Fight-Free Family X-mas

Christmas was divine. Perhaps the best fight-free family Christmas we've had so far. Cheating--Zoe was sick, so wasn't her usual self. But we slipped into puzzles and snowmen and it all seemed like we had finally grown up. She gave her spouse the Sarah Palin Biography. I said nothing and therefore, all was fine.

Mr. Taft, our flight attendant leaned in and pressed himself against a seated woman's face to let me pass by. He was so funny. He said, "Now don't you wish that was someone else.cool guy, talking Ben up to first class to use the toilets."I saw him doing the pee pee dance." So attentive. He even brought us dessert from first class just to be fun. We nearly missed the plane. Baggage drop took more than an hour...only two staff at the desk. Now they expect you to check in using a machine...even weigh and deposit your own luggage. I felt like I was at Tesco.

Grandma was in better health this year. Zoe had the sniffles. Ben had an ear infection that laid him up for ten days with antibiotics. It was just a plain cold and we watched him dwindle for a few days....down and down until finally, we took him to the doctor. Almost a fatal wait. The one year I skipped ticking the health insurance box.

Joel who used to be a healthy painter decorator has apparently lost both his legs as he had an infection in his foot that he didn't take care of as he didn't have insurance. Three weeks later, he had to have both his legs amputated. John told me over breakfast. My mother's health insurance add ons have gone up by a hundred dollars per month and that is reviewed each year with no cap. What a cuntry.

Becky Youngman....after all these years of phone calls and keeping back in touch. She drove all the way up from Anderson, Indiana with her hipster son, Cyrus. Face to face as opposed to facebook to facebook. I wish we had had more time. I wanted to play dress up and ask her about the new dress I'd bought. Slipping back into Champaign gears for a moment. Our sons playing lego together. A short but good visit...very short for such a distance. Seven hour drive.

I saw Ken out in Rockton. Mari was away not even saying if she'd be back for Christmas Day. She gets more flighty by the year. A nice talk by the fire with Ken and some pizza and some more talking. He quit the sod farm a few months ago. He was the accountant, but he was doing everything.

Sue was cat sitting, but it was nice to see Ron. Actually, I am too tired of tracking down old friends. I'll stick with Ron, Ken, John, and Shilan. John still fascinated by gay bars and still officially straight. Shilan....yeah. Lots of cups of tea and dimsum. Her parents were lovely. We had a nye dinner in China Town.