End of the year: your traditions?

[Daenelia]

I just put up our new fake fir tree and though it does not quite match a Bob Ross painting, it is quite lovely despite not being real. Looking forward to decorating it. I am also putting up some christmas lights in the window, which will be difficult. But I am not going full Christmas Vacation like the Griswolds. That is one of our traditions, more or less: to watch that National Lampoon film again. Also: I happen to really enjoy the Bottom christmas episode, where two flatmates hopelessly try to have a traditional English christmas, which ends in a pudding covered in vodka-butter on fire, and an abandoned baby on the doorstep that turns out was not abandoned.

 

Just curious to hear about other end of the year traditions. Including snacks, meals and drinks! ... don't try vodka-butter, it is vile.

[whiskey delta]

My family gets scratch off tickets in their stocking. Normally we’ll take whatever winnings and buy more tickets but nobody has hit the jackpot yet - Maybe this year ? ?

 

my wife also makes a ton of cookies every year that she then boxes up and gives out to people. My coworkers tend to enjoy them 

[Daenelia]

Hoping you hit the jackpot this year, @DELTA ?

 

I always plan on making cookies... I watch the youtube videos, I look up recipes and then 9 out of 10 times I end up not baking anything.

 

Maybe this year will be that 10th year I do end up baking!

[whiskey delta]

After seeing the effort it takes to make a few different batches of cookies… I don’t blame you for skipping out ?

[Delirium]

I usually put up the tree in late November and spend a ridiculous amount of time getting the decorations and lights just right....before a cat knocks it over.

 

I make rum balls, apricot balls, chocolate truffles and wish I had a bigger fridge.  Hadn't thought of cookies, but it is summer here, so we usually go for refrigerated treats.

 

All that being said, I haven't even dug the tree out yet this year.  Feeling very worn down by life and just don't have the energy.  Maybe I will feel up to it after work finishes for the year.....

[SinisterDeath]

Pretty generic xmas.

We have a tree out on the patio because toddlers are worse then Cats when it comes to trees... Gifts of Eve & Xmas day...
And then the obligatory visit parents where we eat food other people prepare. Some years it's Ham, Turkey, sometimes Prime Rib. 

So far it's kind of a White Christmas, here in Minnesota. No ice skating yet, except on small ponds. Sledding is a maybe.

[whiskey delta]

@Daenelia

 

 

some finished batches from this morning ?

[CaddySedai]

So we do a real tree every year. 

 

This year was a mission because a new 9 foot pool table took over the tree room so we moved it into another section of the room - raised the existing chandelier by 4 feet and stuck a 9 footer under it lol.

 

We also host a Nochebuena every year and this year won't be an exception. lechon is always a holiday winner.

 

Only thing new this year will be the impending arrival of a 3 month old rescue puppers on monday ?

[Daenelia]

@DELTA That looks awesome and tasty ? I feel inspired to bake cookies now!

 

@CaddySedai A pup is the best thing!! Also, they tend to not mix well with xmas decorations ... But it will be fun, nonetheless! Enjoy the puppy-time, it goes by quickly (that is also to lift your spirits if the pup is too hyper, too needy, too energetic and too much. It does go by quickly ? )

[SinisterDeath]

I was just on Youtube watching Seth Meyer's interviewing Marisa Tomei. She made a mention of "The 7 Fishes" as a Christmas tradition. I've never heard about it... So I did what anyone would do. I googled it.

https://www.italiarail.com/food/feast-of-the-seven-fishes

[CaddySedai]

32 minutes ago, SinisterDeath said:

I was just on Youtube watching Seth Meyer's interviewing Marisa Tomei. She made a mention of "The 7 Fishes" as a Christmas tradition. I've never heard about it... So I did what anyone would do. I googled it.

https://www.italiarail.com/food/feast-of-the-seven-fishes

After that you will inevitably need to use the ritual of the three seashells. 

 

[whiskey delta]

@Daenelia thank you! Help yourself ?

 

@CaddySedai congrats on the puppy! My one year old Lab hasn’t destroyed the tree yet but he’s chewed up a few of the decorations hah. Hope yours doesn’t cause too much damage

 

@SinisterDeath seafood and pasta feast? Count me in.

[CaddySedai]

50 minutes ago, DELTA said:

 

@CaddySedai congrats on the puppy! My one year old Lab hasn’t destroyed the tree yet but he’s chewed up a few of the decorations hah. Hope yours doesn’t cause too much damage

 

hes a three month old black lab mix. and we shall see… gonna try to channel my inner Cesar Milan and be a good pack leader lol

[whiskey delta]

5 hours ago, CaddySedai said:

hes a three month old black lab mix. and we shall see… gonna try to channel my inner Cesar Milan and be a good pack leader lol

 

oh yeah, he's gonna be trouble ?

[Daenelia]

Nothing wrong with Cesar, I enjoy how he handles his dog pack. But it's not suitable for every dog. I'd say his method is very good for dogs that have issues - with trust, or people, or with habits that aren't helpful.

 

And I always think of puppies as students: the more you can teach them before they are 1 or 2 years old, the better. For my chihuahua, I made a list of things he needed to be exposed to as early as possible. I wanted to bring him on public transport, for him to travel to cities, show him the sea, also take him to busy places such as shopping areas, ideally I wanted to expose him to children and that last thing is the only thing that failed.

 

To this day: my chihuahua dislikes children. He had one favourite neighbourhood kid and no one else. It did not help that one or two young kids had fun trying to scare him. And that their parents thought that was funny, while my little pup was terrified of them.

 

So look ahead what you want your pup to be comfortable with and plan to do those things, with lots of hugs and smiles, and treats. Treats are key! (This concludes my puppy-training segment ? )

 

I dont know if you have fireworks going off around new years, but stay calm and play some music in the background and ignore the noise as much as you can.

[whiskey delta]

That’s all really good advice.

 

If I may, a lesson I learned the hard way: find a few toys/items the pup likes to gnaw on and keep everything else put away or out of reach. He’s gonna chew on stuff no matter what so it’s better it be something you’re okay with being destroyed versus like your favorite pair of slippers 

[Delirium]

On 12/17/2021 at 1:02 AM, CaddySedai said:

After that you will inevitably need to use the ritual of the three seashells. 

 

That was my first thought also!  ?  Do Taco Bell do seafood?

 

John Spartan, you are fined five credits for repeated violations of the verbal morality statute

Edited December 18, 2021 by Delirium