It’s family time! It seems perhaps counterintuitive to some that I’m sitting at a computer writing on my blog when I’m in the backwoods of upstate New York, but as it happens both my brother and my dad brought their laptops along for our little weekend retreat, plus Ellicottville, the little village we’re staying in, has a wireless network. I guess all of the skiiers who frequent Holiday Valley and the folks who live here all the time like being connected. Who’d have thought?
Yesterday was a day of silliness. As it always is when you put the four of us together, there is much hilarity, teasing, heckling, borderline annoyance, and plenty of alcohol. Fred (I don’t call my dad “dad” for some reason; when I was about six I decided that Fred was an excellent name, and have used it interchangeably with “daddy” ever since…well, that or Ferdinand if I’m in a sillymood), decided when we got down to the house that we shouldn’t wait around in the house for it to heat up, we should rather go to the pub. Hence, at 12:30pm on a Saturday, we headed down to the E’Ville Brewers Company and tried out their beer taster. Ten samples later, and a drink or two more per person (plus some AMAZING Brewer’s Fries. Attention Quebec Residents: if you think poutine is good, imagine this. It’s like poutine except with pulled pork generously layered over the fries, a touch of barbecue sauce and smothered in melted cheddar cheese. Sour cream accompanied it too. Mmmmm… so greasily delicious!), we were all ready to go in the afternoon of family bonding.
So back at the house, mum got annoyed because she forgot her books and blamed everyone else, and Rich discovered that the televisions didn’t work so he couldn’t watch football and Fred started reading my book while I placated mum by reading her tarot cards, and then Rich got a work-related phone call, and mum napped and I napped and then Fred said RIGHT! It’s time for some caesars.
So the drinking resumed! Apparently I’m a wuss (according to mother) because I couldn’t handle the spiciness of the caesars, which turned out to be the spiciness of the nacho dip, which made me shake and sweat but it tasted so good that I had to keep eating it. My bro had by this time figured out that there was good wireless and played us a bunch of Patton Oswalt’s comedy which had us all giggling up a storm. And then the game-playing began. Scrabble (the precise set that has accompanied us on every holiday since the beginning of time) was pulled out. And I, very surprisingly and happily (and drunkenly) managed to pull a seven letter word out of my ass on the very first go! FOMENTS (def’n: to promote the growth or development of : rouse, incite <foment a rebellion>). Who’d have ever thought. (Heckling from family: “Okay, we’re done.” “I don’t want to play anymore.” Whining from TP: “But I never win!”). It continued on to be an extremely drunken (much vodka consumed by all) and silly and heckling-filled afternoon. Lots of insulting and prodding and Heller-style scrabble-playing. Then we played a quick game of pass the pigs, which is so ridiculous that we realised why we haven’t played it in about ten years. By this time, I was pretty soused, being teased by Rich for my interminable snacking, and the decision was made to head back to the Brew Pub for dinner. Dinner was much the same family style: heckling accompanied by discussion of the general goings-on in all of our lives plus excessive quantities of food (American sized quantities) and more teasing. I love my family.
It’s wonderful. I’m glad that I have a family that interminably heckles each other. There’s nothing like some good teasing to bring out the love. Although we have literally done nothing constructive (i.e. decisions against skiing due to warm weather and rain; decision to drive rather than walk to dinner because my brother wasn’t drinking). Bro and dad watched Balls of Fire and I went to bed, thinking about the Catalyst, trying to read my book (unsuccessfully), realising that I had eaten way too much and was in for a rather uncomfortable night’s sleep. He texted me around midnight which made me really happy and eventually I did fall asleep, although it was a very restless night.
This morning when I woke up, I felt like it should be Christmas.
