12/26/2019: Fast away the
old year passes. Up at 6:30 AM and showered. Now prayers, catechism, and Bible.
Went in at 9 AM and got the stuff to make Kam bacon and eggs; also grabbed a
couple of deviled eggs and made myself two ham sandwiches [Christmas leftovers].
John sent me an e-mail talking about their Christmas; good except 2 of their
dogs got out of their pen and killed 2 of his cats. I sent him an e-mail about
my Christmas. Straightened up the guest house and just about ready for a nap at
11:40 AM. Day gray but warm; door and window open.
Went in at 1 PM and Kam
hadn’t eaten his eggs and bacon yet. I let out the Chis to grass, and ate a
couple of ham sandwiches, pea salad, and deviled eggs. At 4 PM I let them out
again, fed the pets, and made corn on the cob. Froze the ground turkey (it still
looked and smelled good) and put the ham in the freezer as well. Made myself
some mashed potatoes and gravy and three rolls for supper. Rosary at 6 PM. A
not too good “Happy New Year, Charlie Brown” (1986) on tonight. I’m kind of
distracted by figuring out how to get to Office Max and then Walmart tomorrow,
or if I should wait until next week.
I went in at 8 PM to clean
up, and S&A told me I need to be at home tomorrow to let the exterminator
in, so no shopping for me. Also, I need to have the Rotts and the Chis in my
house; the Chis in the bathroom, and the Rotts just loose, with Kam to keep an
eye on them. So tomorrow I have to do what I can to dog-proof the guest house.
12/27/2019: Up about 6 AM;
prayers, catechism, and Bible. Worked on what I could about safeguarding wires
and such and setting up blockades. Last night I put away my Christmas things
[including a display of Christmas action figures]; nobody ever saw them, but
the good thing about setting them up is that they are now in good sorting. The
cranky head elf from Rudolph lost his head this year. About 11 AM I got the
Chis in, then about 11:30 AM got Kam in, then let the Rotts in, then at noon
went to sit on the porch. S&A came, and a little later the exterminator. I
let the Rotts back out at 1:30 PM, took the Chis in, then grassed and fed the
pets at 4 PM. Kam hung out in the guest house until 8 PM. I prayed a rosary
then went to bed.
12/28/2019: Up about 6 AM,
prayers, catechism and Bible; got dressed and watched a little TV (TCM). At
about 7:15 AM I heard it raining (contrary to the weather report just 30
minutes ago; when I looked it had changed) which puts my plans to go to Office
Depot back a bit. It opens at 9 AM today, anyway, and that’s exactly how long
chances of rain are. It’s such a schlep and my legs aren’t feeling great. I
could wait until Monday when the bus should be running, but I feel antsy and
want to get it out of the way. And then spend a little money on good cheer,
while there’s still a chance of eggnog and fruitcake. Ah, me. There is a slim
possibility that John might want to do something.
I decided that yes, I would
go to Office Depot, and set off at 9 AM. It was cloudy and windy, but the rain
had stopped. I had got as far as the automotive store when a nice lady flagged
me down and asked if I wanted a ride. She and her mother drove me first to
Office Depot (where I very quickly got my Word 365 card), then dropped me off
at Walmart, even saying she would wait till I was done. But since I wasn’t sure
how long I would take I urged her on her way and said God Bless You. I went in
and got some stuff ($17 worth on the card) including eggnog, taquitos, and
stuffing, then walked home. They had a complete Adventure Time DVD set,
and if I had had enough money (it was something like $89) I would have bought
it and given the rest of my AT DVDs to the kids. It was quite a slog back, but
I made it (11 AM), then ate the taquitos and drank the eggnog and watched a
bunch of Simpsons. It’s now 1 PM and I’m ready for a nap. Up at 3:30 PM and
thinking about getting lottery tickets.
Decided no, let it ride a
while. It has been so dark, damp, and dull today, and now at 6 PM the train
whistles of gloom are blowing in the air. The right side of my head seems full
of something; perhaps it is an infection from my cronked tooth. At least
I have food, and for that I should be grateful. Made myself stuffing with clam
chowder. Prayed rosary a little after 8 PM.
12/29/2019: Got up about 6
AM and wrote down a few fragments of dreams. That led me to proofread the first
month of this Diary, which only left me time for prayers, then getting dressed
and leaving for church. Used 2 canes, as my walking yesterday left me in pain.
Sermon on the Holy Family. Went to the restroom afterwards, then took a strange
route to get to Family Dollar. Perhaps it was so I could give a dollar to a
poor fellow on the street, who claimed to be passing through, hadn’t had any
water for three days, had his phone stolen. I got a few groceries and went
home. It looks like at least S&A are gone (the wrecker’s out). Watched The
Flintstones (Dino arrives – talking, and “Happy Anniversary” on the stolen
piano), then The Simpsons (Futurama crossover), and ready for a nap, having
eaten an apple and a bag of sugar wafers and straightened up the house and
finished my catechism and Bible reading. Weather clear, cool, and sunny. 11:50
AM.
About 12:20 PM Susan called
to confirm what we needed for chicken soup. I went in to get some ramen, then
took some of my recycling out. When Susan got back, she brought out the two
boxes of Pumpkin Delights, and I ate the last deviled eggs and pea salad.
At 3:47 PM I sent John this
e-mail; though I think they are out of town:
“Hope you're enjoying a
little down time now. Did you get to see The Nutcracker with everyone
else?
“I myself took the rather
insane route yesterday of going over to the Office Depot and getting a renewal
card for my Microsoft Word 365, then swinging by Walmart to get some good grub
(including eggnog). It was pretty gray and grim, but I'm feeling calm now that
I've got the card, and don't have to fight the temptation to spend up all my
money before I could renew. There was a complete all-seasons package of
Adventure Time that I am sure would have been very tempting (I lack the last 3
seasons) if I hadn't already made my sensible purchase. The DVD section of
Walmart has really shrunk. Did you notice? Today the weather is rather grand,
and my leg is telling me I maybe should have waited till Monday, but I'm not
sure if the bus is running then. Anyway, it's all settled now.
“I've been spending some
time editing my Dream Journal (as I mentioned) and my Diary (for form, not
content). It's been quite a year. I've cooked cabbage and taters about 50
times!“
About 7 PM, since I know
there are no new Sunday shows, I took a look at Netflix and decide to watch
“The Two Popes”. Eh, it’s okay; anything with Anthony Hopkins and Jonathon
Pryce is bound to be pretty good. I take a little break and go in to look at
the work on Kameron’s room; it’s progressing very well. Finish show at about 9
PM. Bed not long after.
12/30/2019: Awake at 4 AM
and decide to go ahead and start the day. Prayers, catechism, and Bible; finish
the Gospel of John. I think I’ll shower now and get dressed. The right side of
my head still feels muzzy and my right ear feels stuffed; could use some
hydrogen peroxide, perhaps.
Showered, dressed, dug a lot
of gunk out of my right ear, and moved a lot of shirts from the closet to the
empty tall drawers between the bookshelves behind the couch. Now have more room
and more hangers in the closet.
Later in the morning Kameron
came in about 9 AM after I had peeled him an apple. His stomach was feeling
poorly, so he brought the Chis in with him to the guest house and he stayed
with me all day. Eventually as the day wore on, he started feeling better and
was able to eat crackers. Later in the afternoon I started the chicken soup
(with rice, carrots, and dumplings. As the evening wore on Kam was able to eat
some soup, have a few Pumpkin Delights, and some of my Cherry 7Up. We watched
“Klaus” and “Jim Carrey’s Grinch” on Netflix, and later Kam watched “Almost Heroes”
on his computer. Ginger peed on the floor, but who can blame her? Went into a
patchy sleep somewhere along the line.
12/31/2019: New Year’s Eve,
and last day of the decade. Up about 5 AM and Kameron going along merrily awake
as usual. I typed down some notes on my dreams, and then we talked about dreams
awhile. I decided I was up and said my prayers, read catechism and Bible.
Caught up the Diary.
Made ramen. Kam finally went
to sleep about 7:30 AM. And he got up at 1 PM. I grassed the Chis and took them
in, and then we gathered up his stuff and took him inside, peeling him an
apple. At 3 PM I went in and found Susan was home. I went in at 4 PM and fed
the pets, then made Kam a couple of pickle and peanut butter folded. At 5 PM
watched 2 episodes of the Flintstones and then some House.
Rosary at 7:30 PM. Went in
at 8 PM and got some ramen. Kam called soon thereafter and ordered taquitos, TX
toast, corndogs, and another peanut butter pickle sandwich. Just remembered
that perhaps I should make a “Last Drawing of 2019”; it may very well be my
first of the year as well.
Notes: Of course, the Chis
and the Rotts are the Chihuahuas and the Rottweilers, who coexisted very
nicely. We were on quite a peanut butter and pickle run there for a while, a
combination unknown to us when I was a kid. They were giving Kameron’s room an
overhaul for the New Year; he’s almost as much a packrat as I am. The Last
Drawing of the Year is something of a tradition that John and I keep up. I used
to draw quite often but my arthritis makes it hard to hold a pencil steady. My
creative endeavors tend more to writing these days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGEBTsR4V1Y
No comments:
Post a Comment