Game Night

We had a game night at Bruce and Christy's place on Saturday night. We played some pool, ate like royalty, and played 2 games of Cranium. One of my favorite Cranium memories is playing it with them last year when the 4 of us went skiing together, but this time might have been even more fun than that time. It is great when 4 players who all have strengths come together for a wicked board game tournament. For the occasion, I made an English trifle. I made my first trifle this past autumn when the 4 of us had dinner together, and it was a pretty okay trifle, but certainly a starter one. This one, however, was one of my finer kitchen productions. My dad got me a trifle bowl and tons of ingredients for Christmas so I was well prepared when I began the process on Friday afternoon. I like this type of cooking...about 10 minutes in the kitchen at a time over a 24 hour time span. It works for people with short attention spans!!!! So, I've documented the final product for a few reasons. First, I think it is important for my dad to see it so he can actually believe that I "cooked". Second, I need the proof myself. Third, I'm pretty proud of myself and want to share my accomplishment with the world! Now, for those of you unfamiliar with trifles, this is what you're seeing, layered, from the bottom up: cubed angel food cake, mix of tropical fruits, mixed berry jello, custard, white chocolate pudding, butterscotch pudding, chocolate pudding, heavy whipping cream, fresh raspberries and chopped walnuts. Yum.

Continuing the Christmas Chaos

So, here are a few more pictures from Christmas vacation. The first few pictures are from Brad's dad's place one of the nights we were over there this year. Their home is like a big fun-house...people everywhere, wine and beer flowing like water, pool battles, karaoke by Brad's dad, a dance floor, dress-up costumes for the kids, a full downstairs bar...everything a person needs for a wild n' crazy night! Of course, my idea of wild n' crazy is 2 glasses of wine...
The first 3 pictures are from this year. The next picture is from Christmas 2001. The one following that is of my brothers at my old family house in Michigan during Christmas 2002. The last 2 are from Christmas 2003 - Brad at his dad's house during a pool game and me in the Boston Commons during a wicked snow storm.
It is interesting to look through some of these holiday pictures over the years. When I look back at the past few years, so much has changed in my life in almost every respect; however, when I look back over the past few Christmases, I can almost substitute one Christmas for another. It is almost like time stands still for those short few days each year and we all just celebrate being together.

Happy New Year!

Brad and I had a great Christmas vacation! Mine is still going...I have another week off...but Brad is back to changing children's lives, making the world a better place, spreading his love of Science all over Brookline...

I've posted a few pictures of a trip to New York that Brad, Luke (my brother) and I took when Luke came to visit for a week before Christmas. It was so much fun! We had a blast walking all over the city, watching ice-skating in Central Park, gaping at the big Christmas tree in Rockefeller Plaza, battling the crowds in Times Square...

Luke stayed with us for a week and then the 3 of us drove back to Michigan the Friday before Christmas. Our 10 days in Michigan felt like an overwhelming, crazy blur of happiness. We spent a couple days skiing and playing board games in northern Michigan where Brad's mom owns a cabin. It was great. We spent the rest of the time in southeastern Michigan with our families and friends...drinking wine, eating cookies, playing cards... Brad and Luke suckered me into playing Risk a few times...

My brother, Mark, bought a house recently. We had a chance to see it over vacation and it is awesome. It has massive potential and he has already done a ton to it. It looks almost like a doll house - front porch, slanted ceilings in the upstairs rooms, 2 dogs, perfect color scheme. He and Jenny have done an incredible job of decorating it so far!