Since I watched the Stephen Colbert Christmas Special last weekend, I can’t get Elvis Costello’s “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?” out of my head. Trust me, I’ve had worse songs rattling around in my head, and this was one of the better versions I’ve heard.
This is going to be my first major holiday without Cheryl, and to be honest, this ain’t easy. For the past few years, Cheryl and I would usually spend Thanksgiving Day with her rambunctious family in Eugene, end the festivities with a massive 16-or-so-player game of hearts or dominoes, then drive out to the Oregon Coast, where my folks have a time share dealie, and spend the rest of the weekend there.
Last year, if I remember correctly (I could look it up on the blog but I’m trying not to get emotional as it is), Cheryl was between IL-2 treatments and we decided not to try two trips to Oregon in a one-month span, so we had a wonderful time doing Turkey Day at our place with our friend Vanessa, cooking Cornish game hens, then playing Wii Bowling afterwards.
This year, I’ve flown back down to Oregon and I’m staying with my folks; they’re staying at Seaside, not the central Oregon coast as they have previously. And, man, everything’s setting me off right now. Driving past the Oregon Zoo, where we’d gone to “see the aminals” before her appointment where we learned the IL-2 wasn’t working anymore. Driving past the Rose Garden, where I’d managed to wrangle last-minute Blazer tickets last spring and we saw the Blazers beat the Lakers before one of Cheryl’s ipi treatments.
And driving by Providence Medical certainly didn’t bring back any good memories. It feels like I’m playing the world’s worst version of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.
God, I hope I’m doing better by Christmas. I certainly don’t feel very thankful for much of anything right now.
Hopefully a good night’s sleep will help.
Until then; sing it, Stephen:
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