The Wrap Up: 2018
As I've established (https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/2019-fresh-start.html) 2018 wasn't the best of years, but it certainly wasn't the worst. As a matter of fact 2018 could have been a LOT worse for me. Let me tell you how...
New Years Eve SHOULD be a big thing; at least in my mind. While I have no desire to stand outside for hours to see the ball drop (No bathrooms? I wouldn't last an hour!), I am one that thinks I should be doing SOMETHING. But for most my life, that something has been nothing. I have gone to some great parties; none of which were extravagant (My neighbor had some wonderful block gatherings and one year, before the kid, my husband and I spent more hours than I can remember with friends in a tiny radio station in CT.) For two years we did go away and have a wonderful time, but that can be cost prohibitive (and I KNOW 2019 is going to be a year of keeping a careful eye on costs) and with the holiday falling in the middle of the week (who wants to drive home, unpack, do laundry, etc and THEN get ready to go to work the next day) travel doesn't seem as attractive. Nonetheless, I thought I should do SOMETHING with/for my family. Which is how I ended up at Shoprite late in the afternoon of the 30th.
Now, I could have waited until the early morning of the 31st, but I was HOPING to sleep in a bit (ha!) and thought this would work out better. The place was chaotic (no surprise there) and it took me quite a while to find the items that I thought I would need for a fun spread for New Year's Eve. I thought I'd have a bunch of munchies...like chips and salsa and sweet and spicy meatballs. I don't know if it was me, the crowds, the time, or what, but I kept going back and forth trying to find stuff and then checking out was a wild ride...I was just glad to get home.
Moving on to the morning of the 31st, I made the raspberry cream cheese danish (https://www.myveronanj.com/2018/12/24/merry-christmas-baking/) but since I couldn't find raspberries, I used blueberries. This KIND of worked out okay but I do think the raspberries would have been better (but two stores didn't have them and I wasn't hitting a third so...) I also did NOT do the bend the top to make it look like a candy cane OR cut the crescent triangles into smaller triangles OR the glazed sugar top. These omissions made it easier for me and didn't affect the taste at all. My advice: if you want to make this and cut down on the "pain" forget all the flourishes and just stick with the basics.
During the day, my family decided to wrap up 2018 by doing some decluttering. In all fairness, it was my son's idea. He had gotten some (more) clothes for Christmas AND from his visit to my in laws AND from a family friend who was cleaning out the attic and found some of her late husband's old suits. As a result, he needed to make some room in his closet and drawers. I was inspired and so was my husband. Soon the 2nd floor hallway was a mess...with bags and hangers everywhere. (It's still cluttered with bags, but will eventually be clean again once I get all of them to the Thrift Shop for this weekend!) Decluttering is DEFINITELY a good way to end the year and start a new. I think we all felt pretty accomplished by the end of the day. (Our motto throughout the whole "ordeal" was "Be brutal!")
The mail arrived as we were wrapping things up and AMAZINGLY, the package that I had been waiting for. (https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2018/12/where-do-i-live-us-postal-service-story.html) suddenly appeared. No note (remember, initially, the carrier said they had left a notice since we weren't home when they attempted delivery...of course there was NO note and we WERE home). While you can forget the Christmas miracles, I guess New Year's Eve miracles DO exist. (Or maybe there was just a mail person on shift who actually cared about delivering the mail and making sure that it got to the intended recipient.) Of course when I opened the package, what I ordered was in the wrong size. (My order clearly says L; I got a S.) I am feeling doomed. Those Tipsy Elves must have been pretty tipsy when they packed my order. I'm beginning to think this whole process was cursed. I plan on returning/exchanging, but Tipsy Elves seems to want me to pay for shipping...I'm not too keen on paying for someone else's mistake. Tipsy Elves...are you listening? Do you want to make a new custom happy?
By late afternoon, I was ready to have an adult beverage and make the sweet and spicy meatballs. I made the sauce. I made my adult beverage. I was ready to add the meatballs and start drinking when I decided to read the ingredients on the bag of meatballs again. (I had looked very specifically when purchasing to make sure there were no eggs .) And that's when I saw...TURKEY. (I'm also allergic to poultry.) I don't know how I missed it. It WAS on the front of the bag (although in type that blended into the packaging...just see for yourself):
I SHOULD have purchased the all beef, but had grabbed this instead and NOT noticed. Thank GOD, I looked again before I started cooking and heaven forbid took a bite. (I still need to purchase a new EpiPen..my local Walgreens did not have several weeks back and I have yet to fill the script. Perhaps someone is trying to tell me something!). This could have been a DISASTER. (New Year's Eve in the ER? Just the thought of co-pays and co-insurance makes my head spin, not to mention that actual thought of having an anaphylaxtic reaction!) Instead it was just a disappointment.
New Years Eve SHOULD be a big thing; at least in my mind. While I have no desire to stand outside for hours to see the ball drop (No bathrooms? I wouldn't last an hour!), I am one that thinks I should be doing SOMETHING. But for most my life, that something has been nothing. I have gone to some great parties; none of which were extravagant (My neighbor had some wonderful block gatherings and one year, before the kid, my husband and I spent more hours than I can remember with friends in a tiny radio station in CT.) For two years we did go away and have a wonderful time, but that can be cost prohibitive (and I KNOW 2019 is going to be a year of keeping a careful eye on costs) and with the holiday falling in the middle of the week (who wants to drive home, unpack, do laundry, etc and THEN get ready to go to work the next day) travel doesn't seem as attractive. Nonetheless, I thought I should do SOMETHING with/for my family. Which is how I ended up at Shoprite late in the afternoon of the 30th.
Now, I could have waited until the early morning of the 31st, but I was HOPING to sleep in a bit (ha!) and thought this would work out better. The place was chaotic (no surprise there) and it took me quite a while to find the items that I thought I would need for a fun spread for New Year's Eve. I thought I'd have a bunch of munchies...like chips and salsa and sweet and spicy meatballs. I don't know if it was me, the crowds, the time, or what, but I kept going back and forth trying to find stuff and then checking out was a wild ride...I was just glad to get home.
Moving on to the morning of the 31st, I made the raspberry cream cheese danish (https://www.myveronanj.com/2018/12/24/merry-christmas-baking/) but since I couldn't find raspberries, I used blueberries. This KIND of worked out okay but I do think the raspberries would have been better (but two stores didn't have them and I wasn't hitting a third so...) I also did NOT do the bend the top to make it look like a candy cane OR cut the crescent triangles into smaller triangles OR the glazed sugar top. These omissions made it easier for me and didn't affect the taste at all. My advice: if you want to make this and cut down on the "pain" forget all the flourishes and just stick with the basics.
The mail arrived as we were wrapping things up and AMAZINGLY, the package that I had been waiting for. (https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2018/12/where-do-i-live-us-postal-service-story.html) suddenly appeared. No note (remember, initially, the carrier said they had left a notice since we weren't home when they attempted delivery...of course there was NO note and we WERE home). While you can forget the Christmas miracles, I guess New Year's Eve miracles DO exist. (Or maybe there was just a mail person on shift who actually cared about delivering the mail and making sure that it got to the intended recipient.) Of course when I opened the package, what I ordered was in the wrong size. (My order clearly says L; I got a S.) I am feeling doomed. Those Tipsy Elves must have been pretty tipsy when they packed my order. I'm beginning to think this whole process was cursed. I plan on returning/exchanging, but Tipsy Elves seems to want me to pay for shipping...I'm not too keen on paying for someone else's mistake. Tipsy Elves...are you listening? Do you want to make a new custom happy?
By late afternoon, I was ready to have an adult beverage and make the sweet and spicy meatballs. I made the sauce. I made my adult beverage. I was ready to add the meatballs and start drinking when I decided to read the ingredients on the bag of meatballs again. (I had looked very specifically when purchasing to make sure there were no eggs .) And that's when I saw...TURKEY. (I'm also allergic to poultry.) I don't know how I missed it. It WAS on the front of the bag (although in type that blended into the packaging...just see for yourself):
I SHOULD have purchased the all beef, but had grabbed this instead and NOT noticed. Thank GOD, I looked again before I started cooking and heaven forbid took a bite. (I still need to purchase a new EpiPen..my local Walgreens did not have several weeks back and I have yet to fill the script. Perhaps someone is trying to tell me something!). This could have been a DISASTER. (New Year's Eve in the ER? Just the thought of co-pays and co-insurance makes my head spin, not to mention that actual thought of having an anaphylaxtic reaction!) Instead it was just a disappointment.
So needless to say, I'm glad the 2018 is finally over. My family and I wrapped it up by watching (pretty pathetic) Times Square Coverage. (I'm getting old; I long for the days of heartwarming stories and "classic" music instead of bad lip syncing and rowdy drunks.) Every year I wonder why I bother to stay up...(Someone give me some tips!)
However here we are in 2019...it's back to school, back to work and hopefully back to a reality that has some good things in store for us all.
Hoping that your 2018 wrapped up on a positive note and that 2019 is treating you well (and will continue to do so!).
Enjoyed the recap of your day (two days). I need to do some pretty serious decluttering this year, that might even be my word of the year. We had sushi and we were in bed by ten (our closest friends and neighbors have a newborn so they weren't into a late night either. Just FYI I totally didn't see turkey on that package either...
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