Oh to be a dog.  Such a simple life.  I introduced a doggy ball, easily conveyed the “rules” of the game, which he figured out himself in a second, and now we have a new never-ending obsession.  I roll or throw it, he catches it in his mouth, brings it and sets it down in front of me, backs up a little or nudges it toward me to make room, and repeat. Over, and over, ad infinitum.

It almost, not quite, distracts him from the frisbee, which he also can’t get enough of.  He’ll sit and look at me, look directly at the frisbee hiding place, back at me, etc–we both know exactly what he’s trying to tell the slow human.  Fortunately, this time of year there are always several humans to appeal to with those irresistible eyes.  Resistance is futile.

K tried to take him for his PM walk, only Loucious knew I was there and wouldn’t go!  We really have a thing.  Later K was able to persuade him.  Fortunately the kids and L love each other.  I wonder what will happen at the end of the month.  Probably more whining and howling about getting a dog.

Chanukah 4th lighting was very quiet, as kids were either at a friend’s or sleeping.  It was A, Y, and me.  The HW and testing load is enormous right now, especially on E; it’s exhausting.  I can’t believe kids have to go through so much now.  Yet still E bakes gorgeous cookies for everyone before collapsing.

Anyway, I had run an errand earlier and got a few little tchotchkes for each of them for the next few nights.  They’ve all been clamoring for lists of expensive xmas gifts which sadly I can’t fulfill, so I do what I can for Chanukah and call it a night.  Leave the indulging to the people with discretionary spending money.  I’m lucky if I can pay my bills and pay down dental debts.  No worries.  At least I was here.

This dog cracks me up.  He’s getting very attached to me, because I indulge his frisbee obsession.  He is an Olympic frisbee catcher.  He gets it on his face and brings it right back at a command.  In fact he follows all the directions exactly, and often no words are needed to communicate back and forth, just glances.  It’s like we’re reading each other’s mind.  Once I’ve got him exhausted playing, we jump on the sofa and he pushes up against me and rolls over to get a belly rub.  He loves everyone.  Except other dogs.

The house has been full of kids’ friends lately, studying, rehearsing lines, playing games, baking, etc.  Today we had E’s friend C and Y’s friend (?), and they stayed for Chanukah lighting (3rd), which C and Y joined in on.  Y and friend baked a gingerbread man and house from scratch.  I really like seeing the house full of kids who may feel similarly out of place or marginalized elsewhere but share a lot in common with my gkids.  They seem to feel at home at the Avdi’s, where they can be themselves and enjoy participating in Jewish customs.  By now they’re becoming like extended family.  Of course Loucious loves all the commotion and attention.

Having the car is great, because I can spare Avdi yet another person to shuttle somewhere.  At some point I may even go shopping!?  If I remember how.  Not that I have money to spend.  At least I don’t feel quite as dependent.

A lot happened today.  Jess and I did doggy things until I twisted my bum knee walking the dog out back and could only hobble around after that.  Plus I still felt like crap.  Loucious jumped up on the couch and lay on top of me, which helped my frame of mind, at least.

But as it turned out, I was able to drive Jess’s Fit after she got the Prius, so I could run some errands and return to Avdi’s.  Later, everyone was playing musical cars to get stuff done.  Y had his friend S over, and much fun was had with Loucious and the frisbee out back.  That dog was in doggy heaven, performing for all those people in his pack, all speaking German!

Eventually most of the family showed up for the second Chanukah lighting.  Y’s friend wanted to help light candles.  We were all spinning dreidels and hanging out.  Loucious enjoyed all the singing and carrying on.  That dog will sleep well tonight!

We’ve been loaned a dog for a month.  Some German friends of Jess’s couldn’t get the paperwork in time to take him to Germany with them for a visit, so Loucious (“lou-shus”) the Australian sheepdog is staying with the Avdi’s.  The dog only speaks German, so we’re all learning or brushing up (in E’s case).

I had my doubts at first, but this dog is impossible to dislike.  He’s super smart and lovable and well-behaved, and calm at 9 years old.  I was still feeling a little sick, but playing with him took my mind off of it.  Everyone will be sharing the responsibility daily.  He took to all of us right away.  Look at that face, with a personality to match!  I have been assimilated.

We lit the first light of Chanukah this evening, and had our family meeting, including a spreadsheet by Jess of daily doggy jobs to check off, to be paid accordingly by the owners.  And I get to borrow J’s car while she gets to borrow their Prius.  Also the kids got help filling out their passport papers.

A high wind blew me over to the Avdi’s.  The ratties were happy to see me, as always.  In the evening, K made an Asian beef soup with rice noodles.  Then A, K, and I went to the HS to see Ren’s school band in concert.

I was starting to come down with something, and this morning it was full-blown.  My throat was so swollen I could barely breathe or swallow.  So I’m taking a rare sick day.

The news gets more bizarre and surreal by the day; I can’t even begin to comprehend or talk about it.  That’s why I stick to mundane homey things I can get behind.  I’m just living for the day these deranged pervs finally fragment and decompose into  the putrefying crap they really are, and leave us the hell alone to restore sanity.  I can’t even find words filthy enough to describe these degenerates.  It’s so heartening to see so many young non-white leaders stepping up and winning elections and demonstrating how it’s done.

Now back to hearthy things.  It seems I live among pickleholics.  This latest humongous batch won’t last long.  When they’re not inhaling giant pickles, they’re making them out of anything they can find.

Avdi made this wonderful aromatic hot spiced cider, which is just what you need on a cold, windy evening.  I took mine outside to watch my micro-garden glow light show.  I made this hearty beef-barley-mushroom-veg. soup from leftovers.

E had some school friends over to talk shop, including “Mercutio” of R&J fame.  Y wanted to hang out with them, as he did with K’s previous MTG (Magic The Gathering) crew the other night.  It’s a good sign.  It’s also nice that everyone can feel safe and welcome at Avdi’s.

LBNL, here are some of my green roommates at home, trying like me to survive the coming winter.

Longer, colder nights…but solstice is not far away, when days get longer again.  Fairy lights still glitter in the dark.  The snow-frozen garden greens appear to have survived somehow.  I’m already thinking gardeny thoughts and plans, which keeps me going.  Though I just want to hibernate, I try to resist my instincts and carry on, if only for others that may need me.  If other mammals can do it, so can I.  (Looking at you, raccoons and possums.)  I’m getting good at foraging for food scraps.  It won’t be dark forever.  Yep, a garden metaphor, so shoot me!

I was able to walk (more like limp with a bad knee) to Avdi’s in the melting snow, and do the usual erev preps.  By evening it had warmed up a little, under a full moon.  Just to be different, we had a braided risen garlic bread (not homemade), because the outer freezer dies whenever temps are extreme, and its contents had to be evacuated to the inner one.  It’s the spirit that counts!  The kids loved it.  I made an Italian chicken and angel hair dinner to go with it.  Y had a friend L over, who joined us.

Then we (A, K, Y, and I) hustled over to WGHS to watch short films made and starred in by K’s film club (again, supervised by Mr. Schaefer).  This huge, historical edifice/campus has been updated and offers exceptional opportunities and paths for diverse students and their families, drama and performing arts being among the priorities.  It feels like more of a community of likeminded, unconventional friends, rather than the competitive cliques in lockstep being ordered around by rigid, repressed authoritarians that I experienced in school.

The films were all fun, but K’s (not partial) was really funny.  I’m starting to recognize many of the kids now, and it’s so inspiring to see how close they all get through working together on projects they love.  There’s a lot of talent there.  The best part was seeing Y looking up to K and friends, and staying to hang out with them at the afterparty.  This is something Y really needs, to get out of himself and his isolation, and experience the possibilities ahead.  Avdi was thrilled.

As if to offset the enforced solitary incident and frozen hell, it warmed up to a balmy 39º for one day, and Avdi and I got to go out on one of our STL adventure dates.

This time, we checked out Das Bevo on Gravois, a historical landmark bierhall with a windmill.  We sat on comfy sofas by a roaring fire under cathedral ceilings with excellent local German-style lagers, and unwound a little from the week.

Next, we hung out at The Silver Ballroom down the street, a cozy ‘hood dive bar with pinball machines, Australian meat pies, and punk juke box.  We got to talking with the girl tending bar, who shared lots of interesting backstory.  I enjoyed a decent scotch, and shared Avdi’s delicious meat pie.

Finally, we drove to The Hill (old Italian area) and checked out Pop’s Blue Moon, a friendly old iconic small bar and live music venue with a DJ playing drum and bass EDM.  Avdi got to dance off some of his frustrations from the day/week/life, and I enjoyed just soaking it in.

STL is such a revelation, with so many eclectic, unexpected spaces around every corner.  The architecture alone is fascinating.  You could live here for years and never run out of new experiences, and it’s much more affordable/accessable than a major city.  People are friendly and approachable, never snobby.  It’s like a cultural cross-section of the world in a small space.  No wonder it wins high ratings for funnest US city!

(I realize I sound like a privileged white person who hasn’t lost everything in a tornado or trumpian racist persecution, yet, guilty as charged, but this is just me, an outsider, expressing appreciation for my new adopted home.)

For me, it’s like getting to stay home and travel the world at the same time.  Like, Germany, Australia, and Italy, with EDM, in one night!  Snobs with money can fly over all they want, and lose out.  Of course gratitude and credit go to Avdi graciously picking up the tab, or I’d never get to do this.

Naturally, the temps crashed again to record lows today, so I may not be getting out again, but at least I caught a glimpse of the kids yesterday, and caught up a little on the Avdi’s chores, so I don’t feel like a total lazy freeloader!  And I get to wash dishes in my sink again, yay.

After all that, Mr. Maintenance discovered he had wired the new disposal wrong, so he corrected it, and it’s fixed.  In five minutes.  About time!  Now I’m running the dishwasher for the first time ever, to bleach out all the crud.  Seems to be working.

I may get to see the Avdi’s today!

Here’s my shiny new device.