<p>Binx, Was son at Union Square (around 14th street)? It has been a crazy 3 days thank goodness the transit strike is now over.</p>
<p>Welcome, Jimbob! Slide into a booth or belly up to the virtual bar. You're just in time for Eggnog Thursday in Sinner's Alley. Spill the beans, eh? </p>
<p>A certain patron who shall remain nameless has been known to put beer nut baskets on her feet and dance on the bar to the lively Polka tunes of Happy Louie and The Polkaholics. Certain other patrons have been known to use occasional profanity. Please refer to, "Ho, Ho, Ho, Damnit!" and the "sh**-eating Schnauzer," among others. Let's see, somebody in here raises large, hairy animals and drives a Jeep, or something that once resembled a Jeep. Which reminds me, don't bother the Wookiees when they're playing holographic Checkers, and if a Klingon grabs you by both arms and butts you in the head violently, he or she is just being friendly. The one left standing, wins.</p>
<p>Certain regulars have dishware that does not match! In the summertime, we go on a road trip. Other than that, insanity runs in our families, and that is why we come here, as opposed to finding more productive things to do. :D</p>
<p>S1 just called from LAX, waiting to board the flight that will get him here at 6 am Christmas Eve. He's chillin' though, fingers crossed for an upgrade.</p>
<p>Down Under Sticker Shock:</p>
<p>9' Live Christmas Tree US$10</p>
<p>15 lb Christmas Turkey US$52</p>
<p>My guess is that it doesn't have one of those red popping thingys so I bought a thermometer and wrapped it up for DH. It's under the tree. Am I going to Christma-tory or what? ;)</p>
<p>He's here! He says it was Grand Central Station. Good, smooth flight; arrived a few minutes early. I was a few minutes late - driving in the dark in the snow on a wet Autobahn - didn't make my usual time. He's ready to relax. Has rehearsal tonight (playing in big church downtown on Christmas) then dinner with friends. "Am I going to stay awake?" he wonders.</p>
<p>Our tree is dead, dry, and drooping. Pretty soon it may be upsidedown without even trying. Guess I know why all the Germans wait till Christmas Eve to put it up.</p>
<p>The coffee machine and my house are both jammed, and I'm thinking of ways to escape. What to do, what to do, two days before Christmas? Make a bass guitar out of a cigar box, invite friends over (inadvertently doing the parents of the friends a BIG favor because they're here instead of at their homes), make 15 coffee drinks, and then, fire up THE AMPS. </p>
<p>The all-day version involves in-between sessions of watching Family Guy DVD's, eating, and possibly baking Funfetti cupcakes which may be used as make-up assignments for AP Gov. Throwing coats, shoes, paper plates, and newspapers on the floor is a big part of the all-day version. </p>
<p>The dishes magically fly into the dishwasher, and the counters clean themselves. Food is not stuck to the kitchen table, and the sofa resassembles itself after being dismembered like a lame antelope in lion country. </p>
<p>I'm going to do a good deed today, and visit an old folks' home. That's probably not a politically correct term to use these days. Okay, so I'm going to find the nearest senior retirement community and plant myself in the lobby. I'm going to stare at the beautifully decorated Christmas tree and the lovely holiday decorations. If I'm lucky, a troop of cute Brownies will drop by to sing Christmas carols. I just want a little Peace. :o</p>
<p>Drats, my hiding place has been discovered! World of Warcraft reins supreme, and I am being booted off. I'm off to the North Pole to help Santa pack the sleigh. He checked his list from the past three years, and I guess I've earned somewhat of a reputation for stuffing lots of things into bags. Don't lose your ho-ho's this weekend! :) Have a sluggy Christmas and a buggy Hanukkah! :D</p>
<p>well we made it up to our holiday destination after a 6 hr drive
I brought my laptop so I could watch movies and do a little work
but what do I find?
wireless!
I don't know if this is a good thing or not ;)
so while waiting for dinner to be ready- instead of reading People magazines I am going through my spam</p>
<p>Had such a fun time at the neighbors' party tonight. You know sluggbugg's driveway nemeses? These are the polar opposites; perfectly delightful people; our back-fence "Night at The Roxbury" pals, whose first act as new neighbors was to install a gate between our two yards... </p>
<p>A whole ton of kids home from college were indulgently tolerating old farts (aka me & H), while everyone had mass quantities of shrimp & crab and small kids sang carols at the piano. Free flowing top shelf booze-- and the collegians did not take any obvious liberties. DD wore an old & very sexy black cocktail dress of mine in a size I will never see again. So happy I'd hung onto that dress :)</p>
<p>Perfect party. </p>
<p>Our littlest boy disappeared part way through the evening... Turned out he'd gotten tired, walked home, and put himself to bed. :D Maybe he'll get himself into college too! ;) </p>
<p>Night night all!</p>
<p>Happy holidays to you all! Wireless on vacation the new trend! Great neighbors and gatherings to all. Children in everyone's hair again of all ages!</p>
<p>Took son to an early old foggies party last night. Good food! (Wow, pronounce those two words together if you are a beginner in English.) He was good, shaved, dressed nicely. I got him home by 11:30 p.m. It's the bewitching hours for young adults here who take cabs or walk downtown. The phone rang and out he went with his buddies who just arrived back for the holidays from all areas on the globe.</p>
<p>No snow here, but the chill has arrived just in time for Santa.</p>
<p>Reign, rein, rain...too tired, yesterday, to catch my spelling error. ;) That's my excuse this time. I'm hoping that the Night Before Christmas story is true, and I will be in my kerchief, all snug in my bed before 2 a.m., tonight. Gotta watch Benedict do his thing, though. </p>
<p>We've moved Christmas dinner to Christmas Eve so that the b/f can attend. He's Jewish, but he would attend a human sacrifice if it involved a free meal. On the menu: Boneless, rolled turkey breast; roasted veggies and new potatoes; tossed, green salad with low-fat sesame ginger dressing; gingerbread and Rachel Ray's Almond Snowball macaroons.</p>
<p>Elmer Fudd translation<a href="just%20for%20fun!">/u</a> :)
On the menyoo: Bonewess, woewed tuwkey bwest; woasted veggies and new potatoes; tossed, gween sawad with woe-fat sesame gingew dwessing; gingewbwead and Wachew Way's Awmond Snowbaww
Macawoons.</p>
<p>SB,
Sounds weawwy, weawwy gweat!!!!</p>
<p>Fighting a sinus infection. Did not get up til noon. One last hunk of presents to wrap. </p>
<p>Seasons Greetings to all!! </p>
<p>Hope everyone avoids the coal (unless you can't afford the gas and electric bills...)</p>
<p>Triple header here at jmmom's house: Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukkah and Happy Birthday to DS on 12/26. Requires coming up with 4 killer menus, including Xmas Eve. Simplified a bit this year as Chanukkah's special meal will be combined with b-day.</p>
<p>Xmas Eve: Scawwoped oystoohs, gween sawad with Gewawd's Champagne dwessing, Casco Bay Foggies (aka, killer brownies). We continue the simple one-dish meal tradition, instituted when we had to get the kid to bed and spend til the wee hours arguing over the correct place to put gizmo A when assembling the drum kit or whatever.</p>
<p>Xmas: Woast Duck with special wub and sauce I can't wemember, Potatoe Gwatin with Goat Cheese and Gawlic (stolen fwom Dr. DrewsMom's Thanksgiving menu post), Bwussles Sprwouts with bwown butter, Pwofitewoles with homemade hot fudge sauce.</p>
<p>Chanukkah/bday: Latkes (who cares what else?)</p>
<p>Beef tender with howwandaise sauce, gween beans, sauteed mushwooms, fwesh sour dough bwead, cookie bars.</p>
<p>Tomorrow morning - homemade gingerbwead and bacon.</p>
<p>Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukkah! My Christmas Eve won't be the same as I've lost my Menorah - I always light the candles. We have Christmas dinner tonight and leftovers tomorrow as we open our gifts. Ham, turkey, scalloped potatoes, green beans, Yankee and Southern dressing, hominy casserole, fruit salad. Pumpkin roll and Chocolate layered pie for dessert. Oh, yes, rolls and iced tea (we're southern). We will have 15 for dinner.</p>
<p>Hot, hot, hot today. Must have been 80 degrees. Not your traditional Christmas weather and can't wear any of the new sweaters I bought for the season. Shouldn't complain, but I prefer clear skies and cold weather! Off to the OC tomorrow for Christmas at the in-laws. Just came back from church and a great dinner out with H, S (the wise college freshman who took pleasure in pointing out our provincial attitudes!!) and surly 15-year-old D, who warmed up inexplicably half way through the dinner and ended up being a delight. A Charlie Brown Christmas CD is playing and the rest of the gang is wrapping gifts and laughing. The cats are milling about. The dogs are chowing after a nice walk around the neighborhood. I hope all of your holidays are wonderful and that your time with family and friends is a blessing.</p>
<p>Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukkah and seasons greetings to all.</p>
<p>Tookie, I hope that all is well on the baby front.</p>
<p>Pass me a cup of eggnog which such good menus I may come ringing your bell.</p>
<p>Sybbie, thanks for asking! She was born Dec. 16 weighing in at 8 lb. 14 oz. Prettiest thing on the planet. We are headed up in the a.m. to go visit and I can't wait to get my hands on her.</p>
<p>Looks like the holiday gifts came early to your family as no one is going to be able to top the gift of her safe arrival. Hope that mom, dad and the big sibling are doing well too.</p>
<p>Raising a glass of eggnog Tookie's new granddaughter :)</p>
<p>At aforementioned neighbors' shindig, I scored a coup-- holding the cutest seven month old baby there for about 45 minutes. He was sleepy and he nuzzled my neck! I was in heaven.</p>
<p>I probably missed my century, and my calling, as a wet nurse.</p>
<p>Tookie I am so jealous. I will love having grandchildren!! :)</p>
<p>Tookie, when you come down off of cloud 9 with that baby, maybe you can clue us in on Yankee vs. Southern dressing and that hominy casserole. I am a hominy/pozole freak, although I'm not big on grits for some reason.</p>
<p>The birthday boy and DH are toddled off to bed, so I have allowed myself to log on to cc. Santa's tin of dominoes under the tree was a hit and we played that for quite a while after dinner. I <em>love</em> games. Happy merry to all.</p>
<p>jmmom, Yankee dressing is made with white bread (this year I used Pepperidge Farm dried stuffing), and Southern dressing has cornbread and white bread - all the other ingredients (i.e., celery, onion, eggs, sage, and chicken broth) are the same.</p>
<p>As for the hominy casserole: 3 cans hominy, 2 sm cans green chilis, 8 oz. sour cream, 1 lb grated Monterry Jack or cheddar, 1 tbs grated onion, melted butter. Bake on 325 for 30 min. then put buttered bread crumbs on top and bake another 10 min.</p>