My Fair Lady
Hello World,
And here it is, Super Bowl Sunday already, by golly, where does the time go? That is, it would have been Super Bowl Sunday years ago, back when there used to be standards, and not like now, heaven knows, when they don't get around to playing the big game until the middle of February. So far, the end of the regular season and the beginning of the playoffs have been anything but routine, so it looks like it's shaping up for some interesting times ahead on the old gridiron, which should certainly crank up demand for big screen televisions, and give the President's economic advisers something to cheer about for a change. Speaking of football, because the Jets beat the Chargers, and the Colts also eliminated their first-round rival, they will be facing each other in the next round of the playoffs before the Super Bowl. This prompted Bill to wonder how the Jets and Colts could be playing each other in the playoffs, when anyone "of a certain age" couldn't help but remember their classic match-up in Super Bowl III, made historically famous when Joe Namath guaranteed that the underdog Jets of the AFL would defeat the mighty Colts of the NFL, and in fact, they did. Bill was of the opinion that under the new configuration, the Jets should be in the AFC and the Colts in the NFC, and they shouldn't meet in the playoffs before the Super Bowl. Looking at the situation logically, I suggested that it might have been true when the Colts were in Baltimore, but perhaps when they moved the team to Indianapolis, it entered the league in the AFC, while their original home city remained in the NFC for any new team that might come along. This seemed perfectly plausible to me, until I noticed who the Colts had beaten to advance to the next round, and sure enough, it was the Baltimore Ravens, apparently also now in the AFC along with the Jets and Colts. At that point, I just had to throw my hands up in the air and give the whole thing up as a lost cause, because logic obviously didn't stand a chance.
Of course, everyone knows that I was off from work for two weeks at the end of the year, but that wasn't the end of it, not by a long shot. The first week of the new year, I took a day off to attend the jolly Irish funeral, which was not only 40 miles away, but ended up taking most of the day and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. The week after that, I took off Friday because we were planning to go away for the weekend, and then this week, we all had Monday off in honor of the late and lamented Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. So what with one thing and another, I came back from vacation to have three four-day weeks in a row, and I can tell you right now that I am never going to catch up at this rate, by golly. I have always said that when I take a day off, it takes me a week to catch up; when I take a week off, it takes me a month to catch up; and if I ever took two weeks off, I'd have to quit my job, and I'm starting to think that might be the case. Now that I'm back, I don't dare take lunch, and in fact, I'm afraid to leave my desk, out of fear that the tottering piles of paperwork around my office will succumb to the inevitable pull of gravity, and I'll come back to find a stationery (not stationary) glacier has engulfed my office beyond all recognition or reclamation efforts, and I'm not taking any chances.
It may have wreaked havoc with my workload, but it was still great to get away for the long MLK weekend and visit our friends in the Albany area for a late mini-Christmas, as we do every year. We made reservations to stay at La Quinta hotel in Latham, and our friends decided to stay there right along with us, as a sort of mini-vacation for them, even though they live nearby. We got up early on Friday and were all packed and ready to leave by noon, with better lists this time, so that we didn't leave things home, like last month's trip. When we left here, it was a beautiful sunny day, but by the time we got to La Quinta, our beautiful day had been replaced with sullen skies and blustery winds that made it feel even colder than it was. We checked in and were soon joined by our friends, and since we hadn't seen each other in several months, we had plenty to catch up on. Pretty soon it was time for dinner, so we headed to the 76 Diner, where we usually eat when we're there, in spite of them posting our pictures in the lobby so the staff will keep us out. The daughter of one couple asked if she could join us, because her kitchen was being remodeled, and we were happy to oblige, although I'm not so sure that the feeling was mutual. Of course, she was much too polite to complain, but her sighs and eye-rolling were eloquent all on their own. Honestly, you'd think she'd never seen six people play "Lady of Spain" with their armpits before.
Two of our friends live in Latham, so after dinner we went back to their house to see their Christmas decorations and meet their new kittens, Zoe and Pumpkin, who happen to be sister and brother, in spite of one being gray and the other orange. There's nothing like kittens as a tonic to a long cold day, and their antics were just what the doctor ordered to revive our spirits and put a spring in our step. In fact, I pointed out that our friends were all so alert that I had no choice but to show them our Christmas video, and even though we've been making them for years, this one somehow managed to reach a new low that was almost comically bad. (At our house, there's something about a video camera that makes all of the cats get up and show you their backsides, which we now have preserved on videotape, and thanks so very much not.) Our friends' daughter left while the getting was good, but the others were resigned to their fate and accepted it with good grace, although the neighbors did call to complain when the snoring got really out of hand. Once we roused everyone again, we went back to the hotel for a late swim in the pool and a relaxing soak in the hot tub, and if that's not a perfect recipe to cure all ills, I don't know what is. At the hospital, a coworker had sent me a fruit basket by Edible Arrangements as a belated Merry Christmas gift, and we brought it along to share, so it became an ideal nightcap to a long and eventful day.
We had stayed at La Quinta before, and so we knew we could avail ourselves of their breakfast in the morning, which is always a nice way to start the day, without having to get dressed and go out, or bring along your own snacks when you travel. After we had our fill there, we drove to where our other friends live around Kinderhook, because they also had a new feline addition to their family, a more sedate orange tabby named Max-a-million, and he certainly was. They had also left up their Christmas decorations for us to enjoy, and we were glad of it, and took the opportunity to play Christmas carols and exchange gifts, just like it was December 25th all over again. We had a busy day ahead of us, so we grabbed a quick lunch at the nearby Kinderhook Diner, where we had never been before in all the years that our friends have lived in the area, and once again, I have the feeling that our six-part rendition of "Lady of Spain" will compel them to hang our pictures in their lobby as a barrier against our return at any time. I'm sure they must have been kidding about the barbed wire, though.
What happened next was a revelation to us. For years, there had been a very large Grand Union supermarket on the main drag, but it had closed recently and was replaced by something called Ocean State Job Lot, and what a place this is! It's like an enormous old 5-and-10 cent store of days gone by, where you can buy just about anything and everything, and at the most ridiculous prices, so that you end up buying stuff that you don't even need, just because it's such an irresistible bargain. The store just goes on forever in every direction, and not only has everything you can think of, but clothes and food besides. It was a real challenge for me and Bill not to go totally nuts, and just grab stuff with both hands in every aisle, because the variety is endless and everything is so cheap. We did end up buying a lot of stuff there, but it was all very particular things that we were specifically looking for, and not just every doo-dad that caught our fancy. I said to Bill that if they ever opened one near us, they'd have to set up cots for us, because we would just have to move right in there.
After an exhausting round of shopping, it was time for a musical interlude, so it was back to Latham, where our friends have the new Beatles video game for their Xbox, and while it's true that we had a lot of fun with it, I would have to say that Paul and Ringo will not be calling us any time soon about a reunion tour with us filling out the group, and that's without them even hearing us do Lady of Spain, mind you. Then we hurried back to the hotel for dinner, and since La Quinta doesn't have a restaurant, we brought our own pizza and salad and calzone to enjoy in our room, and it was delicious and relaxing, and a nice change from eating out. We had plenty of time to get back into the pool, and the hot tub, which is always a special treat. In fact, La Quinta has hot tubs right in many of their guest rooms, so we wouldn't even have to go to the swimming pool at all, but then we wouldn't be able to see the horror-stricken faces of the poor innocent bystanders around us, and what would be the point of that? We wrapped up the evening with more fruit basket nightcap, and played around with some trivia cards where you had to figure out well-known idioms from clues, or name all of the Great Lakes, Ten Commandments or Santa's reindeers. It was very entertaining, but it must be said that Paul and Ringo won't be calling us for that either, believe me.
After another nice breakfast, we packed up and checked out in the morning, and since we were right in the vicinity, we went to snatch up some seasonal bargains at the Hewitt's garden center there, instead of the one we usually patronize farther away, which our friends had warned us was in a very bad state of disrepair and might fall right down on our heads. The other Hewitt's was in fine shape, and we especially loved the resident feline floor walker, who kept his or her eye on us the whole time we were there, either to make sure we didn't shoplift, or perhaps on the off-chance that we might be carrying some tuna fish with us. It's possible the better Hewitt's might have attracted more after-Christmas customers than our usual spot, because the place was pretty much picked clean, and we found almost nothing to buy there, in spite of the steep discounts, while we usually walk off with bags and bags full of stuff at the regular place. We didn't pout, but headed straight to Denny's for lunch, and that always puts a smile on our tummies that makes the whole world look better from the inside out. Even better, they had my all-time favorite dessert, their scrumptious coconut cream pie which is not available at every Denny's, so that was heaven on earth for me right there. Next door is Cracker Barrel, and we didn't leave there disappointed either, finding snacks and souvenirs that were right up our alley, and then some. Our friends needed to make another stop, which was certainly understandable, because there was apparently a cat toy emergency, where all of their new felines only had a whole room full of toys, but still insisted that they were hopelessly bored and needed more. Fortunately, Wal*Mart came to the rescue and disaster was averted, so our friends could return home to happy kitties.
By then it was getting late and we all had to go in different directions, so we bid our fond farewells in the parking lot, much to the consternation of drivers waiting for parking spaces, while we were carrying on like the last act of a Greek tragedy. Up until that point, the weather had been a lot better than expected, but we drove home in pouring rain all the way, which is about our least favorite way to travel, although marginally better than snow, I guess. We hadn't brought home any cat toys from Wal*Mart, so our cats greeted our return with icy glares of thinly veiled contempt, and just like the Christmas video, all showed us their backsides in a manner that made their meaning perfectly clear. So now we have reached that point where Christmas is well and truly over for another year, and nothing but our fond memories to console us, plus presents and bags full of souvenirs. Of course, I don't have time to sit around and complain, because we'll probably be seeing our friends again in a few months, and I have got to practice. Lady of Spain, anyone?
Elle
And here it is, Super Bowl Sunday already, by golly, where does the time go? That is, it would have been Super Bowl Sunday years ago, back when there used to be standards, and not like now, heaven knows, when they don't get around to playing the big game until the middle of February. So far, the end of the regular season and the beginning of the playoffs have been anything but routine, so it looks like it's shaping up for some interesting times ahead on the old gridiron, which should certainly crank up demand for big screen televisions, and give the President's economic advisers something to cheer about for a change. Speaking of football, because the Jets beat the Chargers, and the Colts also eliminated their first-round rival, they will be facing each other in the next round of the playoffs before the Super Bowl. This prompted Bill to wonder how the Jets and Colts could be playing each other in the playoffs, when anyone "of a certain age" couldn't help but remember their classic match-up in Super Bowl III, made historically famous when Joe Namath guaranteed that the underdog Jets of the AFL would defeat the mighty Colts of the NFL, and in fact, they did. Bill was of the opinion that under the new configuration, the Jets should be in the AFC and the Colts in the NFC, and they shouldn't meet in the playoffs before the Super Bowl. Looking at the situation logically, I suggested that it might have been true when the Colts were in Baltimore, but perhaps when they moved the team to Indianapolis, it entered the league in the AFC, while their original home city remained in the NFC for any new team that might come along. This seemed perfectly plausible to me, until I noticed who the Colts had beaten to advance to the next round, and sure enough, it was the Baltimore Ravens, apparently also now in the AFC along with the Jets and Colts. At that point, I just had to throw my hands up in the air and give the whole thing up as a lost cause, because logic obviously didn't stand a chance.
Of course, everyone knows that I was off from work for two weeks at the end of the year, but that wasn't the end of it, not by a long shot. The first week of the new year, I took a day off to attend the jolly Irish funeral, which was not only 40 miles away, but ended up taking most of the day and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. The week after that, I took off Friday because we were planning to go away for the weekend, and then this week, we all had Monday off in honor of the late and lamented Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. So what with one thing and another, I came back from vacation to have three four-day weeks in a row, and I can tell you right now that I am never going to catch up at this rate, by golly. I have always said that when I take a day off, it takes me a week to catch up; when I take a week off, it takes me a month to catch up; and if I ever took two weeks off, I'd have to quit my job, and I'm starting to think that might be the case. Now that I'm back, I don't dare take lunch, and in fact, I'm afraid to leave my desk, out of fear that the tottering piles of paperwork around my office will succumb to the inevitable pull of gravity, and I'll come back to find a stationery (not stationary) glacier has engulfed my office beyond all recognition or reclamation efforts, and I'm not taking any chances.
It may have wreaked havoc with my workload, but it was still great to get away for the long MLK weekend and visit our friends in the Albany area for a late mini-Christmas, as we do every year. We made reservations to stay at La Quinta hotel in Latham, and our friends decided to stay there right along with us, as a sort of mini-vacation for them, even though they live nearby. We got up early on Friday and were all packed and ready to leave by noon, with better lists this time, so that we didn't leave things home, like last month's trip. When we left here, it was a beautiful sunny day, but by the time we got to La Quinta, our beautiful day had been replaced with sullen skies and blustery winds that made it feel even colder than it was. We checked in and were soon joined by our friends, and since we hadn't seen each other in several months, we had plenty to catch up on. Pretty soon it was time for dinner, so we headed to the 76 Diner, where we usually eat when we're there, in spite of them posting our pictures in the lobby so the staff will keep us out. The daughter of one couple asked if she could join us, because her kitchen was being remodeled, and we were happy to oblige, although I'm not so sure that the feeling was mutual. Of course, she was much too polite to complain, but her sighs and eye-rolling were eloquent all on their own. Honestly, you'd think she'd never seen six people play "Lady of Spain" with their armpits before.
Two of our friends live in Latham, so after dinner we went back to their house to see their Christmas decorations and meet their new kittens, Zoe and Pumpkin, who happen to be sister and brother, in spite of one being gray and the other orange. There's nothing like kittens as a tonic to a long cold day, and their antics were just what the doctor ordered to revive our spirits and put a spring in our step. In fact, I pointed out that our friends were all so alert that I had no choice but to show them our Christmas video, and even though we've been making them for years, this one somehow managed to reach a new low that was almost comically bad. (At our house, there's something about a video camera that makes all of the cats get up and show you their backsides, which we now have preserved on videotape, and thanks so very much not.) Our friends' daughter left while the getting was good, but the others were resigned to their fate and accepted it with good grace, although the neighbors did call to complain when the snoring got really out of hand. Once we roused everyone again, we went back to the hotel for a late swim in the pool and a relaxing soak in the hot tub, and if that's not a perfect recipe to cure all ills, I don't know what is. At the hospital, a coworker had sent me a fruit basket by Edible Arrangements as a belated Merry Christmas gift, and we brought it along to share, so it became an ideal nightcap to a long and eventful day.
We had stayed at La Quinta before, and so we knew we could avail ourselves of their breakfast in the morning, which is always a nice way to start the day, without having to get dressed and go out, or bring along your own snacks when you travel. After we had our fill there, we drove to where our other friends live around Kinderhook, because they also had a new feline addition to their family, a more sedate orange tabby named Max-a-million, and he certainly was. They had also left up their Christmas decorations for us to enjoy, and we were glad of it, and took the opportunity to play Christmas carols and exchange gifts, just like it was December 25th all over again. We had a busy day ahead of us, so we grabbed a quick lunch at the nearby Kinderhook Diner, where we had never been before in all the years that our friends have lived in the area, and once again, I have the feeling that our six-part rendition of "Lady of Spain" will compel them to hang our pictures in their lobby as a barrier against our return at any time. I'm sure they must have been kidding about the barbed wire, though.
What happened next was a revelation to us. For years, there had been a very large Grand Union supermarket on the main drag, but it had closed recently and was replaced by something called Ocean State Job Lot, and what a place this is! It's like an enormous old 5-and-10 cent store of days gone by, where you can buy just about anything and everything, and at the most ridiculous prices, so that you end up buying stuff that you don't even need, just because it's such an irresistible bargain. The store just goes on forever in every direction, and not only has everything you can think of, but clothes and food besides. It was a real challenge for me and Bill not to go totally nuts, and just grab stuff with both hands in every aisle, because the variety is endless and everything is so cheap. We did end up buying a lot of stuff there, but it was all very particular things that we were specifically looking for, and not just every doo-dad that caught our fancy. I said to Bill that if they ever opened one near us, they'd have to set up cots for us, because we would just have to move right in there.
After an exhausting round of shopping, it was time for a musical interlude, so it was back to Latham, where our friends have the new Beatles video game for their Xbox, and while it's true that we had a lot of fun with it, I would have to say that Paul and Ringo will not be calling us any time soon about a reunion tour with us filling out the group, and that's without them even hearing us do Lady of Spain, mind you. Then we hurried back to the hotel for dinner, and since La Quinta doesn't have a restaurant, we brought our own pizza and salad and calzone to enjoy in our room, and it was delicious and relaxing, and a nice change from eating out. We had plenty of time to get back into the pool, and the hot tub, which is always a special treat. In fact, La Quinta has hot tubs right in many of their guest rooms, so we wouldn't even have to go to the swimming pool at all, but then we wouldn't be able to see the horror-stricken faces of the poor innocent bystanders around us, and what would be the point of that? We wrapped up the evening with more fruit basket nightcap, and played around with some trivia cards where you had to figure out well-known idioms from clues, or name all of the Great Lakes, Ten Commandments or Santa's reindeers. It was very entertaining, but it must be said that Paul and Ringo won't be calling us for that either, believe me.
After another nice breakfast, we packed up and checked out in the morning, and since we were right in the vicinity, we went to snatch up some seasonal bargains at the Hewitt's garden center there, instead of the one we usually patronize farther away, which our friends had warned us was in a very bad state of disrepair and might fall right down on our heads. The other Hewitt's was in fine shape, and we especially loved the resident feline floor walker, who kept his or her eye on us the whole time we were there, either to make sure we didn't shoplift, or perhaps on the off-chance that we might be carrying some tuna fish with us. It's possible the better Hewitt's might have attracted more after-Christmas customers than our usual spot, because the place was pretty much picked clean, and we found almost nothing to buy there, in spite of the steep discounts, while we usually walk off with bags and bags full of stuff at the regular place. We didn't pout, but headed straight to Denny's for lunch, and that always puts a smile on our tummies that makes the whole world look better from the inside out. Even better, they had my all-time favorite dessert, their scrumptious coconut cream pie which is not available at every Denny's, so that was heaven on earth for me right there. Next door is Cracker Barrel, and we didn't leave there disappointed either, finding snacks and souvenirs that were right up our alley, and then some. Our friends needed to make another stop, which was certainly understandable, because there was apparently a cat toy emergency, where all of their new felines only had a whole room full of toys, but still insisted that they were hopelessly bored and needed more. Fortunately, Wal*Mart came to the rescue and disaster was averted, so our friends could return home to happy kitties.
By then it was getting late and we all had to go in different directions, so we bid our fond farewells in the parking lot, much to the consternation of drivers waiting for parking spaces, while we were carrying on like the last act of a Greek tragedy. Up until that point, the weather had been a lot better than expected, but we drove home in pouring rain all the way, which is about our least favorite way to travel, although marginally better than snow, I guess. We hadn't brought home any cat toys from Wal*Mart, so our cats greeted our return with icy glares of thinly veiled contempt, and just like the Christmas video, all showed us their backsides in a manner that made their meaning perfectly clear. So now we have reached that point where Christmas is well and truly over for another year, and nothing but our fond memories to console us, plus presents and bags full of souvenirs. Of course, I don't have time to sit around and complain, because we'll probably be seeing our friends again in a few months, and I have got to practice. Lady of Spain, anyone?
Elle
posted by El Tango Fandango @ 9:11 PM
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