Ahem.

I've never had a single thing against Dick Clark. Far as I know, he put together a bunch of teeny-boppers I couldn't understand or follow as a little girl, then went on to another kind of fame.

Tonight, as I watched the ball drop in New York, the old gentleman appeared as though he'd been drug out of the box.

For that, the boomers have to account. It is a new millenium, after all.

We have a problem at home.

Charlie has remembered "Merry Christmas," but no amount of repetition can convince him to try "Happy New Year."

One reason is that the phrase has none of his favorite "k" or "hard c" sounds.

Here is an article about how to say "Happy New Year" in other languages.

Greek looks like a good one for him.

I like the Czech: "Stastny novy rok!"

::sigh::

How odd.

Lucy has another egg this morning.

I think I'll use the fried turkey left over from Monday night to make a variation of white bean chili.

We had a version at Ruby Tuesday's last week that was surprisingly tasty. They use navy beans. It had a good dab of cumin in it, but also something else that created an Indian underflavor. Coriander, maybe?

I've been a pretty good girl this year, so maybe you'll help me out.

What is the name of the song playing in this video found at Tim Blair's?

I haven't heard it in years and I like it.

Charlie is not cooperating this year, so here's a continuation from last year.

Merry Christmas, y'all!

I had a basket in my hand and was standing alone in the long, wide aisle between the frozen food cases when this song came over the speaker.

To be a dancer! It was the perfect time to hoof it up Gene Kelly-style.

Lucy has an egg this morning.

The drive home was pretty good, threatened only by a rain-front that we drove into on the edge of town. It was raining so hard that Lyman pulled off the road. There was no seeing ahead. Of course, plenty of cars bullied on, based on faith I suppose.

When we finally took the curve at Natchez Regional Hospital, we saw two ambulances taking off in that direction.

None of which is as bad as the snowy pile-up in Kansas. That was a nightmare.

I still have nothing for the boys' stockings. We weren't casually shopping at the coast. Unless they wanted a pack or two of #10 flathead bolts, we weren't in a place to buy.

Who is riding his crotch rocket up and down Perdido Beach Boulevard?

Ah, no one. That's the new refrigerator. That can't be right. We'll call GE when we get home.

Now that things are replaced and repaired (more or less) and tidy and clean, it's time for us to leave.

Our condo association is recommending that all owners replace their icemaker lines with braided steel ones to prevent water damage.

So we bought one. When the boy who delivered and installed the fridge turned on the water, the end popped off and the faucet sprayed him, the enclosure and the ceiling. Another trip to Home Depot.

We finally met our next door neighbor down here. We've talked and done business, but have never seen flesh.

This guy is so tall that he can reach up and bounce his fingers on an 8 foot ceiling.

He's from Michigan and married a Mobile girl. And he has dimples.

Into every life a little rain must fall ...

I decided to go with strap chair replacements on the balcony. These are from Dr. Strap in Florida. They look much better-built than the old chairs from Finkel Furniture, but we'll see how they do.

The old ones were placed here in 1984, but only saw hard use since 2001. Seven years isn't bad for the cost.

And they're comfortable.

Humpf. The refrigerator will come tomorrow morning.

We know they like this part.

Will they like the new stuff?

If everything tocks along as it's going, I'll consider this more than a successful trip. More like an early Christmas present.

The new refrigerator will be delivered tomorrow. It is about the same adequate model we have now, with no bells or whistles other than an icemaker. Maybe hurricanes will stay at bay (say Guantanamo), and this one will last a bit longer.

The new bedspread is in the house. I spent more on it than I like (not $3000), but it's in the right colors and fabric and it's HERE, which counts a lot for a non-shopper like me.

Overall inventory is good. Missing a soup spoon, which I'd guess had a ride in the garbage disposal as so many do. But even so, there are enough. As there are enough plates and bowls and such. Maybe another wine glass or three. The pots lack lids. I'll look for another set of those. And a new notebook for our collection of menus and attractions for guests.

Lyman has fixed the dripping kitchen faucet with the part we ordered from American Standard. He replaced the faulty dimmer switch. We'll fix the odd moisture droop in the popcorn ceiling in the living room today. Did you know that stuff comes in spray cans? Installed two light bulbs in closed ceiling fixtures. Sorry, no can do CFLs in those. There's a discoloration above the showerhead in one bathroom which a can of flat white spray paint will handle. New kick-down door stop.

Chem-Dry will come next Wednesday to clean the traffic areas of the bedrooms and take care of a few small spots on the blue sofa.

So all is well. We'll leave Friday or Saturday for home.

Our snowbirds will arrive from Michigan the weekend after Christmas. They've been with us since 2001. And they're cold.

I've been busy today, preparing for a short inventory trip to the coast which will entail buying a new refrigerator to replace the one we bought about eight years ago. The door has rusted along the gasket at the bottom. I see no way to repair it. We're talking flaking rust here, not the odd orange color. I knew this in May, but staggered through the summer.

I have two new strap chairs for the snowbirds. We'll replace four more on their rental checks. I have a bedspread ordered to replace the one that went missing in the master bedroom sometime in August.

We will leave tomorrow and hope to return on Saturday. Lyman's older son will look after the birds. The younger one will come in on Sunday. I don't have a thing for their stockings yet.

I feel hateful already.

The Louisiana Supreme Court will not hear Glenn Lipsey's appeal.

We drove around looking at Christmas lights last night. Good cheer!

Well I never.

Those dark bumps look to be seeds sprouting, too.

How much is whole turkey selling for in your locale?

I didn't check local whole birds, but smoked turkey necks, used by fat-conscious cooks for seasoning greens and such, are $1.89 a pound at the local market, ten cents less than hamhocks. Heck, raw turkey necks are 99 cents a pound.

That sounds outrageous to me. Of course, $1.99 for hamhocks sounds outrageous to me, too.

Today I'm cooking chicken and dumplings for the first time since September 2005.

I told Lyman then that it would be a long time before I made them again.

Yay!!!

Under certain conditions, the concrete under our carport would "sweat" and become slick as glass. The last time I went down this spring, I did a half-split, which broke the fall but pulled a groin muscle.

A couple of weeks ago, we applied the UCoat It kit that we ordered this summer.

Today is the right kind of day, and the coating works.

UPDATE: Jordana, here is a picture of part of the UCoated carport. On my monitor, the color looks right.

And there we are.

I'd say Sarah's is far more artistic than mine.

UPDATE: Oh, my. Is that ever good. I served it with fresh whipped cream and a couple of Louisiana strawberries.

Thank you, Sarah. And Happy Hanukkah!

For some reason, I own a 10" springform pan, but not a 9". If the recipe weren't layered I'd make do.

Off to Blankenstein's.

UPDATE: Question: If I bake this cheesecake today, and want to serve it Friday, is it all right to refrigerate it in the pan until that morning? This pan is non-stick.

Lucy visits Dr. Debbie today for a trim -- flight feathers, toenails, beak.

And for the first time since, oh, July, Charlie sang "We wish you a merry Christmas" this morning.

Lawyers for defeated sheriff's candidate Glenn Lipsey have filed a "writ of application" with the Louisiana Supreme Court, according to the Concordia Sentinel. The Democrat has more.

Our household has determined to institute turtle soup as a Christmas dinner dish. Michael asked for it for his birthday this past weekend.

I hope we can find more turtle for Christmas.

This Friday we hold the Christmas luncheon for the adults in the family. The menu is simple this year: boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce, green salad, shrimp sauce piquant(Creole) with rice, garlic bread and chocolate layered cheesecake with whipped cream. Sarah has a picture of the cheesecake at her place today. I found the recipe through her. Happy birthday, Mr. G!

I know that's two shrimp dishes, but Lyman's family loves shrimp, and anyone (including restaurants) would be proud to serve the sauce piquant from this book.

The family would only be happier if we'd fry some shrimp, too.

UPDATE: Hmmm, better change that "adults in the family." How about "parents in the family"?

Oh no! I was hoping LSU would play a nice, comfortable bowl game.

Now the Tigers will play Ohio State for the National Championship.

Sorta makes you homesick, don't it, Scott?

(Thanks, Mr. Reynolds.)

Your Score: Poppy Seeds

You scored 75% intoxication, 25% hotness, 50% complexity, and 75% craziness!

You are Poppy Seeds! You seem innocent enough, but you're dangerous. You sneak up on people with your seductive ways, hiding in plain sight. When you grow to your full potential, those who really get to know you just can't leave you alone - they're hooked for life.

Link: The Which Spice Are You Test written by jodiesattva on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Mmmm, kolaches.

(Thanks, Tony.)

I'm picking out pecans this morning. I plan to make the recipe here.

They've been through a mechanical cracker, but they're small and some were missed.

These lazy, selfish parrots could be a lot of help here. But nooooo...

UPDATE: I think that we can increase the seasonings for household tastes. Otherwise a good holiday addition. Thank you, Diane.