Winding Down

It's December 30th already! Today is the last "regular" day of the year. Tomorrow and Thursday, it's another time to look at traditions.

Tomorrow night, we'll have an early dinner at a nearby Italian place, and I'll stare at all the offerings and once again choose one of two pasta dishes - puttanesca or pommodoro. Hubby will likely be more adventuresome and try something new, one of the few times he deviates from tried and true favorites when we eat out. We'll come home, and around 10 or so, I'll set out some munchies and we'll open a bottle of champagne. Normally, we'd go outside and watch the Universal Studios fireworks, but they changed their display for the Fourth of July, and if they stick to that, the show won't be as spectacular as it's been in the past. But being on the roads on New Years Eve in a tourist town isn't wise, and we're getting to the stage where we stay up more out of some inner obligation rather than to celebrate.

New Year's Day, I'll make a modernized version of a southern traditional dish, Hoppin' John, which our son called Johns Hopkins once when he wanted the recipe, and the name stuck. More munchies, and that'll be it for food for the day. I'll have football games on, and hubby will probably fall asleep. For him, a football game is better than Unisom.

And, since Hanukkah was officially over at sundown last night, it's time to put away the menorah, box up the few decorations I set out, and find homes for all the gifts.

I love the nightshirt my daughter sent - even hubby thought it was cute (although he's definitely a Victoria's Secret kind of guy).
And every now and then, cosmic timing works out. We needed a 2009 calendar, and I figured I could get one today after my hair appointment this afternoon, as long as I'd be out and about. But yesterday, our son sent a wonderful calendar -- a year's worth of family pictures. Give a photographer a new baby, and you get a LOT of pictures, and using them to make a calendar is fantastic. Plus, there's still enough room for writing appointments, etc. Despite Outlook and Google calendars, it's the one hanging on the kitchen wall that is most convenient.

Hubby got a 'paper airplane a day' calendar and he can hardly wait until the 1st so he can make the first one. We still have to try the battery operated automatic corkscrew. Brookstone has such nifty gadgets!