Thinking about Christmas....

Doesn't the elf look like Donald Trump?

Our toy drive was a great success!

We had a toy drive the last few weeks and collect a lot of stuff for a poor parish in Bed Stuy. We called it "It's a Wonderful Valise" and a bunch of our customers brought in toys. We brought them over to the church last week and the people from St. Johns picked them up. Thanks to all who participated.

Now is the time to remember the summer!

I hate when it gets cold. Today is a particularly cold day in Brooklyn. Our breath smokes when we went outside to church today. I just wanted to think about our vacations to the Bed and Breakfast we took this summer. Lazing on the couch. Reading the kindle by the pool. Floating in the pool in the heat of the afternoon. Heaven.

They had the parish Christmas party today and it was amazing to see all the little kids in the parish. We are very kid friendly. Well the parish is not me. I got out of there as fast as possible. But it was very nice. It's Christmas and that is really for the kids.

We won't be able to get away somewhere warm this year as we had the previous three years so we will be stuck in the cold. But we can see our parents which makes up for it.

I just want to be in the pool.

The tortelllini was a big hit.

The big hit of the party was the tortellini in cream sauce with pancetta, peas and onion. This is not a photo of it but it is what it looks like. Everyone loved it but one of our friends was in the kitchen as I was preparing it and I put a whole quart container of pecorino romano cheese in the sauce and she almost lost it. She said that she and her husband don't eat that much cheese in a year.

They each had four bowls of the macaroni.

You have to put the right ingredients if you want people to eat it. They just can't watch you while you do it.

One thing we can say, he's got big balls.

I made about fifty meatballs this Christmas. I mean I made about 10 lbs of beef, pork and veal all mixed together and if I was to make little ones I would still be doing it on News Years Day. So I made baseball sized ones and they out great. Everyone loved them.

The menu was:

Lasagna and meatballs.
Ravioli and meatballs.
Angel Hair Pasta and meatballs.
Meatball Parmesan hero's for lunch.
And of course, breakfast meatballs.

I just gotta the big balls!

I really hate waste you know what I mean?

Man I hate when stuff is wasted. You know someone could get some use out of something but somehow the wrong guy ends up with it. Stuff like talent. Or Money. Or other stuff.

Try not to be wasteful. Don't put too much on your plate. If you take it, eat it. So to speak.

I just finished my Christmas shopping.

Ronnie is one of my heros so I have to take his advice. Plus my friend Nunzio just made a run to South Carolina and he filled up his trunk. So it is either Chesterfield Regulars or Glocks.

I think my nieces will get in less trouble if I don't give them the Glocks.

Don't you just hate it when you find the perfect gift when Christmas is over?

Here I finally found the perfect gift for Freder, Alphaliberal, Loafing Oaf and Michael and Christmas is over.

Ah well, there is always next year.

Frosty's got Hot Pants!!!!!!!!

New York Post Weird But True (December 29, 2008)

Hallmark Cards recalled some 7,000 jumbo snow globes last week because they can act as a magnifying glass to sunlight and cause fires.
There have been two reports of the snow globes igniting nearby materials.

You got a breath on you like a hot mince pie.

[Brittles knows Quincannon has been drinking on duty]

Captain Nathan Brittles: You got a breath on you like a hot mince pie.

Top Sergeant Quincannon: Ah, Captain darlin'. As you well know I took "the pledge" after Chapultepec.

Captain Nathan Brittles: And Bull Run, and Gettysburg, and Shiloh, and St. Patrick's Day, and Fourth of July! (She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, 1949)

After Christmas dinner and all the presents we all sat around the living room and I grabbed the remote and they had She Wore a Yellow Ribbon on the Western channel. Of course the kids had never seen it and they loved it.

And all the adults had breath on them like a hot mince pie.

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night.

To all of the commenter's who have been kind enough to stop by Trooper York, I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

You guy's make blogging fun. All the best.

Twas the night before Christmas,

Da whole house was mella,

Not a creature was strirrin’,

Cuz I had a gun unda da pilla.

When up on da roof

I heard somethin’ pound,

I sprung to da window,

To scream, “YO! Keep it down!”

When what to myWanderin’ eyes should appear,

But da Don of all elfs,

And eight friggin’ reindeer!

Wit’ slicked back black hair,

And a silk red suit,

Don Christopher wuz here,

And he brought da loot!

Wit’ a slap to dare snouts

And a yank on dare manes,

He cursed and he shouted

And he called dem by name

“Yo Tony, Yo Frankie,]

Yo Vinny, Yo Vito,

Ay Joey, Ay Paulie

,Ay Pepe, Ay Guido!”

As I drew out my gun

And hid by da bed,

He flew troo da winda

And slapped me ’side da head.

“What da hell you doin’

Pullin’ a gun on da Don?

Now all you’re gettin’ is coal,

You friggin’ moron!”

Den pointin’ a fat finga

Right unda my nose,

He twisted his pinky ring,

And up da chimney he rose.

He sprang to his sleigh,

Obscenities screamin’,

Away dey all flew,

Before he troo dem a beatin’.

Den I heard him yell out,

What I did least expect,

“Merry Friggin’ Christmas to all,

And yous better show some respect!"

Christmas Eve.

Oh, hush thee, little dear, my soul,
The evening shades are falling;
Hush thee, my dear, dost thou not hear
The voice of the Master calling?

Deep lies the snow upon the earth,
But all the sky is ringing
With joyous song, and all night long
The stars shall dance with singing.

Oh, hush thee, little dear, my soul,
And close thine eyes in dreaming,
And angels fair shall lead thee where
The singing stars are beaming.

A shepherd calls his little lambs,
And he longeth to caress them;
He bids them rest upon his breast,
That his tender love may bless them.

So, hush thee, little dear, my soul,
Whilst evening shades are falling,
And above the song of the heavenly throng
Thou shall hear the Master calling

Hey I didn't know my mother in law was doing catering!

New York Post Weird but True (December 24, 2008)

Here's irony in a nutshell, and an hors d'oeuvre.
Dozens of workers with the Lawrence County health department in Illinois got food poisoning from the buffet at their holiday party.
Forty-two of the 72 attendees were laid out.
"It's taken the punch out of my whole Christmas," said department boss Phyllis Wells.

You know what I think of when the family gets together at Christmas?

[Gomez and Morticia have just recently met]

Gomez: Has anyone ever told you, you have the softest brown eyes?

Morticia: No. Besides, my eyes are blue.

Gomez: No wonder nobody's ever told you!

(The Addams Family, 1964)

Santapalooza?

Talk about the Christmas spirit.
No fewer than 3,939 Santas strolled the streets of Bucharest, Romania, handing out Christmas gifts in a record-setting season's greeting over the weekend. Guinness said the outpouring broke a 2003 record set in Taipei, when 3,618 Santas went at it.

Gratuitous bathtub photo of the day- Santa edition

Hey I have been busy running around getting ready for Christmas. My daughter and granddaughter are coming in from Florida and we had to get the guest room ready.

I am cooking Christmas dinner and I had to go to the butcher to get all the stuff for the meatballs and sausages and the gravy. My father in law requested a roast beef instead of pork this year so we will be doing that. Stuffed mushrooms. Stuffed artichokes. Anti pasto to the max.

Plus we had to lay in crazy stuff. We don't really eat breakfast. Well my wife will eat some cheese with an apple but I will just have coffee. So when the kids show up we have to lay in cereal and milk and all that stuff. It's hard to remember that you have to have milk to drink for dinner when usually you just crack a nice bottle of Chianti and some Pellogrino water.

I do hate Christmas with a passion. I love the relegious part, going to midnight mass and celebrating the birth of our Lord. But I don't think the little baby Jesus cares about everybody getting toys. We were wrapping gifts until three in the morning last night.

I love Memorial Day.

Holiday Barbie is out to get you Dolls!

Hey Dolls, I hope you have done all your Holiday shopping. Remember when you opened your Holiday Barbie and were so proud of the clothes and the cape and all the stuff you were happy to play with.

Then you went out with your mommy to the store and when you came back your poor barbie was stripped naked and GI Joe had his kung fu grip in her special place.

Don't you just hate little brothers?

Hey the Lee Lee's Christmas party is tonight.

All the big cheese's will be there.

I have to go out and get the food. The hot food will be tortolini in cream sauce with peas & pancetta along with a big anti-pasto. And lots of wine.

The antibiotics are done!

The antibiotics are done for now and your friend Trooper York will be celebrating with a few cocktails tonight. Merry Christmas!