Holiday Spirits

It's that time of year again. We've trimmed the tree and mixed the eggnog, gone to parties and listened to the Nutcracker soundtrack one too many times. We've also booked our tickets home and made plans to visit the Ohio folk in our compressed visit to the midwest.

There's only one more tradition to stay true to...

I actually tried to get out of holding the Holiday Spirits party this year. Last year's event was great and fun but felt a little cramped, given the confines of our roomy-for-two-but-not-so-much-for-40 condo. Also, perhaps it's just the 30-year-old talking, but getting a big group together for the express purpose of drinking lots of (granted, new and exotic) alcohol felt a little too fraternity all of a sudden.

But I was outvoted. The response "I was thinking of not doing it" to the question "so when's the holiday spirits party" did not go over well at our Thanksgiving shindig, nor did it go over well the next few dozen times I said it. Eventually I got the hint and acqiuesced. And now we're on for next Saturday.

So what new drinks will be presented this year? Highlights of last year's event included Ralph's candy cane shots (very festive!) and Barbara's chocolate martini (such a surprise, coming from a chocoholic). On the menu so far for the 17th are hot buttered rum and eggnog. With less than 10 people attending this year, no one should get too inebriated. Now that we're all entering that mid life midpoint, the frat party behavior seems a little too...immature.