My halls are decked, I'm ready to go
Dec. 18th, 2018 09:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
miladygreyTranscript of a text conversation between my sister-in-law, my mom, my brother, and myself last night.
SIL: *sends picture of her kitchen counter covered in boxes of Harry & David citrus, tins of nuts and popcorn, and boxes of candy* All of these are addressed to everyone coming for Christmas. Ya'll better hurry down and eat my kitchen clear.
Mom: Oh my goodness, do they think we're starving?
SIL: Abs already tried to jam a whole orange into her mouth.
Brother: At least nobody will get sick. Look at all that vitamin C.
Me: I guess my cunning plan to sneak a pie through TSA isn't really necessary.
Brother: Hey, now, it may not be necessary, but I wouldn't object.
I am winding up into anxiety again, because air travel during the holidays, plus staying in a hotel over Christmas (there is just not enough room at Geek Brother and Sil's house, especially with my parents staying there as well), plus keeping Yeats busy, plus...anyway. I have got to relax. I want to see my family, so does Yeats, and he has been gently adamant that after spending the last seven or eight Christmases with his family (and performing Christmas Joy for the Kiddies to his brother's specifications), he is willing and happy to do this. I will try to take him at his word.
My car is fixed! Probably! Signs are good! The folks at the local dealership were very kind and forthright, and actually listened to me when I explained what's been going on for the last year. I was given a loaner car--a pure white 2018 model that started with the push of a button and was Jetson levels of high-tech--and received updates while at work. Apparently, what was going on was that the Bluetooth was constantly connected (despite my never having used Bluetooth, in the car or anywhere else) and was thus a constant slow drain on my battery. Without a daily drive of five to ten minutes, the battery got too low and needed jumping. They disconnected the Bluetooth for good and all, I let the car sit for a solid 38 hours from Friday night into Sunday morning, and it started up again with no problem. Now perhaps my little jump kit can have a well-earned rest.
Last weekend we did our annual Christmas Ride-Around with our friends J and S. Said friends were in a slight funk because S.'s dad died unexpectedly at Thanksgiving, and so they'd only gotten back from the services and everything a couple of weeks ago and are still processing. S said it just felt good to get out of the house, put her phone on silent, and soak up the lights and decorations. We hit up our favorite little cheese shop, then drove about an hour to a small town full of things we like--restaurants, wineries, and whimsical little gift shoppes. Spent the day enjoying ourselves, and sent J and S home with hugs and Christmas cookies.
Tomorrow, I'll leave work early (and set my away email message to be crystal-clear that I will not be available and not checking email for ten days) so Yeats and I can take the cats down to my mother-in-law, where they will be spoiled rotten while we're gone. We fly out, gods of aviation and weather willing, early Thursday morning.
Reading Log: Someone to Trust by Mary Balogh; Fire and Blood by George R.R. Martin; Love Overdue by Pamela Morsi; The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner; Vengeful by V.E. Schwab
SIL: *sends picture of her kitchen counter covered in boxes of Harry & David citrus, tins of nuts and popcorn, and boxes of candy* All of these are addressed to everyone coming for Christmas. Ya'll better hurry down and eat my kitchen clear.
Mom: Oh my goodness, do they think we're starving?
SIL: Abs already tried to jam a whole orange into her mouth.
Brother: At least nobody will get sick. Look at all that vitamin C.
Me: I guess my cunning plan to sneak a pie through TSA isn't really necessary.
Brother: Hey, now, it may not be necessary, but I wouldn't object.
I am winding up into anxiety again, because air travel during the holidays, plus staying in a hotel over Christmas (there is just not enough room at Geek Brother and Sil's house, especially with my parents staying there as well), plus keeping Yeats busy, plus...anyway. I have got to relax. I want to see my family, so does Yeats, and he has been gently adamant that after spending the last seven or eight Christmases with his family (and performing Christmas Joy for the Kiddies to his brother's specifications), he is willing and happy to do this. I will try to take him at his word.
My car is fixed! Probably! Signs are good! The folks at the local dealership were very kind and forthright, and actually listened to me when I explained what's been going on for the last year. I was given a loaner car--a pure white 2018 model that started with the push of a button and was Jetson levels of high-tech--and received updates while at work. Apparently, what was going on was that the Bluetooth was constantly connected (despite my never having used Bluetooth, in the car or anywhere else) and was thus a constant slow drain on my battery. Without a daily drive of five to ten minutes, the battery got too low and needed jumping. They disconnected the Bluetooth for good and all, I let the car sit for a solid 38 hours from Friday night into Sunday morning, and it started up again with no problem. Now perhaps my little jump kit can have a well-earned rest.
Last weekend we did our annual Christmas Ride-Around with our friends J and S. Said friends were in a slight funk because S.'s dad died unexpectedly at Thanksgiving, and so they'd only gotten back from the services and everything a couple of weeks ago and are still processing. S said it just felt good to get out of the house, put her phone on silent, and soak up the lights and decorations. We hit up our favorite little cheese shop, then drove about an hour to a small town full of things we like--restaurants, wineries, and whimsical little gift shoppes. Spent the day enjoying ourselves, and sent J and S home with hugs and Christmas cookies.
Tomorrow, I'll leave work early (and set my away email message to be crystal-clear that I will not be available and not checking email for ten days) so Yeats and I can take the cats down to my mother-in-law, where they will be spoiled rotten while we're gone. We fly out, gods of aviation and weather willing, early Thursday morning.
Reading Log: Someone to Trust by Mary Balogh; Fire and Blood by George R.R. Martin; Love Overdue by Pamela Morsi; The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner; Vengeful by V.E. Schwab
