Well, that’s the silly season over and done with for another year. Here’s how I spent my Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day:
Christmas Eve: the 24th being a Thursday, mother
had work for half a day and so Karina was the carer who helped me up. After
munching breakfast and visiting the bathroom, she tootled me off to Sunnybank
Hills Shoppingtown for my fortnightly (well, weekly now that GCCW has ended for
the year) shopping trip.
After using the loo once, I grab Lian Hearn’s Orphan
Warriors, happily flop into a squashy red/pink/magenta-coloured single sofa
seat and happily read for one hour, while Karina goes to find the day’s
groceries mother wants us to buy. When she came back, I posted an update onto
Facebook, visited the loo once more and than began my Christmas shopping! Have
I said before? One benefit to being an only kid’s that I only have the parents
to buy presents for and no siblings. XD I had to buy a Christmas present for
dearest dad and both a Christmas and birthday present for mother. Since
mother’s birthday falls on Boxing Day, she often only gets one present for both
occasions, but aren’t I a good daughter? Ever year, I go out and I make sure to
buy her *two, separate* presents. XD
Firstly, we caught the elevator onto the top (so 4th)
floor, grabbed a trolley and started buying groceries at Coles.
Next, we went sideways to Kmart and I bought mother a
birthday present! Seeing that she’s born in the CNY of the pig, ever since I
was little dad developed the habit of buying mother piggy items for her
birthday and I’ve adopted this habit. XD
I’d actually contacted Kmart via their Facebook page after
browsing their online catalogue and checked that the item I was after was
actually available before going with Karina to find it. Mother had asked
dearest dad for me, before informing me that dad wanted a t-shirt for
Christmas; after finding mother her birthday present I checked out the menswear
but the shirts there weren’t cool; instead, I hiked across to Best & Less
and found him a more suitable shirt there.
Also, I had to find mother a Christmas present! I hadn’t a
clue what to get for her, but Karina suggested why not an eye mask? I was like,
uh, what’s an eye mask? Karina taught me that it’s like a blindfold you tie
around your head before sleeping at night; I thought that’d be a suitable
present for her because apparently mother needs total darkness before she can
fall asleep? So, either she sleeps with her eyes open/she’s got super-thin
eyelids. XD
Our last stop was Woolies to buy groceries. I’ll forever
feel slightly wistful when visiting there; that particular Woolies was my very
first workplace for like two months before the cruel and unfaithful God totally
destroyed my life with the disabling brain tumour … >< But there’s no use
crying over spilt milk and anyways, Caitlin had messaged me earlier asking was
I coming shopping today coz she had a Christmas present ready for me!
… even though that present turned out to be a box of Ferrero
Rocher. XD I swear, *every* year someone tries to gimme a box; I HAVE A NUT
ALLERGY AND WILL EXPLODE IF I COME INTO CONTACT WITH A NUT! >< Well, the
explosion part’s thankfully an exaggeration, but unfortunately the allergy
part’s real. ><
for lunch, Karina tootled us off to C Café. I’d contacted
them over Facebook Messenger earlier, asking them please to reserve a back
table for me with the comfy leather seats and to send me the lunch specials
menu; I keep choosing the BBQ duck plus fried egg for one dollar with rice coz
they serve HUGE portions and you get like HALF a duck! XD
After Karina tootles me home, I turn the alarm off and take
my quickest possible shower, because Christmas shopping took extra time today
and Karina’s shift ended @
When mother arrived home from her half day’s work, I let her
nab half my yummy sausage bun and in return, she feeds me one plain mug of
green tea. After that, I read Grass For His Pillow (by Lian Hearn; that’s the
awesome fantasy cross historical fiction novel we’re doing for this month’s
book club) until dearest dad got home and sent me to the bathroom, saying he’d
drive me to BCAC for the Christmas Eve service now.
Upon arrival, who do we see parked beside us but Kwany and
Daniel! After I swing myself outta the car, Kwany prompts his son, “What did
you want to give Aunty Em?” Daniel takes several steps forward and silently
hands me a wrapped Christmas present! I say thanks enthusiastically, them raise
my hand and try asking, “High five Aunty Em?” Daniel immediately does so; his
palm’s smack bang on target against mine! Which led me to wonder was Daniel
older than Callum, coz last time I asked Callum for a high five, he raised his
hand and considered for awhile before slapping mine – and half missed it! XD
Once inside A1, I grab a seat most to the left near the back;
after dad leaves Lam approaches and hands me one of those little electronic
candles. A1 quickly fills, and while nobody sits besides me, Wilfreddy’s two
seats away from me.
Janice leads several Christmas carols (Christian ones,
obviously) and Pastor Grace delivers a short message, after which everyone’s
invited to head outside and grab a Drumstick ice cream! I’d hoped someone would
walk with me to get my ice cream but when the hall had totally emptied and I
was the only one still sitting inside, I realised nobody would so tentatively
stepped outside myself.
Josh Meggs was standing outside by himself; when he saw me,
he asked, “You alright, Em?”
I replied, “I heard ice cream’s being offered somewhere? Can
I get one too?
Josh gestures with his hand that they’re around the back,
when I next ask him will he please walk behind me so I can get my ice cream too
he gestures ‘off you go’ with his hand follows me over to the back window.
Only as I approach the ledge where the kitchen is, I see
Charlie shaking an empty box of Drumsticks … when I reach him, I say, “Please
tell me there’s still another box, Charlie; I’ve walked all the way here for my
ice cream!”
But no luck. >< Charlie shakes the empty box and says,
“Sorry, Em, we’re all out.”
Were I dramatic, I’d loudly wail that my CHRISTMAS HAS BEEN
RUINED! >< XD I believe I just looked aghast at Charlie, who shrugs apologetically
and instead offers me a Zooper Dooper. Well, I think that’s what they’re
called: those coloured, flavoured icy sticks? I choose an orange one; Charlie
snips off the top for me and then Joey grabs me a seat. For the rest of the
night, I chat with Lisa and Binda. When things are packed up, people start
leaving and the crowd thins, Lisa walks behind me upstairs into the main hall;
I grab a seat and say my thanks and byes. Lisa’s really sweet, going oh, but
will you be alright by yourself? What if you need something? I laugh and
reassure her I’ll be fine; while I may not know many CM folk, I’m pretty sure
my dad’s pretty well-known at church and should anything arise where I need
help, I’m sure I can ask some CM aunty/uncle. Reassured, Lisa leaves and I
Whatsapp dad, saying I’m in the main hall; when will he come pick me up and
take me home? Within two/three minutes, dad replies: soon. Well, how soon’s
soon? XD To wile away the time I start playing Candy Crush, while the hall
fills steadily and the choir practises singing songs for the CM Christmas Eve
service.
Dad finally arrives to drive me back home as the chairperson
calls the service to order.
Once home, I use the bathroom and wail to mother how I
missed out on getting a Drumstick but she’s unsympathetic, blaming me for not
getting up and going for an ice cream earlier. Well, I’d honestly thought
someone would walk behind me; the minute the room emptied I got up and exited
myself! *sigh*
Christmas Eve dinner was the usual bland, boiled and
tasteless affair; afterwards I read for another thirty minutes since I like
reading for one hour everyday whenever possible.
That done, I return online, before visiting the loo once
more at 9pm. Since mother demands I shut the computer and begin the ‘drink
milk, brush teeth’ process at 9:45pm, I comply and am prolly asleep by 10:30pm
max. zizz¬
Christmas Day: one thing I love about the warmer month’s how
the Sun rises really early each day; come Winter, the Sun won’t peek out until
at least 6:30am! I was particularly pleased upon waking on Christmas morning to
see the Sun peeking out because that meant, for the third consecutive year, I’d
achieved TWENTY-FIVE INSTANCES where I’d achieved ONE STRAIGHT WEEK of AWESOME
SLEEPS!! :D ‘Twas only 4:55am when I swung myself over to use the commode chair
(since I can’t walk unless wearing the orthotic on my left foot but mother
demands I sleep barefoot every night since my feet need to breathe – I’ve tried
protesting to her that my nose and mouth breathe, not my feet but to no avail –
I use a commode chair for any bathroom trips I need to take over the night and
during the morning) to relieve myself. I also yelled upstairs good morning and
Merry Christmas to the parents but when neither replied correctly presumed that
mother had forgotten to turn on the baby monitor for me last night. Well fair
enough, I’m not exactly a baby anymore. XD
After brushing teeth and using the loo, I get a special
Saturday breakfast! Weekdays and Sundays I usually just have toast with jam and
cereal, but every Saturday my dearest dad cooks ham and eggs; as my Christmas
present, mother also makes me a cup of delicious vanilla chai!
A strange thing about Christmas this year: I didn’t attend
church! See, mother DEMANDS we attend church EVERY Christmas; I’m pretty sure I
even attended church the year before I popped out, when I was still inside her
tummy! The reason why we didn’t attend this year was because the parents feared
community transmission; may I say without getting lambasted that it was
refreshing for once not having to attend? Like, sing songs I don’t mean a word
of, hearing a message I’ll most likely have forgotten by that night … I thought
that mother would at the very least I watch some online Christmas service, but
nup!
Breakfast finished, I visit the loo again for a number two
and then pop online until summoned for lunch, which is rather disappointing:
soupy pasta with lotsa vegies and some tasteless soup meat. You’d reckon it
being Christmas Day I’d get sth more special, wouldn’t you? XD
Returning online after lunch, after I’d used up the most
important hours of the day I got offline and headed over to the gobbling :P
table, calling upstairs to mother could she please feed me some arvo tea? She
didn’t answer; presumably she was zonked out upstairs enjoying her very long
afternoon, which often stretches well until after the Sun has set, even though
it’s nearing the middle of Summer! ‘Twas dearest dad who handed me a banana –
and he even peeled it for me! Mother’s
Afternoon tea munched, I took a nice warm shower after which
‘twas time to leave for the Choi residence; we’d been invited over for a
Christmas BBQ!
On arrival I happily flopped onto a comfy couch; when Uncle
Ching wandered over and bid me greetings, I asked after Ginger and wondered
wasn’t he a very old cat now? I remembered meeting him before the cruel and
unfaithful God totally destroyed my life with the disabling brain tumour, and
next year will mark fifteen years since that. Uncle Ching told me that Ginger
was SEVENTEEN now, and even brought Ginger outside for me to pat and say hello
to, before grousing at me that silly Ginger had widdled all over the carpet
this morning, meaning he’d had to spend ages cleaning it all up. I laughed and
groused backat him, “Cut poor Ginger some slack; I’ve zero idea how old
seventeen cat years is in human years but he’s prolly a centenarian now so show
him some respect!” XD
The Slams and Ronnie jie jie arrive too; the females all sit
and chat and drink (Uncle Ching had kindly ladled me out a cup of fruit punch)
while the guys fired up the barbie.
When dinner’s ready, I use the loo once before going outside
and taking a seat at the table. I felt loved because somehow Uncle Ching
remembered that I’m a rice bucket (say ‘farn tong’) in Canto and cooked a bowl
of rice for me! Apart from the usual BBQ fare, I also find the Asian salad that
someone made really yummy~
Best of all, there’s cake! Mother really outdid herself
making this one; ‘twas that yummy both Anna and I got seconds!
Before we left, I asked Uncle Ching could I please bid
Ginger goodnight? He led me into Ginger’s bedroom (this room with a bathtub and
washbasin), picked him up, carried him outside and set him on the kitchen benchtop
(which I reckon looks fine being one word, even though the squiggly red line
beneath it tells me it’s actually bench top XD! I braced against the benchtop
and mother kindly took photos for us~ That was the night; we returned home and
I plopped online until mother ordered me off to bed. Zzz~
Boxing Day: wasn’t I good? After enjoying my 8th
consecutive awesome sleep that night (bid my teddy sweet dreams, fell asleep
and didn’t wake again until 5:05am, by which time the Sun was already brightly
peeping through the windows) I managed to refrain myself from bellowing HAPPY
BIRTHDAY!! to mother upstairs. XD
Kim was the carer who helped me up at 8am and dropped me off
at church for ESS at 11am; she even brought me a Christmas present!
After attending ESS, dad tootled me off for a quick lunch
from the Rochedale Maccas. Usually it’s the Warrigal Square Maccas because
that’s closer to where we live but again dad had heard there was some COVID
close contact there recently and opted to have lunch at a more isolated Maccas.
Uncle Yuk Tai and Aunty Denise also had lunch there, sitting one table apart
from us.
Back home, I visited the bathroom once and then sat down in
front of the computer for my most important two hours of the day online. That
up, I leave the computer and head towards the gobbling :P table, asking mother
will she please gimme some arvo tea? Sweet, she passed me another banana and
made me another mug of vanilla chai with milk! During and after munching the
banana I happily read our book club novel, Grass For His Pillow, for one hour.
That done, I visited the toilet once and and sat back down in front of the
computer. Shortly afterwards, mother tumbles downstairs from her long afternoon
nap and orders that I shower. After that’s done, I again return online until
told to use the bathroom then get into the car, coz dad was taking us out for
our usual once-weekly family dinner out together!
Originally, dad drove us to Capalaba somewhere for fish and
chips, because apparently I’d heard from the radio that the best fish and chips
found in Brisbane was located in Capalaba! Only problem? Since Boxing Day’s a
public holiday, the fish and chip shop wasn’t open. Perhaps some places close early
every Sunday, coupled with the fact that ‘twas a public holiday, even though
like NOTHING was open we still needed dinner! Eventually dad found a takeaway
Pizza Hut open and pulled up. The parents got out and ordered us two pizzas for
dinner, although mother was grumpy since Pizza Hut added a public holiday
surcharge. I thought takeaways didn’t enforce public holiday surcharges, but
maybe Pizza Hut considers itself a restaurant? She pays it, though; think she
was hungry after her long afternoon nap and couldn’t be bothered travelling
further in search of dinner. XD
We actually ate inside the car; dad just pulled over by some
blockade and passed mother and me slices of pizza. I wasn’t very impressed: in
my Xmas Greetings this year I shared my delight of eating ONE WHOLE PIZZA ALL
TO MYSELF; since in our family dad gets half of everything while mother and I
split half each, from the two pizzas we ordered I got two slices. Only the
employee cutting the pizzas hadn’t done a very good job and the slices were not
all the same size; mine were so tiny that with one bite alone I’d already
reached the crust!
Back home, ‘twas time to open Christmas presents! I must’ve
been a very good girl this year, since not only did Santa bring me more
Well, I’ll haveta wait almost another year before December
the 25th arrives again …
Next post here: must be my reflections for 2021, it’s
already NYE tomorrow! I’ve been slack this year; should’ve immediately started
composing this post come the 27th but waited a couple more days. XD
Well, please excuse me if you find errors in this post while reading it; since
mother demands I get myself off to bed every night at the piss-early time of
9:45pm, I prolly won’t have enough time to thoroughly edit this before
publishing. XD
Until then!
Cheers,
Em. ^^
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