A Few Random Thoughts

I have decided that Christmas (I'm talking about the fluff, not the reason for the season) is a lot like having company come for a visit:

1. You're so excited for them to come.
2. You make a lot of preparations and go to a lot of trouble to make everything perfect.
3. You love everything about their visit and wish they could stay forever.
4. You start to realize that you're exhausted, and nothing is ever perfect. But you love your visitors and enjoy having them around.
5. As much as you have enjoyed the visit, you are ready for it to become a pleasant memory. You long for your normal routine.
6. The company leaves amid fond, tearful farewells and you rest for about ten minutes, then throw yourself into putting your house and life back in order.
7. You begin counting the days until their next visit.

I realized today that I have hit #5 in regards to Christmas. I realized this when the top strand of chili pepper lights on my tree went out. Two-thirds of the tree is still beautifully lit, but the top third sits in darkness, and I don't particularly care. When I weigh the hassle of testing every single light in that strand, trying to find the deserter, against the fact that the tree is coming down a week from today, it's a no-brainer. If this had happened two weeks ago, when I was still at #2, it would have been a different story. It's too bad that they couldn't have all held on until the Big Day, but, Oh well...

My second random thought had me crying like a baby in the drive-thru lane at Jack in the Box yesterday.

Sitting in my car, getting ready to order my grilled fish pita with smoked chipotle sauce (eat your heart out, Eric) I noticed a small sedan, attempting to pull into a parking space in front of the restaurant. It took them three tries to get the car evenly aligned between the cars on either side. I was curious to see this perfection-driven driver. It turned out to be an elderly gentleman, wearing a festive holiday sweater. He went around to the passenger side and opened the door for an elderly lady in a matching sweater. He took a pillow from her and helped her out of the car. That's when I noticed that they were both walking with canes. Hers was decorated with shiny, gold Christmas garland. Side by side they walked into Jack in the Box--each of them walking with the aid of a cane, carrying a pillow. I sighed and thought with resignation, "There's Bill and I in a few years." But then I realized that that thought was not my fear but my dearest hope. I hope that we can celebrate our golden wedding anniversary by helping each other into Jack in the Box. I hope that we don't let infirmities keep us from enjoying life, enjoying the holidays and enjoying each other.

On Monday, Bill and I will celebrate our 36th wedding anniversary. He has been at my side for all of my happiest and saddest moments. I pray that he will be at my side for years and years to come, though I can almost guarantee that there will be no matching Christmas sweaters. But a girl can dream...

Finally, some of you may know that I have a fondness for fish tacos. For several weeks I have been conducting my own taste test, ranking the results. I am ready to share my findings:

7. Rubios--tasty, but very, very messy. The sauce is quite runny and requires several napkins.
6. Jack in the Box--not strictly a taco, since it is made on pita bread. Saved from being mundane by a tasty chipotle sauce.
5. Del Taco--my choice in the fast-food category. Simple, easy to eat, fresh cabbage with a nice crunch, and they give you fresh lime. An excellent value.
4. Mauricios--nice quality fish, but rather bland overall. It needs a lot of salsa.
3. Elephant Bar--very tasty, but like many things at The Elephant Bar, it has a weird Asian vibe to it.
2. Lengthwise Brewing Company--very good, in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.
1. BJs--the fish taco that you dream about. By far my favorite--a perfect blend of flavor and texture. It stands up well to the slightly grilled tortilla (no leaks) and I love the avocado sauce.

Well, that's about it. I hope everyone is surviving their holiday preparations and can soon relax and enjoy the fruits of their labors.