2020 Diary: The Last of November

11/24/2020: Up about 7:30, dressed, prayers and Bible, ate the last elderly banana and took my medicine. Caught up diary. The morning is cool and a little damp with a spit of rain laying on the land. This continued, on and off, through the morning, but by the afternoon was mainly scattered clouds and fair sun.

In at 9 AM for the usual ramen-and-eggs. Played DQ8 throughout the day, eventually beating Little Rhapthorne at about 2:30 PM and calling it a day. At lunch (12:30 PM, to go back a bit) had 2 turkey sandwiches and broccoli salad. At 3:30 PM started potatoes-carrots-onion-cabbage-mushrooms and sausages and finished at 5 PM. Talked to Kam and listened to Christmas channel while I cooked. Went in and washed at 8 PM. Susan told me all still seemed on schedule over at Babeloth. Watched Green Acres. Read The Confidence Man. Started rosary about 9 PM, but drifted off after the 3^rd decade, finishing it off during the periods I woke up through the night, the last one being at 3 AM.

 

11/25/2020: Awoke at 3 AM and couldn’t get back to sleep. So washed a couple of dishes, said prayers, read Bible, caught up diary, and now mean to shower and perhaps read more TCM, making a drive to finish it and maybe helping me get to sleep.

So, I prayed a rosary, finished The Confidence Man and slept a bit more. Up at 7 AM and got dressed and left at 7:40 AM. Got to DG precisely at 8 AM, just as they opened. Got a ton of junk on my card and was home at 8:40 AM. Watched the end of Perry Mason, ate an apple pie, and gave an expired one to the Rotts and Jade. Went in at 9 AM and got ramen-and-eggs. Caught up Diary.

So, played DQ8. Went in at lunch and had the leftover cabbage-etc.  A little after 2 PM Yen called and we had a nice talk, I telling him about Lady Willow and The Elderly Princess, which I sent to him after we hung up.

In at 4 PM and fed animals, swept porch, and made sloppy joe mix. Now await S&A arrival to eat.

It was about 7 PM when we did eat. In the meantime, I had started the pea salad. Finished making that at about 8 PM, washed up, came out, watched Green Acres, then hit the hay.

 

11/26/2020: Up at 7 AM, prayers, Bible, and rosary. About 8:30 AM Andy came out and asked me to make bacon, eggs, and pancakes, which I did, and we had a good meal. Almost immediately after that (it took over an hour to cook and consume) I started boiling eggs, then made the deviled eggs. When I finished that, I made the mashed potatoes. Also made cheese spread for their trip tomorrow. After that I came in and played DQ8 for a while, showered, dressed, then more DQ8. By 2:30 PM I had beaten Rhapthorne and was at the closing credits when Andy called me, and off to Babeloth we went. Started eating a little after 3 PM, and a fine meal it was with smoked turkey, green bean casserole, gravy, rolls, orange fluff, dressing, soda, sweet potatoes, and for dessert, pecan pies. We yakked and visited and then started playing Catch Phrase, with Kam and Joey taking places on the girl team, as Morgandy didn’t want to play. Kameron did really great! Then Fred called (I think about 7 PM) and Andy had to leave, then Joe came out and played and he did good too, for the first time around. Then he had to go to bed. We moved inside and talked and had a bit of seconds, discussing among other things business and futures. Andy finally got back about 9 PM, and we headed home (John had had to go to bed at 8 PM), stopping to get gas for tomorrow. Home about 9:30 PM, where I finished my DQ8 game and caught up the diary. It’s now 10:10 PM, and I should try to settle down for the night, but can I? I drank a fair amount of Big Red Zero today.

 

11/27/2020: After a restless night, I was up about 6:30 AM. Prayers. Kind of puttered around until the Shanafelts left for the park (a 90-mile drive) where they are going with Amy and the kids. Had a mashed potato sandwich and a turkey sandwich for breakfast, and a few deviled eggs. Kept checking the porch all day because Susan is expecting her Strawberry Shortcake dollhouse, but it didn’t come today. Got the mail at about 11 AM. At lunch had ramen-and-eggs. Did a load of wash. Grassed Ginger. Fed the pets at 4 PM. Played a little DQ8, watched some YT shows on the recent episodes of Duck Tales, and then set the lights at 5 PM. The weather has been mostly cloudy with some spotty precipitation never rousing up to actual rain, hovering at about 60 degrees all day. Don’t have to cook this evening and don’t know when they’ll be back.

So, they got home a little after 6 PM, and Andy brought me a chopped BBQ burger. The evening rolled along (it was weird because the day felt like a Saturday while being a Friday) with Green Acres, a rosary, and defeating the Lord of the Dragovians. Had a hard time going to sleep, getting up and laying down again all night.

 

11/28/2020: Up about 7:30 AM, from a dream of Star Wars characters playing a sacred game of tennis on a planet of reptilian people they were trying to woo into the alliance, when suddenly the Empire swoops in. Sheesh. Did get to see a reptilian funeral, though. Prayers, Bible, getting ready to go to town, if need be, and trying to distract my stupid mind. Rainy drippy (not showering) and so predicted for all day. Had a ramen for breakfast. Watched YT stuff on the old Duck Tales, my latest catch-up obsession. Andy called about 10 AM, and we went first to the bank and cashed my check with some deposit ($4500 back – it’s the most money I’ve ever seen in me life!) then went to HEB pharmacy for my medicine. Now it’s 11 AM, and on we go.

Sent John a collection of about 2 dozen quotes at noon. About 1:30 PM Andy came in and collected $60 because earlier I had suggested I pay for Chicken Express for lunch. Started watching the old cartoon series “Around the World in 80 Days” (there is now the complete series on YT). The Shanafelts finished their business and were home at 3:40 PM and we ate. I unfortunately broke a coaster as we were cleaning up.

Started reading Chesterton’s “Robert Browning”, took a little nap, then read some more. Been raining all day (good, we needed some). It’s now 9 PM.

At 9:30 PM said rosary, then spent an hour or so looking for a statue of the Virgin Mary on E-bay. Found a good one. Now back to GKC until I get sleepy again.

 

11/29/2020: Up about 6 AM. Prayers, Bible, and rosary. Then church on YT. First week of Advent. (I had only tried to reserve a confession spot on Wednesday about 1 PM, and the office was already closed for the holidays.) Father Stan was wearing a vestment that said “Jezu Ufam Tobei” which is Polish for “Jesus, I Trust in You”.

Afterward I posted on NOT and POB, had a shower, got dressed, and took my medicine. It’s now 8:07 AM. I am determined that tomorrow I will get my Social Security and bank business straightened out.

I finished “Robert Browning” and started “Lord Kitchener” (more a pamphlet than a book). About 10:15 AM Andy came out with the weekly leftovers (I ate the boiled eggs and the last of the oatmeal cookies). I took the bowls in and got the leftover turkey and mashed potatoes. As I returned, I heard what sounded like “Morning Has Broken” on the bagpipes being played in the neighborhood. I mean I know the tune, but not exactly sure if it was someone playing the bagpipes. Made a turkey, mash potato, and ramen bowl.

I had just laid down for a nap when Andy arrived with the pumpkin pie and the rest of the tea from yesterday at about 12:10 PM. Had a slice and watched some YT, now ready to get back to sleep … or try to.

So about 5:30 PM I go in to nab more leftovers (mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, Chicken Express stuff) and Andy returns with a burger and fries for me from Whataburger as well. I try watching the Sunday animation block, and it’s oh so dreary. Read Typee, then bed.

 

11/30/2020: Woke up about 5:30 AM with determination about straightening out SocSec today. Prayers, Bible. Arranged my papers, saw there was naught to do until 9 AM, watched Perry Mason and fretted, gathering garbage, etc. Boiled eggs and made egg salad. A little after 10 AM made my call and waited almost AN HOUR, and then when I was talking to a lady and making some progress we were disconnected! Called back and waited another 40 MINUTES until I got another agent (he seemed somewhat duller than the bright lady I had before) and then I was only able to get ONE of the check accounts settled. He suggested I get with RBFCU to settle the other one. >Sigh< But, PROGRESS, of a sort. If I had only been more proactive before and less anxious and depressed, I maybe could have settled the whole thing.

So, got Kameron most of the Chicken Express for lunch, had cheese spread sandwiches, then made cucumber salad. Such a bright, clear, cool day! I was on the manic part of my manic-depressive cycle. Read lots of “Typee”. At 4 PM went in and fed pets, made fish patties and couscous, then out again. Watched the new Duck Tales Christmas episode at 6 PM, which wasn’t as good as I’d hoped, but alright.

Went in and washed up at 8 PM. Watched Green Acres. Prayed rosary. Washed up here. It’s 9:20 PM and a clear cold moon-bright night. Getting ready to read a bit, then hit the hay.

 

NOTES

 Well, I was certainly watching a lot of Green Acres. It had just started playing on MeTV and so was at the same time novelty and nostalgia; it recalled a time when I was a kid. I don’t retain many memories of all the Herman Melville or Chesterton reading I did then, just vague impressions. I only learned afterwards that I shouldn’t have fed any ‘human food’ to the Tovars’ dogs. Thanksgiving that year was over at John and Amy’s; I didn’t have to cook the complete meal, just our contributions, of which pea salad and deviled eggs were our traditional offering. Never did get that statue of the Virgin Mary; ironically, I had a good one from Paper Bear, years before I became Catholic, that had been broken and thrown away. We don’t play many family games anymore; perhaps having the young’uns when we do gather makes it a little more complicated. Lady Willow and the notes for The Elderly Princess are published elsewhere on this blog. A little fuzzy about whether Scattergories is the right name of that game we played, or just the thing I mistakenly called it all the time. [Update: it was really Catch Phrase, which I've updated in the body of the entry.]