2005-01-04
How I Spent the Holidays, by Ravyn Crowe
Yes I know I�ve been quite remiss.The last week here at the Lions� Den before Winter Holiday Break (the PC term dontchaknow .. so as not to offend anyone) was kinda crazy. Everyone was looking for last minute packages, ordering last minute stuff they forgot they needed as soon as we got back, that sort of thing. So, no time here to write much.
I�ve never been much of a diarist anyway, so actually sitting down to write about what I�ve been doing seems a bit like, well, I dunno it just doesn�t seem to be at all productive. I mean, who cares what I had for lunch (chicken tenders, smashed �taters, corn, mixed berries and milk) or stuff like that. And I know damn well I�m not writing just for me because I don�t do that.
Anyway, as I was saying, it was busy at work. At this wonderful place of employment, we get 2 weeks at Christmas (�Winter Break�), 2 weeks for Spring Break, and 2 weeks during the summer. As staff, unlike teachers, I don�t have to work during my breaks so not having the summer off like the teachers do isn�t that big a deal. 6 weeks (plus other random holidays) is, after all, 6 weeks of vacation. Everyone is very anxious to get out of here that last day and are very eager to dump everything on someone else. Guess who is that someone else? Heh.
I had to go grocery shopping after work, did that. Then Saturday we had a 40th birthday party for a friend of Partner�s. Sunday was his office Christmas party. Monday was dinner with friends and former neighbors we hadn�t seen in a while. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I had time to play a little EQ, read some, sleep in a bit with the doglets, FloofyQ and D-Dog, and also cook, shop, wrap presents, do 4 loads of laundry or so, wash dishes, cook dinner for Partner and clean the house thoroughly because we had the whole Partner side of the family over Christmas Eve. Did I mention I cooked for that too? Christmas Day we went to his brother�s house where that chunk of the family had their holiday.
The next few days I kind of lost track. I reverted to my normal biorhythmic pattern of up all night sleep all day and still managed to get up in time to make it look like I hadn�t, in fact, slept all day.
My adoptive daughter and her family were going to come visit but hubby�s grandmother died. Then a friend of Partner�s family died. Somewhere in there I lost a day.
Partner and I were sitting at the table eating dinner and he suggested we go out to dinner the following night. I agreed. Then we discussed having his parents over New Year�s Eve. He agreed. I called his mom and invited them for dinner. Partner was surprised. He thought we were going out. I said no, that was tomorrow. He explained to me that tomorrow WAS New Year�s Eve.
Oh boy.
So, I stayed up all night playing EQ (and got the hairy eyeball from Partner when he came down the next morning but oh well), and when Partner got out of the shower and left for work I showered and dressed and went to the grocery store to get what we needed for dinner that night. That trip lasted over 2 hours. I swear, everyone there was over 90, or a clerk stocking shelves, or a huge woman with equally huge and jumpety kids that would block the aisles while they tried to make up their minds what brand of wheaties to get. Then haul all the groceries in, put �em away, clean up the spot FloofyQ left on the carpet, bathe and change clothes again after that because it was a bit more extensive than I�d thought, then start dinner.
We had a great time, however. I really love Partner�s mom. Fell asleep on the couch while Partner flipped channels with the remote (it�s a guy thing, I�m told) and crawled up to bed around midnight-oh-five.
The next day we did our best to avoid doing anything.
Sunday we had dinner with my dad and stepmom.
Every time we would sit down to dinner, by ourselves or with anyone else, Partner would solemnly intone the latest death toll of the Tsunami.
Monday I went back to work but Partner had the day off. Did he have dinner ready when *I* got home? I�ll let you guess. I�ll give you a hint. The answer starts with �n�.
So, here I am at work today, we still haven�t had time to visit with daughter and family, and I have yet to get in touch with my brother (he�s a bit of an anti-social hermit type when it comes to family).
But I hope you all (whoever you are) had a great Holiday, however you celebrated it, and will have a great New Year.
Mitakuye Oyasin
Walk in Balance