From: trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu (Barbara Trumpinski)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: from danger mouse
Date: 24 Dec 92 14:54:25 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

kitten says...."poor danger mousekins has a full news spool....so this
is for him:

***************cut here******************

Subject: Christmas Morn

12:40 am, Christmas Day.

Danger Mouse emerges from the Folks Room.

"Aaahhhh, that feels better."

He looks around the eggnog swilling ranks of patrons, who are looking
back in puzzlement.

"I just had a nice cold shower, in an attempt to wash away the sweat
and grime of yesterday and the evening just past. Although I'm already
beginning to sweat again.

"My Christmas Eve began as a normal day, with me travelling into the
city to Sydney Uni. I left there about 1:30, catching a bus into town
proper, where I had some fish and chips for lunch (not very healthy, I
know, but I had a craving). I wandered around the shops for a little
while, avoiding the sunlight as much as possible, and trying to avoid
the massed ranks of last-minute shoppers. I must admit I bought a few
cards for various aunts and uncles while there.

"I met my brother at 3:15 and we caught a train out to one of my aunts'
place, which was where the family gathering was. In the German tradition,
my family holds the gathering and gift-giving on Christmas Eve. 'Family'
here means my maternal grandparents, direct descendents and spouses
thereof - for me a total of two grandparents, three aunt-uncle pairs, a
mother, brother, and five cousins (in various stages of child/young-adult-
hood).

"Some chatting, catching up on news, then dinner. Sliced cold meats, cold
chicken pieces, and various salads. We ate outside, on the patio. I
glanced at the thermometer once - it showed 32 C (90 F). It was also
extremely humid. There was no sunshine, because of the thick, black
clouds which were gathering. As sunset approached, lightning flashes
lit the scene intermittently and the rumble of distant thunder punctuated
the sounds of the children playing.

"The beginning of the rain - thick, sticky, hot drops - signalled the
move indoors and the start of the gift-giving. Presents were distributed
from their place beneath the tree, then opened in the usual ensuing
chaos. The children began playing noisily and the grown-ups retreated
back outside (where the rain had stopped) for coffee and liqueurs. Being
of an intermediate type (I am _not_ grown-up!) I drifted back and forth.
Outside was the cooler after the rain, but inside were the children.
(Yes, I get along quite well with my cousins.)

"After some dessert, it was time to come back home. My brother and I
caught a train which deposited us here just after midnight. Not a bad
trip, with boxes of lebkuchen (German gingerbread) to munch!

"And now I think some of my neighbours have just returned from midnight
mass. I can certainly hear activity, and already some children running
around yelling, 'It's Christmas!'. That, combined with the oppressive
heat and humidity, could make falling asleep tonight rather tricky.
Oh well. It's just Christmas Day. I have nothing to do. I'll probably
use the day to do housework."

DM looks wistfully into his tea (I'd have iced water, but that's a little
hard to look wistfully into...).

"I don't know how that compares to how other folks spend Christmas. To
me, it's now essentially all over. I think it's nice to spend some time
with my family. I don't see my cousins as often as I'd like (I don't
think I'll forget the sight of one, having her second shower of the
evening to try and cool down, running downstairs dripping in a towel
just to say goodbye to us!). My actual Christmas Day is pretty dreary,
but I think the night before makes up for it."

He looks around the bar and smiles. "I hope everyone here has at least
as enjoyable a Christmas as I've had. And if you don't celebrate
Christmas, please accept the sentiment in whatever way you feel
appropriate. Take care. Love to you all."

- Danger Mouse.


--
***************************************************************************
conan the librarian a.k.a. kitten           /\ /\  barbara ann 
"my life's a soap opera, isn't yours?"      {=.=}
                                              ~   trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu 
"love is the wild card of existance"
                          rita mae brown
Newsgroups: alt.callahans