Riding the Wave, 40. Quiet Town.

As of twelve this morning, I am now on vacation. Not that it means much, except that I can spend my time as I see fit. This afternoon, I went into town to check the lottery tickets we had, and to get some special cuts of meat for the upcoming dinners and suppers. And stock up on cat food. There's no such thing as too much cat food in this house.

I went first to the supermarket, which had more people than it usually has on a weekday afternoon. Still, it wasn't crowded and I had no problem finding what I was looking for, though perhaps less variety. Then, I went to the lottery, where I, and a few other people had to wait ten minutes until it opened. (Minimal luck on the tickets. At least I got some money back.) When I left, I passed by a couple of cafés that had had one or two people sitting on their terraces earlier. But, as I walked back to the car, five o'clock had passed by and they were either closed or closing. 

Generally, I start to feel the excitement of Christmas after the lottery. This year, everything seems sad. The good thing is that the weather is breaking up today, so we saw the sun, even if temperatures are going down. But there is no festive cheer in the streets, much less the excesses of other years. People are not in much of a mood to celebrate.

I've always hated the dark days of December. Even back when I loved Christmas, I didn't like the sun setting early, and the dark limbo of night. Yes, finally the solstice is past, and now the days can grow again. But until we notice the accumulation of the seconds and the minutes that grow lighter at a snail's pace, most of January will have been gone. From August onward, I bemoan the encroachment of the dark, and from February onward, I rejoice in the victory of light. 

Let's see if, at least, during these days I can set my mind to finishing projects that have languished for a couple of months. Since I can't set aside a day to drive far away, I may as well put my mind to the different things I have set aside this past month. If it's sunny, it will also help to cheer me.

Life continues.