Well, the silly season has ended for another year. Here’s
how I spent my Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day:
Let’s start with Christmas Eve – this day actually began
with an awesome night’s sleep for me, coz after bidding my teddy sweet dreams
and falling asleep I actually didn’t wake until
7:05am!
After relieving myself I immediately tried falling back asleep again coz dad
leaves for work around
7:45am during
Summer and I hoped to fall back asleep before he came to kiss me goodbye and
left for work.
Only when nature called one hour later dad was still at
home? I called out to him, knowing he’d be awake and downstairs already. Dad
immediately came into my room to kiss me good morning; after I asked him how
come he’d not left for work yet he replied Uncle David had given him the day
off.
Awhile later, mother comes to help me up, phew. See, post
disabling brain injury, my affected left foot inverts (rolls out) whenever I
weight bear on her; I seriously cannot walk unless I’m wearing an orthotic that
holds my ankle in place. Even when I’m wearing the orthotic, my demented left
ankle still rolls out, but before it can invert all the way the boot catches it
and holds it in place, hence why I can walk a little. In the past, every
morning it was always mother who did the straps up on my orthotic for me (I did
all the leg lifting, holding in the air while mother positioned the orthotic in
place, placing the leg down into the orthotic and bending knee so that my foot
falls down into the bottom of the orthotic) but scarily, this year, mother has
decided that her beauty sleep is more important to her than my safety and just
left everything at the side of my bed to get myself up. So yay that she helped
me up Christmas Eve morn~
After breakfast, mother and I buy groceries from our local
Woolies. Seeing as that place is like only three minutes drive from our house,
we shop there quite often. I’ve become friends with one of the checkout ladies
that work there, Chris. I call her a checkout lady and not a checkout chic
because she looks around mother’s age. However, I’m admittedly absolutely
talent-less with guessing ages, so I might be completely off the mark. XD Sometimes
I have a carer who takes me out to buy groceries there; while my carer scans
items through the self-serve checkout, if Chris is working that day she’ll
often wander over and we’ll have a brief chat. Months ago, Woolies was running
some promotion where if you spent thirty dollars or more you’d get a free
packet of seedlings and you could start growing your own flower garden/vegie
patch. Once, someone had bought more than sixty bucks of groceries; Chris took
a few packets of those seedlings and gave the customers two. On the way back to
where she usually stands manning the self-service checkouts, she without a word
and not even turning to face me puts the third packet of seedlings into my
trolley! I mutter softly at her, “Are you sure? I’ve only bought like two
dollars of groceries; that’s nowhere near thirty.” When she nods once, I mutter
softly once more, “As long as you don’t get into trouble if anyone finds out …”
Chris turns to face me then and equally sotto voce replies, “It’ll be fine;
don’t worry.” Hence why I wanted to write her a Christmas card! Only for the
past two weeks, whenever I bought groceries with mother/my carer, she was never
present? That morning, as I was walking into Woolies, mother was like, “I don’t
see her. But we’ve got groceries to buy anyway, so keep heading in. Perhaps
she’ll start her shift while we’re getting groceries.” Only as we near the
entrance, mother exclaims, “Oh, I see her! This time, she’s not manning the
self-serve checkouts; she’s behind one of the express checkouts!” In that case,
I went immediately to give her the card! Mother was like, let’s buy groceries
first but I’m like no way; what if by the time we’ve got all our items and go
to the checkouts she’s already on her lunch break? So I line up behind the
person waiting and the person currently being served. When Chris finishes
checking out their items, she looks for the next person, sees me, and her face
lights up. “Oh, hello!” I walk forward to stand before her and tell her, “Hi
Chris! I’ve been looking for you for weeks, but you’ve never been working! Luckily
I caught you on Christmas Eve coz I wrote a Christmas card for you.” I hand her
the card and a lil block of Lindt chocolate, what I usually give to the NAB
students after each five week rotation. Chris says thanks, and then explains
she’s been away sick with a bad chest infection. Mother immediately butts in,
saying yes, Chris looks heaps thinner! Me, being the terribly unobservant
person I am, thinks she looks just the same. XD Then we go and buy our
groceries, Chris promising she’ll still be manning the checkout counter when
we’re done. We chat more as she’s passing our items through the scanner,
sharing how we’re spending our respective Christmas days.
Back home, lunch is just last night’s leftovers and in the
arvo mother tootles me off to see Aunty Ann for a comfy massage.
Kim’s the carer minding me that arvo. Usually her shift goes
from 4pm till 6pm, but when she arrived I told her she’d get to leave earlier
coz after showering and a piece of fruit for arvo tea, I wanted her to drop me
off at church coz we were singing carols then having pizza! Mother got pissed
with me that I didn’t head off to shower right away, but like I explained to
her and Kim, I still had thirty minutes left of internet time for myself. Like
I’m sure I’ve explained before, those two hours are my MOST IMPORTANT two hours
of the day, because it’s time where I’m doing things I like, such as
Facebooking, playing Bejeweled, etc. Optus yes time? Emily me time. XD Anyhow,
she stormed off upstairs in a huff; I was like suit yourself, I’ll go shower in
thirty minutes. Which is exactly what I did. XD
After munching a piece of fruit for arvo tea and drinking
one small mug of green/peppermint tea, I hop into the Camry and Kim tootles me
off to church for carols singing.
Now that Bible study has ended for the term, when Kim takes
me to ESS she parks outside the main building, but on Christmas Eve I direct
her to head down to outside A1, where I think carols will be held. When she
pulls up outside A1, I ask will she please go check if this is where carols are
being held? Thankfully, she agrees, and hops outta the car to check for me. When
she climbs back into the car and immediately shuts the engine, I presume we’re
in the correct area and ask who did she check with? Kim replies Pastor Grace;
ah, yes, Kim knows the Lungs because she used to sometimes accompany me on my
fortnightly lunches with them, before her uni timetable ended that. As I grab a
seat to the most left, carol singing has only just started so phew, I only miss
the first two lines of Hark The Herald Angels Sing.
Mel leads the singing; I think it was Calvin on the keys and
Kalos on the drums? We sing only two carols I don’t recognise the title of, but
once the music starts I recall the tune. Thankfully I was allowed to stay
seated during the carols singing. I’m confused: why stand when hymns are sung?
Does God hear them more clearly when we’re standing; we’re taller then and
perhaps closer to heaven?
Carols sung, I visit the bathroom once and then it’s time
for pizza! Someone walks behind me and I grab myself four slices before sitting
down at the table to munch them. Then I rediscover my inner pig when I get up
and fetch myself another four slices for seconds. XD There’s also garlic bread
and Domino’s version of popcorn chicken, although I’m unsure what they’re
called although they’re not very yummy. Still, thanks to Wilfreddy for shaking
some out for me.
Best of all, there was ice cream cones with sprinkles!
Thanks to Ronnie who scooped out one for me~
That night, while I was attending carols and dinner, dearest
dad was upstairs in the main hall because CM was having some kinda Christmas
Eve party with performances! Earlier, he’d told me once our carols and pizza
dinner had finished to ask somebody to please walk with me upstairs to the main
hall where he was. Only before that could happen, when peoples were tidying up,
BANG! A huge storm hit! Everyone stayed inside awhile but then apparently CM
needed the room so we relocated to A7/8.
I used the bathroom once then sat outside chatting with Dr.
Esther and Jacinta. They’re both moving next year!
After CM finished their program, there’s supper available.
Jacinta goes to suss out what’s available then returns to excitedly say there’s
grass jelly! Sorry, I’m not a fan of grass jelly. Mother is; I still remember
once, years ago, when I’d seen Naz the kebab guy for a kebab mother had bought
herself a bowl/a cup of grass jelly. While we ate, there were two random Aussie
blokes sitting at the table beside us. Watching mother inhale her grass jelly,
they looked revolted, then curious, then revolted once more. Soon they couldn’t
contain their curiosity any longer and asked mother what was that gunk she was
eating? I immediately unhelpfully insert it’s some feral jelly stuff; mother
tells me to shut up (she does that on average twice each day XD) then explains
what the gloop is. After hearing my tale, Jacinta rushes to get herself a cup,
after which she immediately tries to force-feed a spoonful to me! I obediently
open my mouth, chew and then say “Sorry, it’s still pretty disgusting,” to
which Jacinta replies, “No, you’ve gotta try some with fruit!” Thus follows two
more mouthfuls of the grass jelly now containing some canned fruit. More
chewing and swallowing on my part, before I deliver the verdict. “Sorry, grass
jelly remains rather disgusting.” Poor Jacinta looks deflated; I immediately
reassure her that my distaste of that dreadful stuff no way reflects on her;
it’s just that I’ve got inferior tastebuds and can’t appreciate it. XD
Dad wanders downstairs (while I was singing carols and
stuffing my gob with pizza, he was upstairs in the main hall participating in
CM’s Christmas Eve party (performing songs, etc.) and feeds me one bite of some
jelly stuff. Immediately after that one bite, I’m like, “Dad, nuts!” He’s like,
“What?!” and immediately holds the piece he’s eating from up to his eyes,
before going, “Oh yeah, there’s nuts here. Don’t eat anymore; I’ll get you some
fruit instead.” Me: no thanks, I already had fruit for arvo tea.
Once dad tootles us home, I let mother boot me off to hit
the sack. Zzz~
Christmas Day: since I’ve attended church every Christmas
I’ve been alive (and even for the one when I was still inside mother’s tummy,
I’m betting XD), why would this year be any different? Since BCAC wasn’t
holding a Christmas service this year, same as with in years past, we went to
attend the one at Redeemer. There service started at like
8am, though, so ‘twas an earlier start than usual for me. Whilst
dad drove mother and me to Redeemer, I sang a litany of five secular Christmas
songs on repeat because I was beyond certain we’d be singing only Christian
ones during the service.
At Redeemer I visit the bathroom once then grab the first
row from the back on the most left. Some musicians are rehearsing; how cute:
there’s like a father-son duo, the dad playing the trombone and the son
trumpet!
When the service begins, everyone’s invited to stand. Mother
asks will I? When I shake my head no she doesn’t insist and just stands
herself; amazing!
As expected, only Christian Christmas carols are sung, no
secular ones. That’s followed by a Bible reading and some dancers put on a
performance with long ribbons. That’s followed by the pastor giving a sermon about
how shepherds are smelly; when he and his wife exited the hall after the
sermon, everyone gave him a standing ovation because that day was his last
Christmas service where he gave the sermon because he was retiring!
I used the bathroom once more before getting home; once
inside I grabbed my Santa hat and stuck it back on, because the parents hadn’t
lemme wear it to Redeemer for the church service that morning. Not sure why,
but hey. No biggie. Mother heads upstairs for her long morning nap, and I
tootle online briefly while dad cuts up a fruit platter for me to take to the
Orphans’ Christmas lunch the Lungs are holding. I’d asked permission to attend
earlier because I wasn’t an ‘orphan’ (my parents were both still in
Brisbane;
dad doesn’t fly off to HK until like the 27
th) and Pastor Grace said
sure, come along, lotsa people are coming who aren’t ‘orphans’. At the Lungs
dad gave me a hand down the stairs (the handrail’s down the left) gave the
fruit platter to someone and then returned home to spend Christmas with mother
(after she awakes from her morning nap, which I’m presuming will be well into
the afternoon XD).
The Zees are there, as well as Aunty Janet, Uncle William
and Jase. Somebody had a pair of reindeer antlers, which I borrow for a happy
snap before returning. There are also bon bons! I pull one with Jason~
Actually, does anyone know who makes up the jokes you find inside the bon bons?
Because they are *terribly* lame~ XD
For lunch, Uncle William prepared a Christmas ham! Thanks to
Aunty Janet who served me two small slices~ It’s delicious; when I commend
Uncle William on his amazing cooking and ask him what’s his secret, he explains
that every ten minutes you’ve got to paint over the ham with honey water!
Jase has made a milk tea JELLY for dessert! Only problem is,
under the milk tea jelly he’s put an entire thick layer of grass jelly! If
you’ve read this post from the start you’ll recall how grass jelly and I aren’t
really friends. XD
And that’s the orphans’ Christmas lunch over with! Thanks to
Uncle William and Aunty Janet who gimme a lift home. I use the loo once and
then pop online. When I left earlier that morning, mother was having a morning
nap; when I get back home that afternoon, she’s upstairs having an afternoon
nap! Too bad Christians don’t believe in reincarnation; if we did I’d strongly
suspect that in a past life, mother was a sloth. See, sloths spend fifteen to
twenty hours each day sleeping! Please don’t tell her I said that; if she found
out, she’d probably bash me up. XD
Anyhow, the rest of the day panned out as normal: I took a
shower, dinner was the usual boiled, bland tasteless leftovers and I spent some
time online before letting mother boot me off to ht the sack at the
ridiculously early hour of 9:45pm. Zzz~
Boxing Day: see, our family tends to celebrate Boxing Day
more than Christmas Day because it’s actually mother’s BIRTHDAY on the 26
th
December! Poor mother whinges that it’s not fair; she’s supposed to get TWO
presents, a birthday present and a Christmas present but everyone only hands
her one birthday present and says “Happy Birthday! Oh, and Merry Christmas” or
“Merry Christmas! Oh, and Happy Birthday”. But aren’t I a good daughter? Every
single year, I go out and I make sure I buy her two separate presents: one for
her birthday and then one for Christmas. XD Not only that, this year was her
special SIXTIETH birthday! Aussies celebrate the milestone fiftieth but the
Cantonese wait for ten years later, see. Earlier, I’d gone out with Deb to buy
her and my dearest dad birthday and Christmas presents and I’d made sure I’d
also bought mother a special 60
th birthday card. The Reject Shop
sells those numbered blank birthday cards but apart from them you won’t find
specific age birthday cards until you turn a new decade old.
Anyhow, when mother lets herself into my room to hit me with
the eye goo, I immediately sit upright, give her a massive hug and wish her a
very happy birthday!
After brushing teeth, a toilet trip and two plain (no honey)
Weet-Bix for breakfast, I climb into the backseat of the 4WD because my dearest
dad has said he’d take mother and me to hit the Boxing Day sales at Carindale!
Once I get into the backseat I immediately turn around to check if my manual
wheelchair is in the back; my heart sinks when I see that the boot’s empty but
like I’d told myself earlier, today was mother’s special birthday and if I had
to let the parents spoil my day by not letting me use the manual wheelchair to
hit the Boxing Day sales, then so be it. You can imagine my immense relief when
dad opens the boot and loads my manual wheelchair inside, phew!!
Obviously I lost my driver’s license after the cruel and
unfaithful God so wantonly destroyed my life with the disabling brain tumour
back in 2007; add to that I have absolutely zero direction sense whatsoever and
since I live south side I have absolutely no idea how to get to Westfield
Carindale! XD Luckily, dad obviously does and we make good time to the big
shopping centre. There’s a heart-stopping moment for me when the parents climb
outta the car and dad doesn’t pop open the boot; my heart sinks and I’m
thinking, crap the parents are gonna insist I walk the whole day meaning I
won’t get the chance to browse and buy stuff but then phew, dearest dad pops
open the boot and I’m like score! Will muchly enjoy the sales today!
After I’ve transferred into the manual wheelchair, we enter
the shopping centre proper, descending down two/three escalators to reach the
shops proper. Dad makes a beeline for all his favourite expensive shops, while
I’m more on the lookout for my favourite shop, Jay Jays and QBD, because my
Australian godmother gave me a thirty dollar gift voucher for Christmas and I
wanted to buy myself some books! The parents have told me to just keep wheeling
straight along and they’ll come find me; once I’ve found JayJays I wheel myself
into the shop to start browsing coz I’m certain once mother reaches it she’ll
know for certain that’s where I’ve gone into. Some mature checkout lady sees me
and asks can she help? I enquire after minion tees but she’s like, sorry, we
don’t have minions anymore. However, we’ve got lotsa other stuff, like Pokemon,
Dragon Ball Z and Frozen! She tells me the cheap table’s where all these random
tees are piled high and the full-priced ones are hanging in the back. I tell
her thanks, wait for someone to walk away from the cheap table and then wheel
myself over to the space leftover and start picking out tees. There’s a tie dye
light blue one of Olaf (the snowman from Frozen) that I particularly like, as
well as a Dragon Ball Z one and a Harry Potter one with Harry’s, Ron’s and
Hermione’s s character heads painted on them; I place all three into my lap and
keep browsing, waiting for mother to come find me and I’d ask her please to
pick which one she thought was the best.
Sure enough, after awhile, mother shows up. I ask her how
did she figure out I was inside Jay Jays and she’s like duh, dad told you to
stay straight along this path; once I reached Jay Jays I knew for certain
that’s where you’d be. XD Anyways, she checks out the three tees I’ve short
listed and in the end decides she’ll lemme buy the Frozen one because I’ve
already got a DBZ tee and a Harry Potter tee.
Right then, dearest dad arrives at Jay Jays also; mother
gives him the tee and tells him to pay for me, before we head outside.
Originally I thought we’d wait outside for dad to buy the tee and then rejoin
us, but mother declares that the line’s super-long and we’ve got time to take a
quick wander around first. So she steers me around several shops. I’ve noticed
before that when dad’s with me, I just help with wheeling coz he’ll both push
and steer; with mother however, she only steers me around and does not help
with the wheeling whatsoever. I’m cool with that; as long as I’m on level
ground I can wheel and steer myself around just fine (albeit slowly); it’s only
going uphill I have difficulty with because I’m simply not physically strong
enough to wheel myself uphill. We make a short round and come back to see if
dearest dad has been served yet; not only has he, he’s also found himself a
shirt to buy also! “It’s really cheap!” He crows. Lol, I thought it was the
women in the family who liked shopping? Not ours; both mother and I aren’t
really big on shopping; we’d much both rather curl up with a good book. XD
Anyhow, clothes at Jay Jays bought, it’s already lunchtime!
We head towards food court but since I tell mother I need to use the bathroom
once first she tells dad to go on ahead and find a table for us; we’ll join him
once we’re done.
The disabled toilets are occupied when we reach the toilets
but since I can see movement behind the opaque glass doors I ask mother can we
wait because I think whoever’s inside will come out soon.
Sure enough, when the door opens, not one, not two, not
three but FOUR people walk out! Three are very little girls; I’m presuming the
tall guy with them’s their dad. Can’t rouse on them for not being disabled and using
the disabled loo although I did wonder where the parents’ room was?
After mother and I had both relieved ourselves we headed
back to find dearest dad. On the way there, I see a Crepe Café and tell mother
if she won’t lemme eat KFC I want a crepe from the Crepe Café! I have some
vague recollection of there having been one at Garbo once? Mother says let’s
find dad first. We find dearest dad seated on a table outside Dymocks. When we
reach him, dad looks up, says he’s hungry and what’s for lunch? I cheer for
some KFC but immediately get shut down by mother. *sigh* Never mind, she’s like
that. Luckily, she doesn’t refuse when I say next I’d like a crepe from the
Crepe Café, please. The Crepe Café’s got its own separate little space outside
the other food outlets set into the wall at Carindale; after I’ve ordered I
just wheel myself around to the other side and watch the person cooking crepes!
First the guy manning the stoves pours a wad of batter onto the cooking space; next
he gets this wooden instrument (don’t ask me what it’s called; it’s kinda like
this ‘T’ shaped wooden stick thing) and runs it around the batter, which
flattens it. While waiting for that side to cook, the guy goes and fetches a
small bowl with all the ingredients for the crepe; after he returns, he
expertly flipped the crepe (I was rather apprehensive that he was a Christmas
casual, didn’t really know how to cook crepes, would try flip the thing and
toss the whole crepe off the stove but he was fine XD) and then scattered the
filling all around the cooked side of the crepe. That done, he folded the crêpe
up and voila! All cooked~ I was very impressed and resolved to keep watching
coz maybe mine would be the next he cooked! Suddenly there’s a tap on my shoulder;
I turn around and there’s this Asian aunty holding out a crepe in a black
plastic plate to me! “Oh, is that mine?” I asked, surprised. “I thought mine
was net in line to be cooked!” The Asian lady laughs and explains that there’s
another cooking plate around the other side; mine was cooked there while I was
watching this stove! Then she asks for the buzzer back, please? I reply that
mother’s got it but she’s gone buying her own lunch; would you like to take the
crepe back and when she returns we’ll give you the buzzer back and you can swap
us for the crepe? The lady laughs, flaps her hand at me and replies, no, you
hang onto the crepe. Just get your mum to gimme back the buzzer when she comes
back. She heads back inside the kiosk and after mother returns from buying her
own lunch I point her in the direction of the lady to return the buzzer to.
Mother does so; when she comes back she grouses at me that I am not holding the
plate of crepe ‘correctly’ but I’m like, who made you God to decide that there’s
a ‘correct’ and ‘incorrect’ way to hold a plate of crepe? Are you making things
up because I’ve never heard a load of such bull in my life? XD Mother just
grouses that I could’ve burnt myself if I’d lost control of the hot plastic
plate and dropped it, but I’m ready for that too. See how I had the plate
resting on the sidearm of the wheelchair, mother? That way, it’s stable and
unlikely to fall unless you push it and it’s also not in contact with my skin.
Mother just huffily tells me to wheel myself back to the table, which is what I
do, because mother does nothing behind my manual wheelchair bar steer. Actually
sometimes she doesn’t even help steer; for instances like that I just put my
right foot onto the floor and steer that way.
Dad’s already seated waiting for us with three sushi rolls
and mother gets her chicken katsudon rice before lunch is divvied up. As usual,
in our family dad gets half of everything while mother and I share a quarter
each. However, since there are three separate sushi rolls I thought perhaps we
could have one each? I try that out by picking up one chicken sushi and eating
half of it with one bite. Whoops, I must’ve been in error; dad immediately
grouses at me that I’m eating ‘incorrectly’. That’s something I’ve really
noticed about this year: while personally I thought the purpose of eating was
to get all the food down your gob, dad insists that the ‘correct’ way of
eating’s to take dainty little mouthfuls. I’m far from being convinced that
he’s even remotely near correct, but to prevent any further ire from him I
finish off lunch by eating ‘his’ way with dainty little mouthfuls. Seems to me
like a rather unsatisfying way to eat, but better do so lest I incur dad’s
wrath and then doubtless mother will accuse me of ‘ruining’ her big birthday
for her. XD
After lunch, there’s dessert! Actually, dad goes to buy
himself a cappuccino (which mother and I both take sips from) and two cinnamon
donuts, of which I’m given half. Yum~
Lunch finished, I want to find QBD and use the thirty dollar
gift card my Australian godmother gave me for Christmas this year because I
know soon mother will demand we head home so she can have her long afternoon
nap. Dad points me in the right direction and says go first; your mother and I
will follow shortly.
Thankfully it’s all level ground; I’m wheeling myself
towards QBD and have just spotted the first table of books when a familiar
voice calls out to me,”Hello, Em Em!” It’s Aunty Mel and Uncle Cyras! I hug
Aunty Mel, shake Uncle Cyras’ hand and ask have they come to the Boxing Day
sales too? Uncle Cyras replies yes, we’ve just had lunch and now we’re here to
see if we can pickup any good bargains.
The parents aren’t far behind; soon the four of them are
merrily chatting and I’m looking longingly at the books and wondering if I can
wheel myself over to start browsing them without seeming rude for leaving.
Luckily, Aunty Mel sees me scanning the titles and she asks me, have I come to
buy books? I reply yes, since my Australian godmother gave me a book voucher
for Christmas this year I’m hoping to pick up a few good ones. Aunty Mel
imperiously calls Uncle Cyras over and says it’s time to leave coz Em Em wants
to buy books. XD After we’ve said bye I wheel myself over to the stacks of
books located outside the shop; hopefully I’ll find a few good ones here coz
I’m presuming all the full-priced ones are further deep inside the store
proper. I find a new Jodi Picoult one and then a historical fiction one I’m
rather excited about; I’ve heard of this author’s name before but never tried
reading one of her books before and actually I honestly can’t remember the last
time I sunk my teeth into a good historical fiction! Then I spot a hardcover
memoir of Jim Cassidy, that famous jockey! Quickly I practise my addition
skills; whoops, I’m three dollars over. Well, it can’t hurt asking; if she says
no I’ll just put one back and try finding something cheaper. “Hey mum, could
you shout me three bucks, please? I’d like to buy these three books with the
book voucher Mrs. Dent gave me but I’m a few dollars short.” Awesome, mother
agrees! We head into the store proper to pay for the books and I’m like sweet,
successful Boxng Day sales for me; I’ve picked up one tee and three books.
Before leaving, though, the parents visit Kmart because mother saw water
filters on special there and she wants to buy one.
And that’s shopping done for the day! Before leaving,
though, dad takes me to the concierge to get our parking validated; since I’ve
got a disabled parking permit I’m entitled to free parking even after the
initial free first three hours. The lady manning the concierge fills out a form
for me, before asking dad, “Can he sign?” before dad can reply, I cheekily
respond, “SHE can sign just fine, thanks. Do you have a pen?’ the lady laughs,
looks embarrassed, says “Sorry it’s been a long day and you’ve got short hair.”
No offence taken, I reassure the lady, before accepting the proffered pen and
scrawling my signature along the bottom line. And that’s the shopping trip
done! Dad and I wheel me back to the 4WD, mother somewhere around us. At the
car, I transfer back into Camry, dad folds Sparkless3 back into the boot and
once both he and mother have climbed back into the car themselves, dad tootles
us home. Once home, I use the bathroom once myself then tootle online while
mother heads upstairs for her long afternoon nap. Not sure what dad did that
arvo … go swimming, maybe? Poor dad’s got a bad back; like everyday after work
he’ll visit the local pool for a dip to loosen his muscles and what not.
For some reason, this year the parents didn’t invite anyone
over for dinner to celebrate mother’s birthday with! Well, I suppose mother
just wanted a quiet affair. After the usual dinner (rice, lotsa vegies and a
lil meat) gets washed down with one bowl of soup, I return online and then
around 9pm visit the bathroom once more. Walking back outta the bathroom,
though, dad has said it’s time to open presents because he’s dragged my
computer chair over to the Christmas tree! To show that I’m civilised, I gently
and carefully remove the sticky tape from my first present then allow my
excitement to overcome me and tear open the rest. XD Like last year, there’s
not many but since I’m not Dudley Dursley I’m content. XD I feel particularly
touched that Granny Wan has gifted me one tin of egg rolls; she’s the awesome
church granny who once told me I had to keep doing my ‘ex-er-ci-se’! Love how
she changed a three syllable word into a four syllable one. XD I give dad his
socks and mother her oven mitt, the gifts they’d requested. Then I cheekily
tell mother that her birthday present’s inside the oven mitt. She obediently
tips the oven mitt upside down, shakes – and out falls the gold pig keychain
thing I’d bought for her from Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown! I roar with laughter
and dearest dad immediately joins in; mother just
GLARES
at us. See, since mother’s born in the
CNY
of the Pig, my dearest dad and I have always bought her piggy gifts, like,
piggybanks, cups with pigs printed over them, piggy slippers, etc.
Dad immediately hangs this newest piggy gift
on the wall beside the staircase; now, EVERYTIME mother ascends the stairs
she’ll see it hanging there! XD
Wow, I’ve written like eight whole pages for this post …
guess I’m just a closet gas bag. XD Anyhow, ‘twas a great Christmas Day,
Christmas Eve and Boxing Day for me; hopefully next year will be equally (if
not even more) spectacular!
Next post here … well, considering it’s the last day of 2019
toms, I’d really better pen my 2019 reflections, don’tcha reckon? XD Hopefully
I can get them posted before the New Year arrives! Anyhow, until then~
Cheers,
Em. ^^
P.S. Apologies for any mistakes you might discover; I'd happily keep editing until I was confident this post was up to standard but since it's already after 9:30 and I've gotta let mother gleefully boot me off to bed come 9:45pm I'd best post now lest I run outta time! XD
