Christmas Eve Escape

It was one last exhaustive day with the last-minute shoppers. The mind was heavy with family concerns. The weather was already taking a dangerous turn....shoppers were falling from the rapidly forming black ice outside our front doors. I trudged out of work to a frozen-over car that took me several minutes to break into. Christmas Eve was gray in more ways than one.

After driving home in pouring sleet, I went into the house to find Keith ready to hit the slippery roads for our trip to Jefferson City to gather with his family for the holidays. My bleak state of mind combined with bad weather concerns to help form a quick and cathartic breakdown. I regrouped quickly and off we went. The trip was a tad hellish through to the outskirts of KC and just generally challenging through sometimes torrential rain to Jeff City. We stopped at an ice-covered truck stop where I heard a woman trying to outrun he sleet yell, "AH'M BEEIN' PELTED WITH HAYULL!!!" Hayull indeed.

We were late getting to the traditional Winge Christmas celebration but joined in soon enough. The family mixed us a much-needed cocktail and Keith's Dad, Ken brought around a chilled bottle of Wild Turkey Honey Bourbon. Keith's paternal grandparents always join the family for a Christmas Eve meal prepared by Keith's Mom, Helen. Ken grew up sharing a bowl of oyster soup with his grandparents and that tradition has continued on to Keith and his grandparents. In addition to the oyster soup, a hearty clam chowder, smoked turkey, scalloped potatoes, corn casserole and homemade pumpkin pie were served. It was a welcome and peaceful evening with family after a bit of a harrowing day.

I hope everyone found some peace on Christmas Eve.