Cafe Hitch-hike

2023-12-21

The first real day of vacay

Day One of vacay, furreal now this time! I was invited to a colleague/ alumni-mate from Uni. of the Rust Belt State. It was a small invitation in her home, and it was quite easy-going. It was the dream-home of she and her husband, and I told myself to enjoy the view and see how others get to do those kind of things. Sometimes it’s easy to feel jealous, or why can’t I be there, but it was intriguing to see how long it took.

It’s a smart house that doesn’t act smart most of the time, but it was a beautiful work. The husband is a master builder and contractor. He said he and the Missus bought the home, but he had most of the ideas of things he’s wanted to do for his own home, and then after a long period of work and adjustments, it’s (mostly) done! I remarked that it was cool that he got to live his creation. What he did was definitely a form of art, I thought to myself. He smiled with a soft look of content after the thought it over for a spell.

I guess as someone who sees home as a type of media for creation, I could appreciate what they did. I still have a little wish-list of sorts for my place, yet at the same time, I’m very proud with what I’ve done with “found art” throughout my house. Maybe I’ll spend my break taking my work further.

Speaking of home, I’m going to recall Thanksgiving. I stayed with my sis Big Momma for 2 nights, and I wish she had a real home instead of an apartment so she’d have space for food, her grandkids to ride their bikes, and people to have space out back to enjoy. But, it was cozy and very welcoming. I slept on her sofa, and she gave me some mixed wool blankets, one with patches of somewhat faded colors but perfectly intact, and another with red, green and black plaid on solid white.

“Those were Grandpa’s blankets,” I recalled. Our cousin and uncle, who took care of him at the end of his life, let people pick something of his to take and Big Momma took those. I gladly took the blankets and covered myself with them although they barely covered my feet.

I imagined myself sleeping in his dusty, drafty house during a gray winter, with the Catholic church cemetery across the street on an slight hill. Grandpa’s house was usually seafoam green, though onetime it was kelly green, and it had a white wall made of cinder blocks that elevated the small front yard and home. My mother grew up there, in a middle-working class neighborhood a few blocks away from where industrialists built their mansions on the slight hills.

This time, my sis’s home was new, warm, and rather bright. The partly opened curtains didn’t seem to make the air feel so cold. I had no idea energy efficient homes finally made it to Michigan. It felt like most places I lived were drafty. The air was definitely was cold and with a snap to it, but I usually felt warm during my visit, even during my downtown jaunt.

I guess I can thank the “memories” feature of my social media to show me how festive my holidays have been. Pics of my road trips, dog, and people in holiday mode dotted my memories. I actually felt good to see them, and… when I put these points together with my recent trip back to the hometown, the holidays are quite ok.

I maybe wouldn’t say, like the song, that it’s the most wonderful time of the year, but I could definitely say that if the holidays can do anything, it’s getting people together. In a way, it is a festive time in general. If we take away the conspicuous consumerism and inflated expectations and think more of the gatherings, food, laughs, and just getting back in touch, well…. what’s wrong with the holidays? For me, aren’t those really the best parts?

Yes, I could say the holidays were awful at home, but I started doing my own thing for the holidays when I was 27 or so. One time, I got a hotel room, and invited people over for pizza and to use the indoor, heated pool and it was a relaxing, enjoyable time for all. I’d go to Texas and have fun with my sis, her in-laws, and the people I’d meet while wandering. The holidays often were festive, and for me, it had been all about reconnecting with others.

And, it’s a time for finding new places and getting to know them. I had a lovely side-trip to New Orleans for one of them, and found myself spending time with a beachtown I hadn’t seen in ages, and my little dog was there, enjoying the scenery and meeting people (hahahah, my joke about little Marley: she liked traveling and made lots of friends and acquaintances). I had a more than one enjoyable occasion in a Waffle House in a one-stop town next to the interstate where I felt a relaxed and caring sense of hospitality.

Let’s see… since 2020, I’ve done more holidays at home with my siblings and local peeps. I’d like to do that again since I really never had a proper house-warming party. I still have the karaoke machine, so why not warm that up? I also had that funny gathering with Timmy and the neighbor Juliette.

Anyhow, I’m kind of tired and am spending my first day relaxing and getting ready for a weekend getaway in The Keys. I spent some points and was able to get a vastly reduced price on a nice place I’ve visited before; I sure hope the pool is heated, lol! Now that the Russian-Turkish Spa is closed (waaaaaaah), I need to find a new spa in the area. It just feels better to go to these in the winter in these parts.

Ok, so here’s to the first real day of vacay, and to another (what I hope) is a good holiday season!

downwind | upstream