McGyver's arrival + Xmas Eve

The rains have been unrelenting and we received a huge storm Saturday morning and it rained all day long and into the evening.  The next morning was more of the same and the roads were closed to/from Petaluma.  McGyver  (aka - Captain, Steve's dad, the Original Steve and/or Hecht, Sr.) was arriving today and we spent our morning readying the house for him and wrapping the last of the xmas presents.

"Buffums Special" back in 1967

He had to take a small detour, but arrived in good spirits and with lots to share about his two-day journey north to our little house in Valley Ford.  It's so great to have him here to celebrate xmas, but also his 70th birthday.  We indulged in lots of food, cocktails & even had a fashion show with this 45 year old velour shirt.   The Hecht men do not part easily with their shirts.

Anna Erickson from Hands Full Farm asked me to take in a mildly electrocuted hen named Carmen Electra.  Long story, but I agreed and she agreed to take back our very loud rooster, Dolly, Jr.  It's not that our rooster isn't doing its job, but I really only want laying hens and Steve's predisposition to unnecessary noise is creating a bit of a problem on Upper Johns Street.  Steve can only tolerate the Green Acres' lifestyle for so long!

Every year we throw a little xmas eve open house at our home and invite a couple of dozen friends.  Steve makes his dad's recipe for chili (this year with his dad supervising), we order tamales from a great little taco truck in Roseland, I make my kick-ass spanish rice and we have bubbly & beer for our guests.  Brandon from the Valley Ford Hotel delivered a boatload of homemade tortilla chips & salsas and stayed for a bit to help us perfect our margarita making.

The day was full with cooking, organizing and finishing up last minute xmas presents.  As our friends arrived around 3 in the afternoon, we slowly visited, ate, laughed and enjoyed the food.  G was feeling under the weather and retreated to his bedroom, which is very unlike him.  His mild fever and cough was getting him down.  It's no fun to be sick on xmas eve.

As the party was winding down, things got a little crazy.  My farmer friend, Anna, who was going to take my rooster off of my hands, decided that tonight would be a good night to grab it on her way out the door.  She had been imbibing quickly here and I'm sure in her champagne-buzzed state that grabbing the roosters (she informed me I had two, not just one) seemed like a good idea.  Let me assure you, it was not.

Once she grabbed my main rooster, Dolly, Jr., the squawking that came out of that bird was like a wild woman screaming for her life.  The entire party came out on the deck and watched as she jaunted out from the chicken coop and took center stage just below the deck platform.  To quiet the rooster, she grabbed its neck and then methodically started twisting the body by the feet in small circles - all the while talking to us in her cutesy farmer voice.  Slowly, we realized she was wringing its neck and a quiet horror spread over my face and the crowd as we watched the rooster quiet itself with each turn of its body.

Now, it's not that I don't eat chicken or understand that animals do have to die before I eat them.  But seeing it done right in front of you?  Yeah, that was a little weird and eery.  She then gingerly threw it in the back of the truck and left with her friend.

The remainder of my guests were a little gobsmacked, but then chuckled and chided that this was a very West County Xmas Eve and would never be forgotten.  I absolutely agree.

Three generations of Hecht Men under one roof!

We finished off the night playing games and letting G open a few presents from my mom, which included the requisite xmas eve pajamas.  A must open on xmas eve present, in my opinion.

Hecht-Salas Clan Xmas Eve 2012

I finally got a picture of the three of us this year (thanks to Steve's dad)!  G's eyes are slightly closed, but it's really the best we could do (there were several takes in trying to capture all three of us in the late afternoon sun).

G left a tray of candies and a heartfelt letter to Santa on the table and called it a night.

I will never forget this night.