New Year's Day

I didn't wake up until 7:30 AM on Friday, New Year's Day. I putzed around, made some coffee and had an apple and a Clementine for breakfast. Then I filled in the Blog. My left shoulder still hurt, but I was hoping the shower would help. It did, for a while...

Since I have the house to myself, I thought I would clean it. So, I spent the next several hours sweeping, dusting, dry-mopping, etc. I didn't know exactly when Lu and Sadie would return from their night's revelry, so I didn't dare wash the kitchen, downstairs or bathroom floors, but I did clean the toilets and all the sinks (kitchen, too). Then I washed the stove.

I had just finished up when they came back (around 11:30 AM). We have to go to the Brother's party at Jim and Coletta's by three o'clock, so they took their showers, etc. and then we left by 2:00 PM.

I won't describe the trip (not wanting to embarrass anyone). Suffice it to say, if you have ever ridden with Lu, you already know what I am talking about.

We got there first, but then the other guests also started showing up. They included my brothers Carl, Joe and his wife Kathy and my sister-in-law, Jean.

There were great appetizers and good wine. The house was decorated beautifully (I mean it, it looked like something they'd show in House Beautiful - my sister-in-law Coletta has impeccable taste in decorating).

Kathy had brought a huge selection of homemade cookies (nobody told me I could bring something!) They looked fantastic (too bad about that whole "sugar" thing!)

We all visited and told stories about growing up (I began noticing mine always made me sound like the bad seed or something) until it was time to eat.

Dinner was a huge tray of lasagna, antipasti salad, dinner rolls and my Brother Jim's now famous "vegetable medley." Dessert was coffee, cookies and some chocolate parfaits (none of which I tasted, but they all looked damn good!)

We went back to chatting after dinner. Jean was the first to leave and the rest of us left en masse around 10:00 PM. I declined the offer to take home leftovers (and they had lots, but my fridge is full) and/or cookies.

We had a quick trip home (thanks to Speedo) and then, exhausted, we all got ready for bed. I fell asleep reading.