Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much sliced, diced, and minced fish, trying to figure out how it’s already Christmas Eve and time for our annual Christmas Eve Do. Two batches of tuna pasta salad were made, onions, 10 cloves of garlic, have been sliced, diced, and minced for the sauce – the only thing I didn’t have to do this year is slice the mushrooms – I bought organic already sliced mushrooms. I had to do a last-minute Instacart for some good tongs, otherwise it’s too lugubrious to get the pasta onto plates. My previous tongs had rusted and don’t work anymore. So, that and some small candles – easy. Thankfully, being an Instacart member there’s no minimum amount you have to order. So, everything is ready for the making of the sauce and always great to have the tuna pasta salad out of the way. My person reeks of garlic at the moment. Otherwise, I still don’t feel great, there’s still endless phlegm and snot coming out of me and it’s truly irritating. My voice is back a little and I hope it’s stronger today. Meanwhile, back at the yesterday ranch, I got almost ten hours of sleep, got a beautiful flower arrangement from the Pogues, had a turkey sandwich and two latkes for food, then began the big cleanup of 2025. I didn’t actually move anything to the garage, but it’s waiting to go out there. I just didn’t feel like getting dressed. We did get a bit of mild drizzle, but that was it for rain. That took most of the afternoon. Then I tried to finish The Long Walk but it’s really a bore – all walking and talking, endlessly and the “visionary” director doesn’t add anything to the proceedings. Instead, I watched some fun pit maneuver videos – they really don’t fool around in other states – California the cops don’t really want to do what’s necessary with these criminals – other states, they nail these creeps. Very satisfying to watch. Then I watched some more Graham Norton best of compilations – so entertaining and fun. He will go down as one of the greats. Then around seven I began the tuna pasta salad preparation for two batches. That took almost two hours because you have to let the past cool down before putting in the tuna, red onions, and mayo. I sliced and diced the red onion, minced the tuna, put the two pounds of pasta in the two bowls, then did the rest, added mayo, and now it’s chilling in the refrigerator. Then began the slicing and dicing of the onion for the spaghetti sauce, followed by getting the ten cloves of garlic ready for mincing. That was the easiest it’s ever been because I’ve been watching food videos on YouTube, where I’ve seen how the pros smash the garlic before mincing with a big knife. I just copied them and it worked perfectly and was so much easier than the way I was doing it.

Then I put out all the cutlery, paper plates, wine bottles, wine opener, napkins, and candles. So, now everything is ready for me to begin the making of the sauce. That was pretty much it, other than my hands locking up a bit with all that slicing, dicing, and mincing action, and they were locking up just a minute ago, but thank goodness that was short lived. And now – I do believe I hear the pitter patter of raindrops. I do hope it’s not too bad today because I don’t want that to deter anyone from attending the Do.

Today, I’ll be up by noon, and I’ll get the sauce started and once that’s on simmer, I’ll take the stuff to the garage and finish the big cleanup of 2025. Then I just want to rest and relax and hope my voice is stronger so that I can at least converse properly with the guests of the Do. I’ll shave, shower, put on some nice clothes, and then at six people begin arriving and the Do will be the Do, and we’ll go to around ten o’clock or thereabouts. I’ll make sure we have photographs and such. After, I’ll probably clean up as much as I can before going to bed.

Tomorrow is, of course, Christmas, and I’ll be seeing the Darling Daughter, and she’ll have her spaghetti and tuna pasta salad, then I’m sure we’ll watch some videos and take a fun drive to see old haunts. Friday is a day of complete ME rest, Saturday we record a song, presuming my voice is completely back, we finish finessing the mixes, and we’re done with that project. Doug is working on the new cover and I’ll write some liner notes and we’ll reproduce Richard’s notes from the original album, notes he was duped into writing. I’m hoping we can announce in January at some point.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by noon, make the spaghetti sauce and get it simmering, take stuff to the garage, finish the cleanup, rest and relax and hope my voice is stronger, shave, shower, dress nicely, and then we Do the Do, after which I’ll clean up and then plop into bed after eating some more food, of course. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have sliced, diced, and especially minced and that we’re all ready to Do the Do.