12:24 AM - 19.12.04
Preparations
Ahhhhh that feels good. Mercury starting to stop going backward I mean. Well maybe. Woke up to two sons both being actively sick. That norovirus going around is really hitting people hard. This flu knocks its victims out for about a week and even then they really struggle for the first bit back at work. There was discussion this week about closing some elementary schools because so many children were sick. The School Board also made the commitment to aggressively disinfect the buildings in the interim. The problem with this flu is that is quickly spread by contact of any surface touched by someone who has succumbed. Maybe we should institute a national "wash your hands and cover your mouths when you cough" month. Or "stay home when you're sick - with pay of course" month. Swabbing out buses and trains with real disinfectant might be a help too. Think I'll focus on sterilizing the mouse and keyboard on this PC - shared by all, y'all.
My Dad called this morning just as I was finishing up the crossword puzzle in the paper. Did I want to spend some time out with him? Sure thing. He and his neighbour spend a lot of time together now, so I don't see him nearly as often. I'm really happy he's found someone he enjoys being with, but I miss the weekend field trips we used to take for the company, the stories and the outings. Didn't go far today. Lunch at the seafood place - chowder and mussels - Alive Alive oh! "Molly Malone" (not) - with hot biscuits on the side. Chat about family and work. The usual, but about two hours of it to catch up from the summer. Dad mailed his last Christmas cards on the way out - the strike at Canada Post notwithstanding and then we headed over to Home Depot. There is a shortage of Christmas trees this year and I still hadn't gone out to get one. There were maybe 20 left to choose from altogether and going through that lot it felt a little bit like that scene in a Charlie Brown Christmas where the two boys walk around picking up different specimens for one they can carry as well as afford. When they finally do settle on one all the needles fall to the ground after they've got it bought. On that really bad day last week my youngest had asked when I was going to attend to the tree selecting duties. That was before I knew whether my Employment Insurance application was going to be approved or not. I had to answer honestly that I couldn't justify spending the money on a tree until I could be certain there'd be enough money for essentials like food. It was kind of the last kick in the gut for that day I guess. Christmases have sometimes been very slim over the past decade or more, but because of the boys I always found a way to make certain that there was at least a tree and some stockings filled for them. I can do without any of the other trappings of the season, but no real tree would be very hard to handle. Silly what we have attachments to, isn't it? Since I was told that one payment would be forthcoming on my claim I felt that a tree was one indulgence I could allow myself. Having the chance to get a tree today was a source of real pleasure. It made me appreciated how lucky I was to have time with my Dad and to be able to celebrate the season in the traditional way all on the same day.
My youngest was waiting anxiously when we arrived back home. He carried the tree into the house by himself, obviously very pleased with life. George II freaked out completely, however. I think the poor guy had been sleeping soundly and awoke to see this big, green pointy thing bearing down on him. You know the scene in some cartoons where the cat races around the walls of the room yowling? Well that's what he did then headed for sanctuary down in the basement. It took a couple of hours for his sibs to lure him out again. I guess he realized that if none of them had been et then it wasn't likely that the tree monster would try to devour him either. Hope he doesn't have nightmares. Left my youngest quite happily digging out decorations and the other trappings that go with the tree to go get groceries. By the time we returned the saw had been applied to the base and it had been put in the stand in the corner of the living room where it could b hedged by the sofa. Less chance of climbing cats knocking it completely over you see.
In the news today I thought this ne development in handling food preservation was really exciting Natural_Whey. Get rid of all the extra packaging and the chemicals that lace all our food now? Can't come soon enough - Go Aggies! This was just odd Mars. It's sacrilege enough that the Scots fry their pizza but Deep fried Mars Bars - what a waste of good chocolate.
Time to go read my email though I see a note from my friend in the Middle East just arrived. Need to say Happy Christmas and catch up on her news too.
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