I know you can’t wait to hear the next boring development in the Sewage Saga. After I waited most of the day, the guy shows up, pokes and prods a couple of things, and announces that the brand new disposal unit he just installed is broken and must be replaced. Tomorrow. When he’ll undoubtedly discover another cause and drag this out to what amounts to a week! Or have to call in an actual electrician. The joys of “cheap” apt living.
I’ve been stuck at home for days. Outside is a wintry mess and inside is the Sewage Saga, ongoing. The latest episode features an added electrical circuit problem involving the (new) disposal unit and (never-used) dishwasher full of backed-up disposal water. Still waiting for maintenance to get back to it. I guess this is as good an excuse as any to be snowed-in. It could be worse.
Out the window everything is gray and white, including the sky. It’s like a B&W TV with one channel…The Twilight Zone. I keep the shades drawn to keep it less cold in here, with the heat turned way down. I still have a few basic provisions so I’m not starving, but also not getting the usual exercise. I pretty much live on my laptop or phone so I’m not totally out of touch. I “window shop” the online cyber sales for a few Chanukah gifts I can afford. My jungle keeps me company. I can get the sleep I need, when the Bigfoots (feet?) above me aren’t crashing and banging. Not a bad existence while in solitary.
The weather turned to “hell-frozen-over”, and my dead disposal backed up into the never-used dishwasher and onto the floor, (maintenance is supposedly now coming today, if he ever gets the landlord to sign off on it), so just another day in paradise. Can’t complain. I’m fine hibernating in here for the duration.
Yesterday was S’s 11th birthday, so that was fun. He had a friend over, and the requested “dirt cake” with a zero candle, and got his beloved “switch” for gaming, so he was in his element. He seems a lot calmer and self-regulated than before. He and I spent a lot of time together.
I looked outside and almost thought I’d lost it! A white-out??!! Well, ok, just snowing, and it was forecast, but What?! Next it’s supposed to rain and turn into a cold mess. I’m just staying home waiting for the maintenance guy to come fix my annoying clogged disposal which has been out of commission for TG, so I guess I’m just snowed in! I know the kids are loving it.
Yesterday (erev) Stacey made a beautiful challah, and we had warmed-up TG leftovers, so it was easy on me. Stacey and S and I hung out all afternoon, checking out music and talking. It was so warm inside, S and I had to run outside in the “AC” to cool off. There are still piles of pie (“piels?”) of every description everywhere, because E in his baking frenzy made enough pies to feed the universe i.e. all of us plus his Friendsgiving gathering. His confections and K’s elaborate cheesecakes were a big hit of TG. They really are talented chefs. When we were done with erev dinner, K jumped up and started making cookies!
While I was elsewhere, the latest jigsaw puzzle got finished. Three pieces were missing, but miraculously I found them and S inserted them, so technically we completed it!
Tonight K is supposed to have a lot of her friends over for gaming, etc. It’s so gratifying to see the kids having such a rich social life with really intelligent, like-minded friends. Some of them have become like family.
Note the veg garden doing fine yesterday after freezing temps. But alas, the flowers have pretty much had it.
Still. Too. Full. To. Write. A feast with extended family to remember…and sleep off.
PS: We really do like Pie. And cheesecakes.
Things I’m not thankful for! (I like to be different.)
Can’t think of anything else off the top of my head. Sure, the next-door neighbor is trying to burn the apt down with “cooking”, the hallway is filled with smoke and the alarm’s going off, but par for the course on TG, cough hack. It’s like something out of Cheech and Chong around here. It’s all good.
Here are my sweet potato casserole and corn bread. Unsmoked. Also my jungle, hopefully same.
I’m actually staying home today to make my two TG offerings in my own oven, away from the cooking frenzy. I almost forget what it’s like! I had to “borrow” most of the ingredients to do it. Ironically, I’ve donated most of my pantry to the Avdi’s and others so it could be used. So I guess it all balances out.
TG is only meaningful if it’s just a good excuse for a “village” to feed each other literally and mentally, not to perpetuate a lie about our true violent origins.
Have some fall color:
If anyone asked me the hackneyed TG question, “What are you thankful for”, I would have to say that I’m thankful for a family/friends that are so nonconventional and atypical that we don’t have to worry about the traditional political combat on TG. We’re all on the same side–the side of justice and humanitarian rights, despite the genocide that TG stands for, and the current fascist dictatorship. Also, Eric’s smoked turkey and salmon.
TG coinciding with S’s birthday means that we’re going to have a full house over at Jess’s and at Avdi’s this week. Stacey and S will be here, and friends of all ages will abound. Multiple kitchens will be off limits, so I’m also thankful for my apt where I can prepare my recipes (corn bread and sweet potato casserole) without being trampled to death! And for the over-the top tsunami of food that our little community will be able to come up with.
Last but not least, I’m thankful for having a big garden at Avdi’s to play in and experiment with! It makes the difference between living and just existing. Literally.
I made this fish stir-fry yesterday evening, to go on jasmine rice. It was good.
I arrived at Avdi’s late afternoon, past trees in blazing colors in the sinking sun, to find Jess and Eric in the middle of removing the old broken kitchen ceiling fan and installing a new one. Easier said than done. That old house has so many random, illogical infrastructure issues and electrical circuits, no job is routine or intuitive. It was a long project, but they got’r done. I could only help minimally, so I sat out of the way by candlelight, waiting to claim A’s bedroom for the night.
Just as I was finally drifting off late at night/early morning, of course a kid burst into noisy activity on one of their compulsive baking sprees. I can’t really complain, considering the spectacular results: a perfect tiramisu, bread pudding, and almond/lime gelatin confection. It is a perfectly reasonable time for an atypical teen to take advantage of the adult-free kitchen (and tv screen). One adapts. And enjoys the outcome.
Later this morning, it was wet and mild out, so I did a project of my own, turning a messy corner area into an intentional garden bed, with leaf mulch. A work-in-progress.
Note the calendulas are still blooming in late November. In fact, with all the mild rain, there’s still a lot of green with bright flashes of every rainbow color.
Another quiet erev, on a mild rainy day and night. The colors that are left really shine and shimmer on a day like that. I did the usual baking, and made a hearty beef barley mushroom vegetable stew. It was just Avdi, K, Jess, and me; E was fast asleep, and Y was over a friend’s house.
