Merry Belated Xmas and Happy Early New Year

Hope you all had a nice Xmas and have a wonderful 2009.

I actually had a very nice Xmas . . . after a point.

I woke up early and made coffee, pancakes, eggs, sausage and bacon and my brother and his family wandered over from across the street (they rented a cabin across the street for the ski season) and we ate and opened presents. Around 11:30 they wandered off to go hit the ski slopes and I started preparing Xmas dinner:

Appetizers
Cranberry Brie Bites
Meat and Cheese Plate
Seasoned Nuts

Dinner
Prime Rib
Jus
Horseradish Sauce
Leek Mashed Potatoes
Cauliflower Gratin

Dessert
Sticky Toffee Pudding with Whipped Cream

I went through my recipes and realized that there were a couple of things I wanted to pick up at the store so, got dressed and walked outside. First of all I should mention that it had been snowing pretty much non-stop for about 5 days so the stuff had been piling up. When I got outside I noticed that when the kids took my car to the local market the night before, they drove straight into the driveway rather than backing in so . . . getting out was going to be a challenge.

I turned on the car to get it to start heating up and I brushed the 2 feet of snow off the windshield and windows. Took a look at things and decided to brush some of the snow out from around the tires. I got in the car and realized I couldn't roll down the windows cuz they were frozen shut so I couldn't see my side windows. Now, our driveway has a tree on either side of it, flush with the side of the driveway so to get in or out, you have to take these trees into consideration. Given the fact that I couldn't see out my side windows, I crawled back out of the car to clear them.

It was then that I noticed that we had about a 4 foot berm across the end of the driveway. I went back in the house to call H and explained my problem and his advice was that he was certain that I could “just blast right through the berm”. I told him I didn’t think that would work because it was so high but, he insisted.

So, I went back out and tried to back out and . . . couldn’t even get to the end of the driveway to try to blast through so, after many attempts to get out I gave up and went back inside and called H. He said that he would take care of it and have someone come clear the driveway. 30 minutes later, nothing. So, I went outside, dug some more snow out from around the car and . . . tried again. I got further down the driveway but, still no go.

Went back into the house, called H again and he said not to worry, someone was coming shortly. An hour later – nobody. So, called him again and he convinced me to try to blast my way out again . . . so, I went out, dug some more and tried again and this time I managed to get all the way to the end of the driveway and to the berm and . . . got stuck. So now my car is half in the street and half in the driveway and nothing will make it move. Not 4 high, not 4 low. Nothing.

I marched back into the house and called H again nearly in tears and ranted about how every other house on the block can get out and now I’m stuck and I can’t move and blah blah blah. He said not to worry and that he would take care of it, asked if the company he called ever came out to help and I said no. I ranted some more about how it’s too late to go to the store now cuz I have to start cooking, etc., and hung up.

I’d given up on any hope of help so started cooking and an hour later there is a knock at the front door and it is the head of the county road department saying that he heard I needed help and came by to tow me out but that after looking at my car . . . he wasn’t going to be able to – it was too stuck. He asked if I had somewhere to go and I explained that I had needed to go to the store but had given up on that dream and that it was now too late.

We chatted for a few more minutes – about what H was going to do cuz he wouldn’t be able to get into the driveway and there’s no parking on the streets during the Winter cuz of plowing; he told me not to worry that he’d take care of it and said he’d send one of his guys out to plow our street and get rid of the berm and that he’d come back tomorrow to help me dig out.

Then, a little while later, I’m in full swing cooking and I glance out the window and I see snow being thrown from a snow blower. I walk out (in jeans and a t-shirt, freezing my head off) and my across the street neighbor is blowing the snow out from behind my car to try to get it out. I told him that I appreciated it but that I thought it was hopeless and that the road department said they’d send someone to get rid of the berm.

But, he was determined and he spent a good 45 minutes blowing away the berm and digging snow out from around my tires and got my car unstuck and back into the driveway. I was grateful but felt really bad. I thanked him profusely and he wished me a Merry Xmas and went home (I need to do something nice for him).

Then, about half hour later I see a huge giant piece of machinery out there with lights flashing and even more snow being thrown around and it was the county road guy that had been promised. I threw on some clothes and shoes and ran out there to thank him and offer him some food but, by the time I got out there, he was gone.

So I went from being totally stuck to being the clearest driveway on the street.

I got my cooking mostly done, jumped in the shower, and got dressed just in time for my brother and his family and the next door neighbors that I’d invited for Xmas dinner to show up. I hadn’t spent much time with the neighbors so wasn’t sure how they’d take my family (we’re an opinionated bunch of folks who feel free to speak our minds) and wonderfully it turned out they were much the same so we had a great time. Talked, drank and munched on appetizers. Talked, drank and ate dinner. Talked, drank and played Liar’s Dice. All in all a good time.

My bro and fam came over this morning for breakfast and then headed for the slopes. I just finished cleaning up and putting everything back where it belongs and am taking a break. I’m gonna post this post, have a soda, and head out into the wilderness and look for something nice for my neighbor who dug me out. My bro is making dinner tonight so, I'll just be relaxing and have a good time.

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!!!

People . . . People Who Need . . . A Bonk Upside the Head

People never cease to amaze me.

Yesterday, I was in Whole Foods, in the bread section, and there was a woman standing next to me with a stroller and about a 2 year old in it. The woman picked up a loaf of french bread -- the kind where one end of the bread sleeve is open -- and was standing there looking at other loaves of bread and . . . tipped the one she had in her hand to the side and the loaf of bread fell out onto the floor.

The woman looks down at it. Looks at me. Picks it up, puts it back in the sleeve and puts it back into the basket where she took it from, grabs a fresh loaf, and starts walking away. I was freaking stunned. I thought that surely, having seen me watch the entire incident she would do the right thing but nope, she put that loaf of bread back so someone else would buy it.

So, I grabbed the loaf of bread and followed her. I walked up to her and said, "Excuse me, surely you didn't mean to put this loaf of bread that you dropped onto the floor back where some unsuspecting person might buy it."

And she just stared at me, didn't say a word.

So, I said, "Surely you meant to take it up to someone and tell them what you did so they can throw it away, right?"

Again, she just stared at me.

So, I said, "Hello? Can you hear me?" and she just stood there. A Whole Foods person walked by just then so I stopped him and said, "This woman here just had this loaf of bread in her hand and let the bread slip out onto the floor. She put it back in the sleeve and back in the basket so I took it out because I'm sure you don't want some poor, unsuspecting person to buy it."

The Whole Foods person stood there, looked at me, looked at her longer, took the loaf of bread and thanked me very much. The woman stood there and never said a word. And, I know she spoke English because I heard her talking to her child before she dumped the bread.

I wanted to bonk her upside her head. The worst part is now I'm freaked out about whether other people do things like that and whether I've ever bought something that has been mishandled like that. Blech.

Communication Breakdown

Last night . . .

Me: I didn't get a chance to make gingerbread cookies so I bought you some. They're in that box on the table.
H: Cool!
(A few moments pass)
H (from the dining room to me in the front room): Did you make these cookies?
Me: No, I told you I didn't get a chance to so I bought them.
H: You didn't make these?
Me: Can you not hear me? No. I. Did. Not. Make. Them.
H: You bought these?
Me: Yes, I bought them.
H: From a bakery?
Me: No, from Cost Plus.
(Silence for a few moments)
H: Okay, cool. I'm looking forward to trying them I'll take them with me tomorrow morning for a snack.

This morning, after H left the house, I headed into the kitchen for a cup of coffee and saw the package of gingerbread cookies still in the box, unwrapped.

This afternoon . . .
H: Uhhh . . . you know those gingerbread cookies you bought me?
Me: Yes.
H: Uhhhh . . . I think they were actually dog biscuits.
Me: No, they're gingerbread cookies.
H: Well, they were inedible. I threw them away. I'm pretty sure they were dog biscuits.
Me: What are you talking about? The package is still sitting there unopened.
H: What are you talking about? I threw the whole ziploc bag of them away.
Me: Ziploc bag? What did these cookies look like?
H: Well, they were shapes like Christmas trees and stars and one of them was shaped like a dog biscuit. And the decorating was really bad, that's why I kept thinking you made them.
Me: Well, that's cuz those were the organic, wheat and gluten free dog biscuits I bought for the dog.
H: (Silence)
Me: Why in the world did you throw them away?
H: Cuz I couldn't even break one in two! And I thought they were dog biscuits!!!
Me: But, you know that we have a dog, right?
H: (Silence)
Me: You ate one, didn't you?
H: No! I told you they were inedible. I couldn't break them in two, there's no way I could have bit through them.
Me: You had one in your mouth, didn't you?
H: (trying to hide a grin) I didn't eat one.
Me: But you had one in your mouth and tried to bite it. That's why you threw them away, you wanted to hide the evidence.
H: (still trying not to grin) I don't know what you're talking about.
Me: Uh huh.