I cannot tell you how relieved I am that it is 65F at 6 p.m., and I can open up all the windows in the house this evening. I'm also relieved that I'm on the mend from the Horrid Ailment which lurked behind me for weeks and finally sprang late Christmas Eve. I'm very appreciative of the time off from Saltmine U.-- having gone in yesterday means I can enjoy the week ahead with a clear conscience, and not worry about a mountain of undone work looming over me, only to collapse on Monday morning.
Today I ran into my grandmother at the bank, and for a moment, felt as if I were in a Wodehouse story, as we both exclaimed over the novelty of seeing each other, and then had coffee together. I felt as if any second my aunt would show up, insisting i go scoff at a cow creamer. The Magna Mater of the family is now all caught up on the comings and goings of each of my friends, and so the goal of a proper visit has been achieved. It's not lost on me that I lived only four miles from her for the better part of 17 years, and so of course didn't run into her until I moved 22 miles north, and just happened to be in the old neighborhood. My family is best done in very short doses, and singly; if you put more than three of us in a room, the potential for neurosis multiplies geometrically by the number of people >1. It is also probably not a coincidence that the Horrid Ailment attacked minutes after I got home from the family's holiday celebration, where there were 10 of us.
But I'm back in the land of the living, and very happy to finally be eating, after an 86-hour fast. Well, more like a 100-hour fast, as my attempt to break it on Sunday went spectacularly badly, and Monday... Alright, a 124-hour fast. To celebrate, I checked out the Super H mart new my house, and marveled at the glories of an upscale Korean market. Their produce section was spectacular, and meat is marinating as I write this, for a serious fry-up for dinner.
My holiday card will most likely be a New Years Day card, as spending the better part of four days in bed did put a massive dent in my creative plans. Tomorrow is the Dread New Year party, and I look forward immensely to watching my friends drink way too much and say inappropriate things; usually my job at parties.
I leave you with the sound of my dog crunching happily away on stale tortilla chips from the Yule party.