dinner topics: random and strange, per usual. [["peter jackson is a racist because..." (huh?), anna is taking antibiotics for her ulcer (again, huh?), sistersister kristin keeps trying to turn the conversation over to the topic of her winning both games of disney trivia pursuit earlier in the day, martha stewart&elmo, and so on and so forth.]]

best when-taken-out-of-context line, thus far: mum says from kitchen, "i'm definitely done eating, but i'm most certainly not done drinking." [[funny because of puritanical nature and prohibitionalesque opinion of alcohol.]]

wine: so dry, so bitter. [["i got it for you, matt," says mum.]]

salad: spinach based. inevitable christmas kidney failure forthcoming, i'm sure.

veg: broccoli doused in unidentifiable cheese.

starch: mashed potatoes [[obviously made with olive oil. GASP!]] and "sm�rg�sbord rice" [[sans nutmeg and cardamom. GASPGASP!!!!!!]]

meat: "swedish" meatballs. [["mum... why are they fuscia?" "they're pink, not fuscia, matt."]]

napkins which have suffered the unfortunate fate of catching fire: none. [[we've finally figured out how to behave whenst 'round candles!]]

christmas step 2: presents.