Let's see...snow...work, and oh yeah the birthday party.

So it's about 8:20 PM ON Saturday night. This might turn out to be a long rambling post. I know I'm not going to finish it tonight. I have what I'd like to write about in my head but right now it's not very coherent and being coherent is a good thing. I'll just start with what's going on at this moment. It's snowing. There are people who have lived here all their lives but there still stunned when they hear it's going to snow.
"Snow! Here in New England!"
 The forecast for this area is 4 to 8 inches. Still people run out and buy extra food. It will never change. It was a hectic day. I'm just glad I no longer work in the seafood department. Lobsters were on sale for $4.99 lb. I have awful memories of lobster sales past when I used to work strictly seafood. People being picky about a lobster that weighs and ounce less than another. When you're talking an ounce that could be shell and water. There's no bonanza of meat in a 16th of a pound. Soft shell vs. hard shell. I saw a guy at 8:10 in the morning ordering 4 lobsters steamed. He was going to have them for breakfast. That's a little too rich for my blood. Lobsters are tasty, even tastier when dipped in butter but it's the fact that they are expensive that gives then this cache'. You eat crabs basically the same way though they taste a bit different but they are less expensive and there is no hysteria over them. Still I really didn't have to deal with that.
I did have a guy ask me for some mosquito (mesquite smoked) turkey. today. I wanted to tell him that it was a seasonal item that you usually see in the Spring.
Every time things got a bit bogged down at work one of my           co- workers would show us this picture on his phone. It made me laugh every time.

Who knew that NASA had a sloth astronaut (slothtronauts) training program? He seems to be a pleasant and amiable chap and he cheered us up when needed.

I mentioned in the last blog about a birthday party I went to on December 12. It was the birthday of my friend Earle's, wife, Phylis, also my friend. What an awkward sentence. Earle had rented a room in a small local Italian restaurant. Everything was gratis, free. Food and drink. When Arlene and I walked in we were offered beer, wine or a shot of something or other. We settled for a glass of wine. Apart from Earle and Phylis I didn't know anyone there as they were all friends of Phylis and Arlene had never met Earle and Phylis. Everybody was quite chatty and soon the little tidbits of food was circulated among the crowd. It was a small room and there were at 30 people. The food itself was alright but I wouldn't write home about it. Little hunks of fried fresh mozzarella with some kind of batter. For all I know they came frozen out of a package and fried. Mozzarella has a very mild almost none existent flavor. It's wonderful when used in conjunction with an antipasto with roasted peppers, marinated asparagus spears, calamata olives, marinated artichoke hearts and prosciutto and the bread of course. This fried mozzarella was plain dull. By the time we actually sat down to eat, I had had two glasses of wine in about an hour. I ate something that night but it was so nondescript as to even register a memory.

At this point in the evening I was on my third glass of wine. The food might not have been what I would have expected from a supposedly good Italian restaurant but the conversation was good. Although I have no idea what was talked about. From this point on I remember sitting there chatting with people and having a perpetual full glass of wine but I have no memory of being asked for a refill. I just continued to drink. By 10 pm the room emptied out fairly quickly. Soon the only people left were Earle and Phylis, Arlene and myself. I knew I was a bit tipsy but I felt good until I tried to stand up. I wasn't tipsy I was drunk. I was fortunate to have my friend there because apparently Arlene was feeling no pain either so she couldn't drive home and she lives next door. Did I mention that's very convenient? I sort of remember trying to put my jacket on and I am told that I had a slight accident while trying to leave. I bumped into a small table with decorative bottles of olive oil and vinegar. Knocked them to the floor while letting out a resounding "whoops". I do remember standing outside for a few minutes slapping Earle on the arm proclaiming, "You're driving me home buddy!" They formed a plan. Earle would drive Arlene, conveniently next door, and I home and Phylis would meet him there. Fortunately I only live in the next city over. Earle and Arlene got into the front as I poured myself into the back seat. I was having trouble with the seat belt and they told to be quiet and lie down. Home 10 minutes later we said our goodbyes as the cold night air was reviving me enough to make putting the key into the lock on the door a bit easier. I can't say I woke up singing 'Zippity Do Dah" but considering I really don't know how much I actually consumed it was a fair morning. All I remember was the my glass was always full and that every time the waitress came by offering more wine, I have been told my answer was always a resounding, "Sure!" 
OK here come all the disclaimers. I am not a big drinker. I do like wine, preferably, a dry wine and I have been known to have a couple of Sam Adams lager every once in a while but I don't have a large capacity for alcohol and that's just as well. I called Phylis and Earle the next day, to apologise for my behavior and they were great about it. They said I was very entertaining and apparently a happy drunk. Earle warned me that I was getting out of hand with this getting drunk every 22 years or so.

Alrighty then, I am finishing this blog on Sunday morning at about 8:45. We did get snow overnight. Not much really, only about 3 or 4 inches. My landlords and I have already been out. All shoveling and car cleaning duties have been performed. I went out to get some gas and the roads are in good shape. It was very pleasant driving around with little or no traffic. Later today it's out for lunch, then Arlene and I will settle in to watch the Patriots at about 4:30. What a run the local Boston teams have been on the last 12 years. 3 Super Bowl titles, 5 Super Bowl appearances, 2 World series wins, A Stanley Cup in Hockey and an NBA Championship. We are spoiled rotten sports wise and otherwise. It's not a cheap place to live but for many years I have taken for granted all that surrounds me but not any more. Sure the traffic stinks, and the drivers are very aggressive and it's very crowded. There are many people crammed in a small area but it's my home and I love it. Even though I don't live in Boston proper, it's only 5 miles away and it has so much to offer.

Well that wraps up this long winded, two days in the making blog entry. It's back to reality as laundry and other assorted household chores await. 9:11 in the morning. Not bad. The whole day is still ahead of me.

I'm outta here.