Rosemary in her office
On the 14th I made a trip to Medina, NY to meet Rosemary, the office manager, for a doctor client of mine. I have talked to Rosemary on the phone for ten years but have never seen her face. As a goal of our work motto, Exceeding Client Expectations, I decided to meet face to face with clients I have worked with over the years. Rosemary did not look anything like I expected her to look like. She probably thought the same about me. She was, however, just as nice and wonderful as she is on the phone. I installed a new version of Quickbooks for her and taught her how to use the bank reconciliation feature. After we got her up-to-date it was lunchtime. She gave me a choice of restaurants and even though one of them was named Avanti's, it wasn't the same Avanti's from my college days. So I choose Zam Bistro.
Medina exceeded my expectations. I was in awe of this old fashioned adorable town. Rosemary, her sister, Margaret, who also works in the office, and I walked down the street to Zam Bistro. They pointed out to me that every merchant had posted a sign with a stanza of the poem An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas better known as "Twas the Night Before Christmas" in their window. All the windows were decorated for Christmas. This little town made me so nostalgic for similar looking towns in central Illinois where I grew up.
Spinach and calamari salad
Everything on the menu looked too good. I had such a hard time choosing. Thankfully Margaret had the same taste as me and we choose to split the Spinach calamari salad and the pulled pork sandwich.
Pulled pork sandwich with homemade potato chips
Rosemary suggested we all have Espresso creme brulee for dessert. It was an excellent choice.
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' 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;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar plums danced in their heads,
And Mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap —
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below;
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a minature sleigh, and eight tiny rein-deer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name:
"Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer and Vixen,
"On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blitzen;
"To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
"Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"
As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys — and St. Nicholas too:
And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound:
He was dress'd all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnish'd with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys was flung on his back,
And he look'd like a peddler just opening his pack:
His eyes — how they twinkled! His dimples: how merry,
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry;
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face, and a little round belly
That shook when he laugh'd, like a bowl full of jelly:
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laugh'd when I saw him in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And fill'd all the stockings; then turn'd with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprung to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew, like the down of a thistle:
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight —
And laying his finger aside of his nose
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprung to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew, like the down of a thistle:
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight —
Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
