New Year Hodgepodge

Here are my answers to the Wednesday Hodgepodge -

1. What are three words you would use to describe your 2011?

busy

busy

busy

okay, that is a bit of a cheat but the year was full of appointments and events, some more pleasant than others

2. Do you like shrimp? What's your favorite way to have it prepared?

Sure, I like it, but it isn't my favorite seafood. I like it scampi style on a platter with lobster tail, crabcrakes and broiled sea scallops. Also, my friend Ute once made a salad that was very good. It has shrimp, diced avocado, finely chopped pineapple and fresh red pepper.Tasty.

3. Is your house de-Christmased? If so, when did you tackle that job? If not, when will the decorations come down?

No. Everything is still up and will be until Epiphany on January 6th. That's how it is done in Germany. Of course, we put our trees up much later than in the U.S.  Many people do not put their tree up until Christmas Eve. 

4. Do you like to watch scary movies?

Sure. I LOVED them as a kid and more so as a teenager, a little less now. I prefer comedy and drama these days.

5. ice skating~sledding~ skiing~snowboarding...of the four listed which wintertime activity do you most enjoy?

Hmmmm...toss up between ice skating and sledding. Ice skating is fun and doesn't require me to pull things up a giant hill but sledding is a nice family activity and makes on feel like a child again.

6. Did you have a childhood hideout? Describe it.

Not really a hideout but there were fields and woods behind our house and the remnants of two torn-down buildings. I'd sometimes go out there when upset, but those fields were great to hang out no matter what mood I was in.  I also walked the dog on the paths and we often saw rabbits. Try as she might, my dog never caught one. And there were field of buttercups. And poison ivy...but we won't go into that story.

7. What's a place or space that motivates you?

Not sure. I think people and goals motivate me. It doesn't matter where I am. (Ok...Gargnano, Italy in the summer time just might do the trick)

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

Well, after question number two I am thinking I should call Ute and ask for that recipe. She showed it to me at the time, the page in the cookbook, but it was a while ago and I never got a chance to make it and even though I could just "wing it" I'd really like to have the same dressing because it was really good but can't for the life of me remember what kind of dressing it was. (not sure how random that thought is but it sure makes one hell of a run-on sentence)

That's all for today. If you want to join in Joyce's Wednesday Hodgepodge, here is the link.