tinseltown
From a drama/stress perspective, Christmas was better than Thanksgiving. D came over Christmas morning, and the gifting proceeded much as it has in years past. P and D seem to have buried the hatchet, just like I knew they would and said as much to D when was in the throes of it and thought she had “lost” her daughter. There certainly didn’t seem to be any bad blood between them as they oohed and aahed over each others’ gifts, and a couple of days later, D swung by to take P out shopping and they had lunch at Olive Garden, so I’m bullish on their prospects.
L received a smattering of sports apparel, some books, and a voucher for a majority contribution to his new bike fund, but truth be told, his real gift this holiday has been his truck. He loves it, and he’s relishing his newfound autonomy, driving it up and down Hixson Pike every chance he gets. We went to the bank, and he drove, and while he’s an excellent driver, if I’m honest, he still does need to grow into the truck a bit. I think it will help when I show him how to clean it out, change its oil, the location of all the mechanical bits, etc. Then he’ll feel like he’s more in command of all its faculties.
As for me, the kids collaborated and finally bought me my Lego Concorde, several years in the pipeline. I assembled it like a man possessed in about 5 straight hours Christmas afternoon, and it’s sitting on my dresser next to my bedroom’s other Lego monument, the phallic symbol a.k.a. Saturn V rocket. Given that the Concorde is predominantly horizontal, they make a good pair.