Happy New Year!

Waking up on New Year’s Day without a hangover makes you wonder what you were thinking all those times when you woke up with a hangover. Growing old has brought with it a bit of wisdom along with the dry, crêpey skin and lumpy thighs.

2017 is freaking me out somehow. It seems so much further into the 21^st century than 2016 did. I realize there’s no logic in that. It’s just how it feels to me. I am beginning the New Year with an important item checked off the list, namely, Terry and I have finally met with a lawyer about updating our wills and doing our estate planning. We will sign everything on Tuesday. Also, I finally got a smart phone on Friday. I was resistant. I loved my flip phone. It made me feel like Captain Kirk. The new phone is much larger and hard to slip into a pocket, but it has a keyboard. I have been texting more, and it’s a right pain in the neck on a number pad. So here it is—my smart phone.

My new smart phone--welcome to the 21st century!

We had a lovely family celebration of New Year’s Eve. Another aspect of the wisdom of age is reticence to go out on the day of the year with the most drunk drivers on the road. When Jane declined my invitation, I didn’t press her.

I wore my festive champagne socks. At least, I think of them has champagne socks, although they might be fishing lures. Jane gave them to me.

Festive champagne socks

We had hot oil fondue, which I’m not sure really is fondue. The root of fondue is fondre, to melt, as with cheese or chocolate. This version would be more appropriately called frit, from frire, to fry. Nevertheless, we did it in a fondue pot with fondue forks, so there you go. This is the table before we began.

The table before supper

Our selection included shrimp, steak, and breaded chicken breast, mushrooms, and zucchini. Hilda made her incomparable curry dip. We also used prepared hoisen and wasabi sauces.

Steak and breaded chicken, mushrooms, and zucchini. The shrimp was in a separate bowl

Here’s the action shot. There are two advantages to eating this way. Every bite is hot (in fact, some patience is required to keep from burning one’s mouth), and one must eat slowly and enjoy every morsel.

Forks in the fryer

We drank our champagne from wine glasses, which Hilda suggested because they had a lower profile and were less likely to be tipped over in all the activity of arms and forks going back and forth to the fondue pot. Indeed, we managed the whole thing with no tipped glasses.

After supper, Terry and I watched one of the Pink Panther movies and had milk and Christmas cookies for dessert. I went to bed at 10:00. Terry held out until 10:20. I heard this morning that Jane stayed up until midnight. She watched the ball drop in New York and the midnight celebration in Chicago. She reports that both were lame. I am vindicated.

We’re holding off on our traditional New Year’s breakfast of caramel pecan rolls because 1) the Rose Parade isn’t until tomorrow and 2) I forgot to get the butter out of the freezer yesterday, and the recipe really does need softened butter. I could have made them this morning, but it’s so much nicer to make them the day before and just bake them when I get up.

We will have our traditional pork and sauerkraut dinner today to bring us good luck in the New Year. Here’s hoping for the best!