Emil, this is the best I could do tonight with my iPhone: I'll use my real camera tomorrow. It's really sad...

 

Thank you,Gene...
Glad you found it;does'nt look so bad...

 

Time to heat up the tourtiere,and start sipping the eggnog...

Merry Christmas everybody.

 

Enjoyed meeting Chicago nephew's fiancée. She is very smart - finishing up her fifth undergraduate degree! Also found out she has been accepted to medical school not only at Northwestern but at Vanderbilt. They both love Nashville, so if my nephew can get a job there, they may be moving. Her trip is to Zanzibar for a health initiative. Had to take three planes (to Ethiopia, Tanzania, then Zanzibar) - 27 hours.

NYE coming up Sat so we will be at our traditional (fifth this year) 007 (James Bond) party downtown. Always a fun group and we dance all night long and into the wee hours after a sit-down dinner. A live band plus DJs in different rooms playing all kinds of music. Our fave is the ice room, where they dispense martinis from ice sculptures. Stay overnight at the hotel, which is great. Have breakfast the next morning then Uber home.

 

I was planning to go visit my son, daughter-in-law and their new dog. But Barbara has a wicked cough and I'm concerned about taking her out of the house. We'll see how she is doing tomorrow.

 

Hope she feels better soon!

 

Hope Barbara feels better! We have a house party to attend on New Year's Eve but I'm just not really into it. We may, big emphasis on may (depends on outside temps) head downtown before dark to get a drink/snack and check out the festivities. There are fireworks at 8:30, but I'm sure we won't be out in the cold that long. We may pop by the house party later in the evening, but to be honest, I'm just fine with going home early.

 

One of my friends is having a big bonfire on his secluded property NYE and I will be providing the entertainment around 8:00 PM.



Don't try this at home.

His son-in-law also is a wine-maker, so there will be a little of that to share, as well, I'm guessing. Plus, they're Italian, so I'm sure yummy food will be on tap as well.

 

I'll be shoveling snow again. Supposed to get 6-9" Friday into Saturday. Probably rent a movie on NYE and be in bed by 10:00.

 

Rose Bowl game on Monday: Tailgate in a parking lot next to the Rose Bowl when the gates open at 8 AM, Cardinal and Gold pregame picnic under a huge tent on the Brookside Country Club driving range at 10:00, pregame festivities (including B2 bomber flyover) at 1:00, kickoff at 2:00.