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Tag: traditions

Getting Out-Out: Two Nights Running.

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Been a very long time since I’ve gone out twice in one month, let alone two consecutive days in a row in the same week. I feel like a twenty something again! If only briefly, that is before I feel tired by 10:30pm and want to go home to bed. Had a really good time both nights, so a weekend to remember! Rehydrate Friday with fellow school drop off friends, and the Martin’s at the Meridian Center on Saturday. That’s both Steve, and Short. Still sharp as ever into their seventies. Glad I had the chance to catch them live and in person before any kind of decline in health. Hell we were sat maybe ten rows behind Eugene Levy! Fantastic seats. Great theater. Wonderful show.

Oh course, being out late twice means I feel hung over even though I drank only a little on Friday, and not at all on Saturday. Being up late makes me feel discombobulated and hung over anyway. Whether or not I drink, the late night must trigger my bodies memories of getting totally blotto in my youth and just assume I must need the headache, dry mouth, and a need to pee throughout the night. Oh to be aged. Such a luxury! But seriously, that’s like a years worth of social interaction for me, and I could do with a rest, and hiding from interactions for a day. I don’t include my children, nor spouse in that exclusion. Contrary to popular belief I’m not a total bastard.

I miss going places, and doing stuff, but I also like to not be social, and be at home where my comfortable stuff is, like a no line toilet, food I’ve already paid for, drinks that I’ve already got available. My couch, a blanket, movies and the ability to be lazy! See – so hard to choose! Friends and social interactions, or cuddled on the couch, both are a win in my book. As an older guy with intestinal issues I lean towards staying near by, or at home. Getting caught out is not something I enjoy very much, but my guts keep on trying!

To be honest I thought (when i was twenty or more years younger) that i would be hosting more dinner parties, or dance & drink gatherings than we do. Covid put a stop to everything, yes, but now it’s also difficult to navigate schedules, cleaning, desire for social interactions, and a host of other factors. I grew up with my folks having loud, long parties with dancing and lots of drinking. A tradition I thought I would spend more time doing myself. But I do get up and dance with loud music along with my kids. But, we don’t have people here doing the same until the wee morning hours, just to find our kids asleep under tables or chairs (like I would do, as a child 5 or so years of age). With loud music, food and booze you should be able to have a hell of a night, if you can’t that’s on you! Was the motto I grew up hearing. I have not yet hosted a rager like that, not since high school anyway. Ha!

Sunday Funday today. I think we have some Christmas lights to hang at the inlaws today. They go all out for the season. Had won the local lighting competition multiple years in a row. I know the uncle Fred situation had upended alot of their plans for the Fall, but I think him being back in the hospital to stabilize means they can now focus on something more light hearted for the holiday season. Fred’s in good hands, being well looked after for a brief stint. Honestly it’s the best thing for him. Should certainly make him feel more comfortable knowing all those nurses and doctors are around. Can probably sleep better now too knowing they are all there at the hospital. It’s only Markham Stouffville,  but better than suffering at home alone at night.

I have two more projects with one client left to do this week, and then one large report to do for another and I think that will most likely close out my 2023 year. I look ahead to doing my year in review post about my reading challenge. As I get older I feel more confident leaving books half read. I hated doing that in my youth, but I don’t much feel like grinding through books just to get a cover to cover completion rate. I’ll enjoy what I can stand of any given book and will then move on. I think that shows growth! Not a loss of stamina or patience, or stick with it – ness.

But I digress. Save some for the sequel! Ciao Bella.

Ah, the holiday classics.

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Started the season off early while in Florida watching Elf with the kids, with about 12 minutes of commercials every ten minutes or so. Then while I had the night to myself I sat down to watch Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Always good for a laugh. About three days late for US Thanksgiving, but close enough for me. And now, this morning while I have the laundry running, the dish washer emptied, have showered already, and brought up the Christmas tree decorations, and fetched in the faux tree from the shed to warm up, I’m ready to enjoy National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. If the kids stay out for a Zoo visit after the group sleep over, I might even watch Scrooged too! Hard to know at this point in time. I may put the movies on in the background while I do something else. Trying to get back into the holiday spirit. We had a bunch of it rub off during the long hours of holiday cheer promoted at all three of the parks we visited for 11 of the 14 days of our trip. Trying to recapture the joy! Helps that there isn’t sweltering heat, and we are back at home in the colder temperatures, and have family & friends around once more.

Which reminds me I need to wrap my daughters birthday presents some time soon. Then I will have to do an about face and leap into Christmas shopping. Luckily I have five people off my list already with gift cards, due to distance. My kids have three gifts each already purchased. I have a few more to go get and i can call it a day, comfortably, i feel. Which is a load off my mind. This year I’m going to do a better job of keeping track by filling out lists of what i buy for whom. So i don’t panic shop, and wind up over spending like in years previous, because i forget all of what i already have picked up for the kiddies.

Spent an hour or so yesterday and added a second wrapped maple tree trunk with colourful lights, and then reworked my extension cord situation so that I could put the gecko & Christmas mouse out beside the tree. I think the Santa train can stay packed up this year. I need to get bricks or rocks to keep it from falling over, so that might be a random side quest to achieve next spring/summer/fall before another Christmas. I should draw up plans for how I want the lighting set up executed. I’m always having to switch & swap out cords, so a numbered diagram would alleviate that issue if I put in the effort to prepare one. Add it to the list of “nice to haves”.

Now I might make it seem like we do a lot of exterior decorating for Christmas, and that isn’t really the case. More than some, less than others, is where we sit. One string of lights along the eaves, two 4 ft lit wreaths, two partially wrapped maple trees, a gecko and a mouse. And if I can stand to constantly fix it, a Santa Train that falls over constantly. I’d love to have blow ups, and rows of candy canes, and even more lights up on the house, boughs with lights on the railings, but I don’t know how you’d work all of that in, or power it all up. That kind of display is for the independently wealthy, which I am not.

Later on today when the kids get home, I’ll put on some music and we can assemble the tree and decorate it as a family. I’ll give my wife a chance to have a nap after her girl guide outing with the kids last night, and this morning. Hard to believe we are back to Lazy Sunday again, so soon. Ciao Bella!