(no subject)
Merry Christmas (And Happy Hanukah/Kwanza)
I’m glad I’m home again. I went to Pennsylvania on Saturday and then drove back during a massive winter storm. I now hate snow. What should have been another 24 hour straight drive turned into an odyssey of claustrophobia and near insanity lasting from Wednesday noon to 2 o’clock in morning on Friday night. 40 hours in a Nissan quest attempting to find a sitting position that didn’t make my leg fall asleep, getting the dog to move, and trying to sleep while my dad stayed awake by listening to 80’s U.K. pop music (mostly Madness). We only stopped for gas, and ate only twice; Cracker Barrel at 2ish on Wednesday in Ohio Valley (which I finally visited after reading about in all the time in U.S. History) and then Taco Bell around 4ish in Arkansas. That was it. I literally spent 24 hours appeasing my hunger with snowcaps and a warm coke. After 40 hours in a car I felt pretty gross too.
Pennsylvania was cool, I’ve never been there before during the winter, so my memories of fire flies and hot summer nights have been supplemented by going to a restaurant when it’s 5 degrees outside and watching locals lose control of their cars and run off the road. Anyway, I think it will be the last time I see my great grandmother too. She’s bed-ridden and everything but was doing okay otherwise; it’s just that she’s really old. But she was in good spirits, and it was nice to see she hasn’t changed despite physical health.
I met some relatives I haven’t seen in years, all of whom are like the relatives on my dad’s side: nice, funny, and a bit off. Though a few of them seemed a little too concerned about how many Polish and Italian people have moved in the area, as if it was a big deal. In fact, I came to realize the entire town (which is near Pittsburgh btw) was the whitest town I’ve ever been too. Like, I saw more confederate flags on cars in Ohio than I’ve ever seen one day out in the country here in Texas, and I thought it would end there. And I didn’t see any when I got to Pennsylvania, but I did here someone talk about “how much their husband can’t stand the Chinese” when I walked into the local Dunkin’ Donuts. Then I went to an elementary school program my second cousin was in, and I realized there was not one minority in the audience. The only kid who I thought was Hispanic was actually Italian. It was quite amusing. The town wasn’t some racist backwater hole; I just think it has been devoid of any change since like the 40’s. It was like being in the town in the movie “A Christmas Story.”
Yeah...statue (best holiday movie ever)
It’s weird, this is the least spirited Christmas I’ve had, but I really don’t care. Everyone is in a good mood in my family, I have no real desire for any particular present this year (so no disappointments pending) and I’ve seen more snow this week than I have seen in years. Life is good I guess.