Clubhouse Grille (*** NO LIV DISCUSSIONS ***) (*** NO POLITICS/RELIGION ***)

[tolmij]

Ready for the last shop before Xmas, breakfast at the Australian grille was cereal with mango, grapes, peach and strawberries. Cyndy offered coffee but it hypes me up and I need to be calm amongst the crowds.

 

One day closer to present time, 4 sleeps away from seeing Santa and his helpers.

 

Waiting for Xmas cheer to arrive, 12 bottles of fine white wine to go with the feast of fish in the freezer. Have to start drinking more quickly, last nights inventory was 103 bottles without today's delivery. As you may understand from that, we are wine drinkers.

 

I will have a glass tonight and drink to Grillers everywhere.

[MMB1500]

Good to see you back on here Wolf... congrats on the birth of your second child, that's wonderful. And nice to know you will be here again. Hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and that goes for everyone!

 

Thanks Sixty. It's good to be back. A very merry Christmas to you and your family too!

[PeanutsDaddy]

Congratulations to you and 'the fam' Wolfman. Much to celebrate as Christmas approaches.

[tolmij]

^^ That is golfing dedication.

 

Hey chaps, I just wanted to stop in here after my 6 month hiatus and wish you all a safe, healthy and happy Christmas!

 

I'm hoping to be back posting here a lot more often from now on and, truth be told, I miss the banter. The last six months has been a bit crazy (mostly in a good way) and has encompassed lots of things, not least the birth of our second child a month or so ago. I also managed to squeeze a few rounds of golf in between the madness!

 

Very happy to see things in the Clubhouse Grille are still going strong as I knew they would be - given what a great bunch it is here.

 

How are things with all of you?

 

 

Congratulations, what a magic time to have a new child in the house, they are always a blessing. Will be thinking about you settling into your new routine.

[Conrad1953]

Good to see you back on here Wolf... congrats on the birth of your second child, that's wonderful. And nice to know you will be here again. Hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and that goes for everyone!

 

Thanks Sixty. It's good to be back. A very merry Christmas to you and your family too!

 

Welcome back Wolf! Nice to see your dashing dapper cool self there, grinning

as usual. Congrats on the new addition to the "Wolf" pack and a very merry

Christmas to you as well.

[bscinstnct]

Finally got the tree! Nice one, its drinking the water, prolly trim it up on Friday.

 

I love to remember all the ornaments, what year we got each one, as we put them up. Hit up some hennessey as we decorate. I like the nativity scenes. Love this one mini one made of pewter.

 

Shhhhh, dont say anything, got tickets for Book of Mormon, finally. And this pop up Christmas card for wife from this company that was on Shark Tank. Stupid card was $15 but its a bouquet of roses, couldnt resist.

 

Ahhh, Christmas.

 

 

[Hankshank]

I guess there are some different christmas traditions for forum members, suppose there are some different countries represented in this thread as well. Are the christmas traditions all the same for different parts of US, or do they differ in Seattle, Miami and New York?

About here it's christmas eve that is celebrated here (so upcoming saturday is the big day). During the day the family gathers in one place (in our case in our home since we have the biggest house) and then it's a mixture of Christian, American, Viking and German traditions.

Everyone in Sweden (that follows the traditions) watch the Donald Duck Christmas program at 3PM, some people go to church instead but not too many. Then we have the christmas dinner, which is Viking inspired, lots of fish, salmon, pork and sausages. Rich food and a lot of beer and schnapps.

Then there is a strange tradition to watch a local TV play made by a leftist commedian in the 70's, a Dickens-like animated film, extremly simplistic but also very cleverly done.

After that its time for christmas presents, an ordeal(for me) when Tomten (roughly Santa) comes to the houses where there are young children, Regardless, a milion presents are opened and oohed and aaahed at. Terrible!

Then it all quitens down. People sits around drinking coffe or stronger things. Kids fiddle with their new Gadgets.

 

Christmas day is rather quiet. Some go to church early in the morning, but most people around here has gone down the Nietsche/Sartre path.

[MMB1500]

Congratulations to you and 'the fam' Wolfman. Much to celebrate as Christmas approaches.

 

Thanks PD! A new wolf pup means we'll be laying low this year, but as you say, lots to celebrate and be thankful for. All the best to you and your family for the holidays.

 

Welcome back Wolf! Nice to see your dashing dapper cool self there, grinning

as usual. Congrats on the new addition to the "Wolf" pack and a very merry

Christmas to you as well.

 

Thanks Rad! Hope you and your family have a great Christmas too and nice to see you're still doing a fine job keeping the reprobates in the Clubhouse Grille in order!

[MMB1500]

^^ That is golfing dedication.

 

Hey chaps, I just wanted to stop in here after my 6 month hiatus and wish you all a safe, healthy and happy Christmas!

 

I'm hoping to be back posting here a lot more often from now on and, truth be told, I miss the banter. The last six months has been a bit crazy (mostly in a good way) and has encompassed lots of things, not least the birth of our second child a month or so ago. I also managed to squeeze a few rounds of golf in between the madness!

 

Very happy to see things in the Clubhouse Grille are still going strong as I knew they would be - given what a great bunch it is here.

 

How are things with all of you?

 

 

Congratulations, what a magic time to have a new child in the house, they are always a blessing. Will be thinking about you settling into your new routine.

 

Thank you Sir! We're still trying to establish a routine and some things have already gone out the window, like my gym time, but it's all good. That's what having a family is about.

 

Having kids is also great if you're into things like cooking for people who aren't hungry.

 

Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy festive period.

[billh17]

^^ That is golfing dedication.

 

Hey chaps, I just wanted to stop in here after my 6 month hiatus and wish you all a safe, healthy and happy Christmas!

 

I'm hoping to be back posting here a lot more often from now on and, truth be told, I miss the banter. The last six months has been a bit crazy (mostly in a good way) and has encompassed lots of things, not least the birth of our second child a month or so ago. I also managed to squeeze a few rounds of golf in between the madness!

 

Very happy to see things in the Clubhouse Grille are still going strong as I knew they would be - given what a great bunch it is here.

 

How are things with all of you?

 

Congrats on the new addition to the family ! It has been a cold December,after a warm November.....so i am not looking forward to

January ! The Holiday season is in full swing.....busy on a normal day..chaos otherwise !

Glad to see ya back.....

[billh17]

Finally got the tree! Nice one, its drinking the water, prolly trim it up on Friday.

 

I love to remember all the ornaments, what year we got each one, as we put them up. Hit up some hennessey as we decorate. I like the nativity scenes. Love this one mini one made of pewter.

 

Shhhhh, dont say anything, got tickets for Book of Mormon, finally. And this pop up Christmas card for wife from this company that was on Shark Tank. Stupid card was $15 but its a bouquet of roses, couldnt resist.

 

Ahhh, Christmas.

 

 

[media=]

[/media]

 

Glad to see Brenda is still a favorite ! She was the favorite female for a lot of us youngsters in the 60's.....when she sang "Sweet Nothins'",

we all had some images dancing around....most had no idea what the images were about...but they were there !

Very nice lady,with a fantastic voice...her and Patsy were the dream gals !

[bscinstnct]

I guess there are some different christmas traditions for forum members, suppose there are some different countries represented in this thread as well. Are the christmas traditions all the same for different parts of US, or do they differ in Seattle, Miami and New York?

About here it's christmas eve that is celebrated here (so upcoming saturday is the big day). During the day the family gathers in one place (in our case in our home since we have the biggest house) and then it's a mixture of Christian, American, Viking and German traditions.

Everyone in Sweden (that follows the traditions) watch the Donald Duck Christmas program at 3PM, some people go to church instead but not too many. Then we have the christmas dinner, which is Viking inspired, lots of fish, salmon, pork and sausages. Rich food and a lot of beer and schnapps.

Then there is a strange tradition to watch a local TV play made by a leftist commedian in the 70's, a Dickens-like animated film, extremly simplistic but also very cleverly done.

After that its time for christmas presents, an ordeal(for me) when Tomten (roughly Santa) comes to the houses where there are young children, Regardless, a milion presents are opened and oohed and aaahed at. Terrible!

Then it all quitens down. People sits around drinking coffe or stronger things. Kids fiddle with their new Gadgets.

 

Christmas day is rather quiet. Some go to church early in the morning, but most people around here has gone down the Nietsche/Sartre path.

 

Fantastic. I want a Viking inspired dinner.

 

I'm coming over!

 

(And I'm a horrible house guest, btw ; )

[scomac2002]

Welcome back Wolf and congrats on the new family addition! I'm the new kid on the block so not sure if you were still here when I showed up.

 

Traditional English style Christmas for us as been the case essentially forever. This year it will be a prime rib roast with Yorkshire pudding and all the trimmings; trifle for desert.

 

Friends have a open house on Christmas Eve, so we will be going there. Church service in the am. Number 2 son and SO will be coming for dinner on Christmas day.

 

When my in-laws were still alive they used to host an open house on Boxing day with the entire extended family coming often 40+ sitting down to eat. The meal was traditional Hungarian served buffet style. The two of them would be cooking for a week to get ready! My wife tried to carry on the tradition for a year or two, but it really was too much for one person to tackle and the younger generations seemed to have little interest in carrying on with it. This is the one thing I miss most about the Holiday Season.

[Wriggles]

I guess there are some different christmas traditions for forum members, suppose there are some different countries represented in this thread as well. Are the christmas traditions all the same for different parts of US, or do they differ in Seattle, Miami and New York?

About here it's christmas eve that is celebrated here (so upcoming saturday is the big day). During the day the family gathers in one place (in our case in our home since we have the biggest house) and then it's a mixture of Christian, American, Viking and German traditions.

Everyone in Sweden (that follows the traditions) watch the Donald Duck Christmas program at 3PM, some people go to church instead but not too many. Then we have the christmas dinner, which is Viking inspired, lots of fish, salmon, pork and sausages. Rich food and a lot of beer and schnapps.

Then there is a strange tradition to watch a local TV play made by a leftist commedian in the 70's, a Dickens-like animated film, extremly simplistic but also very cleverly done.

After that its time for christmas presents, an ordeal(for me) when Tomten (roughly Santa) comes to the houses where there are young children, Regardless, a milion presents are opened and oohed and aaahed at. Terrible!

Then it all quitens down. People sits around drinking coffe or stronger things. Kids fiddle with their new Gadgets.

 

Christmas day is rather quiet. Some go to church early in the morning, but most people around here has gone down the Nietsche/Sartre path.

 

When I was a boy, presents were opened on Christmas Eve. I came from a small family, but usually, my aunt and uncle visited on Christmas Eve. My family would have Christmas dinner at the aunt and uncle's house. They really put out a spread. Ham, poultry of some sort, turkey, duck, capon, and all the trimmings. The pies, cakes, nutbreads, I can still taste them.

 

You can imagine how overweight Aunt Mildred and Uncle George were. My aunt developed gall bladder disease when I was a teen, controlled it with diet, was thin and spry, passing at the age of 83. Uncle George had a stroke in 1976, passed at age 59. The wonderful dinners ended with Auntie's diet.

 

Funny, I was just thinking of those long ago Christmases. Wonderful times those were. I think the most memorable Christmas for me was 1960. In addition to getting a bunch of toys, including a toy golf set from my uncle in Florida, (that's what interested me in golf), I got a magnifying glass, a stapler, and a school type hand rotary pencil sharpener. I still have and use the office items to this day.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All!

[scomac2002]

On the subject of old tool and equipment; my father was a carpenter before the war (WWII). He worked for three years on construction of facilities for the Commonwealth Air Training Plan at a local airport. I still have most of his tools from those days in various states of disrepair. It's really quite amazing what they built with a few basic hand tools. I don't think that most people have any concept of the amount of physical effort and skill that went into construction in that era, let alone even earlier periods. You would need to go to an Amish barn raising for a hint. I got to participate in something like that once. Just an amazing experience!

[BIG STU]

I have not been on here much been too busy. Had some Christmas programs to put together plus traffic control for our live Nativity Scene. Last weekend played in a huge annual scramble that provides clothes and needed things for kids for Christmas. 70 teams on 2 courses. We did manage to finish respectable about mid pack. My main player Bo Bear had a heart attack the Wednesday before and underwent 5 way by pass surgery. He got through ok in fact he went home today. I have the Midnight Mass program with sound and video recording on Christmas Eve which is one of my traditions. Have already gotten several calls for when I run the sound check around 10:00 or so because i play some awesome stuff on the sound check. The main one some want to hear is Dio singing God Rest You Merry Gentlemen

no joke. I rock it out every year along with Montgomery Gentry Merry Christmas To the Whole Family.

 

Since there is no one but the wife and I we do not do the gift thing we buy what we want for ourselves. I bought me a leather driver cover with my home club's logo on it and she ordered her some shoes she wanted. We always help some folks with needed gifts this year we helped a couple of folks with gift certificates from Food Lion so they can have a great Christmas meal. Christmas morning I cook breakfast and We have real Country Sausage, Country Ham with redeye gravy grits and biscuits. I cook enough to last all day for us. And yes I make pretty good biscuits with Bisquik mix. My wife of course can make them from scratch but she likes mine. A couple of the guys at work said they felt sorry for us with no kids or Grandkids but I assured them we will be fine. We actually relish it relax and stay at home. I was dragged around all my life at Christmas to relatives houses and since the MIL passed and BIL is Lord only knows where we relax and stay home.

 

Sixty You and the Mrs are looking sharp

 

Wolfie--- Congrats on the addition

 

Working but taking it easy this week just running one trip a day--- The owner flipped out when he realized my "new" truck turned over 100K in miles last week but I told him it already had 35K on it when he assigned it to me in March. I am only working 2 days next week got to go pick up a oversized blown up transformer locally Tuesday and I am going to do some minor trailer maintenance Wednesday. Thursday and Friday I hope it is in the 60s or 70s you know where I will be on the course.

[MMB1500]

Welcome back Wolf and congrats on the new family addition! I'm the new kid on the block so not sure if you were still here when I showed up.

 

Traditional English style Christmas for us as been the case essentially forever. This year it will be a prime rib roast with Yorkshire pudding and all the trimmings; trifle for desert.

 

Friends have a open house on Christmas Eve, so we will be going there. Church service in the am. Number 2 son and SO will be coming for dinner on Christmas day.

 

When my in-laws were still alive they used to host an open house on Boxing day with the entire extended family coming often 40+ sitting down to eat. The meal was traditional Hungarian served buffet style. The two of them would be cooking for a week to get ready! My wife tried to carry on the tradition for a year or two, but it really was too much for one person to tackle and the younger generations seemed to have little interest in carrying on with it. This is the one thing I miss most about the Holiday Season.

 

Thanks Scomac. Not sure our paths have crossed before, but very nice to make your acquaintance good Sir.

 

Your Christmas dinner plans sound great and all the talk of roast dinners started some intense cravings for me. A good roast dinner is one of the things I miss about the UK. Not that you can't get them here of course, you can, it's just slightly different. Yorkshire puddings are a classic! A few years ago I introduced my wife's family to proper roast spuds, done in goose fat until they're crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. :man_in_love: I think they were impressed...

[Fellaheen51]

Stu, extending thoughts and prayers to Bo Bear for a speedy recovery. With all the stories you told about BB, consider him to be a esteemed honorary member of the Grille. Wishing You and the Mrs. a very Merry Christmas. After all your Church'n activities, a little peace and quiet will be a welcome respite.

 

Temps in the 60's? Out on the course? Harrumphhh! I'm envious. Here's to hoping that you play........Just O.K. :taunt:

[MMB1500]

 

Wolfie--- Congrats on the addition

 

 

Thanks Stu. Wishing you and your family all the best for the holidays. Here's to a strong 2017 for the OGA!

[SixtySomePing]

How to handle awkward Christmas gifts...

[tolmij]

 

Wolfie--- Congrats on the addition

 

 

Thanks Stu. Wishing you and your family all the best for the holidays. Here's to a strong 2017 for the OGA!

 

OK Mr Wolf, you are a member of the OGA, are you a member of the OEA?

 

The OEA is the Outlaw Eating association. When you are a member, no food contains calories so you can eat as much as you like and stay trim taught and terrific.

 

[MMB1500]

Wolfie--- Congrats on the addition

 

 

Thanks Stu. Wishing you and your family all the best for the holidays. Here's to a strong 2017 for the OGA!

 

OK Mr Wolf, you are a member of the OGA, are you a member of the OEA?

 

The OEA is the Outlaw Eating association. When you are a member, no food contains calories so you can eat as much as you like and stay trim taught and terrific.

 

I wasn't aware of the OEA, I must admit. I'm not sure it sounds quite as appealing as sticking it the the USGA, given that I'm struggling to think of any non-calorific foods. Then again, fasting, which I do regularly, has amazing health benefits, so perhaps I'll fit right if if I join up!?

[billh17]

beautiful day in this Holiday season.....stores are crowded around here....i have all my shopping done,thankfully.The house is full

of people for the next week. Daughter is in from Arkansas, Granddaughter is keeping everyone laughing...food smells in the country kitchen.

We are having some good weather.,and it looks good for the weekend.

Heres wishing all you folks the peace and family warmth for the new year.

[SixtySomePing]

Looks like we're getting the same weather here Bill. Supposed to be 60* on Monday. 41* tomorrow and right on up, I guess Bing Crosby would have just kept on dreaming, at least around here.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year. Actually a great entire year as far as that goes. It seems like we just went through the big deal of the century turning over and how everything was gonna stop working and stuff, and now that was 17 years ago, wow. Well we should all be that much better at golf next year with another year experience under our belts... :tongue:

[Reasonability]

Merry Christmas golf buddies!

 

Heading over the river and through the woods tomorrow and won't be online much at all until at least Tuesday. Turns out Grandma's house has no internet.

 

Wanted to leave you all with a little story.

 

In 1983 I had just completed law studies - Found myself at the wrong end of it. There was a moment when about the only bar I was likely to examine, was 2" thick, painted black, and part of the big heavy door.

 

At the time, my old college roommate - Vaughn P Trap - (famous plumbing inventor) and I were dating these twin sisters. They were actual twins and they were nuns. They told us so long as we didn't cross any lines, there was no harm in the four of us getting together for innocent fun now and then. We'd met them at the county morgue one night when Vaughn was asked to identify the body of a guy critically injured in a tragic bidet incident. They were there to donate left over ice from their bingo party. (Wasn't much of a morgue,)

 

Well old P Trap shows up one night at the movie theater with me and the Sisters - Sandy and Sara Birnbaum from Alcoa, TN. The movie we were going to see (I can remember it as though it were yesterday) was called Ronny's Pickle. ...the story of a cucumber salesman's that hung out in streets staring at manhole covers.

 

So anyway, the twins, me, and old P Trap were about halfway through this movie - (you remember that dramatic scene where Ronny's Pickle gets snagged on a fire hydrant) ... when Sister Sandy says she'd like some popcorn. P Trap agrees and when he gets to his feet a pipe wrench stuck in his hip pocket falls to the floor causing a frighteningly loud clank. Sister Sara let's out a deafening squeal in shock. Some guy two rows back yelled-out asking if this was our normal habit. The twins turned around in unison and said "YES!!!".

 

A fight broke out when one of the Birnbaums figured out the other was wearing her favorite socks. You should have seen it... Then the guy two rows back gets into it with P Trap and popcorn was suddenly flying everywhere. This was all happening at about the moment when Ronny up on the big screen was about take a nap on a missing manhole cover and fell a good 20' into a sewer. In the melee, one of the nun's hair got stuck in the back of one of those rocking chair theater seats and was screaming for help to get her free of it. "I'm dying - I'm dying! - Somebody help me!"

 

In the darkness of the theater I see this fire extinguisher and ax housed in a dimly lit wall fixture. So I grabbed that ax intending to cut this poor nun loose. Every time she rocked in terror, it sucked her head closer to the floor. With the ax in one hand with the other steadying her neck, the house lights came up and in ran the cops.

 

Was charged with attempted murder - later exonerated - and I promise - It only happened that one time.

 

 

 

Merry Christmas golf buddies.

 

Talk with "y'all" next week.

[tolmij]

Well Grillers, this is my first Christmas in this culinary house of fame. I have been amused, saddened, educated,and many other things besides.

 

Reason started this thread at a perfect time for me, I was leaving a previouse forum because of the toxic culture, there are many ways to make life difficult so I did not need the crap. The things that set this thread apart are the friendliness of all participants, and the sympathetic hearings we all receive when trouble is afoot.

 

We are now in full Xmas mode, yesterday we made the basil pesto, a mainstay of our culinary adventures, and my good wife had finished setting up the house for our Xmas festivities, all the meats are out of the freezer and the marinades are ready for use. Most important the 12 bottles of wine we ordered arrived today, last day of post before the holiday starts.

 

Two links

 

Basil leaves freshly picked and washed.

 

https://imgur.com/a/5WThi

 

My beautiful wife finishing off the Xmas decorations, assisted by our boxer dog in his Christmas attire.

 

 

https://imgur.com/a/cAtvk

 

 

Have a good Xmas Grillers, please all enjoy yourselves but stay safe, there are many idiots on the road so take care. Merry Christmas to you all, you have been good friends and I appreciate the welcome given to the person from down under.

[Conrad1953]

Well Grillers, this is my first Christmas in this culinary house of fame. I have been amused, saddened, educated,and many other things besides.

 

Reason started this thread at a perfect time for me, I was leaving a previouse forum because of the toxic culture, there are many ways to make life difficult so I did not need the crap. The things that set this thread apart are the friendliness of all participants, and the sympathetic hearings we all receive when trouble is afoot.

 

We are now in full Xmas mode, yesterday we made the basil pesto, a mainstay of our culinary adventures, and my good wife had finished setting up the house for our Xmas festivities, all the meats are out of the freezer and the marinades are ready for use. Most important the 12 bottles of wine we ordered arrived today, last day of post before the holiday starts.

 

Two links

 

Basil leaves freshly picked and washed.

 

https://imgur.com/a/5WThi

 

My beautiful wife finishing off the Xmas decorations, assisted by our boxer dog in his Christmas attire.

 

 

https://imgur.com/a/cAtvk

 

 

Have a good Xmas Grillers, please all enjoy yourselves but stay safe, there are many idiots on the road so take care. Merry Christmas to you all, you have been good friends and I appreciate the welcome given to the person from down under.

 

Awesome Tol! And you have been a great addition to this thread and have

contributed much. I have a feeling that if any of us made it down your way

we would be treated like royalty.

 

I see all Grillsters getting into the festive spirit. The dagger has been stuck

into the heart of political correctness and people are saying "Merry Christmas"

once again. Christians are the most tolerant people in the world and yet so

many are intolerant of us. No more!

 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

[Fellaheen51]

Tol appropriately expressed my sentiments about this small oasis we have here. The chatter, mirth, friendliness, exchange of ideas, have become part of my daily routine. Very much like the group of close friends that I golf with, have a couple of beers with. Easy and natural. It is an honor and privilege to participate in this small corner of the internets. The only regret is that we cannot sit together for real and experience the camaraderie we share.

 

Tol, a very nice picture of the Mrs. Good to see her smiling. Looking sharpe. I'm feeling the warmth coming through my computer screen this morning.

 

Like most around here, will be busy today getting the preparations under way. Entering full Christmas mode. Slicing, dicing, baking, cooking. My Mrs. has placed a expanding "things to do" list by the coffee pot this morning. Now discovering that she wants me to make my "World Famous" New York style cheesecake. With a pecan/caramel/bourbon sauce as a topping along with the standard blueberry. The benefit of the current climatic conditions, everything prepared can be placed into the garage for keeping. It's currently serving as one big refrigerator. So we got that going for us........

 

So I want to take this moment to also extend a very Merry Christmas to all my Grille compadres. Health, happiness and good cheer throughout this holiday season. Safe travels, joyous times to be shared by you and yours. Peace.

 

 

P.S. Just received an email from Santa: "With regrets, my elves didn't make enough Ksig balls to meet the unanticipated demand. Furthermore, upon further review, your game is not sufficiently worthy of being moved up the request list. So you're SOL." Drat!! Figured it was an easy way to shave five strokes. So back to the drawing board in 2017 with trying to improve playing at golf.

[MMB1500]

Well Grillers, this is my first Christmas in this culinary house of fame. I have been amused, saddened, educated,and many other things besides.

 

Reason started this thread at a perfect time for me, I was leaving a previouse forum because of the toxic culture, there are many ways to make life difficult so I did not need the crap. The things that set this thread apart are the friendliness of all participants, and the sympathetic hearings we all receive when trouble is afoot.

 

We are now in full Xmas mode, yesterday we made the basil pesto, a mainstay of our culinary adventures, and my good wife had finished setting up the house for our Xmas festivities, all the meats are out of the freezer and the marinades are ready for use. Most important the 12 bottles of wine we ordered arrived today, last day of post before the holiday starts.

 

Two links

 

Basil leaves freshly picked and washed.

 

https://imgur.com/a/5WThi

 

My beautiful wife finishing off the Xmas decorations, assisted by our boxer dog in his Christmas attire.

 

 

https://imgur.com/a/cAtvk

 

 

Have a good Xmas Grillers, please all enjoy yourselves but stay safe, there are many idiots on the road so take care. Merry Christmas to you all, you have been good friends and I appreciate the welcome given to the person from down under.

 

I see Mrs. Tol is also hitting-up the eggnog, or is that a large Baileys? Either way, classy stuff! Can't go wrong with some "creamy beige".

 

I'm liking the the sound of the fresh basil pesto as well. Delicious!

[BIG STU]

Merry Christmas golf buddies!

 

Heading over the river and through the woods tomorrow and won't be online much at all until at least Tuesday. Turns out Grandma's house has no internet.

 

Wanted to leave you all with a little story.

 

In 1983 I had just completed law studies - Found myself at the wrong end of it. There was a moment when about the only bar I was likely to examine, was 2" thick, painted black, and part of the big heavy door.

 

At the time, my old college roommate - Vaughn P Trap - (famous plumbing inventor) and I were dating these twin sisters. They were actual twins and they were nuns. They told us so long as we didn't cross any lines, there was no harm in the four of us getting together for innocent fun now and then. We'd met them at the county morgue one night when Vaughn was asked to identify the body of a guy critically injured in a tragic bidet incident. They were there to donate left over ice from their bingo party. (Wasn't much of a morgue,)

 

Well old P Trap shows up one night at the movie theater with me and the Sisters - Sandy and Sara Birnbaum from Alcoa, TN. The movie we were going to see (I can remember it as though it were yesterday) was called Ronny's Pickle. ...the story of a cucumber salesman's that hung out in streets staring at manhole covers.

 

So anyway, the twins, me, and old P Trap were about halfway through this movie - (you remember that dramatic scene where Ronny's Pickle gets snagged on a fire hydrant) ... when Sister Sandy says she'd like some popcorn. P Trap agrees and when he gets to his feet a pipe wrench stuck in his hip pocket falls to the floor causing a frighteningly loud clank. Sister Sara let's out a deafening squeal in shock. Some guy two rows back yelled-out asking if this was our normal habit. The twins turned around in unison and said "YES!!!".

 

A fight broke out when one of the Birnbaums figured out the other was wearing her favorite socks. You should have seen it... Then the guy two rows back gets into it with P Trap and popcorn was suddenly flying everywhere. This was all happening at about the moment when Ronny up on the big screen was about take a nap on a missing manhole cover and fell a good 20' into a sewer. In the melee, one of the nun's hair got stuck in the back of one of those rocking chair theater seats and was screaming for help to get her free of it. "I'm dying - I'm dying! - Somebody help me!"

 

In the darkness of the theater I see this fire extinguisher and ax housed in a dimly lit wall fixture. So I grabbed that ax intending to cut this poor nun loose. Every time she rocked in terror, it sucked her head closer to the floor. With the ax in one hand with the other steadying her neck, the house lights came up and in ran the cops.

 

Was charged with attempted murder - later exonerated - and I promise - It only happened that one time.

 

 

 

Merry Christmas golf buddies.

 

Talk with "y'all" next week.

Merry Christmas to you too Reasy---- and I caught the Birnbaum reference--- That was the storekeeper's name in the John Wayne movie McClintock--- In fact I have a friend of mine that is a Ranger over at my home course has been for 15 years his last name is McClintock--- When I see him I say oh man McClintock you have done it again--- and he quotes the old Indian in the film "where's the whiskey and the wild women?" That is the guy that got me the Stewie Griffin head cover for my driver a few years back and was an eye witness to the Zing incident when I threw the Zing in the lake many moons ago--- You remember the story--

I am off work until Tuesday my boss (the owner) gave me today off because he said he did not want the truck on the road on this holiday Friday and he is paying me too! I am doing a "special project" hauling a big transformer for him Tuesday out of a local power plant