Time in the 'shire
Not that anyone needs a specific reason to alternate National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation with Elf and The Joy of Peanuts Christmas on consecutive and repeating nights throughout an entire month, but December is precisely that reason. That said, if I found these movies on repeat through the month of July, I'd probably pony up to my rarely used TV and watch it then too. Plus sipping egg nog from a moose glass is all the more rewarding when Uncle Eddie is on the big screen in front of you.Ahh Christmas. I spent the holiday week back homesweethome in the northeast for the most wonderful time of the year which brought together a small gathering of we four Kings, namely mom, dad, Robbie, and me.
Members of the Clean Plate Club, it's a very simple gathering when there's just the four of us. Peaceful, joyous, and nary a glimmer of drama. After a marvelous meal, I whipped up something special in the format of a chocolate mousse. The secret here is the cinnamon. Following an old family recipe there's a touch of spice in the base meringue layer, plus the whimsically light mouse layer in the middle. That etherial lightness is then dwarfed by the fudgey chocolate sauce both drizzled on top and hidden beneath the mousse.
It occurred to me a few years back that I've spent every one of my mom's birthdays, at least in my lifetime, with my mom. That's slightly easier said than done when I've spent every Christmas with my family and given that mom's birthday is December 27th. I think it's safe to say that my brother and dad have done the same, so suffice it to say it's family tradition to spent at least December 25-27 together. Here's dinner at Otis in Exeter. Highly recommended.
And bouncing around the holiday timeline, I kicked off the jolly time home with a group ride hosted by my buddy Dave in Hampton. I arrived fresh from California where the weather can be cold this time of year, but is safely non-New England-like. Meanwhile it was frigid in New England, so when Dave hosted a ride, the eponymous Tour de Cul de Sac. Judge all you want, because this was awesome. Dave thought a dozen brave souls would show up, but with 20 on the ride and another dozen-plus showing up to the after party, it was a grand ol' time.Your speed never really gets over 20, and if it does, it's not sustained for more than about fifteen seconds; there are always folks to talk to, you're generally off the main roads and therefore free from angry holiday motorists; and best yet, any non-cyclists who did see us were thrilled and let out cheerful, umm, cheer for our mirthful party.
This is what a selfie in front of 20 bright headlights looks like -- I imagine this is what Santa looks like if you really, truly saw him. Just a magic beaming light.
Per that afterparty, Dave is in the business of collecting Christmas trees beginning December 26 and stockpiling them in his backyard for the subsequent 364 days of festivities. He was particularly stoked that this was the end of the season's bounty and so we lit up a baker's dozen trees in a bonfire that puts off a mushroom cloud every time a dried tree joins the festivities.
Family and friends and time around the (miniature, non combusting) Christmas tree rounded out the time home. Ahh New England, beautiful anytime of the year and particularly stunning when the temperature drops and it's blanketed in snow.Exeter:
New Hampshire, looking west from Maine.
Homey Brentwood sweet Brentwood.
And my two wheeled sleigh throughout the week, the Cannondale Slate. Complete with a cush inch of travel to soak up the plentiful potholes and frost heaves, paired with fat tires and a fat gearing selection in the SRAM 1x, I was like a kid on Christmas morning all week long.
And now the icing on the cake. Having two sons home for the holidays is a good time to take care of odds and end chores that require mechanical prowess (Robbie) and/or height (me), and mom put together a brief list that was tackled with aplomb on her birthday. Mom is prolific at the art of using appliances until their very last breath, and even sometimes beyond that, so the fact that the family dryer -- which is literally older than I am at the tender age of 33 -- is still functional is impressive but no surprise. Alas, we as a family were at last ready to bid it farewell since seemingly nothing would get it to work, so it was nearly propped up on the deck and ready to take a 10 foot plunge into a fateful pile of snow below, right up until Robbie got under the hood, fiddled with it for a good ten minutes and voila, it was back to its old sparky self. Robbie is a miracle worker; so is the dryer, which will surely tally another 33 years.The only hiccup was reinstalling the air vent in the rear which is crammed at the bottom rear of a virtually untouchable place in the closet. The superhuman height found in the King brothers is nothing but trouble. A job more fitting for an army of ants rather than two six-plus-feet tall gentlemen, it was not an easy task. Thankfully mom was at the beck and call and just the right size for the job. She's as caring and loving and as hardworking as an anyone I've ever met, mom is incredible.[video width="1080" height="1920" mp4="http://www.iamtedking.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Snapchat-1645623799.mp4"][/video]