Friday, November 27, 2015

Survived Another Black Friday

When black Friday comes, I'm gonna dig myself a hole
Gonna lay down in it 'til I satisfy my soul
Gonna let the world pass by me, the Archbishop's gonna sanctify me
And if he don't come across I'm gonna let it roll

When black Friday comes, I'm gonna stake my claim
I'll guess I'll change my name

— Steely Dan
"Black Friday"

Well hell, survived again!

Didn't leave the Bunker except to walk Newt and scrape the snow off the solar panels. 

Thanksgiving dinner here was wonderful, kinda low-key "classics." My Sweetie's brother smoked a brined turkey breast and bought us some gold potatoes from the local organic farmers he works for, which I quickly converted into garlic mashed potatoes with local garlic roasted in Greek olive oil and a little cream added to the mix. I made 2 different dressings, both family recipes — the first a Southern sage/cornbread dressing; the second more of a New England-style oyster roast/dressing. I also did the baked spinach (fresh local spinach, an egg, a little cream and sauted onions, in ramekins and baked) from the Quickenberry cookbook. 

My Sweetie made her spectacular Italian bread (from The Bread Baker's Apprentice, a wonderful cookbook, forget waht I said about sourdough starter…YEAST with Italian bread), a very English fruit salad (Nigel Slater, I believe) and another family recipe, flawless dumplings! For dessert, an amazing chocolate cream pie, which she'd selected after an exhaustive Internet search from Food And Wine Magazine. She made the crust from Walker's chocolate shortbread cookies shaped like little Scottie dogs. Everything came out just perfect!

Wine-wise, I went with 2 NZ whites, Giesen Sauvignon Blanc and a great Kim Crawford unoaked chardonnay; after dinner I tacked Aussie with  Hardy's Whiskers Blake tawny port, bliss in a bottle!

Pushed the rehab exercises today, adding in the stationary bicycle to the hiking and the various specific exercises. Am probably incapable of getting out of my chair tonight…LOL! I tried some basic dry-fire drills — step-draw-fire sort of things — and it didn't go as well as I had hoped. I think I need to slow things down to a crawl and let me leg relearn what it's supposed to do. Gabe Suarez has a good article on core skills on his FaceBook page. Too cold to go outside and shoot, anyway.

And, of course, the day's wrap up from THE ONION:
42 Million Dead In Bloodiest Black Friday Weekend On Record 
According to emergency personnel, early estimates indicate that more than 42 million Americans were killed this past weekend in what is now believed to be the bloodiest Black Friday shopping event in history. 
First responders reporting from retail stores all across the nation said the record-breaking post-Thanksgiving shopping spree carnage began as early as midnight on Friday, when 13 million shoppers were reportedly trampled, pummeled, burned, stabbed, shot, lanced, and brutally beaten to death while attempting to participate in early holiday sales events.
Enjoy the leftovers!!!!!!










5 comments:

JohninMd.(Help?!??) said...

And that is why I stay home on Black Fridays..... Well, that and the fact I'm broke. Too poor to pay attention, as dad woulda said. Hope your Thanksgiving was a good 'un, Micheal!

Anonymous said...

And what was the center piece on the holiday table? A Ruger Precision Rifle on a bipod?

Michael Bane said...

The RPR would have been ostentatious. I went with something smaller, more classic and autumn-themed — An integrally suppressed Ruger Charger with a Simmons pistol scope — as a centerpiece.

mb

Unknown said...

You probably have tried it, but if not, the Kim Crawford Sauv Blanc might be the best there is.

Unknown said...

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