what did you do today? (2008-2015) (closed)

[Meadbh]

I'm about to get whacked by a hurricane/tropical storm. A first for me (and my wife).

I am both frightened and fascinated by this fact.

Stay safe!

 

[Sea Kayaker]

Stay safe!

That is our current plan.

 

[Ronstar]

Saw more turkeys in my driveway than on our table

 

[harley]

Had another Thanksgiving Day fiasco. I mentioned last year that when we started cooking our turkey in our FL snowbird home (first time), the oven wouldn't heat up because the element was burned out. We ended up cooking the turkey on the grill the day after, while eating McDonald's for T-Day dinner.

I replaced the element, but we obviously never bake (I grill a lot) because we hadn't ever tried it out since then. So today when I started the turkey, it reached the target 160 degrees in less than an hour, instead of the 3-3.5 hours it was supposed to take. The oven was set to 325, but I think it's off by over 100 degrees. Before we replace it I'm going to buy a hanging thermometer just to see how far off it is.

So, the turkey was cooked, but still white and nasty looking on the outside. It will be fine for sandwiches and soup, but we ended up walking across the street and having seafood. We're not having much luck with Thanksgiving, but the weather is beautiful so who cares.

 

[W2R]

Had another Thanksgiving Day fiasco. I mentioned last year that when we started cooking our turkey in our FL snowbird home (first time), the oven wouldn't heat up because the element was burned out. We ended up cooking the turkey on the grill the day after, while eating McDonald's for T-Day dinner.

I replaced the element, but we obviously never bake (I grill a lot) because we hadn't ever tried it out since then. So today when I started the turkey, it reached the target 160 degrees in less than an hour, instead of the 3-3.5 hours it was supposed to take. The oven was set to 325, but I think it's off by over 100 degrees. Before we replace it I'm going to buy a hanging thermometer just to see how far off it is.

So, the turkey was cooked, but still white and nasty looking on the outside. It will be fine for sandwiches and soup, but we ended up walking across the street and having seafood. We're not having much luck with Thanksgiving, but the weather is beautiful so who cares.

Exactly! Who cares, it's you're Thanksgiving not anyone else's. Besides, the seafood sounds delicious.

We decided to skip the family get-together this year, and that the two of us would just partake in a very low key, quiet meal at a Chinese restaurant instead. But when we got there, we found out that the Chinese restaurant was closed even though it is always open on holidays.

What to do, what to do? We hastily picked a Creole/Italian restaurant nearby instead. They had an abbreviated menu but at least they were open. The food was good, but I had to bring half home in a box.

 

[aja8888]

Had another Thanksgiving Day fiasco. I mentioned last year that when we started cooking our turkey in our FL snowbird home (first time), the oven wouldn't heat up because the element was burned out. We ended up cooking the turkey on the grill the day after, while eating McDonald's for T-Day dinner.

I replaced the element, but we obviously never bake (I grill a lot) because we hadn't ever tried it out since then. So today when I started the turkey, it reached the target 160 degrees in less than an hour, instead of the 3-3.5 hours it was supposed to take. The oven was set to 325, but I think it's off by over 100 degrees. Before we replace it I'm going to buy a hanging thermometer just to see how far off it is.

So, the turkey was cooked, but still white and nasty looking on the outside. It will be fine for sandwiches and soup, but we ended up walking across the street and having seafood. We're not having much luck with Thanksgiving, but the weather is beautiful so who cares.

Solution: Most grocery chains sell cooked turkeys for Thanksgiving for those who are "cooking challenged"

 

[NW-Bound]

My newlywed daughter and son-in-law hosted Thanksgiving at lunch today for the extended family. Many were out of town, yet we still had 21 in attendance. As usual, everybody brought more food than they could eat, so by the time we got to the turkey we barely made a dent in it.

Life was good, and it was made even better with a bottle of calvados.

 

[harley]

Solution: Most grocery chains sell cooked turkeys for Thanksgiving for those who are "cooking challenged"

Hey! I'm actually a pretty good cook, when given functioning tools.

Down here in FL, we just really never use the oven. I've gotten really good at grilling in the dark. I have a fancy (ie. Rube Goldberg) lighting setup involving my high powered LED lamp, some Stanley clamps, and my fence, and I almost never produce hockey puck hamburgers.

 

[pb4uski]

When we were in FL recently our hostess was showing us a grilling spatula that had a light built into the handle that shown light down the handle to the spatula. Looked like it would work great.

 

[Gumby]

Today is "The Trekking of the Trees Day" here in Connecticut. Every family in the state is required by law to strap one or more newly cut Christmas trees to the top of their SUV and drive down the Merritt Parkway. Or at least it seemed that way while I was coming home from NJ.

 

[Ronstar]

Workshop is in full production mode putting out cheese boards and cutting boards for Christmas gifts.

 

[W2R]

Stomach flu.

Oh well, I'd rather be retired with an unpleasant case of intestinal distress, than still working in perfect health.

I'll be fine. Imodium is my friend today.

 

[NW-Bound]

Helped my wife clean up the dying squash vine. Yes, it just got down to the 50s recently here in the low-elevation SW. Two weeks ago, I turned the vegetable bed, added steer manure, and seeded bok choy, collard green, and garland chrysanthemum. We have always had good luck with these three leafy vegetables. The little seedlings are coming up very nicely.

Never had any luck with tomato, but this year I am going to try again. Did a bit of research on the Web, and found I made so many basic errors. Will also do snap peas.

 

[rodi]

Finally installed win10 on my laptop. Went to the library, only to discover neighborhood library was closed for the long weekend, so went to the larger library 2 miles away and got books there.

Did some sniffing around the internet for cyber deals. Thinking about the tivo roamio because our tivo series 2 is officially obsolete thanks to Time Warner encrypting everything... (Series 2 doesn't have a cable card.) This is for the kids tv - so I'd repurpose our Tivo Premiere xl to the kids tv, and set the Roamio for our tv. Lots of research has me choosing the roamio over the roamio plus or pro since we might actually cut the cable cord going forward.

 

[NW-Bound]

... Did some sniffing around the internet for cyber deals. Thinking about the tivo roamio because our tivo series 2 is officially obsolete thanks to Time Warner encrypting everything... (Series 2 doesn't have a cable card.) This is for the kids tv - so I'd repurpose our Tivo Premiere xl to the kids tv, and set the Roamio for our tv. Lots of research has me choosing the roamio over the roamio plus or pro since we might actually cut the cable cord going forward.

I do not watch much TV, hence never had a TiVo let alone a Roamio.

I think I will wait for the Juliet.

 

[NW-Bound]

So, after a couple of hours, another 8'x4' planting bed prepped. Soil turned, amendment mixed in, seedlings transplanted, while the missus was out on an errand.

I have helped her with gardening before, but I have a more personal interest now. It is soothing to spend time working with the delicate seedlings, and giving them tender care. The snap peas are old and wrinkly. I think they will still germinate, but I am soaking them in water for 24 hours first.

Looking forward to good healthy eating off my backyard garden.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Last night we took the train into the city to see a play. It is really pretty there this time of year with the cable cars and all the Christmas lights around Union Square. We saw How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. It was a cute play - maybe even funnier now than when it first came out in the sixties because it was so retro.

Today the Instant Pot thread inspired me and I'm making a healthy soup in my IP with fridge leftovers and using up stuff in the chest freezer so I can defrost it. This afternoon I have some errands and shopping to do and then we have play tickets for the evening.

 

[Khan]

Went out at low tide and collected clams.

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[Ronstar]

Ordered some hand tool woodworking books. Now Christmas shopping with DW. Seems to be going ok.


Sent from my iPhone .using Early Retirement .//82339)

 

[aja8888]

Took 20 boxes of Christmas decorations out of the attic today. I thought we got rid of half this stuff when we downsized recently?

 

[splitwdw]

Took 20 boxes of Christmas decorations out of the attic today. I thought we got rid of half this stuff when we downsized recently?

aja, I swear they multiple in the attic!

 

[aja8888]

aja, I swear they multiple in the attic!

If that's the case, then only 10 boxes are going back up there after Christmas!x

 

[Gumby]

Went to church. Raked and bagged the last of my leaves. Smoked a turkey breast (they're on sale after T-day) and two chicken breasts. Canned 16 pints of turkey stock from the Thanksgiving carcass that we had stuck in the freezer on Thursday.

 

[Hermit]

Just got back from Thanksgiving on the East coast. Traveled out there with DD. Thanksgiving dinner with DS, his GF who we knew, and her family who we met for the first time. Also got to spend time with East Coast friends. It was an interesting and enjoyable week.

This was the first time I had flown since retirement. I must say that I was surprised at how much I disliked the whole flying thing. The rental car place made me feel like a criminal for not purchasing the redundant insurance. It also might have had something to do with taking a red eye out there and staying up for over 40 hours on that first day. We had to work around DD's schedule so not much of an option on flight times. If I have an option, however, I think I would much prefer to drive.

 

[MRG]

Got up at 5:00 AM for my second cataract surgery. No food water etc. drove up in heavy rain and fog at 6 for 7:15 pre-op. Get dilated and IV in when I hear someone out in the hall say "there's an emergency C-section we're taking your OR". As I figured a little while longer they told me about an hour delay. Then 30 minutes later a nurse comes in apologetically says DR. X is sick and cannot operate on you!

DW was nervous about driving in the rain so I drove back home and made blueberry pancakes. I was hungry! Hopefully this gets done this year.