybe canceled. The Christmas prizes I have already purchased can be saved for another time.

Where I’ve been: The candle drawer. With that said, do have some holiday candles up and going. The four candles for Advent in their brass ring is on the kitchen table. The fat white tall Advent candle on the bedroom dresser is burned a each night as I write in my journals. There are a couple of candles that give off the aroma of pine. Nice. They also cover up Harper messes.

Where I’m going: On a walk. Nowadays evening walks are done in the dark with a flashlight so cars can see me and not run me down. On the positive I can see all the houses decorations. Around these parts people are going more and more into the inflatable balloon type lawn ornaments. During the day the decorations rest like deflected balloons but around sunset they light up and inflate. Some of them are rawther large. The house one block to the north carries on the tradition of having its entire front yard lit with lights – “whorehouse style” my father used to call this sort of over-productions; he never explained what that means.

What I’m watching: Ivar Gunnerson’s annual chili advent calendar. Happy Joy! Mr. Gunnerson (the dear!) on the Tube of Yous carries on the tradition of a ‘chili’ advent calendar which he opens daily until Christmas. He pops the sweeties in his mouth, coughs/turns red, and his eyes water while he says things like “as you can see, I’m chocking on these balls” No Advent is complete without this.

Do you have an advent calendar?

What I’m reading: Hogfather. Last year I read Mr. Prachett’s parody Christmas and it was such as pleasure I decided to put down my current books to reread it for the holidays. Death takes the role of Hogfather, the Discworld equivalent for Santa Claus. At one point Death crashes a department store and knocks out the store-actor playing Hogfather and he starts giving children what they ask for on the spot. He gives a little girl a sword:

“You can’t give her that!’ she screamed. ‘It’s not safe!’
IT’S A SWORD, said the Hogfather. THEY’RE NOT MEANT TO BE SAFE.
‘She’s a child!’ shouted Crumley.
IT’S EDUCATIONAL.
‘What if she cuts herself?’
THAT WILL BE AN IMPORTANT LESSON.”

What I’m listening to: Christmas tunes. I managed to get all my Christmas tunes and albums back into my iPhone – all except Pentatonix which refuses to download. Bitches.

What I’m eating: Bad leftovers. We recently went through the two freezers hoping to liberate the Tupperware containers from their frozen entrails. We found all sorts of things, including turkey from Thanksgiving 2023! Is it still any ‘good’? We are Midwesterners; we don’t like to waste food. Someone, that crafty chef, made a couple of pot pies using the turkey and whatever frozen vegetables were at hand. On the positive we freed up a lot of Tupperware; on the negative we made a lot of inedible dinners. The turkey was too dry and chewy even when drowned in gravy. One of the dishes, made with biscuits for a cover, was cloying to taste. It turned out the dry ingredients got confused. Instead of flour we used powdered sugar. Oh the pain.

Who needs a good slap: The Overlords (or someone like them). Getting anything done at work these days is like Alice in Wonderland trying to get through the door viz. having the right height, position, and key all at once. Forms and goals always seem to have some missing part that makes completions impossible. What I need is some sort of Overlord ‘supervisor’ to unlock things or tell me what I am doing wrong. Oh the pain. So far there is no vague but menacing email telling me to complete such-and-such by tomorrow or else. I’ve learned not to fret about this. Eventually some Rube Goldberg contraption is going to be made to get things done – and then more arrives.

On a 1-5 scale, I give two slaps – if I can figure out which password to use, which email name to use, and have all data in the same at-work computer at the same time – with a working printer. (fat chance of that)

Who gets a fist-bump: Will H. Will (the dear!) called me to guide me through an online advent calendar I couldn’t download. He is better than all the Overlord supervisors in all the world. Hugs.

What I’m planning: Wearing my hat. Someone gave me a top hat for my birthday; I was pleased as Punch. I got it out the other day and put it on and felt all dressed up and nowhere to go. I want to attend some theatre (I don’t much care what) where I can wear my hat and make all mad-jealous while singing Go Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen or better yet ‘Quando me’n vo’ in E-flat.

What’s making me smile: Storytime for grownups. This year I found a podcast of a woman who reads classics. She first did Jane Eyre then she did Pride and Prejudice. She did these very well. In her pre-chapter talks she answers emails from listeners about the books and chapters. It’s like a really good college literature course – but fun. She is going to read A Christmas Carol; jolly good fun! I hope she addresses a long time question of mine: why does Marley do what he does for Scrooge? It doesn’t sound like he will ‘earn his wings’ doing this good deed, so what or who is prompting him to do so?

*The first and only time so far was Christmas 1989, when I had to work. I was living in Chicago, doing my internship. I was alone, miserable and terribly homesick’ I wanted to be with my family.

What’s top of my mind: Thanksgiving. I didn’t read the fine print on the Thanksgiving dinner meal kit. Normally we get kits designed for two people. The Thanksgiving dinner meal kit is for ‘6 to 8’. Patience above! I may end up cooking a whole dinner after all! I could just take enough of each dish for the two of us. Someone is home today, so if the kit arrives early, he can get some of it going. He may make his own pumpkin pie for he enjoys doing that. I have all Thursday to cook. With the kit you don’t have to think really, you just follow the instructions. It’s like IKEA with fewer meatballs.

Where I’ve been: Kohls. My first attempt at finding new bath towels was a bust. The ones at Kohls were page 71; they weren’t very thick or fluffy. It is an ill wind that blows nobody good though, I learned two things:

I want thick fluffy towels, no rubbish types. I am going to have to buy them in person to assure such.

and

Don’t go to Kohls on a Saturday on the eve of a holiday.

Mitchell (the dear!) informed me Kohls contributed to the election of The Orange Nero, so there.

Where I’m going: Nowhere near a store. The Medical Assistant from many years ago took delight in going shopping the Friday after Thanksgiving. She looked forward to this the way some folks look forward to Christmas morning. Sooner I’d eat rats at Tewkesbury than step foot in a store on Friday, and that goes for Saturday and Sunday as well. I suppose the dark days of 4AM stampedes are no more, given online shopping, but what do I know. I ain’t there to witness it, thank the gods or someone like them.

Do you go shopping after Thanksgiving?

What I’m watching: Instructional videos on The Tube of Yous. I’ve managed to erase all the music from the iPhone other than tunes purchased online. I have filled up my 5G iCloud storage space, worse luck. I am less interested in how this happened but what to do about it. Every time I try to fix things I do a Verschlimmbesserung. What I need is some geeky 20yo (well over four feet) to make a home visit and tend to all my technical needs. Alas, Babylon! none are around, so off I go to The Tube of Yous and hope I can find some geeky 20yo online (regardless of height) to fix things.

What I’m reading: Various books. I have 5 books going, which is too many. They are different enough I am not confusing them, but I am forgetting what happened since I last picked up the books. I should to focus on finishing a few and stick to 1 to 2 at at time.

How many books to you read at a time? one?

What I’m listening to: The hum of the space heater. Between age and acclimation to ardent temperatures I now freeze at temperatures I just laughed at in my youth living in the Michigan. I have space heaters in both offices. I walking outside in flannels in 60F weather. I put flannel sheets on the bed although the night temps seldom drop to 50F. Brrrr.

What I’m eating: Too much hot sauce. I need to stop dousing everything. Oh the pain.

Who needs a good slap: Harper. Despite having the doors open for easy assess to the yard, she just peed in the hallway – again.

No, I am not going to slap the dog.

Who gets a fist-bump: Father. A few years ago, Father purchased an advent calendars consisting of baby bottles of booze, one for each son. What we do is wait until after the holidays to go through them during the year. It is an excuse for get-togethers via zoom. We first try the whisky and hem and haw about it as scotch drinkers do when with each other and then we talk about anything and everything. Father is getting us Advent 2024 calendars so we may continue this into 2025.*

What I’m planning: Turkey soup or turkey casserole. If there is enough leftover turkey breast, I may make soup or a casserole; the ingredients are more or less the same. It won’t be as much fun as boiling down the carcass but it will be less work. I am half-tempted to get a small frozen turkey anyway, just for stewing.

I was going to ask if anyone had a good recipe, but Lori (the dear!) sent me one yesterday.

What’s making me smile: Peace and quiet. With Someone away working all weekend and Urs Truly declining to venture forth there will be four days of solitude. Hot puppies! Maybe I will haul out some holly and dust off the top bat, but I may just do nothing; it would do me good.

What are your plans for this weekend?

*The 2023 advent calendar had a lot of rubbish; there were very few boozes we would bother to get bottles of. The 2024 box is more expensive but looks to have better whiskies. Let us hope so.