Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Closed for the Holiday

It seems I've put this up every year at Christmas since 2006. This is how traditions are born.

My iPod has just about cycled through all its 881 Christmas songs -- I've been determined to get through it all once this season without a reset. (I'll add some new tunes after.) I've even heard the Barking Dogs' version of "Jingle Bells." That's the one, when it comes up in the shuffle at home, sends my wife over to the computer to kill the program immediately.

I'm at the Undisclosed Location this morning, hoping to catch up on time sheets and resolve a lien on a PI case that is otherwise settled. I have my envelopes for the security guards and the cleaning lady. And there's a credit card bill that I have to pay by tomorrow. I'll probably pay it today because I'm not sure I'll be in tomorrow. Our Noche Buena dinner is at noon. That's what Abuela wants; that's what we'll do.

Almost all the Curmudgeon family will be gathered tomorrow at my mother-in-law's. Oldest Son's fiance is hoping to fly out tonight to her parents' home in San Antonio. The National Weather Service forecast suggests she may have some difficulties. We are expected to have every form of precipitation known to man in the next 24 hours or so, culminating in a steady rain on Christmas Eve. The airlines are so worried that they're waiving fees for rescheduling flights: If you want to get out of Chicago, they're telling us, better do so quick. So we'll see if Oldest Son's fiance makes it out. Oldest Son is supposed to join her Friday. That's another one we'll have to see.

We're hoping not to have Older Daughter with us tomorrow.

That sounds wrong, doesn't it?

But she'd be driving up from Indianapolis tomorrow in the terrible weather -- alone. Her husband is an architect -- and also a singer. He's been hired to sing at Christmas Eve services at his church. We're talking money here. Older Daughter doesn't want to sit around her apartment by herself on Christmas Eve. Even if she goes to the services, she can only watch. She has friends and acquaintances among the congregation -- but they'll be with their families. Older Daughter will be alone wherever she is if she stays in Indianapolis. So she wants to join us. But Long Suffering Spouse are trying to persuade her that it is better to wait in a boring (but warm) apartment than in a ditch somewhere along I-65. Safer, too.

After our early dinner Thursday, we'll probably get to the 8:00pm Mass at our parish church. They have a children's Mass at 4:30 or so and the traditional midnight Mass. There was a time when our parish offered midnight Mass at 10:00pm. I could stay awake for that, then. I'm going to have trouble making it through 8:00 Mass now.

In the next couple of days we'll watch movies and play with our gadgets (we're getting a PS3 at our house, but don't tell the kids) and eat too many cookies. And I'll remember my parents. The Ghosts of Christmas Past are never far away.

I hope you'll have a Merry Christmas, too -- and, if Christmas isn't your thing, I hope you'll enjoy the day off anyway. And Happy Winter Solstice, or Festivus, or Kwanzaa... or anything else you prefer.

9 comments:

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

merry christmas curmy!!! hope it is lovely...

smiles, bee
tyvc!

Bean Town said...

Merry Christmas!

For the PS3, I suggest "Little Big Planet"...very addicting. My 8-year old has me learning to knit (a scary thing) so he can have his own Sackboy.

Shelby said...

" And I'll remember my parents. The Ghosts of Christmas Past are never far away."


That's what it's about ..

May you have a very Merry Christmas!

Ellee Seymour said...

I love that festive pic, and hope you have a lovely family Christmas.

Jeni said...

Remembering ghosts of Christmas past is something I do every year and there's a host of those ghosts now to remember too. My Mom's parents -with whom I grew up, my Mom, all her siblings and their spouses, and even one of my first cousins (two years younger than me) on that side and all of my Dad's family that I was fortunate enough to get to know when I was growing up, to say nothing of more friends than I really want to try to count. Aging is better than the alternative but as that number rises, so do the numbers in the "lost" column too. I live in the house my grandparents built, where I was born, grew up and then raised my children here. Now, two of my grandchildren are growing up in this house but they won't hear the soft bass voice of my grandpa as I do, will never smell the scent -actually the odor -of the Swedish codfish soaking in preparation for our Christmas Eve dinner either. And they'll never know those wonderful people I had surrounding me in my childhood and youthful years. Wonder what they'll have for their "ghosts" in years to come?
And before I forget -I so agree with your logic regarding your older daughter! Stay put, don't venture out unless it is an absolute emergency -if the weather forecasts are on target this year it looks to be a pretty good mix of weather coming your way, then to me!
Peace and God Jul!

Cristina said...

And a very Merry Christmas to you too!

Dave said...

Merry Christmas!

Jean-Luc Picard said...

Have a great Christmas, Curmy!

landgirl said...

Christmas is not complete without a few ghosts. I hope you and yours got where you needed to be and enjoyed it. Boxing Day here. It is nice to have a name for that after-Christmas celebration.