Are you sure it's the end of the year?

Just for the record. I'm writing this at 7:03 a.m. on December 31st. As I don't have  a lot of time, and I have a lot of pictures, I don't know when it will actually be posted, so for that, I apologize.

One thing I would like to say is what the hell happened to 2010? Where did it go? Last I checked, I was being dragged — in spite of my protests — into the rain by boyfriend's best friend on December 31st, 2009 because "Only losers don't go out on New Year's," and he wasn't about to let me be a loser while my boyfriend was partying it up a four hour drive away in Mt. Shasta.

Last I checked, I was falling asleep on a plane en route to Venice and then Rome, feeling a wee bit confused about the whole "sun rising" thing the stewardess was going on about when the sun was merely setting...and then being rudely awakened by ridiculously bright sun rays a few hours later by the said sun rising.

Last I checked, my feet were pounding the pavement with my lovely friend while we were discussing the actuality of my move to Bend with boyfriend — and whether or not it would actually happen — and he was startling me with things like making plans and discussing the future, which are normally taboo, or at least tip-toed around, in our lives.



Last I checked, I was dragging my tired butt out of bed for three unending weeks of training in Seattle for my wonderful new job, bitching about the rain, and missing home, which was here, in Bend with boyfriend.

Last time I checked, I'm pretty sure it wasn't the end of this year.

It was a good year at least, and I stuck with you all — rather surprisingly given my other forays into blogging — in spite of the many life changes that have struck since beginning this blog only five short months ago. Is it weird that it makes me giggle that this post, this last post of 2010 is my 69th post? If you don't get it, don't worry about it. It's terribly immature anyhow.

Recap on the holidays. It was wonderfully fun. We had some hilarity with the tree as the manly men and directing women of my family (and extended family) got the tree indoors, in the stand, and covered in lights.

I had to work and miss out on precious time with the fam as they went skiing and built an igloo in our front yard, but I did get to cook for them! I made a wonderful recipe given to me by my adorable sorority sister in Seattle. It involves roasting veggies (like butternut squash) and serving them over pasta. Yum!

The tree was packed with gifts from our very generous friends and family. So we had quite the lush Christmas, and I got many lovely gifts.

I didn't have to cook a darned thing (because my mommy loves me and is a much better cook than I am, and everyone else was helping so I put my feet up and drank my wine). And I got Christmas day and the day after Christmas off (basically because my boss is awesome, just don't let him hear that I told you that; he has a rep to keep up, after all) so I spent lots of time with my family doing Christmas-y things like going for a walk in the idyllic woods covered in idyllic snow just outside my idyllic cabin and eating turkey and skiing the day after Christmas and then going to the Deschutes Brewery for lunch and seeing Tangled as a treat.

I think boyfriend's favorite was definitely the princess movie. Dad and sister's boyfriend, Scott, agreed.

They left and I cried a little on my way to work. And then cried some more with my co-worker, Denise, once I got to work because her daughters had to leave that morning as well. Communal tears at its best.

And now it's today. And I'm feeling a wee bit bewildered as the year is ending.

I know I missed the opportune time to hand over this last 2010 recipe, but you can save it away for next year. It makes a ton of stew, I froze half and we're still sick of eating it for lunch and dinner since Tuesday. I'm hoping the friends of boyfriend that are showing up today will take care of it.

I got this recipe from one of my roommates in college who got it from her grandma. Belatedly, I recalled how much soup it made and how sick we got of it then too. It's delicious and nutritious and a great way to take care of that leftover turkey, but have a dinner party to get rid of it!

Turkey Stew
 Take carcass. Simmer for 3 to 4 hours (until the bones break easily). Make sure the bones are always covered while simmering. Add hot water as needed.

Pour bones through a sieve back into the pot to get the bones out. Pull remaining meat off bones and add to broth. Add chopped carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, leftover turkey meat and other heavy vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste (I forgot to add any, so mine turned out a wee bit flavorless). Cook that whole mess for an hour.

20 minutes before it's done, add a bag of egg noodles. Tadah! You have turkey stew.

This is me wishing you a very happy New Year.

Ciao,
kc