Where does the weekend go?!

I swear the weekends keep getting shorter and shorter.  This past one was a good one, but a busy one!

Friday night, M and I decided we'd go to Opryland to see the lights.  M was craving a steak, so we attempted to eat at Longhorn, right across from our house.  The foyer was packed, so we immediately turned around and hopped back in the car.  We instead decided on Mama Mia's.  If you've never been, I would've recommended it before this weekend.  It's a little hole in the wall place at the intersection of Harding and Trousdale near Crieve Hall.  It's literally in a dumpy little building, but the food is so very, very good.  This is a very romantic place to go on a date, or a nice place to have dinner with friends and family.  They don't have alcohol, but for a minor corkage fee, you can bring your own wine or beer.  They have great appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts.  It's not somewhere to dine if you're in a rush to get places.

M and I knew that about Mama Mia's, but we decided to try anyway.  We got in, sat, our orders promptly-ish taken and our food came out rather quickly.  And then our service went downhill.  Our food was delicious and great, but after we got our food, the server came by to see how it was and then VANISHED.  I mean, not really, I saw him walking to other tables and waiting on other people, but he didn't come back to our table for at least 40 minutes.  Before our food came, we were planning on sharing a dessert, but by the time the waiter FINALLY got back around to our table to ask if we wanted coffee or dessert, we were pretty confident in the fact that it would probably take an additional 30 minutes to get the dessert, much less the bill.

It was 8:30 by the time we left the restaurant and much too late to go see the lights at the Opryland hotel.  We went home and were lame old geezers and hit the hay.  

Saturday we were rather productive.  After eating breakfast, I started on baking the cookies for M's mom's Christmas party (see recipe in post below.)  M got cracking on leaf-blowing the gutters.  Having 5 oak trees means lots and lots and lots of leaves.  Everywhere.  He managed to get them into three huge piles throughout the yard.  

After baking I loaded up all our glass recycling and headed to the local recycling place.  The city of Nashville collects paper, aluminum and plastic, but not glass.  I always feel like such an alcoholic when I take the glass.  But in my defense, I hadn't taken the recycling since our Halloween party or M's poker night.  So at least it wasn't all ours.  

When I got home, I ran to Target to get a tree skirt and some gift wrapping materials so the presents for my parents and brother would match mom's color scheme rules.  Once I got home, I got crackin' on putting up our artificial tree.  It took me a good 20 minutes to get the dang tree stand put together (why M felt the need to take it apart at all is beyond me).  The tree only had two parts, so that made it easier to just fluff each layer and add lights, until I got to the top of the 7.5 foot tree and had to keep climbing and descending the step ladder to fluff and light.  By the time the tree was lit and ready, I was too tired to decorate, plus, I wanted to rest before I had to get ready for the Christmas party.

We watched some of the SEC championship while we relaxed.  Although I knew it was futile, I was rooting for South Carolina (which I'm also not such a big fan of) but dad would've had a heart attack if I'd cheered for Auburn.  

M's mom's house was decorated to a T...or should I say to a tree?  Hehe.  Every room in her house had a tree.  Most were white or pink trees and they were absolutely covered in ornaments!  The house was so festive.  She had three different kinds of chili (beef, chicken and venison) and quite the spread of appetizers.  I was blown away by her party throwing skills, because mine do not compare in the least.  It was nice to meet many of M's relatives and his new step-father.  I told him if he was ready to leave at any point to tug on his ear.  Turns out we were some of the last to leave the party.  

Sally-dog!

Sunday we woke up, I made breakfast.  It snowed off and on throughout the day, so I covered Sally-dog up with her blanket.    After church I had some returns to make and the rest of M's gifts to buy.  I was home by about 2:30 to find that M had wrapped a few gifts for me under our naked tree.  I got started and managed to wrap all my gifts for M, my parents and my brother in just about an hour and a half.  Then M and I ordered some pizza and decorated our tree, watched an episode of Mad Men and went to bed, like usual, at 9pm.  It was freezing last night and it's going to be even colder tonight.  Eep!  Let's hope we don't freeze, the low is 18!  

All-in-all a productive and good weekend, just busy busy busy.  Next weekend should be much more about the celebrating with a party on Saturday and Sunday and less about the decorating and cleaning up.