Chanukah in the Time of Plague

 So night one of our Festival of Lights is in the books, and it was pretty, pretty good given the unsettled nature of the world.

D2 came over early with Betsy, and set up her work area in the dining room. Betsy happily explored the house and yard, though sadly found unrequited desires to play with the special needs Spaniel and weird rescue -- they just wanted to be left alone. Still, Betsy made us laugh -- trying to get in the house with a comically large tree branch she found, for instance. It was a lovely afternoon.

I gave up on my afternoon walk, on account of a strained ankle. I get them every once in awhile, and luckily a few hours of ice and rest gets me back in action by the next day. Thankfully today the pain is gone, and I plan to get to my usual 10 miles before sundown.

I heard D2 chatting with colleagues, and she came into the kitchen and started mixing a cocktail. It was around 4. Turns out it was one of these new fangled "team building" projects, and her fellow employees chatted happily as they shared ingredients. I showed D2 where I kept my cocktail shaker.

Well -- if someone is going to have an adult beverage in my house, it won't be without me, and so I poured a Ketel and tonic water, to take part in my own team building exercise. It was a lovely way to start the Chanukah spirit.

By 5:30 D2 was off another call, in which some of the Jewish company employees shared Chanukah tales with the gentile ones, and it was time for family business.

I FaceTimed D1, Joey, and the grandson, and we lit menorahs together. The baby was in fine spirits for his first menorah lighting -- Joey kept holding him sideways and he would laugh. It was delightful. Alas, Jonathan was still hard at work and missed out, but I sent D2 home with a self contained menorah (a metal boxed one containing a whole Chanukah's supply of candles) and so he'll get to take part tonight.

After we signed off with D1 and company, my Uber Eats order arrived, from Sushi Rock, one of our usual pre pandemic spots. Unfortunately, they don't seem up to their game -- the food was bad - and so they're off our delivery list. It happens.

D2 bought Wifey and me gifts -- some Bombas socks, which I love, and clothes for Wifey. She also got me new shorts and a T shirt, but the company, Lulolemon, runs small, so when I modeled the new duds Wifey and D2 got a laugh -- I looked like Will Ferrell when he wears the too tight T shirt in the famous "More Cowbell" SNL sketch. D2 took the clothes home and will get me bigger sizes...

So all in all, it was a fine Chanukah kick off. And we get 7 more crazy nights, as Adam Sandler noted.

Today, D1 is due here with the baby and her aging, spoiled Spaniel. We'll enjoy each other's company, and then, in the afternoon, have a historic meeting. We're headed to the Palace to have the baby meet his great grandmother for the first time. It'll be non contact, of course, but she's never seen him other than on a screen.

I'm thinking that given her confusion on top of the disorientation of COVID times, my suegra will not get the connection that the beautiful nearly one year old is her great grandson, but we'll see. She turns 96 in just 4 days. If you get to make it that old, in my observation, except in rare occasions, there's not much really left.

Still, 2020 nears its end. What a year -- the true long, strange trip the Dead sang about. Chanukah was started fine. Next year, Big Man willing, it'll get more back to normal.