Thursday, December 28, 2006

How did you spend Christmas day?


Just had a share a story about our Christmas day. Tom and I were both sick on the couch pretty much the entire day. We were in our pj's and robes and were cuddled up on the couch with: a) blankets; b) a roaring fire in the fireplace, and; c) a new space heater positioned directly on us. FYI...It was almost 80 degrees outside that day. We watched several Christmas movies but of course Tom had the hands free tv set up on the coffee table tuned to Football the whole time (thankfully, without sound).

One of my Christmas presents from Tom was a Stilleto Satellite radio system. I can use it in the car and it's portable so I can carry it with me for walks and use it in the house! I was thrilled because I absolutely despise the radio stations out here. Aside from a few shows on NPR there is not one other station I can stomach, so instead I use my ipod when I want to hear music. Tom was sick and tired of hearing me b*tch and moan about the stations all the time, hence the purchase.

So around 3pm we both start to emerge from our zombie like state on the couch and I ask him if he feels up to installing the system in my car. He says Ok and heads out to the garage armed with all the new gear. He was out there for about a half hour or so, and I decide to come out and see how things are going. He's really tired and in between several sneezes says he'll be ok, just has a few last minute touches to do like hiding cords and positioning suction cups. I tell him that I'll keep him company and he says Ok as long as I don't talk much or ask any questions which I agree to, so while he tinkers away with the system I just sit quietly and watch from the passenger seat. A few minutes later Wrigley appears at the screen door leading to the garage and starts to bark. He doesn't quite understand what we're doing in the car. I get out and let him in the garage and instantly he hops right into the car. He climbs into the back seat and sits down and stares straight ahead. I assume my position in the passenger seat while Tom, now a little frustrated, tweaks and makes a few more adjustments to the radio system.

A few more minutes go by and I see a tail emerge by the screen door as I look beyond the windshield. Chumley has now discovered that his entire family is sitting in the car in the garage. Not wanting him to feel left out, I ask Tom if I can bring him into the car. He says sarcastically, Why not? So I get out of the car and head in to get Chumley. Now Wrigley has hopped to the front seat so Tom has to try and pull him into the back which is no easy task. I'm standing by the passenger door holding a hissing Chumley, also trying to coax Wrigely into the back. Finally he succumbs and sits back down so Chumley and I squeeze into the front. Chumley doesn't seem as thrilled to be in the car as Wrigely but he looks around sniffs some parts of the car and hisses in my face from time to time. What a nice, cozy way to spend Christmas. Tom and I together in the car complete with a goofy dog and a hissing cat. But the hissing gets Wrigley all excited so he tries to make his way to the front yet again. Chumley starts swatting and now he's growling which is my warning that he could blow at any time and bite my face, so I decide his time in the car is now over. I try to control his contorting body and open the door slowly and sneak out of the car. He's now furious and screaming. I rush him into the house and let him bolt out of my arms once inside. I quickly close the screen door and head back into the car.

So it's back to the three of us in the car and Tom says that we have to take the car out of the garage in order to test the signal strength. So we back out of the garage and into the driveway and test the signal. It takes Tom a while to find the right stations to program so Wrigley and I just sit and wait patiently staring straight ahead as if we're on a scenic Sunday drive. I think we may have found a new Christmas tradition...

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