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Winter Storm; Detroit Metro Airport in Chaos stop
Stuck in Michigan stop
Little internet access stop
Send tea ASAP
I’ll be back into blog-land this late evening – Lord willing !
Ur-spo Seat #14C
When Someone and I go home for Christmas next week, I hope to see a lot of people and do a few things.
I want to go to Frankenmuth. Spo-fans who live in Michigan instantly know what I mean. Others need explanation.
Frankenmuth is the home of Bronners, the world’s greatest Christmas store. It is the Michigander Mecca – all residents of the state must pilgrim there once in their life time. Many go every year – ‘It ain’t Christmas until we go to Bronner’s!”. I want to see it and experience ‘a real Christmas”. Just once more.
When I was growing up, Bronner’s was in several stores throughout the town. Now it is ‘under one roof’ just outside of town. And what a roof. I don’t recall how many acres it is. The interior is like being inside the mind of a 6 year old. Bronner’s has literally everything for Christmas time. No rubbish either.
Many of our Christmas tree trimmings come from Bronner’s. I want get a few more glass icicles (we’ve broken a few) and wooden garlands (not enough for our bigger tree). Everyone in my family has their own Bronner’s ornament with his or her name on it (what a good gift for the new nieces).
Afterwards, we go to Zehnder’s and have one of their famous chicken dinners.
Christmas and chicken dinners – that’s Frankenmuth !
However, the Grinch may win out on this tentative field trip.
Bronner’s the week before Christmas resembles Wal-Mart,6AM on Black Friday. The crowds and chaos may veto the 2 hour drive necessary to get there. The restaurants will be packed too.
So we will have to see.
But if you are ever in Michigan, it is worth seeing.
Having two babies in the family is confusing. Both are girls; both are ~ 1 month old. They look like as babies do. From time to time their father’s send me text photos.
It is a challenge to recall who is Warrior-Queen and who is Princess-Goddess.
They come together for the first time next week at Christmas time. I dare say there will be plenty of pictures taken of everybody holding both of them.
I hope the parents can keep them apart.
Christmas day will be relatively quiet. It will consist of my parents, Someone, and I. We’ll go to Candlelight service. On Christmas Day we will make a fabulous Christmas dinner, with ‘log’ made from deboned leg of lamb, flattened, and rolled up with roasted red pepper and wilted spinach. Suffer, Martha. For dessert – hummer drinks, home made gingerbread men, and Oolong tea (how jolly).
Everyone else shows up on Boxing Day and the house occupancy swells to 16. There will be two teenagers, two monsters nephews, two babies, and several cases of untreated ADHD. Oh the chaos. We are not drinkers, but I plan to make a Christmas punch. Some of us are going to need a little help to get through this Walton episode.
Princess-Goddess gets baptized on 12/27. She will have the 16 Spo relatives. In addition, Brother #3 tells me his in-laws will number about 50 – this being their first grandchild/niece.
She is not named Princess-Goddess for nothing !
Holy Gus !
Spo-fans may recall last week when I admitted I was a Stephen King ‘Virgin’. I was in need of advice what novels of Mr. King to read.
I was grateful for everyone’s suggestions; I made a list to purchase a few of them some day.
When, lo! An unexpected parcel appeared in the post. A wonderful marvelous Spo fan sent me some books !
(There is no thrill like new books!).
I won’t tell you who did this, lest he be embarrassed. (but his initials are RG ).
Not only is this Stephen King Virgin ‘deflowered’, I feel I’ve been gang banged! Thank you RG for your generous thoughtful gift!
It made me think -
A – how wonderful it is to have blogger buddies
and
B – how much more I can get out this racket.
So, Let it be known I am a “Virgin” for
Dom Perignon
Leather Chaps
Plane tickets to Paris
A BMW
Spo-fans are welcome to send these items any time !!!
As you can see , I am all ready for this evening’s office party.
This way everyone can easily spot who is the psychiatrist
The Walgreen’s manager recommends I keep the price tag on.
Apparently I become more valuable, like a Beanie Baby.
Here is another Youtube Christmas favorite.
When I am feeling down, I watch this video and am inevitably cheered up.
I hope I am not laughing at them, but because of them, bless their hearts.
The humor comes from the contrast of the song’s joy with their facial expressions. It makes for unintentional mirth.
Recently a lot of young men have come in with the same ‘chief complaint’. They are in the process of joining the military. They are required to see a shrink to be screened for mental illness. I think this is sensible; mental examination is as important as a physical. Curiously they have to be screened for ‘antisocial personality disorder’. Almost by definition a man willing to join the military and follow orders given by authority figures does NOT have ASPD.
They make for easy write ups. I take a great many pages to tell a rather simple story; they basically have nothing wrong. Oh to be 20 years old with no problems, ailments and the future ahead of you !
It’s been relatively quiet at the office. I see this every holiday. People are just too busy and have limited funds to see a doctor. Business traditionally ‘picks up’ in January. I’ll get a set of new folks with the chief complaint of “I have new insurance and I need a new doctor”.
This weekend is the office holiday party. Someone and I are supposed to bring another hors d’oeuvre, so here we go again with a week of brainstorming for something fabulous to create.
I want to wear my reindeer antlers to the party.
I had luncheon the other day with the bosses, who state they are very pleased with my work. I could not get from them any issues or critique. I bit my tongue to blurt out “Gee, how ‘bout a raise?”
Once in a while when a chart is thick and I am lost, I will take it home for a thorough review. I read the chart like a Dickens novel “Chapter One: I arrive at Dr. Spo…”
I write out time lines of what we have done, haven’t done, etc. It usually gives me some clarity of what next to do and what we haven’t tried. I write my findings on blue paper, which makes it easy to find in a chart of white papers inches thick.
You know you are a complicated case when there is a ‘blue light special’ in your chart !
It isn’t a proper Christmas season until I drop by and see these fine fellows.
What moves! What a hoot !
For you RG – A vest, a bow tie, and nothing else !
I start feeding the birds on Thanksgiving. Bird feeding is a ‘winter holiday’ activity. As a winter hobby, it makes less sense here in Arizona, but I continue to initiate the ritual on this day.
The traditional Thanksgiving breakfast is toast with cinnamon sugar, OJ and tea. This menu hasn’t varied in over 40 years. It makes me think of my grandmother.
Thanksgiving is not proper without seeing some of the Macy’s parade. Afterwards, I will go to church and Praise God from whom all blessing flow. After all, I am a direct descendant of the Puritans and the Mayflower folks.
Since we moved to Arizona we go next door for Thanksgiving dinner. This year we go to a friend’s place. We are bringing a triple layer of white bean, red pepper, and pesto based pates, making a festive white/red/green effect. I hope the hors d’oeuvre meets with approval.
Someone likes Gewurztraminer wine with his turkey. I like Pinot Noir.
For desert, I brew Oolong tea and think of Brother #3.
I like edam cheese with my pie; Someone likes whipped cream with his.
After dinner, we will visit the cousins for the rest of the evening. My parents will call with our ‘Secret Santa” assignments.
As the holiday season is now officially here, I start playing the Christmas CDs, much to the chagrin of Someone. We have dozens of them, with over 650 songs.
I start badgering Someone what he wants for Christmas. He’ll say ‘nothing’ of course, and I will press on until he comes up with something.
I usually have my list ready lest anyone ask. I just better gets those cha-cha heels.
Eating at others’ tables means we don’t have leftovers. I love cold turkey. Someone makes an excellent turkey soup. So we two will have another mini-thanksgiving this weekend. Mostly we want it to have leftovers. Someone likes making pumpkin pies. I will get an Edam cheese.
I am thankful for the experiencing of blogging.
I am thankful for all the friends I have met/know via blogging.
You are dears.
I thank you for being part of my life.
