A regret and a redneck Christmas

So our Christmas cocktail party to meet the neighbors went quite well.  I make that assertion based on the fact that everyone pretty much stayed for the entire time allotted.

I and the husband have always joked that we live in the gayborhood.  We really only have ST and PJ across the road from us but we found out there really are quite a few other gay couples right up the road from us.  We invited them and when they got the invite they asked the husband if the could bring their tenant.  The husband asked me and I said "Tenant?  Yo mean their third because clearly they are a threesome and they are being polite."  To which the husband said no you are wrong.  Well they arrive and they are dressed in holiday attire and they are quite nice.  During the party as we socialize and get to know them we find out the tenant is from Eastern Europe and married to a sister of one of the couple...at which point the husband looks at me with that look of OMG you are right!  Victory never tasted so sweet.

As the party was winding down my brother's car got stuck in our rather wet yard.  He was totally stuck.  I and another guest tried pushing him out and he finally resigned himself to calling roadside assistance that comes with his car.  I am inside chatting with the remaining guests and one of our neighbors comments "You know if we had lesbians here he would have been out of the mud by now."

Christmas was great.  On Christmas Eve we went out to dinner With ST and PJ.  The meal was great and we had a good time.  We then got home and watched the season finale of "American Horror Story."  Christmas morning the husband was like a little kid!  He could not wait to open presents.  He got a composting bin thing since he has been talking about starting composting all summer.  He was excited for that.  HE also got a bb gun to handle the squirrel issue.  I got him the good old reliable Crossman 760 which can shoot bbs and pellets.  Of course he has a scope on the gun as well.  The other big hit was he got an apron- red naturally as he is Latin- embroidered with "El Jefe" on it.

We were hosting Christmas dinner- just the boys, ST and PJ.  I went to pick the boys up at 7 PM.  When they got in the truck I told them they could not open presents until after dinner.  Dinner was very simple- the husband made roast chicken, oven roasted garlic rosemary potatoes, haricot verts and oven roasted carrots and parsnips.  It was great.  I made roasted apples with cinnamon and nutmeg for dessert with homemade whipped cream.

The boys then got to open the rest of their gifts ( I had dropped off their bean bag chairs at their mom's the day before- a big hit for in front of their xBox).  They got the usual clothes and whatnot from grandma, some new xBox games, gift cards to BBY and of course they also got pocket knives and bb guns.  Seriously, how redneck is that- knives and guns for Christmas?  They were agog at the bb guns. 

Monday morning it was off to grandmother's house.  I have the boys for their Christmas break this year and they wanted to spend it with their grandparents.  It did not matter how much I pushed a beach vacation instead- they wanted to go north- the little brats.  Actually I am totally psyched at their ages they willingly want to spend time with their grandparents.  We brought along the puppy and drove up.  We arrived in time for Christmas dinner of roast beast with mom and dad, my aunt and uncle, two of my aunt and uncle's children, one cousin's spouse and children and said cousin's father in law.  The meal was great and by the end of dinner I had quite a glow.

Tuesday was a shutter day- as in don't even open the shutters.  I and the boys did not even shower, lol.  Tuesday night I had drinks with two of my best friends who are in town for Christmas.  Yesterday was dinner and movie with dad for the boys.  I was quite excited they did not choose Olive Garden for dinner.  We are stepping up as we had dinner at Ruby Tuesdays.  the server was quite cute too, lol.  We then saw Sherlock Holmes:  Game of Shadows and it was great!  Robert Downey , Jr. and Jude Law make a great team in the movie.

Today the grandparents took the boys to an indoor water park.  I am staying home with the pup as I did not bring his crate and he can't stay alone for that long anyhow.  We will got out to dinner tonight at a local Italian place right down the street.

Tomorrow we will veg out again and then we are having dinner with a girlfriend who is in town for NYE.  Leaving Saturday to go home.

As the year ends I look back and realize there really is only one regret I have- I saw Suckerpunch twice.  Other than that I think this was a pretty damn great year.

I have not even looked at my emails for work nor BBRG.  I have no clue what is going on and I like it.  I did get around to reading the only non-fiction book I planned on this year and it was pretty damn good.  I can see why it made BBRG's list of best reads for the year.  Mom borrowed it after I finished it and she is enjoying it.