I’m going to beg your indulgence

Posted on by Sarah A. Hoyt

While I finish a short story. I’m not at all sure when it will be done. Could be tonight. You see, we’re also helping Charlie move, and making sure he has everything he needs, and–

So. I thought I could do a regular (economics!) post and a short later, but I woke up very late, had one of those nights when there’s no comfortable position. (I hate being old.)

Therefore The Bork Of Christmas will be late.

Sorry.

61 thoughts on “I’m going to beg your indulgence”

    1. Yup even those of us who believe in the Redeemer born tomorrow are usually happy to stay on the green side of the grass a bit longer even as the faculties are not what they were 40 (or 10…) years ago.

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      1. An Indulgence only relieves the temporal punishment not the eternal kind so be sure to mention this in Confession :)

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      2. Works were, and are, a form of indulgence. The real trick is pulling off a plenary rather than a partial indulgence, which I don’t think is on offer.

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    1. The Reader wants to know if Sarah can be explained by Rational Choice Theory. He is doubtful…

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    1. Wait, are you getting stuff from Canada Post again? I couldn’t mail any Christmas cards to any of my Canadian family because the post office down here wouldn’t even take them. Now I have to go search “Canada postal strike” but it doesn’t really matter, because it’s too late. It’s Christmas Eve. 😊

      And here’s the search result:

      “As of December 23, 2024, the Canada Post strike has come to an end, with the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ordering striking employees to return to work.”

      Too little, too late, if you ask me. Back to work two days before Christmas? By now everyone has had to make alternate arrangements.

      Oh well, a Happy Christmas to all my English friends, a Merry Christmas to everyone else.

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  6. Moving just before Christmas? Eek!

    Cousin posted. She posted on FB that today is their first day in Scotland! Her husband has a two year work visa. *Project he is on is for a year, but he is looking for other projects.

    Cousin is 61 or 62. Not sure if he is older or not (not a lot of contact with them over the years). He will never retire until forced to medically, or more severe. He has at least a PHD in physics and (I think) chemical engineering. His past “Projects” have included satellites and orbital telescopes.

    Have no clue what the current project is. Never do until after whatever has launched.

    (*) Use “Project” because he can be an employee or long term contractor designation. Brought on for a specific project, when project is completed and launched, different job. The nature of what he does. Regardless gets a lot of extra benefits.

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    1. This a thousand time this. Though I think with only a few months seniority on the planet on you I’m not justified in referring to you as young lady :-).

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  9. The BORK of Christmas. I take it that it goes horrible wrong? I can relate, been having that kind of …(counts on fingers/takes shoes off uses toes) weeks… way to many don’t have enough digits to count.

    I moved into my first House on Christmas. In a snow storm. With only a couple of friends to help as family was many miles away, pretty snowstorm no wind just lots of big flakes.

    Huh, a lot of my memories are of snowstorms and big life changes.

    Wonder if I’m supposed to be learning a lesson that just got through the rocks in my head.

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  10. Getting old? You’re only a few months older than I am! Well, I suppose a certain upward trend in the count of one’s years has to be admitted.

    Also—Short story? May I see it when you’re finished; that is, may *we* see it when you’re finished?

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  12. SIGH. I just had to break up a hissing match between Tux2 (aka Tuxedo Cat Jr.) and JoeyCat over the outdoor water dish. LittleGrey has been hanging out at the north end of the neighborhood, while Orange Cat wanders through less and less often. He seems to have decided that hanging out full time at JB’s place is to be preferred. Fluffy Brown commutes through in the afternoons, samples the water, and moves on. Flurry Orange and Big Grey seem to have opted to stay elsewhere now that it’s gotten chilly.

    Other people’s cats … SIGH.

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  14. Is this Charlie who needed help getting back from Belize, or something? He made it back safely? Great news for Christmas, if so, as glad our contributions helped…Happy new year!

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      1. Wonderful, so glad to hear that! Wondered what had happened and if it worked out for him. Bless you and Dan for your generosity and support for a friend…

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          1. LOL, cats! I presume with the extensive experience that you have with cats, you are well aware of “Nature’s Miracle for Cats”? It saved my sanity when I had a very elderly cat who kept missing the box… Luckily it’s been a while since I had one doing naughty stuff on purpose… Did you ever get around to getting a second litter robot for the furry children?

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              1. Okay, good, I was going to ask if you wanted another one for Christmas or New Year’s, or just a special contribution to the “Sara Sanity Project” dealing with cats and writing. Just light up the cat signal if that changes :-). Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! 🌙🎄

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                    1. Salesman: There is absolutely no way a cat, small child, or anything can take apart this solid-state, single-cast pump and housing.

                      Sarah: Allow me to introduce Indy the Engineer.

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  15. I understand. Just finished the Christmas letter today, went through the email list to get as many copies out as possible. Now need my beloved to help me bring enough copies to cover the rest. Also wrapped gifts. Still have shopping to do tomorrow…

    Get some rest!

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    2. I did the weekly grocery shopping today, figuring that however crazy today was going to be, tomorrow would be considerably worse. Home Depot was quiet. The big independent store, par for early month shopping. The Kroger (Fred Meyer) was bonkers, with issues for seemingly every shopper before me in the checkout lane.

      I’ll do next week’s shopping on Monday, too. Ain’t gonna be on the road on New Year’s Eve, no matter what time of day.

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      1. I went shopping too. Stocked up enough to last until well after January 1 so no more shopping until the holidays are over.

        Store brand eggs: $7 a dozen. Could be worse, last week they were $8. Of course, 4 years ago they were around $2.40…

        Saw two women in masks cleaning the entire shopping cart with those wet-wipes the store still puts out, now 4 years and counting after COVID. All I could do was shake my head slowly. Why don’t they just wear biohazard moon-suits and be done with it?

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        1. To be fair colds and flu season is on us. I remember as a kid many a Christmas break being sick. Too often starting Christmas or New Years day. Every year, for years. One of the reasons I cannot, absolutely cannot, tolerate the sight or smell of cream corn, stewed tomatoes, or cottage cheese pineapple jello. Barely can stand the smell of fried chicken (can’t eat it, but it can be at the same kitchen table). The whole cart is a bit of an overkill, handles maybe. OTOH I use my Kroger shopping totes https://www.fredmeyer.com/p/earthwise-box-tote-red-blue/0081970301319?fulfillment=IN_STORE&searchType=suggestions and load how I want them loaded, so very little actually touches the cart except the totes themselves. Use a collapsible cooler for frozen/cold items.

          For me it is because I catch people putting their dogs in carts. A huge no-no even for service dogs (not the service dog police, so won’t say they are pets that don’t belong in the store anyway). While service dogs can be carried, they can’t go into commercial conveniences. Stores need to enforce this (again, not my place).

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          1. When I was a kid and sick, I’d get tea sweetened with sugar, and maybe a dash of milk. I drink tea at dinner at home ($SPOUSE with English/Canadian background has a lot to do with that), but loathe sugar in tea. If it’s iced tea, I may add lemon, but no sugar. :)

            Two of the “we’ll shop for you” ladies at Fred Meyer wear masks, while the others generally don’t. Both quite young, low 20s, perhaps.

            When I check out, I try to put the relevant bag just before the stuff I want to go into it. That worked well before the Kroger strike, but I’m just now starting to see a few of the pre-strike worker bees at the store. I make sure all the cold stuff goes in one bag, and anything frozen gets transferred into a mylar hot/cold bag, and that in a Trader Joe’s bag. It’s a minimum of 45 minutes to get home from Freds, and perhaps as much as 90 if I have other things [Home Depot, mail/bills at the mail drop, DQ break] to do on the way out of town.

            As a kid, I’d get sick a lot. Less so as an adult, and living rural, barring explosive reactions to certain foods, hardly any at all. [Seems barring a small and decreasing number of known considered-safe dishes, my road trips will require my own cooking.]

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          2. I was gifted a nice cold last week when one of my sped kiddos sneezed on me so I am just now getting over the tail end of it in time for Christmas… first time in a while that’s happened for winter break. It is keeping me from wanting to make Christmas cookies, so good for my blood sugar, there’s that.

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  17. You owe no apologies.

    Take care of Real Life and don’t stress out on us Interwebz denizens. we’ll survive.

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  19. Helping folks move is an adventure. Hopefully, this one comes with no bandits or witches curses.

    As for me, I’m finally done with the light pass edit. LOTS of plot holes, pot holes, typo holes, and “what the frack?” It needs a lot of pressing and cleaning before it goes out in public… Ah what am I saying. I’ll upload the changes anyway.

    New chapter writing tomorrow, assuming only minor calamitous cattinus. With the way Doofus has been agitating Nastycat though, that is of slim possibility.

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    1. I looked deeply for a photo of Judge Bob in a Santa hat.

      Not even Grok would cough one up, and I don’t have the tools to do it myself.

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  21. Never anything to be sorry about, my dear. Done when you are done, posted when you have time.

    Speaking of time – I’m going to be out of pocket for the remainder of the year, pretty much. It has been crazy here. Anyone who feels guilty about procrastination – I just barely got the lights on the house yesterday. The tree only got in last weekend. Presents weren’t done until Friday.

    Anywho…

    May all who celebrate the natal day tomorrow of the child who went on to do Great Things – a very Merry Christmas to you.

    For those who light the first candle tomorrow night in remembrance of retaking what is yours – my very best wishes, and may you have an easier year and respite from the evil doers.

    For those who celebrate the Holiday of the Feds on the next day – my pity.

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  22. Standing watch, metaphorically, this Holiday Season. Had to juggle the schedule to make some people happy.

    Bless y’all!

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