Just Checking In **UPDATED to Include Pictures**

***See bottom of post for update***

Thanksgiving, the holiday not the state of mind, is over for another year. I cooked for 2 days straight and I think it might actually have helped my diet (well, the diet I have intended to start every Monday for several years now). When I prepare lots of food, it kind of takes the fun out of eating it for some reason. Suppose I should be thankful for that.

I baked a whole turkey again this year. Apparently I forgot how disgusting it was last year. This is the second year that I brined the bird. If you don't know what brining is, think of floating your turkey in a solution of spices and salt water for 24 hours before baking it....that's brining. It's the kosher way of fixing the bird, but really, we aren't Jewish. I place the bird in a huge clear plastic container in my fridge the day before I cook it.....it looks like some sort of freaky science experiment. I mean really, if you want me to throw up, show me a turkey bird floating in its own ummmm "juices" in my fridge (juices is the nicest way I can think of to explain all the gross stuff that comes out of that fowls orifices). Nasty is one word that comes to mind.

Anywho.........you guys may not know that I love salt. I always got into trouble for eating salt straight out of my hand when I was little (and when I was in high school). Why am I telling you this? Well, because it will let you know that the turkey I fixed was one of the saltiest pieces of meat I have ever put into my mouth. If I say something is salty....it IS salty. I threatened my dad and hubs with their lives if they said anything other than "This is the best turkey I have had in my entire life". They complied and other than a few comments, the sodium content of my bird was not discussed any further. These people should know better than to depend on me for a complete Thanksgiving meal.......I am only 36 years old for crying out loud.......a person should be at least 45 before expected to prepare a completely edible Thanksgiving meal!!!


In case you were wondering, I didn't go shopping today. I saw several ads for some really good deals, but the last time I went shopping at 4 am on Black Friday, I lost my Christian attitude by 5:30 am and I have decided that it is better for me to pay the difference than to hurt my witness (people get ugly when it's early and they want to be first in line for the "deal of the year").

So, I just wanted to check in and say that I am still alive and still Thankful even though Thanksgiving is over. My dad is here until tomorrow. Tonight we will be going to my sister's to eat some pizza and play some games. Maybe we can take some pictures to prove that we are actually related ;-).

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Have fun putting up your Christmas decorations.....don't want to rub it in, but mine have been up for a month now................

Me trying to look interested while the Geek Squad looks at my sister's new laptop.....I think they are irritated at my lack of interest...or maybe it is my lack of knowledge....not sure. Is it just me or are they looking at me with evil eyes?

My attention span is really quite short for a person my age.

Proof that Bethanne, Alliekat, and Eddies Place are truly blood relatives (although I do not look like either of them, I am thinking that the adoption stories my sister told me when I was little might actually be true)......

These photos were taken by my brother in law who used to be a photographer for a living as evidenced by the very staged pose. Seriously, its like being at Olan Mills.

The picture on the wall behind me makes my hair look even bigger than it really is (who knew that was possible)....I kind of like it though...remember my motto: "The bigger the hair, the smaller the butt".