Christmas? Bah-Humbug.

Happy Christmas to Murray, Leon, Bernie and dearest Duckie. :P

I haven't heard from Brother so I dunno if there's a cemetery visit in the works or not. I got up at 4am. I've been trying to keep busy. I just scrubbed the toilet and sink and mirrors and floor in my bathroom. The kitchen's cleaned up. I'm running out of stuff to scrub.

I've been avoiding holiday music and specials completely. I haven't done a lick of gift shopping. It's just that kind of mood. Kitty's napping in her lounge chair. We didn't put up the tree or anything.

I want a nap. Ugh.

It's now early afternoon. Still nothing from my Brother. I called his cell and got voice mail. If we're going to the cemetery we'll have to go relatively soon. It closes in about three hours and it's almost an hours trip.

I called the house. The SIL answered. Brother's out "running errands" because they didn't get a gift for the niece. Right. Ok. She said as far as she knew he wasn't going to the cemetery today because he's too busy running around and doesn't have the traditional mini tree to take. She said she thought he was going tomorrow but um they're closed tomorrow. Oy.

I think I can see Duckie laughing from here!

Another update. I ate. I used more of my few-months-passed "best by date" sauce. Mother would be proud of my dietary daring. Brother called me to tell me he was coming to pick me up. It was late, less than an hour til closing at the cemetery. I'm like uh... time? He's like "it only takes 15 minutes to get there" and I'm thinking "yous [sic] crazy." I barely had my pants on when he was ringing the bell. Kitty was nonplused, barely roused from her lounge chair, probably because I warned her we might have company.

He explained he never did find a mini-tree. The tree has been a tradition Mother started after Father passed away and I continued last year with Brother after she passed. No worries, I had earlier hacked a length of branch off a pine tree in my landscaping as a back up plan.

I didn't pay attention to the time because I knew that would only annoy me unnecessarily. This is progress. In the past I would've been obsessive about watching the time. Ok, I admit I was eyeing the radio in the truck but couldn't make out a time (if it even has a clock) but I should get points for not checking my watch.

The gates were open. We parked on the gravel and walked in. The sun was quickly heading into the day's oblivion on the ocean horizon. I took photos of the setting sun and Brother rambled to the cold stone with a slight patina of algae. We left.

I'd been thinking that his kids never had their grandpa's holiday candy. For a week or more I'd been kicking around trying my hand at it. He was amenable to the idea so we stopped at a grocery. I didn't have the recipe nor had I even looked it up so I went on memory. It was sad that Brother didn't really have an idea what went into the recipe. It turned out I got was right on all counts but did get margarine that I didn't need. I still swear Father used it even if it isn't in the written recipe. I've been pondering what else he could've made that would've called for melting butter in a large pot. Doesn't matter; it was on sale at only 83 cents per pound--shockingly inexpensive. Not everything was so affordable. The tiny bottle of real vanilla was $4, on sale, for the store-brand!

(more to come)

RIP Dan Fogelberg, singer-songwriter

Dead at 56 of prostate cancer.

"His best-remembered songs include his biggest hit, the affecting ballad "Longer" ... ; "Leader of the Band," a tribute to his bandleader father, Lawrence; and the evergreen seasonal standard "Same Old Lang Syne," which originally hit the top 10 in 1980." USA Today obit. They missed "Rhythm of the Rain."

"Leader of the Band" is one of the very finest of the tributes song genre. Gives me chills.

Rest well, Dan Fogelberg. Thanks for the songs.

A.D.D.

Amazon.com
iTunes

TV Season Winding Down

Spoilers ahead! Be warned!

With the TV writers still out on strike shows have been winding down. On "Desperate Housewives" Andrew (Shawn Pyfrom) moved out of the house which can only mean we'll see even less of him than now I guess. In the tornado episode Bree didn't touch base and we didn't see the gay neighbors at all. Two die. "One loses a husband and everyone loses a friend." I don't know if the second part will actually show this month or if it's being held for the shows inevitable return.

"Heroes" wrapped the second Chapter on Monday and I think I've lost interest in the show. I think they've jumped the shark. If the season wasn't bad enough with the "wonder twins" and the lame diversions with Claire at school and the other story in NOLA. Really my favorite story was Hiro and then, maybe, the Peter mystery but it all came to mean nothing. We know immortality and resurrection exists now in the show's universe so just where's the risk? I've been skeptical since they let Sylar survive in last year's finale and this year proved my skepticism justified. Sad.

January sees the return of "Kyle XY" with the second half of the second season. I don't know when other shows return yet.

"SVU" got me excited last week with the "death" of Eliot's wife. Unfortunately she was alive at the end of the episode. I've never liked that character. "Criminal Intent" is on a slim budget with the four detectives, switching off weeks, and the Captain. No ADA now. I never did find out how or why Jamie Sheridan was replaced. I can't stand the hair on the his replacement.

"House" has his new team. I'll miss "Cut-Throat Bitch."

TV is barely interesting.