Thanks, all y’all, for your input on air purifiers. I think that, for now, I’ll wear a mask when I’m scooping (even though I don’t feel like I’m inhaling litter dust, I’m sure I must be), and see how that goes.
Those of you who are my Facebook friends know that I went to the post office in my pink Rudolph (I assume he’s Rudolph – he’s got a red nose. Well, actually, more like a dark pink nose – and he’s blue. But I’m pretty sure it’s Rudolph just the same) sleep pants yesterday. Those things are SO FREAKIN’ COMFORTABLE that I couldn’t bear to run upstairs (SUCH A LONG TRIP) to grab a pair of jeans. I gambled that there wouldn’t be anyone else in the post office, and as it turned out, that’s exactly how it was. But honestly, with some of the getups I’ve seen other people wear into that post office (one woman walked in in her bathrobe and slippers with curlers in her hair, I kid you not), it wouldn’t have been THAT horrifying if someone else had been around.
Jean asked, since I live across the street from the post office, if I walked over there. I did not – I drove. It was TOO FREAKIN’ COLD to walk (it’s not directly across the street, actually, it’s across the street and down. A pleasant walk when it’s not thirty degrees below zero).
I’d had no fewer than four people say to me, in the last few days when I’ve said something about the cold, “But you’re from Maine!”
I am from Maine – but I’ve lived here for 14 years now. My body’s gotten used to the warm weather, so this cold-ass shit (the high was just above freezing yesterday)(and yes, I’m aware that those of you in the Midwest and Northeast and all other areas of the country where it gets and stays truly COLD are weeping tears of sorrow for my sad, sad plight) is COLD.
I realized yesterday that I’ve lived in Alabama longer than I’ve ever lived anywhere. My father was in the Air Force when I was born, and retired when I was going into 6th grade. That’s when we settled in Lisbon Falls, which I consider my hometown. I was 21 or 22 when my first husband – the spud’s father – and I moved to Rhode Island for a couple of years (and then I moved back to Maine for a couple of years, then back to Rhode Island), so all in all I spent about 10 years in Maine.
Not that having lived here for 14 years makes me a Southerner by any stretch of the imagination – but I could probably pull off a credible “Bless her heart” if I needed to.
I spent the better part of yesterday morning dealing with kumquats. We bought citrus trees at Lowe’s this summer because they were marked way down. We harvested our satsuma oranges last month and they were REALLY good. Fred decided to go ahead and pick the kumquats last week because it was supposed to go below freezing overnight, and we ended up with a good-sized bowl. I looked around online and decided to make kumquat marmalade. I deseeded and chopped up the kumquats and two oranges, let them sit overnight, boiled everything Sunday morning, then decided I didn’t want to deal with it, so let it sit for one more night. Yesterday, I tossed the fruit in the food processor (I don’t like really big chunks of fruit in my marmalades or jam – which those of you who’ve bought jam from me may have noticed), let it whir for a few seconds, then added it back to the liquid, added the sugar, and let it start boiling.
Now, the motherfucking recipe said that I needed to let it boil until it reached “gel state”, and added that that would be when it reached 220 – 222ºF. I put the pot of fruit, liquid, and sugar on high, and let it boil. It boiled and boiled. It boiled some more. And then? More boiling. I stirred it frequently, and every ten minutes or so I checked the temperature with the candy thermometer (why do I own a candy thermometer? Fuck if I know). I don’t know exactly how long that stuff boiled, but it was well over an hour. By the time it finally reached the gel stage, I was ready to toss it out the back door and tell it to go fuck itself.
Patience is not my strong suit.
But finally it reached the correct temperature, and I poured it in jars and processed it. When Fred got home, he opened one of the jars and we both tried it. Ugh. It was almost the consistency of taffy. The flavor was good, but the consistency left a lot to be desired. Probably we could zap it in the microwave for a few seconds to partially liquefy it when we’re wanting to use it on biscuits or whatever, but we have SEVEN half-pints of the stuff, which I suspect we will never come close to using.
Once the marmalade was done, I looked at the half-bowl of kumquats I had left over, and consulted Google, that know-it-all bitch.
I ended up making one batch of candied kumquats
(halve and seed the kumquats, boil them in a syrup of sugar water (1:1 sugar and water) until they’re tender and the syrup is syrupy, put them in a half-pint jar, process like you’d process jam)
and one batch of a different kind of candied kumquats
(halve and seed the kumquats, cut the halves into two slices (you could go with wedges or slices, doesn’t matter), boil in sugar water (1:1 sugar and water) until they’re tender (15 minutes), drain, toss with granulated sugar, lay slices out on a piece of wax or parchment paper, let them cool, cover with plastic wrap and let them sit for 24 hours)
After we tried the marmalade when Fred got home, we tried the candied kumquats in syrup, and I’ve gotta say – that stuff’s pretty damn good, especially the consistency. Then we tried the sugared candied kumquats (even though they hadn’t been sitting for 24 hours yet), and they were very reminiscent of those orange slices you can buy in the candy section.
Which has got me thinking that candied lemon slices tossed in sugar might be kind of good. Doesn’t that sound tasty? Google informs me that my best bet would be to use Meyer lemons. Google further informs me that Meyer lemons should be in season right about now. I’ve never had a Meyer lemon in my life, but you’d better believe I’ll be looking for them at the grocery store!
Did I perhaps mention that the Brady Bunch like themselves some sunshine? They can always be found, mid-morning, on the cat tree platform. Yesterday morning I went out to check the mail, and as I walked back to the house, I looked up to see all six kittens staring down at me from the cat tree platform. Bobby, of course, was complaining. I wish I’d had the camera with me!
Maxi, in the cat bed on the table in the front room. When she and Newt spend more time inside than out, you know it’s just about Winter!
Previously
2009: Guess who played Santa at Petsmart on Saturday?
2008: No entry.
2007: That’s approximately 100 pounds of litter every two weeks.
2006: “I LOOK LIKE SID VICIOUS!” I said.
2005: I AM SO HAPPY, YES I AM.
2004: (I never claimed not to be a dumbass)
2003: I would be ever so grateful if you would restrain yourself.
2002: No entry.
2001: I knew y’all were a hip and happenin’ bunch of readers!
2000: Stuff I’ve bought.
1999: And it tasted excellent, of course, which made the eggfart stenchiness more than worth it.
That adorable pile of kitties greeting you on the platform is your reward for all the dealing with the poo.
Need to go on facebook to check out the cat pjs. I once went to the video store in pink flannel cat pjs with a towel on my head. The clerks were wetting their pants laughing but I avoided my late fee.
My sister-in-law who is retired Navy lives in Georgia and she was complaining about how unseasonably cold it is there. She lived on an Island in Southern Japan years ago and Maine and Newfoundland among other places but she is used to the warm weather now too and really hates the cold.
It’s a wonder your heart doesn’t explode with all that kitten Qteness.
I’ve seen young ladies at the gym wearing flannel pajama bottoms to work out, so I guess Rudolph pants at the PO isn’t all that scandalous. But the thought of you trudging down the road (and honestly, it’s not that far!) to the PO, probably wearing crocs, made me laff and laff.
I made Snickerdoodles from a mix Sunday; no wonder the pigs love you! I’ll have to try from a recipe next.
Jean, oink, oink
Meyer lemons are super yummy!
I gotz mail yesterday – thank you Crooked Acres!
Each time I read kumquats, I giggled just a little. Kumquats. Hee.
“Patience is not my strong suit.”
Oh, Honey, TESTIFY! [waves hands in air] It’s worse in December. But then, so is everything.
I’ve never had an actual Meyer lemon. But the only lemon-drop martini mix I’ll use is the Meyer one and the only lemon curd I’ll eat is the Meyer one. They must be AWESOME lemons.
My new hairperson says that she drives her daughter to school in pajamas, but always carries a pair of jeans in case her car breaks down and she has to walk around. Our local Wal-Mart has a lot of PJ-wearers, but no Snuggie-as-dress wearers yet. Give it time.
I worry about this all the time! I tend to drive all over the place in only a sleep-shirt. (I wear oversized men’s flannel shirts as nightgowns, so from the waist up I just look like a lesbian stereotype, but from the waist-down I’m barelegged and in socks or slippers. And since I’m tall, no matter how oversized the shirts are, I’m still showing more leg than I should be.) I shall also start keeping a pair of pants (and shoes) in the car – as much time as I spend berating myself for going out halfdressed because what if there’s an accident or I get pulled over or the car breaks down, I’m surprised I never thought of this!
I grew up on Long Island for 21 years…and now I have been in Alabama longer than I lived in NY (here now 23 years)…but, honestly I will always be a NYer…you can take the girl out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the girl : )
I have to tell you a story…my mother always called my outfits the Suzanne G lookalikes.
We used to have a “vacation trailer” in a NJ campground. We’d go up on weekends, summer or winter. You had to walk down to the restrooms since we didn’t have hookups…one night my folks were in the trailer two or three down from ours, hanging with friends. I walked on by wearing a long red flannel gown with an old green army jacket and huge bight pink fluffy slippers (i’m pretty sure I must have had socks on too). You could hear everyone laughing in the dang trailer as I walked on by…my mother could not believe her eyes when she saw that getup!!
I admit…not a pretty site…but I hated having to walk to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I had to make sure all the wildlife knew I was coming so they would run back into the woods and leave me alone ; )
So, at least you were presentable Robyn…me sometimes not!!
Meyer lemons are amazing! They smell like Christmas… I know that sounds weird, but they have this wonderful pine-y smell to them. I use them for all sorts of baking and cooking this time of year. Candied lemon slices *are* great. Also good: candied orange slices half-dipped in chocolate.
I wonder if the kumquat marmalade would be good as a glaze for meat roasted in the oven? Chicken, pork…? That way it’ll melt and the texture won’t be an issue.
I bitched about having to go out in the cold today and was told “Sarah – you live in Upstate NY.” To which I replied, “Yes, but I live INDOORS in Upstate NY.” If anyone has the right to bitch about the cold it’s those of us that live here (here = anywhere there’s a winter), amiright?
The extreme CUTENESS of those 6 kittens on the platform is too much!!