Yes, folks, it’s just a couple of days before Thanksgiving, and my kitchen is ripped to hell and back. In preparation of putting our house on the market, we’re replacing the flooring and countertops in the kitchen. We thought we were using good forethought – this is something that needed to be done last year, and no one would purchase this house with the current floors and countertops, so let’s go ahead and replace it now and get a little enjoyment out of it ourselves. Plus, we won’t be trying to deal with construction as we pack stuff, *and* I’m not knee-deep in a book at the moment.
Forethought – working overtime here at Casa PC.
So, with days to go before Thanksgiving, and my birthday, and the arrival of my b-i-l from Scotland, my kitchen is a disaster area. I can’t even make a cup of tea without it being an epic journey, full of hardship and trial.
And though the workers swear this isn’t going to take very long, how many folks here want to make a bet they won’t finish before they decide to knock off for the holiday, leaving me in this construction zone trying to prepare Thanksgiving dinner?
Oh, and trying to *find* everything I moved out of the way for the workers… good dog, it’s a nightmare.
It’s probably too late to order Thanksgiving dinner from a local restaurant, so we may be having PB&J sandwiches. I’m sure that’s what the pilgrims actually had on Thanksgiving anyway. They were probably too worn out from the harvest to actually cook. Right?
~sigh~
The holiday season is definitely starting off with a bang (mainly from the guys working in my kitchen) and will most likely end with a whimper (from me, on the couch in the fetal position).
Make me feel better – tell me about a time when your careful “forethought” backfired in your face…
PC
16 comments:
Hey PC--we were supposed to go to TX and see our FIL and had no place for the big Turkey Day din din. Someone suggested CRACKER BARREL. I looked into it: there's a take out deal you can do for 49.99 OR you can go there and be served the meal for 8.99 per adult. CB is pretty good, has a cool country atmosphere, a bit of shopping... there's one off of 565 in our area.
Maybe that might be an option for you? I don't believe you need reservations at all.
Madison, AL
I-565 , Exit# 8
I-565 & Wall-Triana
120 Cleghorn Blvd.
Madison, AL 35758-8806
Located off I-565
*Bus & RV Parking Available
(256) 461-7670
http://www.crackerbarrel.com/menu.cfm?doc_id=1281
We're staying here now so I'm doing TURKEY TRIAGE for three. Crazy. But so it goes.
Good luck with the Reno--Happy TG.
Actually, you CAN find a way to order dinner and either eat it out or bring it in. In your situation, that's what I'd do. You can't work in a kitchen that's in pieces. As if Thanksgiving isn't stressful enough!
Or have the hubby fry a turkey, and buy everything else. This is what Husbands are for, right? :-)
Good God, that just sounds to me like a Great excuse to not cook. Take it while you can, woman!!! :)
But it will be worth it when you are done.
Right now all my forethought is going into getting my house super clean and decorated for Christmas before my local RWA chapter comes here for a Christmas party. I'm trying to get everything done in phases, so it isn't so much at the last minute. My mil is going to help me with the cleaning, but I feel really bad about it, because she does the whole decorate thing at her mothers house. And I do mean decorate. They start the day after Thanksgiving and it takes at least a week. Yikes! If I'm not done in 2 days, it ain't getting done (not counting the outside lights, those are a whole other story).
Angel
Order the meal from Publix. I'd invite you to my house, but uh, my big plans didn't pan out either and my dining room is doubling as a garage right now.
I agree with Christine: go to Cracker Barrel. What fun is a holiday if you're so stressed you're one step away from screaming? Make it easy on yourself, and enjoy a CB biscuit instead.
One Thanksgiving, we were remodeling the entire house. Instead of having ten rooms, we were down to three -- and the contents of the other seven rooms were crammed into those three. This was not a pretty picture.
We went out for Thanksgiving dinner.
I can vouch for the Publix mean. Last year I was enmeshed in NaNoWriMo and it was Publix or starve.
This year I'm already at 49098 words and have plenty of time to finish those last 902 words before November 30. And it's just gonna be #2 son and me, so I'm cooking a mini meal for him and me. Found out after all these years he doesn't really like turkey, so I got a spiral ham. He said he doesn't eat many sweets (he's an athlete) so instead of a pie, I got some refrigeratd cookie dough I'll bake the day before. Add some green beans and mashed potatoes and we're good to go.
It's not the food so much as the fellowship. Good luck with the renovation. It's tough while it's happening but great when it's finished.
My mom's been in the middle of home renovations that should (cross fingers) be finished today. Just in time for turkey day. Which is good since we're all heading over to her house (I'm sure she wouldn't mind more...)
Instigator
PC,sounds like you need one of those famous Teeter totter drinks y'all pass out at the parties.
I am thinking more along the lines of a Xanax.
I am with you M, it is not so much the food as the fellowship.
My mom kills herself cooking such a large spread and then most of it winds up in the 'fridge just because there is too much.
I am with son #2, I love those honey baked spiral hams. And the TollHouse Ultimate chocolate chip cookies with pecans, yummy.
I just keep telling myself it will make preparing Christmas dinner (for the whole family -- I get to host this year!) seem like a breeze in comparison.
It's a mind game; let's hope I win...
Wow! The first rule of renovation (which I admit I learned from watching copious amounts of HGTV) is that it always takes longer than they say it will. Sometimes it costs more too.
Hugs on the mess, but I bet it'll be great when it's done!
If I have a story like this, I've buried it in my psyche because nothing is coming up to haunt me at the moment. For which I am glad. :)
Let it go and go out. I would. Don't even bring it in. You have no counter to put it on. Let someone else do the dishes.
Think of the big picture and use your energy to be charming and beautiful--not that you aren't always.
Buy a pie at the bakery if you want to serve dessert at home.
Gee, now I don't feel so badly about my plans for a friend and I to have our Thanksgiving feast at Cracker Barrel sfter all.
I don't cook huge meals anymore -- and CB food is well prepared; each person can order what he/she wants, there are no left-overs and no kitchen to clean up.
Overall, it is probably less expensive.
I feel for ya, PC. There's nothing like having people at your house when you can't get it clean (through no fault of your own). Of course, sometimes going to the in-laws is worse!
I just got back from the grocery store after picking up the stuff for a red velvet cake and homemade cornbread dressing. We're going to my in-laws for TG, and we're having -- wait for it -- HAM. (Inside joke - that's all they ever serve when we come: ham for breakfast, lunch, dinner, even 4th of July!). If left to my m-i-l, we would have ham, cranberries (which my kids won't eat), oyster and chestnut dressing (gross), and no-fat frozen pie (why bother?). She hates it because I've started bringing a cake every time we come for a holiday so we can actually have a decent dessert. :)
I have to say, if it were me, I'd go to CB. Everything has fat in it and actually tastes good, unlike m-i-l food, and you don't have to do the dishes. What could be better than that?
Yes, let CB do the work. Why stress over it? I just have to cook dressing for our TG dinner, family is so big that we each chose something off the menue to cook/bring.
You ladies have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your families.
robertsonreads
May the spirits of turkeys past spread their crispy wings, granting you three wishes, good food, good company and peace of mind. ;)
Wow I can honestly say I don't envy you in the least! I hope everything works out though.
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