Christmas

Although we didn't get any actual snow falling on Christmas day (just the Friday before), we did have enough left over from the previous storms to have white stuff all over the ground.  We started our Christmas celebrations in Madison.  After a work holiday party on the Thursday before Christmas, we drove over to Madison and inflated our new air mattress - mine had sprung a leak the last time we were there (nothing like waking up on a partially deflated bed).  Friday we checked out California C
losets and designed new closet installations for our condo - not sure if that is the direction we will go, but it was good to see the options.  We spent the rest of the day with Kathy.  That evening we enjoyed pre-dinner cocktails while waiting for John to finish up working (some people still have to do that) and then dinner at Lilliana's.  After dinner it was time for a gift exchange and to enjoy some of the white stuff that had been falling off and on throughout the day.

Saturday before coming home, we hit the Shortstack restaurant with Kathy and John to fill up on pancakes and eggs Benedict (the Shortstack version comes with asparagus which makes for a nice change).  We spent the afternoon wrapping gifts before picking up my sister at the train station after she finished her shift at Macy's (see my previous comment about some people still having to work).  After catching up a bit, we all headed for bed because everyone knows that Santa doesn't come until everyone in the house is asleep.  Of course, it also could be we were all tired from our various activities for the day and we are all getting older.

Sunday we were up bright and early to get Christmas dinner going before starting round two of present opening (I found that you really can't have too many rounds of present openings).  Dinner was the traditional turkey, stuffing, cranberries, and vegetable courses with an baked apple dessert.  Although we did try to mix it up a bit this year with roasted brussel sprouts, the last from the garden, for the veggie.  Then everyone hit the sofas for post-turkey naps.  It helped that the day was extremely overcast and grey and the only good option was napping.  We all woke up in time for a light turkey sandwich dinner before sis had to head back to the train station to be ready for the day after Christmas rush to return everything at Macy's.

For the rest of the week after Christmas we took in an Admiral's game (where we almost got hit by a flying puck - it went whizzing right between us and landed up in the seat behind us), went to Kohler to see the Kohler Design Center along with the Kohler Art Museum, and packed up all the Christmas decorations.