Zoe's Christmas Potluck

Zoe's Potluck Christmas Party

This be the Potluck list for Zoe's party which will take place on December 22, 2007~beginning at 5 pm. Here you can peruse a list of things needing to be brought and RSVP by leaving a comment about if you are coming and what you will/can bring. I have temporarily allowed public comments.

Things we need:

1. Drinks--taken
   
2. Paper Party Goods (cups; plates; napkins etc.)--taken
   
3. Main Course (hot dogs? Hamburgers? Tuna Casserole?)
4. Another Main Course
5. Vegetable Dish (Green Bean Casserole? Veggie Tray w/dip?)
6. Another Vegetable Dish
7. Chips & Dips
8. desserts/treats--taken

• Zoe--Drinks; Pizza; Cookies; Cups; Plates; Napkins etc.
  
• Scarlett--Chocolate Mess & Ice Cream
  
• Liz--
• Erika--
• Scotty--
• Cindy & Cheryl--
• Timmy--
• Mary--

*Sigh*

Zoe is back at school. I miss her so much already. Just having her around makes me more cheerful. Although, not having her here makes it easier to try to get some of the projects I have planned for her Christmas presents actually completed...or even started. Nah, paltry recompense.

We got her unloaded and were able to take fairly good measurements of her various parts before Amanda, her roommate, arrived bearing toilet paper. We watched a Simpson's episode with Stephen Colbert in it, and I took off.

We drove up, stopping at the giant Joann's. I bought a Clover Mini Iron II, which is exactly what it sounds like. This kind has different heads that you can switch between. It was on my list, but was 50% till tonight and my pragmatic streak decided Rob would be hard pressed to get a better price so I got it for him for me...yes, I think that IS what I meant to say.

I also got some computer printable fabric. It's a new brand to me, 200 count pima cotton. I also got some super thick interfacing "for fabric bowls" that I will have to see what it's really "for."

I wanted to get Zoe some fabric, scissors or something but she was right there and I am big on the surprise element at Christmas--although with my lousy secret keeping abilities you'd think otherwise. I settled on some extra-fine flower head needles for the silk.

I dropped by Walmart--den of evil--to get some dog food and picked up some small magnets and sparkly plastic snowflakes and stars that are much prettier than they sound.

Turkey Day 07

Turkey Day 07
We had a good Thanksgiving even though:

The turkey was frozen, which meant I had to cook it with the neck and bag inside since all in the center were solid and rock-hard. Luckily I found a USDA recipe for cooking the turkey from frozen to done. I loves me the USDA!

Rob put the candied yams in to broil--to brown the marshmallows. However, not ever having broiled marshmallows before he didn't know how long it would take. So he cranked it up to high and wandered off to do other things. After a bit he looked in and the marshmallows were on fire. They were black and crispy. He ended up scraping as much as possible and we did without the marshmallow-y goodness this year.

The frozen turkey recipe said not to put the bird in a pan with sides as the bottom would end up getting less heat--so I decided to use the two-part broiling pan--but this meant that the juices could have gone everywhere if the bag burst. Mid cook, ominous crackling noises could be heard coming from the oven so to be safe I decided to siphon off the juices using the bulb baster. I sucked a big bulb full up through a slit in the bag, tipped it up so it wouldn't drip and I could put it in the de-fatting cup and a hefty stream of piping hot juice/fat leapt from the baster bulb onto Rob's bare feet. This is what I mean by entropy having a perverse precision.

Zoe is a vegetarian. No turkey for her...or gravy. We bought a Tofurkey (and vegetarian corn dogs just in case) and used vegetarian stuffing--cooking it on the stove-top. However, we couldn't find room in the oven for the Tofurkey, and the recipe on the package was adamant that we not microwave it--no way, no how! Rob went on the website and although they also said not to microwave it in big bold letters at the top, at the bottom of the page they grudgingly gave up some microwave instructions. Phew!

When the turkey was finally done I discovered that I had put the turkey in upside down so it browned on the bottom rather than the top. This also meant that the thermomater was inserted into the bottom of the bird instead of the top where it's supposed to go.

But, except for being hungry, we mostly kept our good tempers. The turkey was done and tasted really good (it was a butterball), as did the Tofurkey. The bag didn't burst and we had plenty of juices for gravy. Rob didn't have blisters and the candied yams absorbed a bit of the marshmallow taste even though we had to scrape the marshmallows--and you could hardly taste the charred bits. The green beans were perfect and delicious.

Dave, Rob's brother, came up for TG. It's nice to see him. Ooof, to tired to go more into detail.

Darwin LOVED the turkey and thinks he should have some every day.

Rob bought 4 pies when he went to the Pennsylvania Dutch Market in order to get some rhubarb pie to try. A guy in his office described rhubarb pie as a life-changing experience. Unfortunately, Rob thought this version was too sweet and his life remained unchanged. The pumpkin and apple were delicious though and the raspberry was amazing!

Story Dream

I had a story dream--haven't had one in awhile this good. I was critiquing a house with a real estate flipper--trying to figure out why it hadn't sold. One of the real estate flipper's assistant's who looked like Denzel Washington ended up talking to one of the owner's kids (he was a black kid I've seen on TV, but I don't remember who he was). I asked him if he was worried about some safety-type problem and he said no because he had an alarm system (imaginary). His desk had two buttons under the tabletop and if there was a problem he pressed one, and if it was a really bad problem (there had never been a problem that bad yet) he pressed the other and someone came to help (I forget exactly who, or what sort of helper he said would come). It was so cinegraphic--complete with camera shots pointing up under the desk with close ups of his finger moving to press the first button--then shots of our faces, then shots of his finger moving to the second button). When he pressed the second button there was an earth quake and he pulled his finger back becaaaaaause at that exact moment GODZILLA WOKE UP!!!) Real Godzilla too, not dinosaur Godzilla with long shots of him moving through the burning city.

He actually ate people in this movie/dream. Some of the "main characters" got chomped. Some people who understood the whole Godzilla Zeitgeist came and spoke with us. The assistant was mentioning the coincidence of the kid pushing the button and the ground shaking to someone in their presence. They heard and were excited. They decided that the kid was The Speaker who could communicate with Godzilla (in otherwords, the annoying Japanese kid with the hat who could ask Godzilla to not destroy the planet).

I had decided to run through the dream again and make the kid get a shock on his finger when he pressed the second button, but Darwin woke me up.

Mrs. Clean (in certain areas)

John and Paul are here! It's a delicate balancing act--the clean before the storm. Don't want to start the visit exhausted, but I get so much done that I've been longing to do. It's always a surprise to see what hardened on unfinished detrius gets shaken free with a little panic and fervor. The living room is done, the kitchen mostly done. didn't get the bathroom really done or the hallway mopped, but hopefully if they don't look too closely...

So good to see them! Both of them have paintings aging in an attic somewhere. John took us out to dinner. It was too cold and too late to eat out of doors, so Darwin couldn't come. I filled his crate with wonderment--Dingos (rawhide with meat wrapped inside), dried chicken, doggy bones and other chewy goodness. He wanted to go in immediately, but, he had to wait which hopefully made his confinement seem less of an onus. He was asleep when we got home and oh-so-silently crept up to the door and peered into the window to see.

We went to Zeki, the Japanese restaurant that replaced Perkins near Target. We've been wanting to go to it and here was the chance. As expected it was a Benihana...admirer but the food was, I think, better. They had a mix of grill seating--the type where the chef amazes you by firebombing the grill and tossing shrimp into your mouth--and they had booth-ish table. John seemed to want a booth, but Paul suffered a little grill envy. One cool thing, the booths for two were made out of rough hewn logs! Unfortunately, none of them were for 4 so we got one of the non-lumber tables.

They were doing bang up business--it's a happening birthday dinner spot. In fact, we walked in to the disco "Happy Birthday--non-copywrited edition--recording that they crank up for every celebrant. There were at least 4 birthdays that evening, and at least one brought their own cake!

Rob and I had the Filet Mignon Hibachi dinner. Oh so good! John and I both couldn't finish ours so we brought some home for Darwin. I gave him a bite, he chomped down, and amazement flooded his little doggy face. He evidently expected it to be a dried treat. So right away, the texture sort of startled him. Then his eyes slid over to one side as he considered the taste and he entered doggy rapture. He got some more for breakfast and he was very concerned that the cat got some too.

I Learnt a Lesson

Yes, baking soda (as I saw on TV) does help get wood clean, but, it also turns the wood an icky, sickly green. Helping to explain why this tip isn't on the Arm & Hammer website.

Falling Fall With Wistfull Languor

The leaves are coming down, though most of them are still green. The yellows, reds and oranges are just beginning to creep in. They have yet to do that cascading thing they do in late fall where it's like raining leaves. I've heard that there isn't supposed to be much color as it's been so dry.

It definitely smells like fall. Hrm, sweet and warm? Sort of like a wettish library smell. Okay, I know it's probably rotting leaves, but it smells good. Vague memories of trips to Brown County, Indiana to look at the fall color are sort of clouding into my brain whenever I go outside leading to a cobwebby feeling of being both here and there.

In the 70's, Brown County was firmly entrenched in the hippy/artisan ethos. There was a lot of pottery, dipped/shaved candles and stained glass in shops covered with untreated wood shingles. The stores smelled of cinnamon, apples and beeswax so that those smells are forever entwined with the smell of fall. Now of course there are lots of tiny mugs with people's names on them and stuff made in China--c'est la révolution--crab, crab.

I always get the itch for apple cider around this time of year because one fall I had the best apple cider in the whole world--I mean WHOLE WORLD! China, Bancock, Australia, India, Africa--assuming any of those places has cider. It was unpasturized from a wooden press and like drinking concentrated sweetish-tart liquid apples...which of course it was. It was one of those peak experiences that you spend your whole life trying to find again.

It's all new to Darwin. He was walking on the crispy, crunchy fallen leaves like he was afraid he'd fall through. New sensation for him. Can't wait to see him in the snow! He's going to need a sweater though--he shivers if the AC is up too high in the car.

Busy, Busy

Yes, busier and busier

Worrying, worrying. T is coming soon and then John and Paul together. Overall a great kick in the pants to rev up my engines. Or engine, I think I only have the one.

Cleaning, cleaning. Although, predictably doing less of this than I should be doing. Pulling everything out of the bedroom and depositing it in the dining room. I think I have a whole another room full of stuff!!! It's made me realize that it's not that I need to "put it all away" it's "There's too much @#$*& stuff! It wouldn't fit even if I knew storage origami...which I don't

Dyeing, dyeing. I am trying to dye some yarn I've bought Gryffindore colors so I can knit various and sundry house scarves. It's not hard to find the colors, it's hard to find the colors at a decent price. The colors are maroon and golden yellow.

Alpaca, alpaca.In an effort to save money, I dyed some alpaca I bought a long while ago on ebay and decided to use MX (for cellulose fibers like cotton) as I have a lot of them. I used vermillion and burgundy and it didn't look right--too pale, too reddish purple and it was taking a hundred years to wash out the excess dye. I looked up Maroon and found that it's a reddish brown!

My last alpaca dyeing experience was the similar--alpaca seems to be sort of dye resistant. But, I've seen alpaca since then that's dyed fairly dark so I knew it must be possible. I dumped it in a pot of water and heated the water--the idea being to loosen the dye. I decided to try adding vinegar and acid dyes--brown and Cherry Red. It exhausted almost completely!!! I think it's a combo of higher temperature and longer dye time. It looks much darker and much more maroon.

Recycle, recycle. I've also been dyeing the recycled yarn from thrift store sweaters. It's all cashmeres and silks. I again used the MX and this time I found that the original dye isn't wash fast! So, that puts it's ability to reliably bond new dye to itself and again with the 1001 washes.

Sale, sale! Found some yarn at Joann's. it was 2.37 for 87 yards. Turned out to be superwash!!! Lots of complaints on the Joann's website cuz it was originally $5 or something (I think 2.37 is already a lot for 87 yards)and many people bought it to felt only to find it was an unmarked superwash yarn and would never felt. Very soft. I've got the gold dyed in that. Next is the Maroon.

I haven't started the Knit Picks yarn. The idea here, besides scarves, is to sell handpainted yarn on etsy. Except for one seller--Fearless Fibers--it goes for about 21. per skein. There's a ton of superwash and my suspicion is many are using Knit Picks yarn which is very cheap--5.99 a fairly large skein.

Excited about T coming out. Trying to get the backyard looking better so we can lounge out there and have tea or something. Don't want to spend the time gazing about me in horror, now do I?

Today I sprayed the Foul Corrupt Weed (Bermuda Grass) in the backyard with the Vile Evil Spray. "Sometimes you have to fight evil with another kind of evil" (thank you Judi Dench) The guy at the Vile Evil Spray company said that Ornamec was like roundup but they didn't want to pay to have it tested so it came with all these warnings. It smells very petrol-chemical-ish though, and I treated it like it was just as noxious as the instructions say. I sprayed out by the mailbox in front, the ornamental garden in back and I even went so far as to spray the place that is supposed to house the blackberries (they died this year) but not the place near the house in the front; that's staying organic.

Zoe went to the State Fair with her friends--Scotty, Mary, Liz and Hai Tu. She didn't have as good of a time as she would have liked. They wandered around the animals too long for her taste and then the rides made her sick. Mary spent all her money on food and then sulked till they gave her tickets. Towards the end though, Zoe gave Mary all of her left over tickets because she was turning green and no longer wanted to use them.

Zoe is making costumes for all of her friends and herself. Wand making is on hold while I contemplate how I always get myself caught up in a perfectionistic tizzy that ends up in me not getting anything done. Zoe's costumes may not be perfect, but they are getting done.

I got David's Enterprise model. Looking into getting it lit and trying not to be perfectionistic about it.

We had ribs tonight YUM!!! Rob is such a thoughtful guy, I said I was jonesing for some the other night and he stopped at the store and bought some!

Dyeing To Dye

Arrrgh, the internet is is barely working. It keeps cutting out and a page can either load in an instant or take 5 minutes.Every time Blogger auto-saves I have to wait for the spinning ball of death to stop while it tries to contact the account.

I dyed--actually am dyeing some alpaca wool I got off eBay from Peru. It's supposed to be 100% alpaca, I'm hoping but I'm skeptical. In the past I've gotten some sweaters and some yarn that were supposed to be 100% alpaca that were instead obvious mixes of alpaca and wool. This yarn is soft though, not scratchy like the sweaters and other yarn so I'm cautiously optimistic. In anycase, if it is a wool blend it can only help the dyeing process.

Last time I dyed alpaca I dyed it with some wool. The wool came out a lovely shade, and the alpaca came out a wan pastel. I have heard that alpaca can be notoriously difficult to dye--although many suppliers seem to do a bang up job of it.

I'm dyeing the yarn a burgandy/vermillion mix hoping to make Gryffindore colors for a scarf. I'm dyeing it in the oven and keeping notes--I'm very impressed with myself. I don't know if I'm making it for me or for a Christmas gift, but I did a lot of research and the dye was cheaper than new yarn and this allows me to use up some of my stash. It's going to be a very crafty Christmas.

Dye Notes
10 Cups Vinegar
10 Cups Water
1/3 Cup Calgon
1 tsp. Casoline Oil
2 tsp Burgandy
3 tsp Vermillion

2 cups water for dye mix.
In oven at 250º for 30 minutes,
Checked,
Back in oven for 15 minutes

Walk

Darwin and I drove down to the Historic Farm Park and went for a walk. We saw GOATS!!! (Darwin really, really wanted to get in and sniff them, or chew them I couldn't decide which) and a HORSE!!! Who was really big and scared Darwin making him growl and tuck his tail under. I'd like to go back and bring treats for all of them. It was sooooo hot! Couldn't walk as long as I wanted and at the end Darwin planted himself under a tree and wouldn't budge.

More Than Meets The Eye

Friday was my birthday. Not the best of the best. However, Saturday was much better. Zoe made me breakfast, Rob and Zoe watched the dog all day and Rob and I went to see the Transformers movie.

Loved the movie! Loved, LOVED! Well, loved the blow-em-up stuff. The excellent, creative, realistic-seeming battles and computer animations. As Rob observed: it was a good movie once the talking stopped. Meaning of course that the writing was targeted to the loudly braying 18-24 year-olds next to us, but the the battles were soul enhancing in their beauty, realism and creativity. The main actor was very good at portraying a smart, somewhat manipulative teenager, although the female lead was too pretty. Maybe it was just that they tended to shoot her through a yellowish filter that seemed to stylize her face slightly. One thing, they allowed her and the kid to have pimples--a touch of realism which I marveled at.

Sunday we went to see the 7/11 that was decked out to be like a Quickie Mart from the Simpson's Movie. The trip up was sort of stressful for Zoe--she drove. Liz, Hai Tu and Scarlet got there at 3:30 (they were all supposed to meet at 4) and called, giving her a hard time. It was raining, there was traffic and we didn't get there until 4:30. So, from the girl's perspective it wasn't really worth the effort. I expected it to suck way more than it did so I was fairly happy.

They covered the front of the store with a cartoon front; replaced the outside sign with a Quickie Mart sign and most of the inside signs with joke signs. There were stand ups of the main characters all around the store and they sold Buzz cola, Krustie-O's and the huge, cartooney pink iced doughnuts from the advertisments for the movie. I bought Zoe, Mary, Scotty, Rob and myself a doughnut; some Krusty-O's and Buzz Cola for Christmas presents.

Afterwards, we went to Checkers for dinner and they all came home and hung out. Liz and Hai Tu went home, and Scarlet, Scotty, Mary and Zoe watched movies. Darwin and I crashed! I'm still tired today for some reason.

I've been making paper wands. Why? I dunno.

Back

I finished Harry Potter last night--I spent a lot of the convention with my nose cemented to the pages. Such a sense of finality--a decided sense of discomfort at the idea that there would be no more Harry Potter installments to look forward to. JK marvels that she has been living with him for 17 years, and having it end makes me realized just what a substancial chunk of time we've spent with him as well (10 years?). From reading it to Zoe, to buying the books on tape for the car. A reliable sense of a fall back when it came to fantasy.

Her writing has vastly improved--I don't think Snape's eyes flashed dangerously once--but I missed the old sense of whimsy and I think it's the loss of that that I miss the most. Her new book is a scarey, powerful, thrilling ride; but I miss Dumbledore's floating cups of proffered drink bonking the Dursley's in the head, or Dobby's hats.

I find myself dwelling on Snape as a little boy a lot. So sad. I could empathize. She captured kid speak perfectly. His confusion on trying to tell Lily how he felt and having it all go totally pear shaped. He made a choice--yes--but you can't help feel that he ended up criminally unprotected in Slytherin.

I want more! Yes more!! (eyes screwed up, face red like a toddler crying). Sigh. I just got too worked up I guess, the movie and the book all in the month of my birthday. The media excitement. Zoe's going back to school soon too, loss, loss loss.

We picked up Darwin from Dogtopia. The cameras had gone off line yesterday, but one came back on and Rob thought he saw him. All three of us went as one to pick him up. Zoe and I had missed him the most--but we are around him the most. He whined and wagged in an explosion of joy, released anxiety and relief that we'd come and made us all feel appreciated. Don't like the whole boarding thing. I can't help feeling that no matter what their intentions, they can't give dogs the atmosphere that would make doggies truly happy--like grass for instance.

Horcruxes

1. Voldemort
2. Diary
3. Ring
4. Locket
5. Cup
6. Wand
7. ?

I don't think it will turn out to be Nagini--just to give them a mystery to solve. Perhaps something else from Gryffindore. The English cover art appears to show them bursting into a vault full of treasure. Harry appears to be staring at a helmet with a griffon on it.

Harry Potter

Tonight, we are going to go to Otakon and pick up our memberships. Zoe's friends Liz, Hai Tu, Scarlett and two of Scarlett's friends are going to go to the hotel and get up bright and early for the convention. I am going to go home.

Why?

1. Darwin has conjunctivitis, and I want to see he gets his medications a full week.
2. It saves us paying for a couple of days boarding Darwin at Dogtopia.
3. HARRY POTTER COMES OUT ON SATURDAY!!!

The rabid cultural frenzy has begun to develop a fine froth as I wait with breath fully baited for the books release. If mine wasn't coming by UPS, I'd be one of those waiting for midnight at my local Barnes and Noble.

It's in the news and everywhere I turn--TV, radio, newspaper and the internet. The medias, salivating over such a huge readership--but, for the most, part unable to slice up and serve the actual book itself (How will the release of Harry Potter affect your morning commute--news at ten) are, as usual, feeding on themselves. Everywhere, programs, stories, articles, and news items about the programs, stories, articles and news items--and, all the spoilers.

An online store released some of the books early and is being sued, but the damage is done. People have posted pages from the book online; trolls shouting "Look at me! I know stuff! Isn't it clever how I go smashy-smashy with my little mallet?

There's a lot of cultural pushing and shoving. Spoilers, both true and false clutter the internet. Lots of people don't want to read the spoilers and find them shoved down their throats. Pissed off fans report the spoilers in order to get them removed. A journalist that got one of the early release books from a friend printed a book review in the Times and has received a lot of press--about how fans are upset about it. Rob called and said a guy at the convention was wearing a hand lettered shirt with spoilers and the pages they are on--just in case you'd managed to avoid the spoilers online. I'd like to go smashy-smashy with MY little mallet on his tiny peanut head...grumble, grumble, growl, growl.

Still, this is a moment in America totally defined by a fantasy book (supposedly) aimed and kids and teens. I loves it!

So, I thought I'd make my predictions.

1. It's going to take one person from each house in Hogwarts, to defeat Voldemort
2. It's going to take one each of the magical creatures depicted in the golden statues in the lobby of the Ministry of Magic.
3. There will be one person from each of the schools in the Goblet of Fire (plus, I'm hoping the other one's mentioned in that book--so we'll have someone from America)
4. Each person/creature will have an opposite. An evil/twisted opponent. For instance, the heroes will have Dobby, the villains will have Kreacher. The heroes will have Firenze, the villains might have Bane or one of the other Centaurs. I think it might be that the bad ones might not be actively bad, but still aid Voldemort in some way. For instance, the other centaurs are willing to just stand back and let Voldemort take over.
   
5. Snape worst memory isn't about being bullied by James and his friends, it was yelling at Lily (I think that must be a fairly obvious idea, as it's now a main idea on the boards). Either he loved her, or thought very highly of her because she was kind to him.
6. Snape killed Dumbledore on Dumbledore's orders.
7. Dumbledore pressed fate's hand by appointing Snape Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, knowing that the position was cursed. He used the curse to set things in motion.
8. I have been wondering if Dumbledore was dying. Perhaps the blackened hand was a sign of a slowly progressing affliction that Snape was able to delay, but not cure so DD planned his death to have the most/best effect.
9. The horocruxes correspond to the suits of the Tarot
• Slythern necklace = pentacles/discs
• Hufflepuff cup = (duh) cups
• Gryffindore Sword = swords--supposedly not a horcrux because it was protected.
• Ravenclaw Wand = wands
10. Ollivander has been around for a very, very long time. I think the Ollivander we meet in the book is and always has been the Ollivander in that shop. In other words, he has been selling wands since 300 something BC--and remembers every one.
11. Ollivander is really good at staying out of trouble and may be able to sense when it's time to get out of town. To use a D&D term, he's chaotic neutral. He doesn't usually take sides, but may surprise you.
12. He has Ravenclaw's wand which was mentioned in passing as the wand sitting on a dusty pillow in the window of Ollivander's.
13. I'd like to believe that although Dumbledore is dead, he will either return or be accessible through his portrait. The whole him being blasted back off of the building isn't what Avada Kadavra is supposed to do! They usually just fall in place or remain where they were seated. Something else happened in that moment, even if Dumbledore is truly dead.
14. If Dumbledore doesn't return, his brother Alberforth will step up to the bat.
    
15. Draco is going over to the good side, at least for now.
16. Draco is good at occlumancy and will either have to step in when it's needed or teach Harry. So Harry will have to work with someone he detests.
17. Draco will disavow his father.
    
18. Lupin will die.
19. Snape will die.
20. The House Elves will be set free and/or be a major force against Lord Voldemort.