2020 Holiday Video Meetup Call with the Fitzpatrick Family
And we’re live …
“Hi, I’m Quinn’s wife, Lisa, here to wish everyone a very happy holiday season! As you can see, down here in Texas, we don’t have snow, but I have been decorating like crazy! If we can’t be with family this year because of this gosh darn pandemic, at least we can cheer ourselves up with pretty lights!”
(Claire joins the meeting)
Claire: “Hi, Lisa.”
Lisa: “Claire! It’s so good to see you! Girl, how are you?”
Claire: “Well, I’m thankful there’s a business that delivers wine; that’s what I’ll say.”
Lisa: “Have you decorated for the holidays?”
Claire: “We did put up a tree, and the girls decorated it. Then our cat Wilhelm climbed up inside it, and the dogs tried to catch him, and the lights caught on fire, but Ed has a fire extinguisher, so no real harm was done.”
Lisa: “Oh my goodness, me! How are your darling girls and Tommy?”
Claire: “They’re video-schooling, which is a challenge. I made Ed a deal: he’s in charge of their education, and I keep everyone fed. We’re eating a lot of fish sticks and fries, Lisa. I’m not running a gourmet restaurant here.”
(Hannah joins the meeting)
Lisa: “Hi, Hannah! Happy holidays! Why are you wearing a mask alone in your house?”
Hannah: “I’m the masked muttcatcher, Lisa; you know that.”
Lisa: “Could you take it off for our video chat?”
(Hannah removes her mask)
Lisa: “So how are Sam and Sammy?”
Hannah: “Well, since we have two feet of snow on the ground, right now they’re outside safe-distance-sledding with about half the kid population of Rose Hill. No one’s broken anything yet, but the day is young.”
Lisa: “Have you decorated?”
Hannah: “Sam is supposed to go get the tree this weekend. We’ll see.”
(Maggie joins the meeting)
Lisa: “Maggie, hi! Happy holidays to you! How’s Scott?”
Maggie: “Can you hear me? I can’t hear anything.”
(Hannah starts laughing and cannot stop)
Claire: “Unmute, Maggie.”
Maggie: “I can’t hear a thing you’re saying.”
(Maggie leaves the meeting)
Lisa: “Hannah, will you call Maggie and see if you can help her?”
Hannah: “Sure.”
(Hannah leaves the meeting)
Lisa: “Well, I just wanted you three all to myself for a few minutes before the rest of the family gets on this video call. Since we can’t be together this year, I thought daily video calls might just cheer us up.”
Claire: “Daily seems excessive.”
Lisa: “I’m just trying this out, Claire. Please be supportive.”
(Hannah joins the meeting)
Hannah: “I’m back. She had the mute on.”
(Maggie joins the meeting)
Maggie: “So what’s going on? What did I miss?”
Lisa: “I was just telling Claire that I’m planning daily family video calls to keep us all close for the holidays since we can’t be together.”
Maggie: “I’m gonna have to pass on daily calls, Lisa. I’ve got mail orders up to my neck in the store, and we’re serving to-go orders from the coffee bar.”
Hannah: “Sam and Scott built the half door they’re using so no one has to come inside.”
Lisa: “How wonderful! I’m so glad your business hasn’t had to close.”
Maggie: “Not yet, anyway. I really like not having people in there. I may just keep it this way.”
Claire: “Did Pixie’s princess book come in?”
Maggie: “No, but I expect it any day now.”
Lisa: “Okay, let’s get back on track. Maggie, have you decorated yet?”
Maggie: “Ernie and Timmy put up some twinkle lights, but that’s it so far. They’re at Hannah’s house sledding right now. How’s it going up there?”
Hannah: “Nobody’s crying that I can hear, not even the kids, so great!”
Lisa: “Okay, I’ve planned some fun games for when the rest of the family members get on the call, which should be any minute. I want you all to help me keep everyone cheerful and participating.”
Maggie: “I have to go, guys. My store phone is ringing.”
Hannah: “I don’t hear anything.”
Maggie: “Shut up, Hannah. Bye, Lisa! Happy holidays!”
(Maggie leaves the meeting)
Lisa: “Well, darn. I was hoping Maggie would stay on longer than two seconds, but that’s typical.”
Claire: “You should have some wine handy, Lisa. It will help with the inevitable disappointment of this call.”
Lisa: “I thought you would be more helpful, Claire.”
Claire: “I’m trapped in a house with five children and three pets, Lisa. Ed keeps having to go to the office for some reason. I’m only on this thing to hear adult voices for a change.”
Hannah: laughing, “Claire, you might want to put Wilhelm in a bedroom or something.”
Claire: “Why?”
Hannah: “He’s taking a very revealing bath on the dining room table behind you.”
Lisa: “Ew, Claire, can you put him somewhere?”
Claire: “I really can’t stay on, Lisa. I’ve got to get the laundry caught up, or we’re going to be wearing the same pajamas for the next week. I hope you all have fun! Love you!”
Hannah: “Is ‘doing laundry’ code for getting more wine?”
Claire: “Bye now!”
(Claire leaves the meeting)
Lisa: “Well, this isn’t turning out like I hoped it would. Hannah, you’ll stay on, won’t you?”
Hannah: “Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss this train wreck for the world.”
(Bonnie Fitzpatrick enters the call but you can only see the lower half of her face)
Bonnie: “How do you turn it on? Is it on? Hello? Hannah, is that you? I have told you and told you I have presents for Sammy cluttering up my front hallway, and you still haven’t come to get them. I guess I’ll just return everything, and he’ll have nothing for Christmas.”
Hannah: laughing “This is going to be great, Lisa. Thanks for doing this.”
Lisa: “Hi Aunt Bonnie! Happy Holidays!”
Bonnie: “Alice has one of her headaches, of course, so she can’t be on this thing today. Fitz is asleep in his recliner, which is all he ever does since we’re on lockdown here. If we don’t kill each other before the Covid gets us, it will be a miracle. Where is my daughter? Where is Maggie? Where is Claire?”
Lisa: “They couldn’t stay on. Is Delia joining us?”
Bonnie: “Delia is probably cleaning Claire’s house. She’s in their pod, you know. Lucky thing, too, or no one in that house would bathe.”
(More family members enter the call and everybody is talking at once)
Lisa: “Happy holidays, everybody! Welcome to our daily holiday call!”
Bonnie: “Daily? That’s not gonna happen. Not with this bunch.”
Hannah: laughing hysterically, “Happy holidays, everybody!”
I hope that you and yours are safe and well. Happy whatever-you-celebrate, from the folks in Rose Hill, and from me.
Best wishes,
Pamela