Prime Rib Threepeat

Every year we have prime rib (or some other big meat) for Christmas dinner.  Every year my in-laws pay for the meat and my BIL cooks it.  And since the leftovers live here, every year the BIL and his youngest son eat off it, leaving no seconds for FIL the next night.

This year I suggested we "plate" everyone so there would be seconds.  Instead, the in-laws decided that the solution was just to buy a lot more red meat.  

BIL cooked it all on Christmas Day.  The next day we had a time figuring out how to warm it up without overcooking the beautiful rare done meat.  I discovered using the defrost feature on our microwave did a pretty decent job.  I shared this information but no one took me seriously, electing to eat it cold.  

I asked for the bones and was able to make a nice prime rib soup out of it. 

The strain of having upwards of 15 people in this house has led to some tense moments.  When we have family dinners here sans the Adamas, I get annoyed because we go through so many dishes, silverware, and cooking utensils.  At least with extra people this holiday it finally dawned on the family that it is perfectly possible and legal to use the same plate and fork more than once.

There is talk of having next year's holiday be a destination so that everyone has their own accommodations and food is purchased at restaurants.  There is always talk but rarely any action.  

Update from the Future:  I finally got around to writing this post but it belongs with the 2024 posts, so I am backdating it.

Some Random Thoughts

My cats seem to have an implicit agreement between them not to cuddle with the same human being at the same time. This was not always the case and I definitely remember it not being the case with our previous cats.  Elsa has become more of a cuddy cat than she used to be but still isn't a heavy snuggler like Ryder.

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You meet the same people in different forms throughout life.  In college, I met a guy named Troy on the first day of moving into the dorms.  He seemed like a good enough guy but there was something that my spidey sense said don't get too close.  In retrospect, I should have hung out with him more.  

20 years later, on my first day of orientation at a new job, I met Greg W.  We became work friends and there are definitely some similarities between Greg and Troy.  

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I have a related strange theory.  The light at the end of the tunnel we see when we die is actually us going through the birth canal and being born into a new life (or C-section or whatever form we are born unto).  

But here's the thing: we get to take a tiny portion of our knowledge, experience, wisdom, or whatever.  but really tiny.  that's why some people are naturally good at math or writing, etc. and maybe you can trade for looks and athletic skills, I don't make the rules.  it's just a theory.

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 I often wake up in the middle of the night and remember some random memory and it is so cringe.  I really was born with two strikes and played against people born on 2nd and 3rd base.  

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In case it's not obvious, I am not a fan of #elfontheshelf.  When I was a kid, if a doll moved in your house, you cut that Fucker up before it could multiply and burned it for good measure.  luckily, we only have a week left of this nonsense.

We didn't have EOS when I was growing up.  And until we had children, I only had an obtuse cursorial understanding of what it was.  It seems it started out innocently enough: you moved a doll around the house after putting your kids to bed (instead of doing anything that might lead to more kids) and each morning they would try to find it (instead of getting ready for school).  

But someone, I suspect the mommy bloggers (what we currently call influences) had to take it to the next level.  They came up with elaborate concepts and designs and you are a lesser parent if your kid doesn't have a good story to share at school.  

I didn't get the choice to opt-in or out of it.  But this year Nightingale has decided that I have to come up with some ideas.  The thing is, there are no Easy Elf On The Shelf ideas.  If you google and find an article with 25 ideas, each one just has that one thing you don't have in house to make it work.

The Master Bedroom Sanctuary

 One of the few good things about our current house is that it has a very large Master Bedroom. We can fit a king-sized bed, two dressers, and a sofa and still have plenty of room to spare. I had a decent-sized bedroom in my condo and my second apartment, but nothing quite like this one.

The first thing we did with it was paint it a darker color. Nightingale was a little hesitant about my choice --  which is similar to the color of the attic stairs in our Portage Park house -- but she's come around. Since the only windows face East, I installed some blackout curtains. 

We didn't do much for a year or two, but this year, we added quality nightstands and upgraded our bed frame.  

Our house is the central location for the Christmas Holiday and where the Adamas will be staying when they come down.  It will be hectic with teens and pre-teens running around.  So I'm planning on retreating to the bedroom -- a declared No Kid Zone -- when things get too noisy.

2024 Bears Predication Update: Third Quarter Results

 The NFL season is about three quarters over, with all the teams completing their bye weeks and the
Chicago Bears are 4-8. 

I predicted them to be 8-4 at this point, and they would have been had it not been for literally blowing the game in the final minute twice and forgetting how to play in Over Time once.

Per the self-inflicted rules,  I'm sticking with my predictions.  For their last five games, I predict the following:

at 49ers         L

at Vikings W

Lions W

Seahawks W

at Packers L

While not mathematically eliminated, their playoff hopes are pretty much dashed. They would have to run the table AND get some help, so let's address that.

It is possible but unlikely they run the table.  They were in position to win the last three games but blew it through bad coaching.  

The 49ers are 5 -7 but they have lost three in a row.  And the game against the Bears is at home.  Which means San Francisco should have a slight advantage.

The Vikings are considered the best fraud of the season next to the Falcons.  If we almost beat the Lions in Detroit, we should be able to beat them at Soldier Field.  But the Lions might be fighting for a first round bye so it won't be easy.

The Packers will likely be fighting for a playoff berth but since they have won so many games in the past  I feel like it's the Bears turn.  If the Bears can win out and Green Bay loses a couple of games, the last wild card spot could go to Chicago, assuming teams in other divisions have worse records (division winners aside).

The thing is, it's hard to win 5 in a row when you are a good team.  The Bears are not there yet.  If my last five predictions are correct, they are 7 and 10 at the end of the season.  They might do a tad better, but they could tank so they get a higher draft pick.  I'm certain that is what they did the last two years at the expense of Justin Fields and the fan base.

On a personal note, watching Bears games is one of the few joys I have these days.  But it is in conflict with Nightingale.  The games are usually at noon on Sunday which means just when she is getting started on things, I'm sitting on the couch watching the game, that we pay a lot of money to watch down here.

I won't pay that money next year and watch: they will be good.