Month: December 2004

So tonight we were invited to my best friend’s house for their annual Christmas party. One of the things they do is have everyone bring a dessert, and then they give out prizes for the best ones. Last time, I worked really hard on some almond cheesecake squares (like, even made little leaves for the top) and was trounced by all the chocolate desserts. So I told my friends I was still bitter at losing the last time I went (kidding) so I wasn’t going to bring a dessert. This week I decided to invent a desert to bring, maybe something totally disgusting and chocolate-filled. Either that or a Jell-o(tm) mold with money suspended in it instead of fruit cup, you know, to bribe the judges.

But my step-kids are here, and my step-daughter suggested I go with my first idea – a bowl full of candy bar chunks. And then maybe put Cool-Whip on top. I mean, what’s better than candy bars, right? Let’s cut to the chase here.

So we went to Brooks pharmacy to buy candy bars and they were having a sale – anything by Hershey was 4/$1.00! Woo! She and I bought a ton of candy, and decided to put Marshmallow Peep-like Snowmen on top instead of the Cool-Whip. I thought this would be an amusing entry.

So of course, there was a woman who made a chocolate eclair ring (oh my GOD!) and two different trifles, made from scratch brownies, these little brownie cups with a pudding/cream cheese topping that was amazing, etc. etc. You had to write the name of your dessert (but not your name) and put a cup next to it. All the guests were given three pennies to vote with.

Well, as we’re leaving the hosts said it was time to tally the votes – my sister and brother-in-law are still mocking me for my entry, which we called “25 Cent Candy Bar Salad”. My step-daughter deserves all the credit for calling it a salad, by the way. Brilliant.

Guess who won. By almost twice as much as any other entry.

My sister almost peed her pants. I offered her the recipe and she said “No thanks, I already know how to crush candy bars”. I got this gorgeous Williams-Sonoma Cookbook.

See, all the kids weren’t that interested in Egg Nog Trifle, but man, they really did love a bowl full of pieces of candy bars, it turns out. And they got to vote too! Of the 9 little snowmen originally on top of the bowl, only 2 were left by 8pm.

I’m kind of embarrassed, but at the same time I laugh all over again just thinking about it. I suppose next year I’ll go for a regular entry just to give someone else a chance to win, but man, was that ever funny.

David Brudnoy lost his battle with cancer last night, and the world is a sadder place. If I had to say one thing that amazed me about him, it was his ability to consume books at a rate most humans would crumble under. Not Harlequin Romance-sized stuff, but great, honking non-fiction works that would take mere mortals weeks to read and understand. But David would read these books so that he could discuss them, in great detail and with great understanding, with the authors on his show every night. I mean, most interviewers fake it. Read the front cover, maybe chapter one, a summary provided by the publicist, and skim the rest pulling out a nugget or two so they can sound like they’ve read it. I never ever got that sense with David, and if he did do it, he owned up to it up front.

No, I didn’t know him personally, but from where I used to sit in my car listening, I was completely in awe of his intellect, his ability to empathize, and to communicate, not only because he did it so well, but because his voice was just wonderful to listen to.

And so, the world is a sadder place today. He was one of a kind.

Okay, I was reading an article on holiday tipping, and it says you’re supposed to tip your rubbish collectors. I have never done this. I mean, I totally appreciate them, and the job they do, so it isn’t that. It’s just that I cannot for the life of me figure out how I’m supposed to tip them without having to stand out there in the cold, waiting for them to drop by. I suppose I could just listen for them, but they don’t always come by while I’m still home. I’d be afraid they’d think the envelope was loose trash and throw it away. Buh-bye Christmas tip, hello one more year of lid flinging.

So what are you supposed to do? Tape an envelope to the lid? How on earth is that going to work? If I were a little hard-up for cash this time of year, I’d just drive around looking for trash cans with envelopes on them. It would be trick-or-treating for twenties.

So tell me, have any of you ever tipped the rubbish guys? How did you do it?

(Also, I’ve heard that USPS employees aren’t supposed to accept tips so how do you handle that? I mean, at least tipping the mailman is easier because there’s a spot to leave the card.)

The morning DJs on WXLO were mocking those who run out to buy batteries and bread when a dusting of snow is predicted, but darned if our power didn’t go out *5* times last night…once for at least 15 minutes (I didn’t actually keep track) and yes, we had to use candles. I don’t know what I did with my favorite flashlight that converts to a lantern – the last time I remember seeing it was when we last camped at my sister’s house. Looks like I’ll have to ask Santa to bring me another one because man, it was really dark in the house last night, and you just don’t think about how you are going to get around if you don’t have everything handy. Which, of course, I didn’t because historically we never lose power. In our neighborhood all the lines are underground which REALLY helps. It also helps that we live relatively close to a small substation. The last time we had a “long” blackout, that I can think of, was the night it went out 10 minutes before they named the winner of Survivor (the one with Colby, I think) so I was completely livid because I’d watched all season only to miss the announcement of who won. Man, that’s a stinker.

I think the mini-outages last night screwed up my Tivoing of Christmas specials, which stinks. I forgot to check this morning, but Charlie Brown had been in the queue, and that was around the time we had the long one. Oh well. It could have been FAR worse.

Sometimes, I assume I’ve already used lines in the title before. But as a creature of habit, I can’t help myself. Plus, it’s hard to come up with original, unique titles for every entry. What am I, the library?

Hmm. Maybe I should change the title to that. But it might be misleading, because if I rename it, the first paragraph won’t be true, so then I’d have to change the title again.

Do you see what I face every day?

We’re in such a lovely weather pattern. The weatherdudes promised us…promised us that the temperature would get above freezing so that the heavier rains expected this afternoon would be just that…rain. Right now it’s 29 degrees outside (Fahrenheit, Anji) so the 7+ hours of rain so far today have just coated every tree and bush until they all seem like a mere glance would shatter the branches and send everything dropping to the ground. This is indeed interesting when you know your drive home is on roads that are lined with lots of huge big giant trees. I am so looking forward to it. I hate hate hate driving in this weather.

So thanks, weatherdudes, for adding to my frown lines. You are so not getting a Christmas card from me.