I just got some pretty bad news. My dad’s brother, Jens, who spent christmas with us, he’s in the hospital. It’s cancer. In the bladder, I think. My dad told me when he stopped by today. He said that they had caught it very early on so the prognosis is good. He should have very good chances of surviving. But it’s still scary of course. Not least because their dad, my granddad, died of the exact same thing. Makes you wonder if my dad is going to get it too. If I am. Funny, when I was younger I used to wish for cancer, I heard somewhere that hickeys could cause cancer so I’d give myself hickeys on the shoulders. An odd way to kill yourself. And by “funny” I mean, not really.

I don’t see Jens very often, once or twice a year, if even that. But he’s a nice guy. It was nice having him around for christmas. I hope he will be okay.

What sight greeted me this morning as I swept the curtains aside?

Snow, sweet snow! Not a lot of it. But it’s better than nothing. I do love the snow.

I’m not fond of the cold, howling winds however. Especially on laundry day, which today happened to be. I don’t like doing laundry. Dragging the laundry back and forth. Going shopping while it washes. Just too much walking back and forth, especially in the cold, cold wind today. But the snow was lovely and it was good to get the laundry done, so I’ll try not to complain.

I’m just glad that I’m able to do it, the laundry. It seems silly now but before moving out it was one of the things that seemed scary. When you’re not used to taking care of anything yourself. I was used to the food magically appearing in the fridge and the clothes magically appearing in the drawers and the dishes magically cleaning themselves. Now if I don’t go shopping then there’s no food to eat and if I don’t do the laundry then there are no clean clothes and if I don’t do the dishes then the flies start buzzing. Just how it’s supposed to be.

Before I go, a big shoutout to my man Luis. He sent me a very cool card. With movable penguins. Sweet. Dance, penguins dance! Plus a little Futurama comic booklet. I love Futurama! I am so happy they’re back, with Bender’s Big Score. Thank you Luis!

It’s the christmas that wouldn’t stop christmassing.