Just like that, our first Wisconsin Christmas is a wrap!
The one thing I wanted more than anything else was a white Christmas. Elliott came barreling in with cold so fierce by Friday morning, there was no way any of that snow already on the ground was melting.
The result? That perfectly picturesque Hallmark white Christmas I desired. Made those -35º windchills totally worth it. (Easy for me to say; I didn’t have to go out in it, unlike Tara.)
Next year, we’ll be in one of those houses. Mark my words! (Well, probably not one of the handful of houses pictured above, but you know what I mean.)
The cold and snow-packed roads did interfere with our plans, but we’re good at pivoting. Instead of driving into Madison after dark on Christmas Eve to look at holiday lights, we decided to stick to Fort Atkinson, grabbing dinner at the one local tavern that was open and checking out the neighborhood displays. And then, we scrapped that idea entirely a few minutes before we were to head out the door, opting instead to kick back at home with frozen pizza and It’s a Wonderful Life. Again with the frozen pizza. I don’t even know who I am anymore. In any case, a comfy blanket sounded more alluring than navigating slick streets in 5º weather and dealing with drunken hordes.
Christmas Day itself was perfectly chill (figuratively and literally). It did warm up to 10º and the wind died down, so I took a nice long walk downtown and along the partially frozen river. Bundled up in flannel-lined jeans, a hoodie, a winter coat, ski gloves, balaclava, and beanie, I didn’t feel the slightest chill. I didn’t feel anything, actually. A rabid badger (because this is Wisconsin) could have attacked me and I would have just patted it gently on the head.
After the walk, I basically planted my ass on my recliner and drank cocktails. Normally we do a prime rib roast for Christmas dinner, but decided* to change that up this year and make a ham instead.
*By decided, I mean when I stopped by the local meat market to pick up a roast last week, I was told they were preorders only. More pivoting ensued.
The real kicker? Two days later, they posted on Facebook that there were fresh prime rib roasts available. I can’t be too upset though, because the ham came from a local market renowned for their farm-raised pork. Tara made a bourbon, mustard, pineapple juice, brown sugar, garlic glaze that was like candied crack. So, so good. And the Beecher’s mac ‘n cheese was a perfect side. Honestly, we might stick with the ham again next year.
All in all, it was a great holiday. The flamingo socks from my parents were just the icing on the cake! It’s going to be hard to venture back to work tomorrow, but I figure I should make an in-office appearance as it’s been over a week. Plus, the weather is going to warm up to maybe-even-50º by the end of the week. And it’s going to rain, no less. That’ll feel downright balmy after the past two weeks.
Tell me all about your holiday!
Mark My Words 
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