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holiday push
December 15, 2014, 9:35 P.M.
Busy weekend. Given Spouse's grand-mal hissyfit in Walmart last week, I decided to "take one for the team" and spare him the pain of doing it this week. So I stopped on my way home from work on Friday to pick up the stuff we needed. Found a great second gift for Spouse--he needs a new blanket, having managed to kick a huge hole in his old one, and I found a really nice one. King-sized, soft, and with a real satin binding. Came home, put it all away, ate some lunch, did some laundry, and took short nap. Then I got up and cleaned up the kitchen, baked a batch of M&M cookies, and cleaned up again. Took a shower and got dressed, because Spouse wanted to go out. We went to the Charcoal Grill, but both ended up having fish. Came home, hung out a while, and went to bed.
Saturday, we slept in a bit, and when we got up, he ran to McD's to grab us a drive-thru breakfast, and I did some housework and got back on the laundry--I had set up a delay cycle the night before to do a load in the morning before I got up (Have I mentioned how much I am loving the new washing machine? It's amazing!), so I had a head start. After breakfast, I called Auntie to chat for a while, and Spouse ran around doing various household chores. Once I got off the phone, I went to the kitchen and got the cookie train rolling again, with a batch of Pfeffern�sse. Spouse had lit a cedar-y smelling candle in the living room, I had my spicy cookies going, and the scentsicles on the Christmas tree were being all sprucy, so it smelled like Christmas and a half in there!
Between the chores and the chatting and the cookies, I managed to burn through the morning pretty easily, so I jumped into the shower and threw on some clean clothes so we could go get our errands run before his 2:30 eye appointment (SO proud--he decided, on his own, that he needed to go get new glasses, and then went ahead and made his own appointment!) at Sam's Club.
Well, we were a little too efficient, because we got done at Menard's, and at Walmart. Yeah, Walmart. I tried to do the man a favor, but he wanted to go there anyway. He decided he needed an appropriately festive tray for taking holiday cookies to work, and I just didn't have anything to suit him at all. Anyway--we got done and over to Sam's, and it was only 1:15.
They were not busy, so they started processing his information and doing the pre-exam tests and stuff, then he had to hang out and wait till his appointment time, because the people scheduled ahead of him showed up.
I killed time by shopping. I picked up some basic stuff like cream and salad mix, stopped at the jewelry counter and got a bottle of eau de toilette (I went back to L'Air du Temps), checked out, put the stuff in the car, and still got done before his exam. So I went around turning down the stuff in electronics, and then sat cooling my heels waiting for him. What a day to leave my phone at home! I spent too long trapped in that environment of loud noises and cruel lighting and little oxygen--ugh. Exhausting. When he was finally done, and had his new frames picked out and fitted and the new glasses all ordered, we were glad to get the hell out of there. He couldn't drive, of course, being dilated, so I got to put up with his criticism of my driving all the way across town to the grocery store. We didn't need much at the store, thank goodness, because my knees were throbbing and I was tired, hungry, and getting spacey and grouchy. I did get my cards mailed, though--Dad's was oversized and required extra postage, and of course Auntie's is always a parcel, because of the CD.
And once we got home and put everything away, he expected me to start right in on dinner! To my credit, I didn't go off on him. I merely stated that I needed a little break first. I sat down, had a Pepsi Throwback, and caught my breath, then got back on my feet and made a mealoaf, wrapped some potatoes for baking, and whipped together a pan of scalloped corn, bunged it all in the oven, and sat my ass back down while it all cooked.
It had been a long time since that Mickey's breakfast, so we enjoyed our dinner thoroughly, and marshalled enough energy to get the kitchen cleaned up before collapsing. I had intended to make a batch of sugar cookies after dinner, but that turned out to be more ambition than I could handle.
I conked out early and slept till about 4, then was up till 5:30, when I finally dozed back off.
Ended up sleeping till eight. Spouse got up, took care of the dog, got his ribs prepped for dinner, and started washing his bedding before I even stirred.
I popped a pan of cinnamon rolls in the oven, took my meds, made myself some coffee, and vegged out a little, and after breakfast Spouse made a quart batch of his fantastic homemade Russian salad dressing. We seemed to spend the day taking turns in the kitchen, actually. When he was done with the dressing, I went in and did the sugar cookie assortment I'd planned to do the night before--some sprinkled, some iced, some with Hershey Kisses in the middle. Once I was done with that prolonged process, Spouse helped me get a half-batch of peanut clusters started in the crock pot, and we put his bed back together. I dipped out the candy, he cleaned up my mess, and got his ribs going. After a short break to let the candy set up in the fridge, I put together the cookie tin, the candy tin, and the fruitcakes for shipping, and got the box packed up for Phoenix.
I was going to stick it in the car to keep it cold and mail it after work today, but once I had it ready, I said to heck with it and put my shoes on. I stopped to pick up my prescriptions, then took my massive Christmas box right over to the postal station to send it on its way priority mail. Which almost gave the poor kid at the counter a stroke, since it was a twelve-pound package and the postage was $37.95. He kept trying to get me to re-pack it into two flat rate boxes, and couldn't understand that I wasn't willing to go through all that just to save about seven bucks! Finally convinced him and the deed is done!
I don't count the cost on the Christmas box--if I did, I'd probably give myself a stroke. Easily over a hundred dollars and a shitload of work go into that thing. Because those people are worth it. Every penny I spend, every calorie I burn...whatever it takes, however much it costs--they are worth it. And since Daddy is there this year, it is even more extra-special and important.
Speaking of dad, I don't know how well the box is going to go over with him, considering the timing. He is having all of his teeth pulled on Wednesday--the same day the package is due to arrive! Auntie talked him into going in for his toothache, and the dentist did some plain speaking about the pros and cons of Dad keeping his own teeth--what's left of them. Mostly con, it turns out. And when Dad told the guy he was just trying to sell dentures, he informed Dad that if he was in it for the money, he'd recommend keeping the real teeth--since they would require so much attention, it would cost more.
So he has decided to go ahead and do it. Auntie assures me that he will be well taken care of, and she will be his ears. As someone who lived with a deaf man for over half a century, she knows the drill.
She also informed me that she made him get a decent haircut, and took him to have all his pants altered so they actually fit, and by the time he's done, he will look like a million bucks. It sounds like he is lightening up a lot, and feeling better. Between Auntie and her sister, he's being bossed pretty well, but since they are bossy in his best interests, he kind of likes it. He has also taken to the Kindle Fire tablet like a duck to water, and is on it all the time. Since Dad doesn't tell me much on the phone, it was good to get such a positive report from Auntie.
Anyway--when I got home from my errands, I was so tired that my brain was shorting out. I stood in the kitchen, literally not knowing which way to turn, and having apparently forgotten how to make salad. Eventually, I remembered, and we had Spouse's fantastic ribs, some oven fries, and the aforementioned salad, then we had eggnog and Pfeffern�sse for dessert. We put together the cookie tray for his office (Sugar cookie assortment, peanut butter blossoms sugar blossoms, M&M cookies, Pfeffern�sse, and gingersnaps, plus praline pecans and peanut clusters). And that was my terribly busy pre-holiday weekend.
I need a day off. And next weekend, I have to do 6 dozen more Pfeffern�sse for a cookie exchange, plus I still have to do the rolled sugar cookies! Honestly? I think I'm going to have to forego my personal favorites, and give the Spritz and the date-nut bread a miss this year.
Oh, well. The holidays always go better if I don't consider myself too much. (But I'm telling you, there WILL come a Christmas where I get around to making those depression-era candies from the old Knox Gelatine ad! Someday, darnit!)
One last thought: Last night, I was sitting listening to Bing Crosby, sipping eggnog, nibbling Pfeffern�sse, and gazing at the tree--and I almost choked to death on the clich�. Anyway--maybe I'm trying too hard.
But at least I am trying.
Reading: �The Wouldbegoods� (c. 1900), by E. Nesbit. (but who has time to read?!)
Listening: Christmas music. Which I like. And, since it is the middle of December, is now appropriate. (Mostly Celtic-inspired instrumental arrangements today)
At Random:
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