For who knows how many years now (13+), we eat Christmas Eve dinner at Red Lobster. It's a bizarre tradition and I don't even know how it started. I'm thinking the first time it happened, it was a spur of the moment decision due to poor planning and not having anything to cook for dinner, and being late while the stores were closed, we drove around town looking for something other than fast food. And behold, Red Lobster was the only place open. We do it every year now. It's really the only time we eat there. Seafood is way too much for us to eat on a regular basis. It's really not good for you, so we do it once a year, as if it's okay. You know that a lobster's closest relative is the cockroach, right? Well, it is. Along with all the other sea bottom dwellers. So we try to only eat insects once a year.
I had coconut shrimp. My dad had lobster. Husband was good and had salmon. Brother had walleye because that's all he ever orders. I forget what my mom ordered...and my uncle and his son had the Admiral's Feast which included all the different sea bugs. Lobster, crab legs, scallops, shrimp. Oh, we also had crab stuffed mushrooms and lobster artichoke dip. I don't care. It was really good.
I couldn't have my usual martini that I like to order, so I ordered a virgin mudslide. Mainly because I was craving chocolate. I don't really like how the bartender made it. Why would you substitute pina-colada mix for Bailey's and Kahlua? They're not even remotely close. Just throw some ice cream in there and chocolate syrup. It tasted funny, but oh well. I wish I could have had the regular kind. I have to find some non-alcoholic Irish cream and coffee liqueur and then my life will be complete. Let me know where I can find these items.
After dinner, we went to my mom and dad's house and opened gifts. We normally do one gift on Christma Eve and then the rest the next morning. But this year we did them all on Christmas Eve and we'll do stockings this morning. Mainly because it's difficult to coordinate with the fact that we also spend time with Husband's family who live 20 minutes away - but I don't know, we just wanted to do them last night. So we did. Presents are always nice, but I just really enjoy spending time with my family. My mom and dad surprised us with a new Garmin. I'm so pumped. I'll never get lost again. Unless (according to a friend of mine), if I am like Michael Scott, and then I'll end up in a lake. She has a point. A few years ago when I drove down to Madison to take a state exam for a probation and parole position with the Department of Corrections - I stayed in a hotel close to the DOC main office. I didn't know how to get there, but all was well because I borrowed my mom and dad's Garmin. It was going fine until it told me to continue going straight through a construction zone which was barricaded off. I was a total idiot. I should have just turned and had it recalculate, but I was so confused so I just went through it. I have a SUV and it can pretty much handle anything as long as it isn't some deep pit or something. I had to get out and move a barrier in order to drive through. People may have stared. It took me right into the parking lot. Then I noticed that I could have just turned left before the construction zone, went around the block, and ended up on the street that ran parallel to the parking lot. Also, it would have taken me to the correct door also. So, the Garmin (and any GPS device really) is a great thing to have, but you don't have to take it literally. If it tells you to go into a lake, don't go. Just keep driving and it will give you new recalculated directions. I'm really stupid. I like to think of myself as a smart person, too. So it concerns me how many people out there who are actually dumber than me who own these. I'm sure that at least one person has ended up in a lake.
I also got a sweet fur hat, a cute pink maternity sweater with a hood, and the Toy Story trilogy, which rocks my world.
Today we'll be hanging out at my mom and dad's for a bit. Church had a Christmas program this morning and I didn't get up early enough to make it. It started 10 minutes ago. I was exhausted last night and got to bed way too late. My uncle is making prime rib for dinner, which we do nearly every year and it's so good. He makes it kind of rare though so I'll either have to take an outer piece or sear mine in a pan because I think pregnant ladies have to eat thoroughly cooked meat. I don't care. I just want something to eat horseradish with. We also have potatoes. And pie. Oh yum.
I think we'll visit Husband's family later tonight, weather and roads permitting. Tomorrow we'll spend time with Husband's family as well. I'll be cooking Italian. We'll be having lasagna and appetizers, and opening gifts with them.
The holidays are nice, but I don't like the aftermath. Putting away the directions is a huge pain in my butt, and then my house just looks bleak while the outside is covered with snow. Christmas lights and wreaths and sparkly things make the snowy outside feel special. Now it's just going to look like a barren wasteland until April. It's going to be a long three months.
I'm planning a little shindig for New Years Eve. Since I'm pregnant and tired and boring, I'll be inviting people who will appreciate the fact that the party will end at 8pm so that I can go to bed. This includes my friends Amy & Nicole who will bring their husbands and their little kids. Nicole is pregnant and Amy doesn't drink, so the fact that we'll be toasting 8pm with sparkling juice will be of no issue. We'll eat some food and play some boardgames and watch our husbands drink a beer, and then everyone will go home and I will go to bed. It's going to be fun.
I believe Husband and I will have our Christmas at this point too. He and I aren't exchanging gifts this weekend, mainly because we couldn't afford to get each other anything. I get paid on Thursday, so we'll have some extra, and we'll get each other something little. Something LITTLE. I know what I'm getting him already. I feel bad because he went and got me something already which I told him not to. He got me a bunch of my favorite chocolate. He said it's not a big deal and just wanted to get me a little something. I sort of wish he hadn't because I didn't get him anything and now I feel guilty. But I do appreciate the creme de menth meltaways, the Ferrero Rocher, the dark chocolate Lindor truffles, and the caramel bars. :)
I hope you all had a great weekend so far. :)
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