Christmas Eve morn, Eve and Christmas Day

This morning, Big A and I spent Christmas Eve morn in a real American kind of way - breakfast at Cracker Barrel. While I do like their oatmeal, I'm not a big breakfast kind of girl while Big A, on the other hand, loves himself a hot breakfast. There was quite a few people that decided to spend their Christmas Eve morn in the same way.

Tonight is the annual Christmas Eve gathering at my brother and sister-in-law's house. This was always a tradition in her family and once they bought a house, it was kind of forced upon them (well, actually her but we all know that when she has to do something, the husband inevitably gets involved somehow) to carry on the tradition. Over the past 4 years, it has grown into quite the bash. So much so that once every one has left, they can no longer stay awake for midnight mass. For the first time, my Texas brother and his family will be in attendance. Thanks to the weather in the Minneapolis area which was prohibiting arrivals in Dallas, their plane wasn't due to get into Detroit until 1 a.m. this morning (originally it was scheduled for 10 p.m. last night). I'm guessing that if the 4 of them don't get a nap in today (5 if you count my younger brother who had to pick them up from the airport and was scheduled to work today), there will be some cranky people in attendance tonight.

Over the four years, the menu has evolved and now it's pretty much what will probably served for years to come. My sister-in-law's mother makes something we call 'stuff on toast'. I have also heard it called 'shit on a shingle'. It's a mixture of cooked spicy sausage and cheese on top of a rye bread square which is then toasted in the oven. Big A always seems to place himself right by the oven as the batch is just being brought out. Three years ago, I brought parmesan chicken wings that has since become a staple as has Big A's bbq boneless ribs that first appeared last year. I don't mind making the chicken wings and they are quite tasty but I really hate how the parmesan smell permeates the house. Even cooked bbq ribs, a live Christmas tree and a liberal spray of Oust doesn't seem to help it any.

Tomorrow morning will be spent back at my younger brother's house where we get to watch the nephews open their gifts (since us adults aren't exchanging any) and have breakfast. This was the point where I got seriously ill last year. The 'vomiting every 30 minutes' kind of ill. Not a trip past our City Hall has gone by where Big A hasn't given me a high five for vomiting in Employee Parking Space C on Christmas night as we tried to make it home. He tells this story to a lot of his anti-government friends in which the response is all the same. I'm quite a hero in that sector. In remembrance, I definitely wasn't going to bring the french toast casserole which I think was the culprit this year and I probably won't eat much which is just as well.

Tomorrow evening, Big A flies to Tennessee to spend 5 days with his sister and her family. Whenever I mention this to anyone, the usual response is "He's not going to be there for Christmas?" or the more irritating "So you guys don't like spending holidays together?" (my aunt said that when I informed her that Big A would not be at her Christmas night get together. I'm still ticked about that comment which is referring to the fact that I spent Thanksgiving in Texas while Big A was here at his family's gathering) to which I then have to point out that for me, by 5 p.m., Christmas is over. I'm more about Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Any time after noon, I'm ready for it to be a normal day again so that was our agreement when he said he wanted to go to Nashville for Christmas (as a way to avoid his own family get together, I might add). It'll be nice for him to get out of here and spend time with them while they are off from work and school and Hooch and I can resume sleeping together like the old days.

What are your plans for today and tomorrow?

So as I am surrounded by loud, talkative, superficial, passive aggressive people who generally mean well and spending a bit of Christmas at DTW, I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas. See ya on the 26th with stories and pictures from the aftermath!