JCC guys it's almost christmas

It is quite ridiculous, the thing to which I am looking forward the most.

Many a year, on a hot (southern hemisphere) Christmas Eve afternoon, I would walk along the waterfront to the neighbouring suburb where I would buy small, last-minute provisions from the supermarket.

I didn't think of this as a ritual, or even a routine. But it happened often.

Four and a half years ago a major earthquake occurred in my city. It did a tremendous amount of damage. Many people were killed, thousands of homes were destroyed, billions of dollars was racked up in damage. The city and its people will be affected for decades to come.

The past four Christmases, you feel more grateful for just the little things in life (while still, of course, failing to feel sufficiently grateful for many other things, and frustrated by all the disruptions and such, but, y'know, human limits and all that).

What I haven't had these past four Christmases is that supermarket trip, for that supermarket was destroyed. And it was only when it wasn't there that I realised it actually meant something.

Now that supermarket has been rebuilt. This month it will reopen. And this Christmas Eve I get to make that walk to visit it again.

And then I'll spend money on junk I don't need, but hey, Christmas.

 

harpua, I need a life coach to get me through xmas. What's your going rate

 

Guys, it's already Christmas in Chicago. Yesterday was the most historic day in the history of sports history in Chicago since, oh, probably June 15.

 

Dont care for Christmas but I like winter weather.

 

No, Santa is real. Or was, at least. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas

Sounds to me like you have a rodent problem.

 

what is this grinch doing in my thread

 

Waiting for Halloween. I'll take off the Grinch costume after Thanksgiving.

 

I miss my Birthdays in the pool,big Christmas eve dinner or Christmas Day lunch with family and specially the fireworks at midnight. But at least I can celebrate Birthdays properly now even it has been a bit of a bore because of winter.