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| Nana at the helm of this kitchen ship for the last two weeks departed today. What do we do now? How will the laundry get done or the pets get fed? |
It's been a great two weeks with my mom who Chip has artfully dubbed "Mistress of the Semi-sequitur". Conversations can go on quite normally until suddenly taking a different direction without warning. She doesn't quite answer our questions anymore but rather she answers those questions either she wishes we'd asked or a question that followed some conversation she initiated in her head. It's subtle enough to make you think you're the crazy one. I'm onto her.
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| Which one first? |
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| Enjoying the companionship of Bruce the cat and a smoke at 16 degrees. The cats and the dog have enjoyed two weeks of full indulgence both in being let in and out at will and extra loving care. They will be looking for her the next few days wondering where their angel on earth went. |
We enjoyed a Christmas feast of turducken with friends and a New Year's Eve with the New York Philharmonic on PBS. Laughs, peace, rest, food, drink, family. A true holiday.
The weather was sub-freezing except when it went to 46 for two days and every last bit of snow on the lakes melted creating a Zamboni effect that has created Facebook salutations and salivations for pick-up hockey games by grown men who I know have day jobs. Sidewalks and driveways are clear of any ice and that's absolutely unheard of at this time of year, so walking the dog yesterday in my sneakers without fear of going down on patches of ice just seemed weird and wrong. Global warming is scary.
The clinics have been quiet the last few weeks with many staff members on vacation but today I was met with a surprising and distinctly different tone as everybody returned. As is always the case, one is only the "new guy" until a newer guy shows up. A few recently hired staff members started work today and suddenly I am thrust into the ranks of the regulars. Warm greetings in the hallway, a decidedly lowered wall of indifference toward me. Well, hello 2011.
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| Release the turducken! |
The weather was sub-freezing except when it went to 46 for two days and every last bit of snow on the lakes melted creating a Zamboni effect that has created Facebook salutations and salivations for pick-up hockey games by grown men who I know have day jobs. Sidewalks and driveways are clear of any ice and that's absolutely unheard of at this time of year, so walking the dog yesterday in my sneakers without fear of going down on patches of ice just seemed weird and wrong. Global warming is scary.
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| a moment of lavender penetrates the fog at sunset. no manipulation of this photo. Man, it was Purple Haze!!! |
The clinics have been quiet the last few weeks with many staff members on vacation but today I was met with a surprising and distinctly different tone as everybody returned. As is always the case, one is only the "new guy" until a newer guy shows up. A few recently hired staff members started work today and suddenly I am thrust into the ranks of the regulars. Warm greetings in the hallway, a decidedly lowered wall of indifference toward me. Well, hello 2011.
Happy New Year Jules...
ReplyDeleteHow was the Turducken...I always wanted to make it...
I hope this isn't overkill, but let me script a semi sequitur.
ReplyDeleteN: I don't think they have Midwest Airlines any more.
C: Midwest merged with Frontier. But Frontier flights still serve those cookies!
N: Well, I didn't get any cookies.
C: Did you fly on Frontier?
N: No, US Air.
C: ?!?!?!
Gotta love her.
I could not do that semi-sequitur justice so I'm glad you spelled it out, Jibber.
ReplyDeleteAndy, I can put you onto my friends for their first hand account of the cooking of the 35 lb turducken. I do have to say that it is majority turkey with a little bit of duck at least on the piece I enjoyed, and layers of stuffing in between which does make the whole thing really moist. As for the chicken if it was on my plate, I likely thought it was turkey when I ate it. It was good though.
Love the stories of the people in your house. Especially love the pic of Nana in earmuffs.
ReplyDeleteBut terducken. Why?
Is it wrong for me to still be laughing (in a good way) at the photo of your mom all bundled up for a little smoke in arctic temps??? She's a cutie and I must meet her the next time she visits you.
ReplyDeleteBTW-My sister says turducken should be spelled with just the first four letters. I say, what's not to like?
CC
I love that it was her skimpy little fashion scarf tied up around her head like Marley's in A Christmas Carol. It's not like we are short on fleece everything and hats etc. but she's a self sufficient gal. She lives on the 7th floor so she loves being on the ground floor and communing with the flora and fauna. She does express her great disappointment to the cats when they go on a killing spree. "You know I don't like when you do that..." It's a sitcom.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for June and Liv's graduation, having all of the families around should be fun and quite interesting. Uh, Julie??
ReplyDeleteI can't wait.
ReplyDelete