Diary 2019: Mid-December

12/15/2019: Up at about 5 AM. Showered, dressed, prayers, catechism, Bible. A rather foggy walk to church. I think I’m finally getting into a place where I can think less about whether I’m doing the right thing technically (because I’m doing it) and more about the Mass itself. Came home, and settled down, not really hungry until about 4 PM (which is good, because I’ve got no food and want to save my last $2, still chasing the Mega-Millions – I could go buy ramen, but where’s the point in that?). Warm, clear afternoon. Read more Turgenev, especially a very good short story, Bezhin Meadow. Went and got some of that hamburger they offered me and fried that up about 4 PM. An evening of lack-luster Fox animation, and now trying to see if I can get up in time for the new Rick and Morty. Stayed up and watched the new R&M, then bed at 11 PM.

 

12/16/2019: Up about 6 AM. Prayed, dressed, then left a little after 7 AM to go get a ticket. The weather yesterday said there might be rain, but this morning it only said cloudy, so I decided to go on. Right leg pretty sore, but I made it. Dropped a couple of ugly pennies in the fountain; lines were long as I passed the donut shop, extending into the sidewalk; the old man who hangs around the store had found a torn half of a dollar and was looking around for the other half. I got back to the park and the wind suddenly whipped up with a few drops of rain and then as I was coming up the driveway the rain started. Not heavy rain. I just made it back. Read the catechism and the Bible, and now Perry Mason is on. Soon I’ll be ready to start the wash and finally have a meal. Nothing like a semi-fast to make you appreciate some good ol’ ramen.

I started my wash at 9 AM, went in, peeled Kam’s apple, made a sandwich, and got my ramen with bread. Went back in about 10:10 AM and helped Kam get ready, and I’m glad I made him wear a jacket because it was a lot colder than when I went in the morning, but it wasn’t raining anymore. I really wished I had brought a coat as I waited on the porch, and the bus didn’t get here until 11:50 AM. Put the wash in the dryer and went in. In the future: gyut-dang broccoli salad.

Put GGACP [Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast] on and fell asleep for about 40 minutes; got up about 12:15 PM and got the wash, just in time to cross paths with the pool guy. Weather now clear and just a little warmer, but still cool. Brought the broccoli out to cut it up, then made salad inside. It’s now almost 3 PM, and I’ve already fed the cats.

Kam called me at 3:30 PM and asked me to meet him at the end of the driveway at 4 PM, to help him carry his Christmas orders in. I grassed the dogs and preheated the oven, then went out to wait – which I did for about 15 minutes, on my bad leg. Then carried in the HEAVY box for him. We got in and I finished making the supper, then came in, ate couscous with ramen, and watched The Flintstones. Now it’s 6 PM.

Rosary at 7:15 PM. In passing, I note that Whoopi Goldberg seems to be wearing an old grey mop on her head these days; I’m sure she thinks it is matriarchal, but really – old grey mop. It’s now 8 PM and time to clean the kitchen. Started Taras Bulba (TB from now on) on John’s recommendation. Bed about 9:30 PM.

 

12/17/2019: Up about 5:30 AM, to write down a dream. Then prayers, shower, dress, catechism, and Bible. Anna Karenina and Race for your Life, Charlie Brown on this morning, and I catch bits of the ends of both. Go in at 9 AM, peel Kam’s apple, and get morning ramen, which I make with egg, bread, and paprika. Go in at 10 AM and make Kam write his thank you notes first thing before he gets dressed. Bring in the recycling bin, then see him off to school. Spend the rest of the time between 11 AM and 1:30 PM listening to DW shows and KPCS Christopher guest. Oh, about 12:40 PM put the Rotts in for Andy, got some broccoli salad, a sandwich, and a ramen for lunch. Just about 1:30 PM a huge jargon of birds suddenly starts up outside, then tapers off (not really ending) after a minute or so. Wrote just a paragraph or two, with hoping to do more after Kam gets home and I feed the dogs.

I went and brought the trash bin in, then fed the cats and grassed the Chis, then fed them. Made myself some oatmeal for supper (S&A are eating at Red Lobster tonight – their anniversary!), then swept the kitchen porch and waited for Kameron to get back. He did, I let the Rotts out again, then came in and ate. It’s now 4:30 PM. I went in about 7 PM, I guess, and made Kam Tx toast and corndogs. While outside I wrote “Happy Anniversary” on the chalkboard, and while I got the chalk out the plastic bag it was in just disintegrated. About 8:30 PM Kam came in to make more Thank You cards and showed an interest in what Mila Jovavich movies I might have (I’ve got 2, The Messenger and The Fifth Element). He brought me some tortilla soup. It was pretty good, if 3 days old. Saw it was going to be cold, so dripped the sink and plugged in the heater. Listening to KPCS Tom Hanks, then paused and said Rosary at 9:30 PM.

 

12/18/2019: Up about 4:30 AM. Wrote down a dream, then started writing on Philo. With a few breaks and pauses worked till 6 AM, then prayer, catechism, and Bible. Now almost 6:30 AM. Got about 1 and ½ pages; with previous writing, that’s about 1/10 of what I need for these 2 weeks. It’s a start.

Went in at 9 AM, peeled apple, and got my ramen. Kept writing through Perry Mason, after I ate, and after I got Kameron off to school. Ice in the birdbath! Kept writing; ate ramen for lunch, watched the DW shows, and wrote some more instead of taking a nap. It is now 3 PM and now I have 11 pages done. That’s the quota for today, and I can stop there if I want. Stopped after Philo is left with the Bureau.

Grassed and fed the Chis, fed the outside cats, and started supper: sausages and cabbage and taters. Kam came home and ate his biscuits from S&A Red Lobster last night. I took my stuff out and ate, then watched The Flintstones. Sent John an e-mail and found out my Microsoft 365 Personal expires in 30 days, and it takes about $70 to renew it, so good-bye Christmas money. Ah well; I had a good day of writing and have 13 pages of the 20 I need, and it’s only Wednesday. Prayed a rosary at 7 PM; have decided to reserve a decade each day in to pray in thanksgiving for good things that happen.

I should mention in passing that someone has won the $372 million Mega-Million jackpot. Even if I didn’t win it, it is a relief that I no longer feel compelled to chase after it, with my eked out, could-have-been-spent-on-food, painfully-walked-to-spend $2 every three or four days. Oh, such airy dreams I had! What generous gifts I apportioned for my family, with 20 million here and 20 million there! What cared I, for I still would retain a hundred million! Such pie-in-the-sky liberality crumbles once more, as it’s crumbled for the past 30 years. And yet I know I will go tottering foolish toward it once more when a new jackpot builds again.

Went in at 9 PM to clean up. Not only are there TWO sausages left (I ate one right away, on bread), but Andy said I could have the leftover Red Lobster. It was in two take-away plates, one mostly shrimp, and the other rice, mashed potatoes, and linguini. So I had a good second supper. Kam calls about 9:30 PM, and I get him a root beer. I read more TB and settle down to sleep about 11 PM, still jazzed by all I had accomplished today.