And then the sun came out.

It was a spectacular winter day here today. The morning started misty, but even that had it's charms. Everything was covered with rime and a soft layer of snow. The air had dried out, so that even though the temperatures were very cold, being outside was exhilarating rather than excruciating. I managed to make it out late in the morning just to clean off the car and take some pics. Yes, that is a warning. They're coming up in another post. Or actually, why don't I just post the link to my pic365 entry here. Two birds and all that.

I still have this verdammte cold, and the plan was that I would take it easy today and just hang around and read or listen to music or something passive like that. But you see, I still have my brother's Christmas package to ship out to him, and I was checking the forecast and saw that today was the only decent day in the foreseeable future, so I figured that given the chest cold and the coming damp weather it would be better to head out and get it done now. (There really is a story here, just be patient.)

It's Boxing Day here in Canukistan, which is a bigger deal than in the States. I was going to call UPS to see if they were definitely open, but I couldn't find the phone book, and I was too fatigued to keep searching and I figured that all of the stores were open so certainly UPS would be in business. Mistake #1. I gathered all my things and schlepped out to the living room. Dar was asleep, and no one else was in sight, so I was starting to leave a note when Maddie came upstairs to get something to eat. So instead I just told her that I was going to UPS. Mistake #2.

As you've no doubt figured out, UPS was closed. As was DHL. Maddie vanished into her room. I came home exhausted to find that Dar was getting ready to send out a search party. Uh-oh. Apparently we had a conversation this morning specifically about how UPS was closed for the holiday. Which, it turns out, is a statutory holiday, meaning that employers will be fined for making their employees show up. The stores got a special dispensation a couple years ago. But I forgot about that, too. To quote from arguably the worst Star Trek episode of all time: "Brain? Brain? What is brain?"

In lieu of sleep . . .

So. Looking around the ol' flist it seems that the holiday was pretty laid-back for y'all. Good news that. It was kind of a mixed bag here. Lots of good humor, good gifts, good food. Also lots of work by Dar (with an able assist from Marie aka The Nana) and a great undercurrent of sadness for her.

Among my swag were four CDs. Four! Two (from my brother) were medieval music, including one that replaces an old tape that I'd bought back in the early 80s and for which I've been seeking a replacement for many, many years. (It's music from the Crusades, and it includes a "lament" written by Richard the Lionheart who was royally pissed (heh) that no one was paying his ransom and bailing him out of prison.) The other two were Neil Young's Live at Massey Hall (yes! and also from my brother) and from Maddie, the Broadway soundtrack for Jersey Boys which is about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. My favorite falsetto has a Bway show about him. Who knew? Besides Maddie, who knows everything about Broadway musicals. I also received - wait for it - my very own electric fireplace. For lo, I am usually freezing. Unfortunately it overwhelms my bedroom, so I'll be returning it for a more mundane space heater, but how cool is that?

I have a cold, and it's moving south into my lungs. Ruh-roh. Because I'm on immunosuppressants, I have to be more vigilant about this relatively small stuff, but Dar is keeping an eye on me, and hopefully this will get the hell outta Dodge pretty soon. My lungs are starting to feel like someone's been sandpapering them.

Chloe Kitty had a most happy first Christmas what with wrapping paper and many ribbons to cavort about with. Jane kind of stayed out of the fray/mess/what-have-you, and I think the rest of the felines were just relieved to have an open path to their pine-scented watering hole once more.

The alpacas got a Christmas treat, too. Our favorite grocery store (Zehr's) was giving away their unused greens, so Dar brought home a couple of fresh pine boughs for the guys. The usual alpaca wackiness ensued.

( O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum. Yum-yum-yum )

Now it's time for more cough medicine and then hopefully some sleep. Happy Boxing Day!