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.

One Sweet Ride!

Knowing my own car would probably explode on the freeway, I rented a car for my trip to Idaho. On past trips, I've driven a Toyota Corolla, Ford Taurus, Dodge Stratus, and even a Dodge Magnum. This past weekend, it was my pleasure to drive a 2009 Mazda 3!
After spending over 18 hours on the road, I have this to report - other than the fact that it didn't have cruise control, I must say it was the most comfortable car I've ever driven!

Gage's 4th Birthday

My grandson Gage turned 4 on November 5th, and I was able to get the weekend off to drive to Idaho and celebrate with him! I say this each time I see Gage, but it really is hard to believe how quickly he is growing. Seems like just yesterday I got the phone call telling me I was a Grandpa!