Today’s Friday Five is brought to you by the color, Q.

1. What color is your parachute?
   Generally speaking, I would have to say olive green.
2. Who moved your cheese?
   I have no idea, and frankly, I’m annoyed: it was New York sharp cheddar, yum.
3. Where’s Waldo?
   Last time I checked, he was behind the sofa, with Jesus, where I found him.
4. Are you my mother?
   That is patently impossible, as you are four years older than I.
5. What’s happening to your body?
   Headache from nicotine withdrawal.

Source

1. What is the best gift you received this year?

I did get things that I asked for and/or needed. But, ironically, the one that makes me smile every time I see it is my State Quarters display frame. I get all geeked out when I see all the quarters I’ve collected so far.

2. What is the best gift you gave this year?

It was either I’m a Lebowski, You’re a Lebowski for The Boy, or the “Obscure Band You’ve Never Heard Of” t-shirt for Radio Edit.

3. When did you do most of your shopping/creating?

The first weekend of December, and I did it all on Amazon.

4. Did you go shopping the day after Thanksgiving?

No, I was too busy having my wisdom teeth pulled out of my head. Which, if you think about it, I chose over going out on Black Friday.

5. What stands out already about Christmas 2008?

- My brother being away for Christmas. I know that it hit my mother really hard in that she didn’t decorate for the holidays. I opened my presents in front of the computer while we were on Skype, so he could watch.

- That I couldn’t really get into the holiday season. I’m taking notes to see how I can improve upon this next year.

- How nice and mellow Christmas day was. No pressure to get a ton of food on the table to feed a thousand cranky relatives, just making dinner with a fancier cut of meat and fancier table linens for the immediate family and The Boy.

I would say that despite me not feeling festive, it was a nice Christmas.

1. Which do you like better: cooking at your house, or going elsewhere?

I prefer to cook at my place and have my family over.

2. Do you buy a fresh or frozen bird?

I prefer fresh.

3. What kind of stuffing?

Paula Deen’s “Good Old Country Stuffing”

4. Sweet potato or pumpkin pie?

Pumpkin pie.  I love it in all of it’s iterations.

5. Do you believe that turkey leftovers are a curse, or the point of the whole thing?

A curse.  To be quite frank, I hate turkey, and if I could get away with it, I would substitute that ghastly bird with some other meal for Thanksgiving.

6. Which side dish would provoke a riot if you left it off the menu?

Stuffing, easily.

7. Do you save the carcass to make soup or stock?

No, actually.

8. What do you wish you had that would make preparing Thanksgiving dinner easier?

Multiple sinks and dishwashers would be nice.  I try to be a “clean as you cook” chef, but sometimes, I get overwhelmed, and it would be just wonderful to have more than one dishwasher going.

9. Do you get up at the crack of dawn to have dinner ready in the early afternoon, or do you eat at your normal dinner hour?

We start at about 9:30, and eat by 3:30.  Which really, to me, is stupid.  I would much rather start at noon and have dinner at the normal dinner hour.  But, during the holidays, my mother likes to eat ungodly early…even in years when no one is coming over.

10. If you go to somebody else’s house, what’s your favorite dish to bring?

Apple pie.

11. What do you wish one of your guests would not bring to your house? What would you like them to bring?

Please don’t bring wine, I don’t drink it.  However, I love appetizers and dips: I can never have too many of either.

12. Does your usual mix of guests result in drama, or is it a group you’re happy to see?

Our family has been whittled down to just the immediate family, and we get along the same way we do on every other day of the year.

13. Is your cranberry sauce fresh or canned? Whole or jellied?

My mother makes it fresh and whole.  But my favorite side when I go over to my in-laws for Sunday dinner is canned and jellied.

14. What’s your absolute favorite thing on the menu?

Side dishes.  With a lot of cheese.

14. Share one family tradition.

As I may have mentioned before, my family has slowly been whittled down to nothing, so there are no family traditions anymore.

15. Where will you be celebrating Thanksgiving this year?

This year will be with my parents, while everyone else goes down to Cincinnati.

16. Will you travel to get there?

Yeah, about 20 feet.

17. How much time, if any, do you have off work for the Thanksgiving holiday?

Just that day.

18.  Are you going to be cooking?

Nope.

19. Will you have turkey or something else?

Something else, I hope.

20. Do you ever go out to a restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner?

There was a period of time that my immediate family would either go to NC to see my aunt and uncle and eat Thanksgiving at a restaurant, and if we didn’t do that, we would all go out somewhere to a restaurant.  We only started having Thanksgiving at home in the time since I’ve graduated.

21. Will you go to a church service on Thanksgiving Day?

Why?

22. Will you, or have you ever, volunteered at a soup kitchen serving Thanksgiving dinner?

I don’t do a soup kitchen, but this year, since Lincoln is going to the Cleveland Food Bank, I donated my bakery for donations and gave a lot of canned goods to the Food Bank.

23. Will you get a free turkey from anyone this year (employer, grocery store bonus program, etc.)?

I don’t believe so.

24. What are you thankful for?

I’m thankful for my health (though sometimes, it lags), I’m thankful for the wonderful people I have in my life that make it worth living, I’m very thankful that I have job when so many others don’t.

25. Is there someone you wish you could be with this Thanksgiving?

I wish I could have spent it with The Boy.

26. Will you go Christmas shopping on “Black Friday” or are those people just crazy?

This year, I’m going to red-shirt it in lieu of my oral surgery.

I’m currently sitting at home with a cold/flu, but I’ve been taking ZiCam like a champ; I’m hoping that after another 12 hours of being horizontal, I should be recovered. Being sick stinks; this is one of the few times that I get to see The Boy during the day, and I want to make the most of it. Being sick doesn’t really help.

So, in addition to some light blogging, I’m going to include a Christmas meme. Please, do enjoy.

Appetizer
Make up a word and give us its definition.

This is actually my father’s word; he likes to make up words, a lot:

nurdle (n) – A unit of measurement; a small amount of a paste-like substance, as in toothpaste.

Just put a nurdle of toothpaste on the toothbrush, you don’t need that much.

Soup
What is currently your favorite song?

Dr. Steel, Back and Forth, and

One Republic, Apologize

Salad
What’s at the top of your Christmas wish list this year?

I actually didn’t really make a Christmas list this year. But at this point, the coolest gift this year would be someone to pay off my credit card debt.

Main Course
Name a scent that reminds you of someone special in your life.

Other than a certain cologne, the only one that I can think of is the smell of Tide reminding me of an ex-boyfriend, but there’s nothing special about this particular someone.

Dessert
Who is someone on television that you feel probably shouldn’t be, and why?

I can say that I’m pretty sick of seeing Britney’s ugly mug on� TV anymore.

100 comments

Appetizer
What was the last game you purchased?

Dominoes, I think. But that was last year. I don’t buy games too much.

Soup
Name something in which you don’t believe.

The tooth fairy.

Salad
If you could choose a celebrity to be your boss, who would you pick?

Probably Kimora Lee Simmons. But I wouldn’t want to be her PA, I’d have to work in her design office, or some such thing. I couldn’t put up with the bullshit of being someone’s PA.

Main Course
What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way?

Don’t date someone who likes you only because you’re good-looking.

Dessert
Describe your idea of the perfect relaxation room.

Quiet, dim, well-upholstered, and warm.

Appetizer
What is your favorite carnival/amusement park ride?

The Zipper. I love the taste of funnel cake and death.

Soup
How do you react in uncomfortable social situations?

I don’t look you in the eye, and I either babble like an ass, or I don’t speak at all.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy discussing deep, philosophical topics?

7. I like to speak deeply with people, but I am not comfortable enough with many people to speak that way.

Main Course
Did you get a flu shot this year? If not, do you plan to?

No, and no. Generally, if you do get the flu shot that is the most relevant for that year, you’re going to get a decent case of the flu anyway. It’s not worth it: I’m not going to pay you $25 to get the flu.

Dessert
Approximately how many hours per week do you spend watching television?

15; but that counts for the time I just have the TV running, rather than me actively paying attention to it.

Source

Friday’s Feast for Friday, July 27, 2007

Appetizer
Describe a toy you remember from your childhood.

The pop-corn rolly popper.� i don’t know why, but it’s the one that came to my head first.

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how observant are you?

I’m going to say about a 7; because there are times when I can soak in everything and recall the tiniest minutia, but there are other times where I am completely oblivious.

Salad
Where would you rather be at this very moment?

Either having a posh luncheon with a friend, or chillin’ at the zoo.

Main Course
When was the last time you learned something new?

Yesterday at work.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I have ____________ but I�haven’t ____________.

I have tried pot, but I haven’t done it twice.

Friday’s Feast for Friday, July 27, 2007

Appetizer
Describe a toy you remember from your childhood.

The pop-corn rolly popper. i don’t know why, but it’s the one that came to my head first.

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how observant are you?

I’m going to say about a 7; because there are times when I can soak in everything and recall the tiniest minutia, but there are other times where I am completely oblivious.

Salad
Where would you rather be at this very moment?

Either having a posh luncheon with a friend, or chillin’ at the zoo.

Main Course
When was the last time you learned something new?

Yesterday at work.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I have ____________ but I haven’t ____________.

I have tried pot, but I haven’t done it twice.

Friday’s Feast for Friday, July 20, 2007

Appetizer
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how much do enjoy watching sports on television?

1. I can’t sit through that stuff.

Soup
If you could completely memorize any one work of fiction, which one would you pick?

White Oleander, but I’m well on my way as it is.

Salad
What is your favorite breakfast food?

I really hate breakfast food for the most part: I think there’s something wrong with having something loaded with sugar to start your day. My ideal breakfast, however, is corned beef hash, loaded with potatoes, eggs, whatnot, and a huge glass of Diet Coke. Mostly for breakfast, I have a Diet Coke and a cigarette.

Main Course
Name something fun you can do for less than $10.00.

Go to the Cleveland Museum of Art (when it wasn’t under construction).

Dessert
How long does it usually take you to fall asleep?

Anywhere from 3 to 20 minutes.