Calm the “f” down.

OK Karen..calm the "f" down and count your blessings as you begin the count down. 

 It is very dark and raining hard  but Evan should be here in about ninety minutes..and fireworks are on the schedule, despite the downpour.  We've got a great view from the balcony--we'll hear and see everything.

This is my last vacation blog of 2018!  

And my last Woodloch trip of 2018! 

 It really is great, but I don't know if I'd recommend NYE for first timers.  It is a zoo..a fun zoo, but when the North Lodge becomes a common room and not just a gathering place for gamers, you know that means there are a LOT of people.  I'm so worried about the crowds that any moment I anticipate  an epic NYE disaster...and like Shelley Winters, I'm going have some issues scaling a Christmas tree.

When I say a "common" room, I mean it's a place for gamers..and cell phone addicts..and eaters..tons of eaters. 

 Look, I get that the three meal plan is costly, and people not on it will want to grab a snack around lunchtime, but my God!  Parents were stuffing their children full of chicken nuggets and nachos..and the lobster dinner is an hour from now.  And I'm not implying the kids should be fed lobsters they won't eat..I'm just saying clean your kids up, get them ready, and let them chose something from the ample kids' menu.

Today Jim and I opted to play "Cash Cab" while Marissa and Todd  went to a trap shooting contest.  We would have won Cash Cab if we only knew what damn year the Panama Canal began..we were off by one!  One damn point away from victory is the bitterest loss of all.

We missed something big when we opted to Play Cash Cab..a record sixty teams gathered in the nightclub for Gingerbread Wars, an activity we've enjoyed when the family comes up in the summer. The most fun of all is not participating.  It is seeing the magnificent works of art created by those who do.

The secret ingredient that needed to be used in each presentation was cranberries, and everyone was up for the challenge.  The theme wasn't told until the game began, and it was "News Worthy Events of 2018"

Of course we saw dozens and dozens of Royal Weddings, but we also saw entries from people who thought outside the box.

Jim could have judged as he photographed what he considered the best--the same choices as the judges.  The bronze medals winners did a presentation of the Eagles Super Bowl win, which was tied with a team who captured the essence of the romaine lettuce recall using gingerbread and icing and decorations..it was so impressive!

The silver medal went to a perfect representation of Lebron James going to the Lakers, and the gold medal deservingly went to the team that sculpted a hamburger, a tribute to IHOP's disastrous attempt to downplay pancakes by renaming themselves I-HOB.  We also might have given a medal to those who sculpted a brilliant salute to the end of the Toys R Us era.  We were busy scouring the very crowded nightclub to find the two kids who positively freaked at Cash Cab..wondering why the Gingerbread Wars only offered things like Magic Markers and dry erase boards. We're assuming they made it in time to spread some  crimson icing on a White House Christmas tree.

The social director Joey does not necessarily know our names, but he does know our faces and our strong suits.  So when we walked by a complete mess of smashed gingerbread with absolutely nothing to indicate what 2018 event it was supposed to be saluting, he just smirked at us and quipped:  "That must be yours."

I played a game called Charts Trivia in the afternoon and was paired up with some clueless people who knew as little about vice presidents and NFL teams colors and the state of Nevada as I did, but stillI'd rather be doing that than touring museums in Europe.  (Yeah, I know, that's just crazy me)

We had one last chance to win the gold at a game called "That's Entertainment!"..ran by Joey, who was accurately described by his son as a cross between "Ryan Seacrest and an old grey squirrel."

We didn't medal but we were really GOOD!  We identified a 10 second clip from the 1977 "A Star is Born" by seeing the back of Kris Kristofferson's head! 

We are couch potatoes.  We are cinemaphiles.

We apparently haven't turned on the radio since 1989.

OK..time to get ready for the beautiful fireworks over the lake, to be viewed from our balcony.  We'll wait for Evan and then head on over for steak and lobster(except for Marissa) and I'll start on my first resolution:

Stop being so damn jealous of people who have convinced their extended families and friends to come to Woodloch. 

 I'm  gonna to be grateful for what I have.

Which is a lot.

A whole lot