twenty-something years of "what have you been up to?"

Me and Bill Murry

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am I complaining about the weather again?

Here I am, blogging from the dark side of the moon, the CLO lounge at the embassy.

Peter has to accompany a medivac, boo-hoo, to France. He will leave tonight and come back Friday. He said, I won’t have time to shop. I say, there’s more in the Paris airport shops than there is in the entire country of Niger. He says he has a lot to do before he goes tonight at midnight, I said, "Like what, making a list of everything you’re going to buy me?"

Peter is going somewhere cold and dark and wet and will have to wear a (borrowed) coat and a scarf. No fair! It simply doesn’t feel like Christmas here, it’s hot in the daytime, sunny every single day and gets dark at the same time as when we arrived in July. In Portland it’s hailing! I love hail, I always open the big heavy front door at 6225 Reed College Place and watch the hail with the Cast. I’m like a displaced east-coaster in California. Here, it’s the same day, everyday, over and over again, like the movie Ground Hog Day.

I did find our Christmas ornaments today though, in one of our last boxes to be unpacked. We went to the Grand Hotel for brochettes on Saturday and I told Peter I was surprised they didn’t have a big tree up. Yeah, right. Me, who hates all that holiday overkill: complaining. I miss the Christmas graphics at Target. How’s that for pathetic? And this year they had things designed by Tord Boontje, that fabulous Dutch artist! I should be talking about the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center or something, not Target.

If anyone can remember this far back, we were married 19 years ago today. Is that all?

Tell me about a Christmas detail in your town in the comments.

Comments

12 responses to “Me and Bill Murry”

November 28, 2006

MamaLana

Nineteen years!!?? Happy Anniversary! Do you have to spend it alone? Boo hoo is right! Paris at Christmastime is absolutely wonderful. The whole city is decorated with little white lights strung on the bare chestnut trees. However, the lights might not be up yet since it’s still November.

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November 28, 2006

MamaLana

I hope Peter has a safe trip,and I hope he buys as much as he can — for his sake! LOL I once had a year of endless Summer: I went to South America in October, just in time for Spring, so I had a whole 12 months of Summer. Then, I returned to the U.S. in November, after a long, cold Chilean winter, just in time for a Washington D.C. Winter! Argh. I don’t know which was worse, but
I think it was the year of Winter. You guys will have to create your own Christmas cheer this year! I kiss and hug you all! T.Lana

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November 28, 2006

Mom

How could Peter do that to you on your anniversary yet. He had better find something at the airport to make up for his absence. How can you have a happy anniversary without Peter? Not a lot going on here either.

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November 28, 2006

MamaLana

Hi Dina, I notice you’re reading “Running With Scissors.” I saw the movie last week and A_B_S_O_L_U_T_E_L_Y hated it!! Still feeling depressed. I’m just sayin’.

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November 28, 2006

carolee

Hi Dina, I totally understand how the weather can throw you at Christmas. In Hawaii, it is the same thing: Christmas trees in 85 degree weather! I never undertood how people used to say it didn’t feel like Christmas until I left home. California is much the same way with its balmy weather, but at least we can drive to the snow, which we did 2 weeks ago. Mt. Shasta had snow and we ran one of our dogs. It snowed this past weekend in the higher elevations–I’m sure your parents had snow in Paradise. I went to a Christmas craft fair in Orland–I am probably worse than you by having less Christmas spirit, but I love craft fairs and am interested in having a booth next year. I’ll post again about Christmas in Chico soon! Hang in there–even this homesickness and experiencing a different kind of Christmas will be looked back upon someday with laughter and fondness. Happy Anniversary! I’m sure Peter will bring back something French for you! 😉

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November 28, 2006

sheree

Living in New York City can provide a wealth of funny stories. Sometimes, you just wouldn’t believe what you’re seeing, unless you were there to witness it first hand. The following is one of those times.
My daughters best friend from Portland was just here visiting. We did the whole Rockefeller Center thing — It really is magical this time of year…
As we wrapped up a long day we headed to a bus stop on Madison Ave. By this time we’d seen it all: The Tree (which had not yet been decorated), NBC Studios, Sponge Bob, Elmo, Santa/s, Drummer Boy, Ice Rink, The Top of The Rock, you name it, we saw/did it. So as we walked past a group of (4) Multiracial Santa’s, we hardly took notice. Or so I thought. That’s when Elisabeth chirps up and says to Diana “Hey Di, my Mom still wants me to believe” Hahaha. I immediately replied with a straight face “What are you talking about? Those are merely some of Santa’s helpers” Elis: Oh really? Are you seriously gonna try to tell me that those guys over there — who are smoking and drinking are Santa’s helpers?! Sure enough, I look over, and one of Santa’s helpers is cracking a beer and another is lighting up! I said “Well, clearly, it’s a lot more stressful for Santa here in the city”
We had a great laugh over that one!! It’s too bad that the battery in our camera had already gone dead.
There are so many reasons that I love this city, that’s just one of em’
Many good wishes to you and yours, and your blog readers this holiday season!
Sheree

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November 28, 2006

clay

Hi Dina & Peter,
Happy Anniversary! wow 19 years. (Yuko and I are heading for 16.)
I don’t think Peter is going to have a nice time – just negotiating the airport in Paris is a nightmare. I suppose it won’t be so bad for him in that situation.
Christmas has only come here in Japan in some stores, with the music. But they play the most boring of Christmas music, and for a month. No decorations yet, just falling leaves. Our street was covered and smelling so nice.
But I noticed in Penticton (family town in B.C.) the weather is going up to -10C, and today -20C, with 20cm of snow! I’m happy here with cool fall days, and turning leaves.
Neighbors are putting up Christmas lights. I will have no time for a few weeks, just working 7-days-a-week. Although I am looking right now at our Happy Holidays wreath, with 3 stuffed snowmen on it – representing our small family.
Hang in there Dina. Just remember the Duvaliers in Haiti – they used to turn up the Air Conditioning to max so they could have parties wearing fur coats, while the masses starved outside in the sweltering heat. Instead reflect on the lives of the folks outside your walls, and thank your lucky stars you are in your position! You have a lovely family, a great situation, and fond friends – life is pretty good.
We miss you, Clay

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November 29, 2006

s

I forgot to wish you a
Anniversaire heureux !
S.

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December 1, 2006

Ludmilla

Sonja said “nineteen YEARS?!!! They’re not that old!”
It was 8 degrees this morning on the back porch;snow all around but sunny day. The huge downtown christmas tree and all the Christmas lights are lit early this year because of Thanksgiving being early. Helen and Alex drove home to Seattle in a snow storm (2 1/2 hours for the normally 1 hour trip to Ahland from Mt Shasta), happily shelling out $80 to buy snow chains a couple of miles from the Siskiyou summit; “…and they were so nice, they even put them on for us in less than 5 minutes!” Anyway, the mountain is beautifully blanketed with new snow. I got “yak-traks” for papa for his shoes so that he doesn’t slip on the ice – they’re miniature tire chains for your shoes and they work great. Gotta go bake for the annual Christmas Bazaar for Sonja’s school. It starts tomorrow evening. Love to you all- Milla

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December 1, 2006

michael chordas

Just think in 2 years you’ll be old enough to drink, happy anniversary! I was boasting to Peter; ha you’ll never catch me! (26 years last August) then it dawned on me… she can still through me out. Please no jinxxx!

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December 5, 2006

Catherine

Hi–I’ve commented before–I check in on your blog every now and again.
Anyway, I’m in Alexandria, VA where it was about 70 degrees until Friday. The roses and peonies started blooming. It was weird. Then on Friday night (right after the people who control the thermostat for my apartment building left town for the weekend), the temperature plunged to the 30s. It is now properly winter.
The lights are up in Old Town and the air is cold and dry and it really does feel like Christmas now. We just had our Scottish Walk (sort of a Christmas parade of sorts) and a riverboat light show. It was nice. You also can’t turn on the TV without seeing department store sales for “last minute” shopping (already!), plastic useless toys, weight loss aides and smoking cessation products.
I’ve been in hot places (or in the Southern hemisphere) for season-dependent holidays before, and it does feel very strange and I’d get kind of moody about it at the time, but I look back on those times as sort of exotic adventures–parts of a rich fabric of experiences I’ve had. Besides, for a while there it looked like we’d have a 75 degree Christmas and Alexandria is no where near as exciting as Niamey.
Who knows? Maybe this time a few years from now You’ll be in Norway with real reindeer!

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December 9, 2006

Holly Sanders

When in Japan for Christmas, we ‘mericans missed our Mexican food, so we had a huge Mexican feast for Christmas day! The company made a huge deal about actually, giving us the whole Christmas day off!

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