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.