2003-11-28

Sweet Potato Casserole, and that’s no lie. I used chopped walnuts instead of pecans this time, and it was damn yummy.

* * * So we went to Fred’s sister’s house for Thanksgiving, bringing sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, rolls, and a lemon pound cake. Fred’s mother and stepfather were there, and so was his sister’s boyfriend. I’d been a little worried about meeting her boyfriend, because he’s French, and when someone has a thick accent – as I’ve mentioned before – and I can’t understand what they’re saying, I always feel like a complete stupid American idiot. But I was able to understand him – the funny thing with listening to people with accents is that the more you listen to them, the easier it is to understand – and he was very nice. We were supposed to eat at noon, but ended up eating at one, right about the time I was ready to gnaw off my arm since I hadn’t eaten breakfast. On the table: turkey, smoked ham, rolls, devilled eggs, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, giblet gravy, oyster dressing, cornbread dressing, and cranberry sauce. For dessert, pumpkin pie and Fred’s awesome lemon pound cake. After we finished eating and Fred was in the kitchen washing all the dishes by hand*, Fred’s nephew and niece and her boyfriend showed up. After a bit of chatting, as I was eyeing the clock and wondering how soon we could go home and take a nap, Fred pointed out that we’d brought the game Trivial Pursuit with us. “Let’s play a game!” he suggested, and I could have smacked him. But I agreed to play, and we set up at the kitchen table. Instead of pairing off in teams as would be the normal thing to do, all 5 of us each got our own game piece, and we spend the next two hours playing the game. I did my best to not fall asleep, and then Fred suggested that the three of them (his nephew, niece and her boyfriend) make up one team and he and I would make up the other. We played until they had all their pieces, and then finally Fred and I gave up the game, declared them the winners, and ran for the front door with our leftovers. Did I mention that Fred’s stepfather brought oyster dressing? The best oyster dressing in the whole wide world? And also a smoked ham that was so moist and tender I wanted to marry it? He’s from Louisiana and makes super-southern cajun food that makes you cry it’s so damn good. Lordy but I love Thanksgiving. * While Fred was showing off his mad cleaning skillz in the kitchen, his sister looked at me and said “Is he like this at home?” “No,” I said, remembering the many times I’d had to yell at he and the spud to put their dishes in the dishwasher when they were done eating breakfast or lunch. Fred’s sister nodded. “That’s what I figured.” * * * This morning the spud and I were on the road at 7:30, on our way to the Examiner’s Office so that she could take the written test for her learner’s permit. The traffic around Madison Square Mall was horrid – at not even 8:00, there were people who had to park on the GRASS – but once we got past the mall the traffic was pretty light. We got to the Examiner’s Office two minutes before 8:00, and guess what? That’s right, the fucking place was closed in observance of Thanksgiving. A STATE office and it was closed! Bastards. So I told the spud we’d try again when she got off for Christmas vacation and we went out to breakfast at IHOP. IHOP was packed, but we only had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated. I got my pancake jones satisfied (it only comes up about once a year) and then we had to run to Fred’s office (Fred took today off) because his computer shit the bed (Hi Shannon!) and he needed a Windows 2000 disk. We fought our way back through the mall traffic and the bastards trying to get into the left lane to turn into Best Buy, picked up the disk, fought our way AGAIN through the mall/ Best Buy traffic, and made it home about two hours after we’d left. May I just take a second to note that y’all who go shopping the day after Thanksgiving are some CRAZY MOTHERFUCKERS indeed. * * * So I was going through the video tape the other day to see what I had in the way of cat movies that I could put up to entertain y’all. I came across the part of the tape where Fred and I were out in the back yard with the Bean on a leash. I had just started taping when the Bean did his big, goofy leaping-run across the yard. I didn’t catch it on tape, though, because the camera was set on super-zoom, and I was trying to figure out what was going on. After the Bean did his big running-leap, you can clearly hear me say “Oh SHIIIIIT, I didn’t get it!” So I made a wav, for your listening pleasure. Mock away. Do I sound heartbroken, or what? Maybe one of these days I’ll make a wav of myself REALLY swearing. Heh. * * * Friday Five! 1. Do you like to shop? Why or why not? I like the act of shopping, but I loathe the annoying motherfuckers who get in my way when I’m shopping. 2. What was the last thing you purchased? A gift card to Applebee’s for my parents for Christmas. Before that, some Matrix hair crap that is VERY GODDAMN EXPENSIVE JANE. Am I still dead to you? Oh no, wait. I bought an eye makeup kit this morning at the grocery store for $2.99, because I only have dark gray eyeshadow, and I’d like to experiment with eyeshadow on one of the three days a year I wear makeup. 3. Do you prefer shopping online or at an actual store? Why? Online, online, online. Always online. Because I don’t have to get up off my ass to do it, and there are no annoying people standing in my way and blocking the aisle. (Though sometimes there are annoying people sitting across the room singing showtunes) 4. Did you get an allowance as a child? How much was it? I did, but I can’t for the life of me remember how much. I think it depended on my age. The spud gets $10 a week, and I know it wasn’t anything near that much. 5. What was the last thing you regret purchasing? Some Dansko clogs, because they hurt the top of my feet. I need to exchange them for a different pair. * * * Spot would like all you Tubby-lovers to bite him.]]>