Monthly Archives: December 2019

The Good Stuff . . .


Jan and I were out the door about 9:30 this morning heading up to Brandi’s in Katy for our Christmas family get-together. Along the way, we made a quick stop at the local CircleK for some coffee, since they had Jan’s favorite Pumpkin Spice Latte.

I was surprised to see that they had new coffee machines, ones that grind and make your coffee to order.

Police vehicles tow a detached car axle on a highway.

Each machine has 3 different coffee flavor/types, so you have 9 choices. I guess it works kind of like a large Keurig machine. But it does make good coffee. And it ‘s always fresh.

Then we made a 2nd stop right down the road at our storage room to pick up Brandi’s suitcase to take back to her. Then it was on up to Katy.

We got there and found Brandi’s home as beautifully decorated as usual. The big tree and the living room,

Police vehicles tow a detached car axle on a highway.

Police vehicles tow a detached car axle on a highway.

and the nicely laid out dining room.

Police vehicles tow a detached car axle on a highway.

Jan commented on the beautiful garland underneath the TV stand and found out Brandi had made it herself.

Police vehicles tow a detached car axle on a highway.

Right after we got there Brandi heard me coughing, and knowing about my stuffy head/hearing problem, gave me a Sudafed.

This was the Good Stuff. The locked up behind the counter, sign your life away to even look at the package, promise not to make meth with it, stuff.

So I took two, hoping for the best.

Then while I was setting up Landon’s new laptop, Lowell gave me a couple of ounces of this.

94 Proof Stranahan’s Snowmelt Single Malt Whiskey

Police vehicles tow a detached car axle on a highway.

This too, is the Good Stuff.

Aged for at least two years, made from high in the mountains snow melt, and only sold for one day a year, people line up and camp out in freezing weather to buy their two bottle allotment.

Lucky for Lowell, he has a friend out in Colorado who buys it for him.

Now in hindsight, it probably wasn’t a good idea to mix Sudafed and alcohol, and I don’t know which good stuff it was, the Sudafed or the Whiskey, or both, but as we were all walking into the dining room all of a sudden I felt a Snap! Crackle! Pop! in my right ear . . . and I could hear again.

It’s A Christmas Miracle!

We had a great meal, and a great get-together.

Police vehicles tow a detached car axle on a highway.

From the front on the left, it’s Landon, Brandi, Jan and me. And from the front on the right, it’s Lowell, Lowell’s sister Sherry, and Sherry’s friend Steve.

And through the magic of Paint Shop Pro, I also took the photo.

When we got there Landon was riding all over the house on one of those Hoverboard Electric Scooters that you’ve probably seen.

Police vehicles tow a detached car axle on a highway.

And we were surprised to see that Landon was riding it like he was born on it. He could turn, reverse, rotate in place, and stop, all without falling off.

Police vehicles tow a detached car axle on a highway.

Since I hadn’t seen it before, I assume it was a Christmas gift, so I asked if he had been practicing on a friend’s or something.

Lowell said, No, he just got on it and took off, and that they were surpirsied too. In fact he even served everyone with dessert at the table, carrying a plate in each hand, and never a bobble.

Impressive!



Thought For The Day:

â€The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.†— George Carlin


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A White Family Christmas Tradition . . .


Police vehicles tow a detached car axle on a highway.

First off Jan and I want to wish our many friends a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We hope this year was good to you, and that next year will be even better.


For the past 35 years or more it’s been a White Family Christmas Tradition to have Christmas Eve dinner at our favorite King Food.Chinese Restaurant. I don’t know exactly how it got started, but I don’t think it had anything to do The Christmas Story movie. It could have been just the fact that it may have been the only one of our local places that was open Christmas Eve.

Sometimes it’s the entire family like two years ago,

Police vehicles tow a detached car axle on a highway.

and sometimes it’s just Jan and I like last year.

I think the only time we’ve missed in the last 10 years or so was Christmas 2016 when Jan and I were gate guarding down south in Cuero, TX during Christmas.

This year it was just Jan and I, and Lowell, Landon, and Brandi.

Police vehicles tow a detached car axle on a highway.

Lowell’s parents couldn’t come down this year, and both Linda and Piper had to work today, so it was just the Five Amigos.

Here’s Jan showing off her light-up Christmas earrings,

Police vehicles tow a detached car axle on a highway.

when she got photobombed by Brandi.

Hopefully we’ll be getting together with Chris, Linda, and Miss Piper as soon as we can.

One thing I found interesting is what while a lot of people in the States have Chinese food as part of their Christmas festivities, in Japan KFC fried chicken has been a Christmas staple since the 1970’s.

Police vehicles tow a detached car axle on a highway.

Christmas and KFC in Japan

Now over there you’re likely to the Colonel delivering KFC dressed up as Santa Claus.

You just never know.

Coming home Jan and drove through a few neighborhoods checking the light show.

Police vehicles tow a detached car axle on a highway.

Police vehicles tow a detached car axle on a highway.

Police vehicles tow a detached car axle on a highway.

Sometimes entire streets get into the season.

Police vehicles tow a detached car axle on a highway.

Tomorrow morning we’ll be heading up to Brandi’s in Katy for our Christmas Dinner get-together. Really looking forward to it.


Thought For The Day:

The greatest wealth is to live content with little. – Plato

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