Twas The Day Before Christmas And The Festivities Have Begun

It's the day before Christmas and I'm trying to plan my journey this evening. AREA 51 will be expanded greatly as today and tomorrow are days of parties and fiestas and with a little luck, I'll be right in the middle of them. For my Latin friends, tonight is Noche Buena and is celebrated by roasting pork either in a pit or on a apparatus called a Caja China.

They begin roasting the pig or lechon early today and it will cook all day until dinner this evening. It is served with a variety of side dishes including arroz con frijoles negro (black beans and rice), yuca con mojo (boiled yuca topped with a sauce of olive oil, the juice of a sour orange, and lots of garlic) and, of course, platano maduro (fried ripe plantains).

More importantly, the evening is a non stop party with beautiful women, dancing and plenty of spirits. It is a family affair and you may see several domino games going on and an occasional poker game. The aroma of roasted pork permeates the air and it's a great night for partying.

Time and logistics will not allow me to visit all the parties I'd like to attend, so tonight will be based on the closeness of party A to party B. Since some parties start early and some start later, it becomes a question of how well one can play party hop-Scotch.

The great thing about the Latins celebrating Noche Buena is that the next day, I take off my proverbial sombrero and put on my Yuletide Cap and begin seeing all of my other friends on Christmas Day as well. Two days of fantastic parties are fun but methinks Friday will be questionable. But one never knows, do one?

Well, It's an early post but the parties will be starting soon and I can already smell the pork a roasting and the maids a.....?

This Date In History: 1814; Britain and the United States of America sign the Treaty of Ghent, formally ending the War of 1812. 1865; The secret terrorist organization the Ku Klux Klan is formed in Pulaski, Tennessee, by six former Confederate army officers.

1871; Giuseppe Verdi's opera Aida, commissioned by the khedive of Egypt to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal, is premiered in Cairo. 1914; The first-ever air raid on Britain takes place when a German bomb drops on a church in Dover, Kent. 1968; The Apollo 8 spacecraft makes the first-ever orbit of the Moon.

Picture Of The Day: For those of you who have not yet decided what to get me for Christmas, I thought I'd post some graphics which may help you decide. Keep in mind that it's the thought that counts at this time of year, so if you haven't thought of anything yet, these pictures may help you.

As I don't want to overly burden you in making this important decision, I will be pasting more suggestions intermittently so that you have an assortment of ideas.

Birthdays: John, king of England 1167; St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits 1491, Kit Carson, American hunter, trapper, and scout 1809, Howard Hughes, American manufacturer, pilot, and film producer 1905, Ava Gardner, American film actress 1922.

The Hits Just Keep On Coming:

A young woman who had been married for several years was growing more and more frustrated at her husband's lack of interest in sex. She wondered about ways to add some pizazz to their sexual relationship, and finally decided to purchase some crotchless underwear she had seen in a novelty shop.

One evening when she was feeling particularly desirous and he was, as usual, watching television, she took a shower, freshened up, and donned her crotchless undies and a slinky negligee. She then strolled between her husband and the television, suggestively tossed one leg up on his chair arm and said "Want some of this?" Her husband replied, "Are you kidding? Look what it did to those panties!"

That's it for today, my friends. Have a great and safe Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

Stay Tuned !