Just Another Day?

Today has been a trying day. Not for any reason in particular, it's just one of those days when I feel like I would rather shoot myself than go on. I say that, somewhat in jest, as I survey the damage of the world happening all around me. Watching the news the last several days I have been mortified to watch the death toll of the Asian tsunami go over 100,000 people with estimates that it my go as high as 400,000. It's unbelievable, mind numbing and extremely depressing to see the devastation. On top of that, today was the funeral (which I didn't attend) of the husband of a co-worker at Williams Sonoma. Spending decades with someone only to have them simply not wake up one morning, how do you recover from that? I suppose that you put your emotions into all the good times that those decades held.

I spoke to my sister and my father has been released from the hospital after only five days. He is having trouble with his speech but otherwise seems to be recovering nicely. I am taking a trip up to Indiana to see him and the rest of my family in a week or so, though that trip has generated more stress, details later...I don't feel like typing all that right now.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year.

White Christmas and Deviled Eggs

I can't believe that we had a white Christmas in New Orleans. The first one since 1954 according to the TP. My family in Indiana had 12 - 14 inches of snow dropped on them in the days before the holiday but my snow was better by far. It was wonderful to open up my back door and see it falling down. This wasn't wimpy snow, this was big sticky flakes, the kind that keep you out of school when you're a child.

My Christmas was pretty mild, I was (and am) still battling bronchitis. An invite to a friends family celebration had to be turned down. I didn't want to be sick and a guest in someone else's home. They would be chasing me with lysol. Instead I made a pork roast for Jeff and I, some asparagus, coleslaw and potato salad. My mother had sent a box of gifts so I opened those. I had asked my mother to send me a deviled egg tray. You can't entertain in the south without a deviled egg tray. She sent me two. The bitches at the Baptist church are sure gonna be jealous, I can now travel with 40 deviled eggs. I also received a new tea kettle, some DVD's, an Activision joystick (Pitfall!), a book from Jeff (he's also buying me a toaster oven if ever I decide which one I want), a nice new shirt from my momma, a target gift card, some checks from my mother, uncle and grandmother (always a nice gift and it travels easily.)

There was also a very down part to my holiday. My sister called me Christmas Eve night to tell me that my father suffered a stroke. Two days later I can tell you that the stroke was seemingly very mild. He was able to walk on his own today and he can speak a few words. He still has partial paralysis in his right side, mostly in his arm and hand. He's going to have to endure quite a bit of therapy to get back to normal. I was able to talk to him today, though his speech isn't clear enough to be understood so he couldn't talk to me. My sister has been there throughout the ordeal and seems to be holding up alright. They are going to do an MRI and a catscan tomorrow to have a better idea of what damage was done by the stroke.

That's all the news for now. I go back to work today at the bar. Wish me luck.

Bah Hum -Bug-

Sunday night I had a little tickle in my throat. I took some extra vitamin C and didn't think about it that much, I'd had a sore throat on and off for a week. Tuesday I worked at the pub and started coughing a little bit. Wednesday I worked at Williams Sonoma and was coughing the entire time, hacking even. I went home and tried to sleep but couldn't sleep for all the coughing and the pain in my throat. Thursday morning I had enough. I couldn't get into the doctor so I went to the ER. After X-rays and tests they determined I have viral and bacterial bronchitis. When I left the hospital it took me forever to get to the drugstore and get my prescription filled. Some English woman in front of me was taking forever. I'm not the nicest person when sick and eventually I just started coughing on her to get her to move. I came home to find I had no electricity, and thus no heat. I called Entergy and they gave me the run around but assured me it would be back on by 3:30. At five I called them back when I still didn't have power. The maintenance man came around just then and fixed the problem, I thought. The lights came on but no heat. No heat. Bronchitis and no heat. I'm screwed. The maintenance people came back and finally fixed the problem so I had heat again by 7 pm. Until an hour ago when the heat went out again. I spent a restless night sweating out fever and coughing and hacking. The upshot is that my abs probably look good and I've no doubt sweat out at least five pounds.

For those that celebrate Christmas, have an enjoyable one and a safe and happy New Year.

Damned Nazis

So I wrote my last entry and decided to take the dogs for a walk. As I was getting ready to leave I remembered that today is Tuesday (Street Cleaning Day 8 - 12 pm) and it was 1 PM. My car had been towed. Damn. Damned Nazi Street Cleaners.

'Twas the Week Before Christmas

And all through the house, I stayed cuddled in bed, too cold to go out.

It has been very cold in New Orleans this last week or two. To steal a quote from my old roommate Dimitri, "I moved south for three reasons, warm weather, slutty boys and drinking in public, two out of three isn't good enough."

With cold weather, the holidays and winter skies comes depression for a lot of people. I don't get so depressed during this time anymore, thanks to my crazy pills I guess. This last week has been particularly draining though. The biggest reason is that my Mattie has moved away. My co-hort in crime has re-located to San Diego. I knew this was coming, I've had months to prepare myself, but it's always hard to part with someone that close. I threw him a going away party with a southwestern theme. There was even a cake (and I swear the day I figure out how to post pictures again I'll put a picture of it on here,) that said "WestWard....Ho!" I bought a pinata, which by the way are very difficult to find and they don't make them like they used too. All the pinatas I saw had SpongeBob, or Hulk, or whatever kids watch these days. I finally found one that was in gay colors in the shape of a # 1. I stuffed it myself with a five pound bag of candy and we hung it up. I never imagined how much fun it would be to blindfold Matt and let him whack at this thing in front of everyone he knew. I mean, HYSTERICAL. The stick I gave him to use was a wee bit small so he was having trouble, but his heart was sure there. Finally they gave him a bigger stick (walk softly) and he busted it right away. I think he was a bit embarrassed and upset with me, but I assured him they were laughing with him, not at him. After we all went to the CP where I bought him a shirt to take to San Diego with him. We had a good night, lots of fun.

Last Friday I took him to the airport. I didn't know if we were going to have a crying scene or not, but I didn't want to be a big mess in the middle of the airport. After we got him checked in we went outside to smoke and decided to part there instead of at the security gate. We parted ways just inside the door and I think I made it about three steps before I started to cry. I don't know how Matt did. By the time I got to the parking garage to pay for my parking I was crying pretty badly I guess since the security guard asked me if I needed help. She gave me a hug even which stopped my crying because you know how I am about being touched by strangers. Mattie flew to Indiana to see his family and then he's going on to San Diego this Friday I think. My next vacation is to see him, just after Mardi Gras, so about six weeks from now. I'm sure he's going to be fine but you worry you know. Matt calls me motherbird but I think I've always been more like big brother (or sister, fine) than parent. I know he's doing what's right for him but I miss him already, my Friday night spent trying to have fun with my visiting sister and old friend Scottie, but several times I was reminded that Mattie is gone and there would be a little breakdown....Add Vodka and stir.

My sisters visit was going on during this time and I have to say it was the most subdued visit we have ever had. Normally we go out boozing and carousing but we mostly stayed in this time. I cooked dinner one night (Roasted Salmon and a vegetable Pasta dish I was trying out.) I had to work Sunday night and she sat at my bar. It was fun to see her watch my Sunday night show and all the craziness that goes on. My (brother) Darrel was also there so it was nice to see him. I think we were both just tired. Between work and school she doesn't have a lot of free time and between work and my high maintenance friends I don't have much time....So we just chilled. We boozed a little, ate out some, shopped some. She hadn't met the dogs so that was fun. She took some video footage of the dogs running and playing so she could show our mom. Dash and Chase took turns running off with her things, Dash eating her hairbrush and Chase going for the make-up. They are very vain dogs. We exchanged our christmas presents to each other and so that was fun. She even brought presents for the puppies.

I could go on forever about my sister but most of it is personal or already been said. As children we were alright playmates, hated each other as teenagers but as adults (and I do mean as adults, the minute she moved out of the house when she was 18 and I 17) we are closer than anything. Now we find ourselves in our mid 30's and I can't imagine life without her.

What else to say. Oh Yeah. Christmas. Okay every year I hear or read some story about how horrible it is that people want Christmas music out of schools and places of employment. What heartless people would want this, what kind of Ogre wouldn't want children to sing "Oh Holy Night," or see a live nativity set up in the lobby of their work place. Me. Yes, Me. I am also the one that would love to see every religious emblem removed from every public building except churches. I would love to see "In God we Trust" taken off the money. Let the children sing "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, Here comes Santa Claus," and other non religious songs. It seems that children understand a lot better that Santa isn't real instead of God isn't real. Okay, so maybe God is real, who knows, but frankly, I don't care. Not only do I not care, but there are hundreds of thousands, probably millions of Americans who don't care. Some don't care because they are Muslim or Buddhist or maybe just Agnostic or maybe even (gasp!) atheist. The point is this; if this Christian holiday is really supposed to be about the birth of Christ, then let's make it that, and only if you believe in that do you celebrate. Let the rest of us off the hook. Little red state Pentecostal can hang their children up like angels and give them frankincense and we'll all be the happier.

Now that I've said all that, I am working as a seasonal worker at Williams Sonoma. A friend asked me to and hell I get a good discount so I said sure. What fun! It's actually a good group of people that work there and it is kind of fun but shoppers are really stupid. I can't believe the number of people that find their way to this mall, sometimes multiple times.

I haven't updated in a while and it will probably be after Jesus Birthday before I do it again, so I hope everyone has a pleasant "holiday" time and either celebrates of endures but I hope you are surrounded by people you care about and love. Cheers!