Happy Thanksgiving and stop walking on the pies

I made four pumpkin pies a few days ago. A few for the house and a few for Thanksgiving dinner at our friend’s home. They cooled and I set them on our freezer with towels over them. I had some leftover filling so I lined cupcake pans with pie dough and made about a dozen personal pumpkin pies. They were very popular with the boys. I have to remember to do that next year. This is the first time I didn’t have to cut into any of the regular pies before Thanksgiving. Unfortunately it didn’t save my pies in the end. I uncovered them, for a look, Thanksgiving morning and they had been walked on. It appeared that Joe jumped up onto the freezer and stepped on all of them. I’m pretty sure he sat on one. Thank God they were covered.

Thanksgiving was a blast. We had lunch around 2pm with friends we took some chocolate pumpkin cupcakes (with cream cheese frosting) and a chocolate mousse layer cake. At 6pm we went to another friend’s house and had dinner. We brought a few slightly walked on pies and a turkey. Everything was delicious, even the footprints.

GPS Fun

We are traveling through some of the seedier parts of town and Deb says, pointing at the GPS, "They need to make a new filter for these."

"What's that?"

"They need to add a filter to allow you to avoid the ghetto areas."

I say "Yeah, it really isn't a shortcut if you get killed on the way through."

I R Ninja.

I had to go to the courthouse today. I was witnessing for a friend going through a divorce.

"Empty your pockets please."

"Step through here please."

Beeeeeeeeep...

sigh

"Hold your arms out sir."

The elderly security guard waves the scanner up ones side and then jabs me in the ribs as he tries to go to the other side.

"Sorry about that."

I shrug.

I retrieve my keys and go in. I worked the evening before. 9pm to 7am. The hearing is at 9:30am. I have not slept.

Three hours later I go outside for some fresh air. My part is done, but I am waiting for my friend to finish up.

After a short wait I decide to go back in. I was nodding off in front of the magnolia tree and did not want to fall over.

There is a new guard. This one is female and more observant than the first.

"Empty your pockets please."

"Hold on."

"Excuse me?"

"Wait. You can't take that in with you."

"I can't take what in? My keys?"

She points. My keys have opened up and a military issue can opener was displayed for all to see. I added a picture of one below so you have an idea of the size.

I look at the security guard.

"Really?"

I'm tired.

There are at least ten Sheriffs within twenty paces of us. Every one of them has a baton and a pistol. None of them had a can or even resembles a can (the only thing it could possibly harm).

Could this thing really be that dangerous?

I know. She must think I'm a ninja, because I would have to be one to cause any serious damage with a can opener held with thumb and forefinger.

I roll my eyes, pick up my keys and return them to my pocket. "I'll just wait outside."

I exit stage right doing my best Chuck Norris walk (looking more like Chris Farley).

I am ninja.

Who knew?

Jamestown Settlement

My sister-in-law and niece visited for a long weekend and we went to the Jamestown Settlement. It was a beautiful day. The temperature was only in the mid 80s (around 29C) and low humidity.

There were a lot of actors wandering around in historical garb. They had a lot of interesting information about the settlement and the Powhatan Indians.

Here are some shots of the Powhatan village. You can see one of the actors above. She was making tools out of deer bone.

The inside of the huts were all furnished and had a lot of animal pelts. Mostly deer, but we also saw bear, wolf and skunk pelts. Outside of the huts were large mortar and pestles. They had corn in them and everyone had a go at pounding the corn.

Near the water there were replicas of the ships that the settlers used to cross the Atlantic. They were a tad small for my liking.

It was an exhausting day. My niece can sum it up with one picture.

Catching up

It's a trap!

Have you ever been startled awake with the feeling that you were being watched? That happened to me a few weeks ago.

When I woke up Athena (the long haired cat) was looking at me. She leans forward and head butts me right in the eye socket. This doesn't really hurt. In fact, it is a little like getting hit with a very small pillow. It does startle me and I stretch out. When I do this my right foot lands on the belly of Topaz. She was sleeping at my feet. Her response is immediate. She holds on with the front paws, rakes the bottom of my foot with her back claws and noms my big toe with her teeth. AAAAAHHHH!!

Thank God it wasn't Jo.

Peaches

Deb loves peaches, but she can not touch them. She hates the feel of them. So, if we buy them, I have to peel them for her.

We stop at a local farmer's market. They have fresh peaches for sale.

Deb: "Ooooh peaches. Will you touch the peaches for me?
Me: "Did you just ask me to touch your peaches?"
Deb: "Yes I did."

That offer will never get old. I don't care how old I am. :)

Hot Hot Hot

It's been hot here in Southern Virginia.

For the last 3 or 4 weeks the heat index has been over 100F (around 38C for my European friends). The humidity has been over 70%. Stepping into the warm air is like getting a big sweaty hug from a very large friend. We have had very little rain
and when it does rain it is only for a few minutes and just makes it hotter. In a few months we'll all be complaining because it isn't warm enough. Go figure.

Operation

Debra had a hysterectomy last Wednesday. They made an eight inch incision across her abdomen and removed her uterus and cervix. The next day she was up and walking. She made it 1.5 times around the ward before she tired out and had to go back to bed. Major surgery the day before and angry because she isn't running a marathon.

Her tolerance for pain is amazing. I stub my toe and want bed rest for at least a day.

The pain medication made her very sleepy. Watching her eat meals was funny. She would take a bite of food, nod off to sleep for 5 minutes, wake up and do it again. I took her about an hour for an entire meal.

The Doc said no driving or lifting anything heavier than 5 pounds for at least two weeks. If looks could kill the poor guy would have been a mangled mess on the floor.

I've decided that the next time she falls asleep I'm going to hide her superman shirt. I doubt this will slow her down, but it will give her something to preoccupy her mind while being bored.

To my love

I have been married to the same lovely woman for 20 years now. She is my foundation. Without her I am lost.

Debra is the mother of my child, my partner in life and my lighthouse in the storm of life. The world would be a very frightening place if she were not at my side.

Sometimes I forget to say I love you and I do not always tell her how much she means to me. She knows this, but it should still be said.

Debra I love you and you mean the world to me.

Happy Mother’s Day.