UMTravels

Was out of the house at 8:30 — is that anyway to start the day. Not even a mimosa in site — but two squirming girls waiting for the old folks to get out of bed and get breakfast finished off.

By 10:30 it was just a pile of dishes and detritus. The PlayStation 3 was as big a hit with the girls as my presents of cold hard cash was last night.

And my haul, you might ask… books, champagne, Argentinian wine, cooking goodies, a wonderful collection of original photographs my Mike McEvers  called Moon Shots — gorgeous landscaped with the photographers butt showing — so me. And a couple of days before C-Day I received the most wonderful compliment when someone called me a “bon vivant”. For those of you that need the definition:

bon vi·vant (bô v-vä)

n. pl. bons vi·vants (bô v-vä)

A person with refined taste, especially one who enjoys superb food and drink.

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[French : bon, good + vivant, present participle of vivre, to live.]

After all the excitement — I could only muster the energy to come back to the parents and take a nap. The guest room is like a sauna in the afternoon — which is a nice change from both houses which are kept a little chilly for my tastes. Of course, taking a nap in a sauna isn’t the easiest thing either. But at least it was quiet.

Dinner tonight for ten people — I’m in charge of the 6.6 pound standing rib roast — though my father will be carving (thank god). In addition to the regular crew, we have any strays that my parents pick up at this time of year — in this cause a French neighbor who just got dumped by boyfriend. Maybe that’s where I got my hospitality from — my parents. I agree, if you are a little down, Christmas isn’t the day to be by yourself — come to the Souders and get fed and liquored up.

Checked one back on the way here — it will be two on the way home — thee is the 6-pack shipper filled with tequila, scotch, and vodka from Trader Joes and wine from Aunt Nancy (that would be my sis-in-law’s Aunt Nancy) and from the sis-in-law herself. Most of the stuff is packed — though my flight isn’t until 4pm from Albuquerque.

So much for that Christmas snow storm…..