December 24, 2015

Last night, Maggie asked me what I wanted for Christmas.  Hipnic tickets.  No, mother, really.  I’m dead serious, Mags.  Hipnic tickets and a parking pass.  This morning, I awoke to the alarm and glanced at my iPhone – there was a message “you have a ticket and parking pass.”  Oh MY GAWD!!!!!  My wish came true.  Thank you, my friend.

The day began with an appointment with a handyman to arrive at 9.  By 11, he pulled up.  The sink has a leak and heaven forbid I get charged (or billed) for damages not incurred by me, yet again.  As he worked on replacing the sink faucet (and once again, a 15 minute jo takes over an hour – welcome to my reality), I unpacked bathroom stuff and started going through the garage.  As much as some of these sentimental items have meant to me, or relationship is just about over.  I am done with lugging around all this stuff (except for the books).  He finished and I had 8 minutes to get to my already-delayed-by-half-an-hour lunch meeting.  

Lucnh was delightful – I introduced my friends to the wonderful sushi bar I’ve begun frequenting and was able to pass on a turtleneck I adored as a 5 year old (yes, I remember this distinctly.  I only wish I had the green velvet dress that accompanied it) to my very precious little friend Sophia.  After our delicious (as always) sushi lunch, I headed over to Tatjana’s house to pick up some gift bags as I had forgotten about the kid’s clothes I bought in SF.  This home – and the changes they, themselves have made to it.  What an incredible thing to be able to do!  As we were touring around the house, thunder boomed, rain fell, then a tornado warning was broadcast.  I left not long after and saw streets white with hail – incredible cloud formations – white, gray, black.  As I turned onto my street, I received another tornado warning. As I got home, I saw L was parked there and soon kids bounced out of the car, excitedly telling me about the tornado they had just seen, very close to where I had just been.  I looked at Maggie’s pictures, and while the vague shape of a funnel cloud appeared, this was in no way the tornadoes of my former home.  

The kids and I walked in and soon began preparing our Christmas dinner.  Last year it was spaghetti sandwiches, this year they wanted pork chops.  It was nice – warm, all three of us in there together, slicing and dicing as the Mother Hips replayed Friday night’s show on a Hips link.  Dinner was soon ready and we ate  - far too much food made for just us three.  Especially since I had just had sushi as few hours before and really wasn’t very hungry.  Oddly enough, we all cleaned the kitchen before the kids “hid” in their rooms so Christkindl and I could get to work.  The Christmas spirit isn’t what it used to be, for some reason…a few hours with my kids before they go back to their dad’s.  I know what a “good” divorce I have, but man oh man.  It just seem so empty once they are gone.  This is year 6 or 7 of an alone Christmas and while I enjoy alone, it seems that lonely is creeping in more and more?  Of course I say that and am usually reminded rather quickly what the other side of the fence looks like and I’d rather have this side any day.

Within about 15 minutes, all the gifts were open…except the envelopes.  Ethan was thrill

ed with his shaving gear and robe – he hadn’t expected anything.  Mags was disappointed she hadn’t received her Xbox 360 and small tv.  I called them into the living room and gave them the envelopes.  Together they read, and though they were happy, they were not as thrilled as I was, which is totally ok.  I didn’t quite understand the importance of it, myself when I was given the Swiss citizenship.  That’s ok.  I handed Maggie the envelope from Mr. Conrad Needlebaum of Petaluma, CA and she read a few lines before squealing with joy.  She will soon get to be in one of the Brother Comatose music videos.  As I drove them home, we were talking about the much better tires on my car when we passed by a Porsche Cayenne which had gone off the road into a fence and lay on its side.  Police had just arrived and paramedics weren’t anywhere in sight.  It wasn’t life-threatening, but my goodness – what  wake-up call.  It was a lovely day, all in all.  My favorite boy was happy as punch (love makes us that way) and my girl was happy, also, but in a different way.   The cool thing is we are together (even when we are apart).  Tonight before dinner they were sad because we forgot to say “en guete” before we ate (a tradition in CH).  I think they are a teeny bit excited about the looming adventure. Happiest of Christmases, everyone. XO

 Pictures: Stocking are always first; Hail, hail...; The fire-pit's first fire; Of course I broke this decoration from when I was 4; Time to burn more past.  Holding onto it is pointless.