Getting Closer To the Big Day (and I Am Smart - Hitting the Stores at 8 a.m. Before All the Fools Get Out There)

 Highlights for the Monday was cooking the ham all day, going for a run, going for a walk, wrapping the presents and meeting Chitunga, Kanyea and Abu for lunch at The Retreat in Liverpool. I'm becoming a creature of habit at that restaurant - their strawberry, goat-cheese, mandarin orange salad is outstanding.

Of course, 3 hours later I was starving, but mom, dad and I did a throwback: grilled peanut butter, broccoli and cheddar cheese soup, and potato chips. That worked out well.

Then it was practice time. Nikki needed to learn how to make the cranberry mojitos, so during the day I put all the ingredients on Pine Grove and promised to come over at 7 p.m. to teach her how to mix the drinks. We had success, as evident from Cynde's love-fest with Nikki Minaj and Glamis - all three looking radiant in the television set glare.

Today is the big Crandall, Barnwell, Isgar fiesta, and I look forward to the food, laughter, silliness and love of another year all around Cynde's Days of Our Lives tree with our Christmas ornaments.

And for those of you who don't live in the northeast, you might be surprised to know that this big, yellow orb came out in the sky today heating up the air to 55 degrees melting most of the white stuff that has been blanketing the ground. We are likely to have an unusually green Syracuse Christmas.

Nikki and I are very excited to share the cranberry mojitos with Casey, to see how she does with the rum and mint.

Let the chaos begin.