- Journal
Thanksgiving weekend journal, 2010
Since the puppy is still a bit too unruly to visit Grandma, and since we didn't get him a reservation at the local puppy hostel our Thanksgiving was of the quiet, stay at home variety, mostly. I didn't get a turkey from work this year - they offer a choice of 'Turkey' or 'Other' and I opted for 'other' (which was a very nice variety basket of cookies, chocolates and crackers) so we got a small 6 pound turkey breast instead which ended up being the basis of two meals itself (when supplemented by all the other fine fare), so all the better that we didn't waste a 22 pound bird! Dinner was nice, and afterward we watched Miracle on 34th Street (the 1947 version, but colorized) which is tradition of mine for Thanksgiving - I could watch that a million times, but given my age I think I'll be lucky if I get another 40 or so. On Friday...
...the family and I met up with a friend of mine from High School who I haven't seen in over 25 years. She looks great, despite the fact that she's got MS now and has some trouble getting around. We went out to Panera for lunch, the food was good but the place was a bit loud for me - it being "Black Friday", just finding a parking space was hard enough let alone a table. Afterward we drove down to Loughlin Vineyards to see Barney. When we arrived there wasn't anyone there but Barney, his daughter and grandson (I hadn't seen him since he was about 7 when we played in the dirt with rocks and sticks and now he's old enough to drink), and Barney had just lit the wood stove so the little wine shack was billowing smoke out the windows. We took some time to talk and taste wine and look through some old pictures (including shots of Ned and I playing Irish music there years and years ago) and then got the grand tour of Barney's new wine press. We were all absolutely dazzled by all the equipment and the wine casks (and the bottling machine!) and very grateful that Barney took the time to show it all to us. It was nice to be able to just hang out for once and not have to entertain - but we love playing there when we do!
Saturday was a lazy day of retro computer games (1992 Super Nintendo's Legend of Zelda - A Link to the Past), Abbot and Costello's Keep 'em Flying, and Tom Baker era Dr. Who (Destiny of the Daleks). Destiny of the Daleks has the claim to fame that the script editor was Douglas Adams, so when the Doctor whips out a book to read, it's Origins of the Universe by Oolon Colluphid, a fictional author from A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Adams who supposedly penned:
- Where God Went Wrong
<li>Some More of God's Greatest Mistakes</li>
<li>Who Is This God Person Anyway?</li>
<li>Well That About Wraps It Up for God</li>We also enjoyed a nice trip out for "linner" at Ole Grill. A couple cervazas later and dad didn't mind the bill for his Pescado en Guiso.