(Sorry about the jumping around here, but this is going to be a more train of thought post than a minute by minute recounting of events).

Let me start by saying that I used to be quite the curmudgeon when it came to Christmas. Some folks would say that I still am. But I am much better than I used to be, and I continue to get better about the holiday every year, thanks in large part to my wife and daughter.

But one thing I always do enjoy about Christmas is the evening at my wife's sister's house with our extended family and friends. There is nothing like it. We all eat and drink too much and then have some good quality fun while doing a while elephant gift exchange.

The day started with me cooking a 16 pound turkey on the egg and my brother-in-law doing a 9+ pound leg of lamb on his. Although his leg took a little longer than he thought it should to cook, it was still the best leg 'o bambi I've ever had.

Here's the turkey:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/markbacker/640x480turkey.jpg

And here's the lamb:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/markbacker/640x480leg.jpg

My turkey was amazing as well, and I spent two hours hearing how great it was. I love the feeling I get knowing that people are eating and enjoying the food I've prepared.

The evening came to a head when I got the humping dog for a white elephant gift and someone got a can of that GLH / Ron Popeil spray on hair.

My brother in law, while a tad follically challenged, has never been vain about his hair. He started cutting a head-shaped template out of a gift box, apparently to try out the hair in a can for fun.

I don't think I've laughed so hard in a long time. Just look at these photos:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/markbacker/640x480sprayhair.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/markbacker/640x480sombrero.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/markbacker/640x480egad.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/markbacker/640x480yikes.jpg


After that, my jackass nephew beat me one out of two in NCAA football 2005. I beat him as Princeton over Harvard, but he beat me (again) as UGA over Auburn. It kills me that I can't beat him despite my thousands of hours of training. I will continue to try and eventually will be consistently good enough to beat him without uttering the phrase "DAMMIT!! I can't remember what L2 does!!"

There'll be more to come, but I just couldn't go another minute without posting the above pictures.

God bless you, Ron Popeil...