Thar she blows...

Here goes the video for the gingerbread demolition (daytime version):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ6kzW5t02Y
The ending needs to be edited out (I shrieked because I was hit in the back by warm shrapnel as I was running off, and then started to laugh about it all), and hopefully add a slo-mo of the actual explosion in its place. I have asked a friend to assist with this.
One interesting note was that the only piece of gingerbread that remained at ground zero was the gingerbread man's EYES.
Anyway, that's the gingerbread house New Year tradition. "My" raven really enjoyed last night's explosion this morning. She was waddling around in the front yard and gorging on gingerbread bits when I looked out first thing. The bluejays were happy to help with cleanup as well.
I think the best thing we learned this year was to remove the plastic tray before adding the explosive device. Last year, we spent a good amount of time hunting for the fragments of plastic.
Next year, we have designs on a full-scale gingerbread hotel or condo. Possibly a townhouse or high-rise. Thinkin' there needs to be a happy crowd of onlookers with gumdrop buttons and icing grins.
Dinner for us was our first deep-fried turkey. Not bad.
Happy 2008!

Gingerbread fallout

Sure, it's great fun to go out on the town and see everyone we rarely see these days just because we so seldom hit the bars, but...
something pretty cool about a house party. No need to drive anywhere, and the facilities are pretty decent.

The last day of the year was spent getting ready for saying goodbye to 2007. I am having a pang of yearning for it just now as I typed that last sentence. Hadn't given it a ton of thought 'til now as to it truly being gone. Ran into a couple old acquaintances at Costco and the liquor store. One was unpleasant and luckily we didn't talk. The other, we just don't run in the same circles anymore. Was kind of nice to say hello casually and walk away from that one.
Still hurting from that damn shaving cut under my arm doing battle with a supervillain earlier today. Doing my best to assuage that with mandarin vodka, lime juice and mint leaves.
The XM satellite (nobody was up for playing DJ, the potential for dissing is way too high) was disappointing, though, so we had to change up the tunes. Sublime is better than Cher and listening to whiny 90s music.
Later, we will annihilate the two gingerbread houses we built way back before Christmas. Explosives + candy, frosting and gingerbread. There is NOTHING cooler than gingerbread fallout (well, there might be, but right now I'm fixated on that). Last year was the first year we instituted this tradition. It became one because of the joy it brought us as we remembered the sound of the shrapnel landing on the neighbor's tin roof. We laughed 'til our stomachs hurt.
The birds were quite pleased the next day to carry off the bits and pieces, and whatever candy eluded their beaks, merely melted in the rain. We found pieces of the house as much as a quarter mile away.
Cooper tried to get us to do one early for him, but New Year's is for gingerbread explosions. Oh, yes.
That and mandarin mojitos, though having them in the glass and not on the floor's always good. The neighbors are having a bonfire, but it's muddy over there.
Hoping we can get some video footage of the gingerbread house demolition...stay tuned.
Please drive carefully out there...don't drive drunk...
Happy New Year!!!