Category: Holidays

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Bah Humbug!

I trust that the presents have been purchased, the decorations are up and the fridge is stocked in preparation for your version of the annual Christmas Dinner.

This year, my household has done nada, zip, zero, to decorate, or prepare. Neither of us have been into it. The dog doesn’t care as long as his treat supply isn’t interrupted.

This year has been much like last year and honestly who wants or needs to go through all the machinations for just the three of us? Meh whatever. 

There are few things we need, and most of those aren’t special or anything. In fact since a lot are clothing related, (underwear, socks, sweats etc,) it makes more sense to purchase those items at the after Christmas sales. Since we’ve been trying to purchase only what we need and attempting to purchase locally or American manufactured products, we’re trying to make our rapidly depreciating dollars go further.

I thought we were going to have a white Christmas and there may still be snow on the ground come Christmas Day. It’s been warming up, the snow is melting so that’s iffy.  Because of warming, I’ve at last managed to remove the 1/2” slab of ice from the road in front of the driveway.

Thank YOU for the Christmas present to the moronic flood control people who have managed to redirect any rainwater down our street instead of into the wash! The mud and rocks make it especially fun, since we can’t safely use the snowblowers without risking broken windows up and down the street. This last storm started out as rain, then froze into a glacial mass of ice. 

This has left myself and the other neighbors having to remove the snow sitting on top of the 1/2” thick ice using only shovels and ice cleats on our shoes so that we don’t fall.

Perhaps that’s part of my mood, Six months of the year, every year, the flood control people turn the neighborhood into a construction zone. Don’t try to sleep past 6:45 in the morning. It’s not going to happen.

On the plus side, because of the horrendous mess the flood control people have created on the maintenance road, they can’t get their vehicles in and out. So for the past week there has been blessed silence on that front.

This time of year I don’t frequent shopping malls because the traffic and crowds are insane. I have little enough patience for people most times of the year. Christmas is almost 100% out of the question for me. The Holiday season seems to incite an extra level of stupid in the general populace.

I will go shopping with good friend(s) as long as we go someplace where we can have adult beverages during shopping. I draw the line at shopping malls where there is no readily accessible alcohol.

This year the shopping expeditions have been cancelled because the friends in question have been tied up with other obligations, as have I.

Perhaps in the days remaining before Christmas itself I’ll get into the holiday spirit by watching Christmas movies. Die Hard for example. Given the winter storm moving across the midwest and Northeast I may watch The Day After Tomorrow because, well it’s a disaster movie talking about the freezing of the northern part of the US. It’s not really a Christmas movie but is enjoyable because so many politicians freeze to death in Washington DC.

That might make me feel Christmassy!

I think this year Christmas is going to be just another day for me.

I sincerely hope that your Christmas is exactly what you want it to be.

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We may have a mostly White Christmas

IMG 2525The jury is still out on that.

It’s snowing lightly now. Yesterday all we got was a slushy wet mix that’s turned to mostly ice overnight.

For me, what we got yesterday is the most hated of Winter weather. It’s heavy, and difficult to clear. You’re tempted to just leave it and hope that it goes away. But you only do that once. If you leave it, you’ll need a pickax and wonder if it would be legal to use dynamite.  The slush freezes to the road and driveway and then everything is a skating ring. That stuff takes forever to melt on its own and it typically doesn’t melt until you’ve get many days of sunshine and temps above 40° F.

So I was outside in the rain/sleet/snow for about 2, maybe 3 hours doing the shovel work to clear as much as I could. In a way, doing the work was therapeutic. When I came in I was soaked through but not really cold. I think I was working out frustrations and anger against an intractable force. 

I wasn’t angry or frustrated at the weather or anything, I was just being physical and doing something constructive. 

It turns out that even moderately strenuous physical activity does more to get my head on straight than just about anything else. Sure I can be physical anytime, the difference is, that I always feel like I should be doing something else if I’m walking or working out. Crazy as it sounds, taking that time for me seems selfish and undeserved. Fighting to keep the street and driveway clear is one of the few times when I’m really in the moment. 

I guess it’s a matter of the snow keeps falling, the ice keeps forming and there’s nothing personal about it. It just is.

Over the past two years or so, banging my head against the job market has taken on a personal feeling. “Why do these people not like me? Why can’t I get traction? What is wrong with me?” Those questions eat at you. After a while it becomes personal, frustrating, and super depressing. In part it’s because you have no human interaction and therefore can’t figure out what your’e doing wrong. There’s no body language to pick up clues from. 

I think that’s why so many people may have stopped even trying to find a “real job”. It’s easy to sink into depression wondering what the point is. Sure, you’ll maybe get a job but you’ll have to deal with a large group of people. Many of those people are looking to be offended about something all the time, and some of those are looking to cash in on a nice lawsuit retirement plan. For someone like me, walking on eggshells all the time is exhausting. The vagaries of human interaction just complicate getting the job before me completed. I prefer to do what we’re paid to do and go home at the end of the day.

Snow and ice are pure. You can see what you need to do, and what you need to do better. For me it allows the opportunity to direct any frustration and anger in a constructive direction and if I call the snow a name there’s only the whispering hiss of ice meeting ice. Mother Nature isn’t going to be offended, no one’s feelings will be hurt, and the snow keeps falling.

I actually prefer to be outside alone when I’m clearing snow. I don’t have to speak, or interact with anyone. There’s a purity about it and when I come in, there’s satisfaction in a job well done.

Because the neighborhood is calm and quiet right now, I can see rabbits and squirrels wandering around fearlessly untroubled by humans. The scene is serene and peaceful. One of the neighborhood dogs just ran by, she’s a shorthair and bundled up in a nifty yellow sweater. She’s more interested in catching snowflakes than chasing the bunnies or squirrels. Her exuberance makes me smile. I wish I could always live in the moment like dogs do.

The local forecast says the snow should stop in an hour or so. After that the likelihood of snow drops to 30% for the rest of the day. I’ll have another cup of coffee and some breakfast. My dog is still being sleeping beauty in the middle of the bed. When I start working in the kitchen he’ll be up trying to mooch something, then he’ll notice the new snowfall and be a 2 year old running in and out all day long.

My day is going to be busy, I’m sure there’s going to be at least one game of “Chase the snowball” in the yard. Then I’ll head out to shovel snow and close my exercise and activity rings.

Maybe the snow will hang around to add to the holiday cheer

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Happy Independence Weekend

I hope that everyone has a good Holiday.

My plan is to ignore all the “News” and enjoy some simple peace & quiet.

I’ve got a good supply of bourbon. Plenty of ice, and some decent burgers for the grill. 

No plans to go anywhere, no plans to see anyone.

If a friend drops by they’ll be welcomed, but with gas prices as high as they are I doubt anyone will make the pilgrimage.

I’m looking forward to getting some writing done, and playing with the dog.

The dog is not interested in playing too much when it’s hot. I know he’d be much happier if we lived in Alaska. At temps above 75°F he lives for ice cubes bouncing out of the icemaker. 

I don’t think he could possibly be a cheaper companion to have around. Ice cubes or cold carrots and he’s over the moon.

Happy 4th of July.

Happy Birthday America.

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