SUSHI
The fireworks have been going off sporadically since Christmas Eve, but we expect to hear them quite often throughout the course of our sushi dinner tonight with Heidi. We didn't really plan much else, since Dan and I have to work tomorrow morning.
We arranged the meal a few weeks ago, to be followed by a nap at home, then being woken up by the alarm a few minutes before the Big Moment to celebrate, if only for a short period of time. It should be nice.
Also, Dan and I will be awake again during the East Coast New Year a few hours later...
RESOLUTIONS
I remembered posting a pretty accurate 'Resolutions' entry on my MySpace blog (June 26th, 2006 - June 5th, 2009, to include a few shipboard entries beginning May 22nd, 2005) a few years back, before permanently leaving the site over a year ago. I actually logged onto my account to retrieve the entry and compare it to my goals for the upcoming year; of course, I ended up spending a few hours re-reading the numerous posts written by my younger self.
It was refreshing to go back in time and reawaken memories that had lain dormant for years: I was amazed at the sheer honesty, emotion, and hope displayed in those old reflections, and instantly succumbed to the youthful voice of one contemplating life after college and the military:
I've been thinking about what I want to do when I get out (again) and I'm really excited about moving away, like to the west coast. But I also want to go North. I was originally going to go to New York, but now I'm thinking....Washington? Maybe. Colorado? Perhaps. Arizona? Too many Mexicans.
In April ('09) I'm taking a trip to Washington, to look around and see how I like it. Maybe I can go to carpentry school and make shelves. They have a very extensive logging community there. The town I plan on visiting consists of just over three thousand people. How many carpenters can there be in a place that small? Hmmm....
- A Writer's Education/Life/Dreams/Hopes/Aspirations..., March 15, 2008 6:58PM
I was doing all the mathematical calculations and everything concerning my future earnings, aka "how much I'll need to earn in order to survive in the 'real' world", and holy cow! My mortgage is like a big chunk of money! But other than that, it's not too bad. My car will be paid off two months after I am released (haha), and as long as I get a pretty decent job it should all be good. I guess I can always use the money I'm saving on car payments to cover my gas bill. And really, who needs health insurance?!??
- Just Tired (I Ramble)., June 6, 2008 4:05AM
THE END (UPDATE)
Last night Dan and I stayed up late hashing out the details for our Grand European Tour in March. The date is rapidly approaching, but we still managed to find some pretty good deals, and will be making those arrangements very soon.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Daniel's 1st White Christmas
Unfortunately, Heidi couldn't make it to our Christmas Eve bake-a-thon (her Jeep began skidding in the snow on the way over, so she wisely turned back), but I went ahead and proceeded to make the finest batch of crispy cracker-cookies ever produced on this planet:
As stated above, it began snowing early Christmas Eve morning; by the time Dan had left for work at noon, the roads were quickly beginning to disappear. It wasn't snowing when we awoke this morning, but there was still plenty of snow on the ground:
We had a quick breakfast, unwrapped our gifts (thanks, everyone!) watched a few movies (A Charlie Brown Christmas; How the Grinch Stole Christmas!), had some brunch (eggs and potatoes), and will soon be settling down to watch plenty more Christmasy films as the day unwinds.
Thankfully, the day has gone exactly as planned; I had the opportunity this morning to Skype with my family, so that was an added bonus. Hopefully everyone back home is having as good a time as we are here in Germany.
If not, maybe this will help brighten your day:
CHRISTMAS POEM 2010
Twas the morning of Christmas, and all through our home
Not a cookie was eaten; they were hard as a dome!
The paper stockings were hung with tape and no wire,
Next to the fireplace, we hope they don't catch fire.
We snuggled onto the couch, ready to view
Yet another Christmas movie....woohoo!
Dan with his beer, and I with my rum,
Sipping more and more, and then some.
When from outside the window there arose such a stench
We flew to the window, Dan with his wrench,
I opened the window without missing a beat,
And saw once again the farm down the street.
The farmers milked, the cows mooed their sorrow,
We shrugged our shoulders and wished them a better tomorrow.
The houses below were covered in snow,
And it was bitterly cold, so we turned to go.
The window was shut, as was every door,
The sofa beckoned to us once more.
Though we were anxious to watch 'Frosty' anew
We knew there was much more to do.
On the floor we sat, beneath the twinkling tree
Yes, oh yes, there was so much to see!
Gifts piled high on top of the skirt
That I bought a month ago, cheap as dirt.
I reached through the branches to pull out a gift,
And Dan flew into motion, ever so swift.
He tore into the wrapping, eager and happy,
As I watched from afar, no longer nappy.
And so we unwrapped, one after another:
Some movies for me, and a game from Dan's mother,
An espresso machine for him, much to his delight,
And lots and lots of candy...ahh, such a sight!
A piano, like the one from Big, was unrolled and played,
I listened to the tunes- so loud and clear!- that it made.
A Scrabble game was found, perfect for our travels,
A great way to continue defeating Dan in our battles.
I nibbled on the frosted crackers- I mean cookies-
As Dan rose to prepare the grand midday feast
Of eggs, fried potatoes and coquito, of course
That stuff will make you as strong as a horse!
We ate with much gusto, while listening to Mariah Carey
Sing her tunes in the manner of a Christmas fairy.
The songs lasted longer than our small meal did
And we left the table to make our holiday movie bid.
No more 'Frosty' today, he had been overplayed
The Grinch was in the running, and the decision soon made.
I glanced up at the angel as the film was set up
She twinkled brightly and pointedly regarded my empty cup.
I arose and refilled the glass, pleasing the spirit,
Dan turned towards me and we both stood near it.
We glanced at the treetop, so high off the ground
And opened our ears to a merry Christmas sound.
The snow fell outside, amidst children's laughter
We gazed out the window, knowing that hereafter
Our day would be filled with ever more movies
And maybe, if lucky, a couple of smoothies!
-LC
Dedicated to Kristi, with much Love
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
 |
| Christmas Cookies with Coquito |
 |
| As seen through the kitchen window |
 |
| More snow |
 |
| And more! |
Thankfully, the day has gone exactly as planned; I had the opportunity this morning to Skype with my family, so that was an added bonus. Hopefully everyone back home is having as good a time as we are here in Germany.
If not, maybe this will help brighten your day:
CHRISTMAS POEM 2010
Twas the morning of Christmas, and all through our home
Not a cookie was eaten; they were hard as a dome!
The paper stockings were hung with tape and no wire,
Next to the fireplace, we hope they don't catch fire.
We snuggled onto the couch, ready to view
Yet another Christmas movie....woohoo!
Dan with his beer, and I with my rum,
Sipping more and more, and then some.
When from outside the window there arose such a stench
We flew to the window, Dan with his wrench,
I opened the window without missing a beat,
And saw once again the farm down the street.
The farmers milked, the cows mooed their sorrow,
We shrugged our shoulders and wished them a better tomorrow.
The houses below were covered in snow,
And it was bitterly cold, so we turned to go.
The window was shut, as was every door,
The sofa beckoned to us once more.
Though we were anxious to watch 'Frosty' anew
We knew there was much more to do.
On the floor we sat, beneath the twinkling tree
Yes, oh yes, there was so much to see!
Gifts piled high on top of the skirt
That I bought a month ago, cheap as dirt.
I reached through the branches to pull out a gift,
And Dan flew into motion, ever so swift.
He tore into the wrapping, eager and happy,
As I watched from afar, no longer nappy.
And so we unwrapped, one after another:
Some movies for me, and a game from Dan's mother,
An espresso machine for him, much to his delight,
And lots and lots of candy...ahh, such a sight!
A piano, like the one from Big, was unrolled and played,
I listened to the tunes- so loud and clear!- that it made.
A Scrabble game was found, perfect for our travels,
A great way to continue defeating Dan in our battles.
I nibbled on the frosted crackers- I mean cookies-
As Dan rose to prepare the grand midday feast
Of eggs, fried potatoes and coquito, of course
That stuff will make you as strong as a horse!
We ate with much gusto, while listening to Mariah Carey
Sing her tunes in the manner of a Christmas fairy.
The songs lasted longer than our small meal did
And we left the table to make our holiday movie bid.
No more 'Frosty' today, he had been overplayed
The Grinch was in the running, and the decision soon made.
I glanced up at the angel as the film was set up
She twinkled brightly and pointedly regarded my empty cup.
I arose and refilled the glass, pleasing the spirit,
Dan turned towards me and we both stood near it.
We glanced at the treetop, so high off the ground
And opened our ears to a merry Christmas sound.
The snow fell outside, amidst children's laughter
We gazed out the window, knowing that hereafter
Our day would be filled with ever more movies
And maybe, if lucky, a couple of smoothies!
-LC
Dedicated to Kristi, with much Love
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Fröhliche Weihnachten!
CHRISTMAS UPDATES
Christmas Eve:
Dan has to work, but Heidi will be coming over with plenty of dough, frosting, sprinkles, and alcohol, in preparation of our cookie baking marathon. The following videos will be merrily viewed during these festivities, since Dan has refused to watch them with me (he insists that doing so will go against all laws of manhood):
-Frosty the Snowman and Frosty Returns
-Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
-Original Television Christmas Classics Sing-A-Long*
-Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and
-Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
*Admittedly, the Original Television Christmas Classics Sing-a-Long isn't technically a movie, but I'm still excited to watch it.
Christmas Day:
Most of my packages arrived in time, though I am still waiting for a few (namely, a couple of Christmas albums and a movie). These delays won't have much of an effect on our holiday plans, however: we will be staying in on Christmas Day, watching the "suitable" holiday films, sipping the remainder of the coquito and, perhaps, a bit of glühwein (we tried some at the Christmas market in Innsbruck; it's a bit like spiked hot apple cider), and lounging around the apartment doing absolutely nothing.
All in all, we're both looking forward to a nice, relaxing holiday... Hope everyone else has a good one as well!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Chicken Day Madness (and other stuff)
BELATED THANKSGIVING SUMMARY
The Menu:
1 Chicken
Cheesy Broccoli Rice
Green Bean Casserole
Dressing
Mashed Potatoes w/ gravy
Buttered Corn
Jellied Cranberry Sauce
Pumpkin Pie w/ whipped cream (not eaten)
Heidi arrived at the prearranged time (3pm, though Dan and I had agreed to postpone the dinner, and I forgot to let her know); we were still in the process of preparing the food (Dan) and getting dressed (me) when she buzzed. All was well, however; while the goodies were baking we listened to some Christmas music and indulged in a few glasses of wine and - my new favorite mixture - Caribbean-style Capri Sun with a shot of peach Schnapps.
Once the food was served, it was discovered that my rice dish was not entirely edible, but I didn't mind too much (after having consumed a couple of glasses of the Capri Sun mix beforehand, I was too busy concentrating on successfully getting the food in the vicinity of my mouth).
After the meal we retired to the sofa, eager to finally conclude our Harry Potter marathon (to be discussed later). While Dan and Heidi were busy searching her ipod for the final film on our agenda (The Half-Blood Prince, that is), I settled into our papasan chair, only to be awoken four hours later by the sound of Dan escorting our guest to the door.
CHRISTMAS UPDATE
The apartment is decorated (95% homemade decor, with some cheats), the tree is up, and the movies and music have long been ordered via Amazon. All we have left to do is buy some eggnog, make coquito and bake some cookies, and invest in a batch of candy canes, to be distributed as I see fit.
AUSTRIAN "SKI" TRIP
Our trip to Innsbruck last week, which was to feature skiing and other winter activities, did not go exactly as planned: in other words, there was no skiing involved. (The older gentleman at the tourism booth shook his head and gave us a "why, you silly Americans" grin when we asked why the resort shuttles were not running - apparently, the ski season has not officially started yet.)
We did, however, get to visit the Christmas market in the area, which was very nice:
Also, while on the bus back to Innsbruck, we came across a snowboard-toting nun. Pretty awesome!
The Menu:
1 Chicken
Cheesy Broccoli Rice
Green Bean Casserole
Dressing
Mashed Potatoes w/ gravy
Buttered Corn
Jellied Cranberry Sauce
Pumpkin Pie w/ whipped cream (not eaten)
 |
| Thanksgiving centerpieces |
Once the food was served, it was discovered that my rice dish was not entirely edible, but I didn't mind too much (after having consumed a couple of glasses of the Capri Sun mix beforehand, I was too busy concentrating on successfully getting the food in the vicinity of my mouth).
After the meal we retired to the sofa, eager to finally conclude our Harry Potter marathon (to be discussed later). While Dan and Heidi were busy searching her ipod for the final film on our agenda (The Half-Blood Prince, that is), I settled into our papasan chair, only to be awoken four hours later by the sound of Dan escorting our guest to the door.
CHRISTMAS UPDATE
The apartment is decorated (95% homemade decor, with some cheats), the tree is up, and the movies and music have long been ordered via Amazon. All we have left to do is buy some eggnog, make coquito and bake some cookies, and invest in a batch of candy canes, to be distributed as I see fit.
 | ||
| Our beautiful Christmas tree |
AUSTRIAN "SKI" TRIP
Our trip to Innsbruck last week, which was to feature skiing and other winter activities, did not go exactly as planned: in other words, there was no skiing involved. (The older gentleman at the tourism booth shook his head and gave us a "why, you silly Americans" grin when we asked why the resort shuttles were not running - apparently, the ski season has not officially started yet.)
We did, however, get to visit the Christmas market in the area, which was very nice:
 |
| Austrian Christmas market |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
