For Derek, this meant the long-awaited FIFA 18 video game (you know, the one I forbade him from buying until he finished all of his college apps...at which point it was too close to the holiday to allow him to purchase it anyway? Yeah, that one...) His grin lit up the room as he declared, "Well, you know where I'll be for the next...12 hours!" He was exaggerating, of course, but later in the day, he seemed to be having a blast exploring some of the updated features of his game--and reporting them to us. For example, in the course of his first virtual season he "fired his manager", "received a bogus offer to play for Real Madrid, which was actually a scam", "found out he had a half-sister who plays for the U.S. Women's National Team", and "left his club to go to the MLS". He summed it up thusly: "It was an emotional afternoon for me!" with a wry shake of his head.Tangential bit of hilarity: at one point Husband wandered through the room to watch for a few minutes, and when he emerged, he made a comment that I heard as: "Derek's very excited about the nude celebrations in this edition!" I'm sorry, WHAT was that? Derek clarified, "No, no, there are totally clothed, NEW celebrations." (Whew, that makes much more sense...)
Riley, on the other hand, received items related to ACTUAL soccer, such as a new ball. (So that he has an old one for the back yard, where there are rocks and sticks that sometimes cause damage, and a slightly better one to take to the Middle School field--but not TOO nice, because it's often wet and muddy there-- and finally, one that's in perfect condition, for official practices. Got all that? Pfft...boys...) One thing he didn't ask for, but I had a brilliant brainstorm and got him anyway, was a small indoor goal for our Bonus Room, where he and Derek--and whoever else happens to be visiting at any given moment--frequently kick a foam ball around. Now at least they have something to AIM for, besides the wall. I must have been on the right track, because after trying it out for a while, Riley declared that it contributed to this being "one of the Best. Christmases. EVER." (Yaaayy!)Meanwhile, Husband, besides the aforementioned grill lighting device, was given stainless steel, insulated coffee mugs...because apparently, his morning java cools off too quickly when he takes it into his office to sip while working...and it was just wrecking his routine to have to stop what he's doing, get up, walk into the kitchen, and re-microwave it repeatedly. (Hey, whatever...steams your cuppa joe, dude....) Also, the requisite jumbo bag o'snacks that the boys and I always hand-pick from a local specialty shop--Old Bay spiced peanuts, onion flavored potato chips, sourdough pretzel bites, Doc Brown's Cherry soda...a plethora of quality junk food, in other words.
Then in the afternoon, we'd scheduled a family outing to see the latest Star Wars flick. We had a slew of logistical difficulties when trying to figure out when the heck we were going to squeeze this in, with the limited time available to us, Derek already having seen it, and Riley firmly announcing that he didn't want to go without his brother. But then we realized we hadn't considered Christmas day, causing Derek to note, "Well, Jewish people go to the movies on Christmas, right?" (Yep--and a whole lotta others as well, if the crowds were any indication--it turned out to be a popular choice for December 25th!)
On the way there, Husband, who had missed the previous installment, asked for a plot synopsis. Derek gamely attempted to summarize both the storyline and the major characters, but given the complexity of the material, he warned, "Just listen; don't ask any questions." And Husband managed to contain himself for approximately 2 sentences, before interrupting and demanding clarification or more details on this point or the other. Eventually Derek gave up in exasperation and said, "You know what? Lots of explosions, lightsabers, good guy vs. bad guys, that's all you need to know!" (Seriously, he should have taken the high-tech route, and IMDBd it before we left, yeah? Amateur...)
To round out our excursion, since we'd left the theater just as the sun was setting, we did end up taking a circuitous route home, so we could get our fill of ogling other people's outdoor decorations. From the classy and understated, to the over-the-top electrical extravaganzas, we enjoyed viewing...and critiquing...the whole gamut. And with that, Christmas 2017 came to an end. It was a day chock-full of family and fun--so the best kind, really. And now, to all a good night!
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