Primed

The tamales are standing by, and and the roast beast lurks in its cooler. (It was too large to fit into the already overstuffed refrigerator.) The potatoes are already cooked, and the pearl onions stands ready for brown-braising. The cat prowls the corridors, ready to repel invading miniature reindeer.

All that said, the holiday weekend will be a quiet time, albeit one with too much food. Last year Kathy and I were apart for basically the whole winter, so this year we’re taking it easy ...