Christmas 2010 II

       Wednesday December 22nd I went out to Schoharie County for the courthouse Christmas party.  Schoharie was a great place to work and many of my best friends work at that court(including two of my former assistants)  As always, the food and camaraderie was great.  I got to meet my successor. I think I had met him before at some point in my career.  It was a bit eerie to find out that we both have some of the same interests.(I'm sure that has made it easier for people to adjust to him)  It was also good to catch up with Tim, Bill, George, and Chris.  The conversations around the lunch table during my work years in that county were the best part of the day. (There's a play in there somewhere)

    
      Erin, Krista and Spike drove into town on the 22nd also.  We met on Thursday for our annual pre-Christmas bowling outing(actually it's only the second year for our annual pre-Christmas bowling outing)  A good time was had by all.  Erin and Spike both recorded their high scores ever.  It was Spike's first time using real bowling balls and pins.  He usually bowls candle pins.  David doesn't use the thumb hole on his ball.  He cradles it on his wrist to get a bigger hook.  Of course by the end of the 2nd game he was suffering from carpel tunnel.  He almost beat me this year.

Thursday night I went to choir rehearsal even though I wasn't going to be able to attend X-mas eve services. It was fun to sing and listen to the hard work the Church of the Covenant Choir puts in.  I've got to find a choir in Durham!

      Christmas Eve was at my sister's house in Saratoga.  On the way up to dinner we stopped off at our friends Tom and Jackie Citriniti for their open house.  A bunch of  members of a men's discussion group I was in for awhile were there and we got a chance to talk.  It was good to see them.
       My sister sets a beautiful table(the food is pretty good too.)  In addition to Erin, Kris, David, and my brother-in-law George we were joined by mountain climbing friend Tony and Jane.  It was a nice evening.
In addition to setting a nice table and preparing great food, Suzanne has developed an artistic side which shows itself in the way she wraps package.  Krista's package presented a tableau, Nan's a tower, and mine was in 3-D.  Sue used to be the Queen of Bows, but now the whole package gets a treatment.  It's great fun.

        We got home around midnight.  Christmas morning we went over to our neighbor Mary Caulfield's home.  She has suffered a broken ankle and we helped her and her grandson get ready for the rest of her family.  From there we went to the Pine Bush to meet our friends Dag and Tom for a hike around the Pine Bush.  It was a beautiful day.  The last present was opened in the twilight by the fire.