So How Was Your Christmas?
On Christmas Day, the Witch and her Octopuddle, but not Tilly the Ferret, drove down to Montreal to see the Homicidal Maniac and jenjipie, aka the Witch's baby sister. Also on the guest list were Cousin B and Jenji's new honey-bunny (who graced us with his presence for about an hour before dashing off to work).
Sound good so far? Attend...
The Homicidal One was running behind on account of having had to attend a friend's funeral the night before. It was a while before we were informed that Cousin A (mother of Cousin B), was stuck in the hospital and might be sprung if a lift could be arranged. A lift was offered by Witch and Octopink, with just barely enough time to hit hospital and return with Cousin A, but Cousin A was unable to locate a nurse in order to get dressed. She has either cerebellar ataxia or Parkinson's Disease according to the Homicidal maniac (who seems unaware that the two terms describe distinct and unrelated disorders). Cousin A ends up not visiting.
After a rather hurried Christmas meal, which Jenji's boyfriend leaves in the middle of, presents are opened and the participants disperse. At some point, the Witch buttonholes her little sister in sister's room and in the course of a hurried and somewhat emotional discussion, reveals herself to be a molestation survivor - and the Witch's father, Nowhere Man, to have been one of the young Witch's abusers. This is done as Jenji is frantically preparing herself to depart - behind schedule - for Nowhere Man's Christmas dinner.
With Jenji dispatched to Nowhere Man's, talk turns to the proposed visit of Cousin B and her Homicidalness to the hospital. The HM is too tired to go, so Witch and Octopuff load up the car with all their stuff, and Cousin B, and head off. Cousin A seems happy for the visit. She's decidedly incapacitated, and the Witch helps her to unwrap her gifts. There is one chair present, which is occupied by a variety of objects, and the Witch cannot stand for long periods of time (like 15 minutes or so) without her pain levels rising drastically. However, in the circumstances, the Witch stands. For over an hour.
Finally, the visit ends, and the Witch and Octoploot head off to Ottawa, at which end they fall gratefully into bed - after the Witch has cleaned up an assortment of ferret indiscretions left by Charlotte and Elise, who seem to regard holidays as being breaks from their potty training.
Sound good so far? Attend...
The Homicidal One was running behind on account of having had to attend a friend's funeral the night before. It was a while before we were informed that Cousin A (mother of Cousin B), was stuck in the hospital and might be sprung if a lift could be arranged. A lift was offered by Witch and Octopink, with just barely enough time to hit hospital and return with Cousin A, but Cousin A was unable to locate a nurse in order to get dressed. She has either cerebellar ataxia or Parkinson's Disease according to the Homicidal maniac (who seems unaware that the two terms describe distinct and unrelated disorders). Cousin A ends up not visiting.
After a rather hurried Christmas meal, which Jenji's boyfriend leaves in the middle of, presents are opened and the participants disperse. At some point, the Witch buttonholes her little sister in sister's room and in the course of a hurried and somewhat emotional discussion, reveals herself to be a molestation survivor - and the Witch's father, Nowhere Man, to have been one of the young Witch's abusers. This is done as Jenji is frantically preparing herself to depart - behind schedule - for Nowhere Man's Christmas dinner.
With Jenji dispatched to Nowhere Man's, talk turns to the proposed visit of Cousin B and her Homicidalness to the hospital. The HM is too tired to go, so Witch and Octopuff load up the car with all their stuff, and Cousin B, and head off. Cousin A seems happy for the visit. She's decidedly incapacitated, and the Witch helps her to unwrap her gifts. There is one chair present, which is occupied by a variety of objects, and the Witch cannot stand for long periods of time (like 15 minutes or so) without her pain levels rising drastically. However, in the circumstances, the Witch stands. For over an hour.
Finally, the visit ends, and the Witch and Octoploot head off to Ottawa, at which end they fall gratefully into bed - after the Witch has cleaned up an assortment of ferret indiscretions left by Charlotte and Elise, who seem to regard holidays as being breaks from their potty training.