Magical Weekend Indeed...

complete with surprises! As I sit here Sunday morning and enjoy KPLU on the FM-dial which is the local public radio station, I am quite pleased with the opportunity to have been able to relax this weekend. A long time coming to be sure. It has been a push, push, push couple of months and the plate is still full. Granted, being home a full week is a joy, but I do yearn to be home a bit more and after NYC this week I will be able to be home for the balance of the year.

So Wednesday past had me running to and from Sea-Tac airport picking up various members arriving from Phoenix, Minneapolis, Dallas and Houston. They all got in but boy that last run to the airport at 9pm was a killer. Traffic was horrible and I was all to happy to be home in my apt. by 10pm. The weekend had officially had begun. And of course one of the elevators in the building gets broken right off the bat as the office is closed for two days, but in a way it is a good thing, it makes everyone slow down. Actually met a couple of the neighbors while waiting for the elevator. Go figure.

Thanksgiving was a joy to be sure as I got up and puttered about and made my way north to Ballard (a neighborhood here in Seattle) to enjoy watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade with Rob and Jodie. What fun we had and the Bloody Mary's were quite enjoyable and oh my the bacon was awesome. They get it from a butcher up north of Seattle. I believe it is called D&D. How original to be sure. Add some farm fresh eggs and a so-so lemon-lavender coffee cake (which was more like a pound cake) and there you have it, a fine breakfast as the parade made it's way down Central Park West on the new parade route complete with a brand new Santa float (although the reindeer looked like the old ones!). During the parade the kitchen was seeing a flurry of activity as Rob and Jodie worked away to assemble a marvelous feast to be sure. Thankfully I was allowed to contribute not only by bringing a pumpkin cheesecake which was passable at best, but to assist in dicing potatoes and sweet potatoes for two different dishes. In the end the turkey was so moist and tender and who could not love her chestnut dressing? The mashed potatoes turned out fluffy and oh so tasty and the sweet potatoes were served with a mixture of butter, brown sugar, paprika and nutmeg = yum! Add homemade bread and green beans and a fabulous mushroom gravy plus 3 kinds of cranberry sauce and well, it was a feast. Oh and who could forget the salad that went untouched by many, sorry Sharron, but who would after having shrimp sit out for two hours. Why didn't she say something? Oh well, that is not the last we get to hear about Sharron. OH NO!

So Sharron decides I am the target for the day. She tosses out comments and pokes me throughout the meal and in general is really starting to bother me, but I am trying to be a nice guy. After the meal we move to the living area and before I know what is happening she is sitting on my knee. Now mind you, I have not asked her to, I do not wish her to be there, but I am also not going to make a scene as I am a guest. She seems to be getting a bit miffed as I show little to no interest in her and why should I, she is on husband #3 and announces during the day that he may soon be an ex as well. He son showed for a bit of the afternoon but was soon gone to be with friends and who could blame him. Well, just when you think she is getting up to move away she turns and leans into me and says something like "Oh come on, you know you could have fun." while planting her breasts in my face. Yes, OH MY GOD! I was blown away. So, I got up stating I needed to use the bathroom and proceeded to wash my face and looked in the mirror and said, "you can run or go back for another round!"

I opted for the former and as I walked out of the bathroom I just continued walking down the stairs and out the door. I called Jodie and let her know I was leaving and why and she totally understood. I got home and relaxed and felt bad about leaving without saying good-bye to Lynne, Rob and all the guests, but I also knew I did not want to explode on this of all days when it is about friends and having a good time. Later Rob shared that Russ had the comment of the evening "Whether gay or straight, you can run them off Sharron." And oh how true that was.

I awoke the next morning at 2:30am in a panic that final payment had not been done on the Whistler trip, like I could do anything, but it was not until hours later that I got to have it confirmed that everything was fine and move on with the day.

Friday was all about packing up Thanksgiving and getting the initial wave of Christmas decorating done. It was step by step taking it easy and yet moving forward to get the apt. flipped from one holiday to the next. Many of you know I love the holidays and enjoy decorating. Well, this year I am quite pleased in that it is Sunday, the 29th and only have to finish trimming the tree! That will be done either later this day or when I get back from NYC. One nice thing that did happen was that in talking to Jodie on Friday morning we decided to meet up for drinks and leftovers that night. Glad we did as we got to have some laughs and Rob shared Russ' comment and a few others plus we talked about all sorts of different things and got to collect the lovely gift bag that they had made. Each guest got a wonderful melange of treats.

Saturday was another day of relaxing. How lucky I am to be sure. Breakfast with Mick at the Shanty was a joy and I enjoyed biscuits & gravy for the first time in many moons. It was pretty slow in the Shanty, but soon we were on our way. Did a couple of errands and back at the house in time to get the rest of the decorating done and prep for today's guests. Also, on the menu were several wonderful conversations with friends and getting the simpler birthday celebration nailed down to be able to enjoy it. Yes, initially I had a rather grand plan in place, but now I get to actually enjoy the weekend and not be running around like my head is cut off. What a joy that will be. To think that in 10 days I will be 50. OH MY!!

Last night watched 4 different Christmas movies and yes, the happy cry came out in full force. Full confession, 3 of the movies were "The Santa Clause" series with Tim Allen and I did fast forward a time or three. But still enjoyed all the good parts and "Jack Frost" was the 4th movie. Sleep was good and this morning has been one of Jazz, reading and watching the people do the Seattle Marathon! Oh my what a sight. So now with breakfast behind me of cereal and banana plus coffee, it is time to finish laundry and get ready for Catan. This is my 3rd time playing and one has to ponder, is it even possible that I could go for a trifecta of winning? Actually, the funny part is that I just love letting go for a few hours and forgetting everything and just enjoying the company of good friends and laughter. That makes for a great afternoon. OK, so the Chinese food afterwards is pretty good too! So for now, I wish you all a happy Sunday and look forward to checking in again soon. Cheers!