Or rather the smoke alarm but I’m getting ahead of myself.
I had gone to bed at an almost reasonable time and then woke up an hour early with no chance of falling back asleep. My sleep tracking app said my readiness for the day was „rest“.
I thought that was a bit exaggerated but, well. Husband and I had a really unnecessary argument over breakfast, so no fun there.
The boy hadn’t been sure if he needed to go to uni and had set himself an early alarm. Turned out no, that lab thing will be on Monday.
My original plan had been to clean but it was pretty clear I did not have th energy for it and should conserve what little I had for an afternoon of teaching.
My husband made rice and dal for lunch:
I only had a short break afterwards before I needed to start work. Teaching went well but both the students and I were a little wrung out.
In between I got a voicemail that my glasses were ready. There was just enough time after my last student to walk over and pick them up. So I got ready, put an empty glasses case in my purse, found my gloves, earbuds and phone and just as I was about to leave the house my husband showed up to say that he thought I had been right in the morning. Which was nice.
Only, when I arrived at the optician’s I found that I had left my purse at home. No money, no case for my glasses and no house key, oops.
The optician was nice enough to give me my new glasses and contact lenses with just an invoice, so that was good. I got my new glasses adjusted. Left the shop, crossed the street and realized the glasses were pinching my ears. So I turned around again. Had my glasses adjusted again. And again. Thought them good enough and went back home.
My husband was very surprised when someone rang the doorbell at that time and then told me all about how a) exhausted he was and b) the rest of the family had jumped him while he was doing the dishes as a nice surprise for me. My mother-in-law apparently had decided that her package to her sister-in-law had to go out tomorrow morning and that we should be including a gift and/or card. Something we have never done before.
Husband was confused and on the defensive. The poor boy had to be the messenger and also was miffed because his grandmother expected him to draw a Christmas card right there and then. Ahem. That’s not how this works.
All of that while I found that the glasses were still not sitting right, I need to go back another day. Harumph.
I was super exhausted at that point and regretted leaving the house.
I finally sat down for dinner, fending off my husband’s offer to help. No I did not want that bread, and thanks for putting the butter on the table but I don’t want any.
I sat down with my crisp bread and brie, just about to cut the cheese when my mother-in-law knocked on the door. Could I help her put together her meat grinder?
I totally lost it and exploded in her face. I was so hungry and exhausted and hadn’t had a second of quiet and solitude since after lunch. And why was she making cookies at 7 pm anyway? (She was making German Spritz Cookies. You use a meat grinder with an attachment that gives the cookies their shape.)
She got angry as well (and rightfully so) and said, well, I could also eat dinner first and then come upstairs in ten or fifteen minutes. But I wanted to have a leisurely dinner in peace and be done for the day.
So I apologized and went upstairs to put the meat grinder together. (My first time ever.)
Then I went downstairs to eat and read. I also talked with the boy briefly. I ate some chocolate. I opened my iPad to play some Genshin when the smoke alarm upstairs was going all bonkers. So I rushed upstairs again where, apparently, something had gone wrong with the cookies.
My poor mother-in-law (and poor cookies). They were burnt all black and crisp and not only was one smoke alarm going off, there were three. We opened all the windows and the door to the stairwell and the smoke alarm there went off as well.
Until I put the cookie sheet outside and we also opened the outside door downstairs. Every single cookie was burned beyond recognition. Apparently, she is not in the habit of setting a timer for something like baking very thin and small cookies but she thought since she was standing right next to the oven, washing up, she wouldn’t miss the right time to pull the cookies out.
Ouch.
The poor thing is very stressed. She is becoming more and more forgetful anyway but Christmas preparations are not doing her any favors.
The boy had come downstairs as well, wearing his mask, and I later learned that my husband had heard the alarm as well but then also had heard me galloping up the stairs so he knew he wasn’t needed.
My husband and I talked some more after that, opening all the windows and some doors in our apartment as well because we could smell the smoke there as well.
And then we went into the basement to check the fire extinguisher because we might need it one of these days.
Well. The date it was last checked was some time in the last century so I guess that one might not be that reliable anymore. Also, I really have no idea how to use it which would be helpful in an emergency. And I think that maybe we should get a new one?
Anyway. I then finally played some Genshin, started writing this post, gave my Chinese app a brief sideways glance and declared it enough for the day.
But hey, this is the start of two weeks of Christmas break. Woot.
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