A Christmas In Etobicoke

The excess gene runs deep in Bro. For Christmas lunch at his house, there were at least 30 of us. I couldn't keep track because there are four areas in his house where people could lose themselves without ever running into each other.

When we arrived, Bro Bro and his family were off on an adventure all their own. No sooner had they got to the house when he received a phone call from his home alarm company. His back door had been broken into. Bro Bro rushed home to find it was a false alarm. There was no forced entry, nothing missing, no evidence of anyone having been in or near his house while he was away. It was probably a cross wiring, or a disgruntled employee at the home alarm company playing reindeer games with their customers. But the anxiety of theft and robbery had shaken BroBroWife so much she had to stay home to rest and miss the party. The others came back to Bro's, and the kids especially, had a good time.

For lunch, we had shrimp cocktail, a 23 lb turkey, a 12 lb capon, stuffing, stewed beef with mushroom sauce, sausages, bbq pork, baked cod fish, grilled chicken wings, at least two salads, don't know how many vegetables, mashed potatoes, baked yams, and other things that barely registered in my mind and are now lost in my stomach. This was followed by platters and platters of crab legs.

In this haze of feeding, my mother discovered Dubonnet, which she now calls her drink of choice. She scribbled the name and brand on a piece of paper so she can buy it herself at the liquor store later.

Too intoxicated with food. I don't remember dessert. I know I was told about a cheese cake, a Christmas log and a flan pudding. There could have been more items on the table though my mind refused to register them again and my stomach held me down to the couch so I couldn't get to the dessert table.

Bro and BroWife organized games for adults and kids, with prizes. In the sun room, the kids decorated gingerbread houses. I was too comatose with food to join them.

Later, The Boy won the word de-scramble game, finishing way ahead of Sis, who came in second. I finished third.

BroWife's cousin won the Bingo game.

Sis and I were hopeless at foozball. Our opponents, Kid1, the scampy 7-year-old son of Sis, and his foozball partner, were leading by 7 points before I realized we were red, not yellow, or was that yellow, and not red. We were first to get kicked out. Yeah, first. Kid1 and his partner went on to win the tournament.

There were presents for the kids too. Too much of course. But I give the kids credit for being well behaved and sharing generously. I am blessed to have really smart, cute, quirky nieces and nephews. They are unique individuals, every one of them, and so much fun to be with. I like to think they model themselves after The Boy. They worship him enough.

We finished lunch after 8 pm. I don't know when we actually left Bro's house. I know we came home with leftovers that overflowed our fridge. I am serving the untouched flan pudding tonight to friends.