Christmas is here, wasn't it just Halloween yesterday?

I know it's old hat by now, but as you get older time seems to move quicker.I work a job for the last year and a half where at the end of Monday I say, “one down four to go.” and on Tuesday, I say and let's all say it together, “two down, three to go.” This goes on until Friday afternoon where at five PM I’ll declare, “Well that’s a wrap! Have a nice weekend.” At this job, I live for the weekends. It’s not a hard job, so I really hope it is the last job I’ll ever need to have. Way back in August when the nights had started to get cool and the days were still warm, I remember thinking, “Well Christmas will be here soon enough.” I didn’t think it would get here in the length of what seemed just over a week.

It’s Christmas morning at quarter to ten. I’ve been awake and out of bed since around eight. Teri and I were woken up twice, once at 6:40 when I forgot to turn off my alarm and again at 7 AM when I forgot to turn off my back up alarm for work.

This is the part of the blog where I lament how the girls would wake up all excited that Santa has left them presents and they run down stairs to see what he’s bought them. I’m sure if I woke Elena up now (remember it’s 10 AM) she’d tell me in her best Christmas leave me the f… alone voice, I have my alarm set for 4 PM!! Nastia would moan and groan about it being too early to open gifts up and to go away. And this is the part of the blog where I reminisce about the first time I didn’t get up early for Christmas and Eric comes to my room telling me it’s Christmas and to come on. I think I moaned and groaned the same way Nastia did. I guess God listened to my mom when she said I hope you have children who are just like you. Around 10 AM or so everyone starts to wander downstairs. Sean first, Nastia second and finally Elena. Elena is cheery for herself and for it being before noon on a day she doesn’t have to get up. And yes it’s mostly just a facade with her to hide the part of her away from people who can hurt her.Then there is the seriously annoying part of her that causes you to think, because you don’t want to say it out loud, well, based on what I just said I can’t tell you what it is…

Everyone gathers in the front living room. I sat on the couch toward the street with Misha, who claimed that place unknown years ago. Teri removes the Santa my mom made from the rocker and takes what is becoming her usual seat. Nastia and Sean on the other couch, I think Elena joins them Nancy pulls a rocker in from the family room. Presents are distributed. Teri is very touched when Elena buys her a new Apple watch. I am greatly surprised when a big 55” box in the middle of the room turns out to be a 55” TV for me. Teri and I set it up in the family room and it is too big for the TV stand. A little Rube Goldberg and it fits the stand until we can get a mount for the wall. While helping Teri make dinner , Teri facetimed Ruth and we wished her a merry Christmas and afterwards I called Karl to wish him a Merry Christmas. Dinner is a Beef rib roast, it came out medium rare and was excellent. I made roasted potatoes but couldn't find Russett’s which brown up better, so I used Eastern. They crusted over pretty well, but because of the lower starch level, they didn’t brown. I mixed them in olive oil with salt, pepper, garlic, onion and white pepper. I overdid it a bit, but they were still good. Roasted potatoes are almost alway good Around 3:30 Sean and Nastia headed for Orange County again to share Christmas with his mom and sister. Around 5PM Eric calls and the remains of our party head over to Eric and Lynns for dessert. A few last gifts were exchanged and we all sat around watching movies and talking. It was nice to get together like we used to pre-Covid, and pre having dinner at our house.