The End of Another Year

I believe I covered, in last month's journal, the process for writing you kids each month:

I have collected all the photos (I have a GREAT new camera - Yay e-bay!)
I have re read November's posts, my digital recorder sits in front of me - and I am (once again) naked - typing to you

Would it surprise you to find that I am once again late? Our due date for each journal is the twenty-fifth... Christmas, and it is now 3 days late... oops!
I suspect that with Riki out of the country, Jef busy working in Florida on sprucing up his house, and Andy Blau not answering his phone that I may escape unscathed... besides I may have bought myself some time by buying our webmaster a very nice gift while I was in New Orleans... [I'm not specifically not answering my phone, I'm just not answering when you call - but fork over the gift and we'll talk... -AB]

I am watching Scrooged in the background... naked [Bill Murray's naked? Ick! - AB], (I think that is some sin really). I have to watch it because it's just not Christmas without it, and we didn't see it in New Orleans.

Christmas went well, but first:

I flew out to see Heather after the first weekend of the Louisiana show, had a great trip, hung out with her friends, and ate at great restaurants.
The second and third weekends of the show in Louisiana went well - and it was kind of fun for Jef and I on student days - since we weren't contracted to work those days as Tortugas, but we still had some business concerns to take care of, Jef and I dressed-up in non-Twin costumes, and got to wander around a little.

As a business owner, I LOVE student days... I made fortune on the maze, and surprisingly on the Test of Strength as well... more student days, please. The pub stage in Louisiana is much improved, and the show itself is booming... I had predicted that the show was going to be ten to twenty percent down due to the storm(s)... but it ended up being both greatly improved in attendance, and with people that came to spend money. As with my last investment at that show it is going to be a year or more before the investment I made in the Test of Strength pays off... but it's on its way.

We actually both had fun, and made moolah at that fair this year... and had friends come visit as well. (Hello, Deb Johnson - How many fairs is that now?)

Hey - the sign says NO PARKING

I got to spend some time with my mommy, did a little shopping in New Orleans, the town is fighting back... but I got to see even more damage. There are parts of the city that will never come back... as I have said before, I am no conspiracy theorist, but it sure was the poorest, most destitute sections of town that was damaged (Spike Lee's upcoming documentary highlights the possibility that the Levees were dynamited... before you laugh, or dismiss it - check your history. The Levees were dynamited in the early twentieth century, just to drive out the poorest, blackest citizens...) In a discussion I had with both the Hauser family and my own... we determined that if those folks could hold their owned land for ten years they'd be rich... In ten years or so when all of the damaged houses have been bulldozed, and the land developed by guys like Trump... the property they currently own will be worth a fortune.

Here are some recorded observations from my shopping trip:

• Christmas shopping with my mom is kind of silly; almost tedious... she gets distracted by every bright shiny thing. Come to think of it, maybe it's genetic?
• I patronize Café du Monde for Café Au Lait and beignets... trying to make sure at least one tourist spot survives... makes some money to recover... though on this blustery day, the service isn't what it used to be!
• The Punk Rockers and the Tourists are returning to the quarter, so there is hope.
• While we are at Café Du Monde a huge funeral is being held for a local firefighter killed in action. Representatives from all over the state attend. Touchingly, my mother goes outside to salute his casket as it passes.

Heather moves in - almost perfect...

...that's better!

So Louisiana finished, mother visited, it was time to make the trip to home... but this year home isn't Florida no, no, no... Home is where the Heather is, and Heather is in Kansas City. On my previous, snowy trip to KC, I picked-out a very nice campground in the KC area... it is close to both Heather's work, and her old house... it was a little more expensive than one of the other places I checked, but with electric being free, and free wifi... what really was the determining factor however was the proximity to Heather's concerns, and the charming, chatty woman who runs the place. I must admit I almost bolted when I saw all of the biblical quotes and what-not posted all over the office... but considering that this campground (Campus RV in Independence MO) is located next to one of the biggest Mormon temples, and the national headquarters for one of the weird off-shoots of Mormonism... I shouldn't be surprised... And Cindy and Jack have been sweet, helpful, and very very chatty.

Now I am a Florida-Boy. I have always bragged that my lifestyle has made me an "Accidental Snow Bird". I get the best parts of the year for weather, which assuredly means winter in Florida and AZ.
My Trailer is winterized (or so it claims), I have a really nice furnace on board, and several electric space heaters... but this is a whole different experience to me.

As I arrive, I ask one of my neighbors for help parking - embarrassing secret: I'm just not very good at steering this damned house of mine. This time I am lucky enough to have a former truck driver assist me - and with his white beard, roly-poly belly and twinkling eyes - he looks like Santa Claus. I have Santa help me park my home!

My neighbors are swell, all older folks. They are extremely helpful and warn me of the dangers and concerns of RV-ing in the cold weather. As you sit in your house, warm and safe, you don't have to think about what comes into and out of your house through your hidden water and sewer pipes... but my water comes from a pipe in the ground, through a hose. My sewer, both bath water and poo-water leaves the house through a flexible hose, into a sewer pipe in the ground... guess what happens when the outside temperature drops to below 32 degrees? Or more, when it drops to below 15 degrees, as it has done several times so far?

 

My snowy, cold, whiny, demanding trailer

Icicles! Icicles on my truck!

A Floridian's reaction

You know that great furnace I mentioned? It runs on LP gas; I have two ten gallon bottles standard on my rig... in normal times (the chill of September in Minnesota, or AZ or Charlotte), the bottles will each last around a week and a half... here they'll last (maybe) three days. I have to brave the cold, wearing two sets of gloves to rig an LP extension line so I can tap a much larger bottle of gas set-up just outside my door.

I'm writing this late as I mentioned, and I am sure you don't want to be bored with all of my (many) trials and tribulations getting my house cold-ready. Two different extended propane lines, electric heat-tape (and insulation, wrapped with Duct tape), a standard electric heating pad for the low point drains (who knew I had low point drains... or that they could freeze, and cut off all water flow into the trailer?) Thankfully there was a day of 40 degree temps, or I might never have defrosted the sewer line... which I had accidentally allowed to freeze solid. I spent the first week (almost) just getting the trailer ready... but finally, and with much expense, I have my trailer winterized... just in time for the weather to warm up!

While it was still chilly I made many, many trips to several hardware stores... at the most helpful of them I struck up a friendship with one of the store owners... he asked me why on earth I was wintering here, when I had traditionally wintered in Florida... standing there, shivering next to the propane storage tanks in my hat, gloves and sweater(s) I replied, "There's a girl..."
After the third or fourth trip he said to me "She better be a hell of a girl."

She is.

Doctor Princess and Mrs. Doctor Princess

Besides trailer preparations - I also had to have some social interactions. Heather has a strong social group here...We had a very fancy dinner with Heather's boss and his lovely wife... a little nerve-wracking - all dressed-up and on my best behaviour... I felt a little like I was meeting Mom and Dad!

I also had to accomplish some Christmas Shopping ... Here's a note from that:

• I am surrounded by beauty. I am shopping at Wal-Mart; everyone else is in a foul mood: stressed, suffused by the real Christmas spirit... Not me - everywhere I look I find new joys, new things to look at: This girl has lovely eyes, that one a great smile, here a couple holds hands or a child shows grace... who is crazy, them or me?

I haven't had a Christmas tree since April left in 2001... been busy, out of the country, or at least out of town. It also seemed kind of pointless when it was just London and me. I have discovered that my super-duper girlfriend is a bit of a Christmas nut.

Heather was married before, just like I was. Perhaps someday I will relate the tragic events that led to that dissolution - but she had all of the goodies and toys, big house, fireplace mantle... She has been renting a room in a friend's house for the past year or two... but STILL manages to have three or four different fake Christmas trees!
But wait there's more: a late-night freezing-weather foray to her storage place revealed box after box of decorations, ribbons, wrappings, bows (all organized - did I pick the right girl or what?) She had a very specific idea of how the tree was to look... I was banished to laundry duties while she indulged her decorating mania.
London helped, stealing ornaments, jumping into boxes, eating tape... yeah that kind of help.

 

The decorating maniac...

...and her fuzzy little helper

The Ornament Thief

Here are some observations from that night as Heather decorated our beautiful tree:

Post-decorating snacks for both

• This is a moment to remember, as I crunch across the frosty snow and frozen tire tracks on the road: Before me, the mournful wail of a freight train passing nearby in the chilly night, behind me, the coolest girl I have ever known... beautiful, silly sexy, (okay say it, Asian), decorating our tree, wearing a tiny-little, tight shirt showing off all of her goodies. Her kisses are sweet and many. This makes it worth it to trudge through the snow to do our laundry. Knowing that THAT is what I am coming back to. As I said, this is a good moment, a moment to remember
• Our nights are spent mock-arguing, and kissing, and talking about how crazy we are about one another, and planning our future, and living our now... and we can, and do, talk about everything
• This is what Christmas is supposed to feel like!

Heather and I had our Christmas early, we had a budget (which I may have exceeded a little) we had stockings (including one for London and Heather's dog) I got some Great loot, and gave some cool gifts too (I may have gone a bit overboard on the stocking... oops!) We did ours on Thursday night because she had to work Friday (a half day) and then we had to drive down to New Orleans for Christmas with the family.

You know how some folks are scared to bring their partners to meet their family because they fear that the family won't like 'em? That's not the problem here... I was far more concerned that Heather would meet my wacky clan (especially MOM) and would run screaming...

They all got along famously.

Mom loved Heather, and Heather seemed to like the family as well... I almost had to get into a scrap with my 86 year-old Grandfather... He liked Heather a little too much! Actually the whole family was of the opinion that if things went awry, they would boot me out and keep Heather... thanks guys!

 

Ready for a fancy dinner

Our lovely tree

Part of the family

The thirteen-plus hour trip down was a trial... we were both so sleepy... the trip back was leisurely and fun... I LOVE talking to my girlie... (Which, I suppose is good!)

Yay, god!

We made our departure slowly from Louisiana... I wanted to show Heather some of the chaos and damage from the storms... Like I said, it is going to be years before this town is normal... and it will never be the same.

This brings this journal to a close for now... January will bring New Year's parties, and dinners with Heather's friends (and her birthday), packing for her departure (did I mention she is going on the road with me?), and ... a whole new year of excitement.

I just signed-up to a gym in KC because I have to lose 13 pounds by Feb. 10^th!

Finally - more for my politically savvy friends:

• I recently saw an article that said that gasoline prices were going to go over three dollars this spring. More than the usual number of refineries are going to shut down, "necessary maintenance" "caused by Katrina"... yet because of this, at the most critical time of the year prices will skyrocket for gas. It won't cost any more to make it, just loads more to buy it... and the profits for the oil companies just keep rolling in
• Ben Franklin said "Those that are willing to sacrifice Liberty for Security, deserve neither."