Christmas 2021 - Omicron version

Beautiful, warm, breezy day in upstate South Carolina. Just the two of us this year; my adult children are all in Florida with their mom. Turkey breast on the grill, Highland Red Ale in a glass, taters about to get mashed. Other than the kids not being here, really couldn’t ask for much better.

 

Sinus infection, apparently. Coughing, sneezing, hacking up yuck. Can't sleep. Woke up at 6 this morning and never got back to sleep. Went to Urgent Care on Thursday, fiasco. Good news: COVID NEGATIVE. Antibiotics for a week.

So I was able to go to the family dinner last night, a party that included 3 people older than me, plus my niece's infant. Didn't want to infect anybody, but doc said I wasn't a threat. Told my brother I felt like I was drunk, so get me drunk and it will cancel it out. One Manhattan a glass of red is all I felt like drinking.

Nothing happening today. Daughter and boyfriend coming tomorrow. We have a 9-pound prime rib in the fridge and the Showtime Rotisserie on the ready.

 

The Camellia Bowl is on ESPN and it’s played in Montgomery, so almost?

We had a ham (city or country?) from a smokehouse yesterday we did presents, and we’re just lounging around today. It’s the first time we did it this way and while yesterday was kinda frazzled, I didn’t mind too much. In fact I like it.

 

Camelia Bowl is on. At some point as a kid, watching the Blue/Grey game became a thing for me. And I'd have the TV to myself because my brothers and sisters would be playing with their presents. I'm guessing the Blue/Grey name wouldn't fly today - also the number of bowl games would extremely limit the number of seniors available. Particularly the SEC players.

 

There's always the Senior Bowl in Mobile after the rest of the bowls. That's kind of the last big draft-related event before the NFL combine.

 

Does the East-West Shrine game exist in any way, shape or form any more? Since it left the Bay area I've lost track, and interest.

 

Had minimal interest in college football as a kid, but I always remember that being on in the house after we got back from Christmas because, well, there was nothing else on. Also remember looking in the paper for the line...I think just to get some proof that game was actually happening.

 

I miss that game too.

When I was a kid, my parents typically had to work on Christmas. Mom, at the time, worked as a housekeeper (cleaner) at our local hospital. Since nobody was around to babysit me, Mom would take me to her work, park me in the employee lounge and finagle a TV to bring in to me to occupy me. Mornings were boring as hell in those pre-cable days, but the Blue-Gray game got me through the afternoon.

 

My older brother moved to Greenville several years ago. Rented in the big woolen mill for a year, then bought a house out by Furman, for this jealous West Coaster he got a ton of bang for his buck. He loves it, hope to visit him someday!

 

Happy Birthday, Jesus. Hope you like … cat food.

 

We were usually at my great-aunt’s house by this time of the day on Christmas. Traditions store watching the Blue-Gray game alone because they were taking about family I had no clue about, homemade chocolate cake - still the best I’ve ever had - and helping my mother clean up the dishes and put them away because my great-aunt’s family were pigs, didn’t seem to realize that she had prepped for days to make the meal great and the house welcoming. We hoped it helped.

Miss doing that. Miss the chocolate cake more. Miss Doris and Andrew most. Nicer, more caring, more decent people will not be found. Treated me like immediate family. Will never forget them.