Gobble ‘Til You Wobble, Or Not In The MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN ‘Tis 52 Amurrkin out and cloudy with a predicted high of 77 and mostly cloudy. Today will be a day of high RDOS inactivities. Sup will be burly butcher fried chikin, peas ‘n carrots, Mac & cheese and rolls.

OK, it’s Turkey Day week here in the USofA. Amurrkin Mumpers are, at least for the most part, beginnin’ prep for the big feast on Thursday. We are hostin’ and will feed eight folks, includin’ ourselves. The turkey is thawin’ nicely (eighteen pounds) in da beerator. I will roast the turkey, and make the dressin’, gravy, deviled aigs, and collard greens. Other sides and the desserts (pee-kahn and sweet N.O.T. pie, and red velvet cake) will be brought by others. Oh and we’ll furnish the iced tea, soft drinks and wine. Some of y’all are also plannin’ a big feast. Some maybe not. Mumpers from other countries will go to irk or whatever else they do on Thursday, as usual.

So what y’all up to? Hijack away!

Happy Moanday Y’all!

2

I am looking forward to the cook. My two daughters do not like turkey so I have two fresh chickens to roast. I need to swing by the French bakery for some baguettes to chunk up for the stuffing. I still do this old school style and stuff the birds before roasting them. I will serve with garlic Parmesan mashed Yukon Gold N.O.T. and my take on green bean casserole. Fresh beans, finely diced celery carrots and red shallots with a scratch made mushroom sauce and garnished with batter fried shallots rather than the store bought cardboard onions. One of my daughters is bringing dessert. It will be great!

3

Morning, mumpers! It’s currently 5c/42f with a predicted high of 8c/46f and cloudy. Weather app says “All of the fucking clouds can go and fuck all fucking way off.” Bit harsh, don’t you think?

I have two days working at home this week, then I am off on leave until next Thursday. You may be celebrating Turkey Day, I will be at a music festival that starts on Thursday and runs until Sunday. No turkey for me, unless there’s some turkey curry around. I’ll be in Scotland too, taking ‘im indoors back to his roots!

4

I started my Turkey Day prep yesterday, and it will continue right up until we start stuffing our faces on Thursday. Last night, I carved up half of the smoked bird and packed it for the feast. Today, I’ll put what remains in freezer packs for eating thru the next year. I’ll also start slicing veggies for the veggie nosh plate, and I’ll get the ribs rubbed and prepped for the smoker tomorrow.

Speaking of which, I need to clean the smoker and get it moved under cover - rain is in tomorrow’s forecast and I plan to get the ribs smoked then. I’m so glad I wrote out my plan for this week - just a little bit to be done every day so it’s not crazy pants on Weds! Oh, yeah, and I need to deal with the dirty dishes that I ignored last night. My kitchen is, well, I’m glad none of you can see it at the moment.

Tomorrow I’ll run to the Dr office for my pre-Dr-appt blood draw, then to Aldi for broccoli and cauliflower and brown-n-serve rolls. That should be the end of my grocery needs. If I can get to Food Lion, I can get FCD some more of the root beer he likes while it’s still (sorta) on sale.

We want to clean the stanchions before the marina crew reassembles our safety rails, so FCD will bring them home and we’ll do that here. The original plan was to do it on the boat (in the paint shed, of course - it’s too cold to be messing in water outside) but it’ll be lots easier to do it here. If we work in my studio, it won’t matter if we drip on the floor, so I think that will be the plan. And maybe today I’ll paint the white panels of the two doors, assuming the Cetol layers are cured. Eeeesh, I’m tired already!

But for the next little bit of time, it’s quiet and I’ll tend to my morning surfage. Happy Moanday!!

5

We made a group decision to order premade Thanksgiving Day dinner from Bob Evan’s. And, as such, I am just grateful that I don’t have to cook along with all the other crazy that happens around here lately. Lucky for me I only have to work two days this week! Let’s not mention that to MusicMan who will be working probably both Friday and Saturday.

Last week was a bit crazy and included a colonoscopy. It went just fine. Otherwise the usual work stuff. And seeing as I want to get to my desk and get started soon (don’t tell Annie!), I’d better get going.

6

My family is converging. Tonight’s dinner will feature scallops. Tomorrow’s is Indian, Wednesday’s is more seafood, Thursday is turkey (not my favorite food, but so what). Our house is clean and we’re ready!

We exchange gifts at Thanksgiving since it’s when we see each other. We’re giving my mother money toward a ring she likes, her husband an LL Bean card, and we gave my sister a Lowes card alread because someone broke into her garage and stole tools. Everyone is also getting a couple of small gifts. We’ll send something to my aunt and her partner.

7

The weather here is fine til Friday.:snowman_without_snow:
I am invited to my pastors mom’s for Thanksgiving.

8

Good morning, Mumpers! I woke up hearing Arlo Guthrie in my head, singing, “I don’t want a pickle, just wanna ride on my motor-sickle. And I don’t want to die, just wanna ride on my motor-cy…cle.” It wasn’t Alice’s Restaurant, but I think it’s on the same album.

I’m not fond of winter holidays, with all the forced merriment, about the time that Seasonal Affective Disorder has kicked up a notch. I’m the guy who hoped he’d be asked to work on the holiday break, so I could call the relatives in mock regret to say, “Sorry, I gotta work.”

9

How-DEEEEE! (with a nod to Minnie Pearl). 40F this morning, but we’re looking at some possible snow by Wednesday. Not too much, I hope, as my daughter is coming for T-day on Thursday, and I can’t return this turkey. I’ll be making stock today out of the two giant turkey thighs I bought. Tomorrow I’ll likely make the dressing and my wife will make her cranberry sauce. I haven’t decided on whether to roast the turkey on Wed. or Thurs. Probably the latter. My extended family will be getting together on Saturday, but we’ve begged off on making the drive.

The big all-resident meeting with corporate is today.

We’re having our area rug cleaned today unless the cost is ridiculous. We bought this rug in Mali, so it’s hand-woven with a traditional West African design. We had a carpet cleaning machine in Oregon but sold it before leaving, so this hasn’t been cleaned for three years and shows it.

Everything bagel with salmon cream cheese, bacon and tomato for breakfast, along with a bit of cheesy scrambled eggs on the side.

Went for dinner at the local taco joint. For some reason, my usual credit card was rejected at both the parking spot and at the restaurant. There’s nothing on my account page that would indicate a problem, so I’m wondering if the card is damaged in some fashion. It was compromised a short while ago and replaced, and I had to change a lot of autopayments to this newer card and really don’t want to have to do it again.

10

Chores have begun. I cleaned one of the smoker racks and the other cruddy smoker parts are soaking in hot, soapy water. swampy - how clean do you get your smoker? Do the racks still look like new, or are they “clean enough”? (Yep!) Do you scrub the interior walls? (Nope!) Do you de-grease the removable parts? (Of course!)

The dishwasher has washed all the cruddy dishes I left in the sink overnight (plus the ones that were already loaded.) FCD has headed to the marina and I’ve got the ice maker running. I’m about to get the ribs out, cut the racks in half, add the rub, then wrap them in anticipation of smoking tomorrow. I guess dividing the turkey and vacu-packing meal-size portions will be next.

Otis is outside, but I’m sure he’ll want in as soon as he figures out I’m busy. While I was scooping the cat box, I inadvertently left the sink cabinet door open. Came out to find the dog acting suspiciously, then found a scouring pad in the living room. I’m not sure what he intended to do with it. Goofball… Oh, and it’s 37 Ferrets, up from 35 when I woke up. Rah.

Back to work!

11

Good morning.

It’s dark, 36°F, and mostly cloudy outside. The day will remain overcast for the most part, and the daytime high will only be around 48°F.

Thanksgiving prep has morphed over the years. While my inlaws were alive and healthy, prep mainly consisted of preparing a dish to bring along, and helping my mother-in-law in the kitchen. The day was loud, there were a lot of people there, and it was exhausting. But, we always left the kitchen clean for MiL.

I started hosting Thanksgiving as MiL aged, and because we always invited friends with no nearby family. I usually prepped some of the desserts on Tuesday night, and anything that needed baking in the oven (such as a sweet potato casserole) on Wednesday night. All the rest was done on the day, and, I was working to boot, so those were some long days.

After MiL passed on, I still hosted Thanksgiving until my daughter and son-in-law moved into the last home they owned here in Washington. They started hosting Thanksgiving to make it easier on the grandkids (less crankiness), and I don’t blame them. It’s part of why I insisted on hosting Christmas Day when the kids were little.

Nowadays, since the gathering is very small, I don’t really prep any dishes the night or even days before. Everything is done the day of, and the menu has shrunk considerably. I typically ask my son to bring dessert, so I don’t have to worry about that. We have turkey, mashed taters, gravy, a vegetable side, and sometimes dinner croissants. Neither my husband nor my son particularly cares for cranberries, so I don’t make them anymore.

Husband woke up in a very foul mood late yesterday morning. :roll_eyes: His mood was better by afternoon, but he had better not try it again today. Yesterday, he brought up possibly riding today, but I can hear him coughing again, so I don’t think we will. His coughing was much better yesterday, but I think he’s irritating his lungs with smoking his pot (he typically uses a water bong). He was out of pot the day before and didn’t cough much at all, even overnight and into the morning. He came home, smoked pot, and the coughing started. I brought this up, and even he acknowledged he’s probably not doing himself any favors, but he kept going out to the garage. I told him maybe he should lay off for a few days, but nope, can’t do that. :roll_eyes:

I need to do laundry today, and that’s about it. I have some adulting to do (paying bills), but that’ll take very little time.

Alright time for some internettin’. You all take care.

12

i joked about going outside with wet hair and no jacket last week. i am paying for that joke now, as i started a sore throat on sunday.

stayed in this weekend as the phila marathon had many road closures. i only left the flat a handful of times. when i woke up with the sore throat on sunday, the " go nowhere" plan became serious.

no fever just sore throat, so i’m at the office where i have a stash of “n’ice”. they work so well for me and the one place i can find them is a block away from the office.

i’ll see how the rest of the short week goes. i’m planning on bassett’s turkey for thursday.

i put a list up on saturday of what i want to get done this weekend. i hear the fates laughing…

13

Just out of curiosity - have you ever done the “go around the table and say what you’re thankful for” practice? We never did that I can recall. It seems to me it’s either an opportunity for the sanctimonious or the comedians in the family trying to top each other. Or maybe that’s just the folks I grew up around…

The smoker parts are clean and the turkey is in the sinkful of water. The ribs are divided, rubbed, and wrapped for tomorrow. I even made another batch of rub as I was almost out. I think it’s break time till after lunch and I’ll continue then. Otis is outside doing whatever it is he does out there. FCD hasn’t returned yet. The only sounds are the pellet stove and the classical music on WETA. Life is good!

14

for those of you who are fans of the green bean casserole, it turns 70 this year.

there is an article in the phila inquirer : The green bean casserole, an iconic Thanksgiving side dish with a N.J. connection, turns 70 this year

in case you can’t read it, dorcas bates reilly, in 1955 was working with her team in the home economics department at campbell soup co, trying to recreate a casserole recipe that a manager had tasted somewhere. the team was tasked with using ingredients most families would already have on hand.

after a series of experiments (documented on a recipe card) the six ingredient winner was found. it was called “green bean bake” at first then became the " green bean casserole" that we now know and some love.

the 6 ingredients are, green beans, cream of mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper and crispy fried onions.

mrs reilly graduated from drexel’s home economics program in 1947, created the recipe in 1955. at 29. the recipe was printed on the back of the cream of mushroom soup cans in 1960. mrs. reilly died in 2018. this year her daughter had an inflatable green bean casserole made to celebrate. her father at 99 is able to enjoy seeing the inflatable.

growing up, the family did not eat the casserole, after they found out they now have it at thanksgiving, christmas, and easter.

home economics is now called family and consumer sciences, this covers, culinary arts, food science, nutrition, and dietietics.

15

So being Moanday, I had to squeeze past this on the way to work. I was on the 300 Slide clerking, until they replaced me with the lady who can scan and stick labels on, but not clerk, and gave her a Blueberry to help her. :face_with_raised_eyebrow: So I was on the sort table, then running the giant pile of irregs, then TPTB realized that it was 2 an a half hours into the sort, and they had forgotten to put a loader in the 800 piece Top White set on the 300 South. :thinking: So guess where I ended up? Since it was late, they had a loader who had finished his set pull and stack out boxes on the set, except he bricked me up in the middle car Cask of Amontillado style. I loaded my way out, and by that point a couple other loaders had finished up the other 2 cars. There wasn’t much in the way of damages, so I was out right after the drivers. I got gas and did my Aldi run. Now it’s naptime.

Roommie and I are going to our friend’s place in The Quay. They may have a traditional feast, or they may have something slightly off, like it was from a universe where somebody killed the wrong butterfly in 1459.

I had an Everything bagel with plain cream cheese and oatmeal with apples and cinnamon.

Glad you have somewhere to go.

No, we were too busy eating to be thankful.

16

And a good almost-afternoon to all. Up at around 6am to micturate, thought I would lie back down to around 7am or so and ended up sleeping until 9:30am! Guess I worked out harder at the gym than I thought. No more sleeping in now, have mucho laundry to do tomorrow and take off for Brother’s on Wednesday, so need to be mindful of that. Have shopped and sammiched so those Moanday duties are complete. Haven’t done a weekly agenda since I’m only home today and tomorrow. Weather is nice today with a high of 74F predicted, but the rain is due to start very early 2sDay morning and continue for most of the day, so best to get any outside chores done today.

And now to see how the Thanksgiving week is starting for you folks…

swampy, I’m up to driving 400 miles on Wednesday to my Brother’s for Thanksgiving. Sis-in-Law tends to put on a pretty big feast so looking forward to it. Also a good chance to let the new car (600 miles on it to date) stretch it legs and see what mileage I get on the open road.

Hippie, sounds delicious. Frankly, all you home-cooking folks sound like your having great meals.

boo fae, enjoy the music.

Sticky Buns, haven’t been to Bob Evans in quite some time, they have no stores within 100 miles of me. Glad the colonoscopy (and the prep!) went OK.

cookie, sometimes the card just gets fussy; I have one that won’t always ‘tap’ but will honor the swipe just fine. Hope it corrects itself.

rocky, thanks for the green bean casserole story, never ate it but know it to be a tradition, and the historian in me likes hearing about beginnings.

doggio, glad you weren’t caught up in the hooraw you referenced and only had to put up with the usual insanity. And Pearls Before Swine is one of my favorite all-time cartoons, thanks for the memory.

And nearing noontime so guess I need to be moderately active. Take care and have a good and safe week y’all.

17

I refuse to make anything requiring cream-of-whatever soup because of the high sodium content and, well, just because. Our veggies won’t include green beans anyway.

I hacked up and divided the remaining smoked turkey - 7 meals for future ingestion. We moved the smoker so it’ll be out of the predicted rain that may or may not come tomorrow. Ice making continues - I’ve poured a bunch into a bag so we don’t risk running out on Thursday. And I pulled a chickie tit out to thaw - I’ll do something with it for supper.

Got a message today from a woman who saw a Marketplace ad I’d put on FB some weeks back. She’s interested but can’t make it this week due to, well, you know. So she’ll text me after the craziness and we’ll see if she shows up. It would be nice to get the chair and ottoman out of the basement.

Guess it’s time to head out to the shop and prep the doors for white paint. Or some other chore FCD will need me to do. Onward!

18

Evenin’ all.

Was a relatively Mondayish Monday, but I’ve had worse.

No thanksgiving this side of the pond, though we do have St Andrews day this week, for which I intend to visit St Andrews, because perhaps unsurprisingly they make a reasonable deal of it. Fireworks, a ceilidh, that sort of thing (can tell I’ve been in Scotland for a bit when I can spell ceilidh first try).

Fingers crossed that the weather is acceptable, as a lot of the planned events are outdoors, which is a brave choice really.

19

That was standard when I was growing up, but we don’t do it now. I thought it was done with sincere intent in my family.

Thanksgiving is the chilliest and funnest part of the season for me. Me, my husband and my kid take a six-hour drive to my Aunt & Uncle’s house and we just loaf around with each other for like four straight days. Auntie cooks the night we arrive and we live on leftovers and Costco desserts the rest of the week.

My kid adores his (engineer) Grunkle, so they go off and do science and math things together for hours and hours at a time, and I get to actually sit and hang out with my Aunt without the constant demands of my hyperverbal, hyperactive child. It’s bliss. Sometimes I even fall asleep on the couch. Because I can.

My grandma lives nearby so she comes over every night for dinner and watches TV with us after my son is in bed. Last trip we had an Alien marathon. My Aunt and I are excitedly texting about the trip right now… Grandma, Auntie and I decided to work on a puzzle together after my son is in bed.

All of my favorite people, together in one place. Zero expectations. This is pretty much my idea of paradise.

20

Mrs. Nott has badgered me into agreeing to sign up for Rock Steady Boxing, a fitness/therapy program for Parkinson’s patients. I did it once before, and I went a couple times before the first round of COVID 19 closed everything down, making proximity to people hazardous.

I’m generally embarrassed in any exercise situation, and I have an aversion to physical violence. I know RSB doesn’t involve hitting other people, but now, in addition to the speed bags and heavy bags, they punch human-like dummies.