Playing It Safe with the Turkey

It turns out that the flu makes you not want to do anything.
So with 13 adults and 2 children descending on Sunday for "2nd Thanksgiving", I decided not to be ambitious and just stick with a classic turkey dinner.
A roasted turkey I have made before that is always yummy and the sides that we grew up eating.
I am disappointed, but also being a realist.
Classic Turkey it is.

Kathleen Turner Turkey Feast

Stress has almost overcome me in the last few weeks and months.

Stressed me out to the point where I figured, why write about it here? Do I really want to remind myself about my stress? Do I need to rehash it?

Hell no.

So therefore, no posts from me.

But now, I am sick. Obviously the stress helped get me here.

I can't even figure out what is wrong with me. It is not exactly a cold. Not exactly a flu.

I have the flop sweats occasionally. I have body aches like crazy. I had a terrible sore throat. Now I just have a gross mucous coated throat and talk like Carrie Fischer or Kathleen Turner. And I mean the recent not good years of Carrie or Kathleen.

Nasty, deep, smoker lady voice. (and I don't smoke)

I coughed so much last night that my back and ribs hurt. And to top it off, I am not hungry. I force myself to eat - and I guess that after a few more days of all liquid foods, I will at least be a few pounds leaner.

I blame all of this on sick people that don't stay home.

They diseased me. And in my weakend, stressed out state - my body could not fight back.

What is wrong with people that won't stay home when sick?

What is up with people that don't wash thier hands?

Gross!

Anyway - at least I am managing to work from home and keep the disease contained. I am beginning to plan my Thanksgiving Feast.

This year, we are going to my aunt's for Thanksgiving - but on Sunday I am having '2nd Thanksgiving' for a group of friends.

I do this mainly because I want turkey leftovers in my own home.

I hate taking a plate of leftovers from someones' house. Because secretly I feel they are begrudging me taking thier leftovers.

So now we have 2nd Thanksgiving.

I learned this from my father in law. Even if he was going somewhere for the Thursday meal - he would roast his own turkey too.

Genius!

I am attempting to re-create the Thanksgiving meal featured in the current issue of LaCucina Italiana.

But, I may go for the Giada Thanksgiving feast with the Butternut Squash lasagna and the Ciabatta Chestnut stuffing.

Lots of decisions to make.

And of course - there have already been requests for certain recipes to be on the table beyoned the LaCucina menu. Which is fine - because so far, there are 14 adults coming - so if I don't make more food, I won't have my own leftovers!

Going Vegan.....kind of

I am thinking about going 60% vegan....and 40% not vegan.
Does that sound reasonable?

I mean, I love meat......but I know I could be so much healthier.
This weekend I am researching this option.

Wickhams and Willoughbys

I am a sucker for all things Jane Austen.

And no matter how many times an adaptation is on PBS, cable or the movies, I will watch it happily....every single time.

Lately, Sense and Sensibility or Pride and Prejudice are on all the flippin time.

And like an addict, I can't turn away.

So it got me thinking about the bad boys of Jane.

Those nasty Willoughbys and Wickhams......

Oh how we love them.
Bad boys always get first dibs!

You fall passionately in love with him, even though you met 12 hours ago.

You pledge your never ending devotion to him because he is the finest man you ever met, even though you never really spend time alone.

You want to marry him, even though you never see him without his breeches.

You are willing to forgo the rich, kind man that pines for you and would be your man slave, so you can get dumped by the bad boy with the crazy facial hair.

Poor Jane, she must have had a real axe to grind with her own real life Willoughby/Wickham.
One minute we love him, the next minute the truth is revealed.....this whole time the dude has been a jack ass.

It makes me sad for poor Jane. Clearly, she never got over her Willoughby/Wickham...so she spent the rest of the time writing about the good ones she passed over for the bad one she remained hung up on.

Let that be a lesson to all.

Enjoy your Willoughbys and Wickhams......

But don't let the real gems go by.....Darcy, Darcy, Darcy!

Undervalued, cheap help.

I am underpaid.

I found this out today....and now I am pissed off about it.

I liked it better before, when I was in the dark and stupid.

Being in the light and stupid sucks.

I always knew that they got me cheap.....but seeing the actual numbers hurts.

It makes me even angrier that others in the same job as me, make more and are stupid.

I even trained some of them.

I am vowing not to help them anymore. Ok, I know that I will still help them....but I will at least be bitter for a few days.

I have only my pride and good work ethic to lead the way.

This economy blows.

Now I can't even be outraged and demand an increase......ggggrrrrrrrr

National Health Care - Why we need it

Almost 4 years ago, my husband was injured on the job. His employer of course sent him to "approved" workers comp doctors.

The doctor put him in a hip to ankle brace for several weeks. Which I thought was odd for a knee injury.

His leg muscles atrophied, but we assumed he was better because the doctors said so.

Fast forward to July 2009. The same knee "pops" one day at work. That night, it swells. Now going to a new doctor, one covered by our own insurance not a 'workers comp' specialist - we find out that he has a degenerative problem. One that began from another injury. A shredded tendon. Now a cyst has formed, arthritis issues....a mess.

All this easily diagnosed with an MRI that workers comp would not pay for 4 years ago.

Now, he is out of work on short term disabilty. His knee will never be better. He will have chronic pain until he dies.

4 years ago we had health insurance. We have always carried 2 plans. A "just in case" scenario for if mine didn't cover something, his would. We never figured on the tricky, shady workers comp experience.

With a National Health Care system - we would get care for patients who need it when they need it. There would be no fuss over the cost of MRI's and proper diagnosis. It seems silly and frustrating to know that now all these years later, insurance is paying thousands of dollars for his diagnosis, treatment etc......wasteful.

Ponder this:

The number of uninsured citizens has grown to over 45 million.
Health care has become increasingly unaffordable for businesses and individuals.
We can eliminate wasteful inefficiencies such as duplicate paper work, claim approval, insurance submission, etc.
We can develop a centralized national database which makes diagnosis and treatment easier for doctors.
Medical professionals can concentrate on healing the patient rather than on insurance procedures, malpractice liability, etc.
Free medical services would encourage patients to practice preventive medicine and inquire about problems early when treatment will be light; currently, patients often avoid physicals and other preventive measures because of the costs.
Patients with pre-existing conditions can still get health coverage.

Passing Me By

Oh my gosh....time is flying by this year....
I have been in a whirl of one crazy bit after another crazy bit.
I just need to take a moment to come back to center....and back to the blog.
You know how it is.