Christmas morning and the thought of cooking after a sleepless night was not appealing. I wondered briefly if Mrs. Claus had ever just thrown a biscuit in the microwave after Kris' most-famous annual ride. Something told me that if she'd ever spent a night tossing and turning while her man snored to beat the band beside her, she probably did. Christmas Day or no.
My man lumbered in to the obscured view my cocoon on the couch afforded me, cheerful as though he were the one that was gifted cookies and milk throughout the night. As is tradition in my house, we begin opening a present a night at least three days in advance, leaving the biggest surprises under the tree. Presumably, this is what led to The Man's jolly mood as his largest present still sat under the tree like a saving beacon on a shipwreck night. But I, being that most non-morning person imaginable, could've cared less about a similar package beckoning to me.
I grunted someting about crawling back up the stairs to the bed now that he was done with his baritone solo and flopped on to my other side. Unfazed, his mood faltered only briefly as he sipped his first cup of coffee.
"I want to open my present." He declared.
"Good. Go ahead." I responded, muffled by the pillow I had shoved my face into. Better to block out that strange, bright laser people refer to as morning sun.
"Don't you want to open yours?" He ventured.
"Sure. At some point." I could hear the screaming of his dying holiday spirit as I crushed it out of him. Well, damn. It was Christmas afterall. I pushed myself up and braced against the back of the couch. "Go get 'em." I smiled. Something cracked. Ugh...mornings are for people with no nightlife.
Watching him bring back my present with a huge grin plastered upon his face had me warming up. Gifts opened, exciting surprises and I was almost myself. My stomach grumbled. It hadn't quite caught up with me yet.
"I want to go get Starbucks." Duh. It's an addiction - not like I'm gonna function long without it.
"Starbucks is open?"
"The one in Safeway is until two."
"Safeway is open?"
"Hopefully, or that would be awkward."
The parking lot was almost packed. Apparently the coffee shop and grocery store hadn't kept it a secret for only the priveleged. But, steamy hot chai in hand and I was practically skipping. Afterall, it had been a wonderful Christmas and now I could spend the day relaxing with my man. My stomach grumbled again. The chai was filling enough, I suppose.
"I want breakfast. Let's go somewhere. Wanna go to get something?" I asked as I rolled the car up the driveway.
"They won't be open."
"Oh, yes they are." I backed out again and headed towards my breakfast utopia. The main thoroughfare was quite busy at 10:30 in the morning as people made their way to other locations. We spied a Village Inn with a crammed parking lot. Undeterred, I headed on, looking for the Ihop I knew was just up on the left.
"See?" I beamed, snagging a spot close to the door. It was busy, but we didn't even have to wait for a seat.
"Wow. I remember when nothing was open on Christmas." My man observed with some reverance.
"Yep. But then people began to make a stink. I mean, I understand though. This country is made up of Christians, Buddhists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Athiests, Pagans, you name it. And our constitution separates church and state, yet everything was always closed on Christmas. Must've sucked growing up penalized for a holiday you didn't even celebrate."
He just nodded absently. Being a born and bred Baptist, raised in the church, I could understand that he wasn't exactly keen about Christmas revelers becoming so lax. But my belief system understands the plights of each and I have been taught to respect any personal endeavor that allows someone to be good to him/herself and that which surrounds her/him.
So, for me it's simple: those who do not wish to partake in a celebration or religious practice should not be forced to acknowledge it or limited by it, but for those who choose to participate in certain observances they should be respected and allowed that freedom.
I realized that although I am a bit of a slow starter for the Winter holidays and am not a Christian, I do enjoy the celebrations and thankfully I do not come under the radar of those groups who seek to destroy the beliefs of others. I do not see why Atheists must single out Christians. In my eyes, there is no need for a Catholic to fear a hereditary witch or an Agnostic person to feel the censure of a devout Jehovah's Witness. And so on. These things only seek to weaken us as a people. Me? I'm proud to celebrate my family and friends during this time of year and welcome the festivities closing out another twelve months of experience and learning.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
De-Motivation
When it comes to completing a schedule or a "To-Do" list, I can be my worst enemy. Don't ge me wrong, I'm not the personality type that is too susceptible to creating excuses or just whiling away the time through procrastination. All of my life I have had to keep a body part moving (even in my sleep) and I can get cabin fever rather quickly if I don't keep busy. No, I unfortunately fall vicitim to self-sabotage.
I can crank out the most impressive "Monday To Do List". As a writer, I must spend most of my time writing even on days when I just don't feel like or can't manage to envision where the story goes next. I can read over that list first thing Monday morning (which isn't exactly first thing, mind you) firmly set on knocking out each item in order. But somehow, I get led astray every time.
Okay, fold laundry, take upstairs and put away. That's an easy warm up to my day.
I fold the laundry and trudge up the stairs which can seem like the stairway to heaven some days. I place the pile of warm, folded clothes on the bed, turn to get hangers and spy a used glass lounging by the bed. I think, if I don't take that down to the kitchen now, I will forget and it'll sit there another day. So, back down I go. I rinse the glass out and go to put it in the dishwasher when I realize that last night's now clean dishes didn't get put away. Well, if I leave those, then the man may mistakenly start adding dirties tonight so those better get put up.
Finally done putting away the dishes and wiping down the counters, of course, I realize the dog food bin needs refilling. Well, that's just out the garage door. Grabbing the food and refilling take only moments, but upon replacing the large bag in the garage I spy a box full of office supplies. Now how did that get out here? It goes upstairs in the office/activity room. Better take that up before it gets left out here in the cold and that jacks up the pens and such.
Upstairs I realize that I've left the laundry on the bed, so I go back in our bedroom. The first shirt to hang is winter clothing and of course that goes in the spare room closet across the hall. I hang that and notice the thin layer of dust on the furniture. Already time to dust again. I quickly grab a duster and wipe everything down. I see my old boots that were to get donated to the thrift store. Those shouldn't be up here. They should be down in the donation box.
I traipse back downstairs and drop them in the box. Wait...that blanket doesn't belong there. It's the dogs' ratty sleeping blanket. In the laundry room however, a pile of shirts for drycleaning are laying where the blanket should get deposted. Those better get run to the cleaners or they will never be done in time for wear this week. And I really should get some stuff for dinner while I'm out. It really will be a quick trip and it's still early enough (well...early enough for me) that I can certainly take a quick 15 minutes and get back home.
But it takes more like an hour to get to the cleaners and through the store. And of course, I'm right up the street from that one place that has that Christmas present I should really go ahead and get before it slips my mind, again. A quick glance at the clock leaving that store shows me that it's lunchtime and I should probably run something out to my man since I won't be home in time to get a sandwich pulled together. But I better make it quick or I'm liable to miss that appointment I setup last week and nearly forgot about.
Once on my way back home, it comes to mind that I promised to send my daughter those pics of the dogs I took over the weekend. I get those posted just as soon as I walk in the door and see a Facebook update email which encourages me to sign in where I inevitably get caught up in all the updates I'm scrolling through. Thirty minutes later and I think, I should take a shower now instead of later so I don't go to bed with wet hair like last night.
And now, well I might as well do my hair and makeup. Better to look good than risk looking bad. By the time I make my way downstairs, the sun is setting and if I don't start on dinner we won't eat until late and that's never a good idea.
Then my boyfriend is home and we chat a bit and catch a quick show before making our way to bed. While turning out the lights and locking up, I spy a sliver of paper about to fall from the table to the floor. I push it back in place and notice it's the list I'd made the previous evening.
To Do:
Put away laundry
Blog
Write
Respond to emails
File paperwork
Organize coupons
Well, damn. I snatch the pen up next to it and draw a line through Monday, scribbling Tuesday next to it before pinning it to the fridge with a magnet where it will most certainly get overlooked completely tomorrow.
I can crank out the most impressive "Monday To Do List". As a writer, I must spend most of my time writing even on days when I just don't feel like or can't manage to envision where the story goes next. I can read over that list first thing Monday morning (which isn't exactly first thing, mind you) firmly set on knocking out each item in order. But somehow, I get led astray every time.
Okay, fold laundry, take upstairs and put away. That's an easy warm up to my day.
I fold the laundry and trudge up the stairs which can seem like the stairway to heaven some days. I place the pile of warm, folded clothes on the bed, turn to get hangers and spy a used glass lounging by the bed. I think, if I don't take that down to the kitchen now, I will forget and it'll sit there another day. So, back down I go. I rinse the glass out and go to put it in the dishwasher when I realize that last night's now clean dishes didn't get put away. Well, if I leave those, then the man may mistakenly start adding dirties tonight so those better get put up.
Finally done putting away the dishes and wiping down the counters, of course, I realize the dog food bin needs refilling. Well, that's just out the garage door. Grabbing the food and refilling take only moments, but upon replacing the large bag in the garage I spy a box full of office supplies. Now how did that get out here? It goes upstairs in the office/activity room. Better take that up before it gets left out here in the cold and that jacks up the pens and such.
Upstairs I realize that I've left the laundry on the bed, so I go back in our bedroom. The first shirt to hang is winter clothing and of course that goes in the spare room closet across the hall. I hang that and notice the thin layer of dust on the furniture. Already time to dust again. I quickly grab a duster and wipe everything down. I see my old boots that were to get donated to the thrift store. Those shouldn't be up here. They should be down in the donation box.
I traipse back downstairs and drop them in the box. Wait...that blanket doesn't belong there. It's the dogs' ratty sleeping blanket. In the laundry room however, a pile of shirts for drycleaning are laying where the blanket should get deposted. Those better get run to the cleaners or they will never be done in time for wear this week. And I really should get some stuff for dinner while I'm out. It really will be a quick trip and it's still early enough (well...early enough for me) that I can certainly take a quick 15 minutes and get back home.
But it takes more like an hour to get to the cleaners and through the store. And of course, I'm right up the street from that one place that has that Christmas present I should really go ahead and get before it slips my mind, again. A quick glance at the clock leaving that store shows me that it's lunchtime and I should probably run something out to my man since I won't be home in time to get a sandwich pulled together. But I better make it quick or I'm liable to miss that appointment I setup last week and nearly forgot about.
Once on my way back home, it comes to mind that I promised to send my daughter those pics of the dogs I took over the weekend. I get those posted just as soon as I walk in the door and see a Facebook update email which encourages me to sign in where I inevitably get caught up in all the updates I'm scrolling through. Thirty minutes later and I think, I should take a shower now instead of later so I don't go to bed with wet hair like last night.
And now, well I might as well do my hair and makeup. Better to look good than risk looking bad. By the time I make my way downstairs, the sun is setting and if I don't start on dinner we won't eat until late and that's never a good idea.
Then my boyfriend is home and we chat a bit and catch a quick show before making our way to bed. While turning out the lights and locking up, I spy a sliver of paper about to fall from the table to the floor. I push it back in place and notice it's the list I'd made the previous evening.
To Do:
Put away laundry
Blog
Write
Respond to emails
File paperwork
Organize coupons
Well, damn. I snatch the pen up next to it and draw a line through Monday, scribbling Tuesday next to it before pinning it to the fridge with a magnet where it will most certainly get overlooked completely tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)