RevGal Friday Five
Not the most exciting answers, I'm sure, but at least I get to answer! (And let the record show that, annoyingly enough, the computer thoroughly crashed earlier today when I was just finishing this post, so I'm attempting to recreate it. And, stressingly enough, I think the computer did more than crash -- I think I actually heard it wimper as it at least seriously considered rolling over and dying. I'll find out more when I get back to the house.)
1) Have you ever gotten a really good kiss under the mistletoe? Tell the truth. Spare no details. Was the mistletoe real, because kisses under the fake stuff do. not. count.
Well, if we're not counting parents .... then I don't think I've even gotten any bad kisses under the fake stuff, let alone good ones under the real stuff. Sigh. Such a deprived childhood.
2) Do you know anyone who makes real eggnog, not the stuff from the carton? And if so, do you actually like it?
Well, it depends on what you mean. It wasn't until I reached the monastery that I realized that I have a very different concept of what this stuff is like for "most" people. See, while our eggnog does originate from the carton, I've always only experienced it with my dad's adaptations. And no, I'm not talking the spiked version (although he does that too). No, the way real eggnog (in my mind) is created is you take a half-gallon of the "fake" carton stuff, and then mix it in with a softened half-gallon of french vanilla ice cream. Stir it up all nice and creamy, throw it in the fridge, and pour yourself as many little glasses of thick creamy almost-milkshaky eggnog yumminess as your tummy desires.
Once I discovered that other people don't make eggnog the way I do, I've appointed myself eggnog-master. I can't drink that thin runny straight stuff. But daddy's version? MMMmmmmm, rich creamery goodness! (insert Homer Simpson drool noises here)
3) What's your favorite Christmas party album/CD ever?
Off the top of my head, I think I have to go with John Denver and the Muppets (although note that this link apparently isn't the full/"real" version. Really, ya gotta have Rowfl and Dr. Teeth!). I can never sing (or hear) The Twelve Days of Christmas without automatically adding in Miss Piggy's "Ba-dum-bum-bump." However, the last couple years have found my brother creating various volumes of "A Youstronian Christmas," for which he raided my dad's record cabinets and compiled all the Christmas "standards" of our growing-up years in this household. Some songs are fun; some are fun to make fun of. Either way, good memories. (And the liner notes? He also raided photo albums!)
Course, then there's also Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, which I don't think has a soundtrack (if it does, please tell me!!!). But, with the wonders of my brother, we now have a decent portion of it on his Christmas compilations. Great songs, all of them! What an unknown classic for so many!
And, as I type this, there's also Handel's Messiah, more for the memories it conjures up -- annual tradition for as long as I can remember (and has had our family in attendance for almost its entire history) [and has now been passed on to the next generation] has been the Kennedy Center Sing-Along Messiah. That many years combined with that many of my family equates out to loads of wonderful mental connections to each piece of that oratorio. (Heck, even just the early-December pilgrimage to get the tickets has become immortalized in my clan!) The best, I think was the Year of the Three B's -- boobs, butts, and batons. Feel free to let your imagination run wild -- it might not be that far off-track! I figure, if nothing else, this will be a good way to discover if any of my family has found their way to here yet. So YP folks, if you're reading, feel free to comment on the wonders of The Three B's. Otherwise, I might just have to explain it myself. Or just leave you hanging. Hmmmm......
And, given my musical obsessiveness, I'll just stop now, and say that there are plenty more CDs that have been left off this list for no other reason than to spare you further boredom!
4) Does your office/workplace have a party? Do the people there ever behave the way people in movies behave at office parties, which is to say, badly?
Not having worked in a real "office," my experience has been more with the "faculty Christmas lunch," which usually ends up being after dismissal on the half-day that sends the kids into Christmas break. Speaking at least for me, today, I was too wiped out from trying to get everything done to even think about dancing on tables. Besides, there's something psychologically wrong with wanting to dance on tables at an hour that, on any other day, would have students eating their peanut butter and jelly and spilling their sodas. Granted, one of the assistant principals is having a party next week, but I'm guessing that'll be more of a standard family/friends Christmas party than "the office party." I'm sure a lot of it, though, has to do with the fact that the workworld of the teacher is a whole different beast than the workworld of the worker.
5) If you have to bring something to a party, what is it likely to be? Do people like it?
Good question. Any suggestions, folks? Cuz I need to figure out what I'm gonna make for my house's party on Sunday, and then I think we're supposed to bring something to the assistant principal's too.
If it's a case where it's convenient and appropriate, dad's eggnog tops the list (I already know I'm doing that on Sunday!). Generally it's more of the fun-and-probably-bad-for-you variety -- carrots and celery sticks are too non-fun, and a bag of chips is too non-creative. So, if I ever show up to a party with those (without it having been specifically requested), know that I'm either way too stressed, or I ran out of time, or I'm just not too invested in it. Because, really, who doesn't want to have the thing that everyone loves at the party? And how often do people talk three weeks later about "Man, did you see those baby carrots? Weren't they awesome?"
I also try to do stuff on the creative side -- again, it's all about the attention. I've got my previously-mentioned snowman soup (complete with a very awesome and distinctively-me poem that gives the directions), but that works better for gift than party food. Then there's my very technically named "Chocolate Peanut Butter Goop" ... or my "Lemon Bar-Brownies Things" (not quite lemon bars, not quite lemon brownies, but a mix of the two ideas) .... or this awesome "Mint Pudding Oreo Layer Thing" (notice a trend in my names?) .... and a couple months ago I discovered this awesome foccacia recipe that I've thoroughly redesigned and made phenomenal pizza crust, or the very cool party element of these "Parmesean Foccacia Bread Bites" (when asked to describe them, I explain that "Well, they're these bread things and they're really good"). Oooh, and then there are the cookies .....
I've already got a taker on the previously offered snowman soup. Perhaps for an appropriate bribe, I might find it in myself to share some more. Or maybe I'll just be evil and leave you hanging with boobs, butts, and batons, and no yummy bread bites to distract you!
And now that I'm thoroughly hungry and drooling ..... I guess I'll just head to bed and dream of ..... I don't know, food stuff?
1) Have you ever gotten a really good kiss under the mistletoe? Tell the truth. Spare no details. Was the mistletoe real, because kisses under the fake stuff do. not. count.
Well, if we're not counting parents .... then I don't think I've even gotten any bad kisses under the fake stuff, let alone good ones under the real stuff. Sigh. Such a deprived childhood.
2) Do you know anyone who makes real eggnog, not the stuff from the carton? And if so, do you actually like it?
Well, it depends on what you mean. It wasn't until I reached the monastery that I realized that I have a very different concept of what this stuff is like for "most" people. See, while our eggnog does originate from the carton, I've always only experienced it with my dad's adaptations. And no, I'm not talking the spiked version (although he does that too). No, the way real eggnog (in my mind) is created is you take a half-gallon of the "fake" carton stuff, and then mix it in with a softened half-gallon of french vanilla ice cream. Stir it up all nice and creamy, throw it in the fridge, and pour yourself as many little glasses of thick creamy almost-milkshaky eggnog yumminess as your tummy desires.
Once I discovered that other people don't make eggnog the way I do, I've appointed myself eggnog-master. I can't drink that thin runny straight stuff. But daddy's version? MMMmmmmm, rich creamery goodness! (insert Homer Simpson drool noises here)
3) What's your favorite Christmas party album/CD ever?
Off the top of my head, I think I have to go with John Denver and the Muppets (although note that this link apparently isn't the full/"real" version. Really, ya gotta have Rowfl and Dr. Teeth!). I can never sing (or hear) The Twelve Days of Christmas without automatically adding in Miss Piggy's "Ba-dum-bum-bump." However, the last couple years have found my brother creating various volumes of "A Youstronian Christmas," for which he raided my dad's record cabinets and compiled all the Christmas "standards" of our growing-up years in this household. Some songs are fun; some are fun to make fun of. Either way, good memories. (And the liner notes? He also raided photo albums!)
Course, then there's also Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, which I don't think has a soundtrack (if it does, please tell me!!!). But, with the wonders of my brother, we now have a decent portion of it on his Christmas compilations. Great songs, all of them! What an unknown classic for so many!
And, as I type this, there's also Handel's Messiah, more for the memories it conjures up -- annual tradition for as long as I can remember (and has had our family in attendance for almost its entire history) [and has now been passed on to the next generation] has been the Kennedy Center Sing-Along Messiah. That many years combined with that many of my family equates out to loads of wonderful mental connections to each piece of that oratorio. (Heck, even just the early-December pilgrimage to get the tickets has become immortalized in my clan!) The best, I think was the Year of the Three B's -- boobs, butts, and batons. Feel free to let your imagination run wild -- it might not be that far off-track! I figure, if nothing else, this will be a good way to discover if any of my family has found their way to here yet. So YP folks, if you're reading, feel free to comment on the wonders of The Three B's. Otherwise, I might just have to explain it myself. Or just leave you hanging. Hmmmm......
And, given my musical obsessiveness, I'll just stop now, and say that there are plenty more CDs that have been left off this list for no other reason than to spare you further boredom!
4) Does your office/workplace have a party? Do the people there ever behave the way people in movies behave at office parties, which is to say, badly?
Not having worked in a real "office," my experience has been more with the "faculty Christmas lunch," which usually ends up being after dismissal on the half-day that sends the kids into Christmas break. Speaking at least for me, today, I was too wiped out from trying to get everything done to even think about dancing on tables. Besides, there's something psychologically wrong with wanting to dance on tables at an hour that, on any other day, would have students eating their peanut butter and jelly and spilling their sodas. Granted, one of the assistant principals is having a party next week, but I'm guessing that'll be more of a standard family/friends Christmas party than "the office party." I'm sure a lot of it, though, has to do with the fact that the workworld of the teacher is a whole different beast than the workworld of the worker.
5) If you have to bring something to a party, what is it likely to be? Do people like it?
Good question. Any suggestions, folks? Cuz I need to figure out what I'm gonna make for my house's party on Sunday, and then I think we're supposed to bring something to the assistant principal's too.
If it's a case where it's convenient and appropriate, dad's eggnog tops the list (I already know I'm doing that on Sunday!). Generally it's more of the fun-and-probably-bad-for-you variety -- carrots and celery sticks are too non-fun, and a bag of chips is too non-creative. So, if I ever show up to a party with those (without it having been specifically requested), know that I'm either way too stressed, or I ran out of time, or I'm just not too invested in it. Because, really, who doesn't want to have the thing that everyone loves at the party? And how often do people talk three weeks later about "Man, did you see those baby carrots? Weren't they awesome?"
I also try to do stuff on the creative side -- again, it's all about the attention. I've got my previously-mentioned snowman soup (complete with a very awesome and distinctively-me poem that gives the directions), but that works better for gift than party food. Then there's my very technically named "Chocolate Peanut Butter Goop" ... or my "Lemon Bar-Brownies Things" (not quite lemon bars, not quite lemon brownies, but a mix of the two ideas) .... or this awesome "Mint Pudding Oreo Layer Thing" (notice a trend in my names?) .... and a couple months ago I discovered this awesome foccacia recipe that I've thoroughly redesigned and made phenomenal pizza crust, or the very cool party element of these "Parmesean Foccacia Bread Bites" (when asked to describe them, I explain that "Well, they're these bread things and they're really good"). Oooh, and then there are the cookies .....
I've already got a taker on the previously offered snowman soup. Perhaps for an appropriate bribe, I might find it in myself to share some more. Or maybe I'll just be evil and leave you hanging with boobs, butts, and batons, and no yummy bread bites to distract you!
And now that I'm thoroughly hungry and drooling ..... I guess I'll just head to bed and dream of ..... I don't know, food stuff?
posted by Steph Youstra at 11:15 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home