Joe and I celebrated our first Christmas together as an engaged couple. It was also our first Christmas (even if I’m constantly calling it Thanksgiving-a side effect I suppose of not being here on Thanksgiving) in Pennsylvania.
Sometime in early December, Joe and I decorated for the holiday. Lights on our house, my little plastic tree getting put in the yard. Inside, I busily tried to find ways to use my existing decorations in new ways. And rapidly realizing that I bought too much last year and vowed not to buy anything this year. (I actually already have bought the lights for the outside and two sets of electric candles.)
As each package containing gifts from Missouri arrived, I grew more and more excited! The mound of wrapped presents grew in the corner because our tree is a little tiny thing and there most certainly wasn’t room because some of the presents were rather large.
Also adding to my excitement was the threat of snow. Initially, it was to be on Christmas day but then was pushed to Sunday and then into Sunday night. But it never came. For better or for worse.
Joe and I also discussed what we would eat on Christmas. Roast chicken? Turkey? Ham? No, none of these. Joe wanted a goose. So began the goose chase so to speak. A told everyone at work and everyone told me how greasy goose was. Lisa, whose mother is English, declared, ‘What does he think this is? Charles Dickens?!’ Joe and I would eventually find that a frozen goose from Giant was $60. Really? Joe still really wanted one despite the greasiness, despite the fact that he had never cooked a goose. When I went back the grocery store the Tuesday before Christmas they were out. I asked and Joe reserved one to be picked up the next day. The goose also required a roasting pan to be purchased-twice because I picked out the wrong one. Damn Paula Dean!
We had big plans for our Christmas meal. The roast goose of course and then the sides-butternut squash, cranberry sauce (from scratch), Brussel sprouts with almonds and maple syrup, and crescent rolls. Then desert was pumpkin cheesecake-also from scratch. All of this went off without a hitch. The goose was fantastic. Currently, I am boiling the goose carcass for soup because after all, even though most of the meat has been picked clean, it was a $60 goose.
Of course, before Christmas, is Christmas Eve and more importantly, Joe’s birthday. Joe had a bad day when the dogs got into a dog fight at the dog park. We got some take out Chinese per custom and had a great time. I was on call for the whole weekend and had taken care of an emergency right after close, it was a quiet night.
Christmas morning, I woke up later than intended and started some coffee and put in cinnamon rolls which no one ate. Mostly because I was full of German chocolate cake from Joe’s birthday. Of course, I couldn’t actually find German chocolate cake mix at the grocery store. Giant must still be under the impression that the Second World War is going on. Maybe I should have been looking for liberty chocolate cake!
We then sat in the dining room thoroughly confusing the dogs and opened presents. We had just finished up when I got a call for a large animal emergency-a down cow. I convinced Joe to come with me as he had promised to. The cow was quickly taken care of and Joe came back to cook after I finished making the cheesecakes. CheesecakeS because there was lots of filling from the recipe.
All of the presents were very nice. Joe got me a coffee maker-one of those Keurigs, a suitcase, a scarf and a Nook, which I’m really excited for. There were other great gifts too. A puffy but not too puffy vest, a pink purse, a new road atlas and several other things. Joe thoroughly enjoyed his painting of Mary and other gifts. I’m really excited about using our grill too. I’m thinking some New Year’s Eve steaks!
In the middle of Joe’s cooking, I got another call but they decided to go to the emergency clinic. We ate and ate! The goose was so fantastic! As we finished dinner, I got another phone call about a dog that had been hit by a car. We went to the clinic with the promise that Joe wouldn’t have to do the dishes if he came with me. The dog ended up having a hernia and being in shock. I hospitalized him for the night and then in the morning, I thought he was stable enough to get his hernia repaired. Hasco told me that I could easily do it but once in there when intestine were jumping up at me, I panicked as I am so very prone to do. He came in and together we found that the little dog’s hernia was very severe. I spoke with the owners and they elected to euthanize on the table. No sooner than that was done, then I got a call up at the Carlisle clinic for a very nasty constipated dog. I hospitalized him too and I don’t know how he’s doing but I left him with instructions and in the very capable hands of April, Letha and Dr. Sands (my personal hero in addition to Dr. Hasco, who rocks!). I can only hope that sometime during the night that the dog crapped and it will get sent home this afternoon.
I was pretty comfortable with not doing anything for the rest of the evening when I got a call about a calving. It was a former client calling for his parents who were not clients. I’m not supposed to go out to non-clients but what was I to do? Expect payment in full at the time of service. I convinced Joe to come so I wouldn’t be raped. I was on the way out the door when they called and said that the cow had delivered her calves and I offered some advice and sat back down on the couch to do nothing. This morning after returning the truck, I drove past the farm and it was quite the shady operation. Whew, glad that I didn’t go out there.
Today, my house is still in shambles. Presents and empty present bags are strewn everywhere. Stuffing from a dog toy sits like clumpy snow. I started my day later than intended. After a couple of errands and a call from work, I drank one cup of coffee from my whole pot and a piece of cheesecake. (I should have eaten cinnamon rolls.) I popped some popcorn and am having a movie marathon. Not really. And am boiling that goose down in a too small of a pot. I’m not sure what I can gleam from this goose carcass. I’m going to add chicken to it since I have some pieces frozen. Or maybe I’ll add goose. Whatever.
Merry Christmas!
[EDIT-originally published to Blogger-12/24/11]
[EDIT-originally published to Blogger-12/24/11]
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