Wednesday night I was at work later than anyone, but it didn’t matter as I still got home before Jill. I grilled chicken for fajitas, then brined the turkey in cider after dinner. I thought it would fit in a pot, but it was too big and I had to put it in a cooler. Of course the cooler didn’t fit in the fridge, so I put it out on the porch, but it was cold enough the ice I put in hadn’t melted the next morning.
Thursday I got up, drained the turkey and patted it dry, then put it in the fridge. I started cooking it around noon, then started adding the glaze every time I checked on it, and added the stuffing halfway through. Jill made mashed potatoes and turnips and gravy before everything was done. We were actually ready for my mom to show up with my sister and her dog. Illa was overjoyed to see Tati, and they played all afternoon.
Sharon brought rolls and cranberry sauces, and Dad brought a green bean casserole, and soon everyone sat down for dinner. Everything was great, and the turkey turned out nice and juicy. By the time the folks headed out and we cleaned up it was pretty late and we zoned out watching concerts until we went to sleep.
Black Friday I slept in while Jill went shopping, I read newspapers and started listening to CDs for my annual compilation. We had a full spread of leftovers for dinner, then Jill was on the phone later and I went back to the CDs.
Saturday was movie day. First up was Hamlet 2 (started slow, then ended hilarious), then RocknRolla (finishing the Guy Ritchie UK crime films and getting me ready for Sherlock Holmes). For dinner we had talked about going up to Frederick to see a band and get dinner, but decided against it. I was still in the mood to go out, so we used one of the gift certificates I’d given Jill and went over to the Russia House restaurant in downtown Herndon. We had some vodka cocktails and both had the Moldavian salad, then I had the duck breast with sour cherries and Jill had the Beef Stroganov. After that I made a fire and we watched Hairspray (the musical) (really good cast, and John Waters’ cameo was so appropriate).
Today we both slept in and I watched the football game in the afternoon (another close loss), then went back to CD listening. For dinner I made an Asian turkey salad, then we watched Simpsons and the MacFarlane shows as well as Surviving the Holidays with Lewis Black, lots of comedians riffing on the subject.