I got a call from Charlie this morning.
“You want to come and eat lunch with us? Your folks are coming. We are gonna have a traditional good luck New Year’s day southern dinner.” He said.
“I would love to.” I replied and my stomach started to grumble at this prospect.
His wife is a major league good cook. I was also glad to have something to do and to get out of this freaking’ house. We had a traditional New Years day meal of pork loin, baked sweet potatoes, turnip greens, black eyed peas, and cornbread. It is a southern tradition that is supposed to bring you good luck and great wealth. The peas represent copper and the greens are dollars. We say each pea you eat equals one dollar's worth of earning, and each portion of turnip greens equals $1,000. I know it’s stupid and superstitious but it is also fun and a great excuse to get together and fix such traditional Deep South fare.
After eating a great meal, I felt bloated. Charlie wanted me to help him do some chores around the house. We had to put up his artificial Christmas tree (The damn thing fits in a box the size of a coffin and weighs at least fifty pounds). He also had two other things he wanted me to do. Put together an air compressor he got for Christmas and to help him move around some heavy stuff in the garage and his basement.
“Now, goddammit don’t break any of my stuff.” He said with a laugh as I moved a box of glass ware. He was teasing me.
We ended up moving a lot of stuff and more than I initially thought. We made room for the gargantuan Christmas tree and pulled out a table that Charlie was giving to me for my new house. My kitchen at my new home is incredibly small and this table was high and narrow with tall stools to sit upon. It will fit perfectly up against a wall and comfortably sit two diners. I was glad for any additions to the donate furnishings for Grumpy’s scantily furnished new home fund. Good day and I hope you’ve all had a good new year. I am now off to overindulge in some college bowl games and try to ignore the tons of intelligence destroying commercials that I hate.
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