More on Christmas

Ah. Lazarus, the Christmas turkey. Generally Christmas Day is characterized by Bob and me getting up early to get started on the day -- which means getting started on Christmas dinner -- a repeat of Thanksgiving Dinner. If the Powers That Be were smart, they would schedule these two events at least 4 or 5 months apart so that we could enjoy our two yearly turkey dinners -- well -- notallinthesamemonth. But it is what it is, so in our new jammies, we trudged to the kitchen where I started the stuffing (that is to say, I put some water on to boil). We always buy a fresh turkey, and Lazarus had been purchased from the local grocery store about a week prior to the Big Event. Originally we were going to have 10 for C'mas dinner, but then Jill & Derrick had to go to Derrick's sister, so were only going to be with us for a short time, and Rick & Susan weren't going to be able to come down from Michigan, so that left us with our 17 pound bird for 5 of us. Not to worry. Leftovers are a good thing.

Except.

Bob pulled him out of the fridge. He got the scissors to open the packaging. One small snip.

EEWEWWEEW. What WAS that stink????

Bob opened the plastic surrounding Lazarus a little more. OH MY WORD! HE STINKETH!!!

And Lazarus did NOT rise from the dead.

He was confined to the great out of doors and a garbage can more than immediately.

We aren't sure what happened, and frankly, I don't care to know.

Bob raced to the grocery store. Surely the Jewel would be open for a least a few hours on Christmas Day... uh, no. Neither was Dominicks. Nor Cub Foods. Nobody.

I perused the freezer. "Thank you Jesus, that we have food to eat. There are many in this world that don't have any." OK, so what WAS I going to cook for C'mas dinner? There was a package with two small steaks. Nope, not enough for 5. There was a package of hamburger -- we could do spaghetti. That was an option. Ahhhh-- here's the package of mini quiches that was an overflow from the post wedding get together at our house that we didn't use. Hmmm. And -- oh -- we had gone to CostCo and got some really delicious sesame-ginger chicken wings. A big bag. That might do. And this white package? Oh -- some cooked shrimp Bob was saving for New Year's Eve. Nope -- that would be added to the 'meal.' Whoa -- here was a leftover bag of mini bagel dogs I hadn't used for the post wedding party. Why -- tradition be blitzed! We'd have a "Bears vs. Packers" party in the living room with a multitude of hors'doeurves (which I have spelled incorrectly all my life and will continue to do so -- but you get the picture).

And so we did. A bit of Dubliner cheese and some crackers added to the festivities -- we ate "dinner" in the living room in front of the TV -- it was relaxed -- it was fun -- and behold -- I think a new "tradition" has been born.

Of course, we had turkey with all the trimmings on Monday.

Uh -- and in case you didn't notice, the Bears won.

More about presents a bit later....