Today does not feel like Christmas. I even thought about taking down the tree. It is warm, cloudy and humid to the point that my outdoor office is unappealing. I find myself thinking about the past week.
I think of everything that I wanted to do this past week while I was in Vegas. I wanted to play poker. I wanted to try my luck at the progressive jackpot at the Venetian. I wanted to dine at one of the most popular restaurants in the world, where it takes six months to get a reservation, unless you know someone. And yes, I know someone. I wanted to go to the spa to get my money’s worth for the $45 resort fee that my hotel tacked on for every day of my stay. I avoided all of these things because they are activities that involve crowds.
I wore a mask, and I wore gloves. I dined at off hours, sitting alone. I spent most of the time in my hotel room. When I did venture out to the casino, I felt uncomfortable in my mask and gloves, but I wanted to be safe. My face is broken out from the masks, my hands are irritated from the gloves, and my nose is raw from Covid testing to the point of a mild nosebleed. In case you are reading this decades from now, when memories of life during the pandemic have faded, no I am not one of those crazy germ-phoebes. I am just being careful during a pandemic.
The highlights of my vacation were my upgraded hotel room and room service. While the temptations in Vegas are real, it was more important to me to be able to return home and spend the upcoming days at TopGolf, mini golf, the Escape Game and more with my boys. It was more important to me to have Christmas with my sister, my boys’ favorite uncle and my adorable little nephew. It was more important to be able to visit with my friends’ families today without concern I carried the virus.
Imagine returning from a lack luster vacation because of caution from the pandemic, only to find that your family has been exposed to Covid because of someone else’s complete lack of caution. Now, I am sitting at home when I should be over at my friend Irma’s house visiting with her family and mother-in-law from South Carolina, who happens to be one of my favorite people on the planet. I could be eating gourmet cooking instead of the crappy packaged spaghetti that I had on hand to cook for myself.
The one thing I could do right now is to take Potatoe for a long walk. That too is not an option at the moment as United Airlines lost my bags on my return trip, and I need to be here to sign for the bags when they arrive. I almost purchased a treadmill during the pandemic. I wish that I had. As much as I hate running on a treadmill, I could at least blow off some steam.
I am now sitting at home, contemplating what to do with the next fourteen days. Taking down the Christmas decorations comes to mind. If Chewy had his way right now, I would spend the day snuggling a kitten. He is the only fur kid not asleep on the couch right now. It is almost as if he knows I need a little snuggle. I am going to make a turn to the positive here and now, and I am going to make a list of things to do. I am going to set goals for 2022. I am going to get some things done around the house. I am going to write a short children’s story, inspired by my best friend’s niece. And of course, I am going to give little Chewy a good snuggle.
While this is not how I pictured Christmas, I have so much to be thankful for. As I hold little Chewy, and he purrs away, I think of all that God has blessed me with, and I am truly grateful. Today, we celebrate the greatest gift of all, the birth of Jesus Christ Our Lord in Savior. Merry Christmas to all!