HobbitFest

One of the advantages of working in or attending a school is that you get a little extra time off around the holidays. Anne and I took full advantage of this yesterday to have a marathon viewing of the Lord of the Rings. To complement the movies, we decided to eat like hobbits all day.

We actually started Tuesday night when we watched the animated version of "The Hobbit," which is one of my favorite movies of all time. We had a decidedly unhobbit-like dinner of miso soup, in anticipation of a lot of heavy food the next day.

Here's our dining and viewing menu:

Breakfast
Eggs, toast, tea, and (for me) sausage. First part of Fellowship of the Ring

Elevensies
Tea and scones. Continue Fellowship

Lunch
Ploughman's lunch. First half of Two Towers.

Afternoon tea
English sponge cake, pumpkin bread, and tea. Rest of Two Towers.

Dinner
Pot pie. First part of Return of the King.

Anyone who's seen these movies, knows that they're incredibly long, especially when you throw in all the scenes that were cut from the theatrical versions. (One of my most vivid associations with the first movie is one of profound discomfort. I unwisely had a cup of coffee just before seeing it in the theater, which severely tempered my enjoyment of the battle with the Balrog.) So although we tried with the diligence of Proudfeet to get through all three movies, we ran out of steam late last night with about an hour left in the "Return of the King." I guess it was too much hobbit ale.

I feel a little self-indulgent for staying home all day and watching movies while eating the equivalent of a stick of butter, but luckily I'm not feeling gross today. I don't think I'd enjoy eating like a hobbit all the time, but it was really fun and tasty to do it yesterday.

Tonight we'll finish wrapping presents, destroy the One Ring, and pack. Tomorrow we're heading up to Eugene for a week to see Anne's family. I'm looking forward to a little time away. Hope everyone has a great Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year, etc...!