MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

There was a loud HO HO HO on my roof at 3:30 this morning, so I'm sure your stockings are full, hopefully not with coal, and everything you wanted for Christmas is under the tree.

I'm pretty sure he had a rather hard time navigating Arizona since I seem to have brought winter to town.  Yesterday the winds blew at about 20 mph ALL DAY LONG!!  It's even COLD!!  You would think this was winter or something.  A quick check of my weather app and sure enough ... SNOW is predicted for Tuesday!!  That is definitely not what I came to warm Arizona to experience.

 

It was a love 41 degrees yesterday, so I spent much of the time inside checking out the new computer.  So much is different!!  It took me three tries to get my emails set up and it still doesn't even look close to what I'm used to.  After digging down through menu after menu, I finally got the top bar to stay ... as in SIT!!  STAY!!!!!  It just kept disappearing.  

I logged in to the blog using Safari, the Mac browser, and discovered it worked perfectly, so no more Firefox for me.  Silly me, I tried loading a couple of images to see if that was better, but couldn't find any because I hadn't put any ON that machine.  

I even tried downloading the game camera videos from the night before, but couldn't remember how to do it, it's been so long.  I think I need some brain juice.  I finally found the key ... the card reader, unlike the other camera that you just stick a cord into. 

 In VERY exciting news, I found my bag-o-jewelry that had gone missing.  I stuck it in a box with all of the puppy meds.  About half way here, I wondered where the puppy meds were.  OH NO ... I left them on the table at home.  I spent the next hour trying to figure out how to get more since they are prescription only.  Plus I was sure all my fabulous Indian jewelry would be gone when I arrived back in California.

Out of the blue, my little brain finally kicked in to remember the box was stashed in the far back corner of the pots and pans cabinet.  What a relief THAT was.  

Yup it was that kind of morning.  After three hours of getting frustrated, I shut it down and gave Cooper a haircut.  He can play much easier now, having lost that 3 pounds of hair.

 Lunch was guess what!!  My all time favorite Arizona Pizza Company prepared their finest pepperoni pizza for me.  In exchange, I gave all the kids working that day a big tip.  They were very happy ... which made ME very happy.  Merry Christmas!!

I stretched the meaning on the holiday mood meter most of the day.  I'll make peanut butter cookies ... no brown sugar.  I'll make some of Patty's famous Christmas Moose Crunch ... no M&M's.  I'll make a pecan pie ... no pecans.  Okay, I'll just watch more of those ridiculous Christmas movies.

Finally 3:00 rolled around and I gathered my Christmas oranges, a caesar salad and garlic bread for the long drive half a mile away to the Chance Ranch.  The plan was to make clam chowder for Christmas eve, having enough left over for the big shindig at the OTHER Chance household.

Patty and I chopped, hacked, spilled, dropped (3-second rule) and otherwise made a big mess of her kitchen.  We quickly mixed up her Christmas crunch (white chocolate, popcorn, M&M's, pretzels and whatever else sugary you can add) and stuck it in the fridge.    Talk about addicting ... OH MY GOSH!

Back to the clam chowder, it took us three hours to make this most delicious concoction.  I should have taken a picture of something other than the can.  It's full of leeks, potatoes, bacon, this entire 48 ounce can of clams and enough half and half (and cream) to sink a battleship.  BEST DINNER EVER!!

The good news is we left enough of the 7 quart pot full for the family to eat today, along with crab and whatever else they whip up.  It will be an epic meal.

In the meantime, I'm trying to find an open store so I can buy those M&M's.  

Wait .... I hear more HO HO HO's!!!  That must be Santa!!  He exclaimed as he drove out of sight, trying not to tip over in all the crazy wind ....

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!