Xmas Eve Eve Eve, Xmas Eve Eve, Xmas Eve 2024

We saw some people and did some things! It was nice.

On the 22nd, our dear friends came over and brought us a lasagne. They are so kind. And it is delicious. I introduced them to Pochteca tamarind liqueur, which is now my favorite thing. Shortly after, the precious family came over to watch Rudolph and eat Blåbär. They didn't know that last part in advance, but were suitably amused / horrified / delighted to be forced to consume it.

I didn't tell them that the Blåbär might have been from 2004. But whatever. It's a powder.

The Rudolph show, which we recorded because it was billed as an extended presentation, was not extended unless you mean extended by the many commercials. Total lie. Next time we'll just watch the dvd. But it was awesome as always. There's always something new to learn. Adding to the fun, I guess it's been some time since the PF was here. The girls and their mom loved the not-christmas arch and the clown bathroom. Also the PF brought cookies which they had made, which were delicious.

On the 23rd, the big boy and I had an early appointment with his veterinarian. I hope that we'll eventually figure out why he is losing weight. He has certainly kept us busy this year. And also cozy. He discovered me during this challenging year. He now likes to curl up on my chest and put his arms over my shoulder. So good.

After the vet, I went to see my mom and deliver holiday bonuses to the ladies. I had what I think was a panic attack while waiting for someone to open the door in Memory Care. It's not Memory Care that rattles me. It's my mom. We didn't wake her up (she manages to scare me even though she's asleep), and I spoke at length with her #1 caregiver. She puts up with so much from my mom. Also gives her the Heimlich when necessary, as choking is now her thing. I got out of there and did my big grocery shop for the rest of the week.

Cack and Blick came over in the evening and it was so great to catch up and shoot the shit and drink the champagne and eat chicken enchiladas with mole. Blick's mom lives at a high-end senior community. Cack's is holding on at her own place, but the sitch is sketchy. She and mrguy communed about dysfunctional families. Oh parents and families.

Yesterday I got up early for a mammogram (results: good), cause who doesn't like a medical appointment on Xmas eve? Then off to see a man about a horse, if by man you mean man and by horse you mean chocolate haupia pie and limu poke (we know someone doing a pop-up). It was gorgeously grey and foggy and drippy. The town where I was picking up has tons of altscheis, and I was early so I stopped at a dilapidated donut shop and bought a coffee and a chocolate old fashioned, which I ate in the parking lot while listening to the Cher memoir on Audible.

Back home, I stemmed green beans and then had a katzenflop with the fat young boy cat. Then I decided that today's salmon filet just wouldn't be the same without some twice baked potatoes. And I also decided that it would suck to go to the market. So I watched some genealogy shows and made twice baked potatoes with some new potatoes that I had hanging around. Turned out great!

David Chang's Dinner Time Live was our viewing, then Shrinking, then Interior Chinatown. I love that Ronnie Chieng's character becomes the Edsel Ford Fung of the show's restaurant. Note: the real Edsel Ford Fung bought life insurance from my dad.

The potatoes were a hit. 

The nicest part of the day was a random phone call from a high school friend. He and another friend from middle school have a podcast and I'd done an interview with them recently. He called to tell me that if I needed a cheer up or wanted to talk, he is there for me. Now we have recently reconnected, and he just put himself out there to say those things. I was so touched by that loving act. Much appreciated, friend.

And of course all of you. So much love to my friends, the few readers of mrsguy. You are always in my heart.

My Other Funny Valentine

On Monday I dropped a few things off at my mom's place. Depends, q-tips and another color of nail polish. It's that last request, on behalf of her caregiver, that made a trip to Walgreens take 20 minutes rather than 5. 

The yucky comments. The disagreeable expression -- what color will she not make me feel shitty for buying? In the end she said thank you and liked them all. But experience has taught me fear. Here's what I chose:

Pinky-white, just in case that was something she'd like. Pink, in case she'd go for something "loud". And her current go-to -- something that would look appropriate on a white person's artificial limb. Check out what was already her fingernails. And look at the bottle of polish on the right. Do I know my mom, or what?

Thank you, Sally Hansen, for making that quick-dry polish. Mom has a habit of touching her fingernails while they're being painted, and with the quick dry formula our caregiver has half a chance. The next time I saw mom, on Valentine's Day, she was wearing the pink that I never thought she'd go for. 

Valentine's Day was a very special day. It was the final day of Operation Fix Mom's Bed! The visit was scheduled for between 10-2. I got a call the night before changing that to 8am. He called around 8:20 to let me know he'd be there soon. And I got there before he did. Yay!! Despite a few blips (ex: new remote had no batteries but we had a stash on hand) the bed controller and remote both work now. Our caregiver was remaking the bed as I left, and I could see that she was using my favorite bottom sheet, the one where mom had written HELP in black marker. I love that sheet.

On the way out of memory care I could see that Big David had left his baby on the table outside mom's room. I hope he and baby had a good Valentine's Day afterward. He's got a wife, but baby is now his main squeeze, and she's got his room number written on the bottom of her foot. Everybody was wearing red and pink and things were looking pretty festive in memory care.

So ends Valentine's Day.

My Funny Valentine

I love him so.

His little girl cat loves him so.

He's had about 30 migraines in the last 2 months and he is exhausted. MRI shows no head full of tumors, which is great. The migraines have stopped for a few days. But he has no appetite and it seems as if every bug that comes our way attacks him. I wish I could help him feel better.

The Weekend

You need to savor weekends like these. Friday we went to a party at work. And the opening of a friend's installation, then a little Hawaiian nosh with Shee Jimmy at our home-away-from-home.

Saturday I tried desperately to find a supplemental outfit for an anniversary party that was themed. Didn't find that. DID find a shirt with a sumo print (kimarite).

On the way to the party we saw a demolition derby car that was sponsored by a porta-potty company:


The party was in celebration of a couple who, at 40 years of marriage, are showing us how it's done. It was incredibly lovely. There were people we knew and people we didn't. Alternative lifestylers and retired bankers. All duded up in their western gear eating organic food and taking in acoustic music. With a view of the rolling golden hills and a ranch across the street.

We left early for a little rehearsing (sigh)...and today is the Aloha Festival.

It's showtime!

Falling in Love

I came away with what I usually get at estate sales: small practical items that make me happy for almost no money, and a small vase that fits on the kitchen window sill. I go home, clean up the vase, and fill it with flowers. Easy peasy.

But we happen to be in the market for some furniture right now, and I was hoping to come home with something obscenely large, in teak. There wasn't anything really good at these sales, despite the description in the paper. It was like answering a personals ad and trying to fall in love.

I did that. After developing silly crushes and writing mash notes to sound men in nightclubs and being teased about it by one of the handsomest guys in show business (to whom I was chopped liver), I answered a personals ad.

I met the ad-placer at a hipster coffee house. We had an o.k chat, but he wasn't what I thought. Such a nice earnest guy, but not a happy one. He showed me his place and he had great instruments (including a Gretsch White Falcon), so we jammed for a while. He called later but I lost his number and met mr guy (an unadvertised find). A few months later on a 1:45 am beer and cigarettes run with mr guy, I saw the man from the ad. He was buying a fizzy water and a bottle of Sominex.

Like me, he probably met his person after that. Probably not through the ad.