Lots of people are making the joke that this is the year "2020 too," because life just isn't back to normal yet. The pandemic rages on - in fact, with the fun new variant Omicron, more people than ever have covid. Hopefully it will start to subside soon, but in the meantime, we seriously needed to celebrate Bleak Week as much as we ever have! (Except maybe in 2020. And 2021.)
Some years we get Bleak Week on the calendar as soon as Christmas is over, but this time we were staying pretty busy in early January until suddenly we realized that the month was passing us by and we'd better just do it! It actually got started with perfect timing. Just as we decided to celebrate Bleak Week, we got word that our school district was going back online "for just a week" in an effort to stem the tide of new covid cases. Both of my girls, Romney especially, revealed that they both basically have PTSD when it comes to school getting cancelled. In 2020, it started with a 2-week shut down, then a month, then the rest of the school year, etc. etc. etc. They were sure that the same thing would happen. I'm happy to report that it remained a one-week closure. It was a long week though, for me as well, getting back to making sure the kids were getting into their zoom classes ok and fetching them snacks and water and chapstick all the dang day long. Bleak we called it, and bleak it was!
Our first event wasn't officially part of Bleak Week, but ended up being a great kick-off anyhow. The girls and I went to see HCT's production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I was pretty sure it was going to get cancelled but we made it! This show is not one of our very favorites, but it was good for our souls to see the bright lights and colors, hear the boisterous singing, feel the energy. And be together.
Monday was the first official day. I slipped away that afternoon to our favorite bakery, Gourmandise, to pick out some decadent pastries. We ended up with tiramisu, hazelnut cheesecake, a passionfruit slice, chocolate mousse cake, creme brûlée, and a marzipan slice. Troy and I were pledging to eat just a couple of bites, but I guess we meant a couple bites every few seconds. All five of us practically belly-flopped into that box of deliciousness. It's so fun when everyone in the family is all-in on a holiday, and we get no resistance to the together time. Maybe if it always included pastries we would always get the same response.
Tuesday night we went with a family movie night. Troy and I discussed the movie choices over a few days - we really wanted everyone to be happy. It can be really hard to pick a movie fit for both Emma and Chase. They almost never watch the same things. We were considering The Emperor's New Groove, since that is one of our most-quoted movies of all time, but at the last moment inspiration stuck and I suggested the original 1977 Star Wars. It got a unanimous vote, and we plugged the TV into the big speakers and blasted it. Great movie.
Wednesday had a personal anti-bleak moment for Emma, who got a haircut after asking for one for many weeks. Maybe even months. She got such a cute a-line cut that made her curls go nuts.
That evening was an ice-skating activity for our church youth, which is something that Romney and Emma really wanted to do during Bleak Week anyway. How perfect that they got to go and I didn't have to.
Thursday was our night to go out to dinner. Well, that was the plan anyway. We were considering sushi, Korean BBQ, and ramen, finally deciding on the last option. I just so happened to have a coupon for our favorite ramen place, but only if we got take out. Everyone agreed that they would love takeout ramen, so we could stay in jammies and eat at home and watch something fun. I was so glad we did - the ramen shop was absolutely slammed, even at 5pm on a Thursday night! Jammies at home were very welcome. Yoko Ramen is the best around.
Finally came Friday night, and we were planning on making our regular trek back to Crystal Hot Springs. However, the kids seemed less than enthused, since we normally go there with friends and family. We tried to invite a few people but no one could join us, and the weather was going to be just frigid. We decided to change plans. The Hot Springs could wait a few weeks for a cool spring night. And instead, we suggested an activity that was met with wild approbation. Axe throwing!!
We got reservations and headed downtown. I was actually kind of nervous, thinking that it was unlikely that any of us besides Troy and Chase would experience much success. And it's true, it took a while for some of us to get the hang of it. Except Chase. He instantly started hurling that axe with a fervor that was slightly alarming but seemed pretty therapeutic for him. He thwanged that thing into the target time and time again. Emma and I weren't the best at it, but we both got a lot more hits than we expected. There were all sorts of ways to count points and play games, but we were just enjoying throwing the axes as many times as we could.
That was definitely the highlight of our week. So much fun! I thank my friend Jane every year for introducing us to the idea of Bleak Week. It's truly awesome.
I'll also confess here that I have my own little way of getting through January a little faster - I call it January with Jane (meaning Jane Austen). While puttering around the house every day cooking and cleaning and taking care of things I keep up a steady flow of Jane Austen movies, and other British romantic dramas. Today is the last day of January, and I'm not done yet. I think I'll keep them coming until Valentines day.
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