Christmas: T Minus Nine Days

We are down to single digits…

I am writing this at 11:15pm on Thursday night, so technically I am still in double digits, but by the time you read this the opening statement will be correct. Hell, by the time I finish this it might also be correct… I am in a warm bed, listening to piano versions of Christmas carols. Not a perfect life, but not bad either.

OH FOR THE LOVE OF PETE!
I should be so lucky as to never have to travel to Sandy Springs again!

Yesterday I drove up by the old work hood in order to knock out two tasks:
1. Drop off stuff at Goodwill.
2. Drop off paperwork at my insurance agent’s office.

When I worked in the area going to my insurance agent’s office didn’t seem like a big deal. (side note: I have the same agent that I picked because here office was nearest my apartment when I moved here in 1995.) Yesterday the task seemed monumental.

I was irked when I realized, only when I was at Goodwill, that I’d left the second box of items to donate at home. Fortunately I did not leave the paperwork at home too, so I was able to Frogger my way across Roswell Road (it was faster to walk than to drive) and knock that task out.

Twice now I’ve tried to eat at restaurants at which I ate when I worked near Perimeter Mall and failed. This time I saw that the Dickey’s BBQ has packed up and left town.

Going up to Sandy Springs I drove up 400 to Abernathy and got caught in the construction (and mass destruction of wildlife) being done for the new Mercedes office complex. Not to be stuck in it again I went south on Roswell Road only to get caught in all of the construction happening along it. I’ll reiterate, I should be so lucky as to never have to travel to Sandy Springs again!

The only good thing about getting stuck in so much traffic is that it allowed me to listen to the entire reading of “A Christmas Carol” by Sir Patrick Stewart that I got as an audiobook a few years ago.

ITP Flickr Pic From The Archives
2007: “Santa’s Elves” (East Atlanta, Georgia, United States)
Santa's Elves
I’ve not noticed a Christmas tree in the village this year. A lot of things have changed in my neighborhood in the past nine years, some good, some not so good.

ITP Flickr Pics
You’re on Santa’s “Good List” (as of today) so you get more than one new photo!

“Set For ‘Courtenay’s Cabaret'” (Atlanta, Georgia, United States)
Set For "Courtenay's Cabaret"
After fighting traffic for the third time yesterday and paying $12 to park I was ready to have a good time. Fortunately for me “Courtenay’s Cabaret” did not disappoint. Apparently each show has a surprise guest star. Our guest star was Atlanta’s own Tom Key, who I will be seeing perform his annual one-man show next Thursday.

“1939” (Atlanta, Georgia, United States)
1939
Before the play I stopped into Octane Coffee for a couple of cups and a blueberry muffin — “dinner”. When I got home and pulled out the change I received I noticed that the nickel looked a bit old. After looking at it in really good light I confirmed that it was minted in 1939. Think about how much the world has changed since this nickel was first given out as change. Think of the buying power this nickel had 77 years ago!

What’s Up Weekend?
Today I will be working on preparing myself for the future, I also hope to get to LA Fitness and get a workout in. Tonight I will be making a dinner at home, followed by a Christmas movie.

Tomorrow I will be meeting my old Flickr photog friends at OK Cafe for lunch, and later in the afternoon I’ll be drinking in the ‘hood with a few friends who’ll finally come my way for happy hour.

On Sunday I have plans to do a bunch of shit around the house because it appears as if will be raining. And then of course I will driving all the way up to John’s Creek to see if I can snag some free cash in the bingo contest.

Have a great weekend friends!

Christmas Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

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19 Responses to Christmas: T Minus Nine Days

  1. I woke up after having a very detailed dream in which I lose my shit while failing a major standardized test. An interesting Friday ahead…

  2. Steve says:

    With Debbie off visiting a friend for the night it was a fairly quiet evening around the farm. I did a little shopping, some for others but mostly for myself.

    Yesterday afternoon began the lumberjack process for part of an expanded pasture. Debbie had an idea to make a small paddock between the existing pasture and the barn so I began the process of cleaning up the crap in the area and knocking over some of the smaller trees. Once it warms up a little I’ll resume that process.

    Tomorrow the Foxhunt is in middle Georgia and I’ll go along as the Uber driver. Not an unreasonably early start so I think we have to depart here no later than 6 AM.

    Have a great weekend everyone.

    -FP

  3. Barb says:

    Last night we finished up the dark green paint on the stairwell – its looking pretty good. Next is the upper walls with the off white, and we done with walls. We have to figure out how to get the old carpet off the stairs & what to do with them – but that’s next week’s project.

    Saturday we get to go down the the NW “hood for a returement lunch for Allan’s captain, then to a bar int eh neighborhood. This should be interesting, as let’s just say, this neighborhood has not been gentrified.
    Then to a Parrothead friend’s party that night. Gregg & Deb were going to come in from VA for the party, but they have caught some bug, and the roadtrip isn’t going to happen. I’m almost glad, as I was going to need to do some cleaning tonight to get ready for them.

    Sunday is now free, since they won’t be here. Maybe Wheelhopper, I think its a joint ending with Bear Creek or is it Hog Mountain, down in Hapeville. But, if its raining, we will probably be working on the basement.

  4. No fantastical HyOx (or however you spell that) company Christmas party this year? Or have I misremembered when that party occurs.

  5. Barb says:

    We missed the Hyox party this year – it was last weekend, but Allan had to work, and had to take his test on Sunday morning. It was some disco theme we heard. Dr. King has tamed down the parties, I don’t think he’s making as much money, or, maybe he just realized he was spending a fortune & didn’t need to.

  6. Paulie [eatl/ga] says:

    I just read an article about Courtenay Collins Eckhardt, Courtenay of “Courtenay’s Cabaret”; she hails from the hellscape that is now Sandy Springs. Apparently one night she had “Baton Bob” as her special guest, I bet that was a riotous show.

  7. Stacy says:

    I love what you wrote about the nickel. Like, how many hands must it have touched in those 77 YEARS? Where has it been? Did it get overseas at all? Had it sat in some kid’s shoebox back in the day? For years been in a change jar until it was finally taken to the bank? And when it was, did it get all rolled up in paper with 39 of his other friends to wait patiently to be broken back into the wild again? And how many times did that happen?

    Is it a Denver nickel? That’s worth about $6 then. Yes, I looked it up. And I learned that they just started minting nickels only the year before in 1938.

    And I didn’t even stop to consider what you mentioned: what you could get for 5 cents in 1939! I’m having fun googling and looking at prices of things and how they’ve changed over the decades now. Thanks for my morning entertainment!

  8. My pleasure!

    I googled “1939 nickel” too last night. 😉 Since it has no mint marking it’s pedestrian in nature as 1939 nickels go, but to me it’s invaluable for making me ponder all of the possibilities you’ve mentioned.

  9. Barb says:

    You know, my Grandfather that was born in 1896 had a huge coin collection. I wonder where my Dad has it, and if he’s ever looked into the value of it.
    I remember putting pennies & other coins in slots in books with him.
    I need to call & ask my Dad about it.

  10. You should Barb. Not only could the coins be “worth something'” (more than their face value) it would be interesting to see what he has.

    I just remembered years ago seeing the movie Twenty Bucks which is the fictional account of the life of a $20 bill. I would not be able to see this movie today however because it violates my “I shall see no movie with Brendan Fraser in it” rule. The more modern version of this rule involves Melissa McCarthy; I just do not find her to be funny.

  11. Steve says:

    When I go down to Cash, I have to “fan” all the bills to make sure they are all the correct denomination and doing so give me a chance to see all the different versions and I often wonder what stories they could tell. Old, burned, bug chewed, sticky, decorated, you name it. And all those stamped with “where’s George?”… into the shredder just like all the other marked up bills.

  12. I am back to listening to piano versions of Christmas carols this morning. I’m also coming to the conclusion that I probably won’t be going to LA Fitness today (it’s already past 10am), though I do need to shower and get out of the house at some point as I have a couple of chores that need to get done today.

    Oh if you are a Spotify subscriber you too can listen along. It’s the playlist called “Christmas Peaceful Piano” under the “Happy Holidays” playlists.

  13. Paulie [eatl/ga] says:

    Fat Paulie is now in the M6 headed to LA Fitness. Fuck you 2016!

  14. Paulie [eatl/ga] says:

    Home from the gym and I also completed my one time-critical chore for the day. Winner!

  15. Okay, I will keep commenting…

    Two added benefits of coming home:

    1. I did not eat out and spend money, instead I made myself lunch using food I have already purchased.

    2. My Mel Brooks collection is supposed to be delivered today so I will be home to receive it.

  16. Barb says:

    Allan said his phone is acting up, so I’m looking at getting new phones – our 2 year contract is over a month or 2 ago – not saying I’ll leave Verizon, but……..

    Pricing is crazy – they now just want to charge you a monthly charge instead of buying the phone?? Trying to figure if that just goes on forever or for 2 years, or what.
    But -then you don’t have to trade in the phone – so having a backup phone isn’t a bad plan either.
    I”m so confused.

  17. I couldn’t figure out how the cellphone plans work when I wanted a new iPhone earlier in the year so I bought mine outright at an Apple store.

  18. Jenka says:

    Late commenting as usual. There is indeed a tree in EAV and they had the tree lighting on 3 December. Also, you used “your” when it should be “you’re” under “ITP Flickr Pic.”

    It’s crazy to me that that nickel is 17 years younger than my grandma!

    Happy weekend, everyone!

  19. Huh, not sure how I keep missing the tree. I must be doing something stupid like paying attention to traffic. 🙂

    Thanks, off to fix the incorrect word usage.

    Cheers and have a happy weekend!

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