A Cold Solstice Morning

Holiday Adventures at Kilmurry House

[This article was also posted in a similar form at my Live Journal disaster_cat where I am posting more often these days) but I thought folks here might enough it too]..

So, I woke up this morning and realized as one does that it was a bit chilly and I needed a bath before getting dressed. Went to turn on hot water, now lately because our pump is going out (and no one will replace it until after January 4th, so sorry it is the holidays says the plumber) we often don't have much water. Except in the hot water tank, except this morning is was not really a hot water tank, it was a somewhat slow flowing cold water tank. I think about it, get a towel and try to remember archeology teacher's instructions on "how to bath with a coffee cup." He forgot to add the "how to get combination hair shampoo and conditioner completely out of your hair with a coffee cup full of cold water, in a freezing bathroom." Did I mention most of his digs were in the Middle East...? Anyway, Freya has spent most of the afternoon "bathing" my hair, something she has never done before, except for the claws on my head this in not a bad experience, just an unusual one.

Anyway, so I go down stairs and yes, at 11am on the very last possible delivery day we are in fact out of oil. So Wolf calls the van guy, explains that the only person who has any clue how to get the heat going after an oil fill is leaving tomorrow for a week. They promise to do their best. While covering my freezing, wet, sticky hair with a hat; I try to think positive: at least this did not happen on Christmas Eve like it did several years ago...

Then, we proceed to get ready to go and do the dreaded last minute shopping. What I didn't realize was in addition to buying emergency water, in case the pump decides it wants a final holiday before it is replaced next month; we also still had to buy presents for some folks. Oh Joy, oh rapture. Just a short while later I am explaining to husband, why I don't think such and such is really appropriate for a six year old, no matter how much he might have wanted it at the same age. When I suggested what the parents in question my want to do to him in the aftermath of such a gift was probably not legal he relented and compromised. Then suggested that I "only felt that way because I was the Older sibling, if I'd been the YOUNGER one like him I would understand..." Ah the holidays, just what you need to bring back memories of your child hood. And in case anyone is reading, I was shopping with Wolf, not the Lizard this time

Having settled down memories of Yuletides past, it became apparent that two gifts were just not to be found where we were. Despite the lack of bathrooms (and a warning to DH about same) I was left with: no money, and no place to sit down while he "just went for a few minutes to check for a gift for "x" and bring back cash." I'm pretty sure that Eve also feel for that line, probably about the time that Adam suggested that it would "only take a minute" to name another critter before supper time. No wonder she decided on apple pie instead of burned toast...

About an hour later, and discovering everything the store has to offer several times over, I rushed to leave husband with unpaid shopping cart to sprint up the hill to the petrol station. I reflected on the word's of CS Lewis, "Sometimes the greatest Joy can be found in seeing the world Gentleman printed on a door" (in my case the door said both Gentlemen and Ladies) but at that point it could have said Martians and I would not have cared. As long as the item required was indeed inside and working. Not always to be counted on in a rural area.

Feeling much better, I return just as husband is manhandling purchases, including a several case s of water into the car. Of course, there was no dry cat food to be found anywhere, the other main item we were searching for. Stops in the village also proved that all the cat owners of Middle Ireland must have gone on a buying spree this past week. The kitties will just have to make do with canned food mixed with table stuff and dog food. Somehow I don't think they will mind much.

Getting home, the house is still freezing but at least the oil truck has come. However, since person required to turn it on is now sleeping, I think I will continue to a certain cat, literally in my hair for awhile yet. Still, if the pump prevails and the heat returns I may yet get a real bath today. Sometimes you desire great things, some times just warm things. I guess a cup of tea will have to suit for now.

So, how was YOUR day?

DisasterCat

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Update, since I can not get the edit feature to work - the surprise was the my husband mentioned the sibling stuff, since it is more often his business partner (also our house-mate aka The Lizard) who suffered this problem in childhood. His old fashioned Irish father always made the two boys decide on what ONE present they would get that year (must go back to when large families of 12 children and parent's could only afford one nice gift, like a pony or sleigh). Our friends have heard this story over and over, mostly about the year that the Lizard wanted a Mellenium Falcon and they got what his older brother wanted instead. As an adult, he has gotten more versions of that space ship that I can count, including one that ended up in the bottom of the garden pond, keeping company with the Newts...

Disaster Cat

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