And the Horse You Rode In On

Inspirational song: The One Thing (INXS)

Just end this MFing year already. I'm over it. I didn't really want to stay up until midnight, but now I will just to make sure that jerky year leaves on time.

I had an upset tummy from the time I got up. I kept yawning uncontrollably. I knew what this meant. Full-blown migraine. The headache arrived right on schedule. I spent nearly the entire day, curled up in the recliner, with the right half of my face pressed into a big pillow. The only good thing I had all day was that I faced the picture window where I watched it snow all day, when I could stand to have my eyes open.

Morning revealed heartbreaking loss in Louisville and Superior. Someone the Mr went to high school with lost her house and dog. Many, many others had equal losses. Amazingly, our family's homes all made it. The snow was heavy enough to make a difference on hot spots, but now the disaster turns in a new direction: bone-chilling cold in areas that have no electricity. The report on the source of the fire yesterday did not reveal downed power lines as of yet. There were downed communication lines, but those should not have sparked a grass fire. I'll follow up with what we learn tomorrow.

And then, to prove what a horrible year it was, we lost the greatest national treasure of the last century, Betty White. My favorite take on her passing is that 2021 didn't take her, she took it out. Well, bless her and godspeed, Betty.

I'm heading into 2022 the way I intend to go on, in pajamas, not quite sober, playing Nintendo Switch games. After the day I had, the week we've had in Boulder County, and the year we have had as a species, it is the only way forward. Join me.

Catastrophe

Inspirational song: Bad Moon Rising (Creedence Clearwater Revival)

This has been an incredibly difficult day for Boulder County. Even those of us not in Superior or Louisville are in shock, watching our neighbors lose everything to an unrelenting fire. If you have any room in your hearts left, after two incredibly difficult years, please think kindly of the residents of the south side of the county. The devastation is overwhelming.

I've written much of the drought we were experiencing. It was the longest we had waited for snow, and I had complained of the warmth and dryness. I was so excited to have nearly guaranteed snow tomorrow that at first I was fine with the strong winds that heralded the storm front arriving. By early afternoon, Mr S-P was sending home photos and messages about grass fires that were kicking up in the mountains above Lyons and south-southeast of Boulder. We had no idea then how fast they would grow, nor how horrible they would become.

When we heard that they were beginning evacuations, the gravity of the situation was undeniable. Our friend in the weekly game group had his girlfriend and their cats loaded up and ready to evacuate when the call came, so they got out in plenty of time. As of a few hours ago, their neighborhood was untouched. Pray it stays that way. The news is much, much worse for our nieces. Two of them live in Superior, one in a subdivision hit hard by the fire. They are all out safely, staying with their respective parents, but we have only a little hope that the one's house is intact. No word on the apartment complex for the other. 

Earlier this evening, Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle gave an update, advising that over 500 houses were likely affected. Since then, I watched hours of live reports on local news, as more and more structures caught fire. I can't imagine how awful the morning report will be. Sheriff Pelle said the source of the fire is understood to be power lines blown down when wind gusts were peaking around 100 miles per hour. I can only hope that when this area is rebuilt, we can bury those damned lines to prevent this from happening again.

Snow is supposed to arrive in the early morning, probably after daybreak. The winds are calming, and turning back towards the mountains. It may slow the spread of the fire, but damage is already beyond catastrophic. This is the worst fire in state history, not in terms of acreage, but in structures lost. We will be feeling shock waves from this for years to come. 

Please, send Boulder County your love.

Procrastination

Inspirational song: Who Can It Be Now? (Men At Work)

Not sure whether my tinnitus is especially bad tonight, or is all my brain function just a loud, high-pitched dial tone? Somehow it seems fitting, at the end of a day where I accomplished exactly nothing on my final urgent list with deadlines 48 hours away from expiring. I still have not finished the last two credits for my license renewal, and that is the number one most important thing to do before midnight Friday. I almost started it just now, at almost midnight, with my ears ringing and my eyes heavy. I just have to buckle down and get it over with when I have my coffee in the morning. Don't let me forget.

Things are a lot quieter here tonight than they were last night. We are dog-sitting for a week, for TR, the handsome brown doggie of our long time friend (who was best man at our wedding a million years ago.) He is a sweet pup, but he doesn't understand why I don't want him inside the main part of the house. I don't want him to surprise one of the cats and lose an ear or worse. He has to sleep out in Murrayland. He whined for hours about it last night. This time he is conked out from playing all day. Saoirse and Murray have folded him in like he is one of the gang. Although Saoirse has been a little extra needy with me since he arrived. I ran up to the grocery store, just for New Years Day food, and she stood in front of the door when I put on my coat, giving me puppy dog eyes until I agreed to take her along for the ride with me. Don't worry, snugglepuss. You aren't being replaced, no matter how cute TR is.

A Toast

Inspirational song: Didn't We (Jimmy Webb)

For what it's worth, it's already next year for me. At lunch today, we had a toast (with non-alcoholic sparkling cider) and wished each other happy new year. My buddy and I discussed resolutions on the way home. I even played the Sinatra channel in the car to put us in the swanky party mood. I'm calling it. I'm done with 2021. I'm in next year now.

I was one of four servers for the toast. I provided the foil and paperboard tiaras for all of us. I kind of wish I had tried harder to find fancier getups, but this was good enough for the 10 minutes we were running plastic flutes of sparkling cider to the club. I was going to wear a black and gold sequin top to be obnoxiously decorative, but it didn't fit right. Quelle dommage. 

I had to hurry home after the meeting to babysit my sweetheart while her parents went to an appointment. We watched about half of Sleeping Beauty, until she followed suit and fell asleep. We got in maybe 30-35 minutes of sleep before her grandpa burst into the house, tromping around and chattering at the cats. Naptime was over. So we got up and let her play in the bath until right before her parents got back. This was much easier than yesterday, when she was so energetic. These are the days when I feel like I have the grandma magic.

Out

Inspirational song: A Million Miles Away (The Plimsouls)

They say it's a good thing that raising children is left to the young. People my age don't have that kind of energy anymore. The little whirlwind came to visit today. She is a whole lot of fun, every time she is here, but wow does she leave me feeling drained when she goes home. I'd love to be able to keep up with her on all of her adventures. I'll never achieve that level of activity again.

She learned to sneak a piece of candy today. Well, she probably already knew how, but this was the first time she got caught doing it over here. I dipped into my Christmas candy, and crunched a Jordan almond in front of her. She popped up and waited expectantly for a treat for herself. I fished a licorice candy out of the bag, and gave it to her. The one I gave had a white candy shell. I went to the kitchen for a moment, and when I returned, she had tiny pink dots all around her mouth, from going back for a second candy when my back was turned. (These are the licorice bits in mixed pink and white shells.) I get the feeling this won't be the last time this happens.

By the end of the day, we were both absolutely spent. We watched the rest of season one of Ted Lasso, and I had to put my foot down and insist we didn't have the emotional energy left to start season two tonight. We ended up watching the rebroadcast of the launch of the James Webb space telescope, with the live ticker across the bottom that tracks how far it actually is along its journey. It will be months yet before it is fully deployed and sending back data. I can't wait to see what it finds.

Perception and Hope

Inspirational song: Do They Know It's Christmas? (Band Aid)

Look, I never really knew what Boxing Day was until I googled it. It wasn't a thing for us. I always went with the joke meaning, that it was a holiday for cats, playing in all the empty boxes and bags from gift-giving. This year, I'm convoluting the meaning even worse. We spent the day decluttering the kitchen, which will lead to filling the donation box. It has not yet, because all the junk that had piled up is actually on the table. Do I believe it will be sorted quickly? I don't want to admit it, but no. I know us better than that. Still, we attacked it with gusto, and we are well and truly on the road to an improved space. (And the Mr didn't like it when I said I'm sick of the paint color and want to change it, but he also didn't argue, especially when the conversation included ripping out that tile we both hate.)

It never really felt enough like Christmas this year, no matter how many houses were decorated, gifts exchanged, or fancy foods we ate. It was just too warm and dry, and that ruined it for me. It feels more like late October still. There was supposedly a chance for a few stray snowflakes earlier this evening, but we never saw them. There is a slight chance of snow for New Years Eve. I'll believe that when I see it. The drought maps look awful, and the two-week forecast is grim. I'm not going to feel better about it until there is a foot of heavy, wet snow on my yard.

If a snowflake did fall, we missed it because we were finally watching Ted Lasso together. I've been trying to convince him to watch it from the start with me for months. We made it through five episodes before he called knock it off. I think it was enough to get him hooked. Who could resist a show glorifying such generosity of spirit and unrelenting hope? Not I. I certainly heard a fair number of chuckles from beside me during the viewing. The real test will be tomorrow or the next day, if he suggests watching more on his own, or will I have to coax him again.

Just Right

Inspirational song: The Christmas Song (Nat King Cole)

I hope all of your holidays were as peaceful and pleasant as mine was. We spent the morning together as a family, us over at the kids' house watching Valerie still not get the whole present thing. We had a group video chat to bring in family in Florida and California. And I closed out the evening chatting with my mom and being absolutely baffled by screenshots shared in the game group text. This adds up to a perfect day. Now I'm in a quiet house, about to shut off the tree lights, with a giant fuzzy puppy sound asleep on my foot. Heaven.

Most of the presents today were aimed directly at the grandbaby, and I am totally here for that. I have most of what I need and want already. It was way more fun loading her up with clothes, interactive toys, musical instruments, and chocolate. I wasn't fast enough with a camera to catch her covered in chocolate before her mommy whipped out a wet wipe, but we have all seen pictures of little kids with their hands and faces oozing with the stuff. This was classic Madison Avenue kind of kid behavior. She did pretty well with slippers today, for a kid who hates having socks on her feet. She had rainbow monster feet slippers from Auntie and more subdued gray plaid ones from me. The toys she liked best were mini magna-doodles and a really nice tambourine that I think came from great-grandparents on her daddy's side. Overall, I think the quantity of new stuff was a bit overwhelming to her, but she kept her good attitude for most of the morning. I mean, she is 19 months old. There were a few tantrum moments, of course. But they were short and she was easily coaxed back on track. She is a level-headed kid who knows she has a loving and understanding family. That makes for an emotionally healthy little girl. And it makes for a happy holiday for all of us.

When I was struggling to come up with a present for my daughter and son-in-law, she joked that she was interested in a Nintendo Switch. Or rather, she thought she was joking. I heard that and thought, there we are. Both kids, all presents done. This was why Saoirse and I had to take that surprise drive to Loveland a week ago. It was the closest one I could find in a four-county area, by searching big chain websites. It was the Animal Crossing special edition, although it didn't come with that game. My daughter watched me looking on my phone to find it, so she knew I was doing it. She bought a couple of games to play on it, including Mario Kart, which I told her was my demand in return for the console. It was screenshots from Miitopia, a game I hadn't heard of before, that she had been sending to our group text. When my girls were little, I never got into video game systems. Since they grew up and moved out, this is the second time I've bought one of them a game console. And I think both times I was really into it, for one or two games only. Maybe I don't have to overthink why that is, and just settle in to play when I'm there. 

Grandma's Night

Inspirational song: (There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays (Perry Como)

Today was a whole lot of work, but it ended up being totally worth it. I pulled the roast out of the fridge to come to temperature before 9 this morning, and from there, we were off to the races. Still had to assemble glazed carrots, potatoes au gratin, and mushroom crepes during the course of the day, as well as correctly cook a $64 hunk of cow to perfect medium rare (I did it). There was quite a bit of work involved in getting the dining room table decluttered, expanded, and set. Mr S-P helped me a lot, especially with the table clearing and potato slicing.

I pulled the roast out of the oven moments before the kids showed up. I still had to stand in the kitchen for a while, making crepes. My kitchen is a decent size, but not big enough for five adults to mill around me while I'm trying to cook and ferry dishes to the table. It was awkwardly crowded. We settled in and had a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner. I'm so glad I claimed this night as grandma's night. Last year I tried my hand at tamales. This year was a blend of English and French foods. I'm thinking maybe next year will be German (if one can make a "crisp" gluten-free apple strudel, to fit in with the song). 

Val still isn't 100% sure about this present unwrapping business. Sometimes she is into tearing paper, as evidenced by the video we got this morning of her stabbing on of our presents over and over with a large ornament shaped like a conical shell. But here, it was work to get one package opened. She is still just young enough that she doesn't get what we are asking her to do. Next year she will be shredding paper with the best of them.

We took a few group shots by the tree at the end of the night. I look at them now and do the self-criticism thing, but I know I will be glad to have these images years from now.

By the time most of you read this, it will be officially Christmas. Merry Christmas, y'all!

Checking Twice

Inspirational song: Father Christmas (The Kinks)

Am I behind on my list? I feel like I'm behind, but a lot of things have been checked off. Maybe I'm just so used to living under stress that I feel like I should be smacking my forehead and saying "crap! I forgot to do that!" all the time. Tomorrow will be big and busy and tiring, regardless of how well I planned. So much had to come at the very end, I had little choice.

Pumpkin pies are ready for those not brave enough to try my very first effort at Christmas pudding (or those not old enough to eat something soaked in booze, or not fond of the effects of the particular booze chosen--really, I am not going to judge anyone's reasoning here.) Frozen gluten-free pie shells are remarkably shallow, so one regular batch of pie filling made two nearly-full pies. I thought about prepping the potatoes au gratin or chopping carrots a day early, but I didn't make enough space in the fridge to store casserole dishes or soup pots in there overnight. That is one hashmark in the "behind the curve" column. I'm fast enough with a knife, these aren't critical failures. 

I hope other people around the country are getting the weather and atmosphere that gets them into the holiday spirit. I'm personally struggling a little with how warm and dry it is here. Even though we have lived all over the country, in warm climates more than anywhere else, I still expect a snow event before the end of the year. We won't be getting that. Maybe listening to classic holiday music and burning some pine-scented candles will get me in the right mindspace before the kids get here. That, and setting the table for a feast ought to do it. I'll get there, one way or another.

Killer Candyman

Inspirational song: Hard Candy Christmas (Dolly Parton)

Game night was on the small side this week. Our neighbors are with family, both sets of kids were tired from work and holiday prep, and we just never heard from one of our semi-regulars. It was just us and our old college roommate playing a board game here. And what a game it was! This one passed the "is it fun enough to play a second time" test immediately. It was a grown-up take on Candyland, called Run for Your Life, Candyman. Rather than just good-naturedly drawing cards and advancing on the board, this one pits all players against each other in duels and passing attacks of opportunity. You hit each other until body parts are killed off, and then you tear that piece off of your score sheet for the victor to keep as a trophy. We absolutely loved it. We are looking forward to playing again with the larger group when that is possible again.

I have to admit I overdid it with my setup duties at the meeting yesterday. When I woke today, everything hurt. Not just sort of achy, but oh-what-a-tramadol-morning, oh-what-a-tramadol-day kind of hurt. I stayed still in the recliner for hours waiting for the pain pill to kick in. Eventually I had to move on to a muscle relaxer, which softened me up enough to do a few basic tasks. Good thing I had written in a flex day on my to-do list for this week. 

Now that the house is quiet and mostly dark, I can't stay awake another second. Time to rest up for a big day tomorrow.

Taste of Home

Inspirational song: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Andy Williams)

I have been in the best mood all day, which lasted all evening (even surviving a headache in the afternoon.) I danced around the kitchen tonight, singing the above-mentioned song, as I baked trays of Chex mix. Not sure what has made me so euphorically happy, but wow, is it fun. Maybe it's knowing that I don't actually have to set foot in a store again before Christmas, other than maybe a trip to the gas station around the corner for a few Scratch tickets for stocking stuffers (because I am perpetually optimistic and maybe delusional.) The only thing that could make this week better would be a surprise change in the forecast, calling for a few inches of snow by Friday evening. It has been like living through the plot of White Christmas, waiting for snow out here. It's feeling more like a holiday break in the Oklahoma of my youth--warm and dry.

I didn't make it very far on my list today. I did the two main items for the day, being the Sgt at arms at Rotary (setting up our banners and meeting paraphernalia) and making the chex mix. None of the extra tasks got done. And now I have to face three big trays of salty, crunchy goodness that need to be put in airtight storage, and somehow manage not to sit down and inhale a quart of it.

The animals are telling me to go to bed. We can get a fresh start on gift-wrapping and dinner prep tomorrow. I might even get around to cleaning out the fridge so I have a place to store leftovers. Being happy and festive doesn't mean the work stops.

Four Piece

Inspirational song: I Want You For Christmas (Cheap Trick)

I made a list. I've gone over it a few times, so I guess that means I've checked it twice and then some. It's a detailed timeline for all the things I need to complete by dinnertime on Friday. For the first time this month, the existence of a plan has made me feel calm and in control. I doubt that feeling will last, as the holiday comes rushing up to smack me in the face, but for now, I feel like I have a handle on this.

Three of the hardest gifts to figure out are now done. They are purchased and in my room, waiting to be wrapped. Yay! I had to drive up to the big shopping center northeast of Loveland to get one of them. It was the closest store I could find that had the right item in stock. Thank goodness for the internet and curbside pickup! I would never have had the energy to drive to every store in town before looking everywhere within an hour drive in any given direction. I found this one on the third website I tried, and considered myself lucky. I bought it and grabbed my puppy to be my travel companion. I think this qualifies under "service dog duties."

There is a drawback to traveling with the cutest dog in Colorado, however. We went through the McDonald's drive through for fries and a coke for the trip. When I handed over my debit card at the first window, she stood on my knees and sniffed at the magic fry shop. The kid at the register gushed over how cute she is, and he said, "hang on, I'm gonna go get her a four-piece." He ran off and returned with a tiny box of chicken nuggets before I could say, "but...gluten..." So when we got to our second stop, buying gas for the drive, I fed her the chicken and then scrubbed my hands the best I could with a dry napkin. We split the fries once we got on the road again, and I just have to hope I didn't get glutened. If I did, I'm not feeling it yet.

Tomorrow needs to be a pretty big day of cleaning and cooking. That's the plan.

Reset

Inspirational song: Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town (Bruce Springsteen)

Oh, that's much better. I took the day to rest up, and I feel so much more normal now. Our daughter came to pick up Valerie not long after we woke. She hadn't even had time to get into very many shenanigans at all. We did visit for a while, to hear how the rest of the party went, but for the most part, everyone was just tired and mellow. Val went home to play with her own kitties and the Mr eventually left to go search for salvage yards where he could replace the smashed bits on his farm truck (with no success). Me, I put my feet up in the recliner, had a couple cats climb on board, and then I played on my iPad until I fell fast asleep. I'm not sure how long I was actually out, but what woke me was the cats getting restless in the hour before their dinner time. I fed the horde, started chili for us, and congratulated myself on a satisfactory regeneration period.

Now I can go to bed early, use my breathing apparatus for the first time in weeks (was dusty and needed fresh hoses and stuff and I was too stressed to deal with it), and maybe get a jump on things tomorrow. My work here is not done, but now it's possible to accomplish a lot more of it.

Saturnalia Returns

Inspirational song: Cultist Prophet Blues (Gila Teen)

A choice had to be made. Did I keep the room silent and dark, following my daughter's directive of not allowing the baby any more screen time, or slide out from under the peacefully slumbering child to daylight the bedroom while writing a blog post? I made the smart choice. We stayed asleep in the dark. Writing could be done in the morning.

What a week that was. I was mentally and physically exhausted from everything I had to accomplish, but I also had to do something about my messy house ahead of the first sleepover without parents. I didn't know who was going to wake up first (turns out was me), so I had to address piles of clutter in my room that I had ignored all year, in case she slid out of bed and started grabbing stuff. I woke a good 45 minutes before she did, but by the time I started writing, she was awake and grabbing at my phone.

The reason she was here was her parents were able to revive their traditional Saturnalia party this year. Obviously they skipped it last year. Previously it had been at their house, and was tightly packed where seating was at a premium. This year they found a venue downtown for a reasonable fee where they could spread out through multiple rooms on two floors. It was another of the historic buildings that had renovated their upstairs events spaces, like the opera house where Rotary was last week. The party was a huge success. Dozens of friends showed, several in flowy costumes as requested (not traditional Roman garb per se, but with the right vibe). They had tables of period appropriate food, thankfully labeled and separated by whether it had gluten or meat in it. My daughter asked her cousin's band to perform, which was lots of fun. We left as they were doing a white elephant gift exchange and were just starting up karaoke.

We settled in to watch Rudolph when we got back to the house, and she sort of watched it. She doesn't quite have the focus for TV shows or movies yet. Once it was done, we turned out all the lights and got very quiet. She settled right in and fell asleep. She twirled and flopped and punched all night, but she slept so well. First sleepover was a success!