It's Christmas eve day. I know people celebrate at different times. We always opened the good stuff early Christmas Eve. Then, on Christmas morning we would open the gifts. Early afternoon found us at the in-laws, we would open presents (I would get the pj's or the robe or the slippers) then we would have dinner, early, around 2PM.
We didn't celebrate Christmas in Michigan. We did have a large family Thanksgiving. The afternoon was spent watching football and visiting. We ate dinner at dinner time, around 5:30 or 6:00.
Do you eat dinner early, or late?
Does your family open gifts Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day?
Do you eat corn on the cob from left to right, right to left or around? Maybe you eat it in different patterns?
What about toilet paper? Do you have the end over the top of the roll, or, around the back which would be I guess, the bottom.
Watermelon. Do you eat the seeds? Although now they have "seedless" watermelon. I bet in about ten years time we'll get e-mails that read (among other things) "if you were born after 2008 you probably never ate.......Watermelon Seeds." And, do you use anything on the watermelon, like salt?
When you eat soup, do you spoon toward or away from you? I know what Emmy Post says but I'll keep that to myself. Oh, and if you were born after 1995 you probably don't know who Emmy Post is.
For some exercise Wanda has been walking in the mornings for several years. She and I did go together until we got the Wii Fit. Now we both use that on work days. Week ends she goes out by herself, usually 3-5 miles.This morning she came in and told me about a man around the block who looks like he is living in his car. She has walked by the car several time over the past week, he's always in it. She happened to ask one of the homeowners on that street if the guy always sleeps in the car, he said, "yes."
We have been doing housecleaning today. One of our habits is, when something comes in then something goes out. I went through my closet and removed a couple of sweatshirts I didn't need, also a few pairs of pants. Among our removals, a pretty nice comforter and a cotton blanket. We decided to walk over to the "car guy" to find out if he could use some of the things.
If you live in a car worth more than a house should you be called, "car guy?"
We cut through the park at the end of our street and approached the back of the car. "A Jag?" I said, "The guy is living in a Jaguar Xj?" I walked toward the car making a "roll down the window" motion. OK, now that shows my age right there, roll down the window? He was sitting in the passenger seat and opened the car door. I said, "Do you need some warm clothing, a blanket or two?" He smiled and said, "No thank you, that's very nice of you to offer." And added, "Really, I'm fine, I stay over there." as he nodded toward a house. "I'm having a fight with my girlfriend." I sure hope he didn't spend a ton on x-mas gifts.
Some years ago I had to go into San Francisco for a doc appointment. I took the Bay Area Rapid Transit System there, and back. BART as it is called has a station just about a mile and a half from our house. Wanda dropped me there in the morning. I was planning on walking home. When I got back to the station I started to walk but after a short distance realized I was just plain tired, and cold. I stopped at the local McDonald's, called a cab and went out front to wait.
The wind was howling as I sat on the curb with my hands shoved as far into my pockets as possible. I bowed my head and turned up my jacket collar, using it to protect my ears. I had my eyes half shut but still the tears streamed down my cheeks as the wind stung my face. My hair was a mess, I needed a shave and I sat, hunched up in a sort of ball while I waited for the cab.
Here I sat in front of the place looking for the cab through half shut eyes as a regular car passed me by. Just before reaching the main street the driver stopped, backed up, and turned the car in my direction. I figured they must have left something inside, or, they used the drive through and didn't get their drinks, or food, or change, or salt and pepper. The car pulled up right in front of me, the passenger window came down and a women sort of leaned out of the window and said, to me, "Are you hungry, would you like us to buy you something to eat?" I was so touched by the offer, I thanked them several times and declined. I simply told them I was "waiting for someone."
Now I think I should be able to come up with something very profound. After all, it is Christmas Evening. Santa will be leaving the North Pole soon, on his way to deliver all the gifts to the good little boys and girls. Somewhere a guy will be putting the bow on the red ribbon around the Lexus parked in the living room. Thankfully the "Every Kiss begins with K" commercial will air for the last time, this year, and, someone will be hungry, and, may be living in his car.
I hope you all have a wonderful evening and a fun day tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment