Christmas, Humor, Music, Nonsense, Tater Tots

Vite it, Sto mangiando Tater Tots- Parte Otto (Screw It, I’m Eating Tater Tots- Part Eight)

Writer McWriterson

This month’s post is partially in Italian to honor the tradition of my Dad’s “famous” Christmas Eve meatballs that go along with our annual Christmas Eve spaghetti dinner.

I asked my dad to tell me again the story of how the Christmas Eve spaghetti and meatballs began and here it is paraphrased:

My Dad’s foster dad (long story that needs to be a book someday) had two biological children, one of whom was named Bill. His wife Karen had many friends who worked in the theater industry in New York City. Karen and Bill would host dinner every Christmas Eve for their personal friends and their friends in the theater community; actors, directors, stagehands, you name it. Because they weren’t able to go home for the holidays because of the rigorous play schedules, they had nowhere to be and Karen wouldn’t have that.

At this annual Christmas Eve dinner, the menu was always the same: spaghetti and meatballs. Their home was filled with the sounds of creative people, card tables as far as you could see, and the smell of spaghetti and meatballs coming from their kitchen. My dad attended those dinners throughout his high school years, and it made a huge impression on him.

So when my parents got married, my mom wanted to impart my dad’s traditions to our family, as his family was far away on the East Coast. Spaghetti and meatball Christmas Eve dinner started when I was a toddler and we’ve been doing it every year since. Even with marriages and children and grandchildren, the tradition is still alive and well-loved.  I don’t doubt that our children will keep the memory alive as it’s a great story and, well, spaghetti and meatballs are pretty awesome too. I have tried to replicate the meatballs on holidays where we couldn’t be together and they just aren’t as good as my dad’s. 🙂 

Casa sulla roccia

(House on the Rock)

In November, we got to go to House on the Rock in Wisconsin for an overnight getaway with friends of ours. It was so much fun simply being away for a little over 24 hours, which made me think we should do little getaways like that during winter to make winter less smad.

You know what else will make me less smad?

Creepy dolls.

And lots and lots of doll heads.

I have these images saved on my phone to text to anyone who is giving me a hard time in 2020.

The takeaway from House on the Rock? The dude who came up with it had to have been high as a kite most of his adult life. Not that there is anything wrong with that. 

Speaking of, T-Minus 22 days until legal marijuana in Illinois.

You know what else makes me less smad?

That there is a restaurant called Pho King Good in Madison Wisconsin (which we passed on the way to House on the Rock), and because many people think Pho is pronounced FO as in FO SHO, they have no idea that it is really pronounced FU as in FUCKING GOOD.

Grammatica, è Buono!

(Grammar, it’s good!)

I just need to get this off of my chest…..

I have seen these two words used incorrectly so many times in the last two months that it makes me want to scream. Like, it drives me INSANE. And it’s not just regular people misusing these two words: LEGITIMATE websites are using these words incorrectly.

USA Today? Is that still a respectable newspaper? Was it ever? They used this incorrectly besides many other mistakes.

Also:

Musica di cui sono ossessionato

(Music I am obsessed with)

I’m thinking of making this a Tater Tot regular because I love music and feel like I never share that side of me on the blog.

So, over the past several months. I have become obsessed with the band The Paper Kites. If you want some great background music to chill to in your life, check them out.

Here is one of my favorites:

Accoutrements Squirrel in Underpants Deluxe Air Freshener
Courtesy of Amazon

Chi non ha Bisogno di un deodorante per lo scoiattolo? Le mie prime cinque scelte Regalo dell’ ultimo minuto

(Who doesn’t need a squirrel air freshener? My top five last-minute gift picks)

1- Squirrel in underpants car air freshener (see above for picture)

Nuns Having Fun Wall Calendar 2020 [12" x 12" Inches]
Courtesy of Amazon

2- Nuns Having Fun calendar 

Rubber Foot (Right)
Courtesy of Amazon
Flingshot Slingshot Flying Screaming Monkey
Courtesy of Amazon

Che Cosa è il grande Corvo di odini che ho appena visto?

(What in Great Odin’s Raven did I just look at?)

Courtesy of Pinterest

Is this greenery on a mantle or one of these:

Image result for a moss suit for hunting"
Courtesy of Amazon
Courtesy of Pinterest

In case you were wondering, yes, there is such a thing as too many candles.

Courtesy of Pinterest

Is the overgrown shrubbery/ excessive candle look becoming a trend?

Canzone di Natale che odi amare?

(What is the Christmas song you hate to love?)

NOT love to hate. There is a difference.

Here is mine:

Tell me yours in the comments! Happy December, my friends!

Ciao…….

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28 thoughts on “Vite it, Sto mangiando Tater Tots- Parte Otto (Screw It, I’m Eating Tater Tots- Part Eight)”

  1. I love the Christmas Eve story! What a great tradition!

    I actually saw the Paper Kites in my city last summer and they are amazing live.

    Also, my favorite Christmas song that I hate to love is Underneath the Tree by Kelly Clarkson!

    I love these tater tot posts and keep them coming in 2020!

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  3. We used to have spaghetti and meatballs (and sausage and peperoni) each x-mas eve too but when we moved over to my mom’s house (she still has no kitchen years later!) it turned to take out pizza night. Much easier to eat and prepare without a kitchen but I miss our traditional meal. This post had me cracking up; those 5 gifts… oh my! I wish we now had kept up our family’s white elephant exchange!

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  6. Love this. I need the middle finger stamp. I love ‘I want a hippopotamus for Christmas.’ Weird and obscure but makes me smile.

    The meatball story is awesome.

    I saw a book on Amazon that was titled something like ‘Don’t be a Dick’ – a kids’ book about manners I think. I was shopping for a gift for my nephew. My kids would not bat an eye but my bro and sis in law would have not recovered. All the more reason. Right? I might have to do a post on this kind of gift. The ones that tempt.

    Getting away for 24 hours sounds delightful especially if it did not involve Irish dancing.

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  8. Mariah’s All I Want for Christmas, is by far my favorite Christmas song and I love to love it. But which one do I hate to love? John Legend’s rendition of “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” And Alexa plays it about 72 times a day. I hate that I love this song. But I do love it.

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  9. Mmm…spaghetti and meatballs. My mom always made the best (at least I thought so). I have not seen that excessive greenery and candle trend (if that’s what it is)…that’s horrendous! Guess they’ve never heard that less is more. Love that middle finger stamp. Thing is, I’d be wanting to stamp it on literally everything, so…

    See you soon! 🙂
    xoxo

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  10. What a great story with the spaghetti and meatballs! It reminds me of the 5 lbs of shrimp carried on for generations. (If you watch a certain show, you’ll know what I’m talking about but I don’t want to ruin it in case you haven’t watched the fall finale.) Nuns Having Fun is always a hit around these parts since the Mr went to 12 years of Catholic school. LOL

    I’m going to put on my shield and cringe from snowballs but I LOATHE that or any Mariah Carey Christmas song. The hubby knows from the first note to change the channel or I will be in a rotten mood the rest of the hour. So I’ll give you a good one to make fun of me for…actually two that I like (love is a bit strong for these songs)…Mistletoe by Justin Bieber (aka the Beebs) because Music Choice drilled it into my head a few years ago. Also Season of Love by a boy…errr…man band. Hang on, let me look it up. https://youtu.be/9HywEqKy3fc?t=58 I’m so embarrassed but I think it’s because the actual music reminds me of the song Us by INXS which I love. Man this is a cheesy video. I hope you have some wine to go with it. Again, thanks a lot Music Choice.

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    1. First of all, I love the vulnerability that is being displayed in the comments section. There is no judgement at all. Also, I am now kind of in love with Mistletoe with Justin Bieber because after I read this, I looked it up and have been listening ever since.

      I had no idea about the five pounds of shrimp but then I googled it and it looks like This Is Us? Which by the way, Mike and I watched feverishly the first season and then fizzled out thereafter. That is also what happened to the show Parenthood for us. 😞

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      1. ROFL…earworm!! “Shorty will you… (will yoooooooou?)” Ooops, I believe the proper spelling is Shawty in Beebsland. That’s for not hatin’ on my Mariah loathing. LOL

        What is it with shows that are SOOOO good the first season then they don’t know where to go after that??!! We’re barely hanging on with This is Us especially after last season where it totally lost us but they made it apparent where it’s going in the future and I have to see that. I felt the same about Parenthood too but held on because I love Peter Krause (Six Feet Under.) Now if you haven’t seen that one (PLEASE say you have!) that’s a binge-er. It’s on Amazon Prime for freeze and I’ll warn you season 3 gets a little irritating but it’s worth hanging in for. Best show of all time!

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      2. OH and I forgot to respond to the Mariah Carey thing. I hate her too. Actual her, not really her music. She is a diva and I don’t do diva.

        Also, Schitt’s Creek! I need to give it time, I’ve been told. I haven’t seen Six Feet Under and now need to add it to my Watchlist.
        Oh and I started watching Mrs. Maisel this week and then it just froze on Amazon, so I am annoyed but I love that so far.

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  11. The spaghetti dinner sounds like a tradition worth keeping! Oh gosh, don’t get me started on the misuse of words like: your and you’re, to and too, an and and. I’ll stop for now.

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      1. I’ve thought about doing a post on it many times but never got around to it. (or as some might say – a round to it). Oh gosh, I’m getting started again!

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