We've been having Cornish game hens. Special, like turkey, without having tons.

When my sister and I were on our own for thanksgiving we got stuffed pork chops at the market as a turkey/stuffing alternative. (Then we decided there wasn't enough stuffing and got on a roll and by the time we were done we basically had made a full T-day dinner for like eight with the sole exception of the turkey. Oops.)

In recent years our Christmas has been pretty simple. Especially when we were up in NC with my brother and weren't visiting family.

Nice breakfast we can eat after opening stockings. Then open presents and have something simple like seafood gumbo or chili for lunch and then another simple dinner.

Last year, I can't remember what I ate but I did something special for myself and skyped with the family.

This year Will and I are going to make dinner on Xmas eve, play some games, exchange gifts. Don't know what we'll make. Then Xmas day I'll skype again with the family.

I prefer a meal on the Eve if there is going to be a big family sit-down and then just snacking on Christmas, but I rarely get all that I want. We are a small group this year, so hopefully no formal meal. There should be the following though on Christmas:

Cranberry salad (the same as from Thanksgiving)
sausage dip and chips
Cranberry Orange cake
some sort of pie
Chicken or Turkey (cornish hens are a good option)
Crescent rolls
lots of cookies and possibly caramels

We did too! They started doing it in the 70s when it was trendy, and we kids loved it, so they just never stopped.

Yep, that's what happened with my family, too. I have a fondue pot in the back of a cupboard somewhere that I should pull out.

Now I want fondue! I bet my parents still have a pot.

I have been considering a ham on Christmas day, but really haven't gotten any further than that. It will just be CJ and me on the Eve, so we will do something simple. Day of, I have everyone in the morning, then the kids go to KCD's for a while and I'm not sure when they will be back.

We are under a blizzard watch today. We've had about an inch so far and the forecast for the rest of the day keeps changing.

We usually have ham and a chicken on Christmas day, and keep it simple on Christmas eve.

I love it when the president is photographed with kids: [link]

Fondue over New Year's would be fun. I think I work New Year's Day, but I've got 4 days off before that.

Does anyone know why I have "Alien Invasion (X-Files)" on my calendar for Saturday?

The X-Files series finale made reference to the Mayan Calendar.

Edit: [link]

Furthermore, in "The Truth," it is revealed to Mulder by The Smoking Man that the aliens plan to colonize the earth on December 22, 2012, an event that, according to the show, the Mayans predicted. This is a throw-back to the second season episode "Red Museum," which featured members of a new religious movement who believed that the year 2012 would bring about the dawning of the New Age.