Ben @Ben@jawns.club

I honestly think that arguing about Die Hard is fairly concocted. Following are much better fodder for “is it a Christmas movie” discussions:

- Star Trek III - The Search for Spock
- The Prestige
- Casino Royale
- The Magnificent Seven

Let’s take a moment today, pause with the cavalcade of unwrapping and maelstrom of flying bits of tinsel, calm the shrieking and shouting and gather together to think... think, about the children.

https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/steven-martins-holiday-wish/n9507

Sunrise 12.25.18

This year I had to make these without the use of the pasta machine, which is at the house. More difficult was making them without the kids, but I’m looking forward to sharing these with them tomorrow afternoon.

These are pierogis, which I gather are typically boiled and eaten on Christmas Eve. We only ever boiled them and then fried them with onions and kielbasa on Christmas Day. (Alas, Krakaus Market in Port Richmond apparently closed in August, so I had to make due w/ mass-market kielbasa).

Ever since I was a 36 year old boy, when I received an authentic Gayageum for Christmas, I’ve dreamed of doing this with it: https://youtu.be/naEagcsjLNw

John Randolph in a sweater vest sleeping in front of the tv in Christmas Vacation is my spirit animal.

To paraphrase Steve Martin, “I was born a bald, 80 year old Jewish man.”

Current Status: Christmas Vacation, wrapping caramels, trying to decide if I should wrap the one present I bought for myself.

Ahhhhhhmerica!

Houston, then Nashville

I get it, I get it: everything’s bigger in Texas.

Oh, wow. This is service design: https://www.truedoors.com/helping-seniors-to-feel-at-home/one-hundred-reactions-to-true-doors/

I can’t prove that speaking kind words of encouragement to the robot is helping, but neither can you prove that it isn’t.

My only hope is that, when the robot apocalypse does come, my goodwill will be viewed with favor.

Several things I’ve learned about mulling wine:

- do not take a big whiff with your head over the pot to see if it’s infusing sufficiently, unless you want a giant waft of alcohol vapors.
- star anise will produce a pleasant numbing sensation if left in the airpot with the wine all evening.
- the ratio is 3 people per bottle, not the other way around.
- oh, hi Gritty. Thanks for stopping by. Will you be staying all night? Great.

You! Reading this! Come get some!

@Ben oh, and ikea meatballs. We have ikea meatballs. Come get ‘em!

Wine is a mullin,
Sweet potatoes a gratinin’,
Two stuffings a soakin’,
Dogs on show a struttin’.

In case it wasn’t clear before,
The party’s on at 404.
If you’re reading this,
You’re invited.
DM for deets,
Let’s get things lighted.

All my adult life, all I’ve ever wanted is to recreate the scene from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, where 300 people are packed into a 250 square foot apartment, enjoying each other’s company and having a rollicking good time. (Minus Mickey Rooney’s “yellow face.”)

Tomorrow’s will be quite different, featuring far more solid food than appeared in the film. There are 2 pies in the oven, a duck on the way, and a season of MST3K on the TV.

So, nothing like the movie. You are invited - DM me for info.

This year, circumstances insist & permit me to do something a bit different for Thanksgiving. For lots of reasons, I don’t visit relatives for the holiday.

My guess is that this is true, for many reasons, for others as well. So:

If you have no plans; or don’t like the plans you have; or want an escape hatch; and:

You don’t mind the sound of MST3K playing on tv; eating assorted, hastily-planned, gustatorially-randomized foods, please DM me. Provided there’s space, I have vittles to share.