Christmas Eve

It's Christmas morning and Christmas Eve is already a blur. I had the day off. I could have gone into work, but they were closing two hours after I got there.

Nastia and Elena worked Christmas Eve. Nastia started when the store opened at six AM. Teri and I woke up to the click, click of Bandi's nails on the wood floor at 5:15. He is really old and I believe well along his trip to senility. On top of that he is mostly blind. He ronds out the trifecta by alsopeeing anywhere in the house that is absolutely convient. Captain Senile was well in charge of the bus this morning and trying to get Bandi down the stairs when all he wanted to do was make left turns down the hallway towards Nastia's room. And yes he did take the opportunity to randomly drop bombs in the brown paint of the dimly lit hallway. Misha for some reason didn't want to go down stairs either. Maybe she was concerned about Bandi. They have always had an odd relationship. I give up on Bandi, Teri's advise and amid mounting disorder as if the beginning of a poor comedy movie opening, I head downstairs. Finally Misha follows, but she is not following me outside. She heads into the living room back toward the stairs through the front living room. I chase her back through the family room, around the table. Finally I corner her and grab her not too gently by the collar and explain to her I'm not really in the mood for this, well you know.She's outside, Athena soon follows and finally Bandi. He goes outside and paces the deck. When Teri brings out the dog treats, he suddenly knows what that is and he's back. The dusting of snow outside and Nastia's refusal to wear contacts when it is dark outside prompts me to drive her to work. I promise to pick her up at 1:30. It's now 6 AM. I tell her I love her as I drop her off at work. It's Christmas Eve a light covering of snow and few tracks have been made in it. To me this has always been what I picture as Christmas. It'll all be gone by noon they say, but right now I'm glad to be up. I stop going up the hill near my house. I left in the other direction and no one has made tracks in the snow. For some reason I am reminded of the poem by Robert Frost 'Stopping by the woods on a Snowy Evening". Back when I was in therapy, I started memorizing the words, It caused my therapist some concern.I didn't know it was about suicide. Whose woods these are I do not know....

I just looked up the poem and I don't remember it as well as I thought. I've stopped for a precious few moments to look at the wonder of the world and then it's time to put tire tracks in the snow. Inside the house, Teri is up still getting herself some coffee. I'm really not ready to face the day, so I head back to bed. I get up around 9:30 with the idea to get a bagel. It devolves in an Egg McMuffin. Nastia asked me for a tea several hours ago, so I combine the two. I make her a tea and and head to Stop and Shop and McDonalds. I ask her if she wants anything, she asks for pancakes. I then head to Tractor Supply for bird seed for my mother. It's Christmas Eve and I've given Nastia breakfast. I text Elena, asking her if she'd like Taco Bell for Lunch. She replys, yes.

At home, I wrap presents. Sometime around 11:15 my alarm goes off and I head toward Pearl River for Elena's Taco Bell. She texts me telling me she is taking her lunch exactly at 12:00. I arrive at Taco Bell a little early, get her her favorite 2 Chalupas and a taco. And of course a Baja Blast Mountain Dew. Shop Rite is packed. I park in one of the most distant spots over near Shop Rite liquors. I avoid people going out the in door and snug my mask around my face. Yes we are back to masks, COVID has mutated and the mutation is called Omicron. Before this there was Delta and before that there were British and American versions. This one spreads very easly, but symptoms, if you have your shots are mild to almost nothing. They say you get super protection at that point. I head past all the slow moving people and I thank God I was able to do all my shopping on line this year. I feel there are too many people in Rockland and I long for the 1970's at times like this. Back at the Seafood counter, it takes me a moment to find my daughter, the fish monger. She is cleaning up and emptying a box that once held seafood. She piles boxes on boxes and comes out from behind the counter and I watch waiting for the boxes to fall off and they do. She picks them up and disposes them. In a flash it's lunch time and Taco Bell for her. I wander around the store for a few moments and leave. At home, I'm back to wrapping. Nastia needs to be picked up at 1:30 and wants to do lunch. I ask her if she wants to go to Costco. I want to pick up a few things. Costco on Christmas Eve is not the mad house I thought it would be. It isn't even Saturday busy. People getting gas are out to the street, but the store isn't too bad. We're in and spend $130.00. I don't even remeber on what. I got Teri some nuts for Christmas. Nastia got some chips. She wanted to buy a case of crap legs. It was maybe a fifteen by six by six box. I laughed when I read the price $389.00. Back at home, Nastia and I decide to watch the second season of 'THe Witcher'. I was given the day off (Friday) and was going to do nothing all day. It's around four and for the first time I'm doing nothing, well until Teri gets home. Dinner on Christmas Eve back in the 80's, you know pre-COVID used to be a family thing. I'd make Manicotti and homemade meatballs. I loved doing it. Sometime in the 90's it faded away. Elena is heading out to have dinner with Matt. He is also coming over for Christmas morning. Dinner is just Nastia, Teri and I and I don't remember what it was, it was that special, but tomorrow will be Prime Rib which has become a recent tradition, which I've come to love. The night fades to black with Nasita, Teri and I watching TV. Nothing special, but it's nice. / Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sounds the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. /