Tryphoon's Lair

Tip the world over on its side and everything loose will land in Los Angeles

An afternoon in the Mojave

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Totally using my friend Tom's Facebook status update regarding this event, during which I checked 2 of the last tasks in my full Americanization list in one go: "Shooting at various objects" & "Spend afternoon in open desert" 

"On Saturday, we established a modern-day "Ligne Maginot" on point defending against the Armenians from Glendale.

Then we raced some RC cars through the desert, and drank beer with the local denizens..."

Great time, great fun and yes, I got scared by the locals! 

Happy New Year (from the hot tub)...

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Only in California, or maybe the Southern Hemisphere.

Jan 1st, after a nice birthday meal for Sarah, we decided to start the new year by jumping in the pool.

The girls both went to the normal pool but quickly came back to the safety of the 100°F of the hot tub. Our visist sadly had to get cut short after Loulou got sick both on Sarah and in the hot tub (muuuuuch better!!!)

01/10/12: This signed the beginning of a week of sickness for almost the entire family (Sarah, her both parents, Sophia and Thia!)

New Year's Eve across valleys and time zones!

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This year, once again, we enjoyed celebrating the arrival of the new year 3 times.

First, British Time, at 4:00pm at the Fox & Hounds in Studio City, with the usual suspects (Geoff, M and gang). As in any good English party, we then crossed the road, had a curry. I added my own twist by receiving a parking ticket as well! Bye bye 2011...

Then East Coast time, at 9:00, with most of the kids from our street! TV on, countdown, champagne, amazing food (including some Russian caviar) and good company.

Finally, proper midnight Pacific, still at our neighbors, in a way smaller committee, after most of the parents left to put their kids to bed!

Tomorrow will be another year!

Christmas Day lunch, English style

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Last chapters of the Xmas traditions, the English dinner and the annual family photo.

First thing first, the turkey! This part of Xmas (like many other ones, mind you) is totally Sarah's remit! I prep snails and open oysters, Sarah preps the turkey and the trimmings. I mean ALL of the trimmings (very long list with the exception of parsnips due to Sarah massive allergy to these). That's the rule!

While Sarah is prepping the meal and the table, I install the tripod and the camera, making sure we carry my dad's tradition of the annual family snapshot that used to annoy me so much. I guess I just became my dad and have to carry that torch now!

Last piece of the puzzle, when everything is almost ready, the girls go and get ready, wearing their Xmas dresses, looking beautiful for the special event.

And finally, we eat, and eat, and have some more, knowing that our next meal will be the famous "Sarah's special Xmas fry up" (Soooo gooood.... Sooooo decadent).

And then, we collapse...

Merry Xmas!

Xmas Morning

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Finally, the time has come... 

No more expectations, no more counting the days to Xmas, no more threats to be put on Santa's bad list (yes, we used this a lot this year, even pushing to calling Santa on the phone a couple of times, asking him to potentially put one of the girls on the dreaded list).

The Christmas tree is surrounded by packets and boxes. Small ones and large ones. Red ones and silver ones. As if a wave of presents had reached the tree as it reaches a shore.

Despite being up late last night, the girls show up in our bedroom at the crack of dawn, standing right next to me and murmuring "Daddy, can we go downstairs and check if Santa has been?". 

Santa did definitely pay a visit to our house last night! He ate a couple of cookies, drunk his Brandy and gave carrots and peanuts to Rudolph and the other reindeers. 

There is no delaying it, no cuddle in bed this morning. The mild request turns to an urgent plea and so the best day of the year begins, part asleep, part excited.

Then, the fun begins! 

As it is now our habit, we connect our home with both grandparents homes for a live broadcast of the event, and the girls start their dance made of jumping, screaming, unwrapping boxes, opening presents then presenting them to both sets of grandparents, repeating ad-nauseum. 

Santa, this year again, seems to have known exactly what everybody wanted and delivered in large quantities. 

Next step, Sarah gets in the kitchen and starts preparing the English version of our Xmas Day dinner...

See you in few hours!  

It was the night before Xmas...

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"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there."

Every year, on Xmas Eve, once the Xmas pajamas have been put on, the girls have to prepare a plate for Santa and Rudolph. Cookies and a Brandy for the old man, carrots and nuts for the reindeer. 

Once this step is completed, we go and read the "'twas the night before" poem from the books both girls got from their grandparents on their first birthday and finally, soon, both pairs of tired eyes do close, dreaming of North Pole, wrapped presents and snow...

Tomorrow is the big day and we shall soon be finding out who has been on the good list and who hasn't!

Christmas Eve dinner, French Style

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Christmas is a time for family traditions, following some old ones from our childhoods and creating some new ones for the next generation.

As a result, our home usually goes through a French style Xmas Eve dinner (Diner de Reveillon) including some goods found in our local French deli shop:
• Escargots
• Foie Gras
• Huîtres
• Boudin Blanc sauce Madère

We ate most of it and girls even tried some snails again (Thia used to eat snails off the shell when not even 2 years old).

Xmas Day lunch shall respect the other half of the tradition: British turkey (with trimmings), family picture and fine clothes.

Camp Freddy Xmas residency at the Roxy - Week 4

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Fourth week of the Xmas residency and the band was still going strong!

So last video, before a longer pictures based post, M. Lemmy Kilmister (Motörhead), singing, well, growling Sex Pistols' "God Save The Queen". Guests included Ian Scott (Anthrax), Corey Taylor (Spliknot), Glenn Hughes from Deep Purple and a second path from M Billy Gibbons (ZZTop) [phone crashed at the end of my recording of THE ZZ top song, "La Grange".

See you guys next year, hopefully!