12/16/2013

weekly update 12/16//2013

I was determined to get all my shopping done on Wednesday. I have very little that I shop for, but I do have a couple of people that I send novelty items from Savannah to at the holidays. Before I even started out in the morning, I had problems with my phone. Between the phone, the car and comcast, I get no rest. So my first stop when I was out and about was to the Verizon store. I got no help there except to be told to spend more money and purchase a memory stick. That wasn't what I wanted to hear, but I put it aside and decided not to let it spoil the rest of the day. Like shopping isn't enough to spoil any day for me already. I got my errands done at Staples and Target and the Dollar Store, and it was almost time for the library to open. I stopped at Chik-Fil-A for a sandwich while I wasted 30 minutes and then went to the library. I generally will read a Christmas mystery novel for light reading in December, so I found one that looked promising. Last stop - the Walmart. I loaded up on the cheap wine I buy there to get me through the rest of the month. There - all done!

I spent most of Thursday at the club house deleting the almost 3,000 messages in my yahoo “sent” box. I was hoping to free up memory on the phone so that I would be able to view any photos I took, but I don't know if that will work. It took a long time to go through them all, and I probably deleted some I should have saved. I also tried in vain to watch the video of Hannah's orchestra concert. Her school district podcasts concerts, sports events, and graduations on the 'net. It's wonderful for a grannie in Savannah to be able to watch, but this time didn't work so well - I wasn't able to get it to stream. The whole day was wasted on trying to do things with my computer that I'm not smart enough to be able to do.

Friday was DH. We're into the very slow season now, but I had one or two tourists for each tour. In the evening, the annual Christmas Pops Concert at the Cathedral by the Savannah Philharmonic was scheduled. Donna had a ticket, too, and was going to drive, so I invited her to come over for a sandwich before the performance. The concert was delightful! For a city this size, with a volunteer orchestra, the music that the wonderful director gets from the musicians in nothing short of magical. After the concert, Donna, Helen & I went to a local restaurant and sat in the bar. The lady bartender was really nice to us and kept fixing our drinks with her own personal flair. She was really nice. I got to talking to a couple who was sitting next to us. The usual opening statement is “do you live here or are you a tourist?” so I offered that up. Long story short, I now have a new best friend, Connie. We exchanged email addresses and promised to meet for lunch after the holidays. Donna said I should write on this blog that I met someone in a bar, but I didn't think that would sound just right.

Saturday,I had to get up early because Donna and I had volunteered to go to the Savannah History Museum to stand by the Victorian Society's display of holiday table settings. There wasn't much to do, but someone needed to be there to answer questions in case anyone wanted to know about the celebrations and dinners served in a fine home in the late 19th century. It was a rainy yucky morning, so what were we going to do anyway? The wonderful china, sterling, furniture and candelabra were all loaned by the same member of the Society that hosted the party last Sunday. They are all family heirlooms that have been passed down for generations, going back to Andrew Low. Very wonderful. 

 

 

I spent the afternoon getting the few gifts I had wrapped up and packaged to be ready to send. I wasn’t going to wait in line at the post office on a Saturday (are they even open in the afternoon, anyway?), but I've got everything ready to go on Monday. In the evening, I went to the SCT performance of Godspell. Alex Nedd had a role in the musical, and I really wanted to see it. It was not particularly festive for the Christmas season, but it did not disappoint. The children's theater never does.

On Sunday, The ladies dining out group met at the Westin Hotel on Hutchinson Island, across the Savannah River from River Street, for brunch. It was very, very good. There was a lot of food, including a pasta station, many cold selections, and a dessert table (made to order bananas foster!) that I didn't even get to try. I was full after the Belgian waffles with warm maple syrup, made to order omelets, cheese blintzes with fresh fruit compote, sliced turkey and roast beef, and mimosas. Also at the Westin each year, is a competition for gingerbread houses. These are amazing, and I try to see them every year.

Finally, the Bills won a game. I thought they might blow their early lead, but they hung on to move their record to 5 - 9. Two more games this year, and if they win either of them, it will be a miracle. So, I'm happy they were at least able to get a victory this week.

(What a joy to try to print Christmas cards with a printer that doesn't work. How pleasant to have to keep turning it off, canceling the print job, and starting it all over again, time after time. ho ho ho. There aren't enough bottles of $3 wine in all the Walmarts in Georgia to get me in the spirit).