December 19, 2007
I just finished the revisions on the Halloween novella, and with no other holidays to distract me, have to admit that Christmas is upon us.
Barreling down on us like a freight train, actually. As usual, I am behind, although likely to have achieved some sort of Yuletide stasis by next Tuesday, with some cookies, some cards, plenty of gifts, and a tree that is only a little lopsided.
Gift giving began early for us this, year, since some of the things we gave each other were needed RIGHT NOW. My first gift from the DH was a new Roomba.
Yes, I asked for a vacuum for Christmas. But since it is a robot, it doesn’t count. It has something that the Hoover doesn’t have: entertainment value. It is sweeping the dining room right now, and I have to resist the urge to watch it, tooling around under the furniture. It makes me smile.
This is, by my count, our fourth Roomba. I love the little devils, but we have a large house, and three long haired pets. There is a limit to what you can expect a little robot to do, under the circumstances, before it gives up and goes to robot heaven.
The current one has a tendency to hide under the couch and cry.
In return, I got my husband a snowblower. I was planning to get him a lovely scoop to attach to the front of the riding lawn tractor. But the snow hit early, and the riding lawn mower is 100 yards from the house, in a shed. So the thing that should be earning its keep as a powerful snow moving tool, able to handle our curved and rather long driveway, is out of commission for the season because it is snowed in.
We settled on a small, walk behind blower, which will work fine, unless it snows more than a few inches at a time. Then we are screwed. It will do the snowblower equivalent of hiding under the couch with Roomba.
But, all in all, the floors are marginally cleaner, and the driveway is more clear of snow, and we are both happy with our gifts.
As the kids described it: “It’s like ‘Gift of the Magi,’ if Mom lost her watch and Dad lost his hair.”
But fun just keeps on coming…
The local Shopko had a 20% off sale. So I celebrated the season by replacing my faux leather jacket (which was ripped) with a faux silk jacket (which is not).
It is nice to have a new coat, but given the general faux-ness of my choices, I am unsure if this is an upgrade or a lateral move.
But the new entertainment center that I also bought, is definitely an improvement. It is still prefab, assemble-your-self furniture. But it is a better grade of cardboard than the old furniture. And it matches the bookshelves I got for my birthday.
It is also hours of entertainment for #2 Son, who views anything that comes “assembly required” as a life-size Lego kit, and begs for a chance to put it together.
Sucker.
Perhaps I should take back the rather spectacular Lego kit I bought him for Christmas, and replace it with a sideboard, and matched end tables.
It’s really just the same, honey. Let me get you the power screwdriver.
Chris Merrill, you are still the funniest woman I know.
Sue Danic
Chris Merrill, you are still the funniest woman I know.
Sue Danic