The Smell of Rotisserie Chicken

I stopped at the grocery store after work tonight to pick up a few things. The parking lot smelled like roasting chicken. So not fair. Especially at dinnertime, when people are starving. Luckily, I have willpower and can ignore the rotisserie chicken sample lady with her toothpicks of doom.

But, you didn't come here for that, did you? You want 12:12 news and stuff. I've written lots of posts, just hadn't gotten around to putting them up. Tonight, you get them all at once. Go grab a cuppa coffee 'cuz this could take a while...

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WORKING BACKWARDS
I meant to post highlights and pictures from 12:12 on my day off (the 13th) but never got around to it due to all the shopping and general exhaustion. That word (exhaustion) looks weird. Is it spelled right? Spell check hasn’t come up to tell me it’s wrong. I really need more sleep!!!

Anyway, John had a really sucky weekend on call again. He missed the festivities at Mary and Mark’s on Saturday night. Mark’s chili has medicinal purposes (cleared my sinuses!) as well as being yummy. We didn’t stay long as William and Freddy had another party to attend.

So, here’s the post I wrote for 12:12 but didn’t upload. Enjoy!

Twel Twel
Another year, another fabulous 12:12! We celebrated this year at Freddy’s and there were lots of old friends and new who joined our revelry.

I had my camera but it was hijacked during a portion of the party. Unfortunately, there were memory card issues while the camera was out of my possession (must delete stuff dating back to Labor Day weekend!) and some funky stuff with the settings, so some pics came out fuzzy and dark.

Highlights:

Little Owen
LL stopped by to introduce us to Baby Owen, 11 weeks old. Too cute! I don’t think I’ve seen LL since her New Year’s Eve Eve party of 2005. She didn’t stay very long, but long enough for Nate to take a few spins around the house with the baby and for Gabrielle to proclaim she wanted a baby brother.

Negrodamas
At almost every 12:12 party I’ve attended (6 so far), Nate and Freddy do a skit. This year, Negrodamas (or “Negrodumbass, as Kevin dubbed him) showed up to amaze us with his fortune telling skillz.



Door Prizes
I think the 12:12 door prize tradition started when John and I hosted in 2004. We made up 12:12 iron-on transfers and put them on t-shirts and boxers to give away at our party. William had a raffle when he hosted at Uncle Jed’s the following year. There were a variety of things, from a disposable Spongebob camera to a power strip. I won a 12-pack of Natural Light, the official beer of 12:12 founding father, Henry.

Last year, Freddy gave away a George Foreman grill, amongst other toys and things. This year, there was a mini chopper, lots of silly string, some Play-Doh, and a funny book with a hole in it. For your hot dog, if you know what I mean. Sadly, this prize was distributed while my camera was hijacked, so I don’t have a picture of it.

John ordered special "Happy 12:12" M&M's and Freddy handed them out. Somehow, Freddy got credit for the big salad, even though we were the ones who bought them. Newman! That'll teach us to hand out our own 12:12 gifts!

12:12 Song
Those of us who didn’t have to work the next day (or under age 30 when partying during the week and going to work isn’t a problem) were treated to a round of the 12:12 song. Pretty much just the word “twelve” sung to the tune of Auld Lang Syne. I think this was the start of a new tradition.

Here are some more pics from the festivities:









I had already eaten a skewer, pizza and chips by the time Linda arrived with artichoke dip. When I realized what had been in the empty dish, I scraped a sample out of the bottom. Yummy. Oh! Whoever brought the Rum Cake... Delicious! Just thought I’d tell ya.

Next year. 12/12/08. On a Friday. The 12:12 Committee is taking volunteers for hosting duties. Oh, the debauchery!


HAPPY HORRIDAYS
As I was mixing chocolate chip cookie dough the other night and wishing I had remembered to borrow my mom’s heavy duty stand mixer, I thought about how much holiday stuff I cut out this year:

[1] We didn’t put up the big tree (two small ones are on display)
[2] I’m only making 3 kinds of cookies (haystacks, choc chip and Mex wedding cookies)
[3] No handmade holiday cards or tags were crafted
[4] Gift cards -- love the gift card rack at the grocery store!

How did I do it before? Were there more hours in the day? Actually, there were, in a sense... my work commute eats two hours daily, and there isn’t a mall close to work where I can shop during lunch hour. I was so geared up for 12:12 that I have no energy left for Christmas.

Many people I’ve talked to said they didn’t send cards this year. I was thinking about how easy it must be to have photo cards printed up (for those with kids, usually). Just shove them in an envelope, slap on an address label, stamp it and you’re done! I try to write a little something personal in each card, even if what I come up with is sort of trite. John writes funny stuff to our best pals.

I like getting photo cards, especially from friends we don’t see very often. It’s amazing how quickly the kids grow and change! And I know a lot of people hate getting those “year in review” family newsletters, but I like reading them. Doesn’t matter if I don’t know the family either!

Do you know people who do “winter cleaning”? It’s like “spring cleaning”, but you do it before New Year’s. Maybe it’s a Thai thing. My mom and aunt clean the house at the end of the year so they start the New Year fresh (and clean!). I think that will be a little difficult for us, as John and I picked up all my boxes from William’s a few weeks ago and they’re cluttering up the lower level. Opening up all those boxes and dealing with my “stuff” will be my New Year’s Resolution. Either use it, give it away or trash it.

I already know there are things I can easily trash. I have CPA exam prep books that can go, considering I don’t see myself taking the exam again (ever!) and the info is outdated. Maybe Freddy will take them for the fire pit. And I’m hoping the in-laws will have a yard sale again this year. I have lots of kitchen stuff that can be donated or taken down to Breton Bay.

John and I went out to pick up some restaurant gift cards last night. One place we’ve dined in before was fairly busy. It was Ladies’ Night ($5 martinis) and it looked like they were either serving free snacks in the lounge or there was a small company party going on. Across the street is a steak place we’ve been meaning to try. We got some gift cards there, but it wasn’t as busy, which was actually a big surprise. I hope the steak place stays in business long enough for our recipients to use the gift cards!!! That’s what we said last year about Red Sky and it seems to be doing OK, despite it’s location (across from the Tragic Laurel Mall, next to Hooters).

Speaking of the TLM, did you know they have a Post Office in there? It stays open a little later than the one on Main Street and you don’t have to deal with long lines. And being that it resides in the TLM, parking is a breeze!!!

Five shopping days left for those still searching for the perfect gift! Happy Holidays!