Christmas Eve

Seattle, December 21/L Herlevi 2015

Waiting.  So much more to do, so much I haven't gotten done, and part of my head basically screaming, and part of me calm and methodical: what gets done, gets done.  I'm waiting for laundry.  I have four hours until I have to go to rehearsal for singing tonight, and after that, driving.  (Which seems fine, so far.)

I woke up in the early morning, coughing.  Decided I should take the cough medicine, but needed to take that with food, so went down to find something to eat, ran into my housemate in the dark kitchen: we scared each other.  He was making soup as I rummaged through the fridge for cheese, said something about a midnight snack, but it was almost 4 am.  Thought the medicine would leave me groggy, but I'm fine.  Looked out the window just before going back to sleep and somehow convinced myself there was snow falling, so ran downstairs and walked outside: only rain, not nearly cold enough.  Someone was waiting across the street with a dog, a car pulled over and picked her up: travel.  But no snow.  No rain so far today, either.

My boss' boss heard me coughing and suggested I go to the doctor, so I did.  Not contagious, but she gave me prescriptions to calm my lungs down.  Walking Downtown to the bus stop after, decided to check out the gingerbread houses at the Sheraton, waited for close to an hour to view six pieces based on the Episodes I-VI of Star Wars.  The mood was festive and the pieces were cool.  Went to Pacific Place to see how it was decorated, walked into hear carolers singing and then the nightly "snowfall" so I stayed to see what that was.  It's like little sudsy drops, not sure what it's made of, doesn't seem to leave any residue.  It was packed, people were happy.  It was nice, I was trying to feel more "Christmas-y."  (Now I'm listening to the Christmas-music station.)

Episode IV, Sheraton, December 21/L Herlevi 2015

Episode VI, Sheraton Hotel, December 21/L Herlevi 2015

Yesterday, mid-day, the air was cold and damp, high rain clouds, the smallest of raindrops spitting down, but not overly gloomy, a wind picking up, made me want to be in some port city in England...also makes me happy, expectant for something good.  Feel like I need to go to a beach somewhere.  I still have errands to run.

Rushing back to work, air colder, increasing gloom, two women stop me, I say that I need to get back to work, they ask if they can sing me a carol, so I stop.  Say "yes," and listen as they sing "Silent Night" for me.  A moment of shared stillness, before rushing off again.

Went to Larson's (a Scandanavian bakery) to get some bread, forgot where it was, so parked and walked, a little confused by a lack of traffic; it's always a zoo on Christmas Eve.  After wandering a few blocks, realized I must be in the wrong neighborhood, and drove to the right one.  Not as ridiculous as last year (and I kinda' like it), I grabbed a number (only 27 ahead of me) and walked over to the fish shop to get something for Christmas dinner.  By the time I walked back in, they were on my number.  A little boy was excitedly pointing out the snowman Christmas cookies to me, his nose pressed up against the glass case.  The Danish Kringle's were flying out the door.  Someone said they bake 1,000/day and can't keep the table stacked.  (I bought cardamom bread, closest thing to Finnish pulla.)

More to follow.  Time to check the laundry.