So. This is Christmas.

Staggered to the almost-end of 2012 working year: next week two more days of full work (yup December 25th included!), and one day of half-work.
Ah. Hate December.
Am waiting for the Christmas joy to settle on me.

But maybe, just maybe....my Christmas present this year will be: Okaasan finding a day service hula dance class she actually likes.
December 25th she will be going off AGAIN, to another day service center to try out for another class.
Dear Son and Manager Man succeeded/*******************************************

Those stars are actually the cat's addition to the blog. He is now sitting on the keyboard.

Blogging round a cat.

Yesterday Manager Man came again and Dear Son did some straight talking with Okaasan: You MUST go out and exercise in winter.
Manager Man found another local center with Hawaiian dancing. Okaasan said the first class was bad because: the teacher was "rude" and the students were "not serious about learning". For heaven's sake!!! Picky, picky....

And so we try again.

Christmas morning I will be working for the first time in years anyway, so getting Okaasan set up for Day Service departure will just add to my joy.
Dear Son will come from ski work for one night, and hopefully Christmas Night the three of us will sit and eat chicken or something and celebrate a successful hula class.
I'm grateful they managed to try again with Okaasan. I fear we may go round and round all the day service centers of Sapporo and find fault with every single hula dance class. But for now I will be grateful that Day Service Round II will happen.

End of Year stuff....just on and on and on really. The Mayans got it wrong, December 21 went on for hours and hours. I got to the end and collapsed in bed. Couldn't actually believe that stuff i'd done in the morning was all on the same day - it seemed so long ago.
Dear Son came home at 10 pm Thursday and left at 6 am Saturday. I was working Friday, and there was some sleeping too - so we actually only interacted with eachother for about 5? 6? hours. Interacted on the the level of conversations about: replacing the oil tank, getting more oil, ordering lunch boxes for Okaasan, cat injury reports, laundry, who is cooking dinner, schedule for next week...errr.......errr....
Not a whole lot of romance in any of that.
He'll come home Christmas Night. Then away, then away for New Year for another 10 days.
On its own I don't mind. He is a ski instructor. Now is the busy season. I knew it when I met him, I don't mind. But adding in Okaasan care...and no car for things like shopping and my own skiing trips. Aghhh.... bugger.

But.
Look on The Bright Side!
:-) 3 days now with NO work.
:-) Cat injuries healing nicely and he will continue in this collar for another week.
:-) Healthy stomach and only ONE more dentist vist to go...
:-) I might ski this afternoon!
:-) I am going to a SMAP concert Christmas Eve afternoon! (SMAP, oldest boy band in Japan)
:-) There is mulled wine, sparkling wine, chocolates, biscuits and stollen bread under my rubber plant.
:-) Two Couch Surfers arrive today for the Christmas holidays.
:-)  My Friend and her baby are inviting me out for a buffet lunch.
:-)  Les Miserables AND The Hobbit are at the movie theaters.

oh...

and...

Okaasan will try hula dance class at day service again.

BIG :-)))