December, tis the season of good will

[OurCreature]

It was my last morning's duty at Knightwood yesterday before the first Tuesday in January 2023. I wished folk there a happy Christmas and went off to Bella Vita for a nice lunch. I had with me a bottle of Barolo each for Toni (head waiter), Jerzy (waiter) and Nino which I gave to Toni to distribute in their bottle bags; Toni looked at one of the bottles and said he thought I had gone over the top a little - to which I replied that I knew that wine was OK and that I tried not to buy rubbish for my friends. Then I ordered lunch, preceded by a cold glass of ginger beer with ice.

First up were the spicy meat balls in a cheese and tomato sauce with 3 pieces of toasted bruschetta. Usually I get 3 meat balls but yesterday I got 4 and they were big as well; this is good, thought I. Then I had 2 chicken breasts rolled around cream cheese, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes with the breasts wrapped in pancetta, all in a creamy sauce and served with veg and dauphinoise potatoes; I had a glass of cold pinot grigio with that, and spent a happy 20 minutes or so munching my way through my delicious repast. Then I decided To hell with watching what I eat today and ordered a piece of tiramisu, and had a big square of that with one of those long twirly thin biscuits that I can't remember the name of; it wasn't a brandy snap, that I do know. And then a cappuccino to finish.

When I wandered over to the counter to pay the bill, Toni happily informed me that my lunch was compliments of Bella Vita with nothing to pay, shaking hands warmly with me. I didn't argue, and said I wouldn't because that was what they wanted to do for me and thank you very much etc.

I left feeling very happy indeed. I am lucky that people want to be kind to me and very grateful. Happy Christmas OC.

[eccles]

What a nice gesture by the restaurateurs.

[Wildrover]

How lovely OC - the meal sounds fabulous and nice that they obviously appreciate your custom and company. Can't believe you ate two chicken breasts though!!!

[OurCreature]

They weren't very big breasts........................

[merry]

Oh OC that is so lovely! I might have a tear in my eye here!

I have noticed that chicken breasts from Tesco have got smaller lately. I am trying to think of a witty reason why but failing.

[Furby]

They are killing the chickens quicker before they die of bird flu so chickens are smaller. If one chicken test positive for flu they have to kill all the chickens in the same house.

I hope everyone has survived the ambulance strikes yesterday. The day went really well it seems and being on strike made things better. It may be like in covid where covid was brilliant for some places as it was a perfect excuse to do what they always wanted to stop doing and got opposed. So closing walk in centres (ours was reprieved for 10 years and with covid disappeared overnight and has stayed gone, GPS refusing to see patients, banks refusing to see customers, shops refusing to accept cash, energy companies never reading meters etc. So maybe yesterday the ambulances had the power by blaming the strikes to just refuse ambulances to most people making their workload much lower.

I got 9 letters yesterday it reminds me of being at work so much post to open. I suppose royal mail (who want to stop letters but are stuck with an old agreement saying they jolly well have to) will be saying people managed with only one delivery a week in the strikes can't we always do that. And for me it's been since covid really they never got back to bringing daily letters but it has gone noticeably worse since the strikes. Creeping up to almost two weeks now.

[OurCreature]

they never got back to bringing daily letters but it has gone noticeably worse since the strikes. Creeping up to almost two weeks now.

I agree with you there, Furby. I posted my Christmas card to my friends in Falmouth around the time that the girls arrived in the UK; that's 2 weeks ago. I had a catch-up phone call from them yesterday, and their card hasn't arrived......................yet. I'm sure it will do, perhaps late enough to count as their card for 2023.

[merry]

I was having a think about two chicken breasts. Tesco sell a pack of two which weighs 300g. Now when I have a steak it is always at least 300g and I think I've eaten larger! so two breasts is not a huge amount for a special meal at all!

Thanks to all who came to Chat last night. It was lovely

[OurCreature]

And now for something completely different - Asy's area is going to be hit by this monstrous cold weather storm that is sweeping the USA today and tomorrow. Let's hope that she and her family are safe, and also that the folk who live around Purcellville and Hamilton are careful on the roads - they'll be hazardous enough if the HVRS are called out for Asy's usual paramedic duties without drivers getting stuck in the snow and ice.

Good luck Asy!

[merry]

Oh Asy!

I hope you are safe - and that the power doesn't go out!

[merry]

Juliet's been really unwell this past week. And tonight I'm starting a cough. Will it never end!!

STPD comes home tomorrow at 10am so our Christmas can really begin.

[Furby]

Poor sick merry household. I hope STPD got home before the travel shut down. If merry only just has a cough no point saying get well soon as soon wont be in time for xmas dinner. But i hope you get well anyway. All the government can advise is dont be visiting your granny which you cant anyway and get vaccines but you did that didnt you.

I hope asy survives the cold weather but she is used to it by now and has plans doesnt she. Florida was on the news as freezing and they wont be as used to it. When theres any kind of weather these days global warming gets blamed ha ha.

Wonder what 2023 will bring. Every years its worse now isnt it and only unprecedented bad things ever happen. So everyone have as nice a xmas as you can.

[asymphototropic]

Thanks for the kind thought, Furbs!

I had a wedding to perform yesterday evening, and was deeply grateful that the ridiculously high wind had dried the roadway. [the day before was quite icy, and our rescue squad had six traffic rescues in four hours.] I managed to find a parking lot close to the house where the wedding was, so got there and back home without incident.

Thingummie esquire and Thingummie minor are coming out for lunch today, with Tminor staying for a couple of days. Everyone is getting each a flannel shirt from me for Xmas gifties. [whether they want one or not, ha!]

I'm going to attend the 6 PM carols with T major this evening.

T minor bought tickets for herself and me to see Giselle performed by Ukraine National Ballet, but the show isn't til February.

I need to scramble out to the grocery, since I hadn't got anything for a family luncheon today, since it wasn't planned until last night. Really seriously cold out there, but with bright sunshine and the wind has dropped at last. Altogether not the worst-case scenario. Happy Xmas eve to y'all from us! Not sure what the pink elephant represents but it is dancing, so why not?

[OurCreature]

I think we're all relieved that you are safe and in good spirits, Asy!

A Happy Christmas to you and everybody else!

[merry]

That's good to know, Asy! a flannel shirt sounds lovely!

It's funny about that dancing pink elephant, that's one we had on the old board and brought over, but I've seen it used more here in the last two days than it ever was on the old board!

What time are you heading off to Nancy's, OC?

Hope you have a nice day, Furby!

Where's Eccles? waving to Eccs!

[Furby]

I have made the dinner already and am watching Gremlins sing carols to an old lady just before they murder her with a stair lift. How we survived before all these people might be a bit upset by this program warnings I don't know. The wine has a silly plastic cork and I had to find a cork screw but otherwise the day went well.

[eccles]

I'm here Merry. Lurking.
Nothing much to contribute as I don't really go overboard for Christmas.
I hope our American HF-ers are ok with their horrible weather.

[OurCreature]

What time are you heading off to Nancy's, OC?

I left home at 11:00 as instructed, Merry, and arrived just after 11:20. We had a jolly good time; before lunch I won at a card game called Strip Jack Naked, and then Cleo joined in the next game of SJN and won it. So she was happy. She loves drawing and can keep herself amused with that for quite a long time. We played that card game after having very nice nibbles - veggie somosas, duck spring rolls, tempura prawns all nicely hottish. We let the nibbles go down with quite a long gap before we had lunch. All Nancy's veggie trimmings as hoped for by me, plus a delicious individual Wellington each with chicken breast rolled round stuffing, and thin ham around the chicken breast. Dani is vegetarian so she had meatless stuff inside her Wellington. And then the Tesco take on the Heston Blumenthal christmas pudding and that was very good, served with custard.

I was given some pressies too - a wall clock the girls had brought over from Oz - not any old wall clock but one with a design by a Native Australian artist as the clock face. So that will have to go up on one of my walls. Some very more-ish oat cakes in a glass jar which I have put away for tomorrow after eating some of them. And a bottle of Le Remy XO, every sip of which I shall drink with reverence, just as I will with the cognac that my dear friend Merry sent me!

A very happy Christmas Day and lucky old OC.

[Patience]

I survived Christmas Lunch and pressie swapping. The Lunch was very pleasant and the pressie opening was only 2 hours long.

[asymphototropic]

We had a baby possum inside our front porch. Felt curmudgeonly insisting the little guy go back out into the cold, but was worried he might starve inside, so shooed him out. He hid under the stairwell, which is likely warmed by the house heat, so feel a little better about his well being. Here he is: