Friday Five / Turkey Hangover

Friday, Nov. 28, 2003 - 10:45 a.m.

I think this is the latest I've ever posted an entry in quite a while.

Thanks for being patient with me so I could sleep in.:)

First, this:

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This week's Friday Five: (Questions are boldface, my answers appear beneath.)

Do you like to shop? Why or why not?

A: Yes, if I know the item is in stock. I just want to go in, grab the thing, pay for it and get out of there. I've been told I shop like a man, whatever that means.

What was the last thing you purchased?

A: An out of print book on eBay for a friend of mine for Yule.

Do you prefer shopping online or at an actual store? Why?

A: Online whenever possible. I just love shopping in nothing but a terrycloth robe.

Did you get an allowance as a child? How much was it?

A: Five dollars a week, but I had to buy my own school lunch, which was -- gasp, showing my age here -- fifty cents.

What was the last thing you regret purchasing?

A: A waffle iron that died the very first time it was used.

Okay. Now, if you wanna play Friday Five, go here.

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Yesterday was literally stunning, foodwise. I prepared a turkey breast, but the oven isn't tall enough to have allowed me to properly stand the meat so it could cook evenly. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, though, because every twenty or thirty minutes through the cooking process, I would reach in, turn the bird over from one side to the other, and rub a pat of margarine on the bird -- which means it sat in margarine for two and a half hours. I don't own a meat thermometer, but I know when turkey is done. Nevertheless I was still worried about leaving something uncooked in the center if I kept flipping the bird, so to speak.

So. Cooking question? That can only mean one thing, at least to me -- Go pester P@ul Schu!tz, the One Man Cooking School. No matter what else is happening in his entire universe, he has somehow found it in his heart to take a phone call from me, especially if it's about something having to do with cooking. I rang him, and his son answered, which was really nice for me, because I hadn't spoken to his son since I had been there in September. Paul was smack in the middle of massaging -his- birds just before putting them in the oven, but he washed his hands and came to the phone. He assured me that no, I wasn't going to get food poisoning if I kept turning the bird.

It really turned out beautifully. I don't stuff a bird; I have a philosophy that's worked so far, namely, I never stuff anything up the ass of a bird that I subsequently intend to put in my mouth.

As you can tell, we ended up sheltering in place instead of visting either set of families. Although, I did have a nice visit with my brother, via webcam. I got to look over his shoulder at the fully assembled dropleaf table, which looked like it did when Gran would do Thanksgiving dinner there. It even had the two papier mache turkeys he and I had made in elementary school as the centerpiece, like always. Another highlight was to see my niece Heather eat a piece of pumpkin pie in front of Marmaduke (their Great Dane) and have Marmy scowl at her with his ears up, hoping for a taste of pie. That big horse of a dog had just finished stealing eight devilled eggs off of a plate on the sideboard and I guess that stinker was looking for dessert.

Overall, the day was serene and joyful -- and I even won an auction on eBay for an out of print book I've been looking for.

How was YOUR day?... tell me about it in the comments section.

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And for whatever this is worth, I don't effing CARE if it was just a glorified photo opportunity -- that surprise visit by our Commander In Chief to the troops over in Iraq was something those young men and women needed very badly.

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