During the week leading up to Christmas I worked a lot of hours, and was dragging massive ass. On Christmas Eve they threw open the prison gates around 7:30 pm, and I got home around 8:15.
Somehow we started a tradition, years ago, that mandates we slow-cook North Carolina-style barbecue pork on the day before Christmas, along with a 55-gallon drum of homemade macaroni & cheese, and various dips and chips, etc.
On that day, for reasons that are now unclear, it’s traditional at our house to put some south in our mouth. Do you have a Christmas Eve food custom, or is that just us?
The pork cooked all day in the Crockpot, but there was still much prep work to be done after I got home. And I don’t think we actually sat down to eat until around 9:30. It was crazy; the Secrets were bitching up a storm.
But it was good, and we weren’t going to allow my place of work to ruin our Christmas Eve. We’d show ’em, dammit!
After our “dinner” the boys eventually went to bed, and Toney and I sat around sampling the recipe for a while, giving the younglings enough time to go to sleep.
We had their Santa gifts (neither still believe in him, but I’m not yet ready to completely let loose of the fat bastard) in the garage. Once the boys reached full-dormancy, we’d drag the stuff into the house, and set up a dramatic display near the tree.
We were drinking Yuenglings at this point, and eventually became one with the sofa. I was almost literally paralyzed by laziness, and Toney wasn’t showing any signs of life either. We were watching a Ghost Hunters marathon (“Did you hear that??”), and weren’t able to wrest ourselves off upholstery.
It was nearly 1:30 in the morning before we actually went to bed, and the Secrets were up before 6:00. As I begrudgingly stumbled down the steps, my brain howling in protest, I knew this was going to be a looong day. I wasn’t hungover, I didn’t even drink much, it was strictly a lack of sleep situation.
The older Secret got his Paul McCartney “violin” bass, and the younger boy received his drum kit. And the first time he hit the snare Andy just about rocketed a log into the kitchen. It’s now been several days, and that hound still hasn’t gotten used to the snare. The other drums don’t bother him much, but he’s no fan of that snare.
Steve and Myra came to visit in the afternoon, and Steve and I exchanged gifts. It’s something we’ve been doing since the Carter administration, I think. And it’s fun, because we get each other fun stuff.
This year I gave Steve the “Very Crudely Yours” John Waters DVD box set. It includes Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Desperate Living, Polyester, Hairspray, etc. etc. Oh yeah.
And I got three amazing baseball collectibles, all Brooklyn Dodgers-related. Steve and I used to be really into baseball cards, that whole underworld, and he got back into it several years ago. And he finds the most obscure items a person could imagine (or not).
He gave me a photo of the Shot Heard ‘Round the World, autographed by both Bobby Thompson and Ralph Branca. Why Branca would want to sign such a thing is beyond me, but I think he and Thompson used to make joint appearances. If it were me, I’d want to get as far away from that nightmare as I could. Sweet Maria.
My gift box also included a DVD of the Happy Felton Knothole Gang. It was a live TV show for kids broadcast in Brooklyn during the 1950s, and featured Dodgers players and three boys “from the neighborhood.” Only one episode has survived, and Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese appeared. Good stuff. The accents are amazing.
And the final item is a real mind-melter. In fact, I’m not even going to tell you what it is until tomorrow. I’d like to get your guesses in the comments. What’s the most obscure Brooklyn Dodgers-related item you can imagine? No, not Duke Snider’s jock. But it’s freaky, man. Freaky.
I’m confident nobody will guess it, but give it a shot in the comments, why don’t you?
I remember everything we talked about when Steve and Myra were here, but I was like a zombie the whole time. It now seems like a dream, like it didn’t really happen. I was struggling big-time by that point, and was asleep for good by 8 o’clock.
I spent the first three hours sitting upright on the couch, with my head ratcheted off to the side, then slept for an additional eleven hours in bed. Fourteen hours! That’s roughly three day’s worth, all at once.
And that was my strange, otherworldly Christmas Day. The one that might’ve happened, but I’m not 100% certain of it.
More tomorrow.
Serendipity Baby!!!
Not a clue about obscure Brooklyn Dodgers memorabilia, But I did get a kick-ass set of ceramic chef’s knives for Christmas, and my little ste-secret got his Wii + Rockband. And since he’s old enough to have given up on the fat guy in the red suit we exchanged presents late on Xmas eve ( to ensure we adults could enjoy our holiday by sleeping in for a bit). It turned out to be a brilliant move because the youngling proceeded to play the damn thing for 24 hours straight and didn’t go to bed until sometime late in the evening of the 25th.
Is it a bobble-head?
Not to rub it in Jeff, but I got a bottle of Makers for x-mas….sooo gooooooddd
Bet its a bobble head
my guess: a chunk of turf with a blob of ray campanells’s chaw on it.
um – that’s campanella oops
holy crap the bunker cam is disturbing
6th?
Could it be some piece of Ebbetts Field?
“And the first time he hit the snare Andy just about rocketed a log into the kitchen” made me laugh out loud.
I love the shirt, Jeff!
We used to go all out and cook for Christmas Eve but my husband thinks it is overdoing it considering the blowout feast I make for Christmas. It is too much, but that is beside the point, darn it.
So we ate chicken teriyaki.
Holy crap, a Sunday update. Sweeeet.
We don’t cook for Christmas Eve, but it’s not Christmas without roast lamb. Mmmmm, lamb.
At this point ham or a turkey are just sacrelige.
The Dodgers have been in LA since long before my birth, so I’m really spitballing here. Is it Walter O’Malley’s head?
My wife had my shirt sent to the office. It’s supposed to be a Christmas present.
I hope it gets there tomorrow. I’m wearing it on my first day of school.
—-Serendipity Not my um – holy 6th; could I?—-
Damn, that’s extra strange and senseless.
Hey, when the comments get up to 20 – 30, somebody take the first word of every post and create a “Frankenpost”.
A piece of dugout bench with an interesting carving would be a great gift.
Branch Rickey’s left nut?
My roommate and I spent Christmas watching ghost hunters as well… (it’s cold… don’t touch that Steve!)
btw, it’s my first post.. Love your blog Jeff and when I stumbled upon it, I thought my former boss had a blog.. His name being Jeff Kay as well.
A nice cold beer sound good right now so I am off to get some.. anybody want to join me?
Here in Eastern NC, the Christmas Eve (mandatory) dinner is some kind of steak. EVERYONE around here eats it. It’s weird, but you get used to it.
Barbecue (pig pickin’ ) is more of a spring/summer thing.
Mac ‘n’ cheese is a vegetable in the south, so time/date of consumption doesn’t really matter.
slaw on a hotdog?
@ pagan: From the West Virginia Hot Dog Blog: “What Is A West Virginia Hot Dog?
A true West Virginia hot dog is a heavenly creation that begins with a wiener on a soft steamed bun. Add mustard, a chili-like sauce and top it off with coleslaw and chopped onions and you have a symphony of taste that quite possibly is the reason that many transplanted West Virginians can never really be happy living anywhere else. Different parts of West Virginia have variations on the theme but the common elements are sweet, creamy coleslaw and chili. Anything else is just not a true West Virginia hot dog!”
Oh yea, the slaw adds so much to the taste, you’ve got to try one this way!
Slaw dogs, just makes me a lil green thinking about it.
Around here its not the meal, its quantity. No matter what you have, eat lots!!
That John Waters box set is one of the coolest gifts that anyone could ever give. Just the rarities disc alone is worth the price of the box!
Bunker Cam and Further Evidence- an outstanding couple of links. I will use them both judiciously.
I think the 3rd gift is a strand of hair from Jackie Robinson or Sandy Koufax or somebody like that.
They sell “slaw dogs” down here at a place called Mullins and they’re lousy. Everyone talked them up and went on and on about how great they are when I first moved here. So I went tried one. I think their “slaw” is diced cabbage with catsup mixed in. Terrible, just terrible.
How can you consider yourself a LEGITIMATE West Virginia hot dog evaluation website if you have NO mention AT ALL of Hillbilly Hotdogs. That in and of itself may be Further Evidence.
Buck Out
Christmas Eve at the Williams’ is appetizer type stuff. Hours of grazing on cheese balls, crackers, shrimp, pizza breads, nuts, Chex mix, etc., etc. This is along with lots of booze for the adults and pop for the kids.
Did Steve get you one of those old 8 ft long urinal troughs from Ebbets Field? My younger brother installed one in his finished basement that he bought online that was supposedly from the old Cleveland stadium when it was torn down. Best part of his basement.
Christmas in TX…smoked brisket, smoked turkey and deep-fried turkey, all washed down with Broken Halo IPA.
Jeff, have you seen the Maker’s Mark wrapping paper? We Ambassadors received it in the mail…design of MM bottles arranged to look like snowflakes…very cool.
Love the info on Further Evidence which has always been a very entertaining part of the WVSR.
Lots of hot dog Info here:
http://hot-dog.org/
O.K. Buck, I’ll bite(Pardon the pun!) Hillbilly hotdog??
Good Morning Surf Reporters……………
No real Cheistmas Eve food traditions, although this was the first Eve in a long time we didn’t have shrimp. Blame it on a struggling economy and a lightened money clip.
Most obscure memorabilia from the old Brooklyn Dodgers……. I’m guessing it is the pitcher’s mound rubber from Ebbets Field…
*Christmas, not Cheistmas. And Festivus for the rest of us…..
Christmas was spent in NYC…so absolutely NO traditions were followed, except for the massive drinking bit.
And we got to see a carzy old Chinese lady yank down her pants and scratch her bare ass on the subway. Maybe THAT shall be a new tradition.
Mazeltov!
@tiff – I think thats one tradition I will pass on. I have seen enough Okinawans, in my youthful days, do that same thing and it wasn’t Christmas time either. At least not for my young impressionable mind. I think it was some kind off assault on the American occupation or something like that.
@Greg – They do that in Notrh Kacklelacky too! …and slaw on yer Carolina Pork sandwich.
@ Buck: Here’s the link to review of the Hillbilly Hot Dogs Huntington store: http://wvhotdogs.com/hillbillyshuntington.html
Here’s the link to the review of the Hillbilly Hot Dogs Lesage store: http://wvhotdogs.com/hillbillylesage.html
Xmas Eve trad. is going out to a great local chinese joint to get some ‘chinese turkey’ ala A Xmas Story. No Deck the Halls by the waiters but the duck is good and the sake is better!
And what you’re doing in a crockpot Jeff is NOT Que. Que must involve smoke AND seasoning and/or sauce. You can’t make real Que w/out smoke.
Haul over to Stookey’s for some PA Que…which isn’t Que but at least it’s smoked. They smoke it up here in PA but they don’t season or sauce it worth hell….u have to do seasoning yourself to get anything approaching real southern Que. My granddaddy owned a bbq shack for a number of years in southern VA….eastern carolina style pork bbq. I KNOW me some Que. Mmmmmm……que……..
A turnstyle.
Who are the secrets favorite musicians?
Weird:
I’ve been eating slaw dawgs for the past two days, by choice.
The first time I ever HEARD of a slaw dog was shortly after we moved here to southern Georgia (from NE Ohio)
Hebrew National hot dog (accept no substitutes)
melted cheddar
mustard and deli slaw.
I get a slaw dog craving every few months.
The perfect food IMHO.