Merry Christmas!!!

I woke up later than usual and found Jake and Carla already up. I grabbed a cup of coffee. And we chatted a bit. Then we got down to the true meaning of Christmas: presents!

Sidebar: Just kidding…

Jake and Carla exchanged their gifts and then I opened mine. It was a set of track saw clamps. Very nice track saw clamps and I guess I was still half asleep, as I didn’t get it. Until they brought out the rest of the gift: a plunge-type track saw and the track!!!

Note: Unless you were a woodworker, you probably would not realize what a big deal that was.

They said they figured if I really was going to try and supplement my eventual retirement with woodworking, I’d need it. I am, so I do

Thanks, guys!

I gave them my present: two adjacent plots of land in Glendoe, Scotland. They are admittedly small plots, but it does give them the rights and title of Laird (Lord) Jacob and Lady Carla!

Sidebar: No, seriously! The Scottish government not only gave them the deeds, but a legal paper so they can even change their names on their driver’s license, etc.

They will be impossible to live with, from now on…

Breakfast was a pantalone cake with small glasses of port.

Then we got dressed and visited her brother’s house for their present exchange. I, of course, didn’t bring any. So, of course, I got one anyway: a pair of memory foam slippers.

When we got back, we rested a bit and changed clothes.

Weather here was spectacular: Sunny and 67 degrees. Jake's back lawn is getting confused as it’s starting to green up and there’s even a dandelion in bloom!

 We started Christmas dinner around 1:00 p.m. It was yet another non-traditional holiday dinner: chicken and waffles (a southern staple I’d never eaten).

Their twist on it (and there’s always a twist) was to make chicken wings instead of the standard chicken breast.

So, I was in charge of breading (actually double-breading) the buffalo-cut chicken wings (i.e., no wing tips). Carla fried them up while Jake made the waffles.

It was delicious! The sweet waffle and maple syrup, mixed with bites of the savory chicken was a perfect match. No wonder why Southerners love this dish!

 After cleanup (mostly Jake) we rested up and watched several episodes of “A Chef’s Life” a series on PBS I had never seen before. They were fascinating.

Jake was prepping for a future dish in the kitchen when the garbage disposal plugged up.

So, Carla and I went out to help. We were hampered by the lack of a plunger in the house. So, Jake and I tried several MacGyver-ish ideas, none of which worked. It was Carla’s suggestion to remove the plumbing from the garbage disposal that finally saved the day!

Sidebar: So much for male egos, LOL!

After that excitement, we started (late) to watch a movie. But the movie was a little violent for Christmas night. So, we switched to several episodes of Family Guy that I had never seen. Hilarious!!!

I went outside in the dark with Whiskey and was amazed at the beautiful moon and all the stars. I never see stars this clear in Redford!

I went to bed at 9:30, after a Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!