Yesterday and today went
much better than expected - no fights to speak of (though there were a few moments where screaming was sorely tempting). I drank a lot - about 8 glasses of wine, total. (Prosecco may be trendy, but it's not all that good. I'll stick to riesling, thanks.) And I can hold my liquor pretty well, given that I wasn't knocking it back like a frat boy - one glass every thirty or so minutes had me nicely toasted by dinnertime. :) [And dinner went well - Mom complained about the timing because she's out of practice, but the food was all hot when we sat down to eat, so I don't really see a problem.] We never did make it to midnight mass - Mom and I were both dead on our feet by 11, and since our cousin Elma didn't go home until 11:30, we opted to just rinse dishes and give up for the night. I slept until noon; good thing Christmas Day is a
lazy holiday around here - I was still the first one out of bed, just like every one of the past twenty-some years. :P
If you want a good, simple potato recipe, hop on foodnetwork.com and look for the Jacque Pepin-style potatoes that Rachel Ray does. (You do want to use the small potatoes, though - we had slightly larger ones yesterday and they took MUCH longer to cook.) Nummers. (Also, a simple salmon spread for crackers: one large can of red salmon, one block of neufchatel or cream cheese, a dash of liquid smoke (or use a large can of smoked salmon, and you can nix the liquid smoke addition). Mix and let sit in the fridge so the flavors meld - ideally, we do this the night before we intend to serve it. Garnish with finely minced chives, if you're feeling swank. Serve with triscuits, wheat thins, whatever catches your fancy. The red salmon
looks better than the pink - less washed-out in color - but tastes the same.)
Presents were good -
lots of obiage and obijime for me, plus a cute purple newsie cap and sleeveless turtleneck (no surprises - Mom went shopping with me at Kyoei because I know what I have and don't have, so we agreed on a budget and left it at that). She liked her iPod* and sudoku book and spice spoons (oblong measuring spoons that fit into little jars - good gift for the foodie that cooks a lot). We couldn't continue the tradition of coffee cake and champagne, as we had no luck finding the Sara Lee coffee cake we usually get, but the "apple blossoms" (Safeway brand) were a nice substitute - flaky pastry and apples with a crumb topping. Heat and serve. :) Freixenet champagne is the way to go. :)
I got Pitelka's newest book on Tea pottery from brother Mark, so now I need to find an excuse to go up to Oxy and harass him for an autograph or something. :) I still need to save up the $$$ for his older book that I used and abused for my thesis, which is crazy-expensive because it wasn't put out by a major press company, just an academic print run. (Supply and demand, sometimes I hate you.) Davil, we haven't heard from you in ages - if I have to plot a surprise road trip, you can bet I'm going to shortsheet your bed and bring some Grape-Nuts, just to make
sure I've done my irritating-little-sisterly duty.
Watched
Kung-Fu Panda a little while ago. Silly-cute movie. Did some sewing, but rapidly lost interest in continuing after frying my index finger on the side of the iron - while it was set to 'Linen'. Did you know the next phase after that smooth one on a burn is puckering? It looks like I was trying to make jerky. o.O: Yeah. I'll try working on my crafty stuff again tomorrow (yay four-day weekend!). Perhaps I should invest in one of those Ov-Glove(TM) things for when I need to press something.
'Moon of the Terrible' is, unlike its name implies, quite not-terrible at all on. Not overpoweringly floral, with a sweet undertone. I quite like it, and am glad I placed such an impulse purchase. [Also, freebie shipping upgrade! Woot. Got it yesterday before noon.] (Butter Rum Cookie is nice, but it becomes
rancid Butter Rum Cookie by the next morning if you're not careful. Couldn't figure out right away why I smelled like spoiled cookie dough when I woke up this morning...) I also have the resurrected Snake Charmer to try out - my imp of the original is a bit aged, and while it doesn't smell bad or off, it's a much more potent scent now than the fresh oil. I think the fresh oil may work better. I'll have to use up the imp in the tub sometime. Waste not, yadda yadda. (I am currently battling my impulse demons over going back on the Villainess website to order more sugar scrub.
ursulav was right about the scrub being a huge help against ingrown hairs from shaving... My bikini line hasn't been this smooth in YEARS. Also, I am
ridiculously fond of scented bath products, much moreso than lotions or sprays. I wish the BPAL Trading Post weren't so spendy, or I'd get their things, too, like the bath oils... )
Now, if only this splitting headache would leave me the hell alone... I'd be in a pretty damn good place**. Stupid headache. (Tried the hot-shower-and-tea route. No dice. Took two (behind-the-counter, tracked-by-the-gub'mint) Sudafed and two Advil. I now have a medicine-head feeling somewhere under the blinding pain around my right eye. Next step is two Excedrin migraine and two antihistamine. After that... will probably be more painkillers and a few shots of rum, as I lack the loaded revolver necessary to put me out of my misery. Oy.)
* The newest generation of shuffles charges in, like, ten minutes. I am all kinds of jealous - mine takes for
EVER.
** It's still the holiday season, so I'm not going to hold my breath when it comes to limitless joy, etc. That's just expecting a bit much.