The Long Chaise Lounge of the Law

Some people have this vacationing thing down.

Like our UK friends — they go places like Cyprus and lounge by the pool in the sun, observing lizards, and doing as little as possible. Or they take in Tenerife, like our friend Neil, who is completely in bliss at the sea, the sun, and the idea that the Tenerife could be just like a 22nd century moon colony: perfect. With some exceptions.

Now, granted, with six weeks of vacation a year, the United Kingdom has a lot more practice at vacationing than we do, but we’re always just gobsmacked, right about now, at how rested other people appear to be at the end of their vacations, and how absolutely frazzled we manage to be. Case in point:

Other People do not manage to take hundreds of photographs for the yearbook at a nearby school, just by virtue of the fact that they have a really neat, new camera and attended a big bells/band/choral Christmas program. Other People could probably resist this lure.

Other People do not involve themselves in Christmas services which require rehearsal and sight-reading new music, and the wearing of floor-length synthetic robes, in disputed shades of pink (it is not burgundy. Sorry.);

Other People do not volunteer to pick, wash, peel and create marmalade of twenty pounds of lemons, with the agreement that forty pounds would be nice next time, and we should really keep going on this and strip the tree;

Other People do not visit their parents at work, which necessitates doing things like hanging angels from a ceiling in a workplace hallway while said parent’s coworkers look on with interest, and creating, typing up and folding a holiday program and Christmas letter for said parent’s clients;

Ditto the parent at work thing, which also necessitated an EIGHT HOUR, TAKE IT APART DOWN TO THE LAST SCREW HP Printer repair job, since said parent also did something weird when loading up the color cartridges and it was “stuck” (more on that later, to be sure);

Other People do not take manuscripts with them on vacation, and have many, many conversations back and forth with editors and send documents hither and yon, and finish books (WOOT!). Other People do not bring half of the books they need to read for the award they’re judging, to the detriment of the number of clothes that they packed. Other People do not fiddle with their Ph.D survey and respond to inane and intelligent questions and telecommute a few hours here and there so the people in the office don’t feel abandoned. Other People are probably better rested on their vacations, and it might be that Some People are just the tiniest bit unable to stop and just be on vacation.

Maybe.

Of course, it could be that Other People don’t have their whole lives tucked away in one corner of the world, and a cavalcade of new beaus, new babies, and immediate news to impart. Other People don’t have the chance to be gobsmacked at how some have grown taller, grown wider, or grown teeth, and to be grieved at those who have waned and faded and are passed. Other People aren’t us, which is just as well, since Other People would probably be a little bored living our frenetic, frantic, stuff-crammed-in-every-day lives.

That being said, after this last program this weekend, we are SO going to remember what it means to be on VACATION. We are going to sleep in. At least once. T. has laid down the law… inasmuch as you can have a law for a vacation. There will be REST. There will be LOUNGING. There will be HOT TUBS and LOLLING ABOUT. Thus spake T.

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Meanwhile, the egg-free lemon marmalade was a smashing success (eggs would have made curd, which is … gross). Meyer lemons are so mild and tasty that it’s hard to think of a dish where they won’t go. So far, they’ve been included in a marinade for skirt steak (which we are told was amazing) and are reputed to be used for a marinade or baste for grilled turkey. Thus far, we’ve enjoyed it over ice cream and will probably try and create some lemon bars or layer it in gingerbread sandwich cookies.

We’ve seen the resurrection of the pineapple upside down cake this year as well, and were surprised at how much one cake can vary from one time to the next if you use dark or light brown sugar, and sift the flour just so. Using eggs from the hens down the road also makes each cake different, since the eggs are not uniform sizes. Either way – it was fun, and next week’s challenges include making a remake of a Guinness Cake and possibly recreating a Clementine Pie… as well as a specific kind of noodle soup, some pasta, some Chinese dumplings ….well, you can see how the list goes on. One good things is that there’s finally a bit sun and dry weather here again, and we’ll get out and get some decent walks… jogs… hikes to offset all the good food. T. was out walking already this morning, and the high today is forecast to be a bright and sunny 65°F/18°C., which is pretty glorious for a day in December.

We hear it’s supposed to snow tonight in Glasgow.

Oh, dear.

We’d better enjoy putting our feet up and the sun on our faces while we can.