On Fall and Turkey Time

elSicomoro · 11-17-2002, 05:21 PM

Well, here we are in the thick of November, just a few weeks from Thanksgiving. The NFL playoff race is starting to take shape...strange as it is at this time. And the Blues and Flyers are doing well in the NHL...now if they could just convert all their regular season success into getting Lord Stanley's cup. (You Minnesota fans better not get too comfy with the Wild's surprising start...they'll be in the basement before long.

)

I like Thanksgiving...and I don't know why. I guess because it is a celebration of ridiculous excess...eat and drink 'til you puke, watch football, go shopping, and get a 4-day weekend. We're not doing anything major, as it's just Rho and I. We have now spent enough money at the grocery store to get a free 4-7 lb. turkey breast. We'll probably make some homemade stuffing, mac and cheese, and sweet potato pie to go along with the turkey. What the hell...maybe I will make the sweet potato pie...I can cook.

I feel like I got robbed on foliage this fall. Until a month ago, the maple out by my balcony was green as could be. Then, it started turning yellow. With the wind and rain we got this weekend, it is now naked. It got cold rather early this year too...it started getting chilly in early October in these parts...no real Indian Summer this year. This whole year has been wack, weather-wise. We got almost no snow, temps were mild, and the summer was incredibly hot, with little rain. The dogwood tree out front bloomed in mid-March, as opposed to late April...the flowers were gone by then.

Nevertheless, I saw some great foliage during my trip up to New England, especially in the Boston area. And I like that it got cold earlier this year. The weather does my allergies good...and it allows me to wear my pimpin coat more.

You might never suspect it, but Philadelphia is incredibly windy...it very much reminds me of Chicago. I'm no expert, but I suspect it's because we're in a valley, and close to both mountains and the ocean (about 60 miles from each). And it's windy all over this city. You don't really feel the wind in Chicago too too much unless you're near the lake...once you get further into the city, it's not as prominent. Maybe I'm just more perceptive now than I used to be.

I want to go camping...that just sounds like a great thing to do right now. It'd just be me though...Rho's not a fan of the outdoors, and it's almost impossible for her to do something like that right now anyway. I did a ton of camping as a Scout, and used to love it...I'm a big nature fan. I'd go hiking all over Beaumont Reservation and S-F Scout Ranch in Missouri as a young-in...I could easily walk 10-20 miles or more in a day.

I'd just like to do something like that now. Go pitch a tent up in the Poconos, go hiking for a day, make a campfire, cook over it, and just be one with nature. And it wouldn't even require much money...good stuff. You know what? Fuck the tent...I can create my own shelter. I still have my wilderness skills about me.

I hope we get a good solid snowstorm this season...and I hope it comes early. One of those 3-footers that keeps you snowed in for a few days. We have some good hills here in the neighborhood that I would like to take on as a sled rider. And if we need supplies, I can always hike up to the grocery store.

I might even try ice skating this year. The Flyers opened up a Skate Zone near my apartment last winter...and I haven't laced up skates in over a decade. I would imagine that it's not too expensive, and it could be a lot of fun. Of course, I'll fall on my ass 50 times and look like a crackwhore, but it's all about fun, right? The city should be opening their outdoor rink near Penn's Landing shortly, so that might be worthwhile too.

I just want to get out there and enjoy what nature offers. I really haven't done so in some time, and it's about time I got off my duff and did something productive.

warch · 11-18-2002, 12:30 PM

In the bracing wind, I've got an image of you ice skating (backwards), whilst lashing together a lean-to in your pimpin coat...

I think you have some sweetpotato dribbled on your lapel....

We had a sudden fall too. Leave were freeze dried on the trees, with little chance to turn. I'm looking for snow. I love it. We already have that grey-purple winter sky- clear almost full moon last night. They will be putting up the hockey boards soon, and the park rinks will be flooded and ready. The best skating around here I think, is on Lake of the Isles. Its a really shallow stretch of water, long and winding, right near downtown, freezes quickly. They put up boards, a warming house, then there is a larger open area to skate and even trails cleared around the edge of the lake for distance/speed skating or cross country skiing. I'm craving the ice trail with my headphones on. And I'll be exploring the old figure skates vs new hockey skate comparison. The hockey blades are so short and rocky- I will be on my ass, plenty. I'll need lots of practice. I really want to learn that quick stop that scrapes up all that snow...but I'll settle for staying upright.

ladysycamore · 11-24-2002, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sycamore
I like Thanksgiving...and I don't know why. I guess because it is a celebration of ridiculous excess...eat and drink 'til you puke, watch football, go shopping, and get a 4-day weekend. We're not doing anything major, as it's just Rho and I. We have now spent enough money at the grocery store to get a free 4-7 lb. turkey breast. We'll probably make some homemade stuffing, mac and cheese, and sweet potato pie to go along with the turkey. What the hell...maybe I will make the sweet potato pie...I can cook.

THIS I gotta see!!!

Quote:

I saw some great foliage during my trip up to New England, especially in the Boston area.

That was a great site to see. I remember as a little kid always wanting to go up North to see the leaves turning. It always looked so pretty on TV and in brochures.

Quote:

I want to go camping...that just sounds like a great thing to do right now. It'd just be me though...Rho's not a fan of the outdoors, and it's almost impossible for her to do something like that right now anyway.

Yeah, I'm too much of a city gal anyway. Give me lots of buildings, shops and bad traffic any day..LOL.

Quote:

I hope we get a good solid snowstorm this season...and I hope it comes early. One of those 3-footers that keeps you snowed in for a few days. We have some good hills here in the neighborhood that I would like to take on as a sled rider. And if we need supplies, I can always hike up to the grocery store.

Good. I'll remember that you said that when the time comes..hehe.

Quote:

I might even try ice skating this year. The Flyers opened up a Skate Zone near my apartment last winter...and I haven't laced up skates in over a decade. I would imagine that it's not too expensive, and it could be a lot of fun. Of course, I'll fall on my ass 50 times and look like a crackwhore, but it's all about fun, right? The city should be opening their outdoor rink near Penn's Landing shortly, so that might be worthwhile too.

Yikes...I haven't been ice skating since I was like maybe 9 or 10 years old! I can't imagine trying it again now (since I wasn't so good at it then). But, I'll stand on the sides and watch you instead.

elSicomoro · 11-24-2002, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ladysycamore
(on sycamore making sweet potato pie) THIS I gotta see!!!

You just wait woman...I'm gonna whip up a pie this week.

elSicomoro · 11-24-2002, 10:54 PM

There is a 50% chance of snow Tuesday night...1-2 inches. It's a start.

For some reason, I'm having a harder time adjusting to the earlier darkness this year...

I normally get off work at 4:45...it's just beginning to get dark. By the time the El comes out of the tunnel near Spring Garden St., it's right about 5pm...and pitch black.

Last Tuesday night was even stranger...I stayed an extra hour at work, so I finally walked out the door around 6. I stopped at a newsstand, and made my way down Chestnut Street. Quiet as a church mouse...and this is in an area that generally has a pretty decent nightlife (see the Yuppie thread). Many of the restaurants looked rather quiet.

I've always been a fan of both daylight and the night though. Hence, I could handle living in Alaska pretty well, I think.

elSicomoro · 11-29-2002, 06:21 PM

Well, the dinner was fantastic and the leftovers plentiful:

--turkey
--homemade cornbread stuffing
--homemade cranberry sauce
--carrots
--sauerkraut
--macaroni & cheese
--crescent rolls
--pecan pie
--Sycamore's homemade sweet potato pie

We'll be eating it all for the next month.

warch · 12-02-2002, 10:55 AM

Whew.
My folks came up from St Louis for the long weekend. My folks are no weirder than anyone else's I'm sure, but man, that wipes me out. I need to stop thinking about it, so I won't bitch on. I love them but I'm needing the blackout.
The food was great- Turkey, kickass homemade bread stuffing, cranberrries, roasted sweetpotatos, mashed potatos, sauted brussel sprouts, corn, and really good pan gravy.

The medal of valor was earned by Mr Warch when the man took leftover turkey meat and with no fuss, made an incredible gumbo with andouille sausage. It has never happened in my family that a man would willingly step into the kitchen to cook, so it was deemed noteworthy. That generational stuff again.

I'm glad you made your pie.

11-17-2002, 05:21 PM	#1
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	On Fall and Turkey Time Well, here we are in the thick of November, just a few weeks from Thanksgiving. The NFL playoff race is starting to take shape...strange as it is at this time. And the Blues and Flyers are doing well in the NHL...now if they could just convert all their regular season success into getting Lord Stanley's cup. (You Minnesota fans better not get too comfy with the Wild's surprising start...they'll be in the basement before long. ) I like Thanksgiving...and I don't know why. I guess because it is a celebration of ridiculous excess...eat and drink 'til you puke, watch football, go shopping, and get a 4-day weekend. We're not doing anything major, as it's just Rho and I. We have now spent enough money at the grocery store to get a free 4-7 lb. turkey breast. We'll probably make some homemade stuffing, mac and cheese, and sweet potato pie to go along with the turkey. What the hell...maybe I will make the sweet potato pie...I can cook. I feel like I got robbed on foliage this fall. Until a month ago, the maple out by my balcony was green as could be. Then, it started turning yellow. With the wind and rain we got this weekend, it is now naked. It got cold rather early this year too...it started getting chilly in early October in these parts...no real Indian Summer this year. This whole year has been wack, weather-wise. We got almost no snow, temps were mild, and the summer was incredibly hot, with little rain. The dogwood tree out front bloomed in mid-March, as opposed to late April...the flowers were gone by then. Nevertheless, I saw some great foliage during my trip up to New England, especially in the Boston area. And I like that it got cold earlier this year. The weather does my allergies good...and it allows me to wear my pimpin coat more. You might never suspect it, but Philadelphia is incredibly windy...it very much reminds me of Chicago. I'm no expert, but I suspect it's because we're in a valley, and close to both mountains and the ocean (about 60 miles from each). And it's windy all over this city. You don't really feel the wind in Chicago too too much unless you're near the lake...once you get further into the city, it's not as prominent. Maybe I'm just more perceptive now than I used to be. I want to go camping...that just sounds like a great thing to do right now. It'd just be me though...Rho's not a fan of the outdoors, and it's almost impossible for her to do something like that right now anyway. I did a ton of camping as a Scout, and used to love it...I'm a big nature fan. I'd go hiking all over Beaumont Reservation and S-F Scout Ranch in Missouri as a young-in...I could easily walk 10-20 miles or more in a day. I'd just like to do something like that now. Go pitch a tent up in the Poconos, go hiking for a day, make a campfire, cook over it, and just be one with nature. And it wouldn't even require much money...good stuff. You know what? Fuck the tent...I can create my own shelter. I still have my wilderness skills about me. I hope we get a good solid snowstorm this season...and I hope it comes early. One of those 3-footers that keeps you snowed in for a few days. We have some good hills here in the neighborhood that I would like to take on as a sled rider. And if we need supplies, I can always hike up to the grocery store. I might even try ice skating this year. The Flyers opened up a Skate Zone near my apartment last winter...and I haven't laced up skates in over a decade. I would imagine that it's not too expensive, and it could be a lot of fun. Of course, I'll fall on my ass 50 times and look like a crackwhore, but it's all about fun, right? The city should be opening their outdoor rink near Penn's Landing shortly, so that might be worthwhile too. I just want to get out there and enjoy what nature offers. I really haven't done so in some time, and it's about time I got off my duff and did something productive.

11-18-2002, 12:30 PM	#2
warch lurkin old school Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,796	In the bracing wind, I've got an image of you ice skating (backwards), whilst lashing together a lean-to in your pimpin coat... I think you have some sweetpotato dribbled on your lapel.... We had a sudden fall too. Leave were freeze dried on the trees, with little chance to turn. I'm looking for snow. I love it. We already have that grey-purple winter sky- clear almost full moon last night. They will be putting up the hockey boards soon, and the park rinks will be flooded and ready. The best skating around here I think, is on Lake of the Isles. Its a really shallow stretch of water, long and winding, right near downtown, freezes quickly. They put up boards, a warming house, then there is a larger open area to skate and even trails cleared around the edge of the lake for distance/speed skating or cross country skiing. I'm craving the ice trail with my headphones on. And I'll be exploring the old figure skates vs new hockey skate comparison. The hockey blades are so short and rocky- I will be on my ass, plenty. I'll need lots of practice. I really want to learn that quick stop that scrapes up all that snow...but I'll settle for staying upright.

11-24-2002, 10:54 PM	#5
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	There is a 50% chance of snow Tuesday night...1-2 inches. It's a start. For some reason, I'm having a harder time adjusting to the earlier darkness this year... I normally get off work at 4:45...it's just beginning to get dark. By the time the El comes out of the tunnel near Spring Garden St., it's right about 5pm...and pitch black. Last Tuesday night was even stranger...I stayed an extra hour at work, so I finally walked out the door around 6. I stopped at a newsstand, and made my way down Chestnut Street. Quiet as a church mouse...and this is in an area that generally has a pretty decent nightlife (see the Yuppie thread). Many of the restaurants looked rather quiet. I've always been a fan of both daylight and the night though. Hence, I could handle living in Alaska pretty well, I think.

11-29-2002, 06:21 PM	#6
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	Well, the dinner was fantastic and the leftovers plentiful: --turkey --homemade cornbread stuffing --homemade cranberry sauce --carrots --sauerkraut --macaroni & cheese --crescent rolls --pecan pie --Sycamore's homemade sweet potato pie We'll be eating it all for the next month.

12-02-2002, 10:55 AM	#7
warch lurkin old school Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,796	Whew. My folks came up from St Louis for the long weekend. My folks are no weirder than anyone else's I'm sure, but man, that wipes me out. I need to stop thinking about it, so I won't bitch on. I love them but I'm needing the blackout. The food was great- Turkey, kickass homemade bread stuffing, cranberrries, roasted sweetpotatos, mashed potatos, sauted brussel sprouts, corn, and really good pan gravy. The medal of valor was earned by Mr Warch when the man took leftover turkey meat and with no fuss, made an incredible gumbo with andouille sausage. It has never happened in my family that a man would willingly step into the kitchen to cook, so it was deemed noteworthy. That generational stuff again. I'm glad you made your pie.

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