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A Closer Look
Plans are overhauled thanks to visit from surprise visitor
We planned this year’s Christmas vacation for weeks.
Every tiny little detail was checked and double checked. Because the holiday fell on a Wednesday, we planned to have family at our house for most of the first part of the week.
The kids from Lincoln planned to arrive mid-day Sunday and were hoping to spend all of Monday and Tuesday here before heading back home sometime on Wednesday afternoon.
Because so many people would be in our house for all those meals, we visited Burnell at Foodtown quite a few times prior to their arrival. After all, we had to make sure there was enough food for every age group and every particular diet need. Wrapping paper was needed, Santa hats for seven little boys and a surprise stocking to reveal the gender of our new granddaughter (oops). So there were also trips to, Kruse’s, Bomgaar’s, Dollar General ...
Plans changed, however, when an unexpected guest came to visit. We still don’t know what kind of bug invaded our home and bodies, but I can tell you this — it was one nasty little virus.
I’ve always been known as the guy with a back-up plan in his back pocket. Well, not this time.
We had planned a literal feast for our Christmas meal. Prime rib from T&R Butcher Block, a juicy oven-baked turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy - the works.
That went out the window as soon as the chief cook and bottle washer started to turn pale. Soon, she had to sit down and rest for awhile. Not long after that, she was running for the bathroom.
And that was Monday evening. Our other son and his family had already taken shelter at their Hartington home, with a sick one of their own, and early Christmas Eve, we had another child go down.
Once we realized our original plan was long gone, we came up with the idea that Kaylee and her husband, Travis, who was raised on hot dogs and french fries — would help me make a small turkey instead and then we’d have the prime rib for our noon meal Christmas Daywhen everybody felt better.
Wrong again.
The Back-up Bottlewasher and I hit the store for more groceries, just in time for her to drop like the previous two.
With three adults upright and four picky youngsters to feed, I pivoted to Plan P — “Pizza.”
So, our Christmas feast turned out to be frozen pizza, pizza bites and anything related to pepperoni.
By Christmas morning, everyone had enough energy to get up, open presents and nibble on Pilsbury cinnamon rolls. (Our normal Christmas morning fare would have included fresh, hot caramel rolls with hot chocolate and Bailey’s coffee.) By 11 a.m., the presents were packed away in the back end of the minivan and SUV and the Lincoln families hit the road to get healthy in their own homes.
After reaching their respective homes, one more child succumbed to that nasty flu bug — even their dog was getting sick.
The two Hartington families kept their distance for another day, and then we started to test the waters, but there was an awful lot of treading that took place.
Thank goodness by today, everyone is on the road to recovery, and I think we have finally ostracized that nasty, little, uninvited Christmas guest.
