Merry Christmas all. Today part wonderful, and a few weird tidbits. The things you learn
with the once-a-year phone call with relatives.
First - with our daughters with their families here and there, it was just my wife and I with three dogs...each got their presents, then my wife and I exchanged our gifts - I made pumpkin pancakes - it was a lovely day, sunny and near 70 (!!! - I guess that qualifies as both weird AND wonderful). We spoke to our two girls - each had a nice day. Dinner was baked cod - then we watched It's a Wonderful Life - all day we streamed a great NPR affiliated nearby station, WNCW (highly recommend!) - they played all sorts of jazz, blues, country, and bluegrass holiday themed music, most of which we'd not heard (and a whole lot better than the autotuned recent American Idol-inspired insipid garbage)
So - that was the wonderful. The weird???
Across the road is an amazing 97 year old woman that my wife visits weekly (we've been here for two years, and the woman broke her hip last year - she is back home, incredible in itself, but with 24 hour care). She is so, so with it! But the caretaker today decided to corner me and tell me what she thinks of Nancy Pelosi, and how free college leads to socialism which leads to laziness and handouts - you all know the drill here. She is former military, and after having her speak AT me for 30 min, that was quite enough.
Even weirder - my cousin (a few years older than me) just came across as having gone off the deep end (though she'd likely been heading there for awhile) - she is one of the leading gurus in one of those pyramid scheme places like nutrilife or herbalife, doesn't trust doctors (but is always trying to push her snakeoil on her family members).
Anyway - I asked her about her year and she said "oh, I had COVID, but took Ivermectin and am fine" (I think she is a Joe Rogan-ite). Then she started telling me about all of the deep research she has been doing, Eisenhower's relationship to Roswell, we humans have no idea how the government is manipulating us, stuff about 3rd and 4th and 5th dimension people and reality - and it just went downhill from there. She confided this stuff in me because she thought I "am as deep an analytical thinker" as her. I suspect she just watches every YouTube weirdo thing out there and swallows it all.
THEN I talk to my brother (6 years younger, he and I are so different - he is I am sure a covert or overt TFGer but knows not to talk politics with me). He is about to get married a 3rd time and wants to do a "destination wedding" in Jamaica (hey, Malaise!) in summer 2023 and wants to know within a few weeks if we will go. This is someone who has taken no interest in me, my endeavors, or family - ever.
So I am sitting here typing this all out and feeling better - thanks for those who dare read it! It was a day with three totally surreal peculiar conversations. It made me so happy I have my wife of 41 years, we have our quiet life here, we are in our "bubble" of sanity with no family very near to us.
It is getting very, very weird out there, folks!
Merry, Merry Christmas!!!!
= new reply since forum marked as read
Yup, it sure is weird out there these days, which is why I stayed home. 
😷
Happy Hollydaze? 
all good now - me, two cats, the tree lit up, trying to decide...go to bed, or do a blog? or eat some more goodies?
Happy Happy Happy to you too!
Glad you & Mrs. Have each other & your kitties!
Sorry the rest of the day was strange. Give your kitties a hug for me.
