Decoupage of Christmas funnery!

I am struggling to recover some of my motivation from the weekend. Our weekend actually started last Thursday and it was packed to the brim with birthdays and holidays. Husband had two work parties, one of them was Thursday night at a giant restaurant-slash-video arcade. It was catered and open bar and free games all night and I learned that I am not good at Golden Tee or that dancing game where you step on all the arrows. Husband, who is excellent at Golden Tee, is also not good on the dance game and we looked like 30-something idiots trying to reclaim our youth. And can I just say, the next time you walk by an arcade, check out the dancing game and see who's doing it. It's teenage... boys! NOT girls. I am miffed by this.

Friday was a delicious feast of fondue for my very pregnant friend's birthday. The dinner lasted about 4 hours. Salad, cheese, meat, and of course chocolate. But having 13 people at a fondue dinner isn't without its challenges. There are only 3 pots in the middle of the table for everyone to eat out of, so not only do you have to get 13 people to agree on 3 different cheeses and chocolates, you also get to become very intimate with them in the sharing of food, sauces and probably also germs, but hey, even if you don't know everyone at the table, you sure do after fondue. I would recommend this place for a first meeting of the in-laws, because there is no way that you won't get to know them, and get to know them well after a nice fondue dinner.

Saturday, the big office Christmas party. We had a blast. The food was delicious and it was open bar all night and lots of dancing. My favorite part was the people watching. Husband works for a big engineering firm, but you wouldn't believe the mix of people at the party. From your normal, conservative, engineer-types, to she-mullets, man-mullets, and caveman beards. My biggest laugh came when I was admiring the back of a 20-something woman's cute and very short dress, but realized after she turned around that she wasn't 20-something at all, she was very likely 60-something. She tricked me with the body, the dress and the hair!! It was very entertaining to say the least. Our long night of dancing ended with a trip to the McDonald's drive-thru.

Sunday, yum. A steak brinner or linner, or dunch, whatever you want to call having a nice big fat prime rib at 1 in the afternoon. It was mumsy's birthday, it is actually today, but we celebrated it yesterday with a feast of wine and steak at her favorite restaurant where we pondered the origin of the name of horseradish, and there were theories that maybe it once covered up the taste of horse in other countries. But that's not it. In fact, it's nothing spectacular at all, sadly. Horseradish.Org, yes it is a real website, has the answers, and just in case you were wondering yourself, see below*. Anyway, steak dinner=wonderful. I needed a nap afterward.

Oh, and guess what? My dad, mom, and husband were all born in December. Last monday was husband's birthday. Mom's today. Next week the Pops, and then we have Christmas. Which means for us, that December is one, big, fat, decoupage full of fun! It was more stressful when I was working, but this year, as long as I'm out and about with Poops and the Christmas carols blaring on the car radio, I can keep it all in a lovely cheery holiday perspective.

Well today I marched off to the gym first thing in the morning to try and rectify my terrible food behavior from our four-day ridicu-feast. But I am still just totally exhausted and I have to find it in me right now to: shower, go food shopping, do a little Christmas shopping, pick up Poops' Christmas pictures, make dinner, then do Christmas cards tonight. Where will I get the energy. I will start by putting on a nice big fat pot of coffee. Happy Monday!


*From Horseradish.org:
Q. How did horseradish get its name?
A. Horseradish is believed to have originated in Central Europe, the area also linked to the most widely held theory of how horseradish was named. In German, it’s called "meerrettich" (sea radish) because it grows by the sea. Many believe the English mispronounced the German word "meer" and began calling it "mareradish." Eventually it became known as horseradish. The word "horse" (as applied in "horseradish") is believed to denote large size and coarseness. "Radish" comes from the Latin radix meaning root.