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Last year: The attractive young man on the other side of the door smiled at me. Aw, hell, I thought. Another fucking salesman. |
Matt took me to see "Celebration in Lights" - a light display at the park between my parents' house and ours - last night, and that did a lot for my spirits. Kris wrote to recommend the immediate and thorough application of chocolate. We don't have much chocolate in the house (which seems amazing, given the amount of baking I've been doing) but last night I had some chocolate-chip ice cream covered with a butter-rum sauce I'd made, and that seemed to help. As did the application of a few "moon" cookies, dunked in a glass of cold milk.
I even felt cheerful enough to tease Matt a little about opening presents early.
This morning, I'm wearing my christmas vest and a jingle bell around my neck. I'm not quite the usual bouncing kid that I usually am at this time of year, yet, but at least I'm not feeling like a grinch anymore, either.
Of course, I'm going to the doctor this afternoon to get my stitches out, and I'm sure that will do wonders for my mood as well.
I'm not sure exactly how it all came about, because I only listen to the radio as I'm getting up in the morning and when I'm in the car, but it seems that my favorite radio station decided to do something nice for a local family whose house had burned down recently. The family consisted of a mom, a dad, and a little girl, about five years old. After contacting the parents and finding out that the little girl wanted one of those little electronic pre-programmed piano keyboards, they went out and bought her one. (Well, two, actually, because they couldn't find the precise one she wanted.)
The plan was, this morning, to have her on the air. They'd get her to say she wanted the piano, and then "Santa" - played by another local - would drop by and give it to her.
Nothing ever goes according to plan.
I was listening as I got dressed, because this is just the kind of fantastic Christmas spirit thing that makes me all choked up and loving the season.
First of all, they couldn't get the little girl to actually say she wanted the keyboard. She kept insisting that her mom wanted a Gameboy, and therefore, so did she. M.C. (the female DJ) tried to prompt her: "But isn't there something that you want, just for yourself?" It was adorable that the girl insisted on repeating her mother's wish, and hysterically funny that two adults couldn't get a five-year-old to admit what it was she wanted for Christmas.
Finally, she admitted it. They got her to dictate a short "Dear Santa" letter on the air (though she threw in the Gameboy along with the piano) and - magic! - a hearty "Ho-Ho-Ho!" was heard. I expected the kid to go nuts. Or at least gasp with surprise and joy.
"Hi," she said, sounding for all the world bored.
Santa doesn't give up that easily. "Would you like to sit on my lap and tell me what you want for Christmas?" he wheedled.
"I'd rather just sit in my chair," she answered politely. I almost fell off the bed laughing.
Eventually, Santa produced his bag. "Santa has two pianos," he chuckled, "and you can pick the one you like best. And Santa will give your daddy the receipt for the other one, and you can exchange it for something else... maybe a Gameboy."
I nearly died laughing.
There's a pale sprinkle of snow on the ground this morning. Not enough to actually do anything with - just barely enough to coat the hoods of cars, and it will be melted before noon. But just now, the world looks wintery and magical.
If I don't write over the weekend, I'll see you Christmas morning.
Word of the Day: grinch - killjoy; spoilsport
'The Jingle Cats' are back
-- It may not be as much of a holiday tradition as decorating the tree or drinking eggnog, but the caroling cats are back this year with a new video.
"The Jingle Cats" are a group of nine singing felines who have been meowing Christmas classics since 1993. The man behind the cats is Mike Spalla, who started the group after discovering his cat, Cheesepuff, had an affinity for meowing Christmas songs.
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Current Projects:
- Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!
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