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The bitter end
January 05, 2017
2016 took it's last swipe at my family on NYE: my aunt died after a long struggle with pulmonary disease. Needless to say, I won't be making it to the funeral. I sent a sympathy card to my uncle, and made a contribution to the hospice. I usually do that if there is a hospice memorial, and I have a cousin on the board of that particular hospice facility.
I doubt if my dad will, either--when we spoke the morning of New Year's Day, he was in Alabama, on his way to Georgia, and it wasn't something he wanted to change his plans for. I'm sure my oldest brother and GSIL will go, to represent our branch of the family.
I thought about calling my cousin to condole with her on her mother's passing, but I frankly wasn't up to the extreme right-wing, born-again godbaggery and blatant Trumpism. I consider my cousins prime examples of what happens when parents try to shield their children from the big bad world by wrapping them in ignorance and superstition, and actively stifling their intellects. They started out perfectly fine, intelligent kids--and then their family was sucked into the Assembly of God cult. They've spent the last four decades in an anti-science, anti-progress, anti-liberal right-wing echochamber that completely eradicated their capacity for critical thinking.
That particular branch of the family is a snapshot of the typical nice, religious, upstanding, close-knit American family...that is utterly destroying this country.
All the same, I was fond of my aunt and I know she did strive to overcome a lot of shit in her life, and to be a wonderful wife, mom, and grandma. And I know she struggled with depression, which always draws my empathy. I really do feel sympathy for my uncle and my cousins, and what they are going through right now.
Wouldn't it be nice if life was black and white?
So, anyway...the last long holiday weekend was pretty quiet. Since we didn't do any decorating, there was nothing to take down but a few Christmas cards, which took about 10 seconds. And neither of us are much on nightlife or booze, so that didn't make up part of our weekend. Just a dull lull annual death march of winter.
Due different office schedules, Spouse and I were out of sync on the long weekends: I got 4 days for Christmas, but he only got 3--and that was reversed for New Year. He was off Friday & Monday, and I was only off Monday.
When I got home on Friday, he had the housework and half the laundry done, bless him. So we ran up to the north side, because we wanted to make tacos el supremo for dinner--necessitating a trip to our favorite Hispanic grocery for their "carne para tacos" and cheap limes. And we hit the northside Festival for their sales, since we needed to stop and get some other supplies for dinner anyway.
In the afternoon, we kicked back some and napped a bit, then Spouse put his meat on, and I did the fixings prep. I went all out with mine: extra-sharp cheddar, avocado, tomato, lettuce, chopped black olives, sour cream, and a generous squeeze of fresh lime, on a flour tortilla. Spouse just does lettuce, tomato and sour cream, with a light shot of lime, but damn, we were both immensely satisfied with the outcome. I was lucky enough to find a perfect avocado, exactly perfect for eating, and on sale for only 68 cents. It really brought the whole operation up a notch. And of course, the carne was superb--tender, but with a nice chew, and well-spiced with the husband's blend of low-sodium packet taco mix and the Penzey's stuff.
Saturday, we decided to get up early and drive down to the nothern burbs for some shopping. We got to Walker Brothers in Glenview just after 7:00 am, and enjoyed uncharacteristic quiet. Apparently the breakfrast crowd is a late-rising one, because the place was nearly dead. The food and coffee were as amazing as always, though. I had the Challah french toast with bacon, and Spouse had the buckwheat cakes and sausage.
After breakfast, we popped over to Trader Joes to pick up a few items, and then went to REI, because they carry the seasickness bands Spouse wanted to get. Yeah, I know. 6 months away, but he wants to be ready. After that, we just cruised up Hwy 43 to go home, stopping at Meijer to do the grocery shopping. And had ALL of that done and were home by 10:30 in the morning--pretty efficient!
I don't know why we were trying to be so efficient, though--just had more time to do nothing. Well, I take that back--we came home to find my Christmas gift from Spouse on the front porch. He had ordered me a digital video camera from Amazon. Oh, golly. Thanks.
Funny how I mention that once, as something I might like to have, and he jumps on it...when I must have mentioned the fact that I wanted a microwave about 150 times, and he never caught on. And frankly, I think I'm officially too old for all the new tech, because I am just not getting this thing at all. (Maybe because it's a really cheap one, and the manual is in Chingrish?) The kind I was thinking of was the old "flip" style, which I guess they don't make anymore. This is more of a full-fledged palmcorder, with a 2.7 inch screen and zoom and stuff.
And after we unboxed that and got it onto the charger, we spent a chunk of time reserving shore excursions--and he completely cock-blocked the whale-watching, which was the only reason I'd ever said ANYthing about a video recorder.
Hmmph.
He took a nap after that, and I spent the rest of the afternoon making a batch of ginger syrup for homemade ginger ale (experiment: nope won't be making that again.), a banana cake, and a batch of my raspberry filling (a make-ahead for Monday's breakfast), and the icing for the banana cake.
NYE dinner was nothing special. I threw some frozen fish fillets & fries in the oven, and we had that with some deli coleslaw. And I actually went to bed pretty early--about 10 or so. I(really)DGAK about "seeing in the new year".
I was having my morning coffee when Dad callled to tell me about my aunt, so that was a downer convo. But it sounds like he and his GF are having some fun down south.
Spouse made Sunday breakfast--even though he's sat and watched me order and eat it on Saturday at Walker Bros, he made Challah french toast. And it was...disgusting.
But then...I don't much care for warmish bread soaked in raw egg. Seriously. it it had been any more under done, the bread would have been unsliced and the eggs still in their shells. A rare flop from Spouse.
I spent the rest of the day puttering; cleaning the kitchen, finishing the laundry and such. And reading a bit. Never left the house, which always makes me happy-ish.
And Spouse made up for breakfast with a wonderful early dinner of perfect, charcoal-grilled steak, baked potatoes and salad.
Monday was okay. Slept in, then I got up and made raspberry strudel. (Another failed experiment.) We only left the house for a little while, to run to the store. We were feeling lazy, so I picked up some ready-made chicken parm cutlets (they have SUCH a good deli!) to have for dinner, with spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad. And while we were at it, got cold fried chicken and potato salad for Tuesday's dinner. Then we came back home and did basically nothing the rest of the day. I did so little, I even skipped the nap! Bunged together dinner, did the dishes, that was about it.
So that was the whole, mostly boring long holiday weekend. Glad it was over, and not glad it was over. Especially since all I have to look forward to at work is bogus BS. returned to work on Tuesday to an email telling us that although our raises wouldn't kick in until the second check of the year, our increased deductions would be kicking in right away. And on Thursday--the boss finally saw fit to email us our "increases". Mine was the smallest one, percentage-wise, I've received in the 21 years I've worked there. And dollar-wise, it was about 300 less than the rock-bottom smallest amount I figured I'd get. Considering the outright insult of a bonus we got this past year, it seems like 2016 is just the shitstorm that keeps on giving.
Why can't I stir my stumps and look for a new job? (Well, for starters, my age, physical condition, gender, and the changed employment landscape make it pretty much a joke).
And the fact that i can't get any sympathy for my "first world problems" doesn't help my morale any, either. Spouse doesn't get it, because he's never worked anywhere long enough to know what it is like to be shit on by a company you've given your loyalty and nearly half your life to. He DARED to give me the worst fucking comment imaginable in that you can in the situation--"At least you have a job."
Oh, yes--certainly--of course! I'm buried up to my neck in horseshit--but at least I'm not buried up to my mouth!"
Reading: "An Ideal Kitchen: Miss Parloa's Kitchen Companion; A Guide for All Who Would be Good Housekeepers"(Copyright, 1887), by Maria Parloa and "The Orchid" (1905), by Judge Robert Grant
Listening: The Black Keys, Sohn, Blondie, Bob Marley & the Wailers
Inked Up: Jin Hao X750 (M nib) with R&K Blu Mare, Pilot Penmanship (EF nib ) with Pilot Namiki purple, and the ever-ready Conklin Duragraph (F nib) with Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown
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