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December 29, 2005
How I Spent My Winter Vacation ... In Pictures!
Hi! I'm back from the hinterlands of Redding. And I won't bore you with too many details of my family bonding time, but here are some representative pics.
The Sunday Undies Family Christmas Tree
Unlike the Griswolds, we didn't kick off our fun old-fashioned family Christmas by heading out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select that most important of Christmas symbols. No, my mom pulled the tree out of the garage. But still, how pretty!
My Co-Conspirator(s)
Penny and her cleavage were my co-conspirators in shaking, prodding, poking, harkening, smelling, and applying centrifugal force to all our presents to see if we could figure them out.
I Like To Call My Mom "Nostalgic Spice"
OK, you can not see the label in this ABOMINABLY CRAPPY photo I took, but our Christmas turkey brine included some allspice from 1977. Later my mom found three tins of mace from 1974. Nevertheless, the turkey turned out GREAT! I highly recommend the SF Chronicle's recipe, the best they found after cooking 40 turkeys!
Apple Never Falls Far from the Tree
Ever wondered where I learned to spoil my cats so much? My parents don't even make Bobo get off the table. Mmm, burgers and Bobo.
Breakfast Is SERVED
D.J. Jazzy Jeff serves us up some eggs and sausage.
Warms Your Heart
Well, it does mine, anyway. The Fam -- Dad, Penny, me, Mom, Jeff, and Jeff's wonderful affianced, Jen.
Why Isn't Northern California Completely Underwater By Now?
This is what most of the NINE-HOUR drive home looked like. Until I hit Southern California and the sweet, sweet sun came out, welcoming me home!
Woohoo!
Posted by jen at December 29, 2005 10:32 PM
Comments
Welcome back! TIME FOR ROAST PIG! MMMMM.
You are the tallest girl in your family photo, or is it just the boots? But what an adorable family (and not crazy nutty like the family in the movie "The Family Stone" - or at least, I hope not!)
Very little rain down here, but knock on wood it doesn't rain on the Rose Parade.
Posted by: Gloria at December 30, 2005 10:32 AM
I am so glad you're back. Jeff looks giant-tall in that picture! And look, a Cheeto Cat on the table!
Posted by: laurie at December 30, 2005 11:38 AM
Bobo is frightening. He reminds me of this cat I saw last week named Tigger. Tigger weighs 19 pounds.
Also, it is still raining here in NorCal. My dad is predicting 40 days worth. I don't know if I will be able to take it.
Final note -- what is about mom's and old spice? And I am not talking about the cologne.
Posted by: Dagny at December 30, 2005 12:57 PM
yay stones! it appears that every person in your family is a wrapping god- no fair!
in other news, i think i purchased the same shirt your sister is wearing above during the SIX HOUR mall trip I had with my sister this weekend. yay sisters!
Posted by: neeta at December 30, 2005 03:35 PM
Dagny: you saw a cat that weighs 19pounds? Please, pretty please (read: includes sugar on top), tell me that its belly was longer than the length of its legs and it dragged behind it, like a lazy santa's sack (not red).
(actually reminds me of the time, as a younger-than-now-un, that mum was bawling because she thought her cat had cancer of the stinkhole, because it was red, raw, lumpy and inflammed. Reality saw that the cat had merely chosen the freshly laid, ridged (for grip) concrete out the back as a medium to place its derriere on the ground and drag it a good 12 feet (around a corner) to clean it).
I digressed.
Happy new year undieshead!! Thanks for the giggles I've enjoyed from my secret lurking post.
Posted by: Dan at December 31, 2005 06:33 AM
I do look tall in that picture. Sadly, it's simply that I'm surrounded by shorties. You know how you can tell? Check out the door. There's like 2 feet between the top of the door and the top of my head. The rest of the family (and Jen) come up to about the halfway mark.
Posted by: Jeff at January 1, 2006 12:29 PM
Dagny and Dan: my husband's father has a cat named Toupie who weighs 11 kilos, which, when you do the math to convert it, works out to exactly 24.2508 pounds.
If you sat him up on the table he would probably break it, I guess. Good thing he's too fat to jump.
Happy New Year, Jen!
Posted by: Sammy at January 2, 2006 02:28 AM
Holy crap, 24 pounds! I thought F&E were bad at about 19. Yikes!
I don't remember if I'm the tallest girl in my family -- I'm definitely taller than Penny and Mom, but I can't remember if Jen is taller, shorter or the same -- I just know it's a difference of one inch.
Posted by: jen at January 2, 2006 01:07 PM