12 days , 12 things ....

So how many people actually know WHEN the 12 days of christmas are ? NO not before the "big day" but actually after. And of course there is always that song "th 12 days of Christmas" blah blah......

Well this year I actually decided for some strange odd reason, that I would keep track of what I "got" during those 12 days. Though by this point the initial bits are fuzzy in my mind - Here it goes:

Day One: One Great Xmas Day brunch thanks to Stefanie & her amazing Mom!

Day Two: Found out Sally had a blown head gasket, apparently a common problem with Subaru's from 1998-2002

Day Three: A Happy Hour with 3 Margaritas! (you're kidding me on the day AFTER Christmas? - well why not - it makes the work day seem easier)

Day Four: I found the approximate repair bill for Sally would be a 4 figure number ($2,000 !!!) . On the lucky side I found a Pro shop a few days later who can slash 40% off that price - the catch is He cant do it until early February)

Day Five: Off To Mutton Top!

Day Six: At least 6 of us went chopping wood! (See the theme) plus it released alot of stress doing it.

Day Seven: Seven Bottle Rockets! (Goodbye to 2007!)

Day Eight: Head wound free since January 2nd 2008!

What you may say? well some may recall an particualr biking accident circa Nov 2006. Well I went all of 2007 without hitting my head REALLY hard on anything - but 2 hours into 2008 - Lo and Behold - I get into an argument with a door latch and I loose - big time. Luckily I have freinds who know how to bandage me up, even if it is a little overenthusiastic!

Day Nine: Fuzziness sets in, a boring nine hour workday....

Day Ten: Played a Great Game of Imperial! (yes I am a geek)

Day Eleven: Saw 11 Shooting Stars (I stopped counting after that)

Day Twelve: A Twelfth Night celebration

This was the capstone of the 12 days - A good dinner where I tried to recreate my Paella recipe from late September. And though it was different - it was nevertheless tasty! Even better that it was shared with good friends (right).

It was all to celebrate - even if it wasnt per the standard method- Three Kings day, also known as The Epiphany. For my family this was the official end of the holidays. The tree came down the weekend after this, there would sometimes be a parade on this day also. But the family wold get together and we would have a good meal together - though it was often times at a restaurant. I remember my grandparents ordering Paella on this occasion more than a few times. SO thus was my impetus to have a dinner with my family of friends. And its perfect timing. Since the holidays are soooo full - one can never throw a holiday party anymore - so throw a small afffair for some afterwards - BRILLIANT!

In the immortal Hannibal Smith's word : "I love it when a plan comes together"

So three Huzzahs! for my wonderfull 2nd family who came out for a great evening (which is what counts)

So on that note I this time leave myself a few thing to remember for the next time I cook Paella

1. It always takes longer than I remember to cook - 45 - 60 min to cut & prep, alot the same amount of time for cooking

2. The Sofrito is the key to the color, dont scimp on the tomatoes, they need juicy pulp (out of season tomatoes dont work as well)

3. As I needed to be reminded - the Mussels are good if they close (if they stay open before they are cooked its bad, if they dont open when cooked they are bad)

4. Clams are not as vital, Scallops do a better substitute

5. Hoard up on Spanish Chorizo - its harder to find than I thought - and the dish misses something when not used

6. Big burner is better than 2 small burners of a regular stove - and a bigger P.I.T.A

7. Seafood is cheap at the DC Waterfront! Take advantage of it - especially cheap Mussels!

8. It always helps to have an amazing sous chef! (how could I forget that point!)

Thats all for now, i'll add if I remember more.

Banging in the New Year

I have realized that I am not as engrossing as some of my other friends in writing, especially when one has a gift of gab, and often find myself slow on posting up stuff. So here I am with suddenly a zillion things to ramble about, 3-4 days later sharing my New Years celebration.

My good friend Jamie and her beau organized yet another amazing cabin trip like the Tulip Tree cabin or Myron Glaser. This time we went to much ballyhooed Mutton Top Cabin which was very near Morris Cabin. Needless to say despite shoving 9 people and 7 "dogs" into the cabin, it was a phenomenal and novel way to spend New Years eve. Avoid large crowds, avoid drunk drivers, and still be with some (sadly not all) of your great friends.

The days were spent chopping wood, chillin by the fire (some went hiking), spending time with firends - the night cooking, playing games, and ... chillin by the fire. We ate well too... so much for roughing it.

A few rebellious cabin-goers defied the no dress up pact (darn that was smart of them) and thus Jon & Alexandra promptly got declared King & Queen of the ball (oddly King didnt get to be King). Its hard to just put a narrative to the weekend, but here are a few cherished memories:

An AMAZING Sunset over the cabin & Valley

Wacthing the cold front moving over us, a thick line of clouds passing over and revealing brilliant stars overhead.

Waking up in the morning looking into the valley with just the hill tops visible as a blanket of low clouds/fog cover everything else - breathtaking!

Chopping the big 20 foot log of a tree and hauling another 25 foot fallen from the tangled vines & brambles for the bonfire.

Who would ever think you could have Pho at a rustic cabin! Thanks to Linny, we did, and made my stomach very happy.

Regretting a cool waterfall hike, yet I wouldnt have had my Tree experience if I had gone.

Hanging around the bonfire with Glog, Icewine & shooting off cheesy bottle rockets!
Stars Stars Stars!

Playing Bag of Nouns on Team Short Bus (since we were apparently soooo horrible we could be compared to ... well....). Bag O nouns is played by each player on a team writing 5 nouns on 5 slips of paper. Then in alternating order each team needs to guess as many words drawn from a bag/hat etc, which need to be guessed by the teams in 3 consecutives rounds via Taboo like fashion first, then bu using only one word, and the third round only in charades. Some interesting words people came up with:


Va-jay-jay, female pee funnel, Darren Biggs, Rickets, Buffalo Nickel, 3 different states, Jalopy, F-1 Racing, Quattro (think "Menage a Trois" +1, but in Latin), Grape Ape, and various other sundry & mundane words, of which I should seriously challenge!

Seriously this was a good way to cap off the Good Times in 07, and a Bang up way to ring in the New year (more on that later!)

Thankfully it's.............

Why do we need a holiday to be thankful for things? Why not do it all the time. Well I guess we forget to appreciate so we seperate this day aside. Thanksgiving is becoming one of my favorite holidays because it is the last sanctitude away from commercialization. Sure it started off rather differently, but over the decades, it has become something better.

Examples of victims are: Halloween, Easter, Mothers Day, July 4th, Presidents Day, and the ever infamous Christmas. Thanksgiving is one of the **BIG** truly American Holiday. By "American" I don’t mean citizens versus non-citizens, immigrants versus non-immigrants, blacks vs. whites, vegetarians versus meat-eaters, doves versus hawks, Republicans versus Democrats, Native-Americans versus Non-Native Americans, or rich versus poor. I’m not talking about any of the myriad things that divide us as a nation. I’m talking about all of us – the 300 odd million of us that make up America.

Admittedly there are a few holidays that are not fully invaded, like Veterans Day (unlike its cousin Memorial Day), yet it is the harbinger of that aformentioned Christmas shopping frenzy of black friday and the chaos that ensues. We are also often forced to the altar of the food gods for this holiday, but it isnt that bad giving our money for a Traditional Harvest feast to the farmers of america, if it wasnt for those twin evils of High fructose corn syrup and Hydrogenated vegetable oils. But yet I digress.......

For 364 days each year we may focus on other priorities in our lives. We are simply asked to reflect on the things that we’re grateful for. We don’t have to drink green beer, send gifts, carve pumpkins, buy cars, or shoot off fireworks.

We are asked, simply, to be thankful. And to this I wish to just say to all my friends, family, loved ones for bieng you - through arguements and disagreements, Good Times and rough, sour patches or overenthusiam, complaints and compliments; I am glad for those in my life. And if I don't say it enough, or sometimes forget to stay in touch - then know it is in my heart; Thank You ... all of you, for everything.

I hope your Thanksgiving is one of just that.