Linkmeister

New Year's Open House

Back when the world was younger (late 1970s to mid-1980s) we used to throw an Open House party on New Year's Day. We'd turn on all three television sets for bowl games (there were only four held on January 1 back then - Cotton, Rose, Sugar and Orange), make five pans of Quiche Lorraine (from scratch), devein uncounted numbers of shrimp (served on ice in giant clamshells), make two crockpots full of chili, maybe buy a tray or two of cold cut and veggie platters (the only thing we didn't make ourselves), and wait for the crowds to pour in. We often got 100 or so people showing up throughout the day, from Dad's office, Mom's office, my office, and the neighborhood. It was a fun day, but after Mom and Dad retired we gave up the practice. On the upside, my knuckles are no longer scarred from all that Swiss cheese-grating for the quiche, but on the downside I've lost my homemade chili recipe.

Oh, and according to the paper, there are six bowl games on January 1 this year. Who'd have time to cook?