Turkey Day II

I knew that I had to be up by 8am in order to have the turkey in the oven no later than 9:00am. I woke a time or two after 6:00am but didn’t get up for good until 7:30am. Like always, I started a pot of coffee and completed my exercise routine. Unfortunately, I was still feelin’ queasy. But there was no time for slackin’. I’d simply have to battle through it however bad it got. I was frustrated to see that it had rained during the early predawn hours. Somehow I let five days of sunshine pass without getting the lawn furniture stowed. Now, I’d have to wait for another lengthy dry spell. Good grief! I may never get that stuff stowed. A check of the radar confirmed that even heavier rain was on the way. Hum bug! As soon as Ykraps and I were back from our walk, I had to get started on stuffing the bird. Speaking of the bird, it was 24 lbs and needed upwards of 5.5 hours to cook fully stuffed. My stuffing recipe calls for chunks of apple, sausage, celery, and red onion. Years past I’ve also added hot peppers and walnuts but left both out this year. It took about 45 minutes to get the ingredients cooked, sautéed, and mixed. It was 9:20am by the time the bird went in the oven. Ahh, a brief moment to relax! But realistically, I could relax for just a few short minutes. I still had to run, and do so much more prior to 2pm. As luck would have it, the rain began coming down much harder just as I was changing into my running attire. Given the way I felt, running in the rain didn’t excite me like it sometimes can. I checked the radar again. There wasn’t a break in site for at least an hour. I couldn’t wait. I chose to deal with it. My hi-tech gear keeps me fairly dry. Once I had a quarter mile under my belt my body temperature overcame the chilly, wet rain. Aside from being a little damp, I was fine. The rain began to lighten just about the time I finished. I was going to throw my wet gear in the dryer but opted to give it its weekly washing instead. Mindy seconded that idea. I belly ached about my upset tummy thru the rest of the morning an early afternoon. Meanwhile, the turkey was coming along just fine. We struggled with the logistics of feeding 16 comfortably. We have two folding tables in addition to our kitchen table, but wanted to avoid using our nice dining room stuff (don’t ask – that’s just how it is). Seating was the big problem. We were short about 4 chairs. Mindy eventually borrowed 6 from our neighbors. Problem solved. Mindy handled the mashed potatoes and green bean casserole while I managed the turkey, stuffing and gravy. We cheated on the gravy mixing store bought jar gravy with drippings from the bird. Tommy was the first guest to arrive. He and Mindy fetched the neighbor’s extra chairs even after I insisted she let me get ‘em. By then, things were falling into place. However, the final preparation is always the most stressful. The bird was done about 45 minutes early. I double checked by inserting our own meat probe. It was 175 degrees. Perfect! Not only was this the biggest bird that I’ve ever cooked but also the juiciest. Call me suspicious but I’m guessing my bird was secretly taking steroids. Everyone who was expected arrived within 30 minutes of one another. Unfortunately, I was feeling worse and worse. But bowing out or lying down just wasn’t an option. I had to suck it up and smile. I did my level best to maintain a happy, pleasant demeanor. All this lovely food and I wasn’t hungry in the least. We encouraged the parents to prepare their children’s plates first. That worked relatively well. Soon the adults were filling theirs. It was a bit chaotic but at the same time fun. Meanwhile, our house was trashed, at least from its usual state. We used festive paper plates so clean up was a bit easier. We served dessert after the initial mess was discarded. I ate none. Unable to keep on going, I retired to the sofa to stare off into space. I really needed a nap. Through it all, there were several dysfunctional moments, but nothing we weren’t prepared for. Courtney always gets antsy when Shelly comes to pick-up Kaileigh and then stays to visit. But we like Shelly and consider her extended family. But nothing tops Uncle Chucks hot purple ski jacket with bright orange and pink stripes. He and mom bicker like an old married couple. It’s cute, really. Stephen, Olivia’s daddy, was there with Ashley. He was pleasant, just as he often is around family. Guests started leaving around 6pm. But our fun was just beginning. This date also marked the arrival of Lil’ Rocky & Landon, who would be staying with us for an undetermined amount of time. Despite feeling poorly, I was much looking forward to the Vikings game kicking off at 8:30pm. I planned to be comfortably into my pajamas and lounging on the sofa by then. I helped Mindy best I could with organizing the kids. Meanwhile, we were expecting ex-Kelly to stop by to drop some old & new clothes for both kids. She seemed giddy to be getting her home back. But who could blame her. She must’ve shown up around 7pm. She agreed to give Courtney a ride home. The kids were settled into bed just before kick-off of SNF. I was hopeful that the Vikings would play well. You never know which version’s going to show up. The game didn’t begin too well. We found ourselves behind 7-0. Soon, however, it was 7-3 after an awesome Adrian Peterson 59 yard romp. But just like that the Vikings turned the ball over and allowed the Bears to drive to the one yard line. It looked like we’d be down 14-3 in a jiffy. Nope! After an incredible goal line stand, the Vikings offense scored on a 99 yard pass play to take the lead. Boom! They never trailed again. In fact, they kept playing stronger. Vikings won 34-14. Very nice! I went to bed happy!