First Things First

My writing group is meeting here on Thursday, and so I have spent a good part of my day composing...

the menu.

Now that that's all settled, I might just get around to writing something, too.

24 Carrot Gold

I have never been a big fan of carrots.

Raw? Naw.
Baby? Maybe.
Cooked? Ook!

That's why our new juicer has offered such a revelation. The basic, starter juice is a simple apple-carrot. Why not? I thought. It's for Heidi anyway. But! That deep, orange elixir flowing into the pitcher enchanted me from the moment I first saw it.

It was beautiful, and it converted that humble apple juice into a December sunrise. Carrot juice itself is not delicious alone, but added to anything, particularly my favorite grapefruit juice, it is transformative in both color and flavor.

Not to mention the vitamin A, beta-carotene, and many other nutrients in this valuable veggie.

I'm sold!
They're gold!

One Throat to Choke

I heard this colorful expression on the radio tonight, and although it was very clear from the context what it meant, the way it was tossed off made me suspect that it is not the novel turn of phrase it seemed to me.

Sure enough, a quick internet search (Note: I will not reveal which engine I used, partially because I am irritated with my go toogle, but also to give you more than one throat to choke, just on principle and just in case.) turned up the following and many other explanations like it:

One throat to choke is an expression used in business to describe the advantage of purchasing goods or integrated services from a single vendor. That way, when something goes wrong, there is only “one throat to choke.”

The expression is sometimes compared to “putting all your eggs in one basket.” The advantage of putting all your eggs in one basket is that it makes it easier to carry the eggs. The disadvantage is that if the basket is dropped, there is the potential for all the eggs to break at the same time.

So... the downside of having only one throat to choke is... having to choke any throats at all?

Noted.

Charades!

Heidi's mom gave us a set of holiday crackers with a charades card instead of the traditional prize. We had them on the table for our New Year's Day dinner, and here is one that I got:

I draw a box in the air, because it is a television show.

I hold up two fingers, because it has two words.

I hold up one finger for the first word.

I hold my thumb and index finger about an inch apart, because it is a little word, 'the'.

I hold up two fingers for the second word.

I press two fingers to the inside of my left wrist, because it has two syllables.

I tap one finger on the inside of my left wrist for the first syllable.

I hold my forearms up and crossed at the wrist because it is 'X'.

(At this point, my brother guessed the correct answer, 'The X-files',)
but in case you need another clue:

I tap two fingers on the inside of my left wrist for the second syllable.

I pull my right ear, because it sounds like...

I crack a broad grin and point to it, for 'smiles'.

(Hint: The truth is out there! AND, the solution is in "ghost post." Highlight the end of each clue to see the answer.)

Welcome 2014!

How do you like my pajamas?

Updates

In case you were wondering...

Essential Switch
The generator saga continues. Evidently, the manufacturer is aware of the problem and has redesigned the part. Unfortunately, they are not shipping until Dec 31 at the earliest and then there may be a wait to have them installed. Sadly, this may delay Heidi's parents' trip to Florida.

Clean Finish
I got more soap for Christmas!

What Does the Fox Call a Sun Shower?
We made it home from Buffalo safely. On the way, I saw a sun snow shower! Wouldn't the fox have a field day with that?

Dire Consequences
I still don't want to go back to school on Thursday. (Now that my mom mentions it, I think I did dream I would break my arm.)

Dire Consequences

This has been a great winter break, and I can honestly say I've enjoyed every day, but we have definitely reached the part where it all starts ending. Yesterday we said good-bye to first my brother's family (who we will fortunately see on New Year's Day), then my mom, and then my sister and her family. Tomorrow it will be good-bye to Heidi's folks and her nephew.

This year the school calendar has us going back to school for Thursday and Friday, January 1 and 2. I haven't talked to a single other person who knows of a similar schedule; it seems unanimous that opening for two days after the holidays is kind of dumb.

It is not unprecedented, however. When I was in seventh grade, we had the very same calendar. Never one to embrace transitions, I remember complaining bitterly about it to my mother, even though I actually liked school. I was convinced that nothing good could come of such foolery. "Something bad is going to happen," I predicted melodramatically. "Just you wait and see!"

Was it coincidence that I broke my arm that Friday in PE? 

I think not.