The Countdown Begins
Christmas is on Friday. It is always remarkable how fast the end of the year goes once we hit October. Christmas Eve dinner is at our house. I do love hosting it. My SIL is helping with cooking too. It will be fun. Mac doesn’t like it because it usually means he has to do house chores. This year will be a little different because as opposed to all the other ones, I’m not working. The house isn’t really in bad shape. The biggest clean-up that I need to do is our kitchen chairs.
I have quite a few things to get done today.
I’m cooking the beef stew and some pork. With leftovers, I won’t have to cook a meal again until Christmas Eve. I also have to cook a sourdough boule. It is a three day process of fermenting and proofing. Today is the cooking day.
I’m cleaning out the Mazda. We are getting a new car* and the Mazda is getting traded-in. The Mazda is a 2000 Millenia S. The new car is a 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. Mac will be happy having a convertible again–staring in the late Spring/early Summer anyhow. Mac will probably purchase it this week. He test drove it, and the only thing stopping him is them not meeting his price requirements or someone else already buying it.
The presents need wrapped. First the ones that belong to other people since Ada and Jay can see those. Then the ones to Mac since maybe Ada and Jay can see them. I’m not convinced that Ada can be secretive enough to not tell Mac exactly what they are.
I have the last shelf for the kids room. I have to put it together and stack it on top of the first one. These also are the kind that need/can be hooked to the wall. They aren’t that heavy, and I’m contemplating whether I want to actually do that. I added these floor shelves for more storage in their room, but also because I expect them to pick up their things more, and it is easier when they have shelves they can reach easily. It is the same reason I cleaned out the bottom of the coat closet for drawer organizers. They put their hats and gloves away because they can reach it to do it themselves.
And as always, I have laundry.
I want to dig through the storage closet downstairs. I have a Goodwill run to make, and I’d like to see if there are any more items I can add to it. Then I need to make the Goodwill run.
Plus I have to entertain Ada and Jay. Or at least, referee Ada and Jay. That’s what makes the above list, which seems small, last all day.
*A new-to-us car. This one is a program car with only 2000 miles. I have never in my life bought a brand new car. In college, I couldn’t afford it. Now I can, but it doesn’t make much financial sense. Cars depreciate so fast that if you look for a low mileage one that is a 1-3 years older, you are saving a lot of money and still getting a good car. Even at the special 0% interest for a new car, you can spend less money in the long run on a used one that is financed with an interest rate. It just takes more effort to find a used car.
