Cats are wonderful. However they’re also stubborn. If you want a cat to not bug you for something, never give in. One you do, you lose. They’ll outlast you.

For some reason, I thought of Reverend Dexter from Babylon 5

“Every day, here and at home, we are warned about the enemy. But who is the enemy? Is it the alien? Well, we are all alien to one another. Is it the one who believes differently than we do? No, not at all, my friends. The enemy is fear. The enemy is ignorance. The enemy is the one who tells you that you must hate that which is different. Because, in the end, that hate will turn on you. And that same hate will destroy you.”, followed by the hymn

It still hits me hard, one of the best juxtaposition scenes in a series. Chilling and beautiful.

Bill Gates and the Rothschilds, of course. Duh…

“Hand daddy his washing rag!”

Is this why he stands like a toddler about to make poopie pants?

I was just thinking that!

The “We want your money but get outta here” stools. Just seeing them in a restaurant is enough to make me want to leave.

Feels like a Silent Hill monster. Long arms reaching from the mist reaching out to strangle me…

Moms for Liberty will go away, however some other AstroTurf group will find a way to fleece the flock with manufactured outrage.

Yup. I also groan when I sit down. You just had to call me out, didn’t you?

I know you are joking, but I suspect that many people would swallow this idea while without any thought whatsoever.

Yes, we live in an age of uncritical thought.

Assuming this doesn’t count cruising and bath houses?

Why is it the ones you most expect?

Sunday: dry brine turkey, wrap it up in plastic and refrigerated.

Monday: get bread from local baker, cut and toast to make base for stuffing, then make my cranberry compote.

Tuesday: make turkey gravy. Already have basic turkey stock, so cook additional onion and celery in stock and strain, then build gravy from a roux. Make my pea and corn succotash.

Wednesday: unwrap the turkey and return it to the fridge to let the skin dry out. Make the mashed potatoes with roasted garlic and a ridiculously large amount of butter.

T-day: roast the turkey, cook the stuff and bring other items up to temperature.

Others are bringing a couple veggie sides, desserts, salads and appetizers, so I’m pretty free for the main meal.

Like others, I do the turkey because it’s moist, tender and juicy in my hands and I don’t trust others to do it well.

If you are largely responsible for the meal but are forced into traveling to make the meal, I’d probably do most of the prep at home and if it’s practical, do most of the cooking there as well. You would have your tools there and won’t run the risk of forgetting something or having some clueless but well meaning relative ruining something that you care about. You can also get that lovely turkey gravy flavor by roasting turkey legs and wings in the oven a few days before, then using that with a mirepoix to build a turkey stock to make the gravy.

Seriously, consider switching to a water flosser. They’re very thorough cleaners of both the bits between your teeth and the bacteria in the gum line. It has vastly improved my oral health and once a day is plenty. Initial price is higher as you would expect, but it’s rare to replace any parts at all. The model I use is a basic Waterpik that I’ve had for about 8 years was $40 US when I got it. Think it now costs $60 (inflation sucks).