Cranky woke up quite sick on Thanksgiving Day but is
proud to say, she didn’t give into feeling sorry for herself --- err, well,
until the very end --- err, pretty
late actually.
When Cranky woke up sick on Thanksgiving Day, she knew
she had to make a decision --- first she felt too awful to be out and social,
and, secondly, she didn’t want to pass on whatever she had to anyone else. Cranky could hardly talk, strange for her.Cranky’d been all ready and excited to eat with 14 other people at a holiday gathering she’d been lucky enough to attend for several years (she always hopes to not act too crazy and be thrown off the guest list but, sometimes, she forgets!). Cranky loves this gathering of spirited people three times a year --- for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter and it’s but a few blocks away so you can leave and walk the dog! Cranky doesn’t have a dog but she does walk some and has left the party at times and come back.
And, this particular Thanksgiving, 2013 was a very
special one (to not be missed) as one of the dearest members of this group had
departed earth last summer, and Cranky wanted to be near everyone at this time
and remember him. It would not be the
same without Joe, ever, that’s for sure...
But, Thanksgiving dinner out with friends for Cranky
was not to be this year; so, she delivered her contribution to the party,
stayed distant from the lovely host at the door as she did so and went home.
Cranky was determined to not feel sorry for herself and
she didn’t. Things happen and she was a
lucky person --- the electric bill was down a couple bucks last month, things
like that. And, she got to talk to her
brother more that day, something she treasured and a good friend from Chicago
called and she was there to take the call and didn’t rush off. Life worked.
Well, sort of.
Cranky had leftover chili she had cooked earlier in
the week. She couldn’t taste anything
anyway even the very hot peppers from the cute guy at the Farmer’s Market. Still, she had food, a home, and a beautiful
soft kitty.
But, when Cranky tried to read her book, her eyes
hurt too much to read but, all along, she knew she had, an ‘ace in the hole’ so
to speak (C. has no idea what that means!). For, though cheapskate as we all
know Ms. Cranky to be, she had actually rented
a movie the day before and was really excited to see it. Usually Ms. Cranky goes to the library for
videos but this time she plunked down the money.
So, after the chili she couldn’t taste, she was
going to watch a really good movie. She
was proud of herself for thinking to get it in.
Sometimes she really did take care of herself (no matter what anybody said)
and this time she was glad she’d planned ahead and, because the video store was
closed on Thanksgiving itself, she had it till 9 the next evening!!! --- Whew, whew.
Cranky plugged in the little-used VCR and was proud
of herself that she finally knew where all the yellow, red and white wires went.
Ms. C. had finally memorized that process rather than the old ‘trial and error’
routine. She sat down all expectant to
watch the movie. You might remember that
there is not much on TV for someone staying home on a holiday unless you are
into Muppets specials or intense football.
But, the VCR player though showing brilliantly ready
to go on the TV set, wouldn’t open, the little thingy you put the DVD in, just
stuck. Cranky tried this and that and
this angle and that clicker and manually too but it was closed up tight with no
way to insert the movie disc. Nothing, (Ms. Cranky will not go into the implements
she eventually tried to open the damn thing with here but it involved nail files,
knives and such).
And, besides being very disappointed and now feeling
slightly sorry for herself, Ms. Cranky would still be too sick to return the
video the next day and, so, would pay an extra and more expensive late fine!
So, this is
how Cranky tried to look at this situation because she had done so well not feeling
sorry for missing Thanksgiving with 14 fun people and tons of food and drink.
She really worked at it --- Cranky first tried the ---“Hey,
I wasn’t in the Philippines during the storm” routine --- that was a good one,
then, “And, I wasn’t in the Rockaways during Hurricane Sandy” (she uses that a
lot) and her familiar “I don’t have some horrible disease (that I know of)”
routine.
Ms. C.’s ‘current’ VCR had lasted, at least, for 8
movies, maybe 9, making that an all-time record for the breed. Cranky got to see one season of Parenthood at her own pace and
discovered her newly beloved series Friday
Night Lights --- amazing work. This last
VCR, the one now by the door to go out, Cranky even went to ‘a most reputable
store’ in Manhattan and bought a product with a ‘name’. Oh, well, so much for that theory.
---
Enjoy
the season; there are so many holidays, so little time. As always, thanks for
stopping by. Be healthy and happy.
Ms. CRANKY, Monday evening, December 2, 1013 ---
rent due.
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