Days after McKim-Mas the van took Kristina, Jackie, and me, all to Moncton and we had a lunch there and Franzi drove.
The Christmas tree and decorations were out.
The tree was lit up with new LED Christmas lights.
The Christmas Story decorations, including the Leg Lamp, the Flick’s-Tongue-On-A-Flagpole statue, and Ralphie’s House were on the shelf.
The mini wooden Christmas Tree Dad had made after Molly’s arrival was lit up beautifully.
Mom made some soup, chicken soup for some of us including me and veggie for Franzi, a vegetarian, and one soup blended for Kristina. We enjoyed this and then a little ice cream, some with cookies.
Then we had a chat and while we did it started to snow, so Franzi decided it was time to go so they would not get caught in snow.
Later Mom’s Aunt Pat showed up and we chatted and Aunt Pat gave me an early Christmas gift: A John Denver Christmas CD with one of the songs which he performs on his Muppets CD, but on this CD no Muppets sing.
That night Dad and I went to Irving to get some gas and then Wheaton’s Store to get Mom a gift: 5 foam bath soaps, one of her favorite things which we got last year.
Then we went to the new liquor store to buy drinks for Christmas celebrations.
That night we had fish and chips for supper and then we watched A Christmas Story together.
The next day we decided to work on the pies, so I peeled the apples while Mom made the crust, using the family cookbook with all the nostalgic photos.
Later we went out and did some shopping.
We went to Shopper’s to check the mail and we got the mail.
Then we went to Scholar’s Choice and I saw a small toy Border Collie and I wanted it, so Mom bought it. We also bought a new Scattergories game and a puzzle which would be a gift for Mom.
That night Jennifer had us at her house for spaghetti.
Then I watched National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
The following morning (Christmas Eve Already!) we packed up the car with gifts for Christmas and luggage, dog beds, our 2 Cotons de Tulear Liza and Lupin (we left our Border Collie Ella and old deaf Bearded Collie Sprocket home and Jen took care of them), got in the car, and headed out to Halifax.
While on the road I gave Stephanie live updates on where we were.
Once in Halifax, we found Stephanie’s house and set up.
I had the same room I had years ago.
Then we watched A Christmas Story on Stephanie’s Samsung TV with HD that made the movie look like a BBC show.
Then we waited for Mary, Glen’s mother, to come and join us for Turkey Dinner. She arrived and gave me an early Christmas Gift: A Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2017 book in which Momo, the hiding-and-seeking Border Collie in the book Jennifer gave me last year makes a cameo.
Then we awaited Turkey Dinner on Christmas Eve, which we had.
They had bought a Ginger Ale in New York that was not pop and did not have the sugar Sussex, Canada Dry, and Schweppes did, and I had and enjoyed that.
After Turkey Dinner came Dad’s Plum Pudding with Hard Sauce and Mom’s Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream, and it turned out to be a success.
Then we read The Night Before Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Next morning (Christmas Day) I opened my stocking while wearing the Santa hat which was next to it when I found the stocking.
In it were 2 packages of gum, the toy Border Collie which I saw at Scholar’s Choice, 2 DVD cases (one was a Christmas movie called Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas and the other was a movie called Hachi, [spoiler alert] about an Akita whose owner finds him at a train station and he waits for his master there every day, even years after his owner’s death), a deck of cards and a Crib game.
Then we had Stephanie’s Family-Famous Breakfast Burritos.
Then we sat in various places... and opened gifts.
Stephanie and Glen got me a New York by Subway book.
Erin and Oliver gave me a Holiday trivia game, a book called Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Very Good, Very Bad Dog and a 1981 Remember When book with all the facts and ads from 1981.
Mom and Dad gave me a DVD collection with a bunch of old dog stories, one of which stars Lassie and lots of which starred Rin Tin Tin, a Canadian Dogs Annual, art supplies to used at Creative Connections, a Border Collie Calendar, and a DVD called The Music Man with Matthew Broderick.
Jennifer got me a DVD called The Nut Job, Axe deodorant, shampoo, and body spray, and Old Spice shampoo.
Melody and the family gave me a book called Labrador on the Lawn.
Then the whole family opened the Scattergories Categories game.
Then we took a walk around the neighborhood and through the park and around Citadel, me taking Mo, Stephanie’s Coton de Tulear, Lupin’s Grandson on leash.
Then we came home, and then I watched Elf on Stephanie’s Hi-Def TV, and again it looked like a BBC show.
That night we had Hash with Sparkling Apple Juice and more Apple Pie and Plum Pudding.
The next morning we went to Miracle on 34th Street at Neptune Theatre, meeting Glen’s Mother there, and I got into the story.
Then we decided to head home as they were calling for a storm the next morning.
That night I watched the movie Hachi.
The next morning it was storming for some time, then it cleared up. We stayed home. And we played some of the new Scattergories game.
That night we watched Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever.
The next day we took a drive to do some grocery shopping at Sobeys and decided to buy some Sparkling Apple Juice and nacho chips to give to L’Arche to use for our New Years Eve Celebration.
Then we drove to Frank’s Music to pick out a few birthday gifts for my 36th Birthday.
I chose a DVD set of Season 4 of Friends, the CD Much Dance 2017, and the CD Raffi: Singable Songs for the Very Young for nostalgia.
Poetically, the night before I had a dream in which our Mason & Risch Piano came back and I found the goodbye card for Mrs. Weldon and Hillsborough School was putting on an Elf-based Christmas party for 1st Graders in 1987-1988 in which I was Buddy and my classmate Danah was Miles Finch, the small Elf-sized fighting writer in Elf.
Then I watched the movie Miracle on 34th Street, and the lines in the movie were the same as the lines in the play.
Then we got gas in preparation for my journey back to Saint John the next day.
Then I watched Eight Days a Week: a Beatles Movie on The Movie Network.
The next morning I woke up and we hit the road. Then I got back to Saint John and Mom headed home due to a forecasted storm.
She stopped at Chris and Milton’s house in Sussex Corner.
I believe this year was the best Christmas Vacation Ever! I loved everything about this holiday season!