More snow....

Well, we were pretty much snowed in this weekend. I think we got a total of about 20 inches between the 2 storms. Great for playing in snow. And we got the girls snowshoes for Christmas this year. It took all my will power not to give them to the girls Saturday. What a great day for it! You watch, as soon as they open those gifts the snow will magically disappear and not come back until they've outgrown them. Come to think of it, that might not be too bad....

Today was the ever-famous kids Christmas party at the Club. Ah, the Club, what a great place! Many of you have heard me extoll it's many virtues in the past. Both my dad and Mark are members of this social club near downtown. Mostly it's a place for people (and by that I mean long lines of white Nashua men who know someone in order to get in) to hang out and solve the worlds problems. They just happen to down pitchers of beer and eat fabulous $5 pizzas while they are doing it. Seriously, it is one happy laid-back place to be. I know there are people out there who may judge it or not see it for what it is (or can be) but I have never been to a local place where the people are friendly and all the salt-of-the-earth wants to buy the beautiful lady a beer. That's me by the way. And yes, when I am there, I really do feel pretty beautiful. Let's just say the odds are stacked in my favor.

My absolute favorite time to visit the club is for meat bingo. No, you do not play bingo with pepperoni for chips, this is man's bingo. And everyone who really knows me, know that I a bit more boy-like than girl-like. I drink beer, watch sports (and know what it is I'm watching) and want to set up a campfire spot with a beer cooler and a TV behind the shed in the back yard. I went to a male dominated school and fit right in. But I digress. Meat bingo is played with regular playing cards, three stapled together to form a set. You buy your cards like at any bingo hall, but you can drink beer while you play. And a really cool guy with the deepest voice you ever heard calls the cards. "And the next card is an Ace.....it's the Ace.... of Spades......" His voice is so deep he thought Kim was making fun of him when she was telling Pirate jokes one night. ARGH! Honestly though, you've never lived until you've been to meat bingo. Why is it called meat bingo? Because you don't win money. No, you win MEAT. I have only won once. I walked away with 8.5 pounds of pork ribs. Oh yeah, when I picked up my prize, it was rather amusing to walk around and hear shouts of "hey, nice rack!" from the crowd. We always go with Kim and Justin-it just wouldn't be the same without them. Here's a typical night.

Meet at La Carettas for dinner. 2 margarita limit.
Go to the Club to get good seats!
Spend $25 bucks each playing bingo.
Spend a lot more on beer. Did I mention pitchers of miller lite are only $6?
Eat the free sandwiches at half time
Get bored at half time and ask Justin to sing us a song. He then belts out Country Roads. Half the bar joins in, the other half look at us like "who brought the drunk kids?
Collect any winnings and head to Killarny's for more beer and sing a longs.
Pound tylenol and water to avoid hangover the next morning.

It is so fun, but limited to twice per year. That's all our old bodies can take!

The second best reason to be there is the kids party. The Sunday before Christmas every year Santa visits and the kids get to sing carols, eat donuts and make crafts. And everyone gets to sit on Santas lap for a picture and he gives them a present. And they are great presents. Mark's dues are paid back just in the party alone. This year was no exception. Katie did have one meltdown, since a few older kids got to sing into the microphone, but she didn't get a chance. Maybe next year kiddo.

Here are some cute shots of the kids with the fantastic Santa!



Well I hope all your shopping is done! Have a great holiday everyone-I will likely be offline for awhile but I am sure there will be more stories to tell when I return!
Kristin