I see live people

This is rare and notable for us.

1. Sunday, carol-singing party. By general agreement, we skip "The Little Drummer Boy." You know, I actually like "The Little Drummer Boy." Turning to non-carol songs, I may also be only living person who likes "It's a Small World."

2. Tuesday, without B. but with my visiting brother for a day visiting Salinas and Monterey. Lunch at favorite charbroiled chicken place in the Salinas barrio. Quick trip through Steinbeck museum, where I've been before, on late-entry discount because they're closing early for Christmas eve. Monterey: coastal view, used bookstore that's still open (both in the sense that it's Christmas Eve and that, hey, there's still a bookstore), dinner on the wharf and the discovery that the candy store there carries chocolate-covered gummy bears, which I'd wondered if I'd ever see again: something else I like that nobody else can stand.

3. Wednesday, Christmas dinner at B's brother's. Very small gathering, but the newborn granddaughter and her parents make an unexpected appearance. Rotisserie rather than the usual smoked turkey; hence extremely tender. Annual dispute, this one over, May employers enforce their religious scruples on their employees' health care plans? I note how these days "religious freedom" often means "enforcing your religious beliefs on other people."

4. Thursday, Boxing Day open house party. Apartment has the shape and ambiance of a very large warehouse storage unit with a loft. Technically it's a one-bedroom flat, but it's unlike anything by that description you've ever seen. Residents have filled it with books, gadgetry, and - above all - cats, so it's most welcoming.