(These pictures are too small because I had to move them from Rich's machine, as mine is
not yet talking to my
NEW DIGITAL CAMERA!!)
IgottadigitalcameraIgottadigitalcameraIgottadigitalcameraIgottadig--
Ahem.
Let's calm down and take this in some semblance of order, shall we? The married couples pulled
in late, but that was no particular surprise, except that we were hungry. Rich was mulling some
cider and we had a cinnamon roll thing made like a tree, which I then warmed. The presents were
heaped under the tree, and I took a picture. (Which will have to be developed. I had
suspicions about my package, but I wasn't sure.)
Monica had cattoys for the kittens, and collars.
She's an avid Humane Society supporter. She was apologizing that the tags hadn't come yet, but
actually, they'd come here twice, and the first time we thought it was a "give us the money
for this gift" con. The company can't read its own directions as to where to send stuff.
We got the collar and tag on Fitch, who was puzzled but amiable about it, but there was no
way Crombie was coming anywhere near that noisy bunch of humans.
The people who came in put in their stocking gifts. This was started by Roni back when she was
an early teen. At that time, the only stocking fillers were Santa and the parents, but she started
with little things for everyone else, and it's turned into one of the most fun parts of the
holiday. We always opened them last thing in the day, so that Christmas was spaced out a
bit, not all over in an hour and then the huge letdown.
Three years ago Monica suggested we stop giving a gift to everyone in the family and draw names. This would save waitress Roni and the students a good deal of money. So that's what we've been doing, with me keeping the master list (and a good thing. No one remembers!) You can't draw your spouse, as they already get a gift from you, and you can't have the same person two years in a row. I had a plan. Since Bernadette wasn't here, we would start with her gift to her person, then that person would give his gift, and so on. When Rich got his, I would add in mine to him, and the same when mine came. So, once everyone was settled, with cider and rolls, I brought in the present for
Mark. There were a number of presents, including a Y2K computer bug, a train whistle, potato gun, puzzle, and a Dilbert book. We finally peeled him out of the last to go get his presents.
Rich: They're trying to build him up. There was a basket of candy goodies. Then a weeding blade, pruners, gardener's toolbelt, a throwing toy, and glowinthedark space mucus.
R.J. got a bucket-o-tools. Caulk, duct tape, a hacksaw (which worried me. If someone with a shredder regards everything as trash, what does a man with a hacksaw see?) A level, tape measure, screwdrivers, hammer, etc. Roni says she is the handyperson in that family, but on the other hand, R.J. wants to learn. Besides, they will be homeowners, they will need this stuff. We got this last February at the Loretto auction.
Vince (y'see, Rich had Vince, but when R.J. proposed, this was an easy place to fit him in.) A terrific shirt. A book on 101 uses for an empty toilet roll. Martian Popping things salt and pepper shakers (Archie McPhee helped Santa a lot! The thing he liked the best was a spacecraft encyclopedia.
Monica: Part of it is a certificate for skiing at Sugar Bowl. Too bad he can't also order up snow. In order for her to have something to open, Vince also gave her OUR DUMB CENTURY by the Onion.
Me: I was the only person who didn't get a multiple gift. It was in a Wards box, but
I knew that wasn't right, I know Monica better than that. I opened the box and discovered a
gorgeous sweater. The tag said, "from the needles of Monica Richards." Mighod. Who knew she could
knit?? It's stunning. She's well past anything I was ever able to do. She says it took four
months, and at her hourly rate, this is a $10,000 sweater. Sorry, I wouldn't take ten times
that much.
Then I opened the DIGITAL CAMERA. The other gift was a power-supply and recharger. Yay.
Roni: Another Loretto auction gift. This was a chili basket, different kinds of killer peppers, a cookbook, votive candle (unfortunately melted a bit, at a slant, and visited by moths who had the sense to stay out of the chilis.) I had added CHILI DEATH, logically enough. It was in one of those Mexican baskets. Hope she likes it. In fact, we had considered changing their gifts, but finally went with the traditional gender roles.
Roni had sent Bernadette a nice watch and a building kit that consists of connections to use with pennies.
Then there were some little gifts Bernadette had thrown in for everyone. R.J., Rich and I got ornaments. I initially thought Rich's and mine were Crombie and Fitch, but I suddenly realized the gray tabby has wings, so must be Fitch the First. Vince got a tiny Gonzaga U. banner. Roni had diamond earrings, and Monica a nice pearl choker. She also sent a tape from her radio station (well, the news bits and the commercial she read: "I'm Bernadette Allen" those were real. She also had various of her friends performing obnoxious songs, and she started up with a "pleasant mother pheasant plucker" tongue-twister.) Everybody talked around it, just as if she were here, but we all heard the merry christmas wish at the end.
I started setting up my camera. Mark hovered behind me, and practically suffocated
on his tongue, not saying anything, but he didn't get in my way.
Once I'd set it up and
taken a couple of shots, it was time to go bowling!!
I had a coupon for three free lines, and they were only $1.50 a line anyway, so we took
two lanes and got going, league style. Roni astonished us all, especially herself, by getting
three straight strikes, but she finished that game in true Roni style with two gutter balls,
so she didn't quite win that round. I threw two balls which hurt my shoulder in the first
game, and pulled a
lot of the other balls, which actually did better mostly. I got a strike per game, two in
the third. Rich's first game was
lousy (but he's been Siiiiiick!) and after that he did OK. Everyone had at least one good game.
And I took pictures and we all cheered and clapped and were generally rowdy and had a good time.
Scores:
Roni and R.J. won the couples match the first game and Rich and I the other two. Rich won the series, so he feels good about that. He blew two beer frames in the third game with Vince and I, we both got strikes and he missed, so we demanded two pitchers of rootbeer with our pizza.
Thence to Round Table where I had coupons to save us almost $11.00 on three pizzas. It was a pleasant lunch, and then everyone but Rich and I walked home. (We had to take the van, of course, and the leftover pizza.) At home, I crippled Crombie by putting on her collar. She couldn't walk. She couldn't move with that heavy thing around her neck! She had regarded Fitch as a new jingly toy with his collar, but when she had her own, it made it completely impossible for her to walk.
Time to open the stockings. I got a Croix de Candlestick pin from the last night game. Dinosaur cards. Darwin's dog, a windup toy. Liqueurs. Vince got Pink Caddy fins, which jazz up anything. A luminescent ball with instructions, which were the best part. Rich got a Bullseye, the Toy Story horse, dressed up as a reindeer, and, as promised, socks and underwear. The socks have trees on them, the underwear is silk boxers (not his style) covered with Grinches. The kids got lots of stuff from the trade shows and KNBR Fan Day, funny thing about that. General hilarity abounded.
Lots more chitchat, and then the BayArea lot went home, and I installed my software and discovered my hardware won't talk to it. It'll happen, not to worry. I've been in touch with the guru.
Great day!
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