h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thanksgiving with the in-laws went alright. I spent it in the living room at my sis-in-law's place watching football and other TV that I don't remember all while not being talked to by anyone. Not bad, all things considered. The MIL pissed me off on the drive over. The kids are recovering from sinus infection, ear infection and pneumonia. Mr. Emee and I didn't feel all that hot either when we woke up, but we bundled up and headed out the door anyway. Mr. Emee told him mom on the phone that he should have pushed the issue about the girls being sick and that we should have had the meal at our house. I heartily agreed. Then the MIL said, "Well, you don't have to come over to Stillwater today. Everyone would understand." Yeah right. We'd never hear the end of it. My exact response was "Bullsh!t".

The thing Mr. Emee was most angry about was when Peanut said she didn't want to go home, his sister said, "Oh well we can bring her to your house tomorrow." The whole point of us driving to Stillwater was supposedly that she didn't want to be in a car long enough to get to our house. Again, bullsh!t. Her husband is a picky eater and probably didn't want to have anything with flavor. And we don't stock Dr. Pepper. I'm not kidding when I say the potatoes didn't have salt - not even any in the boiling water. So we ate dry turkey and bland mashed potatoes and came home and ate turkey leftovers that were tastey and juicy and potoates loaded with butter and milk and just enough salt.

My brothers remembered to put the leftovers in the fridge and everything. I was so proud. Then Friday we had turkey & noodles for dinner with my mom & her hubby. They were on their way through back to TX. My youngest brother is a major mashed potato lover so he fixed 10lbs of potatoes on Thursday. Yes, he peeled 10lbs of potatoes by himself. After the noodles over potatoes on Friday, I had just enough left to make a shepherd's pie on Saturday. I made no bake cookies yesterday but they didn't turn out. The humidity was too high and they didn't totally set. They taste pretty good, but they're gooey. I have the ingredients to make a no bake pumpkin pie but I think I'll wait until closer to Christmas.

We put the Christmas tree up yesterday. Peanut thinks we need a bigger one. Really we do. It's small but looks nice. We'll see if we can find a bigger one on sale after Christmas.

I got some of the Christmas shopping done Friday. Not sure what all to get for Peanut. She doesn't really need a lot of toys. Her room is already packed and in comparison to her cousins, she doesn't have much at all. Still, how many toys can a kid play with in one day? I need to get my sewing machine serviced so I can get cracking on a few things I need to put together. I found some university print fabric at Walmart so Mr. Emee's sisters & mom are getting tote bags, matching yarn potholders and a small store bought something. Well, the sisters are getting a small store something. His mom is getting a cashmere sweater from Old Navy. Am I a good daughter-in-law or what? It was so far on sale it would have been criminal not to get it for someone.

Time to start wrapping. Oh and Christmas cards - and I need to get the kids' pictures taken and find a weekend to go to my mom's and mow their 5 acres since her hubby is working 12 hour shifts and then going out and doing side jobs and I want to make candies this year. Hmmm... might have to skip something.

I'm just going to make you jealous.


We had a quiet Turkey day. Just my parents and my aunt.

Friday, did I brave the consumer madness and go shopping?... NO!

I went to the Renaissance Festival (first year they've stayed open the weekend after Thanksgiving and the first time open on a Friday) and had a blast. The weather was great for wearing my kilt and drinking ale. I watched some of my favorite acts like Christophe the Insultor and Iris and Rose (adults only shows at the pub stage). My friends got soaked that night when the rain finally settled in. They were on they're motorcycle on the way back from his dad's in Waco and had a tent that was about to give up the ghost. It's still there at the Ren Fest. I opted for sleeping in the back of my Outback... I chose correctly. Saturday on the way home I did brave the halls of consumerism just a bit and picked up a top of the line Blue Ray player for $100 off at "big box store". I was in and out of the there with that and a couple of other items in less than 15 minutes. The rest of the weekend I spent at home relaxing (mostly... had to fight the non-flying spaghetti monster behind my entertainment center.)

That is all.

"Yes, he peeled 10lbs of potatoes by himself."

Peeled? Why would you peel potatoes for mashing? (Yes I know people do it, I just don't understand it)

We had dinner at Grandma's, once we decided that between Dad and two sons-in-law we could get Mom's wheelchair in the door without a ramp. Dinner was roast turkey (first year in awhile, we've been frying and smoking alternately the last several years), mashed potatoes (that had been peeled); I took sweet potatoes and garlic parmesan green beans.

Then I worked 13 1/2 hours Friday, 13 hours on Saturday and 13 hours on Sunday. No shopping for me, either. I didn't really miss it too much. I did run out to the T-store Saturday night to see if they had their sheets on sale, they were half price for 600-thread-count last year for Christmas. This year they were only about 30% off, but they had 1000-thread-count (no, I didn't accidentally add a 0 to that!) for $19 per piece!

I still have to finish the needlepoint I started for Grandma's Christmas present, and I haven't the slightest clue what I'm getting for anyone else. Oh, yes, and I have to bake a sh!tload of cookies between now and the 20th.

Cookies... that reminds me, I think I'll revive my tradition of making my salsa for gifts.

Yes, crimbo salsa... It's festively red and green.


I stopped doing it because of one co-worker. I made a bunch one year and gave jars away at work. One co-worker became obsessed with it the next year and started hounding me for it. The culture at the company had changed quite a bit and I wasn't feeling the camaraderie of previous years and so wasn't planning on making nearly as many jars for work and she was not on my short list. She wouldn't let it drop so I didn't make any... and haven't made any big batches since.

But I hate shopping and there's all those small gift folks I feel obligated to. Friends of the family, relatives I rarely see, friends from the pub, etc. Everyone likes my salsa so that will cut down tremendously on the stress I feel this time of year.

I saw those 1000 thread count sheets in their ad. I had to restrain myself. I have plenty of sheets despite what my grandmother may think (she brings her own when she comes to visit).

Salsa is a good idea. For the office folks I think I'll do dipped pretzels or something. Fast, easy, yummy. I don't think there are any diabetics at this workplace. There were at the last one. I've never canned before so I don't know that I even have the right gear. That's something my mom never let me stay in the kitchen for while she was working. It's a shame - crochet, embroider, cross stitch, sew, knit (a little), quilt, cook, bake, upholster, check the oil, change an alternator, clean windows - yes. Can? Not so much. I don't know how to darn either. Mom used to make hot sweet pickles. I need to get that recipe before she kicks it.

Oh and he may have pressed my other brother into service - I'm not sure. He can be picky and doesn't care for the skins in his mashed potatoes. If I were doing 10lbs, I would wash them, get the eyes & that would be it because done is good.

The only person I ever knew who could darn was my grandmother - and not the crafty one either (I have a grandma who makes everything, and I had a grandma who just bought everything to save herself the trouble). Grandma used to darn our socks, and I hated it because mom made us keep wearing them but you could always feel the darned patch on your toes or heel. I guess growing up in the Depression you had to learn things like that.