Continued Idle Thoughts: Anyone For a Holly Jolly Christmas?!

~ snakesinthegrass2014

Santa, self-isolating somewhere in Florida

Who says it isn’t a normal Christmas? Why just this morning we watched on the news how airports are again teeming with people, ready to travel back home and infect Mom, Dad, Auntie, and Grandpa. ‘Tis better to give than receive after all.

Health experts suggest getting a covid test both prior to travel and after returning home. It’s also recommended that one should self-quarantine up to seven days before being around people, though that particular guidance merely gets a whisper in most hamlets. But hey, who am I to be Scrooge? If Dr. Birx can skirt a travel rule, so can can you!

So on that cheery note, let’s return to some more idle thoughts during a holiday season of Covid-19:

A perusal of the TV channel listings for Christmas movie offerings show ‘White Christmas‘, ‘A Christmas Story‘, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life‘, and ‘Planes, Trains, and Automobiles,’ along with many other classics. But what I’m not seeing is ‘The Bells of St. Mary’s.’ Seriously? First the coronavirus and now this. Will the madness of this year never end?

Our health insurance provider sent us another reminder that all covid-related procedures will be covered 100% in the next calendar year. It’s a kind and generous gesture on their part, I must say. On a related note, they’ve raised our premium 6% for 2021.

A barista at Starbucks who penned the below is way braver than I am. I can only imagine how I’d spell cappuicno if I worked there.

Mastercard reports that according to a study they commissioned, 82 percent of respondents worldwide said contactless payments are the “cleanest” way to pay for things in stores during these perilous times. I’m sure they’re right, but I can vividly recall when tobacco companies also commissioned studies which reinforced their business preferences too. “Priceless” indeed.

I continue to be baffled by Hank, our financial advisor. We received his annual holiday card the other day. It’s one of those fancy kind that plays a song when you open it. The one he chose is Frank Sinatra singing “I’ll Be Seeing You.”

HBO is apparently going to offer a limited reboot of “Sex and the City,” which will bring it back to television for the first time since 2004. Oh, great. Now I have to act all over again like I have no idea what that show is about if it comes up in conversation.

I woke up this morning and found myself listed among those whom the president pardoned last evening. I knew moving to Florida would give me an edge.

I used to think that the workplace was the most dangerous place to be during the holidays, what with office luncheons, parties, and constant platters of Christmas cookies set out on counters. But now it’s our living room coffee table. There are only two of us in this home; this isn’t going to end well.

The FedEx driver left us a holiday $5 tip on our door yesterday along with a note of thanks. Hm.

Gorgeous found a bracelet inscribed with “William” deep in the sand on a recent beach visit, and has been wearing it regularly ever since. In response I’ve been playing a lot of Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man” on the stereo. I’m not sure which of us is going to blink first.

I present to you, the Christmas Challah…

For all who are celebrating, I wish you a safe and joyous Christmas followed by a very happy New Year.

We’ll meet again in January…

44 thoughts on “Continued Idle Thoughts: Anyone For a Holly Jolly Christmas?!”

  1. Best Christmas letter ever! Worthy of a re-read. Really hard to decide what paragraph was funniest, but the William bracelet was way at the top.
    Don’t blink, Gorgeous.
    Merry Christmas to you two!

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  2. Your post made me smile. Took a long time for the Christmas challah photo to appear on my screen and I was starting to think – how clever! He’s showing us that it never happened by leaving a big blank space…and then, boom! There it was. Yum! Oh well…. The only other puzzlement for me was the pardoning by the president. I don’t follow your news so I don’t know what heinous crime you have committed and have now been pardoned for. Anyways, congratulations 🥳😉, and have a merry merry ho ho!

    Deb

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    1. Laughing hard here, Deb. I can assure you any graphical tricks are the result of a WordPress power greater than me. 🙂 But glad the picture did eventually materialize.

      Oh, sorry for the vague reference, re: Trump’s pardon. He’s on a pardon tear lately, giving clemency to anyone and everyone asunder who have helped him break the laws and norms. I figured if it’s that easy to get a pardon, I might as well get one for myself too. 🙂

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  4. Way to end the year with a smile, Marty! I really need to get one of those pardons too. Unfortunately, being from a bright blue state won’t help my cause. I guess we didn’t realize that his “draining the swamp” really meant releasing the swamp creatures from jail. Silly us.

    Best holiday wishes to you and the always gorgeous Gorgeous!

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  5. Your living room looks like the office break room filled with ‘little’ holiday tidbits…like you said – it’s only the two of you and well, it might not end well. HA!
    That Challah is voluptuous…did Gorgeous bake those loaves? Now with only the two of us here, those would be gone in a split second…
    Yum!
    Yeah, I did a double take on the local news droning on with glee about holiday shopping crowds and airports and how everything is so ‘normal’ (this is South Carolina, remember, where the governor prides himself in leading his state with no stance on the health of his constituents whatsoever…)
    Happy Happy ‘Everything’ Holiday Season, Marty.

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    1. I know, it’s a veritable land mine area of caloric intake in these parts. SCARY! Yep, that’s her own challah. Fortunately she shared with the neighbors so there won’t be a carb overdose here.

      Yeah… you good folk up there are in a similar predicament with a tone deaf governor, eh? I swear it’s going to take, G-d forbid, one of them on a ventilator to wise up (and even then I’m not so sure).

      Happy ‘Everything’ to you too, Laura!

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  8. Hi, Marty – I agree with Sue — best Christmas Letter ever!
    I laughed all of the way through.
    Except for when I reached the picture of the Christmas Challah — which immediately made me hungry (after I had just resolved to make no further trips into our kitchen this evening). 😦
    Wishing you and Gorgeous a very Happy Holiday!

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  9. After seeing that beautiful Challah, I’m glad I have cinnamon rolls ready to pop in the oven this morning. 🙂 Good writing, Marty. How good? I had to read most of it to my husband so he could have a chuckle too. Happy Holidays and I’ll look forward to seeing you in 2021. 🙂

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  19. Hi Marty, I am delayed in reading for personal reasons, yet I do not want to miss out on one of my favourite blogs/people. 😁

    A normal holiday season? What is that? Even prissy, polite Canada has scandalous politicians, our mighty leaders, returning from warm, southern, out of country Christmas vacations. Whilst us common folk are hunkering down, socializing only with members of our own household, not even venturing out to see loved ones living 10 to 30 kilometres from our homes. “Skirt” a travel rule. Don’t get me started. Oops, I started.

    I appreciate the idle thoughts. Hilarious about capppacccinno. I have not seen an episode of “Sex and the City.” You have inspired me once again, Marty. 🤪 William is likely pleased someone cares about him….if he is still with us. Homemade Challah? Wow, William……I mean, Marty is a lucky man. Happy New Year to you and Gorgeous. Thank you for helping make my day a good one. 😁

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    1. Hey now, there’s something just flat wrong when a reader comment is funnier than my actual post! You have me laughing hard here, Erica. Yes indeed, if only William knew someone was out there pining for him! 😉

      Sorry to hear that you kind folk to the north are also dealing with hypocritical leaders offering advice to stay safe. Do as I say not as a do, eh?

      Thanks for the laugh and solidarity. Let’s get summer jobs next year at a coffee place together. 🙂

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  20. I’m late to the commenting party here, but I wanted to stop by and say Happy New Year. Christmas came and went around here with no fanfare, then we slouched into 2021– which is starting out to be a very difficult year, indeed. Anyhoo, nice to read your posts. I’m always ready for your take on life.

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