For the first time in about eight years -- WE ARE NOT TRAVELLING ANYWHERE TODAY!!! Praise the Lord! Usually after preaching, two or three times (this year it was five times in two days) and doing our yearly Christmas tradition of opening gifts on Christmas eve and stay up watching the Pope's message from St. Peter's ( not that i am espousing that -- it is always fascinating for me) -- we get up early, stop and have breakfast, and then travel a few hours to my in-laws home. Some years we completely torture ourselves and drive to North Carolina to visit my sister and fam. But this year -- I got up at 8AM...took little cinnamon for a walk ...while my Starbuck's Holiday blend (that I swiped from the staff kitchen) brewed and then I settled down for a cooked breakfast and read my Christmas edition Intell (which was delivered on Xmas Eve at 11:30PM -- so much for acturate and timely news -- its was a day old!). I sat around watching the news, Christmas programming, the Santa Clause Parade from sunny Florida and then made my annual Christmas phone calls. In past year i made it while I drove -- this year in the comfort of my living room couch!! Leisurely I got ready while listen to James MacDonald's Christmas message in WDAC and then helped my wife get ready!
Get ready? Yup we are the host of the annual yuletime Rodkey Family gathering. In the matter of moments 11 people will descent upon my small portion of peaceful holiday paradise. My little sliver of tranquility will be overtaken by vistors from the east, west and enter our domain with boasterious laughter, requesting, joking and sarcasm. We will open gifts and jealous will abound because i am the favorite son in law (humor my delusion -- I am the ONLY son in law). Paper cups and used plates will be left everywhere, stressing our Mrs. Mitchell. The hot tub will be overworked and in need of refilling. And then everyone will leave with a kiss and good bye and then.... we will clean!
Already my dear wife is calling upon her man-servant the Mr. Mitchell to chop up crab and anticokes for her famous hot dip. I will be in charge of making coffee all day -- I will feel like an employee at Dunkins or starbuck's by the end of the day. The crew will consume ten pounds of large shrimps (there goes the Christmas bonus) and then.... tomorrow on my day off I will be taking down the Christmas tree decorations and planting our balled-Xmass tree -- it is my attempt at supporting Al Gore's efforts to reduce the carbon foot print and go green!
Oh well Merry Christmas....maybe it would have been better to travel -- maybe next year!! Happy Hanahakah Veronica!