Latkes

Chanuka and St. Nicholas Day came almost together this year -- just one day's difference. We didn't make much fuss about Chanuka: we just gave each other a few little presents and then we had the candles. Because of the shortage of candles we only had them alight for ten minutes, but it is all right as long as you have the song.
-- Anne Frank

Saturday, December 23, 2000
One year ago: Olympia Ride
Two years ago: Chili and Rice
Three years ago: Gifts for Who?

This morning I finished wrapping and organizing gifts for Jack and his daughter H----. Then I just had a relaxing day! I watched most of Corrina, Corrina. I've seen this movie before, and I like it! I haven't seen Stepmom or The Story of Us, which were also written by Jessie Nelson. I think I should check them out, though my impression is that they are on the tearjerker side. Ah, looking at IMDB, I see that Stepmom especially has been through a bunch of script reworking by different authors.

While I was waiting, I heard sirens. This isn't unusual (there's an assisted living place a few blocks away, so more ambulance calls than average), but I saw that the two fire trucks and multiple police cars had stopped on the very next block! I didn't walk out to see what was happening (because I didn't have my shoes on), but the terrible irony of Jack and H---- having an accident one block from my place did cross my mind.

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I was looking out the window, so I saw Jack parking. I ran to open the door to my building. Jack and H---- walked in at the same time as my upstairs neighbor, who told us that a bus had hit a pedestrian. How terrible! Jack has a cold and really feels bad. But he started talking about driving down to his parent's place tonight! That was a surprise to me, and not a good one; I thought that sleeping here had been settled on.

We sat down in the living room and immediately began unwrapping gifts. H---- got her birthday present from me first. I'd bought her a Barbie digital camera, to go with the laptop her Dad gave her. This came out a year or so ago, and wasn't expensive. (The one I bought was the last one at Fred Meyer, so was marked down even more.) It's simple and limited, but will serve to get her started.

Jack gave me the book of Ken Burn's Jazz -- I knew about this because he bought it at Costco a few weeks ago, and made a big thing about me not looking in the cart! Also, the 5-CD set that's a compilation of the music from that series, which was a nice surprise. I'll take the CDs to Swingout Northwest with me! I was very suprised and pleased by the small box he handed me next -- a small locket with a blue cameo on it, on a nice gold chain.

From me, H---- got a leather CD holder. Jack got a new headset for the portable phone (the one that came with the phone he bought a few weeks ago wasn't comfortable and didn't work well; I hope this one will be better), and a pair of boxer shorts ("Good thing you gave me this! I forgot to pack any underwear!").

Instead of stockings, I'd found two of those metal lunch boxes from Accoutrements (which is Archie McPhee's wholesale division). Jack's had old science fiction pulp magazine covers on it, and H----'s had hula girls. I'd had fun filling these with stickers, eggnog-scented nailpolish, a gardenia-scented red satin sachet, rear-view-mirror sunglasses, pickup sticks that glow in the dark, geek soap, and other odds and ends. (Which person got which doodad is left as an exercise for the reader.)

I also gave Jack a big basket of Indian food stuff -- basmati rice, tandoori spices, lime pickle and much more.

Jack was worried about leaving his truck, filled with gifts, parked in my neighborhood. So we all three schlepped a bunch of stuff into my apartment, then I drove us all over to my sister's place for an evening of latkes.

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But -- the house was empty! I'd forgotten that they were going to the Saturday evening mass, to make things simpler tomorrow morning on Christmas eve. (There are usually Saturday vigil masses that count for going to church on a Sunday these days.) Jack's cough and lungs were getting bad, anyway, so I suggested we drive down to the grocery store a few blocks away, and get him some more meds.

They still weren't back when we parked in front of the house again, so we just sat quietly in the car and listened to Prairie Home Companion on the radio. H----'s face was lit with a ghostly light as she played a frog-based computer game in the back seat, running her laptop battery down to nothing.

My brother-in-law arrived first and let us in. St. Terese is just a few blocks from their house, which is convenient for walking to school and to Mass. That's why their car was still parked in front of their house, which confused me at first. The rest of the family soon followed. We admired their larger than usual Christmas tree! Many years they buy from Chubby and Tubby, home of the five-dollar tree, but this year some friends at an intentional community in the country were selling trees to fund a well-drilling project, so they have a tree that reaches to the ceiling! The personal connection is always a big factor for my brother-in-law.

In a rare sex-role sterotype moment, Jack and my brother-in-law hung out in the living room, while I helped my sister prepare dinner. She'd planned this latke feast, and invited my movie buddy A----, in honor of Chanuhka. It was also an excuse for her to buy the grater attachment for her big KitchenAid Mixer! We peeled and grated potatoes, then sqeezed out most of the water and mixed in an egg and a bit of flour. We fried up the potato pancakes and kept them warm in the oven. We were still waiting for A----!

In the meantime, H---- showed off her laptop to the great fascination of my nephews. The frogger-type game was especially popular.

Finally A---- arrived and we all sat down to feast on potato pancakes with sour cream and applesauce. Yum! Lots of hilarity, with the kids very excited. We had the advent wreath on the table, with candles lit, plus a candleabra that resembled a menorah, except not enough candles. After all had had their fill of latkes (my brother-in-law cooked the second batch so M---- could sit down and eat), we brought out that bag of fruit jellies, which were very popular. I also divided a Ghiradelli chocolate bar into individual squares and handed them out.

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We didn't stay late, since Jack was fading fast. When we got back I gave him that coat I had repaired. He was very glad to have it! But it did remind me of some sort of "Little Women" Christmas, with gifts remade, though I didn't count this as a gift, precisely. Jack went to sleep early. He knew he wouldn't sleep well, though, since lying down brought his cough back. Indeed, in the middle of the night, he moved out to the living room. I know I should have refrained from kissing him at all today, but I didn't. Oh, gee, I don't want to have a cold during dance camp!