I've gotten off schedule again. I fell asleep before 9:30 last night and woke up at 4:30. Because it's very cold, we are letting hot water drip so our solar collector doesn't freeze. I don't think it wakes me up, but the water dripping into the tub is distracting once I'm awake. I nearly fell back asleep, but not quite. It was supposed to be 28 overnight.

Yesterday Amelia got up early and went to the AT&T Store to get added to Kevin's family's phone plan. He and his sister were getting new iPhone 5s. Needless to say, there were other people there and it took until noon or so for them to finish. Meanwhile, I did a little tidying up, a Sudoku from my new book, and started a Spider game. Ray and I took a walk with Molli and Adrian and the dogs. I took a bath and suprise! It was lunch time. My Dad came over.

Gerald came to visit us. We all sat down to eat leftovers--Ray went and woke Elisa. It was a fun group--international, with lots of Spanish as well as English and a smattering of French and German. Much discussion of language and culture. Plenty of food, although maybe lacking in green vegetables.

Then we dealt the cards for an epic game of 8-handed Cancellation Hearts, with several newbies. I was ahead most of the game, with only 3 points when a few people were approaching 50. Then they began ganging up on me. At one point, I had two queens of spades in my hand and not much cover, so I ended up taking a trick with one of them. I was still low after that, though. We stopped playing a little after 4, when Gerald had to leave. I was declared the winner, although Mudge (who was second) said it didn't count.

We chilled a bit and then left for dinner at Porterhouse, without Gerald but with Kevin. Everyone seemed to enjoy it very much. I was quite restrained, ordering a spinach salad and hot tea. The decaf they had was mint or hibiscus. I am not a fan of mint, so had hibiscus. I put a little of Mudge's dark rum in it and it was just the ticket. He had she-crab soup; Molli had some chicken chili. Adrian ate 18 oz of steak--I think he could have eaten more. Molli had steak frites--ribeye with french fries. She gave me some of hers. Mudge and Elisa had 7 oz filets. Amelia had mashed potatoes, salad, and fried green tomatoes. We had a bottle of Malbec for four of us. Then we had some creme brulee and the Snickers pie. Yum.

Mudge went to his house, Ray and Elisa and I came home (and I went to bed), but Molli and Amelia and Kevin and Adrian went to a bar. Sure did not appeal to me.