Yesterday went approximately as predicted. I went to the grocery store, and although they did not have a couple of items I needed, they did have many other items I needed, and there is enough time to go again before Thanksgiving, and it made me feel better to get a start on things even though it’s not very efficient to go multiple times. And maybe when I go again, they WILL have the missing things and WON’T have some of the things I got yesterday.
Then after work I did my Target pick-up order—but first I went to HomeGoods, for therapeutic purposes. I walked slowly through the aisles and thought about buying things but did not buy those things. I also bought some things. Chocolate Christmas tree ornaments. A bag of Harry & David chocolate-covered dried cherries for my stocking. Two different Christmas dinner plates. Several rolls of Christmas wrapping paper. A bag of coffee grounds. Two of their big cute reusable Christmas bags.
Paul, by the way, keeps saying that there can’t be anything Christmassy until after Thanksgiving. No matter your philosophy FOR YOUR OWN SELF (that is, I am FULLY SUPPORTIVE of anyone’s decision to wait to start Christmas things until ANY point they personally prefer, including those people who wait until Christmas Eve; I personally have VERY STRONG FEELINGS about how Black Friday should WAIT FOR BLACK FRIDAY and NOT CONTINUE AFTER BLACK FRIDAY), I hope we can agree it’s pretty smacky to try to declare anything for other people. Oh, he is WELCOME to try to avoid Christmas ABSOLUTELY AS LONG AS HE LIKES! (And since he does about 2% of the Christmas prep, it is WELL UNDERSTANDABLE that he feels no need to get started with any sort of lead time!) But if I want to buy some Christmas things in even MID-JANUARY for the following Christmas, I am absolutely free to do that, is my stance. “And what’s it to you,” my stance continues.
Anyway, then I did the Target pick-up, and picked up Edward’s prescription. Then I came home and called the vet. This was not The Call—which is something I should have clarified earlier, given the cat’s Tender Condition. But…it is a precursor to The Call. The cat (this is the one who probably has lung cancer in addition to IBD and unpreventable kidney stones that will require regular expensive surgeries) has developed a brownish patch on his eye, which seems to be affecting the pupil in a disturbing way (i.e., pushing it out of shape). I needed to call because the cat is already seeing the vet next week for a check-up (and, presumably, To Talk), and what I needed to know was whether this new eye thing could wait until next week or if it needed to be seen more quickly. My concern was not the seriousness of the eye thing (delicate online searching reveals that in this case it is probably the cancer metastasizing), but rather whether it might be causing him pain, in which case I would want to whisk him in for…Talking, of one kind or another. I spoke to the receptionist, who asked a few pertinent and reassuringly competent-sounding questions and then put me on hold to consult a tech; she came back and said that the tech said it could wait until next week, but that we should call back if there is any discharge, if it seems to be bothering the cat, or if the cat seems to be having trouble opening/closing/blinking the eye. Which so far there is not, it does not, and he does not. I am hoping nothing happens over the Thanksgiving holiday/weekend; it does seem as if children and pets schedule their emergencies for such times.
Favorite part: “ “And what’s it to you,” my stance continues.” I did also really love the last line (and you know, obviously, that I adore every word, but calling out the favorite bits is fun). So true.
I am relieved it wasn’t yet The Call and am hoping the cat holds out until after Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving, Swistle and family.
As for the last line, North tested positive for covid yesterday, two days before Thanksgiving, one day before our departure for our Thanksgiving trip (and Beth’s birthday). Because we are not visiting anyone, just moving our pod, we are going anyway, but there will be adjustments.
I hope the cat stays comfortable for a while longer and you all enjoy your holiday.
Nooooooo! Ugh! I hope North feels better soon. And very glad your trip will still proceed.
I have personally been aggressively No Christmas Until After Thanksgiving, but.. man. I don’t know. (I mean, I don’t care if someone else does Christmas earlier, obviously, this was just for my own putting up of decorations in my home.) But the more I see people with early Christmas decorations, the more jealous I get. Everything is so festive! and twinkly! I love festive and twinkly! Why am I denying myself!
I used to be a strict no Christmas until after Thanksgiving and then Covid hit and I was like whatever people need to do to get through the darkness is right and good. Now people putting their lights up in early November makes me happy because with the time change it gets dark before 5:00 here and those lights make the night brighter. It probably shouldn’t have taken a global pandemic for me to see that, but here we are.
Somewhat relatedly, Covid appears to have turned Halloween into a full-on decorate-your-yard holiday and I am HERE. FOR. IT.
Pretty smacky indeed! And I am 100% on board with Your Stance, because Your Stance is My Stance. Stances unite!
Thank you for reminding me that I am allowed to buy things for my own Christmas stocking! Nobody else does and nobody around me wants a stocking but I can do my own!
My very strong feeling is that anyone can do anything at any time they like for Christmas preparations. If this means Dec 26 for the following year, so be it. If someone wants to put up their tree in August, why not. WHY DO WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR ANYONE ELSE, IT DOESN’T HARM ANYONE TO SHOP FOR CHRISTMAS IN FEBRUARY LET US HAVE OUR JOY WHERE WE CAN GET IT.
Solidly on team “And what’s it to you.”
It does seem like all emergencies seem to happen on a holiday; doesn’t it? Here’s hoping this will be an emergency free holiday.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I am now disconsolate that I have not been using “smacky” all this time because how absolutely apt. And yeah, screw you and the turkey you didn’t stuff, PAUL. The only reason I don’t start getting ready for Christmas in January is because I’d never remember anything I had done or bought by December. As it is, I only recently found a starlight lamp/diffuser thing I bought for Matt to give me for Christmas last year. Along with the Fluevogs. Okay, now I’m just worried about my brain again. Happy Thanksgiving!
The person who does 98% of the work 100% gets to decide when that work starts.
Hoping the cat is staying emergency-free. Xoxoxo