I can't believe I gave John a circular saw for Christmas. I'm terrified of the thing, but I know he really wanted one so I thought I'd give him something that would make his home improvement projects easier. I warned him, though, that he is not allowed to hurt himself using it. I know we all go through life using all kinds of tools and objects that could technically cause grievous physical harm if improperly handled, but very few of them have open whirring blades.
"Gasp! It's a Sears MasterSadist Open Whirring Blade of Doom! Just what I've always wanted! You're the best wife ever!"
"You bet, pumpkin! Now go down to your workbench and have fun!"
I think this makes me an enabler. I'm so ashamed.
What did I get? Books, slippers, sweatpants, earrings. Natasha gave me a coffee filter holder and a box of filters. Keiko gave me another coffee filter holder and a box of filters. Dixie gave me a third coffee filter holder and a box of filters. I was helpless with laughter by the time I opened the third one, but they were just what I wanted. I had worn out my last coffee filter holder several months ago; it had gotten all bubbly and cracked, and I was afraid it was affecting the taste of my coffee, but I could not for the life of me find a new one. I looked at malls and at grocery stores, but I didn't make a production of it. I do have coffeemakers, so I used them, but they seem like a lot of work for one measly cup of coffee. John noted my perpetual frustration with this and went online to buy me a replacement. Only he had to meet a minimum order, so I wound up with three of everything.
Let me know if you are having trouble finding coffee filter holders, okay?
The cats received a bright red catnip mouse from my parents and spent all afternoon attempting to eviscerate, stomp, rend, tear, and subdue it. Keiko was prone to sitting on top of the mouse like she'd just hatched a red felt egg. They really love their present. I'm sure we're going to be finding red felt fuzz on the carpet for days. Dixie got a big rawhide bone to chew on. We can't find it now, so I think she buried it. It'll turn up again, probably when I start amending the back forty.
Alf came over for Christmas dinner which was very, very good. I cooked a prime rib, roasted potatos, and sauteed mushrooms with zucchini, garlic, and onions. I made an apple pie for dessert, and coffee (no, I didn't test drive the new filter holders). We talked a lot about travel and university educations, which is to say I talked about those two topics near and dear to my heart. Alf did get to choose some topics, and I found out he's keen on jazz, gymnastics, and singing, but if the conversation lapsed into silence for more than a minute I started babbling about anything I thought would get him talking again, and somehow that always circled around to travel and college. I'm obsessed, I know. But we did talk a little bit about science fiction, specifically the bad science in science fiction and how funny physicists think it is when authors say things like, "We'll throw the switch at five o'clock, smash some photons together, and create the Higgs Boson!"
To our surprise our realtor dropped by with Christmas gifts. She seemed awfully pleased that we like our house so much. I was awfully pleased by receiving a large gift certificate to Home Depot along with a list of the prices on houses recently sold in our neighborhood. The value of this place has already risen! Later, I sat down to check my email and ended up writing this. I probably shouldn't have had coffee so late in the day but I needed something to offset the hearty midwinter feast I created. I'm ready to curl up on my sofa with a cat or two and get stuck into the third book of George R. R. Martin's trilogy. The luxury of staying up late reading a good book is my favorite part of a holiday.
I hope you got what you wanted for Christmas.
The Index
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Border graphic by Jade Leaves Designs in memory of Ginkgo