Holiday Cheer

Up at four.  Felt weird.  Went back to bed, but didn't sleep.  Bad thoughts, then a cough and some pressure in my chest.  I got up at five.  Made coffee.  My nose began to run.  After a moment, I realized I really didn't feel well.  Somehow, I'm sick again.  Strange as I haven't been anywhere all weekend.  I've not come in contact with anyone but my mother and her neighbors.  So. . . I'm a bit freaked.  

My college roommate texted me, said he was feeling low.  His wife would make the traditional Thanksgiving meal, but, "it is hard to be positive."

No shit, old chum.  

A bit later, I got a call from a woman who coddled me at the factory.  There were required tasks that were just fucking stupid work.  We had to project budgets and submit them for approval.  It didn't matter what you wrote.  They gave you the same thing or less than you had the year before.  I could never see the point.  So. . . I'd go sit in her office and she would ask me questions and I would give her stupid answers and then she would enter something sensible into the computer.  She did the same for me on other dumbass projects.  And when I got run over, she did everything.  Understand, she didn't have to do any of this.  She wasn't even in the same part of the factory hierarchy as I.  

She got married to her sweetheart, and then she took a job at the Big U across town.  

Then she came back to the factory, but they wouldn't give her the promotion she wanted, so she took a job in another state.  She is a Vice President there now.  

She had texted me a copy of the Pogues "Fairytale of New York" last week, but I wrote back and told her it was too early to start getting Christmas sad and besides I wasn't experiencing the season this year.  

When I answered her call, she said, "You are not the only one who is going to be sad this Christmas."

Uh-oh.  Seems her marriage is falling apart.  She didn't give details, and I didn't press.  She's been with this guy for over ten years, maybe fifteen.  He was a big, good looking guy, an athlete, but he never seemed to do anything for a living.  All I could do was tell her it was a rotten thing.  

"It's o.k."

"No it isn't.  It sucks."

I've known that deal too many times.  

And so, the holidays are off to a bad start for friends and neighbors.  

But I'm sure there is something good somewhere.  As I lay in bed between four and five, I tried to think of something good, and I almost did.  It wasn't world peace or anything grand.  I think I almost remembered the last time I had fun during the holiday season.  

Well, fuck it.  I'm definitely sick this morning.  I'm going back to bed.  I'll have to get up in awhile and take my mother to a doctor's appointment.  I'll take some DayQuil before I go.  

But here's something fun.  Another cartoon video.  Nobody has been going wild for these things, but I like them, so. . . .