12/25/2016

Weekly Update 12/25//2016

I feel as if I've spent the entire week in the kitchen, not my favorite place to be. And that's really not true, because I baked some cookies weeks ago and froze them, and I made others on different days. Even so, I was in there much more than I like to be. Without owning an electric mixer, a rolling pin, or measuring spoons, and having only one measuring cup, one small cookie sheet, and not a lot of counter space, I think I did quite well. I made five different kinds, and packed them up as gifts. I saved some (ok, a lot) for myself. I won't have to do this again until next year. And then, only if I forget how much I hate doing this – Publix always has Russell Stovers for buy on get one free, and that does just fine.  

on your mark...

...get set...

...GO!!!

I met Donna at a restaurant in Savannah that we've been wanting to go to for quite some time – The Tap House. On Wednesday, the burgers are half price, so we wanted to try them out to see if they were any good. They were! In fact, they were so good that I went back again Friday night with Kay and Adam, and paid full price. This place is a keeper. The only downside is that Ben Roethlisberger is a part owner in the chain, and while I ate, I had to face a number 7 jersey. Other than that, everything was grand. After lunch, I went to Leopold's for my holiday fix of eggnog ice cream. That was the perfect dessert!

In the evening, since I hadn't put my pajamas on just yet, I went driving around the neighborhood a little. There was an amazing display not far from me that I visited a year or so ago with Charles and Sylvia, and it was even bigger this year. The house is on the corner, so they have a lot of curb area, and they use every bit of it! There is a box out front for donations to St Jude's, and I like that. I don't know what this family pays for electric bills in December, but it must be enormous. It reminded me very much of the display that Debbie and Kevin Cole used to have each year in Rochester. I always liked to see those lights. 

I'm getting used to the car little by little. This week, I taught myself how to set the buttons for Sirius radio. I have a 3-month free trial with the car. I know I'm going to continue to pay, because I love it - I wish I didn't know how good it is. This is what everything is now – you buy a tv for a price that's not too bad, and then pay a huge fee every month to watch. You get a phone that can do things no phone ever did before – take pictures, get email, pay bills – and then pay a huge fee every month to use it. And now, I'm going to be paying to listen to the radio in the car, just so I don't have to hear ads, and I can be selective about what I listen to – so far, I've chosen channels that play 40s music, and 50s music, NPR, NFL. I'm sure I'll find others.

I wasn't going to go to Coach's on Saturday, because I didn't have high hopes for a good game, but at half time, although the Bills were behind, I decided to go. What a great second half! I couldn't believe it when they took the lead with only a minute to go. I danced out of there, a huge smile on my face. I didn't think there would be any way they could lose this game. Well, I was wrong. I had to listen to the end of the game on the NFL station in my car while sitting in the parking lot a Publix. What a heart break! And that's the end of the season for the Bills – again this year, no playoffs. I hope whoever they get for a head coach next year (and surely they must fire the Ryan brothers, and maybe Carpenter, too), will do better. I've got my slim hopes for any post-season play pinned to the Lions.

Sunday hardly seemed like Sunday, since most of the games were played already. I very nearly began to launder the sheets on my bed (a Monday chore) before I realized that I could put that off another day. I opened the few presents that were under my tree, and ate KC barbecue ribs for my holiday meal. The weather was delightful, and I was downtown for a short time to wander around Jones Street to look at the wonderful wreathes, swags and red bows on the townhouses and in the squares. It is all so lovely.

Audrey, me, and the gifts

Merry Christmas to all! And a wonderful 2017!