Phil's Birthday

XLIV

Nothing super about my turning 44 - it's just always cool to use Roman numerals, especially when I'm the same age as the Super Bowl!

Which, I might add, won't be all that super either, since the Vikings went down in flames...

Other than being another year older, the only other news to report is that Phil has officially moved in with me. He and his wife are separated, and he was out of work, so after spending a week in St. George at Christmas, he decided to stay and try to find work here.

Christmas in Vegas

The Unwrapping

"You'll shoot your eye out, kid! " Well, not really, I never even wanted a Red Rider BB gun! But scenes from "A Christmas Story" were all over my wrapping paper, and even on 2 ties from my parents!



Gee, I wonder if these might be CD's...

One excited Vikings fan!

Snow!

Snow. I got to see it, walk in it, drive in it - and even more importantly, didn't have to shovel it! That, and picking up Phil in Salt Lake City were the highlights of a short trip to Salt Lake City. Oh, and I can't forget to mention eating at Chick-fil-A and Crown Burger!
Lisa was kind enough to drive me to Salt Lake, to meet Phil's bus there. With all of the snow between Boise and Salt Lake, the bus was only 3 hours late arriving. In fact, it is a good thing we were picking him up, because the bus from there to Saint George was canceled. Phil will be spending the next week with me, so I won't be celebrating Christmas alone!

Turkey Day!

My first attempt at cooking my own turkey, with all of the trimmings, went even better than I could ever have expected. Faced with spending Thanksgiving alone - something I dreaded - it's bad enough being alone any day of the week, but holidays are even more dreadful - I invited my friends Liz & Dave over, and we had a wonderful feast!

Thanksgiving Forecast

The following has been passed around on the internet for at least 10 years now, and it always gives me a chuckle:

Turkeys will thaw in the morning, then warm in the oven to an afternoon high near 190 F. The kitchen will turn hot and humid, and if you bother the cook, be ready for a severe squall or cold shoulder.

During the late afternoon and evening, the cold front of a knife will slice through the turkey, causing an accumulation of one to two inches on plates. Mashed potatoes will drift across one side while cranberry sauce creates slippery spots on the other. Please pass the gravy.

A weight watch and indigestion warning have been issued for the entire area, with increased stuffiness around the beltway. During the evening, the turkey will diminish and taper off to leftovers, dropping to a low of 34 F in the refrigerator.

Looking ahead to Friday and Saturday, high pressure to eat sandwiches will be established. Flurries of leftovers can be expected both days with a 50 percent chance of scattered soup late in the day. We expect a warming trend where soup develops. By early next week, eating pressure will be low as the only wish left will be the bone.