BurbleChaz

BurbleBooze level: moderate. Forecast: High.

First, and most importantly, there is fresh bloggage at the other place.. Off you go. I'll wait.

We prepared the herb butter, delicately packed the lamb shanks, nestled them on a bed of vegetables, drizzled them with oil and wine, then slammed them in a hot oven to denature the proteins. Cooking is fun.

In a triumph of hope over experience, we headed out into the bitter wind and indifferent rain to the pub. Morons, we are. Why would they be open on Christmas Eve? It's not like every woman in the Christmas-celebrating world would ever want to get the blokes out from under their feet so presents can be wrapped, food prepared and children rescued from overdoses of anticipation.

The Less Salubrious Bar was open, busy and fun, so we stopped and had a couple of beers there. We don't drink there often, mostly because the beer is generic pabulum, and people smoke. It was exactly as you would expect. Today, it was actually a nice environment. Except the smoke.

The walk home was cold, windy and slightly moist. The rain here is more like drizzle with pretensions. Just enough to be worth mentioning, never enough to fill a reservoir. It's like being on the receiving end of a limp handshake. It would be rude to complain, but yeuch.

Home, then, to good beer, fine chocolate, outstanding wine and astonishing cheese. The prezzies are stacked, music is playing and the view outside is wonderful. The rain is helping with the fires, and all is well in my tiny little world.