I rose late on Christmas Eve, having stopped using an alarm for a few days. I woke a few times at night and rolled over (and proved hydration once). When I next woke, it was 8:30!
Wednesday was not busy until the afternoon with a 3PM Christmas service. While that is early for candles and singing Silent Night, it allows older folks to get home before dark and young families to show. And it would be, I knew that Christmas Eve service and dinner at Dondrea’s would be here before I was ready. It is the nature of the holidays to suddenly pop up and be here.
I wrote the blog and made a nice breakfast. I took the leftover bratwursts (sold cooked), browned them in a pan, then added water to let the steam heat them through. I sliced up the leftover half of a potato from my steak dinner. I pulled out the ‘worsts and added butter and fried the potato bits. I next added the brats back in after slicing them, and added some onion and green pepper (also left over and frozen). Three eggs beaten to make scrambled eggs were added to the collection, and while I was tempted to flip it like a frittata, I scrambled it.
While I made that, I thought of Dad Wild in the kitchen making bacon or hash for breakfast. Food brings back good memories. Breakfast was good.
The blog comes together, but I forget to start the laundry until it is too late to finish it. The Machine takes three hours or so per load, as it is a combination of a washer and dryer. Soon I have the blog published, and lunch is more of a breakfast, which is surprisingly good cold.
Shower, and all of that, and I dress in a white dress shirt with a Pride Tie and my ruby vest with the sparkles (not quite something from The Book of Mormon, and more James West). I use my slip-on black leather shoes because my better dress shoes are already packed (along with shirts that will need to face an iron in Michigan, as I am using a larger, more traditional suitcase). I also started to pile things into my old red suitcase. I later discovered that its return from Morocco left a corner crushed and a small hole! Duck tape, but this is the last ride for this one; it is made of carbon fiber and bright red — easy to find — and it was the last one they had, discounted in red color (instead of the in-demand blacks and grays). This suitcase has gone to India with me twice, and once it had a tire mark on it after being run over during delivery at Chennai International. Likely a smaller vehicle, as the contents were unimpacted (literally), I just smiled when I saw it.
Dressed and lunch done, I headed out to get a few things done. I stopped by Wallgreens and purchased a small tube of toothpaste for the trip and a few items. But they did not have Milano Cookies (not the same place, but still makes me think of this song from the musical, Chess). I headed to Safeway on Christmas Eve; yikes!
The purchase of a bag of cookies, along with some little boxes of chicken salad and tuna with crackers, for my carry-on. I like to have some food items with me for when things go terribly wrong or I am just hungry. Last time, I was told by the TSA agent that I had to prove my chicken salad was not a terror instrument, that sometimes the AI is retrained, and then all sorts of mundane items are identified. I was apparently not the first chicken salad carrier that day. Lately, my lunchables have passed muster, but I always look amused now at this process. This time I have a can of instant coffee with me, will it be the next thing (actually, the coffee did flag with the TSA guy, Khan, asking “Do you have coffee?” and I almost said, ” You know you are in the Pacific Northwest,” but being a smart-ass in a security line is not the best choice and I just smiled and said, “Why, yes I do!”)?
But I was now behind my schedule and drove to the church. I arrived a few minutes before the service. And then I had a costume issue. All my suspender connections let go at once. F**k. I rushed to the men’s room, removed my vest, and reapplied the suspenders.
Back to it, and I ushered for the service as I promised Dondrea. The place was busy with under 70, but a good turnout for us, with many smaller kids. One child cheered on the service and kept wanting to walk to the front and help direct. An old choral, Fum, Fum, Fum, surprised me (here is a version, but I think it sounds better less dressed up). Brian, our organist, brought his full-sized harp and played it for us. He was slower than I am used to, but the music was lovely, and the slow process seemed to bring out the harp qualities.
The usual service, and we lit the candles and sang Silent Night without setting the church, kids, visitors, members, or staff on fire (there is likely a joke about Methodists in there). Pastor Ken gave a short, for him, sermon on the meaning of the words ‘Christmas’ and why ‘Xmas’ is OK (‘X’ is the first word of ‘Christ’ in Greek).
After service, with a few minutes left before dinner at Dondrea’s, I headed to Powell’s, thinking I might need a last-minute Christmas purchase, and I found something. I saw many books and things I did not need at the moment, but would be nice. I escaped with just a few small items.
I arrived at Dondrea’s, and we tried a local red with a horse on the label; it was good and tasted nothing like the label. Dinner was smoked salmon (local again) chowder with bread and salad. Perfect, I thought. Dondrea, Jackson (Dondrea’s son), Z, and Donna were there. Faith, Dondrea’s daughter, FaceTimed; she is in Australia with friends for the holidays.
It was a good break. I received more loot (thanks!) and then headed home (sorry, running out of time while I write this at PDX). I did my last load of laundry, cleaned up the kitchen, and watched more of The Agency season one.
Merry Christmas (written at home and then at PDX on Christmas Day)!
Thanks for reading.
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 