‘Tis the Season…
Friday night. I ran into a friend of a friend at the train station. Chicago is a big enough place, I generally don’t anticipate running into people I know. He introduced me to his date as a close friend from the SCA. I was flattered and said so. I texted the friend in common, haven’t really talked to her since the Great Debacle. It was nice seeing him. He said that he would call me, he still had my number. Right. It was nice seeing him all the same.
It was very cold, and the bus was an hour late. My toes were freezing. Big fail regarding my boots. By the time I was on the bus and warming my feet, they were soaked. It was a painful experience. It’s a long bus ride, but I think it is still worth it if I don’t have to drive. I can read, sleep, go on my laptop if I choose to bring it with me. I don’t have to tackle driving in bad weather if that comes up. Scouser has the car over the weekend if he wants to run errands or take the girls out to do something. The trip back also had its delays. The bus broke down just north of Cincinnati, and we were stuck at a fast food restaurant for two hours. I was concerned about missing the last train back to Aurora, but it all worked out. Driving there directly has benefits – much less time in transit, more time with Engineer. Overall, I think the bus-taking wins out, at least during the winter months.
I had a wonderful weekend with Engineer. It’s easy spending time with him, talking to him. We went out to dinner and spent about two and a half hours at the meal, talking about all sorts of things. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to do that – it reminded me of what meals were like in Venezuela and Spain, only this time I was included in the conversation. 
This month we scheduled more time than usual together. I could get spoiled seeing him weekly.
Are you sitting down? I hope so, because what I’m about to reveal next is shocking: I’m actually beginning to enjoy watching football. You ok? Sure? I still don’t care about stats or what team is doing well. I don’t care to follow a particular team or particular players. I’m not there yet. But it isn’t so boring sitting down and watching, talking in between. Baby steps.
Heading into the holiday season. There is a lot of planning, especially for next week. Scouser will work on Tuesday and Wednesday. I like it when he is home, even if we aren’t doing anything. Engineer will come down on Sunday, bringing the Father Christmas gifts for the girls. I’ll have to wrap them that night, after the girls go to bed. That way they will be under the tree when they wake up. Hopefully I can impress upon them the importance of waiting until we are all up before they open them. This has been a problem in years past. I’ll start the roast in the morning, let it cook slowly all day. I’m really looking forward to that.
Engineer is planning on leaving Tuesday morning, heading on to his next destination. I’ll turn my mind to the family Christmases then – on Christmas Eve we’ll have dinner at my parents. An old friend of the family always joins us, and it’s always nice seeing and talking to her. On Christmas day, we’ll head over to my grandmother’s cottage, spend some time with her and my aunts. It will be quiet, relaxed. The girls will have opened presents from Santa that morning, so they will have something to take with them to keep them occupied. On Saturday we’ll head over to my uncle’s for Christmas with the extended family. It will be noisy. Not looking forward to that so much, but it makes Mom happy. Love her to bits, it’s a small thing to ask. Then we’ll need to leave in time for Scouser to get back to spend time with Gothwriter. I’ll settle the girls home. They will be christmased-out by then.
When I was a kid, my Christmases looked a lot like this – before my parents divorced, we tried to get to my father’s parents, my mother’s family, and both my grandfather’s family and grandmother’s family. When I was born, all of the great-grandparents on my mother’s side were living, and they hosted their own Christmas celebration. As a kid, it was fantastic! We also had the nuclear family Christmas. After my father left, his parents moved to Colorado. They were out of the cycle, but I didn’t really feel the loss of going up to Franklin Park to see them. Mom and I still had three celebrations to go to on her side alone, as well as taking time for the two of us. She remarried and we incorporated my dad’s family, especially his mother. When my parents first married, they hosted a big party on Christmas eve. They invited all of their friends. After a few years, Mom gave that up – it was too much, especially with the schedule on Christmas day following on its heels. Now we just have a smaller, quieter gathering. My mother’s maternal side of the family meets for Christmas the sunday after Thanksgiving now. The paternal side doesn’t meet during the holiday season at all anymore, just the annual reunion in August. Things change.
I miss the grandparents who have passed away, especially my grandfather. I am so very lucky. Many of my friends never met their grandparents, let alone their great-grandparents. I can’t imagine my life any other way. I loved going to my grandfather’s parents, even though I was likely to get smacked upside the head for speaking in English. They died when I was 10. My my mother’s maternal grandmother was such a sweet sweet person. She died when I was 26. Her husband died when I was 6 – for some reason he scared me. He was quiet and puttered around, keeping to himself. I always felt the need to stay out of his way. Yet my mother’s memories of him are very fond indeed. I wish the girls could know Scouser’s parents better. They have never met Scouser’s dad. I wish they could grow up with their cousins on that side of their family, but that is just not to be.
