Picture Sunday

Well, hello, you end of weekenders! End of holidayers, end of yearers, even. And welcome the final Picture Sunday of 2010.

Yep, it's been a while. Busy time, Christmas. Well, and that other problem. Remember? I broke my camera the last night of Oktoberfest this year. And even though Mr M loaned me his, I don't know, the pictures just weren't happening.

Well, lo and behold. A request from Santa, who's in really tight with my mom and dad, and I am the proud owner of a new camera. Been playing with it off and on today, and well, let's show you want it can do!






















It can take pictures of its own box! (That's something approaching a self-portrait.)

That present was opened Christmas morning with the family. We all gathered around 11 am, opened presents, hung out, then it was time to part for a bit before we'd all convene at the sister's for Christmas dinner.

Mr M came down and we had present time. And talk about your cool presents....




















A new Flip, in HD! And white! Can't wait to start using it. Comfy Chair Movie ideas, please!

Then on to the sister's in the driving snow, a nice dinner, and Mr M and I cut out a little early so he could start home in the elements, and I could get to my next event of Christmas Day.

See, my long-lost but newly-found (well not anymore, a year now) high school buddy The Daughter C was in for the holiday, as was our other high school buddy The Daughter O. I was to pick up Daughter C and we'd both head to the O house and have a nice visit.

The snow was still coming down hard and the roads were untouched, but I headed out to the old neighborhood, "Between the Bridges," as 2d Son C calls it. The fact that the roads hadn't been touched was actually an advantage, lots of snow for traction, and no one was on the road so there were no idiots to dodge.

Now, I saw Daughter C for the first time in years back in October. I'd not seen Daughter O for - well, I honestly don't know how long it'd been. I remember a short conversation with her when the nephew was a toddler. So let's estimate 20 years.

And it was great. There we were, all 32 years after high school, looking the same and different and picking up exactly where we left off. I mean, for however much our lives have all changed, we all sat there in the living room, the three of us, Mom O, and two dogs, and there was never a moment's silence in over three hours.

And we laughed. A lot.

Daughter O had brought her doggie, Walter, in for the trip, and I fell totally in love with him. And I think he liked me a bit too. He kept putting his paw on my arm. I was sure by the end of the evening he was going to ask me out on a date.

It was fun and cozy and familiar and new, and the perfect way to end a Christmas Day. But the hour got late and the snow was still falling, so Daughter C and I had to say our goodbyes, hopefully not for another 20 years. I dropped Daughter C off and when I did, she gave me a little something.

She stressed it wasn't a Christmas gift, probably knowing me well enough to know I'd be mortified to not have one for her in return. It was - and she prefaced this with, "Now, I don't really understand all the things with your stuffed animals," to which I laughed - but it was the brand new mascot of the Richmond, Virginia baseball team, the Flying Squirrels. Yes, it was Nutzy, the Flying Squirrel!




















Well, as you can see above, the kids just love him. And he does flying feats of derring-do for them in the living room. So he'll be here with us, at least till the baseball season gets into full swing. Sherman's offered to arrange a meeting between him and Rocky the Flying Squirrel, who of course Sherman is great friends with.

OK. And that was Christmas. Low-key, lazy, snowy, and nice. And you'd think that would be the end of the blog, right?

Well, you're wrong!

Today I'd decided to have a little celebration for myself. See, on Thanksgiving I ended up having two dinners at two different houses, and came home with not a single leftover goodie to my name. So earlier in the week I started toying with the idea of taking today and having my own little Christmas dinner.

Mr M was hoping to join me again today, but the snow was just too bad for a trip from B'burg. So it was just me and the gang at the little Poderosa Post-Christmas Dinner.

I started by putting a small turkey breast in the oven and got it nice and toasty.




















Then I made some sausage stuffing, hoping it would be as good as Mr M's.


















I forwent the mashed potatoes, I can have them with leftovers. Put them both on a plate, and I had me a real little Post-Christmas dinner!





















And it was really good! The turkey was moist with a crusty outside, the stuffing was almost as good as Mr M's, I curled up in the Comfy Chair and turned on the tree lights and the TV and ate my fill. Then as happens on these occasions, I took a little nap for about an hour.

Then in an amazing turn of events, I popped up post-nap, started getting the turkey off the bone, got everything cleaned up and put away, and even got Sunday trash duty done to the point of having the bags already out on the curb, anchored in the 8 or so inches of snow we have (and are still receiving).

And it was a good day. Now all that's left is to take the tree down, which I'll shoot for tomorrow night.

Happy week, and happy rest of 2010 if I don't post before.

Betland's Olympic Update:
* Hope you all had a nice holiday as well. I've still got New Year's Eve coming up, which could be a real interesting story to tell.