Is it how a word is pronounced or how it’s supposed to be pronounced that counts, syllabically?
Despite the fact that 1/5 of the time I structure my post around a rough (at best) original haiku (thus why it’s called Monday Maiku—portmanteau of “my” and “haiku”) I don’t know shit about haiku or any other form of poetry, other than that haiku is bound by syllables by line, 5-7-5.
So as I sat down and started typing today, I really got thrown by the words “actually” (is it three syllables (“ack-chew-lee”) or four (“ack-chew-uh-lee”)?) and “favorite” (two syllables (“fave-rit”) or three (“fave-uh-rit”)?). According to the interwebs “actually” is four and “favorite” is three so I just left the words out—far be it from me to offend any haiku purists out there, but I just couldn’t bring myself to use the words other than as I (mis)pronounce them.
Anyhow:
Holiday season. Thompson. Linney. Grant. Rickman. Love—all around us.
We watched Love Actually on Saturday night. The tradition calls for pizza, wine, a fire, and the movie. This year the wind wasn't cooperating so the fire was out of the picture. Even so, it still was a nice night. The movie, as it always is, was great—and we followed it up with watching that Diane Sawyer 20th anniversary Love Actually special that we recorded a few weeks back. Also terrific.
Bottom line: the movie has it right. Love actually is all around us—and I love watching the movie and feeling love all around me.
With all that said, love isn’t the only thing that’s all around us…and for The Ladies of the 220, the Christmas season has become a tale of two rapid tests.
We’ve exercised an abundance of caution for 2.5 years…we’re both boosted through to bivalent…but no one’s being particularly careful or wearing masks anymore so it was, I suppose, just a matter of time. And the timing is terrible, obvi. It doesn't matter which of us has it, in many ways, because for all intents and purposes, we both may as well be infected. It boils me that we have to be isolating and masking in our own house. All I have to say about it is this…if I’m gonna get it this go ’round, it better be sooner rather than later. (Yes, I’m the bottom test above.) We made it too far through this god-forsaken pandemic for it to ruin Christmas. And the available professional guidance on what to do in these circumstances is a complete and total clusterf-ck of advice. Quarantine? Mask? Biz as usual if vaxxed and no symptoms? Test? When? What in the name of all that’s us holy should I be doing besides sitting in the couch??? Where I landed is here: keep life on the downlow for a few days (e.g., cancel social plans until I am sure I am in the clear because I can’t really go out for drinks with a mask on, can I?) and then if I continue with no symptoms, test again in 48 hours (Tu), then if I stay symptom-feee test again 48 hours after that (Th). If I’m clear after the 3rd test on Thursday, I’m good to go. I realize anything can happen between now and tomorrow let alone Thursday. And I def (thought I) was getting a touch of nasal congestion last night (I wasn’t…but I’m hyper-sensitive, with good reason). I feel fine this morning—temperature, heart rate, and oxygen saturation all good. For now. What a rollercoaster. Sigh. 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼😬😬😬🤦🏼♀️
So yeah, love is all around us…and so is COVID. This Monday morning, we have a little sloppy snow all around us too, which has me a little cranky instead of a lot festive. Feeling Grinchy, one might say…a bit like the Grinch at the beginning of the story. As a fever will, eventually, break so too will the crankiness. And I’m sure in no time my heart will grow a few sizes too big with the full and true spirit of Christmas. But for now, it is what it is. 🤷🏼♀️
Thanks for being here with me…but be glad we’re actually not physically together, and be especially glad that we aren’t together here in my home sweet Petri dish.
Love you too, in full socially distant glory.
Be careful out there. Have a great week.
Feel better Kerri and Merry Christmas to you and your families.
Feel better Kerri. Hope you do not get it Nicky!