I'm free, I'm free! For seventeen days, at least.

Slept badly, so when I woke at eight I had a headache. I swallowed some ibuprofin and went back to bed until 8:30, then got up when the alarm rang and was doing some things in the bathroom...when I actually woke up and discovered I had dreamed getting up and instead had slept through 46 minutes of the alarm.

So it was after nine by the time I dressed, had breakfast, then walked Tucker. It was chilly out, but brilliant, despite some gathering clouds.

Now I'd had several ideas for today; the initial had been to bake cookies. But last year something went wrong with the wine biscuits; they were fine after I baked them, but by the time New Year rolled around they started to taste bitter. Since I don't like wine and can't actually taste if it's spoilt or not, I thought it might have started to turn. It's kept downstairs in the furthest corner of the closet in the dark, but we had a warm summer and it might not have kept as cool as I'd like it. So I needed to go to Mink's to get a fresh bottle of hearty burgundy. Besides, it is supposed to rain tomorrow, a perfect day for baking cookies.

First, I ended up going to the little Smyrna post office to mail one last package. The clerk there is a guy who looks just like Santa Claus, beard and all, and one of the regulars, in line in front of me, asked him why he wasn't wearing his Santa hat. He admitted it was too hot, and I agreed with him: it was over 50 outside! :-) Then I went on to MicroCenter to look for a new cell phone case. I found one just the right width but not tall enough that the magnetic cover would latch; however, I was able to get a USB cord for James. Egads. They now have fewer computer books than Barnes & Noble.

I was relieved to stop at Mink's and actually find the hearty burgundy without having to ask for help. They are remodeling the store, and all the wine is now lined up in neat rows near the front. Last time it might have well been down a flight of stairs near a disused lavatory behind a door that said "Beware of the Leopard." I walked down the vodka aisle with mouth agape: I've never seen so many flavors! Gingerbread! Strawberry! Vanilla!

On the way home I stopped at Publix to get a baguette. Well, there were some goodies on twofer, including olives, so fifty dollars later I was home and ready for lunch: some of the baguette, milk, and the rest of the leftover turkey from Tuesday night.

For the rest of the afternoon I embarked on a marathon gift wrapping session. I got everything wrapped except for Anne's and Clay's and Lin's gifts, and I still need to do the little craft projects for a couple of people. Only need to get three small gifts and then will be done, but I can leave the wrapping paper out and put the storage boxes away. However, I needed a part for one of my projects, and I knew they didn't have it locally because I'd stopped at the store last week. So as James arrived home as I was taking Tucker for a walk, I said "You want to go to Hiram?"

It was a little crowded on the road leading up to those long, long strip shopping centers on Jimmy Lee Smith Parkway, but we managed it in good time with the power chair jouncing along in the rear. We had supper at Folks...mmm, pork chop! Christmas carols were playing on the Muzak and the Weather Channel was predicting snow for Christmas somewhere. Sadly, not here.

Then we went to Michael's to pick up that item I needed, and James practiced with the power chair going in and out the aisles. I found the cutest winter fox stickers on sale (they were labeled as "wolf," which made me laugh—red wolves with white tail-tips; yeah, right) and James bought some Necco wafers. Then we trundled down to Five Below where I picked up a couple of gifts (for next  year) and bought a toy to put in the Toys for Tots bin (a Sofia the First puzzle).

Finally home again, home again, jiggety jog, where I put on the Toy Train Show Christmas edition and then Christmas at St. Olaf.

Labels: Christmas, crafts, errrands, food, shopping

----------------------------------------------------------------
. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 11:31:00 PM

Comments: Post a Comment