Penguins, Pot & Other Stuff

Seems that this has now become an annual event.  Almost a tradition!  Charles & Liz graciously invited myself, the lovely Trish, Paulo, Kaleb & Jeannine out for dinner at the Red Lobster.  Jennifer & her boyfriend Chris were also part of our little gathering.

 

Trish loaded me & Paulo’s gang into my van and we headed off to our destination.  Met Charles and his crew there.  With it being prime time on a Saturday night, the place was packed.  So, we parked ourselves in a comfortable location and began the wait.  Even though it was close to an hour, it seemed to fly by: and I never even fell asleep!  We got to our table; hungry & ready to party.  I had checked out the menu on the Internet earlier in the day so my decision was quick: seafood stuffed mushrooms, garden salad & pecan crusted shrimp with broccoli & mashed potatoes.  Simply delicious!  The orders were as varied as the people around the table.  Needless to say, when all was said and done, contentment was heavy in the air.  Oh yes, forgot to mention: dessert was a lovely warm apple crumble with ice cream.

 

And it wasn’t just the meal Charles & Liz were treating us to.  It was a late Christmas celebration so presents were handed out to everyone.  I scooped a Jeopardy table calendar along with some delicious chocolates, including Malteesers!  Haven’t had those in a long time.  After a 3 1/2 hour stay at the restaurant, it was time to go home.  Made it back just in time for beddy-bye time.  Thank you Charles & Liz & Jenny for a lovely time.  We should do it again next week, and the week after that, and the week after that…

 

Check out the Pictures

Earlier this week, Brothers Mike & Joe and I got together for lunch and to catch a movie.  Cousin Jan was originally going to be with us but unfortunately had to cancel. On a  bright note, Brother Mike’s father in law Herb came along.  Not only that but Brother Mike informed us that we were going to be joined by Fred at the movie theater.  Get ready for this: Fred is the father of the woman my brother was engaged to marry many years ago before he met Cindy.  Fred is a nice guy and Mike has kept in touch with Fred and his wife.

 

So, the four of us loaded up in my van and headed to Harvey’s which is close to the movie theater we were going to.  Brother Mike came prepared with value coupons. Bonus! We had our fill and headed to the theater.  Met Fred and settled into our seats to watch the new Sherlock Holmes movie.  Not exactly my cup of tea but it was nice to get out.  I did manage to grab a 20 minute nap during the movie.  Anyway, everyone else enjoyed it.  A nice afternoon out with the boys.  The next time though, I’ll  pick the movie!

Well, 2012 is with us.  2011 was certainly a very interesting year in so many ways.  For me, finally getting to visit my relatives in Malta was the definite highlight.  A fantastic trip that I will always remember.  Getting to Florida in the middle of March was also nice.  Fishing, football, spending time with friends: a great year!

 

Now, I’ll wait to see what 2012 brings.  Cousins from Malta are supposed to visit (Maria, Manuel: I hope you are reading this!).  There will be good times, there will be times that are not so good.  Things to look forward to.  Things to try to avoid.  As usual, spending time with family & friends is high on the list.  Don’t know if I will be doing any traveling this year.  But, you never know.  Fishing for sure (hopefully more than last year), watching my Tiger Cats, enjoying good health (for me and those I love): I hope it all comes to pass.  Happy New Year to all!

Yes, very enjoyable indeed.  Christmas Eve, as usual, was spent with Sister Dianne and her family and the rest of the crazy Aquilina crowd.  We all got together at Sister Dianne’s for an evening of festivities.  The lovely Trish joined the crowd.  Lots of finger food, drink & conversation.  It’s so nice when the whole family, even AJ, gets together!  Too bad Cousin Jan, Sharon & Alysha could not join us.  Presents were opened and then it was time to go home.

 

The next day, Brother Mike and his family invited me to their place for Christmas dinner.  As usual, Cindy’s mother and father were also there along with her niece Tara.  The turkey was excellent and the desserts were just great.  A lovely way to end a very festive time.

 

Check out the Pictures & Video

Those two gay penguins at the Toronto Zoo (see previous thread) have changed teams http://www.thespec.com/news/canada/article/638338–it-s-bi-bi-to-toronto-s-gay-penguins

 

Will wonders never cease!?!

It’s become a tradition.  Used to be carried out with Sister Dianne and the lovely nieces Danielle & Nicole.  They used to come over the first Saturday of December to help me put up my Christmas tree & decorations.  Well, little kids grow up and all of a sudden helping their uncle do things like that isn’t quite so high on the priority list!  However, some kids never grow up.

 

The lovely Trish has taken over that tradition for the past few years.  Sure enough, she was here on Saturday to help put things up.  And the lovely job she did!  My beautiful tree, Christmas penguins all over the place, singing Santas, the list goes on.  Thanks Trish, now my apartment has that Christmas feeling that everyone loves.

 

Check out the Picture

Niece Danielle recently tried out for her high school junior volleyball team.  25 girls tried out for 12 positions.  She made it!  Brother Mike & I decided to go watch her team play in a tournament.  We saw them play one match.  It was a two-game match and the school won one game.  Danielle played well.  You can tell she has Aquilina sports blood in her!

 

Check out the Picture

Maybe it’s because I’m getting older.  Maybe it’s because both my parents have passed away and I’m the oldest Aquilina.  I find that my family history & tradition is becoming more important to me.  Those who are familiar with my tattoo work will remember that I have the family crests of Aquilina & Sciberras tattooed on my arm.

 

After getting back from my trip to Malta, I decided it was time to keep things going along that vein.  Did some Internet searching to find a place where I could have the Aquilina/Sciberras family crests put on a wall plaque.  Wasn’t very difficult.  A few weeks later: Presto!  A lovely plaque was delivered that shows both family crests.  Excellent craftsmanship.  A job really well done.  Another piece of family history proudly displayed in my humble abode.

 

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Most of you know what Movember is all about.  Men are encouraged to grow a mustache during the month of November as a sign of their support for the fight against prostate cancer.  That’s something Brother Mike has had to deal with.  So, my Movember is well on its way.  Unfortunately, I didn’t know about the website I could have registered at in an attempt to get sponsors for my efforts.  Next year!

 

Check out the Picture

Saw this in the newspaper today http://www.thespec.com/news/article/620573–gay-penguin-pair-fascinates-zookeepers

 

Seems like some penguins have more than just happy feet!