Friday, November 23, 2012

Happy & Safe Black Friday!

Yes, friends, it's that time of year again, when people stand in lines all night so they can be first in line for the deals and steals on Black Friday, generally thought of as the single most profitable day for businesses--not to mention the the crowds who just come in normally on the day because there's nothing to do but eat leftovers at home.

Today, however, is my husband's family dinner. We planned it this way so that people who had to work on Thanksgiving could still come and have a nice, warm dinner and not have to brave the crowds in the mall. I am making meatballs, green bean casserole and some of those chicks in my last post. My husband is making baked beans.

The stuff for the meatballs is melting in the crock, and the eggs are on to boil. The meatballs are somewhat thawing on the stove. We're in business and it's only 8:45am! I call this my lean, mean, Thanksgiving machine.

If you don't believe me, take a look at this!




The monster has reared her ugly head. Food is a'cookin'!

Thursday, November 22, 2012

A Cute Idea


 

A cute idea for Thanksgiving!

Oh, Google Changed the Interface Again!

I decided to post a blog today, being that it's Thanksgiving, to find that Blogger has changed it's interface again. I'm not good with change, but I'll try and work with this, even though it's a little clunky.

But I was pondering on Thanksgiving a bit this morning. It's not about the bird, it's not even about the day, it's about family--getting together with the ones you love and care about, and helping them move into their new apartment...maybe in a little while. We'll know the answer to THAT one, when hubby's friend calls. Or perhaps I should say "if" hubby's friend calls, because I don't expect him to do that on Thanksgiving day. Our holiday will be celebrated on Black Friday. It will keep us away from the crowds at the store, and full parking lots and the lack of parking spaces, and the people who will fight you for that last bike. No, our holiday will be in the comfortable space of my mother-in-law's living room. We're having some of the old standbys--bird, stuffing, taters, gravy, sweet taters, biscuits, green bean casserole, baked beans; and some new favorites, jalapeno corn, meatballs in chili sauce, and pie.

Always pie.

 I like pie.

So also, is my knitting day lined up for fun and frolic. I have a block to finish crocheting on, my sweater, and this little gem I bought yesterday.


Isn't that just something? Bought on impulse, but it looks SO FUN--and I can hardly wait to break it open and start with it. Then there's my weaving, which I can take today, too. There are lots of projects going on.

And Christmas is coming. As usual, I have just about everyone covered except my husband, who is so hard to buy for-- I considered this:

And this:


A video game for his xbox that he has played 6 times since he bought the original. This is the sequel, which of course, won't be quite AS good as the original, just like in most television shows. Still it's something that he's indicated an "interest" in, which is how I come up with Christmas presents for him.

And something to help keep his feet warm. If it weren't for the fact that he's usually sleeping in his easy chair with the footrest up..I would probably be okay getting him one of those things that rests on the floor and you just slip your feet in to warm them.

There's also recovering his easy chair--replacing all the foam rubber, and taking it right down to the studs. Sadly, this sounds more like a retirement idea, rather than something to do in a couple of weeks before Christmas. Having it done professionally would likely cost more than the chair itself. Clearly, I need to do some research. I have no idea how to re-upholster a "fluffy" chair, let alone think about the cost of same. So this one will sit on "hold" for a year or two while I figure out how I'm going to proceed.

He doesn't need any knitted things. That's a shame, really--even though I don't have time to whip something out for him. That's just a no-brainer. I also considered woolen underwear, but truth be known, really all he needs is a hat, and his feet would take care of themselves. But he's not much of a hat wearer, unless he's out in the cold blowing snow out of the driveway, and then he gets overheated and cold because he's sweating. Besides, I knit him a hat and he bought two more. Then I made him gloves, and he's still got them, to his credit. I made him socks, but he seldom wears them, saying they make his feet sweat. Well, alrighty then!

Nobody steals my ideas, okay!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Cause & Effect

  After finishing a bunch of "things"...

A pennant football illusion in University of Michigan colors.
Two scrunchies in Michigan State University Spartan colors.
And a scarf made out of chenille and fuzzy balls...

I finally got to start on my sweater.

I began with a tubular cast on, and then started my pattern. So far, it's working, and I'm on the row where there's a right twist--easy really, as I'm only in the lower band.

And it looks like fit isn't going to be any problem at all, which is great.

Obama won the election--which means his "Obamacare" is going to raise our deficit even more, and means more taxes on me, which means less takehome, and I've already lost $40 a payroll--which is a LOT for me. A whole week's worth of gasoline that I can't afford now.

I am NOT happy.

But I know who is.

And it just galls me to no end, that I have spent my life, working my buns off so that I can have a reasonable retirement, only to find out that it's going to be completely gone by the time I'm ready to retire. Because there is no way for the government to pay for Obamacare. The rich can just take their money out of the market and go wherever they want to go. THEY ARE, AFTER ALL, RICH--RIGHT?

And when they do that, the banks will fail and the market will drop like a freaking STONE. Perhaps not like in the depression, but slower--like a slow death. Horrible. Just horrible.

If I sound like a doomsday prophet, so be it. I just don't think I can put my hope and trust into someone who has already shown that he's an overspender, adding 16 trillion to the debt, and that's BEFORE Obamacare.

So BOHICA!