randomly chaotic and frequently mundane

Gage has piled up the pillows from his bed, my bed and one of the couch cushions on the floor (the aforementioned pile of pillows). He’s relaxing in the pile at the moment. It looks comfy, maybe I’ll join him in a few minutes, LOL.? What can I say, I’m a big kid sometimes.? There have been times that I’ve dragged a comforter into Gage’s room and used it along with his little table and chairs to build a “fort.”? Gage had fun when I used to do that.? He didn’t quite get it, but he had fun sitting in the fort.? Maybe that’s why he liked it when I hung sheets from the top bunk of his bed to surround the bunk he sleeps on.? I’ve even caught him making sure it was closed properly before going to bed.? Much cuteness.

So I’ve just watched the Avs lose to Calgary. It wasn’t thrilling, to say the least. It’s a shame I missed much of the pre-game show. Apparently there was a bit of an on-ice scuffle before the game even started. They showed a little of it during the 1st intermission, but not enough to see what might have caused it. I’m rather curious.

I haveso much leftover turkey, lol.? I’ve got soup started.? At least the base for soup — broth and chicken.? I’ll freeze half and prepare the other half however my mood takes me.? the rest of the turkey will be used in recipe ideas for future cookbook.? It shall be good.? For tonight, though… I’ll be eating white meat dipped in mustard.? Yummy yummy.

Gage has an obsession with the apples.? He carries them around.? They’re still in the bag I put them in at the grocery store.? He just likes to have them close by.? He pulled one out and looks at it.? When he wants to eat it he’ll either bite into it or give it to me to cut.? So I’m guessing he just likes looking at shiny redness or he’s enjoying the sweet smell.? I have to put them back in the fridge every night only to have them get taken out again in the morning.? It’s funny and yet it’s not funny.

He just passed out about 10 minutes ago.? Sleeping on the couch all stretched out.? He’s had a busy couple of days.? Running about and playing.? He also didn’t sleep very well last night.? Woke up a lot of times.

Did I tell you about my turkey?? It was over 18lbs.? But I managed to cook and carve it on my own.? I was even able to drain the juice from the oven bag (which involves tipping the pan without tipping the bird off of it) all on my own.? Gage pulling the scrunchie out of my hair while I was doing it wasn’t much help, but he doesn’t know any better.? I’ve got the whole bird carved and I’ve got stock started from the bones and stuff.? I’ve just gotta figure out how I’m going to store it all.? Admittedly, I haven’t de-boned the leg quarters yet.? I’ll probably do that in a little bit and add the leg bones to the stock pot.

As expected, Gage didn’t touch any of the normal Thanksgiving foods.? No, that’s not true.? He did touch the cranberry sauce.? Literally.? He touched it and looked at me like “you’re kidding, right?”? Now he’s dancing around the kitchen with the swiffer.? He had mac & cheese for lunch and pizza rolls for dinner, with a toaster strudel for dessert.? He’s also thoroughly enjoying the cookies I made last night.? In particular, he’s enjoying gnawing off the cinnamon and sugar coating and putting the remainder of the cookies back in the dish.? Pleasant, no?

Well, I went to the grocery store.? Unfortunately I had? to go by cab.? It’s only$14 round trip, but it would be nice not to have to pay that so often.? Too much to get for walking.? I’m gonna start dicing stuff for tomorrow in a little bit.? Trying something different with the stuffing.? See, I use mom’s recipe.? It’s very basic.? Remove giblets and boil for about 20 minutes.? Chop giblets finely and put into a bowl.? Add 1 loaf of bread that has been left out overnight and torn up.? Then add a few stalks of chopped celery and a chopped onion that have been sauteed in butter.? Mix all that together, add salt and pepper, some of the water that you boiled the giblets in and viola.? Stuffing.? It goes into the bird and into the oven.? Well, there’s only me to eat the stuffing this year.? And I’m not making enough stuffing to fill an 18 lb bird.? That would be a hell of a waste.? So I’m going to try putting it into a casserole dish and baking it seperately.? I’ll probably take that piece of skin that usually flaps over the stuffing off the bird and put it on top of the stuffing in the dish so it gets a little bit of that turkey fat that it would normally get.? If it’s half as good as mom’s I’ll consider myself lucky.? There’s always the boxed stuff if absolutely necessary.

I’ll probably also make some cookies tonight.? Since that’s all we’re going to have in the way of dessert.? Why make a whole pie for one person?? It’ll go to waste.? But Gage will eat cookies, so that’ll work out.

I might cut out some Christmasy shapes from construction paper tonight for Gage to glue together/decorate tomorrow.? He might enjoy that.? If I can get him to cooperate.

It’s really not much.? Nothing to write home about, as they say.? But it’s still snowing lightly.? Who knows if it’ll get heavier or if it’ll just stay really light.? I noticed it was snowing last night when I went out for a cigarette before bed.? It wasn’t sticking anywhere except on top of cars and things like that.? The ground was too warm for it to stay.? The cement is still too warm for it to stick to, but it’s sticking everywhere else.? Gage was enjoying stomping through the yard a little while ago.? It took clever coaxing and Star Wars to get him back inside.? Tiger wasn’t particularly fond of the coldness on his paws, but he was having fun running around and kicking up the little bit that’s on the ground.? I’d say we’ve got about 2 inches give or take half an inch.

I need to go to the grocery store.? I’m not looking forward to that.? For one, people go a little weird when it snows as far as groceries are concerned.? Gotta have their milk, eggs and bread, you know?? Think these people are feasting on french toast during snow storms?? I’ve always wondered about that.? Milk eggs and bread?? Why?? If the power goes out you can’t do anything with the eggs.? Milk and bread are nice, but doesn’t it make more sense to get bread, mustard and lunch meat?? You know, something you can eat without cooking.? Just in case you lose power.? Of course our stove is gas, so even if we lose power, I can cook.? I just have to light the burner manually.? Oh yes, the second reason for not looking forward to the grocery store… Thanksgiving is tomorrow.? Everyone is rushing around to get the stuff that they forgot to pick up earlier.? Someone forgot the cranberries.? Someone else is in desperate need of some turkey size oven bags.? There’s probably someone out there who decided at the 11th hour that they want to make ham instead of turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, and while we’re at it, let’s do the bread from scratch and bake a pecan pie instead of pumpkin.