Ciao 2017

I’ve gotten some hits from Grand Haven, MI, where #1 is spending a snowy Christmas with family. Several have come in from Key West also, which is the winter home of The Wigs, whom we’ll be giddily joining on Saturday.  I decided I better slap something up, so I don’t piss them off and lose 50% of my readership.  I saw cute pictures of both families on FB.  Wig’s SB2 was holding Franklin, which you will recall I am looking forward to having crap on my floor some time in 2018.

We had quite the Christmas Eve blow out here at the mansion on Gull. It was The Exec’s birthday and there was a total of 19 villagers in attendance.  My wife was able to configure our two high end cafeteria tables into a beautiful setting for the event. Everyone brought a lasagna, as we had abandoned the Seven Fishes theme due to the complicated nature of it without our Dear Leader, aka #1.  My daughter organized a “Secret Santa” event in which we all read a poem or some other tribute to one of the attendees.  I particularly liked The Exec’s puppet show.

It is great to have the family together again.  We had SB2 home for Christmas Day and he ate at the table with us, as opposed to balking and insisting that he get his perch on the patio.  He also opened presents with us.  My wife was almost brought to tears by the Hillsdale Mall gift card I got her.  My in-laws got me some premium wine which I do not deserve.  All were quite pleased with their haul.  Later we watched Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. I think this is the beginning of a family tradition of watching dark comedies with mild violence on Xmas day.

But the family get togethers are not without their drawbacks.  SB1 has been having a bit of an allergic reaction since he got home.  My wife thought it might have something to do with the furnace we’ve been running during this extended cold front.  She wanted me to change the filter in the furnace, which is now up in the crawl space since the remodel.  Although I appreciate her confidence in me as an HVAC professional, I had to tell her I didn’t happen to have a spare furnace filter around. 

Last night we had dinner at Donato Enoteca in Redwood City.  We had a good meal, although my agnolotti were a tad salty.  We enjoyed a cocktail first, with my daughter choosing the Sloe Gin and Tonic.  This gave me an opportunity to regale the kids with a story from my youth.  A high school classmate, one of the first to hit the then legal drinking age of 18, had a goal – I admire people with goals – to drink 18 sloe gin fizzes.  He did not make it as he puked #13 up on the bar.  The appetizers arrived just as I wrapped up my tale.

We also discussed 2018 travel plans during the meal.  My wife was trying to figure out how we could get to see SB1 before next year’s end.  I was going to ask if she was referring to the same person that had been annoying her the entire car ride down to the restaurant, but I decided to withhold comment on that.  I did however remind her we have a two-week Asia trip in July and that I am not made of money.  She also made a remark about my memory, which is apparently good, but only for numbers.  This from a woman that asked my kids about 7 times if they wished The Exec a happy birthday at the party.

I will wrap with those bastards, aka The Republicans, who managed to pull off their tax heist.  This left us Paul Ryan grinning like an idiot.  Charles Pierce of Esquire refers to him as a “granny starver”, an apt description.  I recommend Pierce’s work.

Happy New Year folks.

F@#$ You Roy

And the horse you rode in on.  I’m stoked that we have a Democratic senator from Alabama today.  But you have to take the bitter with the sweet.  I think I speak for all of us when I say I am sad to see Omarosa go.

My heart is warm but the rest of me is freezing.  The house has been like an icebox for a week.  Being a tightwad, I hate to turn the heat on, but you gotta keep it above 60 indoors.

I’ve made my plans for Harry and Meghan’s wedding.  My plus one will be The Wig’s brother, aka Mike the Running Beast.  I already told him the topic of Kate’s baby weight is out of bounds.

I’m getting a new cell phone number.  I can’t publish it here, or it will never stop ringing, but if you are one of the cherished many, you’ll be getting an email with my new digits

I caught this headline today.  I’m anticipating nightmares.

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-giant-penguins-20171212-story.html

Last but not least, I present you with my first tat.

Joy to The World

The Christmas letter is done.  If you’re lucky, you’ll get a copy in the snail mail within a couple weeks.  The wife and I must fight about font, print art etc. for a while.  The kids are vehemently opposed to what I said about them, but I don’t give a shit. Happy Holidays.

Does anyone else look forward to getting junk mail that they can turn into scrap paper?

We spent Thanksgiving over at TCG’s house along with the Execs and their offspring.  Our kids stayed put but will be home for Xmas.  The TCGs put on quite a spread and we watched a lot of football. I am now tied for 15^th in my pool and am resigned to finishing out of the money.

I was driving to the paradise that is Milpitas - to show my face in the office at least once in December -  when I passed a pickup truck on 101 that said on the back “God Is Not Dead”.  He may very well not be pal, but your taillights are.

Did you see what that ninny Chuck Grassley said about people spending their money on women and booze.  I am not fond of being governed by condescending plutocrats.  Hopefully the House can sink that damn tax bill.  I see Paul Ryan wants to go after Social Security and Medicare in 2018.  I cannot figure out what the hell is wrong with that guy and all his cohorts.  Do they revel in the thought of people crawling off to the woods to die?

Yo #1, I got What’s App so I ring you up soon.

OK folks, that’s it.  I’m off to the Waffle House to cook my own breakfast.