Poker, Pizza, Champagne and Chicken Wings

January 2, 2018

Happy New Year

      I don't know why I felt like I needed a day of rest after what only can be generously described as " a quiet New Years Eve" I'm sure not making stories like I used to. Once upon a time I would regale you with tales of past New Years but just like Woodstock, if you remember it..... you weren't there! I can recall snippets of past New Years. Very few before 2003 and one disturbing flash of me in my underwear dancing on the bar at the Anchor Inn in Campbell River. 

      What I remember in great detail were the hangovers. In 2001, my first New Years with the lovely Lisa, I was in my bed for two days and hurting for a week. The next year we went to the Legion New Years Eve Gala with Willy, Annie and a dozen other Scottish folk. We were expecting a fairly tame affair, we were older and wiser and last years post New Years Eve porcelain pukefest was still fresh in my mind. It didn't stay there for long. When the band wasn't playing the Scots were singing. Everyone had a flask and the beers were cheap...OMG I'm feeling nauseous just writing about it. New Years Eve 2003 was the last Year that the lovely Lisa and I brought in the New Year with alcohol. We went out big! Picture this...A home on the water in Deep Cove....a cajillion stairs. I was tired going down the stairs! Uncountable beers, a bottle of bubbly and most of a bottle of Vodka later we had to go back up those cajillion stairs. With the lovely Lisa and I using each other to stay erect and Bro Steve pushing from behind I manged to get up the stairs only vomiting three times. Mostly on the lovely Lisa's shoes. Three days later the lovely Lisa said "I suck at drinking, I quit!" That was fifteen years ago. She hasn't had a drink since. I have the occasional beer but no longer drink for recreational purposes. I'm not preaching here but, When I sat and reviewed my life every one of the incredibly mean, callous, hurtful or just plain stupid things I had done in my life involved alcohol. It only took me thirty years to figure it out. 

      That being said I had a fantastic New Years Eve with my daughter Jen and her husband Christian in their new home in Maple Ridge. Her best friend from Toronto flew out with her husband Matt/Mark and their daughter Anna for two weeks over Christmas. With Lisa Andretti at the wheel and the Ratdogs in the car we headed east to the boonies! We rang the doorbell....nothing We knocked on the door....nobody came. I could see Squarehead Spongepants on the upstairs TV.... I yelled at the house....nothing! I phoned Jen's cell.......no answer straight to voice mail.......Hmmmmmm what did I do to piss her off this time? I phoned the home phone.....I could hear it ringing in the house from my  spot on the frozen driveway. "Hello"came the voice on the other end of the line "We're here" I croaked out through frostbitten lips. "Why didn't you knock?"

      The door opened and all hell broke loose. Ratdogs and kids rolling in a ball, Jennifer trying to convince me the door was open and the lovely Lisa and her ten or so bags of things we may need or not need, like more cookies! And a guitar. Hugs and kisses all around then let's get down to some serious money losing! Which I did. It was a $10 buy in and we played three games. I finished third three times. Fiona was on fire! Matt/Mark won the first game both Jen and the lovely Lisa cashed so only Christian and myself failed to win anything and because he woke up with a head the size of Mexico I put myself ahead of him on the loser scale....What a maroon!

At 9 our time we watched the ball drop in Times Square we all hugged and kissed and Happy New Yeared each other then went back to the game.... which I lost. Tons of food pizza and cakes and cookies and chocolates and chicken wings. The baked goods and combustibles I had indulged in pretty much created a super highway between the things I shouldn't put in my mouth and my mouth! Just before 12 we put on Global TV to see the fireworks and bring in the New Year here at home in Vancouver. we all hugged and kissed and Happy New Yeared each other then went back to the game .....which I lost.

      We pulled into the driveway at Casa Lisa just after 2 am. I was up at 9 feeling tired but clear headed. The lovely Lisa was up back of 11 and we sat and talked about our plans for the day. Today was Chef Boy R Lisa's first day back after three weeks off. We kicked back till after 1 then went to visit Mama Lee. While the lovely Lisa was taking down most of the decorations in Mama Lee's room I was trying to figure out what she has done to her radio. All the secular stuff came down and we left the religious stuff and the little Christmas tree there.

      After the better part of an hour we went to see GMcT and Sharrie at their place in New West on our way to Taqueria Tropical for comida Mexicana. We had coffee and caught up on the events since Christmas when we last saw them. It was around 4:30 when we headed for Mexican. It was closed. Fotrtunately it's right next door to Rivers Reach...half price appies it is. Duffy was there so we joined him and his friend Hugh at their table. Lettuce wraps, chicken wings, flatbread with chorizo and goat cheese and mushroom caps for dinner. "Bama/Georgia and the Raptors on the TV. Duffy, Hugh and the lotto keeping the lovely Lisa entertained. I ask you..Does it get any better than that!? 

      We were home before 6 and the lovely lisa was in bed minutes after the front door closed on New Years Day. Her call time, 1:30 am. I binge watched the new Star Trek. Liked it. Then the last episode of the third season of Bosch also like it. The lovely Lisa got up at 1 am I gave her a peck on the cheek as I passed her in the hallway on my way to bed. I'll see her for an hour after work before she goes to bed and I go to Judge Begbies in New West to make some noise....I hope! 

      I'm back on the diet no potato, bread, rice or pasta and I did my first workout this morning. I'm so stiff and sore I can barely type.
      It's been a wonderful Holiday season this year. Full of friends and family peace and love. Oh yeah and food!

Way too much food. To everyone one who reads this and everyone who doesn't, I wish for you all the best things in 2018. Prosperity, health and happiness.

   

That's all I've got
Till next time
Peace Out Y'all