Christmas Eve and missing my Dad...

He was the fun one to buy for, detective novels, the latest Craftsman tool gadget...
We lost him to cancer 7 years ago, a year before his granddaughter was born. I so much regret that he could not be a big part of her life. These are those supposedly magical years for her and it feels so lacking in so many ways. We can hope she doesn't notice I guess...

Everyone else must like this more than I do...

Sending Christmas/holiday cards, that is. It was far easier when I was just the name after the ampersand on my parents' cards. I have been sending my own since, I guess, living on my own before getting married. I think I enjoy it less every year but keep it up because it's expected and seems Scrooge-like not to. Some aunts are more thrilled by getting our child's picture than we are, I think.

Mostly it reminds me how so many people who used to be classmates/friends/drinking buddies are reduced to a yearly piece of paper and no personal contact at all. We mean to call, but everyone gets so wrapped up in their own lives I guess...

It depresses me how it's still just the three of us while everyone else seems to have another rugrat on their card every year. We are still hoping that will change before it's too late, but who can say.

It makes sad how many cards I don't send, but used to, to all the now-departed relatives. And how many of the cards are to just 'Mrs' instead of both now.

"Happy" holidays...?

Alcohol Acquisition Interlude

A bout of Christmas shopping brought to my notice Bundaberg Ginger Beer at Cost Plus. Yes, the non-alcoholic kind, like strong ginger ale. We first had Bundaberg Rum in Australia in '94 and still have a few precious drops from the bottles we brought back. (Mix those two beverages for a Dark and Stormy, yum). I hadn't recalled that they are Australia's biggest sugar producer.

I have wondered on occasion if/when they'd ever export to the U.S.. No rum so far, but anything is a start. That required one of our occasional pitstops at Sam's. No rum yet. But we did find Tooheys Beer, another Aussie product we hadn't had since being there.

And also two newly available offerings from Abita Brewing, just on the other side of Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans (which merits endless blogging on its own)--Christmas Ale and Jockamo IPA.

And since the spouse dude has a cool Belgian beer glass for our quality tastings, I picked up a gift pack of Tripel Karmeliet, which I really like, with a really cool glass in it. (They have a website registered in with an ISP in Belgium but not active yet. That's ok, you can make beer for a couple centuries and don't have to be on the cutting edge of technology, too. :)) Again, much yum.

Fish First Aid

After the recent bunny crisis, I am even more paranoid than usual about our remaining pets (Rascal the rabbit and Nemo and Donkey th goldfish; yes, you can guess who named the latter two). We are watching the neighbor's two goldfish, also, while they are away and the one was having trouble staying away from the top of the water and swimming hard. I suspected swim bladder problems and reminded myself of the the suggested remedies. That consisted of adding some salt to the water, raising its temperature a little bit and feeding non-flake food. I did all that and went to bed with fingers crossed. This morning Brownie is fine, and trailing a poop as long as his body. Yes, constipation can also cause those problems. Another minor crisis averted. Now back to our regularly scheduled life. No wait, this IS that, I forget...