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Some people do not make New Years Resolutions. I think they are a great way for one to sit down an analyze themselves and how they can improve. Here are my New Years Resolutions:
1. No gossiping
2. Give more to charity
3. Save more for retirement
4. Keep our entertainment budget on task
5. Set business goals
6. Focus on business goals
With that said, to work on 5 and 6 Gear King and I decided to focus more on Class "E" Amplifier's blog. I am not providing the content the target audience for this blog would like, but I am for the company's blog. You will find the content will be more technical based (after all, I am an engineer) .
Friday's Unsolicited Advice (starting tomorrow) will now be located there as well.
But Widow - will you update here at all? Sorry, but at this time - no. I may start another blog at a later date on other aspects of my life. At that time I will communicate here.
If you miss me that much, remember: I am always at Class "E" Amplifier's blog.
Gear King and I swap annually who gets to choose what is done on New Years Eve. This year, was mine. Last year we saw friends play on Red River in Austin - his choice. I called my sister who is in a time zone ahead of us to ask her what it was like in the "future". Being GK's year, I was not drinking, so it goes to show I can get witty ideas sans alcohol.
When GK and I were dating his mother threw a fondue meal on New Years Eve. We thought it was great - she thought it was a great way to know where her children were on New Years Eve. Clever. My Mother-in-law is a genius.
Side note - interestingly enough the first time I attended the New Years Eve fondue bash, GK and I were not dating. I was dating his friend who was also allowed to bring a friend. A breakup followed in February and GK and I started dating in March. All is well in love and war. I got the better catch of the two. The ex boyfriend is probably back up in Buffalo, NY in the fetal position pining for me. I would pine for me too - I am awesome.
I kept putting off choosing the New Years Eve event. I couldn't think of a thing. We scoured the internet to see if any of our friends were playing. Strangely - no one seemed to have a gig that evening. Those that did were playing out of town. Then the idea hit - how about The Melting Pot?
I found The Melting Pot while traveling for business in North Carolina. The restaurant is....expensive. Which is the best time to go to a restaurant - when the company is paying for it. I have no idea why it is so expensive because:
1. You are cooking the meals yourself
2. The food is only cut up - that's it.
3. When all is said and done, you really don't eat that much food.
Regardless, eating at a fondue restaurant that I haven't been to in years seemed fitting for the evening. I called and made reservations for 9am at the downtown location. The representative explained to me the menu would be limited due to the holiday and that there would be a champagne toast. The entire meal is 4 courses. Valet parking would be available. Ritzy.
I decided to spend 2 hours to get ready. I typically do not do this, but showering, painting your nails (I went all out) and trimming the parts a lady needs to trim took time. GK was a sport, as he was starting to get a cold, but promised to suffer it out for me. Actually had I not been told if I did not show up, we would be charged $20 a piece. Otherwise, this blog entry would have been about something very different.
Being the cheapskate that I am, I would never pay for Valet parking. However, this was a special night - I mean New Years Eve doesn't happen everyday - so we decided to go for it. Not knowing the "routine" I googled "How much to tip valet?" where I learned you pay for the service first and tip when they retrieve the car. We were all set.
They provided us a private booth with a disposable camera to play with! The champagne toast was first. Followed by the cheese fondue (Course 1).
We chose a champagne swiss mix. I found it odd we were given a choice, as I thought the menu was set. Dipping items were bread, broccoli, zucchini and yellow squash.
Salad was next with a nice cranberry, walnut and spinach mix. This was course 2, which was not a fondue course. That is probably a good idea as the salad would wilt. We got to choose for our entree between lobster and fillet mignon.
The third course also provided for additional meats. GK decided on shrimp and scallions. I chose chicken and steak. The fondue was a broth rather than oil. This was an interesting change for GK, for my mother-in-law did an oil fondue for the meat.
The final course was decedent - chocolate fondue. We decided on a Oreo based mixture with Everclear. The dippings were strawberries, marshmallows, cake and rice crispie treats.
During dessert we realized - it was almost midnight. We were there for 3 hours! I didn't mind celebrating New Years at The Melting Pot, I just found it weird to have spent 3 hours in a restaurant. They provided hat and noise makers, which was really neat. So there we were at midnight, kissing in the New Year in our private booth at The Melting Pot.
Christmas was in one word - awesome. Since we went home for Thanksgiving, we did not go home for Christmas. Typically when Christmas is spent together we have a nice quite evening. Christmas Eve's dinner is fun and fast. After the move to Texas, Christmas Eve's meal is tortilla soup. At times, I purchase tamales - a Mexican tradition at Christmas.
Christmas Day is a bigger meal. I like to make a roast using a great recipe I found off of the food network. This year was we decided to be different. After visiting with family it was quite difficult to get into the Christmas spirit. We already had a holiday with a big meal and family, what is this Christmas thing? So after a co-worker hinted he would love to have us over, we thought - why not?
The Saturday before Christmas they had a cookie decorating party. This was a cover for a present their son was receiving from his girlfriend. Being a teenager, he thought it would be fun to have a Santa costume. Not just any Santa costume - one that had a mascot look to it. His girlfriend found one on ebay and with help from friends and his parents purchased it for him. What a great girlfriend! The cookie party was really designed to give him the costume. Actually, the cookie party was a great way for Gear King and I to meet the family we were going to spend time with on Christmas.
Gear King has the opportunity to jam with my co-worker and his son. His son is a keyboardist and came to our labor day party. He had to leave early, because he made plans with his friends. He thought his lame parent's friends would be a drag. Little did he know he would really enjoy jamming with everyone and was really frustrated he had an exit strategy for later. I am glad they had the chance to play together in their version of a home studio. My co-work floated the floor and walls in a spare bedroom to reduce the noise.
My co-worker's wife was doing an elaborate Italian meal. They spent last summer in Italy and wanted to share the experience with us. I offered to do a Buche de Noel. No, not a traditional Italian dessert, but hey - France is on on the same continent and they both speak a romance language right?
I took French in high school. Buffalo is on the border of Canada whose second language is French, so it is a nice selection - you can actually use it when you visit. Similar to Texas, where most student chose Spanish due to our proximity with Mexico. French class not only taught us the language but the customs. The Buche de Noel is a traditional French dessert at Christmas, so I made quite a few during my years of French class. I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately my recipe from high school has since been lost, so I used another food nework version.
The first course (appetizer) was bruschetta. The second course was pasta, followed by the third of sirloin steaks, salad and green beans. We called them brontosaurus burgers. They were cooked on an open pit (as they experienced in Italy) and were huge! The meal in its entirety was amazing. We drank great wine and had espresso with dessert. I was too tired for the cigar, dessert wine course, so we headed home shortly after.
Their family was wonderful and so warm and welcoming. Everyone was eager to have us experience Italy: wine, espresso, limoncello , scotch, 50 year old balsamic vinegar - you name it. No one was snobby just generous. Great company for two people who would have otherwise spent it alone. Gear King hinted before the party he missed my roast, but after there were no complaints. Christmas was special. I only hope our home is as inviting and welcoming as theirs during our Labor Day party.
What you say:
YOU: Do we have any plans on Friday?
ME: I don't think so.
YOU: Good because we are scheduling a rehearsal.
ME: On a Friday?
YOU: Yea, it was the only time everyone could get together.
ME: What am I going to do?
YOU: Can't you get together with some friends?
ME: I guess.
YOU: We can do something Saturday, after rehearsal.
ME: You have another rehearsal on Saturday?
YOU: Yes, I told you this last week.
ME: No you didn't.
YOU: Yes I did.
ME: No you didn't.
What I hear:
YOU: Are we doing anything important on Friday?ME: I don't think so.YOU: Good because I rather spend time with my band than you.ME: On a Friday?YOU: Yea, why should it matter? We had nothing planned.ME: What am I going to do?YOU: Don't you have any friends?
ME: I guess.YOU: I can schedule you in on Saturday after rehearsal.ME: You have another rehearsal on Saturday?YOU: Yes, I told you this last week.ME: No you didn't.YOU: Yes I did.
ME: No you didn't.
