Dec. 11, 2007 at 7:11am

When weekends turn decadent

(family smoochy Christmas fun in Tacoma!!)

Since my significant one of twelve years and father to my child is a Seattle commuter, Monday through Friday, through the week we rarely have quality time together and as a family.

Consequently, we try to maximize time as a family, and this weekend was no exception.  We had plans to attend a "casual" function thrown by a 2-star General (my guess, his version of casual doesn't include Levis with holes in 'em and a half-rack of Bud Light) -as well as a cookie exchange early in the day hosted by toilet-talkin' DeRosa (yes! I was invited! but not to dinner :(  ) (some day, though...) 

Also, the kid wanted to get things to look holiday-like, so the tree hunt was in the week-end plans, as was exercise.

Friday was the unofficial weekend beginning, since the wee one was off from school.  I was supposed to get a run in, and make some cookies, which took morning precedence, then I had an optometrist appointment with Elizabeth Chous at Suburban Opticians (they're having their 50% off frames special, so I make it a tradition to get frames and a check on December) -- and I had to take the loaner Volvo back to the dealership and pick up my car.  My S40 paled by comparison to the XC70 I drove-- I want, want, WANT that car!!-- but at least my own wee car was clean and didn't have the "time for service" message.  My eyes are improving, though I couldn't tell when I was picking out frames, squinting all the way. I then picked the kid, and we went to the Rosewood to meet up with Steph.  One lovely lunch later, I had "adopted" another kid, and mine had a playdate afternoon.  So much for the run-time, then.

Then the mate came home, feeling celebratory, and set up the shot glasses for shots of Pendleton whiskey, out of Hood River.  The stuff will numb your tongue and raises our goosebumps every time, but it goes down smoothly.  Never mind the run, we sat and watched Elf as a family and then all retired.

Saturday was a rush rush, work out, get the cookies (windowpane sugar cookies and maple pecan shortbread) and go-- the fabulous DeRosas put some luster on my day with these champagne cocktails that rocked my world-- blood orange juice, champers, mandarin orange wedges, and fresh raspberries-- as well as a killer eggs & sausage casserole and other yummy treats (Steph herself made peppermint marshmallows-- how's that for domestic prowess?) 

It was a good thing I did the morning Y treadmill thing, running on the family room treadmill as the sun peeked up behind the mountain... cool, very cool (until the sun blinded me.)

Getting home after the decadence that was the cookie exchange, I decided to snuggle up with the kid watching Santa Claus is Comin' to Town and take a nap (amazingly, my head hurt) and then the man and I were off to Seattle-- not that his boss lived there; rather, Significant numbskull left the invitation at his workplace and we needed to get it to get the Kent address, number one, and learn the date, number two.  We discovered, upon reaching Magnolia, that in point of fact, the party was set for next weekend.  So rather than our previously scheduled "casual dessert buffet" in Kent, we drove back home, had dinner at the Crown Bar where I ran into my former teacher/work study boss from the late eighties at Pierce College, Bill Rades (dining with Steve Jaech and their respective wives), and ate a most divine Chicken Tikka and mixed greens salad with beets, goat cheese, and citrus vinaigrette. He dug his fried chicken, though he thought the garlic mashed potatoes were garlic-strong.  I had to agree as I took a test bite (knowing, smooching is better when both smoochers have the same breath.)

Home again, I drank some of my yumm, yumm, yummmmmm T3 wine from the Rosewood, and we decided to watch a movie-- the Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. Disturbing, but good, we both thought.

In the morning, we got the kid from grandma, and then hit Tacoma Boys for a Christmas Tree.  The kid pouted the whole time because our tree wasn't grand enough for her (and you can't tell a kid about tree stands, 7 foot ceilings, and tree toppers) -- the tree fit, and she decorated it all by herself while I had a most amazing run down to Pt D and around, checking out the Wood Duck Convention that seemed to have flown in for the afternoon, as well as a rare three-seal frolic noted off Owen Beach (the animals were fully out of the water as they jumped: it was cool.)

The rest of the evening was spent helping with the tree, listening to the kid humming "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" and reveling in a Seahawks win.

Did I get any of my Christmas chores accomplished this weekend? No.

Did that fact bother me? Not one bit.