Hey there...
Had a lovely, if exhausting, extended Thanksgiving holiday. I hope your week was grand whether it involved holidays or not!
The In-laws made a spontaneous decision to come to Austin for a week. We had already committed to being in Houston for the holiday and SIL had already made plans to go to San Antonio to be with them. Oh well, it worked out.I understand that no one really wants to come over to the vegetarian's house for Thanksgiving, I get it. They did want to come over to our house for pretty much every other meal before and after. Which was nice, actually.
Thanksgiving itself was celebrted down at sib3's in Clear Lake, home of NASA, where the whole town is in chaos over the cancellation of the both the Shuttle program and the Constellation (manned spaceflight) program -and has perhaps the largest concentration of unemployed PhDs ever? Sib2 brought Mom and a bunch of Sib3's friends came (including a nanotech material engineer who graciously allowed The Boy to fangirl him). It was very nice until the moment Sib3 said, "Oh hey, I could open the gym?" I am now utterly spoiled and want every holiday to include a full-size basketball court and access to a Youth Lounge with two air hockey tables, foosball, ping pong, and darts! IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!
At some point, post dinner but pre-basketball frenzy, Sib2 popped into the clean up zone with The Boy and said "We're going out driving." and I nodded casually and tried not to look freaked out and he proceeded to teach my 14 year old son to drive in the church parking lot. I only peeked out the window once.
Later that night we met Sib2 at a generic sports bar back in West Houston to watch the Texas v Texas A & M game and play some pool. The first half was dreadful, the second half better, the final moments rather thrilling. I still don't like football all that much but it was better than dwelling on the sale of the Astros and their move to the American League WTAF?! Sob. It's just...take it from me, it's a big deal. A big horrible no good life-ruining deal.
Also, lightly fried soft pretzel pieces dipped in horseradish mustard are LIFE-ALTERING levels of AMAZING! OMG!
On Friday morning, we descended on Mom's place. All the Christmas things came out and the tree went up. The guys retreated to the grocery store with her shopping list. Mom and I put the nativity up - which is always special since she made and glazed all the ceramics herself - back in the mid-fifties. The kings, all jeweled crowns and richly colored robes, with their haughty camels are always set apart until Epiphany and this year they're on the top of the antique drop-leaf desk that we set up on. There is usually a photograph of my dad there and in the end we tucked it back in place just behind the figurines which led to a few 'Four Wise Guys" jokes and us laughing hysterical tears when the guys got back.
On the drive home I made my only Black Friday purchase of the year - buying an eyeshadow palette from The Balm via smartphone and secure digital currency using a promo code from a friend on twitter...all from the middle of nowhere in Fayette County, Texas.
Friday night there was Erev Shabbat and cut-throat Yatzee with more family here.
On Saturday there were unexpectedly (but very joyfully received) additional BIL, SIL and nephews in town so we had a dozen for an impromptu brunch and I got to spend some time with two of my favorite relatives, one of whom I haven't even seen since he graduated from Washington, St. Louis more than a year ago. It was delightful! Thank god for frozen blintzes! And warming drawers, And that really good whitefish salad from Central Market.
That evening we went to see Tower Heist with a couple of other couples and enjoyed it far more than I had expected to. It was great fun if forgettable. Afterwards I tried to call The Boy at home to give him an update on our plans but he wasn't answering the home phone or his cell. Assuming (correctly) that he was playing StarCraft2 I texted and emailed him. That's about when my friend John asked if The Boy was perhaps on Steam and proposed texting HIS son (also likely on Steam at that moment) and having him message The Boy. Sure enough, about 30 seconds later The Boy called me! A message via Steam from his BFF ("BUSTED Dude, call your mom") carrying far more urgency than a vm or text from me! It was hilarious. As was trying to describe Steam to the other four parents with us.
Sunday was finally The Muppets!
Which was glorious in every way and even lived up to the incredible expectations I had for it!
JOY JOY JOY
And...that's all at the moment. I am overcome with love for The Muppets!
The In-laws made a spontaneous decision to come to Austin for a week. We had already committed to being in Houston for the holiday and SIL had already made plans to go to San Antonio to be with them. Oh well, it worked out.I understand that no one really wants to come over to the vegetarian's house for Thanksgiving, I get it. They did want to come over to our house for pretty much every other meal before and after. Which was nice, actually.
Thanksgiving itself was celebrted down at sib3's in Clear Lake, home of NASA, where the whole town is in chaos over the cancellation of the both the Shuttle program and the Constellation (manned spaceflight) program -and has perhaps the largest concentration of unemployed PhDs ever? Sib2 brought Mom and a bunch of Sib3's friends came (including a nanotech material engineer who graciously allowed The Boy to fangirl him). It was very nice until the moment Sib3 said, "Oh hey, I could open the gym?" I am now utterly spoiled and want every holiday to include a full-size basketball court and access to a Youth Lounge with two air hockey tables, foosball, ping pong, and darts! IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!
At some point, post dinner but pre-basketball frenzy, Sib2 popped into the clean up zone with The Boy and said "We're going out driving." and I nodded casually and tried not to look freaked out and he proceeded to teach my 14 year old son to drive in the church parking lot. I only peeked out the window once.
Later that night we met Sib2 at a generic sports bar back in West Houston to watch the Texas v Texas A & M game and play some pool. The first half was dreadful, the second half better, the final moments rather thrilling. I still don't like football all that much but it was better than dwelling on the sale of the Astros and their move to the American League WTAF?! Sob. It's just...take it from me, it's a big deal. A big horrible no good life-ruining deal.
Also, lightly fried soft pretzel pieces dipped in horseradish mustard are LIFE-ALTERING levels of AMAZING! OMG!
On Friday morning, we descended on Mom's place. All the Christmas things came out and the tree went up. The guys retreated to the grocery store with her shopping list. Mom and I put the nativity up - which is always special since she made and glazed all the ceramics herself - back in the mid-fifties. The kings, all jeweled crowns and richly colored robes, with their haughty camels are always set apart until Epiphany and this year they're on the top of the antique drop-leaf desk that we set up on. There is usually a photograph of my dad there and in the end we tucked it back in place just behind the figurines which led to a few 'Four Wise Guys" jokes and us laughing hysterical tears when the guys got back.
On the drive home I made my only Black Friday purchase of the year - buying an eyeshadow palette from The Balm via smartphone and secure digital currency using a promo code from a friend on twitter...all from the middle of nowhere in Fayette County, Texas.
Friday night there was Erev Shabbat and cut-throat Yatzee with more family here.
On Saturday there were unexpectedly (but very joyfully received) additional BIL, SIL and nephews in town so we had a dozen for an impromptu brunch and I got to spend some time with two of my favorite relatives, one of whom I haven't even seen since he graduated from Washington, St. Louis more than a year ago. It was delightful! Thank god for frozen blintzes! And warming drawers, And that really good whitefish salad from Central Market.
That evening we went to see Tower Heist with a couple of other couples and enjoyed it far more than I had expected to. It was great fun if forgettable. Afterwards I tried to call The Boy at home to give him an update on our plans but he wasn't answering the home phone or his cell. Assuming (correctly) that he was playing StarCraft2 I texted and emailed him. That's about when my friend John asked if The Boy was perhaps on Steam and proposed texting HIS son (also likely on Steam at that moment) and having him message The Boy. Sure enough, about 30 seconds later The Boy called me! A message via Steam from his BFF ("BUSTED Dude, call your mom") carrying far more urgency than a vm or text from me! It was hilarious. As was trying to describe Steam to the other four parents with us.
Sunday was finally The Muppets!
Which was glorious in every way and even lived up to the incredible expectations I had for it!
JOY JOY JOY
And...that's all at the moment. I am overcome with love for The Muppets!