General

The fam and I spent Thanksgiving at the cabin, as per usual. I cooked the turkey and stuffing, while my mother-in-law took care of the sides. The bird turned out pretty good. I used this trick I learned from Cook's Illustrated, since I didn't have time to brine it (more on the time issue later this same post. Stay tuned!). I turned the bird upside-down in a pan and placed the breast meat on bags of ice for ~ an hour. This lowers the temp of the breast meat, meaning it will cook slower than the thigh/leg meat, which ultimately means that all the meat gets done at once, without drying out the turkey. This worked really good, and the bird turned out moist and del.icio.us.

So, the time issue. I spent the Wednesday before Thanksgiving trying to get our truck road-worthy. It's a good truck, but had some brake noise which didn't make me comfortable for a drive into the mountains. So, I remove the passenger-side front wheel and inspect. the noise = metal-on-metal braking. For those not in the know, this is NOT GOOD. However, it is recoverable since the brake rotors can be turned and smoothed out, which isn't that big of a deal. I put new pads on that side and move to the driver-side wheel. There was still some pad left, so the rotors were in good shape. However, as I start to compress the brake pistons (very carefully, as always) in order to install the new pads, brake fluid starts leaking around one of the pistons on this side. Fantastic. This is lovely. I compress it all the way, put in the new pads, and take it to Midas. I wait more than THREE HOURS for them to tell me that they have to keep the truck because they can't get the parts required (which, they said on the phone that they could get), and I am certainly not going to drive it to the mountains while it's leaking brake fluid. After all this, I have to be a Nazi about what we can and can't take to the mountains with us because of our new space limitations in the car. That means unpacking everyone's stuff and re-packing, leaving out absolute non-essentials. And if that doesn't sound like much, remember that there are THREE females in my household. At the beginning of the day, I had hoped to be at the cabin before dark. At the end of the day, we didn't get to leave for the cabin until after dark, and didn't get there until 8:30. I was tired and cranky, and on top of all of this, Teresa was incredibly sick. So, I didn't have time to brine the bird, or make a pecan pie, or the crescent rolls...you get the idea. Dinner turned out just fine, but it could have been SO MUCH MORE. Ah well, I'm the only one complaining.

Anyway, I am looking forward to going back to the cabin soon, when there is a bunch of snow on the ground. We haven't spent nearly enough time up there, especially since it is so easy to go. I am even considering purchasing a pair of snowmobiles to replace the machines that my father-in-law has that have achieved a "certain age." By that I mean they are so old that they no longer work, and aren't worth the money it would take to fix them, unless you were a collector. With his blessing (heh), I may put them on craigslist to see if anyone would buy them.

That about wraps that up. And the New Jersey trip? I won't speak of it. It is a memory too painful, too close in time, to relive. There aren't strong enough words in the English language to express my despair. Maybe I should learn Klingon.

It's funny how different you feel about travel when you are looking forward to your destination. Oh, don't get me wrong, all those things I said before still ring true. Ask me sometime about the Bacon and Cheese OmeletMonster. But my attitude is different. I get to see my wife today, and my daughters today, and my dogs today. Thank God.

So, tomorrow is the annual trek to the Sierra Buttes for Thanksgiving. This place reminds me of how wonderful childhood can be and, hopefully, is. There's a creek behind the cabin that pools and eddies in the blackberry brambles. Twig-and leaf boats set sail, dodging obstacles, swirling in the currents; their captains resisting the urge to reach down and correct course. Early morning walk through pine smell and ground mist, swirling your breath around the frost droplet that tugs and pulls that last tamarac leaf towards its end. Cold rushing water shaping its own passage through millenia-worn rocks. The over-enthusiastic neighbor dog Daisy, panting along after you, hoping for some attention. Steping indoors, the chill on ears and fingertips eased by the wood-fire stove.

And Thanksgiving. Oh my.

We don't just eat one meal on this day, oh no. The exercise of chopping firewood the day before has peaked the appetite, as well as the hours of cooking, and smelling the cooking. Sure, there is a big meal, but it fills the day as only a placeholder, a harbinger of the eating to come. Roast turkey with all the trimmings. a couple of hours later, turkey with orange-cranberry sauce on a leftover crescent roll. a slice of pecan pie. a spot of the leftover stuffing and gravy. A game of spoons, or dominos, or spades. Maybe watch a movie with the girls. A between-meal walk down the hill to the other houses, checking on the Carmen's cabin, stepping into their backyard to catch the view down the gorge towards the mountains on the other side of the river. You can smell the woodfires of all 110 residents.

I can't wait.

That's the sound of Duke.

Ah, one of my favorite times of year, sports-wise. You see, I'm a college hoops fan, specifically, Uni of Kentucky. And the season is beginning for most of the colleges. I've been watching the Terrapins (great mascot), the Red Storm (another great mascot), etc. So far, my Wildcats are 2-0. Of course, Miami (OH) and Mississippi Valley St. aren't exactly collegiate powerhouses. After checking espn.com, it seems that Big Blue is 0-0 and ranked #22. Ah well, they are a young team this year, without Rajon Rondo. Although, they have 2 guys over 7 feet tall. Wow. That's tall.

So...still in New Jersey. No longer raining, but the weather has gotten colder. Today should be a light work day, so I hope to go check out Washington's Headquarters. Big history buff, so that should be really cool. Probably go see a movie or something as well.

Still tired. last night was my best night's sleep, but still not like being home. I'm ready to go home.

Can you name that movie? In less than three notes?

Anyways, I am in New Jersey now, and my disposition couldn't be sunnier. No, really. We (My co-worker and I, Rick V.) got into our hotel room last night at ~3 a.m. Weather in NJ caused some flight delays. On the bright side, I got to finish my book, The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett. Great book. I really like Terry Pratchett. I have read almost all of his books. There are some groups in England that have made plays from his books, and have put on performances. I wish that would happen in the US. I would go see that.

So, I am currently operating on a caffeine/sugar buzz. As the day goes, I will be maintaining a steady stream of this to keep the buzz at its current level, guaranteeing optimal performance. Just so you know, this is NOT healthy.

If I have any downtime today, I will be uploading more pictures to my gallery. Stay tuned. If you are at all interested.

However, I do know when I'll be back.

Sitting in the SacraPimento Airport, availing myself of the free wifi. Quite speedy. In fact, I'm even doing work! Perish the thought...

Teresa doesn't like it when I travel. She worries (like alot of people do) that I will meet with some mishap or other. I do my best to allay her fears, but the only real cure is to come home. I don't like travelling either, but I don't have anxiety over it. I am the Anti-Worry. I think this bothers her, because it can be interpreted as Not Caring. The source of many discussions.

Isn't life grand?

We've alread discussed airport security. The other things I don't like about airports are, in no particular order: Food. Air quality. Transciency.

People always talk about airplane food. Many a stand-up comic has made a career of it (only during the 80's. now its all about insecurities). I say it's airPORT food that is the travesty, by and large. It is only the hope of food, a pale image of what it is trying to imitate. You read the menu posted above the counter. Hmm. A Breakfast Burrito. The Holy Grail of breakfast. Eggs scrambled with cilantro, onions, and jalapenos; grilled potatoes, good salsa, bits of bacon or sausage. All wrapped in a steaming tortilla, with a side of guac and creme. Ah, but here is what you actually get. a plate, piled with shredded iceberg lettuce and watery eggs, two tortillas on the side, steamed incessantly to disguise their age, and the faint presence of cooked pork, as a bacon slice was waved in its general direction. a dollop of a salsa-like substance in the corner. Did I forget the potatoes? No. They did.

And at the end of a day of air travel? Slight asthma and nosebleeds. Yay.

Don't forget the sea of humanity, all in various stages of dishevel, wandering through the acid-lit terminals, gazing into the distance. None of us like being here.

But am I bitter? No...