Sunday, December 25, 2005

Merry Christmas, indeed.

I am happy with this Christmas. Bought nice presents, got nice presents, cooked nice meals, drank nice wine, with good company. I shouted and yelled and laughed too loud and slept too little but I feel surprisingly peaceful.

Was going to attend midnight mass last night but then Lisa had other plans so B had to stay in with the monkeys. I joined M and co. for a drink in 71, which was surprisingly quiet but festive.

My crazy family and relatives were here today. I roasted a 11 lb turkey. It turned out surprisingly well, and for that I have Delia Smith to thank. You always hear people complaining about how their turkey sucked, too dry, too tough, undercooked, burnt skin, et cetera. The solution is very simple really, just roast the damn bird in a "parcel" made out of tin foil (a technique also much used by Jamie Oliver) at a low heat, then turn up the temperature for the last 40 minutes to brown the skin. Not rocket science exactly.

My dad brought more of these used tennis balls that he must have picked up in some park that he frequents, or something. I got about a dozen of them now and am not sure what to do with them. I guess taking up tennis would be a logical solution.

Last night I made roast beef, which turned out nice as well. Again, not rocket science.

Lisa came back tonight and gave us a bottle of "Ginebra S. Miguel" which is 80% proof. I'm drinking it with coke now. Pretty tasty stuff and more to the point, so nice of her to have gotten us something she knows we would enjoy. And then she recounted the tale of how she, a teetotaler, once consumed a whole bottle of the stuff after a fight with her husband. A whole bottle!

Tomorrow me, O and Lisa are running thhe HKLRRC Boxing Day Race. I was relieved to find out just now that it starts at the civilized hour of 10am.

Thank you Lord.

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