(no subject)

Donna dropped in today and brought with her the biggest hamper ever (I adore hampers!) and two grandchildren. I let her keep the grandchildren in the end, but reluctantly. They are a lot of fun. All my friends seem to breed offspring (and offspring of offspring) that are a pleasure to be with. This is the future of geekdom, and it's looking good.

We played with my wind-up toys and we drew pictures and we hugged teddybears and we did all the things one normally does with small children. Except that I kindly let Donna change nappies. It was a totally unexpected part of the day and I feel in harmony with the universe. Happy children do that to me. Also hampers (did I say I love hampers? I love children more than hampers, but the children have to go home).

I've decided to use the hamper wisely. On Sunday (my father's birthday) I shall make my usual bad jokes and I shall ring my mother, but I shall also eat food from the hamper and watch the whole of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I have much, much coffee and I have home made liqueurs and other alcohol, and if friends are at a loose end that day they're welcome to join me for any or all of it. I 'll be working while watching LOTR (it not being a holiday for me), but if friends are round I promise to leave the work ENTIRELY ALONE while they're here. You will appreciate the sacrifice, since on Sunday I am scheduled to work on my close reading of Crichton's Timeline.

Coffee, Tim Tams, alcohol, Aragorn: have I forgotten anything?


ETA: I forgot the DR Who special. It will fit nicely in between movies. I also forgot to say that anyone here for any main mealtimes will get fed. It would help to know if you plan to appear, however, otherwise I will have prepared nothing and you will starve and your life will be but ashes.

(no subject)

I have frozen nine packages of turkey because I found it cheap (by Australian standards) today. It wasn't a big bird, as turkeys go. Nevertheless, I have an almost unlimited capacity to have turkey meal after meal - I discovered this when I lived in Canada and it was so readily available. It's nice to be able to find it here, reasonably priced.

The turkey cooked perfectly. Tender throughout and a thing of wonder. This is despite the fact that the wonderful stuffing I invented decided that it wanted to inhabit the floor and then the rubbish bin rather than the turkey. It was a very moist stuffing and so the floor got washed, too, before I did a quick replacement. The replacement was chickpeas and guava paste and just a touch of sour pomegranate, with lemon after and lemon juice all over the skin.

I had turkey for dinner and will have turkeyleg/avocado salad for lunch tomorrow (with other things, but I haven't decided what else goes in that salad yet) and all the bones and juices from that bird are going to cook gently overnight so that I have up to a dozen containers of turkey bouillon for my freezer.

My freezer felt neglected, you see. I'd emptied it for its six month clean out (so that I don't find strange packets of food that are three years old) and it demanded replenishment. By the end of next week it will be happily stuffed and it doesn't matter how busy I am or how little income I have, there will be good food. Which is why I have a decent-sized freezer, after all.

And now I might do some work. Or I might contemplate the foodiness of the day, happily.

(no subject)

My keyboard suddenly took ill. I'm using a very old one I couldn't bear to throw out five years ago. The question is, do I even try to catch up on work tonight?