Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

Today in our ongoing national embarrassment…

“Alexa, change the president.”

We do not need to pander to people who do not like what we stand for.

“The defense has a certain level of trust in defendant that the government does not.”

Just because you believe it, that does not make it true.

The National Guard is not Batman.

Relentless negativity is not a sign that you are more realistic.

These are not very smart people, and things got out of hand.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

The willow is too close to the house.

The world has changed, and neither one recognizes it.

There are a lot more evil idiots than evil geniuses.

Republicans in disarray!

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

“Just close your eyes and kiss the girl and go where the tilt-a-whirl takes you.” ~OzarkHillbilly

Anne Laurie is a fucking hero in so many ways. ~ Betty Cracker

Republicans do not pay their debts.

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Thursday Morning Open Thread: T-Day

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Thursday Morning Open Thread: T-Day

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Happy Thanksgiving

[image or embed]

— Lakota Man 🪶 (@lakotaman.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 10:24 AM

Showed up late to cannibal Thanksgiving and got the cold shoulder

— Stone Cold Jane Austen (@abbyhiggs.bsky.social) November 26, 2024 at 10:57 PM

Genius, or… ?

I started using my waffle iron to make crispy leftover stuffing waffles with gravy on the day after Thanksgiving. They are now one of my family’s favorite Thanksgiving traditions.

— Denis McDowell (@denismcd.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 8:12 PM

Reader Interactions

314Comments

  7. 7.

    Fair Economist

    On a trip to an overpriced resort with my birth family (my husband is with his birth family). It *is* pretty nice.

    Happy Thanksgiving to all you jackals. May you all get to tear into delicious feasts.

  8. 8.

    p.a.

    @Baud: Well… they were pretty damn good cooks…

    But, as you maybe should expect from conservatives, every holiday was the same.  Same foods, same preps, same order, same conversations…

    The year the distantly related Canadian vegetarian was there was amazing😂

  10. 10.

    lowtechcyclist

    @p.a.:

    Took some pruning😂🪚 Not 🗡️

    If y’all are going to continue to speak Emoji, I’m gonna ask for translations to English, dammit!

    What’s the emoji before ‘Not’ ? Looks like it could be a box of aluminum foil, or a squarish flashlight, but I’m guessing it’s none of the above.

  11. 11.

    NeenerNeener

    The stuffing waffles sound like something I want to try.

    Happy Thanksgiving to everybody at Balloon Juice!

  14. 14.

    lowtechcyclist

    @p.a: ​
     
    Thanks! Firefox is my browser on the laptop, and it just looks like something long and thin with a square cross-section. I can’t get an ID on an emoji by hovering the cursor over it, so this stuff might as well be Swahili afaiac.

  20. 20.

    laura

    The deviled egg slurry is in a zippy bag and ready for piping. The apple walnut cake (king arthur) goes in the oven this morning and the roasted wing turkey stock simmered all afternoon. The sourdough is cubed and drying out, ready for dressing makings. Because dinner is just me and spouse, we’re making due with a boneless breast and a thigh- dinner and sammiches!

    Best wishes to all for a pleasant Thanksgiving Day.

  24. 24.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Baud: ​
     

    Well, how rich are you? We probably don’t want to feed our pets food that’s too rich, it’s bad for them.

  26. 26.

    Betty Cracker

    Stuffing waffles do sound intriguing!

    Our post-Thanksgiving tradition is to have a picnic with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and mayo sandwiches on Cuban bread. It’s delish!

  27. 27.

    JMG

    Alice swears she’s going to make stuffing waffles this year. I am intrigued. Otherwise, Happy Thanksgiving to you all. I am grateful for all of you and for our tireless front pagers.

  28. 28.

    TBone

    @Betty Cracker: sounds like a Florida version of The Bobbie (turkey hoagie beloved by none other than President Biden, originated in Delaware).  Enjoy!

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and everyone who celebrates.

  30. 30.

    raven

    We went to the beach last week because it was half the cost that this week would have been! Happy Thanksgiving!

  32. 32.

    Phylllis

    Happy Turkey day to everyone. I only have two things that go in the oven today & of course they require divergent cooking temps and time. I think I’ve got it worked out though. Other than that, the Gamecock band is in the Macy’s parade, and the women’s BB team plays Iowa State at 1:30.

  36. 36.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    Happy Festival of of the Starches!

    A friend, retired urban EMT, has written this about a shift on this day:

    Early, first call of the day for the person who …didn’t wake up in the morning if you catch my drift. Then, hours of no calls, except maybe a slip & fall, no big deal.

    Around 1-2 p.m., a cooking-related call, probably involving a knife or hot liquids. Plenty of time to chill, chatting up the ER staff.

    Around 4 p.m., the mayhem begins. Every patient you see for the rest of the day will be drunk. First the fights, so several calls involving folks still screaming at each other with a suturable laceration on the head, most likely their eyebrow.

    Which leads to the next variety: Mom having chest pain because Uncle Chester beat up Bobby & sent him to the ER for sutures.

    Finally, about 6 p.m., the roads fill with drivers returning home (or the ER) who were already too drunk to drive by 3 p.m. but they kept drinking and now they’ve plowed into 4 parked cars over on Maple Street. This continues until 10 or 11 p.m., when all the drunks have either made it home or crashed.

    Then all’s quiet, everyone is sleeping it off. Few or no calls after midnight, a blessed relief.

  37. 37.

    Phylllis

    @raven: I said before the Texas A&M game that I thought we would not only win that one but win out the remaining games. It’s been a lot of fun so far, and wiping that smug, smarmy Dabo’s nose in it would be the icing on the cake. Making the CFP would be sprinkles on top.

  38. 38.

    WereBear

    @p.a: My favorite Queens lunch time truck featured a two pack of warm “Whole Hog Sausage Biscuits.”

    Biscuit ingredients: the usual

    Sausage ingredients: whole hog

  42. 42.

    Unkown known

    @lowtechcyclist: I don’t speak emoji either*, but on my monitor:

    Took some pruning😂🪚 Not 🗡️

    looks like “took some pruning (with a saw, not a dagger).”

     

    * I can handle a few emojis: laughing, smiling, frowning, thumbs-up, and hearts… But am reliably informed that the youngs now frown on all those. They now use ‘skull’ to mean laughing (because “I’m dead” is their version of “dying laughing”… a good reminder that slang never made sense… Though apparently in the 1920’s an adult chaperone to a date was called a ‘fire extinguisher” which is logical enough – maybe our great-grandparents really did have a smidge more sense than us (it’s not like we can beat up on them anymore for being dumb enough to have a guided age). Eh, nostalgia springs eternal (is nostalgia the opposite of hope? Maybe kinda)

     

    p.s., My ADHD isn’t showing, right?

  45. 45.

    bluefoot

    Stuffing waffles sounds interesting thought it is rare there’s enough leftover stuffing.

    Happy Thanksgiving y’all! I’m thankful you all are here, and especially to our host who provides this place.

    I’m hosting this year and am trying to figure out timing for oven and stove use…

      eta: Turkeys will definitely hunt you! Here in Boston, there are regular reports of aggressive turkeys, though usually I see them just walking around. Hm, I wonder if turkeys and Canada geese ever mix it up, and if they did which would win.

  46. 46.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Betty Cracker: ​
     

    Our post-Thanksgiving tradition is to have a picnic with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and mayo sandwiches on Cuban bread. It’s delish!

    Alas, there is no Cuban bread up here. But come to think of it, we may have a loaf or two in the freezer, since we usually bring some home from Florida each time we go down there.

    It’s weird, being in the DC area. I’m a hour’s drive from the cuisines of a hundred nations, but good luck in finding regional cuisine from different parts of America. I’ve resigned myself to the reality that if I want a decent plate of crawfish etouffée, I’ll have to travel to New Orleans to get it.

    And every now and then, an area restaurant will serve up something they call a Cuban sandwich, and it’s never even close.

  48. 48.

    Phylllis

    @Raven: I feel like Carolina has hit the trifecta with Shane, Dawn, and Lamont Paris. Watching Beamer Ball 2.0 come to fruition has been a real treat.

  49. 49.

    WereBear

    @lowtechcyclist:

    And every now and then, an area restaurant will serve up something they call a Cuban sandwich, and it’s never even close.

    You just can’t get the bread wrong, and they always do. I should get marinated pork but I’m happy to get actual ham.

    Do still love pickles with ham and mustard.

  50. 50.

    lowtechcyclist

    @WereBear: ​
     

    Dammit, now I miss real Cuban bread.

    For that matter, food from Ybor City.

    You and me both!

    At least I know where my wife and I will be on the afternoon of December 22: at La Segunda bakery! We always stop there on our way from Tampa airport to Plant City, where the in-laws live. Cuban sandwiches, guava turnovers, yummy!!!

    Just three and a half weeks away.

  52. 52.

    WereBear

    @lowtechcyclist: By golly, you have found a good side to Plant City!

    All I knew was the big billboard of the sentient vegetable welcoming you off the Exit. Burned into my brain.

    We lived in town. This was real downhomebackwoods Florida. There would be a deep fried turkey. But some other kind of meat in a casserole was lurking, and no one would tell you what it was until it was gone.

    Now, I’m thinking… raccoon.

  53. 53.

    sab

    One stepson wants to work today because the overtime is massive. Other stepson has to go to his mother’s.

    So we get daughter and grand-daughter all to ourselves today for just a normal dinner. Mac and cheese with brussel sprouts on the side.

    Tomorrow is the actual Turkey Day. So today I will do the pies, the dressing, and the wildrice with mushrooms. Tomorrow just the bird and mashed potatoes and microwave reheat for the rest.

    And I found canned thanksgiving turkey dog food. So the dog gets that today and tomorrow. I hope she likes it.

  54. 54.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Phylllis:

    Other than that, the Gamecock band is in the Macy’s parade, and the women’s BB team plays Iowa State at 1:30.

    Go ‘Cocks!!!!!

  55. 55.

    satby

    @WereBear: That, and the fact that a few people feel the need to personally answer multiple comments they agree with using a single emoji, which is why he pointed out that he would never approve “like” buttons in the same statement. It clutters up the thread without adding any conversation or value at all. That people find this a confusing concept frankly amazes me.

  57. 57.

    Phylllis

    @WereBear: Maybe turtle, or rabbit. Both of which I ate a lot of growing up & would be cool with. Along with gator tail. I’ve never knowingly eaten raccoon, and would have to be near about starving to try either it or squirrel.

  58. 58.

    satby

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage: Not just Thanksgiving. Every holiday. In my past misspent youth, after I left nursing school and became an EMT instead, it was every holiday. He left off the family arguments that resulted in shootings though. And there are several.

  60. 60.

    Phylllis

    @lowtechcyclist: Craig Melvin led the band in the call and response yesterday morning on the Today Show. I’m sure the producers loved a bunch of college kids hollering ‘Cocks’ repeatedly at the top of their lungs on national television.

  62. 62.

    sab

    My mom used to make stuffing for the bird, and then the extra ( dressing) was baked in a side dish and always turned out unpleasantly crunchy on the edges. Then one year I was listening to a food person on NPR who announced that dressing was really just a savory (not sweet) bread pudding and should be steamed. Ever since, I have the side dressing dish in the usual pyrex dish with a larger pyrex dish and water underneath. No more crunchy dressing.

    In my lexicon stuffing is what gets stuffed inside the bird and dressing is the same thing cooked outside of the bird.

  63. 63.

    lowtechcyclist

    @WereBear: ​
     

    By golly, you have found a good side to Plant City!

    Well no, La Segunda’s in Ybor – we stop there en route from TPA to Plant City.

    OTOH, there is Parkesdale’s which I think may technically be in Plant City, and where one can get more different kinds of strawberry goodies than you can shake a stick at. We probably have a loaf of their strawberry bread in our freezer too!

  64. 64.

    Kayla Rudbek

    Happy thanksgiving to those who celebrate. Up at oh-dark-thirty because Mr. Rudbek was planning on biking to the turkey trot in Alexandria. It was raining so we drove over instead, and we’re helping with tear down. The vegan pumpkin pie noracooks.com/vegan-pumpkin-pie/ was cooked last night and I will be napping on the drives to and from my mother in law’s.

  66. 66.

    Nukular Biskits

    @Phylllis:

    @WereBear: Maybe turtle, or rabbit. Both of which I ate a lot of growing up & would be cool with. Along with gator tail. I’ve never knowingly eaten raccoon, and would have to be near about starving to try either it or squirrel.

    Growing up in rural MS, I have.

    But I couldn’t get over how the … uh,  … “dressed carcass” looked so I couldn’t ever stomach either.

  68. 68.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Phylllis:

    Craig Melvin led the band in the call and response yesterday morning on the Today Show. I’m sure the producers loved a bunch of college kids hollering ‘Cocks’ repeatedly at the top of their lungs on national television.

    Found the clip, will be sharing it with my wife!  She mentioned that she’d seen the Gamecock band on GMA, but I don’t think she’s seen this one.  She’s the real Gamecock fan in the family, since she did her undergraduate years there.  (We met in grad school there – 1988 was a very good year.)

  69. 69.

    WereBear

    @lowtechcyclist: I was saying “side” in a big circle, in my scatterbrained way. The goodies on all sides were my favorite part.

    At such large places I never had the dexterity to play the kid’s games. They were avid outdoors children and I was a bookworm.

    So I sat in a corner with my book and sometimes heard adult conversations :)

  70. 70.

    lowtechcyclist

    @sab: ​
     

    In my lexicon stuffing is what gets stuffed inside the bird and dressing is the same thing cooked outside of the bird.

    Yeppers.

  74. 74.

    twbrandt

    Continuing my Thanksgiving tradition of reading my friend David Erik Nelson’s story on Michigan, Thanksgiving, being Jewish, and being Jewish on Thanksgiving in Michigan. It is worth your time.

  75. 75.

    laura

    @sab: unpleasantly crunchy on the edges. Der Gott in Himmel! That’s the best part- with lashings of gravy.

    The stuffing waffle Is all that, and more. Do not hesitate to try it.

  76. 76.

    Nukular Biskits

    @zhena gogolia:

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    Not really feeling it this year, but I’ll try.

    Same.  This was something I touched on last night with my conspiracy theory about corporate power pushing the promotion of Christmas so early this year in an effort to distract away from the election results.

  79. 79.

    Suzanne

    Happy Thanksgiving, y’all! I am enjoying some morning coffee, the parade is on in the background, and I am trying to figure out if I can go running outside today or if I need to stick to the Peloton bike upstairs.

    Spawn the Youngest is already so chatty. LOL.

  80. 80.

    Unkown known

    @Phylllis: One of my mum’s stories about growing up in post WWII England when the country was very poor was about finally being able to go out for a celebratory meal at a restaurant.

    Someone ordered chicken, and her mom (who grew up in the countryside and was nobody’s fool) took one look at the bones and said “That’s a rabbit!”.

  83. 83.

    TBone

    Most memorable childhood turkey day:  when (at my suggestion) we invited the “maintenance” lady, Clara, as well the principal from the school where Mom taught.  That lady was a hoot!  The principal was a black man and the lady was white and extremely outspoken in a very great and sometimes endearingly inappropriate way.  Good times.

    Second most memorable, many years later, was a train trip to NYC for my birthday/turkey day weekend and coming up the subway steps on arrival night in the middle of parade prep with all of the inflatable characters in a state of half inflated.  It felt like Gotham City, for real

  84. 84.

    sab

    @Albatrossity: I am a bad person, so one of my happier memories is coming to work with two nasty bosses, and finding the junior partner trapped in her car by an angry wild turkey. In suburban Cleveland OH.

  85. 85.

    Layer8Problem

    @satby:  I would give that statement a thumbs-up, but instead I’ll just say I’m in general agreement with your sentiment.

  90. 90.

    sab

    @Unkown known: When I lived in Grand Rapids MI our local grocery (Meijers) used to have rabbit. Basically chicken with tiny front legs instead of tiny wings.

    I hadn’t met any real life tame rabbits yet. Now, I doubt I could eat one. I have met chickens and I still eat them.

  98. 98.

    Layer8Problem

    We’re off to similarly shell-shocked relatives just a hop over to the next state.  We’ll no doubt be encouraging each other.

  99. 99.

    NotMax

    Fridge has been adjudged officially full.

    Baked the sweet potato casserole in the silicone Bundt cake pan, since I already had it out for the cake baked on Wednesday.

    Didn’t expect the casserole to hold the shape, spooned it out after baking and cooling into a bowl.

  103. 103.

    Aimai

    We had a little family thanksgiving last night and will go to SIL ‘s tonight. Best of all possible worlds.

  104. 104.

    TBone

    @Nukular Biskits: I did that the first time I made Yorkshire Pudding with the huge prime rib roast that I’d invited my brother and all of his/our friends to Xmas dinner for.  Too many smoke alarms involved as well as open flame in the oven!

  107. 107.

    Suzanne

    @sab: For the last couple of years, because our kitchen is small, I’ve been doing the stuffing in a crockpot (and thus on the windowsill in the dining room). Never comes out crunchy.

    I used that recipe at the link as kind of a jumping-off point. I like brioche stuffing, or cornbread. Not doing it this year, though. We’re doing steaks and sides.

  108. 108.

    Unkown known

    @WereBear: Dunno. Visited an open-to-the-public type of farm once and there was the mum chicken hiding all her chicks under her wings. It suddenly brought to life several phrases that I’d just thought were random cliches (“taking someone under one’s wing”, and I’m pretty sure there’s another about mother hens as a metaphor for overbearing maternal caretaking).

    On the other hand, scaly feet, pecking everything, beady eyes, and pooping everywhere. So swings and roundabouts (maybe that’s just a UK phrase though)

  109. 109.

    Nukular Biskits

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    @Layer8Problem: I’m debating with myself as to whether it’s better to share the shock over the Thanksgiving table or ban talk about the election and concentrate on other things.

    I’m fortunate this year as our Thanksgiving will be just immediate family (just the peeps living in this house) unless my sis shows up today.  But she’s a good soul.

  112. 112.

    Josie

    My youngest son and I are looking forward to three days of Thanksgiving. Today is brunch at my middle son’s house, tomorrow the traditional meal at the other grandmother’s house (due to out of town participants who can’t come today), and on Saturday our own quiet dinner at our house. i will fix his favorite cornbread dressing with gravy, a couple of turkey legs and green peas. Since he was a little tyke, he has always loved green peas. Go figure.

  114. 114.

    Unkown known

    @TBone: Yorkshire pudding!

    Don’t know how that and poutine have never caught on in America. Delicious and wildly unhealthy.

    (and in other news, yes, swans can be absolute bastards. Strong enough to break someone’s arm too).

  115. 115.

    Layer8Problem

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:  It’s really hard to say.  You hope people know they’re not the only injured one in the room and that other subjects can be a balm.  If people need comfort I want to give it.  If it’s wall to wall dooming I still haven’t worked out an appropriate response.  Putting them out on the front stoop with a spare bottle of vodka to commune with passersby seems uncharitable.  But I’m not hosting so not my problem.

  117. 117.

    prostratedragon

    @Albatrossity:  They’ve heard about us. Years back a couple of wild turkeys strode about for several days on UMAA North Campus.  Something about them made everyone give them wide berth. Eventually Animal Control came with humane traps.

  119. 119.

    RevRick

    Happy Thanksgiving to all you Jackals!
    Ours will just be an intimate celebration of myself, MrsRev, and our son, who has to work tomorrow. We definitely won’t be reduplicating the original three-day feast of 1621 between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag, because no athletic contests will occur. Since we only got a turkey breast, leftovers will be held to a minimum.
    Thanksgiving is our one official civic-religious holiday, because it raises the questions of “to whom are we giving thanks and for what are we thankful?” I know for many this has become something akin to a “Bueller? Ferris Bueller?” sort of questions, but I raise them nevertheless.

    I’m thankful for this little community, but to whom is that thankfulness directed? Is it just an empty sentiment hurled into the ether?
    Emotions like gratitude and the sublime and hope are of a higher order, since while we can see expressions of love or anger or fear or annoyance in other species, those seem to be unique to us. And since emotions drive behavior, what are they calling us to do?

  120. 120.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    @NotMax: I would try it. One Thanksgiving Bemused Senior made “Mama Stamberg’s cranberry relish.” One ingredient: sour cream. I advise against it.

    [ETA this was years ago, long before she swore off NPR.]

  121. 121.

    Layer8Problem

    @NotMax:  Maybe it’s like salty caramel, another thing I never got.  Infuse it with Bailey’s and I might try it on a dare.

  125. 125.

    brendancalling

    I’m in Newport RI with my girlfriend—we both grew up here. We’re doing Thanksgiving w/friends, and a buddy of mine is coming by after dinner. When he asked where to go, she did the most New England thing ever. “Tell him it’s on Rhode Island Avenue, just past Catherine St, but before the big pine tree they cut down a few years ago. The house with the funny roof. If he gets to where the convenience store used to be [ed: it’s been gone for 20 years] he’s gone too far.”

    At least we’re not in Boston. All the landmarks would be former Dunkin Donuts franchises that no longer exist.

  129. 129.

    NotMax

    Realized I was running low on vodka so nipped over to the market on Wednesday close to 6 p.m.

    Bustling but not overly crowded. 9 out of 9 checkout registers open.

  130. 130.

    prostratedragon

    @NotMax:  That has a chance of working if balanced correctly. I just had cranberry jam over plain yogurt — yum. A touch of heat might work with it. Maybe I’d prefer a dash or two of cayenne.

  131. 131.

    Nukular Biskits

    @WereBear:

    How many of you have set a Thanksgiving dish on fire?

    @Nukular Biskits: You mean, not on purpose?

    Now THAT opens up an entirely different, and may I say, more interesting, line of inquiry and discussion!

  135. 135.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    @RevRick: I’m thankful for this little community, but to whom is that thankfulness directed?

    In my case, to all my fellow Jackals. Happy Thanksgiving.

  138. 138.

    Layer8Problem

    @brendancalling:  Ah, sounds like that game show that used to be on WSBK, “What’s the Best Way?”.  At least I think it was on WSBK.  Or maybe Saturday Night Live.

  139. 139.

    mali muso

    @Suzanne: Thanks for the slow cooker idea!  I think I’ll throw my cornbread dressing in there to take one more slot from the oven schedule.

  141. 141.

    NotMax

    Surprise of the day was in the liquor cabinet. Went looking for the bottle of Grand Marnier.

    Couldn’t find by feel the right size and shape bottle at all. Then vaguely remembered that last year the cork in it had disintegrated so I had poured what remained into a jar. There it was, in a (cleaned and scrubbed) jar whose label read “Ground Horseradish.”

    Naturally, had to test a swig first to verify it was A-OK.
    ;)

  149. 149.

    WereBear

    @Nukular Biskits: I’m being a bit dramatic. My first turkey was a giant kosher thing, insisted upon, which is not a starter turkey. But I can follow directions. My first husband, Brooklyn born, insisted they were the best.

    So I peeled the plastic off and it sprang into being: the Cousin It of turkey. They don’t scald off the hairs.

    “Oh, that’s the commercial way,” he said, and handed me his mini blowtorch.

  150. 150.

    Layer8Problem

    @Nukular Biskits:  Never did it, knew a relative who put the rack up too close to the broiler in the oven for the marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole.  Fire happened.

  153. 153.

    Nukular Biskits

    @RevRick:

    No, I do think those are good questions.  Quite often we “give thanks” without a thought to what we’re thankful for and/or to whom.

    I know I’m guilty of doing both (or, more correctly, not doing it).

  155. 155.

    satby

    @zhena gogolia: I use emojis often, including in messages to the person who started this whole debate. It’s not the use of emojis within a comment, it’s the use of emojis as a replacement for a like button and no additional comment. Repeated constantly in a thread.

  156. 156.

    Kristine

    @sab: And some of us bake bread pudding and fight over the crispy bits.

    Different strokes.

    Happy Thanksgiving to all you jackals. One thing I’m thankful for is this place. Safe travels if you’re on the road or in the air.

  158. 158.

    jowriter

    @Betty Cracker: Druncles is such a good word.  My mom had six siblings, one of whom was  of that persuasion, and he would inevitably make every holiday Drama Central.  Slamming doors, loud exclamations, my Polish grandma weeping, with a towel over her head so we (all twenty-four of us) cousins would not see her cry.  They are all gone now but for a couple of cousins, and our holiday table is quite small and harmonious.  I wish good tidings to you all, and a truly happy Thanksgiving with those you love.

  168. 168.

    Quinerly

    Beautiful snow here at 7000 ft! JoJo las Orejas is not amused. He is back on his comforter under his other comforter.

    And, I have worms! worms delivered yesterday by a Romanian who fled Ceausescu for the US. Had quite the conversation with him and his wife when they were setting up my FREE composting system (and free worms)  provided by Santa Fe County.

    He is convinced Trump will be a dictator and is heart broken that his 18 year old son cast his first vote for Trump. Said there was no talking his son (and his son’s young male friends) out of supporting Trump. I invited them after everything was set up. Just a nice afternoon all the way around. I find it easier to discuss this election with strangers than with close friends. His wife’s people have been in New Mexico 500 plus years….she’s of Spanish, with a little NA thrown in. I was their last stop and they enjoyed hanging out.

    I’m hoping my new worm family doesn’t freeze and die while I’m on the road. Maybe we need a Garden Chat thread devoted to composting. I am excited about this closed system and the entire set up. I applied for the program months ago and heard nothing….then, just like that, Thanksgiving Eve I have worms!!! I have already fed them this AM.

    Have a great Thanksgiving!

  171. 171.

    RileysEnabler

    Happy turkey day to all who eat. We shall be attending a small Friendsgiving and no politics to be discussed whatsoever. Instead we will honor the “tree up before or after Thanksgiving” debate and eat a delicious meal. Should be a peaceful day, and I wish the same for you all.

  173. 173.

    Phylllis

    @lowtechcyclist: The band is supposed to get to Herald Square at about 11:10 am EST. They’re either right before or after Smokey Bear. Words I never thought I’d type.

  174. 174.

    Torrey

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: I’m debating with myself as to whether it’s better to share the shock over the Thanksgiving table or ban talk about the election and concentrate on other things.

    Here’s  my suggestion, for what (little) it’s worth: skip the politics–why invite TFCFG to your Thanksgiving dinner, even in absentia?

    Of course, I don’t know your family, but if they are the sort who would appreciate, say, 15-20 minutes of sharing their grief and shock, and then be able to move on intentionally and deliberately to happier things, that would be an option.

    Or you could take a vote at the start of dinner and see what people want to do.

    On the other hand, if you have serious football fans in the family, the relative peace of a political discussion might be just what the doctor ordered.

  178. 178.

    Nukular Biskits

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: @Torrey:

    I’m probably an outlier here but sportsball discussions are boring to me and I have zero interest in either participating or listening.

    Having said that, however, I’d much sooner have friendly arguments over sports stats, missed calls, etc, than any arguments involving politics.

  179. 179.

    Almost Retired

    Well, nuts and balls and such.  Just tested positive for Covid.  Insofar as the kids are taking a redeye tonight to Kansas City for tomorrow’s Chief’s game and to visit my 91 year old mother, I’m checking in to the local roach motel to avoid infecting them before they leave.  Looks like I’ll be joining the BJ Zoom after all.  Fully vaxxed and otherwise healthy (although sort of old), so it should be mild.  Off to the drug store to get some bleach and horse laxatives.

    On the positive side, now I don’t have to take the kids to LAX tonight for their flight.  So there’s that.

  182. 182.

    p.a.

    Both my parents’ families, 5 girls, 2 boys, all 1st gen American, Italian descent.  Tgiving & Xmas mornings had try to make the rounds to all 12.  (Yep that generation no one moved away)  Couldn’t get out without food/sweets & at least one shot (anisette, hazelnut liquor, or scotch usually.)  Would get home full, tanked, with antipasto, soup, lasagna, turkey etc waiting.🥵

    Fuck I miss that.

  184. 184.

    lowtechcyclist

    @brendancalling:

    At least we’re not in Boston. All the landmarks would be former Dunkin Donuts franchises that no longer exist.

    They must’ve all moved down here.  Seems there are Dunkins all over the place in my area now, and they didn’t used to be much of a thing at all down here.

  188. 188.

    Nukular Biskits

    @p.a.:

    In my late teens, early 20s, I usually hit 3 or 4 of the following Thanksgiving meals, depending on the year:

    • @ Grandmother’s
    • @ Momma’s
    • @ Big Family get-together (mother’s mother’s side)
    • @ Best Friend’s House
    • @ Big Family get together w/ GF’s/Fiance’s aunts/uncles

    Seems I’m leaving someone out …

  190. 190.

    Glidwrith

    @sab: Every homemade dressing I’ve had was gloppy, so the only edible bits were the crispy edges.

    Happy Gobbling Day, everyone!

  192. 192.

    WaterGirl

    @Layer8Problem: Yep, satby understood the message from Cole perfectly.

    …which is why he pointed out that he would never approve “like” buttons in the same statement. It clutters up the thread without adding any conversation or value at all.

  194. 194.

    Anyway

    @zhena gogolia: Team crunchy here as well. That’s the whole appeal of stuffing waffles —  stuffing inside the bird seems old school — don’t see it much anymore.

    Happy Turkey Day to all you turkeys, erm jackals

  196. 196.

    JMG

    Spot of HVAC bother in our home this week. Yesterday heat was out. Plumber, the grandson of the founder of the family firm we first used when we bought our home, not that I’m old or anything, came and fixed problem. Today, the hot water doesn’t get above room temperature. We couldn’t bring ourselves to call him on Thanksgiving Day, so no shower, but I can wash dishes with cool water just fine, and of course the dishwasher heats it s own water.

    So no worries until tomorrow.

  198. 198.

    NotMax

    @brendancalling:

    Speaking of landmarks that no longer exist.

    At one time there wad a Howard Johnson’s smack in the middle of Greenwich Village in Manhattan.

    (File under Does Not Compute.)

    “Them beatniks sure like their fried clams.”
    ;)

  201. 201.

    satby

    @Mr. Bemused Senior: I was not the one who complained, I just understood what he was saying. But who is so lacking in self/situational awareness that they think other people need to know they’re reading a thread on a blog?

  203. 203.

    Glidwrith

    @RevRick: I once wrote an alternative to whom we gave thanks on this day:

    We are grateful for the work of our hands, hearts and minds, that we may continue to celebrate our joy in our family, friends and lives.

  204. 204.

    Layer8Problem

    @brendancalling, @lowtechcyclist:

    Is that true? You couldn’t throw a rock in Greater Boston without it rebounding off of a Dunkin Donuts.

    True story: This was with one of my ex-bosses, one of the best actually because she gave a damn about the work, wouldn’t let you feed her a line, gave as good as she got, and had her hands on the metal. A techhead through and through.
    One day she asked if I could pick her up the next morning and bring her to work since her car was in the shop. I replied “Yeah, no problem. I’ll pick you up at the Dunkies in Weymouth at 7 AM.” She said dourly, “Layah8, theah’s like five Dunkies in Weymouth.” I replied “Yeah, I know!” She gave that the appropriate reaction.

    Try to find a Friendly’s or a Howard Johnson’s too. The moving finger writes . . .

  207. 207.

    ArchTeryx

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage: He and the fire company he worked under should have their own get-together after a day like that. The crashes, especially, must have been all kinds of fun to respond to. The firefighters in my family always said the single worst calls they ever had to respond to were fatal car accidents.

  209. 209.

    Nukular Biskits

    @Brant Lamb:

    I’ve only had it fried and with gravy & rice.

    It was good … just not my thing.  And the older I’ve gotten, the less any kind of meat interests me.

    That’s not to say I won’t eat a good burger, etc.  Just usually I’ll choose veggies, cheeses and bread.  Not sure why my tastes have drifted in that direction.

  213. 213.

    Another Scott

    @Nukular Biskits: My mom once said that when I was a toddler and we were over at her folks for a rabbit dinner I looked at it and said “kitty??”

    People are weird.

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  214. 214.

    WaterGirl

    @zhena gogolia: Balloon Juice has gotten along fine for decades with LOL and This, without a word from Cole.

    You guys are making this too hard.

    When I met with the site developers, the first thing I said was that the commenting system was the most important, because, unlike most blogs, “Balloon Juice is all about the comments.”

    I would venture a guess that, whatever brought us here in the first place, what kept us here is the smart conversation.  And humor.  And snark, etc.

    Emojis are not conversation.  An emoji sprinkled here or there is just fine.  But this isn’t a “likes and memes” blog, and I thought Cole made it very clear last week that he’s not going to allow it to turn into one.

    If your dog dies, and I write “I’m so sorry. 💕”, that’s fine.  I’ve expressed my condolences and added the heart to show that I care, and I probably have tears in my eyes as I add the heart.

    Use your words, people.

    Most of us love words and connecting with other BJ peeps. Emjoi don’t make connections.

  215. 215.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @brendancalling:

    All the landmarks would be former Dunkin Donuts franchises that no longer exist.

    I was in the NJ/PA/NY (Long Island) area a couple of weeks back and what blew me away was the ubiquitous of Dunkin Donuts shops.  It rivaled the presence of craft brewers here in Denver in terms of numbers and spread.

  217. 217.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Phylllis:

    The band is supposed to get to Herald Square at about 11:10 am EST. They’re either right before or after Smokey Bear. Words I never thought I’d type.

    My wife says they’re between Smokey the Bear and Snoopy!

    So a pretty good spot, I’d say.

  219. 219.

    RandomMonster

    The wild turkeys in a patch of the Santa Cruz mountains I used to live in would walk through the neighborhood like a bunch of thugs. Never got attacked by any but the big males would fan out their tail feathers if you got too close.

  220. 220.

    ArchTeryx

    @Betty Cracker: Fried turkeys done wrong are nasty.

    At best, you get an oil boil-over and a big fireball.

    At worst, you get a BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion), otherwise known as “Blast Leveling Everything Very Effectively.” A fireball that can be fifty feet wide, and you’re right at ground zero.

    Deep frying a turkey is not for amateurs, druncles, or other assorted baka.

  222. 222.

    Nukular Biskits

    @WaterGirl:

    Emojis are not conversation.  An emoji sprinkle here or there is just fine.  But this isn’t a “likes and memes” blog, and I thought Cole made it very clear last week that he’s not going to allow it to turn into one.

    👍👍👍👍👍

    <snicker>

  228. 228.

    Layer8Problem

    @WaterGirl:  Hear hear.  I’m here for the repartee, the clever asides, the snark, the sarcasm, irony, and litotes, the television, book, and music recommendations; the news, the trashing of the source of the aforementioned news, the fellowship and the community of a broad spectrum of decent-hearted people of varying humors getting by as best as possible.

  233. 233.

    Quinerly

    @NotMax: my favorite HoJo’s was at The Watergate in DC. Late nights there, summer of 1982. Fried clams. Big city living.

    I think that motor lodge and restaurant are now apartments/condos. It was an old style one probably built in the late 1950’s/early 1960’s.

  238. 238.

    Quinerly

    @WereBear:

    They are still around. One in Gallup. One in Albuquerque. I am sure there are some more around. Wyndham bought the name.

    Eta…Google tells me there are 280. I had no idea. Looks like a lot in China.

  242. 242.

    TBone

    Off to use the mandolin to slice sweet potatoes for maple & butter scalloped sweets. With the fingers guard!

  243. 243.

    WaterGirl

    @Brant Lamb: If you stir the stuffing, then it can’t get fluffy!

    I wonder if there are any other foods where people feel as strongly about “what is right” than dressing / stuffing and macaroni and cheese?

  244. 244.

    Lily

    Just 2 of us.  Plus a little pup we are hosting for 3 days, who’s been wrestling w ours nonstop ever since yesterday noon.

    For 1st time ever we decided to order some sides to go w the turkey breast and potatoes. I’ve had a frustrating fatigue/depression thing for some years so my mate has been doing almost all cooking.  I hope to make a cherry pie though.

    Anyway there’s a stressed local store run by 2 older women w hardworking older staff and we thought OK we can support their business  as well as taking a break.

    We each have long farm-family traditions of The Meal, feels odd to break w that and to spend the $.

    But … we ordered a wild rice mushroom stuffing, gravy, local root veg , butternut soup, a raw cranberry thing, and (most heinous and costly) a pumpkin pie not made in this house.  It will be good.

    Now off to walk the two pups.  –They’ve been good friends for two years, one quite small, one med-big.  They love to race and tumble and it’s a circus.

  246. 246.

    mali muso

    Sigh, like any good “family” holiday, the 8 year old is holed up in her room stewing about the unfairness of it all (me pushing back on her demand to cater to her on something this morning).  I don’t know how I’m going to survive the teen years at this rate.

    On the kitchen front, the pumpkin pie is cooling, the cornbread dressing is in the slow cooker, the dinner rolls are rising and I’m getting ready to get the steaks out of the fridge.  We nixed the bird this year.

    Happy thanksgiving to all jackals!  I’m grateful to have this little online haven from the storm.

  249. 249.

    WaterGirl

    @mali muso: I’m pretty sure you’re a great mom!  And these little dramas are how she learns to handle things when she doesn’t get her way, so she can grow to be a wonderful person like her mom.

  250. 250.

    lowtechcyclist

    @WaterGirl: ​
     

    I wonder if there are any other foods where people feel as strongly about “what is right” than dressing / stuffing and macaroni and cheese?

    Hot dogs, duh.

  251. 251.

    mali muso

    @WaterGirl: Thanks, I’m doing my best.  Sat down and talked through feelings with her – trying to model a better way than I was shown as a kid.  Parenting is hard, dammit. lol

  252. 252.

    Zelma

    @WaterGirl:

    I’d give this a thumb’s up emoji if it were allowed. And put a smiley face here.  But I agree that the overuse of emojis is annoying especially for us olds who have to squint to tell what it is and then don’t exactly know what it means.

    Happy Thanksgiving to all.  After decades of being in charge of the Thanksgiving feast (always exactly the same menu that my mother and grandmother served), my daughter-in-law is in charge now.  I can’t convince her to make mashed rutabagas.

  255. 255.

    Layer8Problem

    @brendancalling:  WSBK showed up on the local cable, local being northern NYC suburbs, appropriately on cable channel 38 years and years back.  A whole ‘nother world.

  264. 264.

    danielx

    Turkey in the oven, usual chaos…and power goes off. Only for a minute, but a totally cruel joke on the part of Duke Energy.

  265. 265.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @p.a: “Eat the rich.”

    The nine-foot-tall ETs come down in their saucers and present the world’s governments with a book. Working furiously the world’s top linguists manage to translate the title:

    TO SERVE THE RICHEST OF MANKIND

    And Lone Skum, Thiel, Bozos et al. whoop in celebration and schedule their victory trips to the alien homeworld – only to discover, too late, that

    IT’S A COOKBOOK!!

    (h/t Damon Knight and Rod Serling)

  266. 266.

    Layer8Problem

    @NotMax:  Sir, I will have you know I was ON Uncle Floyd, with a few other fans once.  How that happened I don’t remember.  I got to be one degree of separation from a Ramones lyric.

  267. 267.

    Suzanne

    Whelp, it is officially too cold and rainy to Make Fetch Happen (running), so Peloton it is.

    Mr. Suzanne and I decided to replace our refrigerator after the election, since we want to buy it pre-tariffs. However, in our old house, some cabinet modification is required. I had made a 3D model in Revit a couple of weeks ago, and he was not fully sold on my design. HOWEV, he seems to be on board now. So. We appear to be getting one another a new refrigerator and 12” base cabinet for Christmas.

  268. 268.

    Gloria DryGarden

    @Zelma: I was in charge of the mashed rutabagas for years , at our multi family dinners. It’s was someone else’s tradition, but I found I really like them. Steamed, then mashed w salt and a fat.  I’m sorry you won’t get to have them. They were lovely.

    I keep thinking about my first thanksgiving away from home, when I dragged my host exchange student family into doing the traditional meal we have in the USA. My mom sent recipes. My host mom and her kitchen helper spent at least an hour pulling all the little pin feathers out of the turkey they’d gotten, which was a surprise to me. And the pumpkin pie was tricky, because my paper back dictionary didnt have the spanish word for pumpkin. I’d been there since June, and my spanish was getting pretty good, but this word didn’t seem to exist. But I knew the words for squash, and Cinderella, and big, round and  orange, and car, which sounds like coach: coche. So I said  it was the squash that was Cinderella’s coche. It worked out.

    The neighbors thought the pumpkin chiffon pie was made from dulce de leche. It was really wonderful that my host family went all out to make this meal to share with me. I was pretty homesick at the holidays.

  271. 271.

    Quinerly

    @WereBear:

    “As of May 2024, there are combined 280 Howard Johnson branded properties with the vast majority located in the United States and China with further hotels in Canada, Mexico, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Paraguay.”

    Who knew we would become experts on Howard Johnson’s on TGD 2024?

  273. 273.

    NotMax

    @Gloria DryGarden

    London, mid-1970s. Staying in step-brother;s flat in West Croydon at Xmas time while he was away.

    Landlord got it into his head to prepare a “typical American Thanksgiving dinner, British style.”

    Don’t ask. Just don’t.

  274. 274.

    CaseyL

    Happy Turkey Day!
    No kitchen fires, but the first time I made a sour cherry oatmeal crisp for a holiday meal – using thawed cherries, not canned – was memorable.  Had a big bag of Remlinger Farm frozen sour cherries and was pleased to be using The Very Best.

    I had never cooked, real cooking, very much; there was a lot I did not know.

    One of the things I did not know was that cherries-from-scratch, as opposed to cherries-from-a-can, contain liquid.  Lots of liquid.  Somehow, in my mind, if I thought about it at all, I assumed that liquid would stay in the cherries, keeping them plump and toothsome.

    Of course it did not.  The cherry-oatmeal “crisp” came out as cherry-oatmeal soup.  A clump of cherries and an island of oatmeal, swimming in a pool of dark red liquid.

    Delicious (I checked), but very weird looking.

    I might have pulled it off as a new take on an old dessert – it really did taste the way it should – but the oatmeal fiber rendered the “soup” semi-gelatinous and kind of gross.​

  275. 275.

    Layer8Problem

    @NotMax:  Thank you!  Like the French officer said in the start-of-World War II miniseries I saw, when asked what he did to survive World War I, “I was lucky.”

    In other out there distinctions I have a stupid low Erdős number, which I deserve as much as I deserve the Turing Award.  Pissed off my brother though, so that’s good, and I get great discounts with it at computer stores.

  276. 276.

    Westyny

    Happy Thanksgiving to all from this (mostly) lurker.  Even as a wallflower, I’m grateful for your company.

  277. 277.

    Sure Lurkalot

    Many years ago before smartphones, had a red eye out of Boston and spent the night at an airport hotel. Tried and tried to return the rental car in a miasma of streets and kept getting nowhere. Stopped at a Dunkin’ Donut, I went in to ask, left when I started an argument among several people in line who all gave me different directions.

  280. 280.

    Kristine

    @Another Scott: When I was a tot, my mom and I lived with a great aunt and uncle for a little while. I would pass a cage with a couple of rabbits when I walked outside, and of course I would talk to them.

    This went on for a few days. Then one day, they weren’t there. That night at dinner, I learned what happened. My memories are vague but I recall refusing to eat.

  282. 282.

    Kristine

    @WaterGirl:

    I wonder if there are any other foods where people feel as strongly about “what is right” than dressing / stuffing and macaroni and cheese?

    As far as store-bought foods go, it’s peanut butter. A touch of salt and nothing else—anything with sugar and hydrogenated fats is frosting.

    Though I admit I have begun adding cinnamon. Sometimes a chai spice mix.

    And I know there are folks who will tell me that even the salt is a crime.

  284. 284.

    Gloria DryGarden

    @Sure Lurkalot: I’ve asked for directions in Boston, from people on the street. It was much like your story.

    And once I went for a walk “around the block” to blow off steam.

    after I’d been walking half an hour or so, my sister pulled up in a car,  and drove me back to her place, before I had a chance to truly understand there were no blocks, there was no grid, and that I was about to be very lost.

  285. 285.

    Geminid

    @Sure Lurkalot: Back in the 80’s I happened to be in a country store 15 miles out of Charlottesville when some people from town stopped in to ask for help finding a party. When asked to describe the place, one of the townies said it had a barn and a white fence. Everybody in the store cracked up.

  286. 286.

    Gloria DryGarden

    @TBone: i thought I’d skip the finger guard using a mandolin on sweet potatoes, once.  because i was paying attention, being careful.

    wont skip it again.

  288. 288.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Suzanne:

    Mr. Suzanne and I decided to replace our refrigerator after the election, since we want to buy it pre-tariffs. However, in our old house, some cabinet modification is required.

    My wife just made the suggestion earlier this morning that we should replace ours now due to the prospect of tariffs.  But we’d also be up against cabinet modification.

    The bottom of the cabinet above the fridge is 69″ off the floor, and the only refrigerators they seem to make nowadays that are that short are really, really basic fridges – much more basic than the 30 year old Amana fridge that we’d be replacing.

    We’d really have to just take out the cabinet above the fridge, or put in something smaller that wouldn’t match with the rest of the cabinets, or do a full kitchen remodel.  (We will probably do the latter within a few years, but I’m not ready for it now.) I don’t really see a way to alter the cabinets that are currently above the fridge to fit above a taller fridge.

  291. 291.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Kristine:

    As far as store-bought foods go, it’s peanut butter. A touch of salt and nothing else—anything with sugar and hydrogenated fats is frosting.

    That surprises me.  I haven’t bought anything but all-natural (with salt, usually) in over two decades, but AFAICT from what’s in the stores, most of America is still cheerfully eating PB with sugar and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, and pays no heed to those of us who eat the natural stuff.

    But like I said, hot dogs are the thing that get people riled.  You know, all those people who insist a hot dog stand shouldn’t even own a bottle of ketchup to put out.  Why it upsets the zealots that someone else might prefer ketchup on their frankfurter, I’ve never figured out. But it very much does.

  293. 293.

    suzanne

    @lowtechcyclist: We have a similar condition. But we also want a wider fridge, which means removal/replacement of the adjacent cabinets. Which then makes me want to do the whole wall of cabinets. And then I might as well do the electrical mods required. Which, then, let’s also do the other wall of cabinets so they match and we only tear it up once. But then we should also replace the floor while we’re at it.

    So. You can see how the cascade goes.

    And, thus, we cannot agree on scope, and so nothing happens and we end up with the old-ass fridge for five more years! And then we have all these discussions again! YAY!

  294. 294.

    Kristine

    @lowtechcyclist: I’m in the same boat wrt refrigerators—I only have about 66″ to work with. Late 60s kitchen, cabinets built on-site, so removing the bit above the fridge is complicated. I did have a handyman trim a couple of inches a few years ago—the job took him all day. Now the only recourse is to remove it entirely and I don’t want to do that because I’d rather have the cabinet space. But it does limit the type of fridge I can buy.

    When I had the refresh a couple of years ago—boy, seems like only a few months—I went with a Frigidaire Gallery freezer-on-top model. I do have an ice maker, but otherwise it’s pretty basic.

  295. 295.

    Kristine

    @lowtechcyclist: Like you, I don’t get the ketchup hate. I am a ketchup person—always have been. I’ve started adding things like harissa or sambal oelek to store brands to goose things up a bit, but it’s still basically ketchup and I love it.

    I’ve come to really like mustard, but I buy the dijon-style brands. Edmund Fallot is a favorite. The yellow stuff is a no-go.

  296. 296.

    Quinerly

    @lowtechcyclist:

    I just went thru the refrigerator research and hunt. Was dealing with similar cabinet space dimensions. Check out the KitchenAid KRQC506MPS (Quad) and the cheaper Whirlpool counterpart. They are about the 2 shortest/counter depth refrigerators out there. At least, that’s what I turned up. I liked them both quite a bit. Ordered the KitchenAid.  Then I canceled it and ended up modifying those top cabinets a bit. Splurged a little on a Bosch. Bosch was cheaper than a comparable GE.

    I’m in love with this refrigerator. I wanted no handles/recessed handles, ice and water inside. Not side by side. A very specific look.

    Bosch B36CL80ENS. (French door, freezer drawer, and a middle convertible drawer) Lowe’s had it on sale. I got a local, independent appliance store to meet and beat Lowe’s. Then got $165 rebate from the electric company. I think most all electric companies are now giving pretty good rebates.

    Good luck with your search.

    Best “to me” present I ever bought.

  297. 297.

    lowtechcyclist

    @suzanne: ​
     

    @lowtechcyclist: We have a similar condition. But we also want a wider fridge, which means removal/replacement of the adjacent cabinets. Which then makes me want to do the whole wall of cabinets. And then I might as well do the electrical mods required. Which, then, let’s also do the other wall of cabinets so they match and we only tear it up once. But then we should also replace the floor while we’re at it.

    So. You can see how the cascade goes.

    And, thus, we cannot agree on scope, and so nothing happens and we end up with the old-ass fridge for five more years! And then we have all these discussions again! YAY!

    Yeah, I can see how that cascade goes.

    At least my wife and I agree that we need to do a kitchen renovation, but frankly the fridge is holding up better than the rest of the kitchen so I’ll be damned if I can see what’s the hurry on just that.

    What we really need to do is finish the basement first. We would put a kitchenette in there, so it would be somewhere for basic food prep while we redid the kitchen.

    The thing is, what everyone tells us to do first with either of those projects is, check with our friends to see who they’d recommend to do it. The problem is, nobody we know in this area has done any significant home renovations in the past 15-20 years. I wonder if there’s a ‘home renovations for dummies’ book, because that’s what we need right now. I’d love to get the basement finished, and so would my wife, but we really don’t know where to start.

  298. 298.

    Kristine

    @lowtechcyclist:

    That surprises me. I haven’t bought anything but all-natural (with salt, usually) in over two decades, but AFAICT from what’s in the stores, most of America is still cheerfully eating PB with sugar and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, and pays no heed to those of us who eat the natural stuff.

    Thread’s probably dead, but…

    What set me off was an America’s Test Kitchen’s review of organic “just peanuts and salt” peanut butters. Their tasters hated them all—at one point, they added powdered sugar and shortening to one to try to make it their definition of palatable. It didn’t work.

    I had enjoyed the show and still watch it on occasion. But I lost all respect for their taste panel.

    Otherwise, as you said, it’s mostly been live and let live.

  301. 301.

    Ruckus

    @lowtechcyclist:

    Why it upsets the zealots that someone else might prefer ketchup on their frankfurter, I’ve never figured out. But it very much does.

    Some people actually are looking for conformation of what they believe – because. Which means they are 9 yrs old mentally and looking for approval from an adult. Except they are adults (technically) and should not need approval or a crowd to follow. But most likely they were taught that one always has to be a part of the whole. ALWAYS. And of course in minor details – do you like ketchup on your hotdog – which makes zero difference to anyone else but the person consuming the hot dog, they apply the same rule as everything else – ONLY WHAT IS APPROVED BY SOMEONE OLDER-WISER, even though adults should be able to make their own decisions.

  302. 302.

    lowtechcyclist

    @lowtechcyclist:

    I wonder if there’s a ‘home renovations for dummies’ book, because that’s what we need right now.

    This was actually the first time I even thought about whether there might be such a book, and sure enough, they’ve got ’em.  There’s Home Improvement for Dummies, there’s Home Remodeling for Dummies, and there’s even Green Building and Remodeling for Dummies.  So: (1) order books, (2) read them.  Then proceed from there.

  303. 303.

    Ruckus

    You people with 100% operating taste buds and/or sense of smell…… I don’t know what to say. Other than lucky _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.

    Some humans get older and lose some or all of the functionality of one or both of them and it can really change the concept of eating. For most the loss (if it happens) is slow and not all that noticeable at first, but then it accelerates and can become only a memory. Smell seems to be the most likely to be the first to go. But smell is a lot of the concept of taste of many foods.

  304. 304.

    Another Scott

    @Omnes Omnibus: Swans are dinosaurs.

    (I haven’t been able to find it again, but there was a picture on Twitter once of some swan all stretched out and riled up on a path with a person in a park, and it was very easy to see the dinosaur genes.)

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  305. 305.

    Martin

    Happy thanksgiving everyone. Doing my first run cooking vegetarian thanksgiving for vegetarian guests as a relatively newly minted vegetarian. Wish me luck.

  306. 306.

    Geminid

    @lowtechcyclist: One problem with getting this done is that every contractor in your area is likely going all-out to meet current demand. One advantage you have though is finishing a basement is not that big a project, and not very complicated especially if there is not much electrical work involved. Plumbing would be a different story.

    You might be able to find a trustworthy carpenter willing to pick up some extra cash for a few Saturdays of work. They’ll know a sheetrocker if one is neccesary. Painting’s easy. You’ll want a contractor for electrical work. I’d talk to them first.

    But like you say, planning is key. Estimating materials is important here because it’s part of budgeting, and that conditions design.

    I can follow up this bloviating with some practical advice: buy a pad of quarter inch graph paper and pencils, and maybe a four-color pen.

    Start out by drawing a “plan view” to scale of your basement (plan view is as if your are looking at your basement from above). Maybe make some copies.

    Proceed with your design and estimating work from there. Draw a standard elevation (the view from the side) to aid in initial materials estimates, and as you get further into design draw an elevation for each wall in each room to figure out counters, shelves, electrical outlets etc.

    You might spend 40 or more hours going through various iterations of your plans. You might even need another pad of graph paper! But you intend to live with the results for years and it’s worth the time and paper.

    Try to take your design work as far as possible before you hire a contractor or tradesmen. One thing I came to understand from my experience in this industry is the truth in the adage:

    A picture is worth a thousand words.

    You have time to design your project in detail, and that is the most efficient way. It also is the best way to ensure that two years down the road you aren’t wishing you’d done X or Y differently.

    Good luck!

  307. 307.

    SomeRandomGuy

    If you’re haunted by a turkey, it’s a pretty easy exercism. All you have to do is burn off all your holiday calories before NYE. Oh: it says the *instructions* are easy, but the actual, yeah, never mind.

    Oh exOrcise, my bad. Holy water (in a pinch, sweat from honest labor to help the needy works), and a casting out in the name you consider most holy, be it the god of Abraham, or some other entity or symbol.

    If *that* doesn’t work, posting pictures of Erdogon should scare the hell out of it, and get it to leave. I think. Page is pretty bloodstained.

  311. 311.

    daize

    @twbrandt: very late to this thread, but I wanted to thank you for the link to that story.  What a great read.  I started it this morning and finished savoring it this afternoon.  A new Thanksgiving tradition for me, too.

  312. 312.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Geminid:

    One problem with getting this done is that every contractor in your area is likely going all-out to meet current demand.

    I’ve been hearing that since 2021, so that’s not so much a problem as just an ongoing reality.

    First thing is, I’m not going to be my own general contractor.  That’s not something that really falls within my skill set.  Someone else will have to find the plumber, the electrician, the carpenter, the sheet rock guy, and it needs to be someone with the experience to know what needs to be done in what order.

    Second is, the plumbing.  There are pipes that go down into the solid cement floor.  One of them is the house’s main drain pipe that leads to the septic tank (and will someday lead to the grinder pump when we finally get sewer here), but there are others. They have implications as to what can go where, relating to the bathroom, the kitchenette, and the washer and dryer.  I need to know those implications – limitations, really – before I can pull out the graph paper.  I don’t know what sort of person I need to call in to ask about that, but I need that person before I can make a real plan.  If I say, I want the washer and dryer over here, and that’s just plain not feasible, then I can throw away those drawings.  So first thing is, find someone who can tell me what limitations are built in.  THEN I can pull out the graph paper.

  313. 313.

    Geminid

    @lowtechcyclist: From my experience, it would never be too soon to pull out the graph paper and draw a plan view of the basement as it is, including the location of your waste pipe. All your design work “flows” from that, your plumbing contractor’s too. They would benefit from a drawing to start with.

    But since you are retired and intend to study up on renovation anyway, why can’t you be your own contractor? This is not that complicated a project. Putting it down on paper might help you see that, by cutting the planning problems down to size.

    And if you decide to go the contractor route, it’s still much more efficient to work off a plan that you can email back and forth. That simplifies and helps focus in-person and/or telephone discussions. Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

  314. 314.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Geminid: ​
     

    From my experience, it would never be too soon to pull out the graph paper and draw a plan view of the basement as it is, including the location of your waste pipe. All your design work “flows” from that, your plumbing contractor’s too. They would benefit from a drawing to start with.

    Hell, I’ve had that for 26 years. First thing I did after closing was to come over to the house, with a pad of graph paper and a tape measure, and make scale drawings of every room in the house. My wife and I spent an evening moving cutouts of furniture around on the drawings, and that made it easy to tell the movers where to put everything. So you don’t have to sell me on drawings on graph paper, they’ve gotten me through a whole bunch of moves.

    But I’m still not going to be my own general contractor. Fuck that shit.

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