Turkey is beautiful. Soup is simmering. There isn't enough, but I'll manage. Stuffing is cooking. I need a shower and the table needs to be set.

My brother is here. My brother-in-law and his family are here. My inlaws arrived two hours early. I have one more guest. I'm hiding in my bedroom right now and haven't even greeted some people.

It's all going to be fine, but I am feeling anxious.

Busman's holiday - when you do on vacation what you do for a living. I? am cooking.

The turkey, seasoned, vinegared and oiled, is upside down in the oven. Also in the oven is a cut up butternut squash, two cut-up pears and a lot of slices of ginger. This will be soup. The stock for the soup - the squash seeds, more ginger and some salt - is simmering.

On the stove as well is a saute of mushrooms, onions and celery, plus veggie stock, rosemary, garlic and salt and pepper. This will be mixed with challah croutons (made last night) and an egg plus more veggie stock to make dressing.

In the microwave is a mixture of carrots and parsnips sliced long. These will be tossed with shallot and olive oil for a side dish. There will also be spinach.

We have classic rock on the radio, having listened to "Alice's Restaurant".

Mother-in-law is bringing dessert and cranberry sauce. Jonathan is about to go shopping.

I know I haven't been replying to comments. I'm not sure why this is true, and I am very sorry about it.

I HAVE read all of them, and I appreciate all of them more than I can ever say. Thank you! I will try to do better in the future.

Meanwhile, I am off to Philcon this weekend. This is our anniversary con - the one where we met 20 years ago, so it will be wonderful.

When I got into work this morning, I met the manager of the house I cooked for last week - the "audition". The boys LOVED my food, but he was dealing with a real crisis and cooks were low on the list.

I understood that. And when I was alone, I bounced. :)

Later on, I'd stayed late to make extra fish and chicken for the diabetic boy Mendy, and a bunch of staff came in for a meeting and we chatted a bit. And it turns out that Mendy had been fighting his food - not wanting to eat it.

He's not fighting his food anymore.

And another boy, Mischa, who has a bad appetite, asked for seconds last night. The seconds made him ill, because he doesn't eat, but still. Wow.

Honestly, people, I couldn't ask for higher praise.

Today, I made beef stew and left right on time. YAY.

I also wrote a play for my improv thing, which I haven't been to for months.

What was funny was, the play came directly from a 1000 word vignette I wrote - a fanfiction vignette. I did change the sex of one of the characters, though, and that was part I played.

Which meant I was Adam Lambert for all of five minutes. I am amused.

First and foremost, thank you so very much! I know I'll love whatever you write for me!

As to my requests -

1. The American President - this is, in my opinion, one of the finest political movies made. I love the relationship between AJ and Shepherd (even as it blows my mind because it's basically Martin Sheen playing Leo.) I would love to see it explored more deeply, and I'd love to see how Sydney's presence affects it. This can be a slash story, either past or present, or it can be just a very deep friendship, or it can change from one to the other.

2. Chuck. I'm intrigued by the character of John Casey in so many ways, but mostly in his relationship to Chuck. The idea that Casey is secretly (maybe even from himself) in love with Chuck fascinates me the most. So what would happen if Chuck discovers this? Or if he doesn't? How would it change things for Casey to discover this in himself? For all its humor, there's a strain of pathos in the series that I enjoy. However, if you the writer choose to write this as part of a case in the spirit of the show, it would also be lovely. This is Chuck, it's fun. So have fun with it. Please.

3. Zenna Henderson - The People series - When I read these stories, no matter what else happens, I get a sense of peace and rightness. Maybe it's the sense of the Presence, maybe it's how decent the People are or maybe it's the sheer magic of their lives even with all the hiding and lies. So I'm asking you to take that a way. There is a darkness underneath it all, I think. I want to see People we don't know, in situations that maybe Henderson didn't imagine - a prostitute, perhaps, or someone using his abilities for evil. I'm not necessarily looking for slash here.

4. Laurell K Hamilton: Anita Blake serie. Anita has bowed to the inevitable in canon, and is now letting Jean-Claude and Asher have sex. Let's see that moment, please.

Most important, again - have fun with these.

Notes - my squicks are body modification, including tattoos, and holiday stories of any sort.

These were EXTREMELY busy, which is why I've been remiss in posting.

Wednesday, I was asked to cook dinner for a different group home. First, though, I had to cook on Ocean Ave, which was very difficult because my groceries had NOT arrived. Fortunately, the freezer is stuffed full AND last week I'd boned out some chicken legs, and frozen the bones. So I made the special chicken soup for Mendy - no veg, just herbs. Then I went to my therapist in Park Slope. And then I went to 34th St. Where I cooked for the next 3.5 hours. In that time, I made split pea soup (with turkey), potato kugel, meat loaf and a pasta sauce. I took a car service home and we had leftovers for dinner.

This was basically an audition. If they liked what I cooked, I'll be cooking there more often. I still don't know the outcome. I did enjoy myself - the residents there are high-functioning young men, charming and sweet, and the counselors were fun to talk to.

Yesterday, I also finally met Mendy, who had Veteran's Day off from school. He's very sweet and loves hugs.

I hadn't been that tired since my externship - my feet hurt so much that I couldn't walk in stocking feet. I needed more cushioning. (Oh, in case anyone's wondering, all this walking around is showing. I'm visibly smaller. I'm also eating a lot less. So, while the formula is NOT perfect, as the body does adapt over time, I am doing the classic diet without actually dieting - I'm not hungry or bored, so I'm not eating.)

Yesterday, there STILL wasn't any groceries and now I had nothing to cook, and there was cooking to do. So I went out and got some, which took some time. (I was given money.) I cooked for Mendy (including poached chicken which actually tastes GOOD) and for the others - chicken cutlets and roasted potatoes. With the extra food and the shopping and a conference with the nurse, who wants me to design a new menu for Mendy, I ended up being there an extra two hours.

Today, I left on time. Chicken cutlets in duck sauce, sweet potato kugel, gefilte fish, vegetable-pasta soup, and cole slaw. I asked the young husband who, with his wife, stays there on Shabbat, to taste the kugel before I added the eggs because, with my lack of sweet tooth, I thought it tasted perfect. Avi thought it needed more sugar. I added sugar. It still tasted fine.

Yesterday, I made braised chicken and vegetables. I LOVE braised chicken.

One of the residents, Mischa, was home. He's having problems with his feeding tube, so they're getting that checked out. But he's perfectly fine eating (ground up) food by mouth so he's okay. And he has the most gorgeous smile!

He likes watching Jerry Springer and Maury Povich, and their ilk, so that's what was on the tv while I cooked (normally, I leave it off. I prefer listening to my MP3 player.) DNA paternity tests on one, feuding sisters and oil fighting (OIL FIGHTING) on the other. And then a pregnant fifteen year old on a third.

Which is pretty much why I like listening to my music player.

Today I made burgers (mixed with grated onion and flavorings and baked) plus rice.

Tomorrow, one hopes, all my groceries will have arrived. Also, I'm going to a second kitchen in the afternoon to make THEM dinner. I'm very pleased.

This cooking in volume thing is not easy - on Friday I washed, peeled and hand-grated ten pounds of potatoes, which produced four 8x8 trays of potato kugel. YUMMY potato kugel, but still.

Which is why MY OWN Shabbos dinner featured a purchased one.

I need to get used to the very early Shabboses. Remember that in my previous job, I didn't work on Thursdays and Fridays so it wasn't that much of a challenge, but now I'm working both days. I need to get in the habit of cooking on Thursday night.

Today is a lovely day, so we will FINALLY take down the rest of our sukkah. We were waiting for a day with the right combination of things - dryness and lack of other stuff to do. Today is it.

And I signed up for Yuletide. Wasn't sure if I was, but I just did. Yay.

Tonight, jonbaker took me to Solo, which is a fine-dining kosher restaurant on 5th Avenue, with Hung from Top Chef at the helm.

It was LOVELY. The bread came with a humous spread - sun-dried tomatoes, paprkia and garlic mixed in. We both had appetizers - Jonathan had grilled eggplant salad with microgreens and tiny tomatoes. I had salmon carpaccio dressed with soy and wasabi, with microgreens in a nice vinaigrette including jalopenos and avocado, plus parsnip chips. It was perfectly balanced between the spicy and the creamy, the smooth and the crunchy.

For mains, Jonathan had a chicken rice clay pot with yu choy (a green) and enoki (a vegetable). It was rich and gingery with caramelized soy sauce. I had short ribs braised in plum and beer with mashed potatoes and turnip puree, and crispy shallots. It was rich and sweet and falling-apart tender. And then we had dessert. I normally do NOT get dessert, but this time - well, on the dessert menu was a list of ice creams and sorbets, and one of the sorbets was papaya-szechuan pepper. There was no way I could resist. It came as three scoops, which could be taken all in one flavor or mixed. I decided to mix - the papaya-szechan pepper, mango-lime and vanilla. That last was an ice "cream." The waiter approved. And then my silly husband told him it was my birthday. So not only did we get the nice dish of ice cream and our espressos, but also a tiny pice of cake with a lit candle and a cookie (a nice, crisp delicate toile) with happy birthday in chocolate syrup.

The ice creams were so amazingly yummy - the vanilla was intense and I couldn't tell it was non-dairy, the mango-lime was nicely balanced, and the papaya-pepper was AMAZING. Sweet, cold, hot and spicy at the same time - it made my mouth very happy. It also went well with the vanilla and the mango.

It was the best meal out ever.

Didn't post yesterday. I'm sorry.

I was hit with something at work yesterday. Not the food itself - they all LOVE that. But they want me to make MORE. They want me to stuff the freezer with large amounts of food. And they seemed disappointed that I hadn't been - but who knew? I thought I was just making DINNER, you know? And that meant rethinking everything, which is not easy for me to do. I can cook in quantity. It may not be as good, but of course I can. But I need to KNOW because messing with my routine messes with my head big time.

So, today I made enough chicken ziti for four days. Tomorrow, I make meat loaf for five. And so on.

My mother is doing well.

And I've also discovered an advantage to wearing a bib apron. I've been wearing aprons over my regular clothing for work because a chef's coat looks a bit pretentious, practical though it is. You want to know how practical? I have seen a 17th C picture of a chef. And he's wearing a white, double-breasted coat and an apron tied in front. Because a double-breasted coat made of a heavy material make life safer and easier in the kitchen, and then you can rebutton it to cover dirt, too. But I'm not wearing mine.

I am wearing bib aprons, though. I'm washing posts and peeling potatoes and there's all sorts of reasons I'm happier with a bib apron. But it's also proving very practical beyond the keeping clothes clean/dry thing. I like listening to my mp3 player, using earphones that hook over my ears individually. They also each hook nicely into the the top of the bib if I want them to. (The player itself I clip onto my apron string as it goes round my front, with the earphone wire going under the bib to keep it out of the way.) I also clip my Sharpie marker and my pen to the top of the bib. If I had my chef's coat, I'd have them in the pen pocket on the sleeve, but this works REALLY well.

I just bought five more aprons ($1.99 slightly irregular at a discount store.) Because I'd rather have that many white ones.

I JUST got home now. That's meaningful if you know that my hours are 10AM-1PM. (Just means 4:10PM, btw.) Why? Because they asked me if I minded doing the shopping.

Mind? MIND? I couldn't have been happier! I get to shop? I get to pick my own supplies? Yes, please! They paid for my car service, and they have an account at the supermarket, and I'm very reasonable (fresh, good food doesn't have to be costly. Mine ISN'T.) I was practically bouncing!

But it meant a half hour wait for the car service, and then I had lunch and then shopping and I had to go to the library, and I had coffee, so I got home on the late side.

Oh, and I also learned that if you want attention, just carry an eBook reader with you. Last night at the restaurant, and today in the home, in the pizza shop and on the bus, people kept asking me questions. Hanlin owes me a commission.

And I DO love it. Light weight, easy to work and stuffed full of fanfiction. YAY!

Mom continues to improve.

Today was meeting day - I had a board meeting in the morning, and Jonathan had a steering committee for an organization he's involved with in the afternoon. I sort of hung around but mostly I had nosh available and then we took three of the members - college age boys - to dinner. They were all so TALL. And broke! We ended up treating them.

I did make a change of sorts. When we bought the laptop, we also bought a carrying case - one of those over the shoulder bags? And I found it awkward and uncomfortable and the strap didn't go over my body comfortably.

So I just got a sleeve, and now I can carry it in my backpack. MUCH better. I could have purchased a laptop backpack, but mine is perfectly good, so why get a new one? I take hte laptop to the board meetings for the minutes, so it's necessary to have a way of carrying it.

I made a really good cholent. This means something since I make cholents maybe once a year and they're usually bad. This came out yummy. I think soaking the beans is key. Also ketchup.

We had guests for lunch - a family of five, with three small kids. The boys loved my comics (so much that the parents are going to look into using comics as reading aids.) Riva loved my book on plumbing. *Shrug*. I gave them free rein in my book room.

I had the challenge of not using onions because the mother doesn't like the texture. Instead of gefilte fish, I made a tuna salad with celery, using a combination, as I always do, of light and white tuna. There were onions in the cholent, but nowhere else. And the kids, picky as kids always are, ate. I'd forgotten dessert, but the ice pops we had worked fine.

My mother is doing well. And I didn't write on Friday because I cooked all of this Friday afternoon, after cooking shabbos at work, too.

I love my job.

First - mom is home, and feeling better. She's on antibiotics and prednisone. My stepfather has given up bowling for the time being. :)

Second, I just got my EZReader, which is an e-reader along the lines of Sony or Kindle. It reads a lot of formats, including pdf, html and .doc, so it's perfect as a fanfic reader. I'm charging it now. Then I start uploading fic! And free books from Project Gutenberg.

Only a small amount of my chicken stew was left over.

Today I made burgers (ground beef, grated onions and bread crumb, stared on the stove top and finished in the oven) and roasted potatoes. I also spoke to my mother, who said she'd be home today or tomorrow. Her lungs were clear.

Well, she got home tonight!! Yay! I am so amazingly happy.

I had a long chat with her - she's sounding and feeling much better.

Thank you ALL for the kind wishes, thoughts and prayers. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all of them.

My mother is in the hospital. She's been there since Friday night and we don't know how much longer they'll keep her.

She's been having trouble breathing for a couple of weeks - been in and out of doctor's offices and the emergency room during that time. Friday, they decided to admit her.

Note - she quit smoking almost 46 years ago. She and Daddy believed the surgeon general's report.

I called her last night. She sounded alert and awake, but a little rough. They'd just given her steroids and were going to give her a CAT scan. Also, at 1AM (as I just found out from my brother), they tested her for blood clots, just to rule them out. But it scared her because there was talk of ICU.

My brother now knows that if Mom goes to the ICU, he CALLS me. If it's not Shabbat, I can get a zipcar and be out there within an hour. And that I will listen to my answering machine on Shabbat and pick up if it's an emergency.

This morning, she feels a lot better (Thank Gd!) and they're going to start her on antibiotics. But her lungs are very congested - enough that the physical therapist felt them. My brother thinks that it is, in fact, pneumonia and not just bronchitis.

Her husband will not leave her side. I do love Lenny.

Batya Rachel bat Chana for those so inclined to pray.

Oh, my! What a fabulous day! Not only was the weather lovely, but things were just good.

Shulem (home manager) said that everyone loved what I cooked. One home didn't know what to do with freshly cooked food!

I made a huge pot of spaghetti sauce today and ordered what I needed for tomorrow. I love that I'm in control of these menus. It makes me feel like a chef, even if my battalion is just me.

Then I stopped for lunch, and my neighbor sat down with me and it was so nice, and my therapist said I was nothing like I was when she first saw me.

A month ago.

Jobs are wonderful things, no?

And my new knife is fabulous, too. Gorgeous Henckels knife. Yesterday, I had to use a tiny serrated edge 4" santuku (I missed the larger one, but it was also sharp aluminum foil.) Today I had a proper knife for my peppers, onions and mushrooms.

It's all so good!

I cooked today. Mashed potatoes, chicken cutlets, fresh green beans. I hope they liked it.

And I dunked my new Henckels knife and got a new box grater. Really exciting day, but I walked a lot, I went to the library and it's all good.

Sunday we had a marathon - a wedding and a bar mitzvah. There was also a big breakfast to celebrate the bar mitzvah, but we missed that.

( Wedding )

( Bar Mitzvah )

( First Day )

Saw my therapist this morning at way-too-early.

She said I was a very different person this morning than last week. I was all bright and happy and bubbly. Funny, that. :) We decided on a new time for our appointment - Wed at 2PM. I LOVE my hours.

Making chicken breast filet, sweet potato kugel and peas for Shabbos. Chicken and potatoes are cooking now. They smell done, so I'll take them out and let them cool. Then I'll skin the sweets and mash them with oil, beaten eggs, salt and nutmeg and bake them again. Easy.

I have to go to shul early tomorrow, as we have both a bar mitzvah and an aufruf tomorrow. "Aufruf" means we're honoring a bridegroom before his wedding. The shul will be crowded with two sets of friends and relatives. Sunday is the wedding at 12 and the bar mitzvah party at five.

David the bridegroom was talking about hiring a bus to bring his guests to David the bar mitzvah boy's party. Yeah, both named David. And, yes, we're going to both.

Jonathan has, in fact, been honored with eid tenaimim, witness to a ceremony before the wedding itself where the parents pledge to bring their children to the appointed place at the appointed time. This is very easy to accomplish, since they are already there. :)

I love you all, too.

Some of you may remember that last summer, I VERY nearly had a job cooking in several group homes, but it didn't happen?

On Columbus Day, I got a phone call from the same org asking if I still wanted it.

I said, "yes."

It's not quite the same job, since it's only two homes and I won't need to travel - the apartments are right next to each other. It's fifteen hours a week, fifteen minute WALK from my house and the salary is just fine. I'll be working from 10-1PM five days a week, making dinner for the six boys and, really, for the staff who can eat what they want. One has a special diet but it's a special diet I live myself, so it's all very perfect.

DANCES! It's been since August 2008, and we're still amazed I'm getting unemployment. And *this* is why I was hoping to not get into that jury.

YAY!

Let me say this first - I'm proud of our legal system. It's not perfect and there are injustices perpetrated all through it, but it's pretty darn good and the intent really is justice for all. And that it's done by a bunch of very ordinary citizens conscripted for the purpose instead of assigned or professional, and most pretty unwilling, is part of it all.

The other thing is that I found the procedures of the day to be FASCINATING.

( Jury Assembly Area )

( Court Room Nine, part 1 )

( Part 2 )