Garbage Grinch

I think this is at least my fifth post about garbage. What can I say, it's a big part of my life.

I suspect we had a substitute garbage man working on our street this morning. I say that because I have a nice nodding relationship with the regular guy who laughs at me as I bring just one more bag down the stairs to the truck. He sees Maggie and waves and is generally a nice guy.

Whoever was assigned to our street today would definitely NOT fall into that category. I confess we have a lot of garbage. I mean A LOT. We already have the largest trash can they will give us and it is aways overflowing. Sorry, but you try fitting about 90 weekly diapers and other medical waste in addition to the regular garbage and you too will overflow. Everything is neatly in plastic garbage bags but today there were probably five bags sticking out the top of the can. That happens almost every week, though this week did seem especially bad.

I drove Maggie to school today and the garbage truck was up the street when we left. When I returned about 30 minutes later he was long gone.I could see the truck about four blocks down my street. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to appreciate our overflowing trash can as he left the five bags that were over the top of the can. He threw them on the ground in front of the now empty can. He had to go to extra effort to toss each bag onto the ground rather than just move the can to lift onto the truck. Seems he was intent on sending a Chritmas-y message. Sweet.

My neighbor was in his window and saw me reacting to this. He had a face that seemed to say Yikes!  i just said, if they think this is bad, just wait until next week hen we add Christmas stuff to it. I picked up the five bags and put them back in the can, which made it half full before the new garbage week even begins. I was wondering what to do when I noticed that the truck had not yet done the other side of the street. Perfect I took the five bags and distributed them in the cans of my neighbors across the street. Yes, that's probably against the rules, but I really don't care and neither will my neighbors. The garbage grinch might, but I'm not telling.

As I type the the truck is nearing the other side and I will get a lot of satisfaction when he picks up the trash he used to send me a message. Maybe I will see him as I leave and give him a sweet "Merry Christmas."

I'm sure his heart will grow three sizes - or five bags.

Christmas Came just the Same

Every year I wait for it to "feel like Christmas" even as I go through the motions of preparing.  I grumble through the shopping and writing of cards wondering why we go through this every year.I go to the parties and enjoy myself but wish they were spread out more during the year, instead of being concentrated into a few weeks.

I complain about the inordinate amount of Christmas decorations we have saying it looks like the Walgreen's Christmas sale aisle. This is just one wall of our living room.  I feel like the walls are closing in on me.

 In short, I am a joy.

And then, every year, when I least expect it, something happens to make me smile and fills me with the Holiday Spirit. This year is happened on December 20. A little later than most years, but still in plenty of time.

Every morning we rush to get Maggie onto the bus. The morning driver, Jerry, is a nice enough guy, but we haven't really connected personally. Before the election he would grumble about things and we carefully avoided any conversation that might get him started. That kept things very superficial. Still he shows up on time every day and takes care of Maggie.  I appreciate his work ethic and know Maggie is safe, and that's really what I need from a bus driver. I always have a little something to give each driver at Christmas to say thank you but I wait until the last day (today) to give it to them.

Yesterday we were outside BEFORE the bus, which is very rare. Generally the garage door opens and Jerry is already sitting out there going through whatever routine he does before he opens the lift door for Maggie's chair. Yesterday we were out there before he arrived. I was proud of myself and felt a little smug. No one was waiting for us and I thought "I ROCK at this crazy morning madness."

Nurse Janice was walking down the street from her car and Jerry arrived within about a minute. Jerry opened the door and handed Maggie a little gift bag. He was giving Maggie a gift!  I was surprised. That doesn't generally happen because.. it just doesn't. And even if the drivers were so inclined, they have so many kids assigned to them that it's not possible. And this was Jerry, not someone with whom we had a particularly close relationship. Inside the bag was a sparkly ornament. Maggie  smiled and reached out to touch it.

I was touched at the kind gesture and thanked him on her behalf.
I stood there as he loaded her onto the bus and felt quite a bit less smug than I had a few minutes earlier.  It dawned on me very slowly that this was the moment. The smallest gesture can do it.  I came back into the house and showed the gift to Steve and said, "Ok, now it feels like Christmas."

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!

 "Maybe Christmas," he thought  "doesn't come form a store.

Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more."

And what happened then...?

Well...in Who-ville they say

That the Grinch's small heart 

Grew three sizes that day! 

I wish you all a small gesture that fills you with the Holiday Spirit

(but some of these decorations are still going to be retired. )

Tannen BOMB

Just two weeks ago our Christmas tree was happily growing in our backyard in the Richmond District, a place famous for its fog and lack of sunshine. Yes, that's right. We cut out tree down in our own backyard, and I'm willing to bet we are the only ones in San Francisco who can say that.
       

 

            This is the same tree we used several years ago. If you cut it right, it grows back. And my husband, who still brags about his A+ in Forestry 10 that he received 30 years ago in college, apparently knows what he's doing. It didn't look like much when first cut,  but once it is up and decorated it looks just like a Christmas tree should.

Of course the genesis of this tree is not the whole story. As I wrote last week, it fell over. Once it was up and decorated, it tried to make a break for the back yard, tumbling over, breaking ornaments and tangling lights. Steve put it back up on its perch and the electric train is set up around the base. 

The other night Steve was reading Maggie How the Grinch Stole Christmas and noticed a similarity between the tree in Cindy Lou Hoo's House and ours. Especially at the top. Not sure if that's a result of the crash or the heavy star or just the way our little tree entered the world. 

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Five days to go. It is now screwed into the platform, so it will not be falling over again, but it still looks like it's trying to get back out to the back yard.

I will set it fee next week. I promise.

It's Christmas Time in the City

Had to hit Union Square yesterday to take part in the Christmas madness. Busy sidewalks full of holiday cheer! Giant tree, ice skaters, Santa Claus, hordes of people, and even the grinch. Great Day