My step daughter is here!
My step son is here!
Bellana and Harry are both here!
Literally everything is better now!
Category: Family
Merry Christmas
Santa Claus came, but we won’t be opening presents here until later tonight. The kids are at their dad’s this morning. They will come here about noon and we will all head to my sister’s for dinner and niece/nephew time. My father will be there too. I’m really looking forward to it.
After we get home we will do our family gifts. I’m also seriously looking forward to that, HoHoHo. Tomorrow we will go to Jen’s mom’s and do another dinner/gifts celebration. Yet another event I’m looking forward to.
It’s going to be a busy couple of days, but it’s going to include a ton of holiday/family stuff so it’s going to be great.
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate. Everyone else? I hope you have an extra great couple of days.
HoHoHo
I Would Rather Be At Home
I am working in the office. I think I mentioned that once or twice (or 50) times today. I would much rather be working from home. I miss Jen. I miss my new desk (I am working in a conference room with two staff members. It’s fine, but my desk is mine… and new… and mine). I miss my cats, even though they generally sleep their way through the work day.
The office isn’t so bad, but home is better.
Post Covid Vax Come Down
My wife and I both got our latest Covid-19 vaccination shots yesterday evening, and we are both feeling the effects today. The last time we did this I felt legitimately sick the next day. Today I am just tired and sore and flakey-brained. I’ve managed to check a couple of things off of my to do list, but I feel like I have punted a lot of things off until tomorrow.
I finished the laundry and made the bed and bought a gift for my work’s yankee swap on Tuesday. I ran an errand for Jen and I helped her with a home office project she’s working on. I wrapped some xmas gifts, but only about 25% of the pile. Hopefully I can pick off some more tonight. I had told Jen that I was thinking about hanging xmas lights outside but that I wasn’t promising anything. I just didn’t have it in me today. The weather is supposed to be bad tomorrow, but it could be okay early in the morning. We’ll see if I feel better then.
My stomach has been a jerk today. Lots of “hey, I’m empty so I am going to hurt you a lot” stomach aches. I wonder if that can be related to the vaccine shot. Probably not, but who knows? I’ll be fine tomorrow, I am sure.
On unrelated nerd notes, I have not watched the third and final Dr Who 60th anniversary episode yet. I got a text from my step son, Harry, asking me if I have seen it yet. I told him no but asked him if it was good. He said very, without any spoilers. I’ll get to it before I sleep tonight. I did manage to watch the 4th and final episode of Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bass Players Human Too with Krist Novoselic from Nirvana. What a fascinating guy. I also finished season three of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The 3rd season finale is one of my favorite episodes ever. The 4th season premier is another one of my favorite episodes. I’m in a good Star Trek binge watching place right now.
Okay, time for dinner. Time to try to talk my stomach into calming the hell down. No problem!
Cardinal
My wife bought a new ornament for our christmas tree. It’s a cardinal. She said that cardinals can represent people who have passed away trying to communicate with us. Having a cardinal on our christmas tree is a way to have my mother be with us this christmas. I nearly teared up when she gave it to me.
I love my wife so much. She is amazing. She is my rock. I wouldn’t have been able to make it through the past few years without her.
Searching for a Positive
Daily writing prompt
What positive events have taken place in your life over the past year?
Just over a year ago my mother’s older sister, my Aunt Joan, passed away after a long battle with dementia. In February my mother passed away after a long battle with dementia. A few months later my mother’s older brother, my Uncle Jim, passed away after a long battle with kidney and heart problems. Suffice to say the last year has not exactly been teeming with positivity.
We also caught Covid-19 after successfully avoiding it for three years and it ruined a Florida vacation. The negatives just keep piling up, right? Fortunately, there was one particular event that was very positive. An event that for most of us is a once in a lifetime kind of thing.
My step daughter, Bellana, graduated from the University of Vermont with her Bachelors Degree. She will have other graduation ceremonies, assuming she stays on her current academic path, but there probably won’t be another Bachelors. I can’t put into words how proud I am. She’s amazing and everyone who meets her can see it. That kid is going places.
As positive events go, her graduation is the big one from the past year.
I’m in This Video
My step son Harry and I are in this video clip. Look to the right of the goal. We are in the second row. I’m the guy who looks happy that Lowell scored… unlike everyone else in the stands.
Kids
I got to spend some time with my step son over the weekend when we went to a hockey game together. Today, my wife got to spend some time with my step daughter. It’s almost like we both got an early xmas present. I wish I could have seen my step daughter today, and I wish my wife could have come with me to see my step son this weekend, but when you add it all up we both got a nice bit of bonus kid time. I’m looking forward to the holiday break as both kids will be home for a little while at least. That makes me happy. I just thought I should let you all know.
What to Wear
What are your two favorite things to wear?
Daily writing prompt
Not a lot of substance with today’s question. It’s an easy answer but it won’t generate much discussion from me. I’ll see what I can do though.
They are asking for my top two, but to give a full response I need to up that to my top three. Jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers. That’s it. Weekend/telecommuting attire at it’s finest. As casual as casual gets without wearing shorts. That’s me, Mr Casual Man.
I don’t mind dressing fancier, I just don’t like doing the work. I’ll wear a suit when I have to, but ties are a pain in the ass and I hate them. Once they are on and tied I deal, but getting them on frustrates me and sort of ruins my mood. Having said that, I don’t mind tuxedos, but only because I generally look damn good in them. Well, I did look good in them. I haven’t worn one since the weight loss surgery so I cannot say for sure, but it used to be true that the tux look was a good look for me.
Ancestry
My beloved bride, Jennifer, has been poking around on ancestry.com and she found something in my family tree that is freaking awesome.
If the information is accurate, she has a branch of my father’s family tree going back to the American Revolution in the 1770’s. One family was living in White Plains, New York and at some point their family home was used as a headquarters for none other than George “Father of Our Country” Washington.
Ho… ly… shit.
Yeah, that’s right. Me and President Washington are old family friends. No big deal, really.
My wife may also have tracked a branch of my family tree going all the way back to the 15th century. Again, no big deal*.
*That is sarcasm. It is totally a big deal. It is an epically big deal.
Inside the Red Head's Head 