Today is our last full day with my step son Harry in the house. He’s heading back to Vermont in the morning so he can go to work in the afternoon.
I’m sad that he’s leaving. I’m even sadder that today is an in the office day and I’m going to be away from home until dinner time.
Crud.
I thought we were going to have both kids at the house until Sunday. Why did I think that? I was wrong.
Harry is leaving on Saturday. I’m not sure what time of day. Bellana’s leaving today. Boo. Sometime this morning she’s going to head back to Vermont to go to work this afternoon.
As always, I am sad when one of the kids leaves, but also really happy that they were here at all. They are adults now and both live their own lives and I respect that. I just love them both so much that I selfishly want them around all the time.
The plan was to have dinner with the whole family after Jen and I finished work for the day. Then my step daughter, Bellana, was going to head back to Vermont. After that we, meaning me, my wife Jen, and my step son Harry, would ring in the New Year together by probably watching a movie or something. Harry was planning to go back to Vermont on Sunday so we’d have him here for the rest of the week.
Now things have changed! Bellana’s Vermont plans have fallen through and she is staying with us until Sunday too! BONUS!
Our Happy New Years Eve plans just got happier! Both kids are here for the holiday! Awesome!
Santa Claus came. Mostly. He still has a couple of things to finish before the kids wake up, but it’s 6:30am and there are presents under the tree for the kids.
The kids are both home. Bellana got here a smidge before midnight last night. We’re all here now and all is right with the world.
HoHoHo! Merry Christmas!
Just prepping myself for tomorrow by looking at some film photos from last year.
Are we all ready? Tomorrow is xmas. It is xmas eve. It’s time to get the last minute details wrapped up. Dot those holiday i’s and cross those holiday t’s.
I need to hit a couple of stores. One being a gas station and another being a grocery store. Good times. I don’t expect humongous, insane crowds or anything*.
My step son has been here for days. My step daughter will be here tonight, but not until super late. Maybe even after midnight. She has a gig in Vermont and can’t come home until after. Both kids will be here for xmas morning though and that’s what counts.
Now that the holiday is actually here, can I start feeling a little xmas spirit? I mean before it’s too late? I don’t know… tomorrow will suffice if that’s all I get. HoHoHo and shit.
*Yeah, that’s sarcasm. You could tell that by the context, right?
My step son, Harry, is home! He was here when I got home from work last night and it was wonderful having him around. Having kids here makes me happy.
Him being home today means that I am working from the office desk in the cellar instead of the desk in his room. I am a cellar dweller again while he’s home. Today is Friday and I am working from home. Next week I will be in the office on Monday and then I am off for xmas eve, xmas day, and I took a vacation day for the day after xmas. So one day working in the cellar is all I need. I can handle it. Not that there’s any difficulty working in the cellar, I just like being upstairs more. That’s all.
I do have one thing planned for my lunch break down here in the cellar where no one can see me…
I setup a gift wrapping station. Let’s see how much of the remaining pile of presents I can get through while I eat my chicken patty and fries. Bring on the work day so I can get to it. Two working days left before Santa comes. Still much to do in that little amount of time. Let’s do this thing!
Word on the street (pun intended) is that traffic is really crappy tonight. I still have almost two hours to go before I finish work and go out to brave the roads, but I am not looking forward to it.
What I am looking forward to is seeing my step son tonight. He’ll probably be getting to the house while I’m stuck in traffic. All the more reason to be happy about the commute situation (yes, that was meant to be very sarcastic).
I really want to go home now. One hour and 47 minutes to go.
While we wait, here are two pictures I took while putting gas into the car this morning… because that’s related to the overall topic, right?
Today is day three on the antibiotics. I thought things were improving yesterday, but then it got even more annoying for a while last night.
It’s a stye. I had one on my right eye. It was on the outside of the lower lid and it didn’t bother me at all. Now I have one on my left eye on the inside of the lower lid and it’s driving me bonkers. It hurts a little. It’s itchy at times. It stings now and then. Sometimes it is all three at once. It feels a little better when I dunk a face cloth in hot water and put it on my eye for a minute or two. That’s nice.
The antibiotics they gave me are a cream that I have to put onto my lower lid and then blink into my eye. Four times a day. Don’t humans blink to get stuff out of their eyes? I can’t tell if I am getting any of the goop anywhere near where it needs to be. I put some on 57 minutes ago and my eye is bugging the hell out of me. Is that the sign that it’s working? Maybe.
It’s Monday. I am working from home. I am still exhausted from our weekend on the road. The concert on Saturday was wonderful. Yeah, my step daughter singing with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. On my “things that you will be so proud about you will nearly explode” bingo card that they gave me when I was a teenager, I never in a million years would have expected to hit on that square. She’s amazing. Enough said.
My step son is about to go into finals week on his first semester of his senior year in college. Once he gets through the next week or so he will be one final exam week away from graduation. Talk about being proud. Words cannot describe it.
Yeah, both of our kids are amazing. How can you be pissed off about a stye in your eye when you have two kids like this in your life? Amazing!
So Robert, what’s the plan for this fine December Saturday?
Oh nothing…
First I pick up the antibiotic cream stuff that was prescribed for the mess that is my left eye (ouch). Then I put some clothes in a backpack and maybe some gas in the car and maybe pack up some protein bars and snacks and water bottles. You know, like you do.
Then Jen and I hop into the car and mosey on up to New Hampshire to pick up my mother in law. Then we mosey on over to Vermont to meet up with the kids.
Then, later tonight, it’s nothing special. We just go to see my step daughter, Bellana, perform with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra again. They are doing a string of holiday shows this weekend and tonight’s the night for us. She’s in the chorus. You know, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus. Nothing special.
(Your humble narrator takes a moment to squeal with pride and glee)
I mean… is your step daughter in the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus? No? Oh. Groovy.
Road trip!
Inside the Red Head's Head 