Giveth and Taketh Away
23/12/20 07:13
I'm happy for the kids, anyway. They'll have snow for Christmas, God willing, which has to count for something. For me, it's just one more thing I have move from one place to another. Maybe that's not the right view. And I have to say, moving things from one place to another has a certain appeal to the accountant in me.
You know, always in contemplation of the ledgers in our lives where things come and go. Some things add up and some things don't. Some things are within our control and some things clearly are not. But those that are within our control, I'm more than happy to tidy them up and put them in their proper place. That is what accountants do.
Nancy and I had a nice walk up to the end of our street and back last night after the snow stopped. The storm dropped a mercifully decent 9-10 inches behind over the course of a day and half. It was a light and fluffy snow, thankfully, since heavier wetter snows make for a heavier lift and, quite frankly, make for more of a chore in the long run.
I let one of my elderly and more immediate neighbors know early on today that I would not be swinging by to provide my usual snow removal services but that, in a pinch, I might be willing to lend a hand. It seems that even with moderate snowfalls, I now have more than enough to do in and around my own property without concerning myself about others and their needs. It's time to rein in my largesse and bring my Johnny-be-good tendencies to heel. As soon as I find the right words, I'll be letting her know about my longer term intentions.
The altar boy in me says that I am one mean mother fucker for clawing back the goodness that I have extended to my neighbor all these past years when I selflessly stepped into the fray to help out an old gal in need. If there is enough guilt on God's green earth to be meted out to pricks like me then I deserve all the demerits that are likely coming my way.
Her property is within earshot of our own and she will likely hear the drone of my snowblower for the remainder of the winter months and that will only serve to intensify my feelings of guilt. How many Hail Mary's will that cost me, Father?
Nancy enjoys these walks of ours to the end of the street and back that only ever occur after snowstorms. We trudge mightily as may or may not be the case, depending on whether the town has been by to plow, down to the end of the road where our road meets the main road that runs through the center of town.
If the sky is starlit and the night air pristine, tranquil, and really cold, all the better. If we have to walk more slowly, maybe even arm in arm due to the iciness of the road beneath our feet, that works too. If we say very little or nothing at all to each other for the duration of our stroll, it may mean that no words are necessary. Looking for meaning where there is none is, well, meaningless.
If it sounds like I'm meandering, you wouldn't be wrong. If it's bumping around in my head then you can be assured it will get put down on paper. Not sure why all of a sudden, after a pretty good run really of journal entries this year, that I'm coming up a little short as we approach Christmas time. Maybe I'm just running out of gas. Maybe I need to slap on some music by Motley Crue and stop listing to this bullshit holiday funeral music by Winter Hill entitled, "Winter Solstice."
Truth be told, I'm more of an Amy Winehouse listener than I am a Motley Crue listener. We'll put her in the queue. Maybe this winter solstice music will help to put me in the Christmas spirit. I'm doing pretty well all things considered but it will require a concerted effort on my part between now and Christmas Day to get me over the finish line. I don't know why I'm a dumpster fire during the Christmas season but I know myself well enough to know that I get bluer than blue so you better watch out, you better not shout.
Nancy has already started to wrap presents and put them beneath the tree. She wraps presents like nobody's business as you know. She's got the touch. Everything from picking out the right paper to choosing the right ribbons and boughs, she's got it all down.
I didn't give it much thought but when she told Evan last night that she shouldn't have put the presents under the tree just yet, it reminded me that there is a Santa and he doesn't show up until Christmas Eve so she's right about the presents showing up beforehand.
We're happy with the tree that we bought even though it's short or so by a good six inches. It has good sturdy branches and sheds very little. It also has a good appetite for the water that I supply to it each and every day in order to keep it looking vibrant and green as possible.
If I were to change anything about it, I might add a good sturdy top branch which would support a little something at the tip of the tree. It falls short in that department but we knew that when we bought it. We have things to put up there but maybe just not this year. Fucking A.
I think if it were up to me there might be diddly squat under the tree come Christmas time. Not because I can't afford to put things there, no sireee, Bob. It's that damn doldrums things again. Like I said, I have no idea where that comes from. How dangerous would it be to drag up the ghosts of Christmas past in order to find out? I'm not sure there are any ghosts of Christmas past so maybe we need to kill that idea in the crib.
I do have an idea for Nancy's present now that I think of it. I was a little worried that I might come up short there too. Maybe that was weighing on me. It wouldn't be the first time I've not bought her anything for Christmas. That tells you everything you need to know about the true spirit of Christmas. It has everything to do with giving and very little to do with receiving. But I'll be giving this year so all is well in the house of Johnny Blog. It makes me less blue just thinking about it.
Nancy has a hair across her tuchus this year when it comes to Christmas cards. Well, one card in particular, really. We get a card every year from one of my siblings who addresses the card to me and not to the "family." That annoys my little darling to no end. "What the hell are they thinking", she rants. Don't look at me, dearie. I don't get it either. Maybe they are working from a Christmas card list that needs a little updating. We've only been married forever so there's that.
And then there are the cards that, were they desserts, you'd be having seconds and maybe even thirds. Topping that list of senders is none other than, Debbie Rah-Rah. I mean, just WOW. Nancy's only complaint is that the creator of the card purchased by Debbie Rah-Rah added nothing to the backside of the card so she might see what else they have to offer. We're talking about creativity, or the flair for picking and choosing just the right this or that, up the wazoo here.
The card aside, Debbie Rah-Rah has it down in spades when it comes to finding just the right whatever when it comes to conveying the proper sentiment. That girl is GOOD! Whenever Nancy wants to put something in a frame, you know it's good. That is precisely what she wanted to do with Debbie Rah-Rah's card. The peace sign (ala 1960's) gracing the front of the card, interspersed as it was with little flowers and subdued sprinkles, took the cake. Where were you in 62'? Got it made in the shade! Well done, Debbie Rah-Rah!
I was happy to collaborate with Evan this year on Nancy's gift. We kicked a few ideas around and finally settled on something we think she'll like. I mean, like a lot. Without giving up too much, I will say that you never want to buy your little darlings something like a vacuum cleaner or some other god awful tool that they can use to perform household chores better than ever before. That said, she''s had this damn hankering for something that is, well, akin to a vacuum cleaner. It's been a non-stop fascination for her and that's no word of a lie. Do we need to look any further? Do we?
We have a lot of things for the Ev-man this Christmas. We have things that he needs and things that he likes. We even have things that we think he'll like but he's probably not expecting. He is somewhat accustomed to being the center of attention when it comes to the holidays so I don't think we'll embarrass him one way or another with our so-called generosity.
We have things for him and he has things for us so it's all good. My personal preference is that he not spend what little money he has on us so we worked with him to get it all straightened away. He's tickled with the gifts that he's chosen for his mom and dad so that's all that matters. God is good!
I was reading a book on guitar and music theory last night. Talk about abstract things, this book had it in spades. I tried, desperately I might add, to relate any of it to my last two weeks of picking up the guitar and doing with it what beginners do. It was all gobbledygook. What the hell was I thinking? Strumming a couple of chords is one thing. Playing major and minor scales might even be workable. Using Dorian mode with a pentatonic scale is something else altogether. I warned you.
I'm guessing that if I stick it out, this training of mine, it might well all come together some day. It's probably like anything else in life. The more you do it, the better you get at it. I do worry that I don't have enough structure around the learning process jumping in an out of books and filling the gaps with various lessons from YouTube as I do, but that's my preferred way to go about it. I also keep asking myself the question, why do they have to make this stuff so darn complicated? It's not brain surgery, or is it?
We'll pop over to see Mrs G at some point here soon. She and her buds in her independent living facility are still on lockdown but I think she can get out for a bit of family time if she so desires. The vaccines are out and about but she is not yet at the top of the list so she waits like everyone else. It makes perfect sense that she gets in line behind folks in nursing homes, front line doctors, and I'm not sure who else. Maybe the damn politicians. I don't know what we'd do without them. Actually, I do. We'd all be better off.
Christmas is two days out as I sit here today and I don't think Nancy has anything for her mom. She hasn't even mentioned anything so I'm not sure what she's thinking. We talked a while ago about getting a gift certificate for a car detailing schtick but we've done nothing about it. Here's my message to Nancy: That's your bag, baby. Git er done.
Maybe with all of this Covid stuff on the uptick, she's sticking her head in like a frightened turtle once again. I can see putting together a bag of chocolates, maybe some other candies, maybe a nice bottle of wine, and maybe even some flowers to cheer up her mom maybe a wee bit or more for the holidays. That's just me thinking out loud. All things that would require Nancy stepping inside a store or two to purchase said items. All things that will likely never be bought because Nancy is not up to assuming said risks. Not for her mother, not for herself, and maybe not even for me or the Ev man. Sad.
This is probably my last shot across the proverbial JohnnyBlog bow before Santa arrives so I'd rather not end on a down note. It's been a pretty good year so let's whoop it up for all the good things that have come about in 2020. It sounds strange to say here as we are in the year of Covid-19, but we need to be thankful for our collective good health and our relatively cheerful spirits as we head into the final week or so of the year. Huzzah for that!
Lastly, the benificence of our government in returning our tax dollars to us in the form of a Covid relief bailout is nothing if not nonsensical. But hey, it helps to pay the bills and that's a good thing. More is needed for those in dire straits so I applaud President Trump in getting Nancy and Chuck back to the table to consider coughing up more than the $600 currently under consideration.
Maybe Trump will have one more little surprise for us that has little to do with money and everything to do with who our 46th president is going to be by the time January 20th rolls around. Our great nation cannot, after all, abide by the shenanigans pulled off by the democrats as it relates to our elections. Not now, not ever.
Merry Christmas!
You know, always in contemplation of the ledgers in our lives where things come and go. Some things add up and some things don't. Some things are within our control and some things clearly are not. But those that are within our control, I'm more than happy to tidy them up and put them in their proper place. That is what accountants do.
Nancy and I had a nice walk up to the end of our street and back last night after the snow stopped. The storm dropped a mercifully decent 9-10 inches behind over the course of a day and half. It was a light and fluffy snow, thankfully, since heavier wetter snows make for a heavier lift and, quite frankly, make for more of a chore in the long run.
I let one of my elderly and more immediate neighbors know early on today that I would not be swinging by to provide my usual snow removal services but that, in a pinch, I might be willing to lend a hand. It seems that even with moderate snowfalls, I now have more than enough to do in and around my own property without concerning myself about others and their needs. It's time to rein in my largesse and bring my Johnny-be-good tendencies to heel. As soon as I find the right words, I'll be letting her know about my longer term intentions.
The altar boy in me says that I am one mean mother fucker for clawing back the goodness that I have extended to my neighbor all these past years when I selflessly stepped into the fray to help out an old gal in need. If there is enough guilt on God's green earth to be meted out to pricks like me then I deserve all the demerits that are likely coming my way.
Her property is within earshot of our own and she will likely hear the drone of my snowblower for the remainder of the winter months and that will only serve to intensify my feelings of guilt. How many Hail Mary's will that cost me, Father?
Nancy enjoys these walks of ours to the end of the street and back that only ever occur after snowstorms. We trudge mightily as may or may not be the case, depending on whether the town has been by to plow, down to the end of the road where our road meets the main road that runs through the center of town.
If the sky is starlit and the night air pristine, tranquil, and really cold, all the better. If we have to walk more slowly, maybe even arm in arm due to the iciness of the road beneath our feet, that works too. If we say very little or nothing at all to each other for the duration of our stroll, it may mean that no words are necessary. Looking for meaning where there is none is, well, meaningless.
If it sounds like I'm meandering, you wouldn't be wrong. If it's bumping around in my head then you can be assured it will get put down on paper. Not sure why all of a sudden, after a pretty good run really of journal entries this year, that I'm coming up a little short as we approach Christmas time. Maybe I'm just running out of gas. Maybe I need to slap on some music by Motley Crue and stop listing to this bullshit holiday funeral music by Winter Hill entitled, "Winter Solstice."
Truth be told, I'm more of an Amy Winehouse listener than I am a Motley Crue listener. We'll put her in the queue. Maybe this winter solstice music will help to put me in the Christmas spirit. I'm doing pretty well all things considered but it will require a concerted effort on my part between now and Christmas Day to get me over the finish line. I don't know why I'm a dumpster fire during the Christmas season but I know myself well enough to know that I get bluer than blue so you better watch out, you better not shout.
Nancy has already started to wrap presents and put them beneath the tree. She wraps presents like nobody's business as you know. She's got the touch. Everything from picking out the right paper to choosing the right ribbons and boughs, she's got it all down.
I didn't give it much thought but when she told Evan last night that she shouldn't have put the presents under the tree just yet, it reminded me that there is a Santa and he doesn't show up until Christmas Eve so she's right about the presents showing up beforehand.
We're happy with the tree that we bought even though it's short or so by a good six inches. It has good sturdy branches and sheds very little. It also has a good appetite for the water that I supply to it each and every day in order to keep it looking vibrant and green as possible.
If I were to change anything about it, I might add a good sturdy top branch which would support a little something at the tip of the tree. It falls short in that department but we knew that when we bought it. We have things to put up there but maybe just not this year. Fucking A.
I think if it were up to me there might be diddly squat under the tree come Christmas time. Not because I can't afford to put things there, no sireee, Bob. It's that damn doldrums things again. Like I said, I have no idea where that comes from. How dangerous would it be to drag up the ghosts of Christmas past in order to find out? I'm not sure there are any ghosts of Christmas past so maybe we need to kill that idea in the crib.
I do have an idea for Nancy's present now that I think of it. I was a little worried that I might come up short there too. Maybe that was weighing on me. It wouldn't be the first time I've not bought her anything for Christmas. That tells you everything you need to know about the true spirit of Christmas. It has everything to do with giving and very little to do with receiving. But I'll be giving this year so all is well in the house of Johnny Blog. It makes me less blue just thinking about it.
Nancy has a hair across her tuchus this year when it comes to Christmas cards. Well, one card in particular, really. We get a card every year from one of my siblings who addresses the card to me and not to the "family." That annoys my little darling to no end. "What the hell are they thinking", she rants. Don't look at me, dearie. I don't get it either. Maybe they are working from a Christmas card list that needs a little updating. We've only been married forever so there's that.
And then there are the cards that, were they desserts, you'd be having seconds and maybe even thirds. Topping that list of senders is none other than, Debbie Rah-Rah. I mean, just WOW. Nancy's only complaint is that the creator of the card purchased by Debbie Rah-Rah added nothing to the backside of the card so she might see what else they have to offer. We're talking about creativity, or the flair for picking and choosing just the right this or that, up the wazoo here.
The card aside, Debbie Rah-Rah has it down in spades when it comes to finding just the right whatever when it comes to conveying the proper sentiment. That girl is GOOD! Whenever Nancy wants to put something in a frame, you know it's good. That is precisely what she wanted to do with Debbie Rah-Rah's card. The peace sign (ala 1960's) gracing the front of the card, interspersed as it was with little flowers and subdued sprinkles, took the cake. Where were you in 62'? Got it made in the shade! Well done, Debbie Rah-Rah!
I was happy to collaborate with Evan this year on Nancy's gift. We kicked a few ideas around and finally settled on something we think she'll like. I mean, like a lot. Without giving up too much, I will say that you never want to buy your little darlings something like a vacuum cleaner or some other god awful tool that they can use to perform household chores better than ever before. That said, she''s had this damn hankering for something that is, well, akin to a vacuum cleaner. It's been a non-stop fascination for her and that's no word of a lie. Do we need to look any further? Do we?
We have a lot of things for the Ev-man this Christmas. We have things that he needs and things that he likes. We even have things that we think he'll like but he's probably not expecting. He is somewhat accustomed to being the center of attention when it comes to the holidays so I don't think we'll embarrass him one way or another with our so-called generosity.
We have things for him and he has things for us so it's all good. My personal preference is that he not spend what little money he has on us so we worked with him to get it all straightened away. He's tickled with the gifts that he's chosen for his mom and dad so that's all that matters. God is good!
I was reading a book on guitar and music theory last night. Talk about abstract things, this book had it in spades. I tried, desperately I might add, to relate any of it to my last two weeks of picking up the guitar and doing with it what beginners do. It was all gobbledygook. What the hell was I thinking? Strumming a couple of chords is one thing. Playing major and minor scales might even be workable. Using Dorian mode with a pentatonic scale is something else altogether. I warned you.
I'm guessing that if I stick it out, this training of mine, it might well all come together some day. It's probably like anything else in life. The more you do it, the better you get at it. I do worry that I don't have enough structure around the learning process jumping in an out of books and filling the gaps with various lessons from YouTube as I do, but that's my preferred way to go about it. I also keep asking myself the question, why do they have to make this stuff so darn complicated? It's not brain surgery, or is it?
We'll pop over to see Mrs G at some point here soon. She and her buds in her independent living facility are still on lockdown but I think she can get out for a bit of family time if she so desires. The vaccines are out and about but she is not yet at the top of the list so she waits like everyone else. It makes perfect sense that she gets in line behind folks in nursing homes, front line doctors, and I'm not sure who else. Maybe the damn politicians. I don't know what we'd do without them. Actually, I do. We'd all be better off.
Christmas is two days out as I sit here today and I don't think Nancy has anything for her mom. She hasn't even mentioned anything so I'm not sure what she's thinking. We talked a while ago about getting a gift certificate for a car detailing schtick but we've done nothing about it. Here's my message to Nancy: That's your bag, baby. Git er done.
Maybe with all of this Covid stuff on the uptick, she's sticking her head in like a frightened turtle once again. I can see putting together a bag of chocolates, maybe some other candies, maybe a nice bottle of wine, and maybe even some flowers to cheer up her mom maybe a wee bit or more for the holidays. That's just me thinking out loud. All things that would require Nancy stepping inside a store or two to purchase said items. All things that will likely never be bought because Nancy is not up to assuming said risks. Not for her mother, not for herself, and maybe not even for me or the Ev man. Sad.
This is probably my last shot across the proverbial JohnnyBlog bow before Santa arrives so I'd rather not end on a down note. It's been a pretty good year so let's whoop it up for all the good things that have come about in 2020. It sounds strange to say here as we are in the year of Covid-19, but we need to be thankful for our collective good health and our relatively cheerful spirits as we head into the final week or so of the year. Huzzah for that!
Lastly, the benificence of our government in returning our tax dollars to us in the form of a Covid relief bailout is nothing if not nonsensical. But hey, it helps to pay the bills and that's a good thing. More is needed for those in dire straits so I applaud President Trump in getting Nancy and Chuck back to the table to consider coughing up more than the $600 currently under consideration.
Maybe Trump will have one more little surprise for us that has little to do with money and everything to do with who our 46th president is going to be by the time January 20th rolls around. Our great nation cannot, after all, abide by the shenanigans pulled off by the democrats as it relates to our elections. Not now, not ever.
Merry Christmas!