I’m finally in the mood, thanks in part to my new favorite Christmas song. Still love the John Prine holiday album, though.
Younger Daughter helped get me in the mood, too. I was still a little sour about the season on Thursday, while she and I sat amidst the med techs (she was getting her eight pinky stitches out) and their uncomfortable conversation concerning the friendly Cajun orderly’s intolerant Catholic mom, Mormons, etc. Told ’em to blank stares, when asked directly (“What are you?”), that I’m even worse: a secular humanist/naturalist. Didn’t bother mentioning my old dalliance with the UUs, which was only ever good for getting me unhired by “ecumenical” Baptist provosts. [Funny: when I googled “Belmont” and “Unitarian” this popped up. Are they still so intolerant over at BU?]
But the holiday season was fully on us yesterday, when she finally finished her last exam and agreed to help me with my last-minute shopping.
Wait, almost forgot… our Daddy-Daughter Day began (as so many have) with a trip to Krispy Kreme. What remains, besides the sweet memory:
So, a couple of quick hot bolts of sugary fried dough later, to school. I hung out at the Vandy library again while she tested. Had it pretty much all to myself up there on the 7th floor, in the sunny southeast corner carrel with Proust.
Then about 10 a.m., Fall ’12 semester finally finished (!), we were off at YD’s request to Friedman’s to buy her uncle his gazillionth Christmas pocket knife (I’m so glad he doesn’t collect guns, or read his brother-in-law’s blog) and passed a significant personal milestone: she got to use her shiny new Debit card for the first time. Mr. Friedman called for a drum-roll.
Outside, the man with the meat smoker was nice enough to give her a sample. She’d have loved a half-rack, and we will come back for it, promise. Someday. But (fortunately) I really didn’t have enough cash on hand, on the spot.
Then, screwing my courage to the sticking place, I let her lead me into that frightening jungle aka the Green Hills Mall. Her advice on matters of taste and preference in jewelry and scarves and such was, as always, quick and golden.
Time for lunch. Narrowed our choices to Go-go Sushi or Fido’s, and the dog won. “Mother Teresa,” a cute terrier, spotted for us.
Then, yet another hair appointment. Not for me, obviously. So, leaving YD at the salon I headed across the way to wait at Peabody’s lovely and historic old Education Library. Charming old building, one of the original Carnegie libraries, and they’d conveniently spread out all the day’s papers in front of a comfy couch for me like some overachieving Jeeves.
Home, to wrap packages and walk the dogs and etc.
Rounding out our Daddy-Daughter Day we ordered in pizza and fired up another screening of her holiday favorite, The Simpsons Movie, while Mom and Older Daughter were away (solstice party & basketball game, respectively). Stayed awake for that, eventually passing out whilst listening to a very nice audio rendition of Swann’s Way.
It’s a wonderful life.
This morning Mom and Daughter(s?) will be baking and filling the house with the smells and sounds of a more traditional Christmas. Hoping they’ll finish in time to join me for a matinee at the Belcourt, I wanna celebrate the world’s survival to 12.22.12 with Chasing Ice. I hear it’s “beautiful and ominous,” like the season itself.
It’s sentimental, I know. But Merry Christmas! All the best.
Postscript. I’m pulling the digital plug, for the holidays. As Barney would say: it’s thera-pettic. Back in January, god willin‘… Happy New Year!
Up@dawn 