Polar Bear Plunge weekend recap

A couple readers asked me how the Polar Bear Plunge weekend went, so I'll share a few photos and recap.

As predicted, Kerry & Hugh arrived in the late afternoon on Sat with Javier, Emely, Brandyn, Alison, Gabe, and Matty.  Knowing me so well, Kerry presented me with 2 gifts:

Fabulous cocktail napkins and a magnet

These napkins made me howl with laughter!!  I love the magnet too, but it won't stick to the stainless steel appliances in our kitchen, so maybe I'll put it on the washer or dryer.  We hung out for a little while and then went to dinner at Dos Locos.  Fortunately everyone loved their food and I was able to stick to my Fit for Life plan by getting veggie fajitas.  Afterward we returned to the house where some watched a horror film while others talked until bedtime.

Sun morning we had a casual breakfast and hung out together, then everyone got ready for the big plunge.  All 6 of our visiting friends did the plunge except Alison. 

Shedding their clothes minutes before the start of the plunge

Spouse held Kerry & Hugh's dog and I shot the video for them.

Fortunately it wasn't a bitter cold day.  By the time of the plunge it was about 40 degrees and there was very little breeze, so it wasn't terribly cold for those of us who were dry spectators.  Different story for the wet plungers!  There were over 3,000 registered plungers who raised over $780K for the Special Olympics of DE.

After returning to the house, having a hot shower, and changing into warm dry clothes, we went to lunch at Irish Eyes.  Again I stayed on my Fit for Life plan and had salad with lobster on top.  Our friends packed up their gear and headed home.

Being Memorable

I absolutely LOVE IT when friends present me with a gift and say something like "I saw this and thought of you", or "When I saw this it seemed to scream your name", or "The moment I saw this I thought it was SO you". I love being memorable.

So it was with particular glee that I received two special gifts this Christmas.

One was a set of cocktail/dessert plates with martinis on them. Perfect! I love martinis, I love cocktails, I love dessert, I love to entertain. The gift was a perfect match, and the giver of the gift knew it. Oh no - I'm not predictable. I'm memorable.

The second was a package of cocktail napkins with an old black and white photo of two women from 1961 sitting on a sofa with cocktails in hand and a little girl next to them with a sour look on her face. Under the photo in old 'typewriter' font is "Monica dear, that was a precious little story. Now be a sweetheart and go make Mommy another martini." Upon opening this package, I threw my head back, clutched the napkins to my chest and let out and hearty laugh. They were perfect! I'd seen them before, about 2 years ago, but didn't buy them for some reason. Then when I thought better of it and tried to find them again, I wasn't able to find them anywhere. My friend knew.

Knowing my (our) love of vintage stuff, a few years ago a friend gave me a gigantic wooded fork and spoon set, likely from the early 70s. Not to eat with (nobody likes a smart-ass), but to hang on the wall. They were for decoration. My friend confided that he had helped his mother clear out some "stuff" (he almost said junk) in preparation for moving, and he thought we might like them. Well, they're hanging on the wall in our vintage rumpus room. Does that answer your question?

A similar situation occurred with another friend whose parent was getting ready to move. This friend unveiled a set of pink porcelain poodles, probably from the 50s. I loved them! Coincidence? Au contraire, mon ami. Its because of being memorable.