Downriver, Detroit, Michigan.
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Christmas -- apex of an irritating season. Grr.
S [2:57 PM]
Ugh. One of the trays of Lemon Trees burnt. Mom made five (5!) batches of the backup, cherry bonbons, which she or I will bake today.
I don't know if I'll be able to meet up with Claudia while she's relatively close. On Monday she's going to her parents through New Years and that's a 90 minute drive away.
S [10:43 AM]
Up the Christmas card count by two. The mailman brought me one from Claudia, who will be in town for the holidays, and one from Todd-the-linguist (who's really Todd-the-high school-teacher, but I'm going by when we were in class) who wants to know if I'd like to join his trip to Uzbekistan.
S [2:00 PM]
My Dad took our dog, Piggy, to the vet Tuesday because we thought she had a sinus infection. Her nose has been dry and messy; that's what it was when Spike was that way. No, the doctor thinks she has lupus, the poor thing. All they can give her is some Keflex and Prednisone and hope that helps.
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Still looking forward to Pas/Cal's record release and holiday party. By happenstance, a coworker asked me to take his shift earlier that day. Now I'll have time to get ready and not have to go straight from work. Not that I could show up in uniform. . . or with a gun.
I've only received two Christmas cards. I sent mine to them yesterday. I should be writing out others now.
I have cookie dough chilling in the fridge. It's a test batch of Lemon Trees for the Guild's sale.
S [1:31 PM]
Sunday I saw "The Cat in The Hat" with Grandma. Visually fun, thought the cat might frighten children under 8. And I actually liked the green color scheme in the living room. Bold, simple colors create a clean, fantasy world. Think of the "Dick Tracey" movie.
I couldn't get into the show I wanted to see Saturday. It sold out. Drat. But there are others coming up.
Friday, I went over to Windsor with classmate Doug, who also works locally. I persuaded him to try the Ethiopian restaurant. He had no idea what food they'd serve. While we were changing money at the casino, Nicholas called asking if I wanted to go to Windsor. He met up with us later. After the meal, we went to a martini bar around the corner, then to Berlin Lounge where Nicholas' attempts to chat up one of the waitresses has started to pay off. At ten I had to call it an evening as I had one last midnight shift to complete.
S [11:51 AM]
My ride to work carries me on I-75 through southwest Detroit, the most heavily industrialized portion, known to my sister and myself as "the stinky part." An oil refinery, a salt mine, an incinerator, a rail yard and other displays of industrial architecture come into view as the freeway ascends to cross the area. It's important to shut off the air intake otherwise you suffer a minute-long assault on the nostrils, thought it probably shaves no more time of your life than the seven minutes a cigarette does.
You can, aesthetes and live-in-the-moment types, find beauty there, even apart from the churches and many trees. There are spigots where they vent excess fuel. Large, orange flames flare at the tops, casting a warm glow on low-lying clouds. An entrancing, cozy sight on 20 degree nights.
S [10:16 PM]
The pot luck went as usual. The lady where I picked up the chicken was really nice: as I was counting change, "If you don't have it exactly, don't worry about it." It's a family run place. Italian, by appearances.
The usual suspects came to dinner. Father gave everyone gifts of small icons. Mine's of St. Nicholas. Babe, in the name of her late brother Fr. Kurty, gave either an angel pin or angel statuette for the car. Looks like my Hybrid has a decoration now--I should make it a hood ornament.
There was no formal meeting but we make plans to serve a sloppy joe lunch the second Sunday of January. Terri says in Missouri they call them "made rights." That so?
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Saturday night I want to go to the record relase for Blanche. They'll be at the Magic Stick with others including Brendan Benson. My last midnight shift finishes in the a.m. so I'll be able to stay for the whole thing.
S [9:33 PM]
I forgot to preorder chicken for the Guild's pot luck tomorrow. Not too big a crisis even if I have to get it elsewhere. But damn my laxity in checking my day planner.
S [10:52 PM]
Someone shared digital photos of graduation. I had to pull out the class list to remember some names: my brain in the process of house cleaning. And these were people I liked. Hm.
S [9:38 PM]
Tuesday is my day off. In order to keep my sleep schedule, I spent the night logging the scenes of home video I shot two years ago--I'm so behind. I was going to run it through the iMac but I reorganized my room before training and don't remember where I put the FireWire. So I used the main TV and the standard hook-up.
Early in the night, actually Monday evening, I cantored liturgy for [the feast of] the Conception of St. Anne, a/k/a the Immaculate Conception. Thirty one people attended. More than I expected. And, of course, there was no one younger than me.
Now I'm sleepy. See you. . . today.
S [8:36 AM]
Today is St. Nicholas day. Guild members were to wrap coffee cans (with wrapping paper) after liturgy this morning to use for our Christmas cookie sale. Feel a little bad about missing that, as Guild president, but it would have gone into my sleep time. Am I going to throw my sleep cycle out of wack over that?
It's also possible I said last week I'd cantor the liturgy. But, ah, hopefully I didn't. Hardly anyone would have come [/rationalization].
S [11:07 PM]
Whether I'm headed to work midnights or early morning, it's easy to lose track of which side of the day I'm on. At both times the sky is dark, the streets empty, and most of the same shops are closed. Only the presence of hookers tells me it's morning.
S [8:34 PM]
This second night was better. I was more alert and didn't feel tired.
S [9:03 AM]
What a slow night it was. So little to do, which was fortunate because my higher brain functions weren't really engaged. Once home I slept 'til four in the afternoon.
My head feels thick and heavy. I'm not sure how to format my day. When should I eat? I haven't done anything more taxing than read through the Details magazines that accumulated while I was away.
S [8:31 PM]
I'm off to work my first midnight shift. I started to transition my sleep time this weekend. I'm not much of a night owl.
S [11:08 PM]
My cousin Jim is a engineer for Ford and spends many hours a week at work. Yesterday (Sat.) was he used some of his scant time off to put up Christmas decorations. He took a break from that and stretched out on the couch. Without notice an Escort crashed through the front of house and landed on him. His legs were trapped under the engine for 40 minutes (!) and he received third degree burns. Neighbors came over to try to help him. This made the local news.
The driver was a 20 year old guy who was probably on drugs, though someone said he mixed up the accelerator and brake. Come on, someone who's twenty has been driving for four years. It's not like they're so close on an Escort. And even if he did, why did it take running through a wall to stop him? Wouldn't crossing a lawn be a sign to take a different action?
S [12:27 AM]
Downriver, Detroit, Michigan.
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Pas/Cal
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