Dec 29, 2008 10:46
I've been away for the past 4 days, as I spent 2 days at my parents, deep in the suburbs and then off we went in the countryside to visit the rest of my family for 2 days. We ate way too much, but it was fun chatting with so many people i haven't seen in forever. And yesterday, we visited my great-aunt Jeanne (my grandmother's sister). She used to run a catering business and is still a keen cook even in her late seventies. Bonus: she made home-made cranberry-and-orange sauce and fruit ketchup -- it felt as if my grandmother was alive again, as it tasted exactly the way she used to make it (it's a family recipe, which explains why it was the same). We later played pool in the basement --- my dad is quite a good player, and I never saw him play before.
Despite less-than-ideal road conditions, this weekend was quite fun.
Also, did not get much in terms of gifts, but I did receive a 12-cup coffee machine and a coffee grinder from my parents. Can't wait to put it in place, although I will need to buy a trolley or something like that for my microwave oven (since I need to move it off the countertop). I also got the Lord of the Rings trilogy on DVD (that I will give away since I already have it) and a romcom starring Reese Witherspoon (I love romcoms and haven't seen this one, so I really don't mind). :)
I also participated in Digital Press' Secret Santa gift exchange. Received 2 brand-new games: Mass Effect for the Xbox 360 (my first-ever 360 game!) and Final Fantasy III for DS (one of the hardest RPGs ever!!!). :)