Scrooge

That's what I feel like when I have to wheel Peter through that park out there behind the potted mini Christmas tree. While most of the Austrian kids had been waiting for yesterday, and the presents, the Turkish and Slav kids hang out over there, and are waiting for SYLVESTER. Otherwise known to us heathens as New Year's Eve. And yes, it's named after some obscure saint. Never bothered to google him. Just that fact was enough. I would like to research Saint Pantalon, one of these days though. There must be a story there.... and I'm not making that up, he's got a church in Venice named after him.

Those children can't wait to set off fireworks and firecrackers and make a hell of a racket. And because they can't wait, they start messing around with that stuff earlier and earlier every year, to the annoyance of the neighbourhood, and the ire of the dog owners out walking their four legged loved ones. Yesterday, I was wheeling him back to the house through there, and some little imp took aim, thought it would be fun to throw one right under his wheelchair, hey.

And I lost it. 'Don't you friggin' DARE! You'll wake up Baby Jeebus, and he'll GET you!' In German, of course, and loud. (No, have no idea where it came from, it just slipped out.) Well, the look on their faces almost had me in hysterics. Until I had three pair of sullen anatolian resentful eyes looking at me. So I moved ahead, and threw back, 'Or I'll get you, and I can run FAST.' They took off. So, yup, am certifiably Scrooge. (I told a couple of you the short version of this yesterday, sorry for the repeat. It just bothered me, somehow.)

Am sure some will wonder if possessing and setting off fireworks is legal here. It is, unfortunately. Unfortunately because every year people get badly hurt misusing them. And is why I find Sylvester itself a nightmare.

I'll be 'bah, humbug'-ing them on my way home that night, for sure.

Today the country shut down... ummm, Christmas...

Silent night? You might as well be in a tomb, if you do not have immediate family here. So that is why I like to work on this day. And it gives my nice colleagues, who have families and in one case, small children, a bit more time they can spend with them.

It is the biggest, and most private holiday for Austrians. The mornings are always stressful, masses of lemmings buying buying buying those last-minute things. Then everything, the public world ends by two pm. Except for us people in sectors like hospitals, fire-departments, police, and... hotels. The restaurant people get off the hook. They close. Hungry people passing through? Are just going to have to do without till tomorrow. My guests are all visiting families who will feed them way too much food, so no problem there....

Groceries. Had to get groceries, lots. Because nothing is going to open till December 27th as for supermarkets and markets. Nothing. (The 26th is the Feast of Stephen, of 'Good King Wenceslaus' fame, and a holiday too.) I detest it. Being a single householder these days, I think I am being frugal and still buy too much, just in panic that I won't have enough for three days. But there always is, however.

By five p.m. the streets are empty, no traffic at all, hardly. People with families will be ushering in the little ones to be astonished by the Christmas tree, ablaze with candles, and so on, as I am writing this. And opening presents, and so on. Then there is a traditional Christmas Eve dinner, usually fish, for some reason. Tomorrow will be visits to the extended family and the usual stuff as is done in the US. The day after, people seem to go to the movies, mostly.....

So this is the day I get left baby-sitting a big house for a few people, they go out, and it is very very quiet. This year it is a bit melancholy as well. One of our regulars has gone missing for the first time in thirty-one years. No word from him. In hospital? Dead? No idea.

And was thinking about St. Stephen's holidays past, which was usually my turn to get a free day, and then I would throw a small, really cool dinner party for a few people, and it was fun. Now, all of those people have passed away as well, and the only one remaining is bed-ridden and not able to leave her house. You'd think I'd be used to it by now, as I've seen about one generation per decade leave the world stage in all that time. So this is the evening when I stop and call them back to life in my memory, and fondly remember them.

Even more miserable-making is knowing that my ex is sitting by candlelight, no electricity in the appartment, not enough wood left to get through the next three days heating if the current cold snap doesn't let up, and is alone. The children next door brought him a tiny tree in a pot and decorated it very nicely, at least. Otherwise, this is probably going to be the most dismal Christmas I have ever experienced, I'm afraid.... The day I'm off, will have to cook something at my appartment, and take it over to his, so he gets one festive meal, at least. Roast venison with red cabbage and mashed potatoes. (Got to the store late, and the meat was on sale at half-price so it wouldn't sit in the supermarket and spoil, therefore it was cheaper than beef.)

And no, am not moaning and groaning up above. Just a tad introspective, but this day always does that....

At least I did get myself that birthmas present, and so glad I did. (The camera.)

For those of you who stumble by here, wish you much happier holidays than mine. And inter-familial peace, and good friends, and health. Those things are more important than anything.

Achtung! Holidays Ahead, black ice!

And my venerable father, who is of a biblical age and normally of a sanguine nature, suddenly got 'testy'. Now, that could be due to the many days of snow that has kept him indoors for days of late. And it might be because of the extendedly long circus of politicians in clown cars trampling all over his state, as the first primary election will take place there next month. Hell, it could be the full moon tomorrow, or a combination of any or all of them.

But yesterday, he said he wished just one thing. 'That the politicians running all over the place shoveling their bull-shit, would do something useful for a change, like shovel some people's snow'. And then he double-dog dared me to 'blog THAT.'

So there ya go, Dad. It's out there now.... Merry Christmas. (gg)

So tell me, were you good this year? Because if NOT

the Krampus is gonna 'getcha' tomorrow. I will have photos, so that you can tremble in pure fear next time December fifth comes around. It is about local traditions, and the Krampus is really bad.

They have these really HUGE devil wooden masks on, and they run through the city, with switches, and hit the BAD children. (Not hard, it is a token thing. And yes, I got hit by one..... once.) I have this video footage of a kid about five years old who thought they were so COOL, he ran out and jumped up and hugged the absolutely ugliest one. Must have been an imp from hell, or he had wonderful parents, hey.

And on the sixth, St. Nicholas comes, and gives presents to the GOOD children. I have seen this with my own eyes, often, and before I had the punch. Yes.

They do not do Santa Claus here. Well ok, the retailers do nowadays, heinous. It was always: 'the Christ Child left those for you under the tree.' And on Christmas Eve, the young children get distracted by a relative who takes them out to the movies, or a walk, they come back, the door opens, and there is this wonderful tree with real candles burning, and presents beneath. That is so magical....

My mother always went off the charts for concern, after I sent her a photo of my first tree with all the candles burning. Being a half-breed, I comprimised. First we lit the candles. For like about fifteen minutes. And then we turned on the lights. White ones. It was always a problem with design. But I made it work.

So happy Advent. And if you really really want a chuckle, go over to YouTube and put David Sedaris in your google window. And call up 'Six to Eight Black Men' It is a reading in three parts, and hilarious about Christmas in the Netherlands. The title is a little misleading. Cullture clash, hey. I really wish they would re-post his piece about being an elf in Macy's... Really funny. link here

Take care, gonna go hunt the Krampusses tomorrow. Skeeery.

Update. I played this for my ex, shut in that wreck of an apartment. Via computer to telephone. And he told me that Saint Nick, in his childhood days when the Nazis were in power, were frightening to him. St. Nicholas hit children, and they were afraid of them both So David Sedaris wasn't being just 'funny'. It is factually based. I am not sure why everyone gets it wrong.

How sad.