Christmas Gatherings, Shindigs, & Hootenannys!
It's been a rough month for me with my (ongoing) kitty worries, but the Xmas Spirit finally kicked in. When you consider almost every weekend has has some type of party some of it was bound to make it way through.
I finally got some decorations up thanks to Angel last weekend. We didn't do more than string some lights around my living room and hang ornaments on them, but it was something. I also borrowed this small two foot tree from my Mom the other day and decorated that. See, some semblance of a Xmas tree makes things shinier. I just didn't feel like lugging mine out and decorating by myself but I still wanted a tree.
Let's see, so first weekend in December had the traditional Noonanfest Celebration. Which I had posted about before, good to some friends I don't get to hang out with all that much.
Third weekend had our traditional Friend's Xmas Shindig. It's usually our last chance to hang out before we all get sucked into family functions. It original started out with us going out to eat at a Chinese Restaurant near me, then off to Boston Billiards, then finally back to my place where we'd exchange presents and hang out for a bit more before everyone headed out or crashed for the night depending on what out of staters came down. Sunday would be the breakfast for those who stayed over before making the trek back home.
Due to the Boston Billiards near me closing down a few years ago and the lack of other hang outs in my area, it's been moved to Molly Darcy's (a combination restaurant & pub with a a dance floor and a pool table - a little bit for everyone).
We end up taking over the top "floor" and running the place.
Usually the same core group with additions or subtractions depending on whose available. Those that couldn't make it were missed and those that made it for the first time were welcomed. Too bad the band sucked, so the dancing was minimal. We kept waiting for when the band took a break and the DJ would come on. It was pretty funny to watch the dance floor clear out when the band came back. I'm sorry but they were bad! And a specific gripe I have - Men should NOT sing "I'll will survive." Gloria Gaynor's having a conip fit somewhere I just know it.
I thought that would be pretty much it until Graham decided that we all needed to come down to his bar/restaurant Sidewinders Tex Mex Grill this weekend because he planned to have a Xmas bash on Friday & Saturday. I think most of us didn't make it down until Saturday night and oh boy the 'perk' of it being in NY - which means they stay open till 4am is not really a good thing! Luckily, unlike Thanksgiving I didn't have to be at my folks house until 5pm (which is much better when one doesn't get home until 6:30am)
But I digress. Anyway, it was good see everyone again. Lots of "Oh my God long time no see! What was i - Last week?:)" Music was better (Internet jukebox! Yay!!!) until the DJ showed up later (Not so yay). We did the dinner thing and then people showed up all during the course of the night. Nice thing about knowing the owner cause even though there's not really a dance floor you can ask him about moving some tables to the side and suddenly.. there's a dance floor!:)
Heck even Riley came down again!! Four hour drive two weekends in a row!??! Hot damn!
And Drusilla! Haven't seen the chicky in ages and she makes two parties in a row!! Been forever!! (Note use of exclamation points!!)
Bestest surprise of the night.. DAWN! I only knew like maybe an hour before she arrived that she would be showing up. Our lovely bi-coastal chickadee just got to the East Coast the night before and already she's out visiting all of us. It's always like she's never away - after you give her the update about what's been going on.
Oh, and last weekend because he felt bad (pshaw - so not necessary) about not getting anyone anything for Xmas Mal footed the food bill at Molly Darcy's (Did the sneaky thing where he paid it before anyone knew what had happened). As appreciative as everyone was, some still donated money which he refused to take. So Wesley took it for a Malcolm fund. Anytime we are out and he wants a drink, it comes from the fund. I am so amused that 1) there's a fund & 2) that Wesley is the executor of said fund.
Fantastic! :)
Called up my bestests girlys Christmas Day to wish them a Merry Mojito!
Christmas Eve & Day went to my folks to do the family thing. Much quieter than the previous parties I've been too this month, but not by much. Though less alcohol, the cracking-wise and mockery runs high. Found a hot button topic about my Uncle - he's all about praising his daughter (River) in all her athletic abilities. Which in her defense is earned, but to the point of embarrassing her. She's 11 - there's only so much you take of your Dad bragging incessantly about you at the dinner table every time we all get together. So I try to deflect some of the attention off her by teasing him. This time I started going on about he's so going to the Father manager type who runs her career until she's 18 when she fires him and sues him. I got into how she rebel and get a tattoo - and oooh did I hit a button. He does not like tattoos. Going on and on about how he'd disown her. She was cracking up the entire time. So I told when she turns 18 we'll go get a tattoo together, it will be awesome, she's laughing harder, her Mom is giggling, and my Uncle's getting redder and redder. Ah.. good times. So I've decided that one day we are going to get some henna tattoos and convince him they're the real thing. He totally won't know. And see how long she can keep a straight face about it. It's gonna be great!
Oh and I officially have the bestest brother EVER!
During some email conversations we had earlier this month he asked me what I wanted for Xmas. I sent him the link for River's Sword & Axe from Serenity.
Bro: I'm not getting you that. Besides it's not very Christmasy.
Me: Bah, just like my friends. "No, you'll impale yourself. You don't need more pointy objects." Whatever.
Bro: Pick something else.
Me: Geez... Ooh get me amazon gift cards, I'll buy all sorts of stuff, like DVD's and music and...OOOOH get me an IPOD!! If you love me you'll get me an IPOD.
Bro: I'm not getting you an IPOD. I'd have to be the bestest brother ever to get you an IPOD. Not happening.
Me: Fine. Never liked you anyway. Wait I know! Get me something from Hong Kong!! (It wasn't a random left turn there, he currently was in Hong Kong for a business meeting during our email chat)
Bro: Like what?
Me: I don't know, something cool. Anything really would be neat.
So I'm opening his gift and it's dress shirt size box. He tells me there's a couple of things in there and that he indeed did get me something from Hong Kong. I excitedly rip open the box and immediately start cracking up. He got me a Robotech Veritech fighter and the box has Japanese characters all over it mix with english. Awesomeness! Love it!
He tells me not to forget the other box. So I dig it out and unwrap it and it's an IPOD Nano!!! I said "I thought you'd have to be the bestest brother ever to get me one of these?" "Well, you know... I thought about it and I am pretty awesome." My snarky tendency almost kicked in, but I'm willing to let him milk this one for a while. Which he totally did all day. Asking me specifically to pass him food and saying "no not that, the other one." It was pretty funny because I'd just randomly shout out when he walked by "I have the bestest brother ever! Everyone else's brother sucks."
Later he tells me that he ended up having a conversation with his co-worker about that email.
Bro: Do you believe my sister? She wants me to get her an IPOD!
Co-worker: You make lots of money, get her the IPOD.
Bro: I'm not getting her the IPOD.
Co-worker: Get her the IPOD.
Bro: Okay fine. Maybe I'll get her the 2 gig.
Co-worker: Don't get her that. Get her the 8 gig one.
Bro: Hey, I only have a 4 gig one, why should I get her a better one than mine.
Co-worker: Just shut up and get her the 8 gig.
Bro: *mock irritation* Fine. I'll get her 8 gig.
Thank you co-worker, who ever you are!!!:)
Actually I loved every gift I got - from homemade caramel apples (Oh My Tasty - so happy I ended up with TWO!!!) all the way up to the Nano. But especially the hugs, kisses, support, and love from my friends & family!
Merry Mojito to you all!!
I finally got some decorations up thanks to Angel last weekend. We didn't do more than string some lights around my living room and hang ornaments on them, but it was something. I also borrowed this small two foot tree from my Mom the other day and decorated that. See, some semblance of a Xmas tree makes things shinier. I just didn't feel like lugging mine out and decorating by myself but I still wanted a tree.
Let's see, so first weekend in December had the traditional Noonanfest Celebration. Which I had posted about before, good to some friends I don't get to hang out with all that much.
Third weekend had our traditional Friend's Xmas Shindig. It's usually our last chance to hang out before we all get sucked into family functions. It original started out with us going out to eat at a Chinese Restaurant near me, then off to Boston Billiards, then finally back to my place where we'd exchange presents and hang out for a bit more before everyone headed out or crashed for the night depending on what out of staters came down. Sunday would be the breakfast for those who stayed over before making the trek back home.
Due to the Boston Billiards near me closing down a few years ago and the lack of other hang outs in my area, it's been moved to Molly Darcy's (a combination restaurant & pub with a a dance floor and a pool table - a little bit for everyone).
We end up taking over the top "floor" and running the place.
Usually the same core group with additions or subtractions depending on whose available. Those that couldn't make it were missed and those that made it for the first time were welcomed. Too bad the band sucked, so the dancing was minimal. We kept waiting for when the band took a break and the DJ would come on. It was pretty funny to watch the dance floor clear out when the band came back. I'm sorry but they were bad! And a specific gripe I have - Men should NOT sing "I'll will survive." Gloria Gaynor's having a conip fit somewhere I just know it.
I thought that would be pretty much it until Graham decided that we all needed to come down to his bar/restaurant Sidewinders Tex Mex Grill this weekend because he planned to have a Xmas bash on Friday & Saturday. I think most of us didn't make it down until Saturday night and oh boy the 'perk' of it being in NY - which means they stay open till 4am is not really a good thing! Luckily, unlike Thanksgiving I didn't have to be at my folks house until 5pm (which is much better when one doesn't get home until 6:30am)
But I digress. Anyway, it was good see everyone again. Lots of "Oh my God long time no see! What was i - Last week?:)" Music was better (Internet jukebox! Yay!!!) until the DJ showed up later (Not so yay). We did the dinner thing and then people showed up all during the course of the night. Nice thing about knowing the owner cause even though there's not really a dance floor you can ask him about moving some tables to the side and suddenly.. there's a dance floor!:)
Heck even Riley came down again!! Four hour drive two weekends in a row!??! Hot damn!
And Drusilla! Haven't seen the chicky in ages and she makes two parties in a row!! Been forever!! (Note use of exclamation points!!)
Bestest surprise of the night.. DAWN! I only knew like maybe an hour before she arrived that she would be showing up. Our lovely bi-coastal chickadee just got to the East Coast the night before and already she's out visiting all of us. It's always like she's never away - after you give her the update about what's been going on.
Oh, and last weekend because he felt bad (pshaw - so not necessary) about not getting anyone anything for Xmas Mal footed the food bill at Molly Darcy's (Did the sneaky thing where he paid it before anyone knew what had happened). As appreciative as everyone was, some still donated money which he refused to take. So Wesley took it for a Malcolm fund. Anytime we are out and he wants a drink, it comes from the fund. I am so amused that 1) there's a fund & 2) that Wesley is the executor of said fund.
Fantastic! :)
Called up my bestests girlys Christmas Day to wish them a Merry Mojito!
Christmas Eve & Day went to my folks to do the family thing. Much quieter than the previous parties I've been too this month, but not by much. Though less alcohol, the cracking-wise and mockery runs high. Found a hot button topic about my Uncle - he's all about praising his daughter (River) in all her athletic abilities. Which in her defense is earned, but to the point of embarrassing her. She's 11 - there's only so much you take of your Dad bragging incessantly about you at the dinner table every time we all get together. So I try to deflect some of the attention off her by teasing him. This time I started going on about he's so going to the Father manager type who runs her career until she's 18 when she fires him and sues him. I got into how she rebel and get a tattoo - and oooh did I hit a button. He does not like tattoos. Going on and on about how he'd disown her. She was cracking up the entire time. So I told when she turns 18 we'll go get a tattoo together, it will be awesome, she's laughing harder, her Mom is giggling, and my Uncle's getting redder and redder. Ah.. good times. So I've decided that one day we are going to get some henna tattoos and convince him they're the real thing. He totally won't know. And see how long she can keep a straight face about it. It's gonna be great!
Oh and I officially have the bestest brother EVER!
During some email conversations we had earlier this month he asked me what I wanted for Xmas. I sent him the link for River's Sword & Axe from Serenity.
Bro: I'm not getting you that. Besides it's not very Christmasy.
Me: Bah, just like my friends. "No, you'll impale yourself. You don't need more pointy objects." Whatever.
Bro: Pick something else.
Me: Geez... Ooh get me amazon gift cards, I'll buy all sorts of stuff, like DVD's and music and...OOOOH get me an IPOD!! If you love me you'll get me an IPOD.
Bro: I'm not getting you an IPOD. I'd have to be the bestest brother ever to get you an IPOD. Not happening.
Me: Fine. Never liked you anyway. Wait I know! Get me something from Hong Kong!! (It wasn't a random left turn there, he currently was in Hong Kong for a business meeting during our email chat)
Bro: Like what?
Me: I don't know, something cool. Anything really would be neat.
So I'm opening his gift and it's dress shirt size box. He tells me there's a couple of things in there and that he indeed did get me something from Hong Kong. I excitedly rip open the box and immediately start cracking up. He got me a Robotech Veritech fighter and the box has Japanese characters all over it mix with english. Awesomeness! Love it!
He tells me not to forget the other box. So I dig it out and unwrap it and it's an IPOD Nano!!! I said "I thought you'd have to be the bestest brother ever to get me one of these?" "Well, you know... I thought about it and I am pretty awesome." My snarky tendency almost kicked in, but I'm willing to let him milk this one for a while. Which he totally did all day. Asking me specifically to pass him food and saying "no not that, the other one." It was pretty funny because I'd just randomly shout out when he walked by "I have the bestest brother ever! Everyone else's brother sucks."
Later he tells me that he ended up having a conversation with his co-worker about that email.
Bro: Do you believe my sister? She wants me to get her an IPOD!
Co-worker: You make lots of money, get her the IPOD.
Bro: I'm not getting her the IPOD.
Co-worker: Get her the IPOD.
Bro: Okay fine. Maybe I'll get her the 2 gig.
Co-worker: Don't get her that. Get her the 8 gig one.
Bro: Hey, I only have a 4 gig one, why should I get her a better one than mine.
Co-worker: Just shut up and get her the 8 gig.
Bro: *mock irritation* Fine. I'll get her 8 gig.
Thank you co-worker, who ever you are!!!:)
Actually I loved every gift I got - from homemade caramel apples (Oh My Tasty - so happy I ended up with TWO!!!) all the way up to the Nano. But especially the hugs, kisses, support, and love from my friends & family!
Merry Mojito to you all!!