caerula's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- annual Christmas slump The kid doesn�t have school today � another freaking teacher work day, which I think is ridiculous this close to Christmas, but whatever. YMB�s school decided last year it was better to have full-day inservices once a month than half-days; I�m sure it is easier for the teachers, but it gets old for the parents when we regularly have to figure out something to do with our kids on off-schedule days off. Usually they manage to schedule these around other holidays, too, so that they have an extra day off after Labor Day, a 4-day weekend for MLK day, etc. �Cause, you know, all us working parents? Oh, we just have a myriad of vacation days to take randomly whenever the school decides. Anyway, my dad has a couple of days off this week as he�s using up the last of his vacation time, so it worked out. Mom & Dad are taking the kid for the day to the Henry Ford Museum (I refuse to call it The Henry Ford. That�s just dumb.) and the James Bond exhibit they�ve got going. I expect tonight will be filled with sound effects and long involved descriptions of advanced spy technology. I hope that keeps him in a decent mood for a while; he�s been in that pre-Christmas slump where everything sucks because school�s not out yet and there�s no snow and he�s booooooooored and there�s noooothiiiiiing to doooooooo. Gah. How did my parents put up with three of us pulling that crap all December? One is way bad enough. Meanwhile, I�m sick again, in a coughing, stuffed-up kind of way. I think this will be one of those winters where I never actually get over the flu, it just goes into hiding for a week or two and then comes back stronger. Someone needs to shoot this song. I change the station whenever it comes on the radio, but it�s really popular on the easy-listening all-Christmas-song stations they play in all the stores and stuff right now, and I want to tear my hair out and stomp on someone every time I hear it. It�s easily winning my �worst Christmas song EVER� award right now, trouncing even Kelly Clarkson�s warbly version of �Grown-Up Christmas List.� Argh. Honestly at this point I�m just going to be happy when Christmas is over; unfortunately in my family it�s dragged out through New Year�s this year, as YMB will be at the Dementors� Christmas week and we can�t do presents and stuff with him until New Year�s weekend, which is also when Kitty and the ControlFreak will be making an appearance (because it�s very important to CF that they spend Squirt�s first Christmas in their own home and establish their own traditions. Like Squirt�s going to remember any of this.) I�m nowhere near done shopping even though we�ve mercilessly pared down our shopping list this year, and although I finally got my cards done I haven�t actually mailed them yet, or any of the presents I have to mail. I don't have any vacation time to rest and recoup from any of this, and I just keep getting sick. And we don't even have a church to go to (I keep forgetting to tell that story -- next time). I don�t know, I�m just not feeling it this year. 10:38 a.m. - December 10, 2003 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- it's always something FIL is out of the hospital, feeling much better for the moment; they admitted him because the mass was pressing on one of his kidneys to the point that it had nearly shut down. Which explains why one of his legs was swollen nearly twice as big as the other. It doesn�t explain why his regular doctor didn�t think a 60-pound weight gain in less than six months wasn�t terribly significant and just kept giving him water pills. Grr. They did a biopsy Friday, which results for haven�t come back yet, and put in a stent, which has reduced the swelling to a point where FIL is comfortable again. Now it�s just wait and see for the biopsy results. Meanwhile, MIL has left for Tennessee with sister because their other sister died over the weekend. Blue�s aunt down there has been ill with cancer for some time and it wasn�t unexpected, but the timing left something to be desired (not that there�s a good time for it, I guess). So FIL is by himself and MIL isn�t sure how long she�ll be gone; FIL of course won�t come stay with us because he�s a stubborn old man. Sigh. I managed to have a decent if not hugely restful weekend despite all this; finished reviews up (mostly) Friday night, craft shows with Mom Saturday morning, game night with the lesbian cousins (must think of individual nicknames for them) and others Saturday night, making Christmas cards and finishing decorating the house Sunday. Whew. Tired, but productive. I had a hard time with several of the reviews I had to write up; I had some good stuff (nothing as good as Swoop�s anthology � jealous!) but even the good stuff was complicated, difficult to write up in 200 or so words. Did read the new Laurell Hamilton that�s coming out in March, in her faery series. Eh. She�s a great writer but I prefer a little more plot which doesn�t revolve around sex, in many and extreme variations. If I wanted to read poooooooorn, I would. So I gave it a good rating, for being well-written, but mentioned that the book is basically a three-day long orgy, although I worded it slightly less direct than that. . People who like that sort of thing will like it and people who don�t would avoid it anyway, I would think. 11:12 a.m. - December 08, 2003 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- thinking positive? So FIL is in the hospital. Went in for his appointment yesterday with the oncologist, and the doctor admitted him straightaway, which I'm sure is not a good sign. How not good it is I'm not sure yet; Blue is coming to pick me up at lunchtime and we're going over there to see what the latest is. They know it's lymphoma, but I guess the question is whether it's Hodgkin's or not. Not would be good. Through my web research this week I've learned that only 8% of lymphomas are Hodgkins, so that's potentially good news. And overall survival rate for non-Hodgkins is something like 84% over 10 years. Also good. Of course we know nothing yet about stages or how widespread or any of those pertinent things, but I'm desperately trying to think positive here. 10:10 a.m. - December 05, 2003 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aarrrgh! My to-do list, December 2003: 1. Finish book reviews for RT. Tonight. 2. Finish (ok, start) Christmas cards. If you'd like a handmade card from little ol' me, drop me an email with your real-life address. Always happy to spread a little holiday cheer, plus, I need incentive to get these done. 3. Finish decorating the Christmas tree. 4. Convince Blue to help me put up the outside lights. 5. Finish decorating the rest of the house. 6. Finish (ok, start) mom & dad's Christmas present. 7. Mail QueenV's package, which includes not only her Christmas present, but her birthday present. From September. 8. List on Ebay the pile of books currently stacked next to the computer desk. 9. Finish shopping for the Kid. 10. Finish shopping for Blue. 11. Find present for Squirt. 12. Find present for Kitty. Oy, I know there's more but I can't think about. Fortunately, lunch is here. 11:19 a.m. - December 04, 2003 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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