My tiring weekend
Dec. 23rd, 2002 03:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
robotech_masterThe last few days have been very tiring ones.
Friday, I dropped off a job application at a local electric cooperative, then spent the remainder of the afternoon looking everywhere for My Neighbor Totoro on DVD as a Christmas present for my 18-month-old niece. (Have to get them addicted young. :) I was just about to give up when I found at last that the local Barnes & Noble had it. For a little more than I really wanted to pay, but I needed it then and there, so I went ahead and got it.
After that, I went over to my aunt & uncle's to join the parents and siblings and family for snacks and gift exchanging. Saw the new baby Guinevere, too. Then we all went out to eat at McSalty's, a local pizza chain, where a very good local bass (the overgrown violin thing, not the guitar), keyboard, and electric guitar trio called "Nick, Ruell, and Ned the Band" were performing. They did a mix of Christmas tunes and requests, including "Rudolph Got Run Over By My Grandma," the Weird Al tune "One More Minute" (with a bit of audience participation added), an altered version of "Walking in Memphis" called "Walking in Branson," a very entertaining rendition of the jazz standard "Ain't Misbehavin'" where Ned the Band traded his guitar for a trumpet, and "I'm a Believer" where Ned the Band added a harmonica to his guitar. The pizza was pretty good, and I got the leftovers.
Mom & Dad had asked me to consider going back home with them on Friday night and staying over two nights until Sunday morning. I demurred, as I really didn't want to have to sleep in that cold and dry old house, and I knew that my bed and floor were all covered in boxes of books and things. I decided to come down on Saturday instead, and drive back that evening.
Saturday, the 21st, we celebrated our own family Christmas, so that the various married members of our family group could then celebrate it with their wives' families a couple of days later. Present were my brothers Aaron and Alex and their respective wives, and Alex's Mandarin-speaking Chinese friend from the University of Chicago, whose name I never figured out how to spell but whose nickname is "Panda." Among the more interesting gifts exchanged was a box containing three tins of genuine Chinese green tea, from China, given by Panda to my Mom and Dad. I ended up with, among other things, character sheets for an RPG I don't own, another copy of an RPG I already do own, and a total of $65 in Best Buy gift cards. For supper, we had hot and sour soup, and some stir-fried meat and vegetables over rice, prepared by Panda.
I had hoped that we could watch Fellowship of the Ring that night—I'd brought down the special 4-disc extended version with me—but what with all the guests and things, it was far too busy to hope to manage it. However, Mom suggested that if I stayed overnight, we might be able to watch it the next evening. And since I was getting pretty drowsy and really didn't want to drive back in the dark anyway, I agreed. Aaron and his wife left that evening to go back home.
I didn't really sleep too well that first night. It's hard sleeping in an unfamiliar bed, even if it is a familiar one, and it was hard figuring out where to set the controls of the electric blanket in order not to wake up in a sweat later on in the night. But I got a few hours. Oddly enough, I find that if I don't sleep as long when I'm down there, I at least seem to sleep a little deeper.
I was awakened to the THUMP, THUMP, THUMP of my parents' somewhat decrepit bread machine as it churned away on pretzel dough for my Mom to take to church for youth Sunday School. We breakfasted on the traditional Meadows family Sunday breakfast, a Yorkshire-pudding- or cream-puff-without-the-filling-like puff pastry called popovers. They're an interesting meal, but have to be eaten quickly after you take them out of the oven or they fall. Then we headed out to church in Alex's car at 7:30, getting there early because my mother had drawn the assignment of greeter that week. My Dad decided not to attend this week because he had to complete work on an astronomy clock—an antique mechanical clock used for synchronizing telescopes to track a particular position across the night sky—for Alex to take back with him to Chicago when he left that afternoon.
When we got to church, my Mom immediately discovered that, though we had prepared everything beforehand, she'd forgotten the pretzel dough. Alex immediately volunteered to take the half-hour drive back home and back to the church to fetch it, since we had plenty of time before the services started.
After Alex left, Mom started the coffeepot and then we went to take a look at the new church building that our church is building in a pasture next to our old one. Our old one's gotten a little small, what with the increased congregation from merging in another church. Given that it's a small country church, the work is being performed mostly by the members of the congregation itself, whenever they can spare the time. They hope to have it ready by April for the Revivals they'll be holding. ("April, 2004," joked one congregation member when I asked him about it later.)
The services were good, as usual, though a lot of the congregation weren't there since it was Christmas. Sunday school lesson focussed on Hebrews 10:21-27, and I used my Clie to good effect, rendering verses in two or three of the five Bibles I carry on board.
After church services were over, we headed back home for lunch—leftovers from the Chinese supper the night before. Panda left, though Alex and Rachel stayed for a couple hours so that Alex could play with the lathe in my Dad's workshop, then they were on their way, too, at about 4:15. In the remaining time between then and 5:00, I showed Dad some of the extra stuff from the Fellowship set—the documentary on Tolkien's life and works, the Bag End set test (hilarious!), and the early prologue storyboard. After the 5/5:30 news, we ate supper (chicken noodle soup) and began watching the movie. Dad enjoyed it, as expected, though he dozed off during Arwen's ride. Before switching discs, I showed the hilarious easter egg from disc one, which they seemed to appreciate. Afterward, I showed the Two Towers trailer and the "Fellowship of the Cast" documentary about the actors.
By that time, it was about 11 p.m., too late to drive, so I ended up staying over a second night. So, despite my earlier desire not to, I ended up staying over two nights after all...just not the same two nights they'd suggested.
This morning, I had a nice homemade breakfast of grapefruit, eggs, and biscuits and sausage gravy, then helped Dad bring in some firewood for the stove and headed homeward. There was a big storm scheduled to come in, and I wanted to be safely home before it hit. I got home, headed across town to O'Reilly Automotive to check on positions there, then came back to my apartment just as the snow started.
I had hoped to sell plasma this afternoon and pick up $20, but when I got to the plasma center, through several inches of snow, there was a sign on the door that they were closed due to the weather. Sigh.
Now I'm watching the Fellowship of the Ring DVD with the first (director/writers) commentary track, with a big fat kitty cat on my lap.
And that's how my weekend went.
Friday, I dropped off a job application at a local electric cooperative, then spent the remainder of the afternoon looking everywhere for My Neighbor Totoro on DVD as a Christmas present for my 18-month-old niece. (Have to get them addicted young. :) I was just about to give up when I found at last that the local Barnes & Noble had it. For a little more than I really wanted to pay, but I needed it then and there, so I went ahead and got it.
After that, I went over to my aunt & uncle's to join the parents and siblings and family for snacks and gift exchanging. Saw the new baby Guinevere, too. Then we all went out to eat at McSalty's, a local pizza chain, where a very good local bass (the overgrown violin thing, not the guitar), keyboard, and electric guitar trio called "Nick, Ruell, and Ned the Band" were performing. They did a mix of Christmas tunes and requests, including "Rudolph Got Run Over By My Grandma," the Weird Al tune "One More Minute" (with a bit of audience participation added), an altered version of "Walking in Memphis" called "Walking in Branson," a very entertaining rendition of the jazz standard "Ain't Misbehavin'" where Ned the Band traded his guitar for a trumpet, and "I'm a Believer" where Ned the Band added a harmonica to his guitar. The pizza was pretty good, and I got the leftovers.
Mom & Dad had asked me to consider going back home with them on Friday night and staying over two nights until Sunday morning. I demurred, as I really didn't want to have to sleep in that cold and dry old house, and I knew that my bed and floor were all covered in boxes of books and things. I decided to come down on Saturday instead, and drive back that evening.
Saturday, the 21st, we celebrated our own family Christmas, so that the various married members of our family group could then celebrate it with their wives' families a couple of days later. Present were my brothers Aaron and Alex and their respective wives, and Alex's Mandarin-speaking Chinese friend from the University of Chicago, whose name I never figured out how to spell but whose nickname is "Panda." Among the more interesting gifts exchanged was a box containing three tins of genuine Chinese green tea, from China, given by Panda to my Mom and Dad. I ended up with, among other things, character sheets for an RPG I don't own, another copy of an RPG I already do own, and a total of $65 in Best Buy gift cards. For supper, we had hot and sour soup, and some stir-fried meat and vegetables over rice, prepared by Panda.
I had hoped that we could watch Fellowship of the Ring that night—I'd brought down the special 4-disc extended version with me—but what with all the guests and things, it was far too busy to hope to manage it. However, Mom suggested that if I stayed overnight, we might be able to watch it the next evening. And since I was getting pretty drowsy and really didn't want to drive back in the dark anyway, I agreed. Aaron and his wife left that evening to go back home.
I didn't really sleep too well that first night. It's hard sleeping in an unfamiliar bed, even if it is a familiar one, and it was hard figuring out where to set the controls of the electric blanket in order not to wake up in a sweat later on in the night. But I got a few hours. Oddly enough, I find that if I don't sleep as long when I'm down there, I at least seem to sleep a little deeper.
I was awakened to the THUMP, THUMP, THUMP of my parents' somewhat decrepit bread machine as it churned away on pretzel dough for my Mom to take to church for youth Sunday School. We breakfasted on the traditional Meadows family Sunday breakfast, a Yorkshire-pudding- or cream-puff-without-the-filling-like puff pastry called popovers. They're an interesting meal, but have to be eaten quickly after you take them out of the oven or they fall. Then we headed out to church in Alex's car at 7:30, getting there early because my mother had drawn the assignment of greeter that week. My Dad decided not to attend this week because he had to complete work on an astronomy clock—an antique mechanical clock used for synchronizing telescopes to track a particular position across the night sky—for Alex to take back with him to Chicago when he left that afternoon.
When we got to church, my Mom immediately discovered that, though we had prepared everything beforehand, she'd forgotten the pretzel dough. Alex immediately volunteered to take the half-hour drive back home and back to the church to fetch it, since we had plenty of time before the services started.
After Alex left, Mom started the coffeepot and then we went to take a look at the new church building that our church is building in a pasture next to our old one. Our old one's gotten a little small, what with the increased congregation from merging in another church. Given that it's a small country church, the work is being performed mostly by the members of the congregation itself, whenever they can spare the time. They hope to have it ready by April for the Revivals they'll be holding. ("April, 2004," joked one congregation member when I asked him about it later.)
The services were good, as usual, though a lot of the congregation weren't there since it was Christmas. Sunday school lesson focussed on Hebrews 10:21-27, and I used my Clie to good effect, rendering verses in two or three of the five Bibles I carry on board.
After church services were over, we headed back home for lunch—leftovers from the Chinese supper the night before. Panda left, though Alex and Rachel stayed for a couple hours so that Alex could play with the lathe in my Dad's workshop, then they were on their way, too, at about 4:15. In the remaining time between then and 5:00, I showed Dad some of the extra stuff from the Fellowship set—the documentary on Tolkien's life and works, the Bag End set test (hilarious!), and the early prologue storyboard. After the 5/5:30 news, we ate supper (chicken noodle soup) and began watching the movie. Dad enjoyed it, as expected, though he dozed off during Arwen's ride. Before switching discs, I showed the hilarious easter egg from disc one, which they seemed to appreciate. Afterward, I showed the Two Towers trailer and the "Fellowship of the Cast" documentary about the actors.
By that time, it was about 11 p.m., too late to drive, so I ended up staying over a second night. So, despite my earlier desire not to, I ended up staying over two nights after all...just not the same two nights they'd suggested.
This morning, I had a nice homemade breakfast of grapefruit, eggs, and biscuits and sausage gravy, then helped Dad bring in some firewood for the stove and headed homeward. There was a big storm scheduled to come in, and I wanted to be safely home before it hit. I got home, headed across town to O'Reilly Automotive to check on positions there, then came back to my apartment just as the snow started.
I had hoped to sell plasma this afternoon and pick up $20, but when I got to the plasma center, through several inches of snow, there was a sign on the door that they were closed due to the weather. Sigh.
Now I'm watching the Fellowship of the Ring DVD with the first (director/writers) commentary track, with a big fat kitty cat on my lap.
And that's how my weekend went.
