1. Christy, Everett, Molly, and Travis would be arriving at 1:00 for our Thanksgiving (Eve) dinner and I had all the food details in good shape. I just need to clean the house: vacuum, put clean dishes away, clear counter space for different dinner dishes, clean the bathroom, and clear the dining table of personal business documents. I got all this done without a problem. Christy brought over the table decorations: tablecloth, flowers, and candles. Only one thing slightly slowed down my progress toward being ready for dinner: I made a trip to Yoke's for a couple of jars of green olives (for martinis), milk, and a couple bags of ice; then, I stopped at the liquor store for some sweet vermouth so I'd be ready to mix a Manhattan, just in case.
2. Christy and Everett arrived right on time. So did Molly and Travis. Everett asked for an orange vodka drink. I'm not currently carrying vodka, but I made him a Chelsea Sidecar. It combines gin, triple sec, and lemon juice, so I was able to satisfy Everett's request for something orange-y. I had made simple syrup an hour or so earlier, so I was ready for Christy's request for an Old Fashioned. Travis' request was simple: Bushmill's over ice and Molly fixed her own Kalimotxo, combining red wine and cola. I stirred myself a dry martini up. I will buy martini glasses soon. But, I survived without.
Christy put out a very tasty appetizer -- I didn't catch the name of it, but I'll call them mini-pies.
We had a pleasant cocktail session in the living room. During it, I put the salmon I had marinated all night in olive oil, white wine, lemon juice, lime juice, pepper, and rosemary in the oven for about twenty minutes and Christy's savory bread pudding, carrot dish, stuffed celery, and olives were ready to go. Christy brought a bottle of sparkling wine. Travis popped it open. I didn't have the proper glassware for it, either, but we survived(!). I was very happy that everyone enjoyed the salmon and the way I prepared it. Christy's dishes were superb. It was an awesome dinner.
We ate at a leisurely pace, put our empty dishes down for nervous Charly to clean, and retired back to the living room. As we planned this afternoon's meal, Christy had requested that I serve Stingers as an after dinner drink in honor of Mom's love for the stinger (Dad loved them, too!). I mixed everyone a brandy and white creme de menthe and we continued our discussions of Travis' life in the restaurant business, Molly's experiences teaching at Deary, and a variety of other things.
It was a perfect afternoon. We all enjoyed each other's company, talked freely and easily with one another, ate well-prepared food, and enjoyed our drinks. Molly and Travis will have Thanksgiving Day dinner with Travis' grandfather. Christy, Everett, and I were very happy that Molly and Travis could accept our invitation to have a matinee dinner.
So often when I see Molly and Travis it's at a more boisterous and a laughter filled gathering with anywhere from 8-15 of us eating together. It was very satisfying to have a smaller gathering and to be able to enjoy each other in this smaller setting.
3. I went over to Christy's after dinner and watched Gonzaga stomp Southern Mississippi, 94-69.
I also had a slice of the delicious apple pie Christy baked. She attended a pie baking workshop on Tuesday and learned how to make pie crust -- Christy had never succeeded making pie crust before and this pie represented a major breakthrough in her cooking/baking life!
I returned home and watched a game I've been eagerly anticipating ever since this season's schedules were released. The Oregon Ducks squared off against the Seton Hall Pirates. It was a chance to watch not only two splendid teams, but, two of my very favorites.
In the second half, the transcendent Myles Powell got scorching hot and shot the Pirates into a 19 point lead, 49-30. The Ducks' full court pressure, though, began to disrupt Seton Hall. The Ducks, especially Payton Pritchard, defended Myles Powell more tightly and he cooled off. Slowly, thrillingly, the Ducks kept coming back and with 13 seconds left, Payton Pritchard hoisted a long howitzer from behind the three-point line. As it descended toward Earth, it was falling well short of the basket. The alert Shakur Juiston acted like a defender, blocked out the player guarding him, plucked Payton's shot out of the air and immediately converted a banked short shot and, at long last, the Ducks led by two. Seton Hall was out of timeouts. Their first attempt to tie the game failed and C. J. Walker snatched the rebound and was fouled.
He missed both free throws.
With under five seconds on the clock, Seton Hall rebounded the second miss. Myles Powell heaved a long shot to win it that missed and the Ducks secured a breath-taking and hard-earned 71-69 win.
Now (Oh my God!), I face an emotional conflict in the upcoming dream match between the Zags and Ducks.
I've been following the Ducks and rooting for them ever since 1972 and the Ronnie Lee days and I loved going to see them play from time to time at Mac Court or in Portland or listening to their games on the radio when I lived in Eugene all those years.
On the other hand, Gonzaga is almost like a home team. Living in Kellogg, having a lot of history in Spokane, and having been following the Zags for many years, I've become a fan of theirs, too.
I suppose I could say that I'll just be happy no matter who wins, but I'll feel bad for the loser, too. I'll watch the game with Christy and Everett. I'll wear neutral colors. My guess is that I'll watch quietly. Deep down inside I'll be pulling for
um
um
well
yeah
eek
The Ducks!
There.
I said it.
But, if Gonzaga, in their toughest test of the season, defeats the Ducks, I'll be happy for them, happy for Christy and Everett, and I'll definitely be a true believer that the Zags have once again assembled a superb team.
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