Sunday, November 27, 2005

Festive Weekend

We started our Thanksgiving festivities more so on Friday. Thursday night I had drinks planned with someone so Brianna took over the kitchen to get her wild rice dish and pumpkin pies done. I woke up about 6am Friday (you would have thought it was Christmas morning and I was 5!) and started cooking around 7am with an apple pie and the turkey. I had to call Stacy because she had done a smaller dinner for some friends on Wednesday and had experienced this turkey business. It was not easy, especially coming from someone who once upon a time would eat nothing that came from animals! I managed to get the giblet bag out without too much screaming but Stacy had to endure my moans of agony at eight o'clock in the morning as I pulled the nasty neck out. Using Grandma's recipe, I managed to get it cooking. We had to take it out during the day to cook all the other dishes and I got it back in just before people came. It looked amazing but with Lesley's help to see if it was all the way done, alas it was not. We put in back in for a bit and it was fine and Paula helped me to cut into the poor bird. Everyone brought loads to drink (we still have left over wine, YAY!) and seemed to love the food. Lesley, with family in tow, Nikki and I headed to the Beacon for a few pints after people began to leave. Then later, Nikki and I got Bri and headed out to dance off the food for a bit.

I am very proud of my first turkey!

Come on! Even you vegetarians have to admit it looks pretty good to be cooked by a former vegetarian who still struggles to cook anything meat!

Lesley and Nikki, both friends from my work team you've seen on the blog before.

Lesley's daughter Charis (on right) and her friend Natalie joined us as well. They remind me a lot of our gang in high school (essentially, that means you Julia)- which was a bit amusing and a bit nostalgic at the same time. I even ventured to say that evening watching them made me miss that age, but I would like to retract that statement after further reflection. :-)

I gave Charis control of the camera and now have quite a few of her and Natalie...and a few like...

This...Can you guess which legs are mine?


After leaving the pub Nikki and I went back and picked up Brianna. We tried to just go up the road to Montey's but despite Brianna's bartering the bouncer would not let us in. We talked some guy into paying for our taxi up to Wolverhampton and were back to Cheeky's for a dance. I behaved myself and maintained, so Nikki and I were able to shoo away all the leeches. I managed to encounter the whole spectrum this time, from 17-37 year olds. The 37 year old didn't even believe that I was from the States, he thought it was some tactic. Brianna, on the other hand, while I think she may have behaved, kept disappearing on us now and then.

The next day we got up, slowly but surely, and headed for Ludlow. Needless to say, Brianna had to make one or two stops along the way, from drinking the night before. But she quickly recuperated once we got to Ludlow, for a little Medevial festivities and Christmas shopping. I agreed to drive this trip but have now decided (after all my moaning and anxiety on this one) that I will no longer drive poor old Rusty any farther than Bridgnorth.

Brianna attempted to stay warm while we waited in the long queue for the cash point (ATM) and it started to rain.

The armored man looked right at me when I took this; I thought he might come and get me for disrupting the posterity of medevial times with my photo technology!

If you look to the center you can see a very tall man in a dark cloak. This was a giant friar with a huge felt face; kind of scary when you are a little hungover!

I got myself a giant Oggie, basically a huge pasty with beef, leeks, potatoes and gravy. Not so easy to eat!

We caught a bit of the medevial carolers. The lead guy was telling jokes to the crowd that everyone seemed to laugh at but us.

And rested our weary medievial shopping arms with a half pint of ale (well, I did) and some medievial jams.

Posted by Picasa

Sunday, I went with a friend shopping in Birmingham. We were mostly shopping for Christmas gifts for his family, but I managed to get a couple CDs for myself while in HMV. Birmingham was very nice. We don't go there often enough and Bri and I keep saying we are going to get there more often on the weekends for a change of pace. It was lovely to just walk around the Bull Ring and see all the elaborate holiday decorations about. I also got a little tour of Selfridges and discovered they have some "American" foods I haven't seen anywhere. I got Bri some Aunt Jemima pancake mix, but the syrup was 6GBP so I just went with the mix!

Stacy, Brianna and I finished off the weekend Sunday night going to see the new Harry Potter. I thought it was pretty good; and Ralph Fienes plays Valdimor! I still refuse to read the books, though.

1 comment:

Lilibet said...

hey - cool kitchen. I wonder if that's an average kitchen or a really expensive, remodeled kitchen? Maybe I could have a nice kitchen in England after all. Even if it does have a washing machine in it. I am a little "into" kitchens. Nice kitchen.