Gaining Light

The increments are small, but at least we've stopped losing light. Even though the winter sun is weak, the additional daylight is important, gives me time for a chore or two after I get home. My holiday plans are simple, finish the chili and cornbread probably tomorrow, then do two halves of acorn squash, one stuffed with chorizo and one stuffed with a raspberry and red-currant jam mixture, with these hoe-cake things I'm working on, refried cheese grits with acorn meal. Cheese grits, I had forgotten how good they could be, bought small wedges of several different hard cheeses and grated them into the grits when they were almost done. I can't really afford English double cheddars, but goddamn, they do perk up a pot of grits. I'm writing in my new bathrobe which seems European, slightly decadent, and almost gay; but it's incredibly comfortable and warm. Who's going to see me? First copies of the sound re-mastered movie from Glenn today, and we're going to watch, or at least I am, everyone else seems to be wrapping xmas presents. I send folks things during the course of the year, when a specific thing is highly appropriate and I find it in a dumpster, certainly don't have the money to buy the things for certain friends, that I'd like to. Fantasy. The real world is a gimp arm and dealing with the cold. Ripping out your under-carriage in a descent you never imagined. Losing control, is that possible? And you have to buy a new truck. I mean, wow. That's in your face. My arm, for instance, I've lost something, but can I live with that? It's my left arm and it doesn't do much anyway, in fact, yes, I can do with 25% reduction in that particular body part. They're down-sizing everywhere. Phone line out last night, so I couldn't SEND. Museum open half-a-day today. The Conserver called, he's coming here, next Wednesday, to repair the damaged painting, we get to watch. He figures less than a day, over and back to Cincy, $500 plus mileage. This doesn't seem like enough money. He must figure it a couple of hour job. I can't wait, to watch the repair happen. I thought it would cost thousands and take days, which it would, if it were a complete restoration, stripping the surface, re-varnishing, re-stretching. We'll probably just cut him a check and not make any insurance claim. My great fear, in all this, was that our insurance rates would go even higher. I think we carry a two million dollar policy on the museum. Did I say there were no decorations? I meant other than the Grateful Dead xmas ornament that hangs year-round, over one of the beams. I think it quite festive. The only music I want is the ticking of the stove. After work, D and I lunched at the pub, had a pint of Newcastle and he out-lined their itinerary for the holiday. I couldn't do it, I never did it, it makes me uncomfortable to even think about it. I'd rather shoot myself in the foot than stand around and make small-talk. I do over-tip when Lindsay doesn't charge us for the pint, John poured the beers and he didn't tell her. Maybe it was an xmas present, maybe it was an oversight. It was maybe the best draft beer I'd ever consumed, almost as good as the best beer I'd ever made.