And the Holidays Move On

Let's just say Christmas here at the Lovestead did not go quite as expected.  Let's just also say that the day was filled with one unplanned adventure after another, sometimes of the calamitous nature.  

At the end of the day, though (don't ya just love that cliche?),  all was well.  

I finally sat down with a glass of Chardonnay, some Nacho chips, chased with a couple of slices of Second Avenue Pizza,  and joined Bill and Annie who were watching the Morgan Freeman/Matt Damon movie "Invictus."  

I missed a few segments of the movie but did grimace a bit when those South Africans beat New Zealand's All Blacks in a hard fought World Cup Rugby final. Despite the Kiwi defeat,  I fully appreciated the historical aspect of the match and what it meant to South Africa.

Still, some of the movie's scenes were blotted out of  my slumbering mind.

It was the usual scene of holiday movie watching at our home where Annie occasionally checks with Mom, "Are you watching, Mom?  Are you awake?  Did you see the movie, Mom?"

Of course, I always lie just a tad during my semi-slumber, insisting that, of course, I'm watching. 

After "Invictus" I asked Annie to put on the funny movie she had brought home.  She said I may not like it and that if she put it on, I'd better stay awake.

Well, I did nod off a few times while Bill and Annie were still in the living room, but they both retired long before that movie ended.

And, when I fully awakened to see just how stupid it was, I turned it off and watched WSU losing in the final minutes of its Hawaiian tournament game against Butler.

Then, came a much-needed long winter's nap.  The going and going and going of this ever-aging boomer body over several days had reached its point Christmas Eve.

Plus, those few unplanned situations on Christmas Day tested my body and mind beyond limits.  I don't think I passed the test with any flying colors, but I did eventually make it through the day.

We did have a nice time in the morning,  opening presents.  Bill liked his new talking Tom Tom GPS.  For once, I had some idea of what to get my hard-to-shop-for hubby. 

I observed last summer while we were driving around Texas and Louisiana that the lady on the unit telling us every turn to make and when to recalculate totally fascinated Bill, so I made a mental note of what to get him for Christmas.

Annie brought her mom and dad "His" and "Hers" fleece jackets with the official geocache logo, so we were both happy.    Bill gave me a new "barn coat" which is too nice to wear to the barn.  

I also liked the "Seattle Sombrero" with Gore-Tex that Annie selected for me.Pretty cool hat---you can put the sides down in downpours and then velcro them back up for that "Aussie" look on dry days. 

Annie liked her big coffee-table book about all the possible countries in the world which she can put on her bucket list for future travels.  It's a big one with more than 800 photos and basic highlights about each country, when to visit and where to go.

There were other goodies, but those are enough highlights to suggest that it was a good morning of unwrapping and checking out the gifts.

With a long winter's nap, I'm ready for this day after Christmas.  Part of it involves feeding Lefty nine more benadryl capsules (twice daily) and using a syringe to squirt some medicine into his mouth.  

Poor guy has a serious skin allergy, and over the past few weeks has rubbed several spots on both sides of his neck so raw that the initial wounds are beet red.  So, Cherise, my vet,  came Christmas Eve and gave him a shot and handed me a list of instructions on how to get him over this.  

We're taking alfalfa out of his diet in hopes that it's the culprit, and we're doing everything possible to get him to stop his masochistic urges to rub himself to death.

Seems like with these horses if it's not one thing, it's another.  So the beat will go on,  keeping them healthy and well-fed through the winter.

I also have to get really serious today about writing my skijoring column.  Have had way too much fun watching folks practice and taking lots of photos, but comes a time and a deadline (regardless of Christmas in between) that the pedal needs to meet head-on with the metal. 

So, as the holidays move on, there will be more snoozing in front of the TV, attention to duties that call, and hopefully an end to the gnawing of another deadline.

Hope everyone had a happy Christmas and that your long winter naps are pleasant.