Thanksgiving at our house.

I used to have a three-things rule - get three things done during my day, or, in the case of my blog, cover three things in each post. I haven't really been keeping to my three-things rule. I generally like rules that I make for myself, though you'd think I'd be better at following them than I am at following those rules imposed on me by others. Doesn't seem to be the case. But I can make efforts to change that - starting now!

Thing One: 5K!

Brace yourself for this news - I am running a 5K! I am quite excited to be running in the Cambridge 5K Yulefest, as this will be my first 5K, and it gives me a reason to push my efforts at jogging, getting past my 18-minute-and-then-collapse routine into something a bit longer. The race is December 18 at 10am. If you come to watch it, I'll be the runner at the back of the pack with no costume other than my stretchy running pants, t-shirt, and my earband and gloves. My goal is to finish the race and to not stop to walk. I've been doing well at training for it so far - I have been doing 9-minute miles (approximately) both on the treadmill and outside, and I have successfully, several times, run for 30-minutes straight, also both on the treadmill and outside. If I can keep this up I should be able to meet my goal on the 18th.

Thing Two: Sherman

I haven't written about Sherman in a while (mostly because I haven't written about anything in a while) so here's my latest Sherman update. Sherman's October biopsy showed that he has some kind of allergy. Naturally, the vets do not know what is causing his allergy. We have him on special food (which he does not like and I do not like because it is sticky and smells), we are giving him prednisone, and we are supposed to be continuing with the Advantage treatments, even though he doesn't have fleas and doesn't seem to have mites. He has also tested negative for ringworm. So. Where does that leave us? It leaves us with a cat who is scratching at his head much, much less, but still scratching. It also leaves Doug having to force-feed Sherman his prednisone pill each day, which Doug does by straddling the poor thing.

I really think that it's the prednisone that is helping the cat feel better, because as we decrease the dosage he is getting itchier and itchier. This means that when I call the vet to tell her Sherman's progress I am going to request that Sherman continue with a higher dose of prednisone. Is it okay to keep your cat on these steroids for eternity? Because that's how long Sherman is going to need to be on them. Because no one can figure out what is making him itchy. And I really don't want the cat in the cone for the rest of his life. It looks like Sherman and prednisone are going to become the best of friends, and Doug is going to become expert at forcing pills down cat throats (which, believe me, is a real skill).

Thing Three: Thanksgiving at our house!

Doug and I are hosting Thanksgiving this year. We are giving my sister and brother-in-law a break from hosting the whole extended family at their house for this most wonderful holiday and having the smaller immediate family to our house for Thanksgiving - for the very first time. I'm more excited about this than nervous, though I do think I am nervous about people liking the food. Mike, my brother-in-law, is a great cook. Like, really, really good. He mixes traditional items with non-traditional items, traditional flavors with non-traditional flavors, and the result is always outstanding. I like to try new recipes and I like to cook and bake, but that doesn't mean that things always come out so good (you've seen plenty of evidence of that). But, fingers crossed that the cooking gods will be smiling down on me tonight and tomorrow as Doug and I prepare for Foodfest 2011. Here a peak at our menu:

Herb turkey (a 15-pound bird)
Herb gravy
Herb biscuits
Sautéed brussels sprouts
Honey-orange glazed carrots
Buttermilk mashed potatoes
Wild rice with mushrooms and dried cranberries
Chewy molasses cookies

All of this will be homemade by me and Doug (Doug's got turkey duty). Scared yet? I am. My sister and brother-in-law are bringing a pumpkin soup and cranberry sauce, as well as a dessert, and my mother is bringing her homemade breads and pies. I don't think we'll starve! At least not all of us. Those of us who have already poo-pooed the brussels sprouts and wild rice (ma soeur! dear nieces and nephew!) may, but that just means all the more for the others.

So. If I live to tell about Thanksgiving I'll have to do so here. Expect photos.

Hopefully there won't be a kitchen disaster.

I took this quiz on Facebook the other day - the "What type of person are you?" quiz. My result: #5, The Observer. Not sure what the first four are, or now many types of people there are, or even how the types are ranked, but that was my result. This description follows the result:

Observers want knowledge and they're introverted, inquisitive, understandable and analytical. It's hard for them to handle their feelings, they rather use their head than... their heart. Other people can find them cool, distant, bussinesslike and non-emotional. Actually they are very sensitive, but it's just difficult to express it. They like to be alone to process their emotions. Observers don't like it when others dominate them. RELATIONSHIPS: You know you cover yourself from the world and you long for contact. You're afraid to open up. You feel attracted to people who give you space, then you can give and take. You choose friends with the same interests. FIXATION: stinginess VICE: greed VIRTUE: detachment PROFESSIONS: scientist, investigator, inspector, librarian, monk, ...

I like some elements of this description, since I think they're spot-on. The parts about wanting knowledge, being analytical, preferring to use my head rather than my heart, and the part about being quite sensitive. Not sure I get the part about the fixation - is that my fixation? In what way am I fixated on stinginess? On my own stinginess? That of other people?? I'm confused. As usual, these Facebook quizes seem so intriguing, so worthwhile, but in the end I'm left scratching my head and wondering how I could have better spent the two minutes it took for me to take the quiz. But at least I know now that I'm The Observer. I feel so enlightened.

And, because I don't really have that much else to say (I haven't really been reading much, haven't been doing any more sewing, haven't been watching much TV, and haven't been in communication with much of the outside world in a while), I'll give a run-down of the menu I've planned for the Chris' baby party/shower this Saturday. I'm quite excited about the food. A bit bummed I'm not handling the desserts, since I love to bake more than I like to cook, but I'm pleased (but slightly intimidated by the responsibility) that I can control what we eat. I've tried to be considerate of what other people might want, but for the most part I think I've stuck to my favorite food ingredient - carbohydrates. You really can't go wrong with carbs!

* Good old chips & salsa
* Three Bean Salad with Red Pepper and Onion
* Fruit salad
* Pear, Pecan & Baby Greens Salad
* Homemade pizza squares
* Cheese tortellini with roasted cauliflower, spinach, and vodka sauce

And, of course, plenty of desserts, and I can only imagine how tasty those are going to be. The Hart women really know how to bake.

So, that's the menu so far. Don't worry, though - we live close enough to a Comella's that if a disaster happens in the kitchen (and I am totally prepared for that to happen) we will have wonderful back-up.