So, Rebby left Tuesday to go to her grandparent's place for Thanksgiving. I went to my job and had a nice time in the kitchen with Greg, and then he gave me a ride home. I probably didn't start cooking on Tuesday night---can't remember--but Wednesday I woke up early and got to work. I pre-made everything, thinking that it would be best to be able to just throw things in the oven after the turkey was done. Little did I know what a good plan that was....
I made a butternut squash pie that I wasn't super thrilled with, and a mincemeat pie that I think was delicious but no one ended up eating(to be fair, no desserts were attacked with abandon) I made the brussels sprouts of the gods (apple, onion, bacon, and a german style sweet and sour dressing. yum!) roasted sweet potatoes with apples and maple syrup, acorn squash stuffed with lentils, millet and kale, trader joe's style green bean casserole, vegan stuffing with chestnuts, not vegan stuffing with bacon and chicken stock and various pieces of bread ends I've been hording in the freezer for a few months, and my famous orange ginger cranberry relish. I decided to save the horseradish mashed potatoes and crescent rolls for right before dinner time.
I did a bunch of cleaning and straightening too, and at some point I had to go up to Trader Joe's for oranges, so I got some cheeses and crackers too. I had a nice spread.
Wednesday is just a blur of cooking, and I went to bed really early. Like 9pm or something. Woke up early on Thursday to finish the cooking and start drinking. I tore into my bottle of Mateus like a champ, and by the time the first guests (Jilly, Jeff and Lisa) arrived, I was pleasantly buzzed. I gave them the tour, and when we got to the celebratory weed den, they insisted I partake. It was a holiday after all.
And that, my friends, is the crucial moment of my story.
I have a few little bright shining memories of other guests arriving, taking them on the tour, welcoming their cakes and cookies and bottles of wine. I vividly remember taking the turkey out of the oven and making sure the meat thermometer read POULTRY.
I remember insisting Jeff was the dad and he had to carve. I sort of remember telling him he had to make the crescent rolls.
I DO NOT remember mashing the potatoes, which I apparently did with gusto. I also don't remember peeling and chopping the horseradish to put in them, which I definitely did because I have the leftovers and I can taste them. I have no idea how all the rest of the food got on the table, heated and ready. (I think I have Jilly and Leslie to thank for that, mostly) I barely remember sitting in the front room eating with some people, and I remember insisting that everyone come in to watch Klaus Nomi. I remember John Roman showing up to eat cranberry relish and I remember Bill showing up to play trivial pursuit (well, that's not WHY he came, but that's what happened)
It's all a very pleasant fuzzy---but it's all fuzzy. Everyone tells me they had a great time, so it's all good. Just funny. Thanksgiving has always been the mother of drunken holidays for me so it's nice to revive the tradition.
I cleaned up as best I could, and then Friday I went to work. Still drunk, I think.
Friday afternoon the sisters arrived and we headed home and cleaned up a bit, and then rebby got home and we headed to Dormont for part one of family time.
It was just dad and Michaeline, and we had a really nice meal and some nice talking time, and then we extricated ourselves.
Saturday we cleaned and talked and watched Live Aid and waited for NOBODY to show up to the open house. No-body. I'm not terribly upset about it, I must say---the two people who had told me specifically they were coming called to say they couldn't. But still---nobody? That's just weird. Anyway, we waited until the end of the appointed party time, and then we got ready to go to the big show.
We saw ballet dancers, aerialists, belly dancers, the ukelady, a lady who plays cello and sings really funny songs, kill the unicorn tearing it up with a hip hop version of Queen's Dont Stop Me Now, a torch song trio, and more. It was a really lovely evening, though also really long. We got an old tymey photo in the lobby from a guy who really didn't have his act together. The picture is funny, and with proper cropping and sepia toning we can make it better. We walked home in the chilly air and went to bed right away.
Rebby got up at 4am to go hunting. I still can't believe it.
Sunday was BABY DAY. First lilD and his mom and pops came over despite the fact that he was suffering a nasty cough. I really appreciate the fact that he and his very game parents made the trek over to see the sisters, who really couldn't wait to meet him. Seriously, for two ladies who are general pretty baby neutral, they were acting like he was the best thing since sliced bread. (okay, maybe he is. but I'm biased)
We had some chocolate and chatted as much as we could in the limited time window, and then they bundled up for the trip home after a picture (see flickr) and we got ready to go back to Dormont for more BABY DAY.
All the sibs beat us there, and there was a great snacky spread all ready on the table. Tristan was still at his dads, but Brady was very entertaining. He's only about a month older than D but almost twice his weight, and he had two teeth and is crawling and walking holding on to tables. The ninth month must be a big one developmentally, boy. Brady was very interested in radishes, and then later his attention was diverted with mardi gras beads. My sister told me that if I have to entertain babies that mardi gras beads are a great bet. There was something vaguely disturbing about a baby crawling around with mardi gras beads in his mouth--but it was cute. We had a great time just chatting and snacking, and then the sisters were presented with a DVD game called Scene It!--the Pirates of The Carribean edition. So we had a family game time around the dining room table/computer. It was a good time. Shannon went to go get Tristan and then it deteriorated into chaos, between the baby and the toddler and the dog and the slightly inebriated grown ups. At the end of the night we made a date to have a family night at Rocky Horror Picture Show next time the sisters are in town. Ha!
So we were planning to have Indian for dinner and follow it with ice cream, but we decided to just jump right to the ice cream. We were not disappointed.
Monday I went to work and the girls just hung around the house due to rain. Bleah. Typical Pittsburgh day, though. They came to get me at the end of my shift and we went for Indian buffet and then hit the ice cream again. Hee hee.
Afterwards we killed some time on Walnut Street. I looked at drapes at Pottery Barn and decided that I REALLY have to make my own. Oh my. While we were bumming around the Shadyside Market rebby called---she was on her way home. So she got to see the sisters one more time and give them decent directions to the airport. They got on the road, and after some weather delays, had a safe albeit bumpy flight home.
Rebby and I ate leftovers in our underpants and watched How I Met Your Mother.
All in all, a good, crazy, weekend. The cool thing about planning a party, even if no one shows up, is suddenly your house is clean. We should plan pretend parties more often!