This story is to priceless to not document.  Okay so here is the cast of characters... my niece Beth and her 18 month old son Kyle flew in from California for thanksgiving... they spent a week with friends in Florida and arrived here on Tuesday.  Her husband Jim came on Wednesday night.  They are all staying in my guest bedroom. 

My other niece Kathy came up from Florida with her husband Brad and her two kids, Tommy (11) and Sarah (5) and their dog Sketter.  They arrived on Wednesday evening.  They decided to stay in a hotel. 

My sister Connie came over for Thanksgiving with her dog Eliot.   I am also looking after my neighbors house on the left and watching Honey the neighbors dog on the right. 

Okay so we had chili for dinner on  Wednesday night.  It was great.  On Thursday when I woke up... I went to take the turkey out of the fridge... It was frozen solid.  I had set it on the counter the day before for about 6 hours... well maybe it was 4 hours... and put it in the fridge for the night... but in the morning it was still frozen.  Hmmmm so I put it in the sink and filled the sink with hot water... I read the instructions and changed the water to cold water... after changing the water every half an hour... for three hours I finally broke the giblets free from both ends and filled the cavities with water and finally put it in the oven unstuffed... and mostly thawed... hoping that would shorten the baking time... hmmmm

Beth is fixing some special rolls so the turkey got in a little late.  She had Tommy, Connie and Kathy all working with her to prepare the rolls. It was so much fun to watch them all working together.  Jim is watching Kyle... Kyle love balls and Sarah was playing with him with some little stuffed toys... Eliot starts acting up... It turns out Eliot is crazy for balls and stuffed toys... so we were running around trying to keep the toys away from Eliot... but not take them away from the kids.  Impossible

Jim and Beth went to give Kyle a bath and he had an accident in the water #1 and #2 and THE TUB WOULD NOT DRAIN.... I told them to pop him in my tub, clean out the other tub as best they could and just let it drain.  Connie had told me earlier this week that the drain was slow... I think I need to get a rotorooter man in to get the drain from the street.  Every drain in the house is slow.   Later Jim said he bailed out the tub and wiped it down with disinfectant.  I think I talked about it last year.  hmmm something to add to my list.

Kyle needed to take a nap and Beth and Jim had not gotten much sleep the night before... so they went to take a nap and so we moved the kids outside to the backyard.`  I showed them how to rake the leaves into a pile to make a fort and to play in... they had a ball.  Brad helped them rake the leaves together. They are Florida kids so had not played in leaves before.   In the meantime, Sketter and Eliot are bounding around the back yard and Honey next door is getting really excited and digs herself out of the back yard... We chase her down before she gets too far away.... While we get her back... the guys reinforce the fense to keep her in...  

So all the while I am checking the turkey.  It is browning up nicely.   We prepare the potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, stuffing.... Kathy make the sweet potato pie with the marshmallows.  Finally we take the turkey out and Brad carves it for me.  I am making the gravy and there are wierd clumps in it so I just fish them out and finally put the thickener in it.  There was a lot of juice from this turkey.  He cuts about six slices... and it starts turning pink...He and I got joking around as I stirred the gravy and he carved the now raw turkey.  We turned the turkey around and were able to salvage enough cooked meat to sit down to a great table full of food and family.   At some point he fishes out the neck and another bag of giblets out of the cavity of the bird.  No wonder there were weird things in the gravy.  It was another one of those fun moments where half of us were in the kitchen preparing and getting ready to serve food with Brad, Kathy, Tommy and I working as a great team. 

Oh yeah before we sat down we put the dogs go into their respective cars... and Honey in her night time box in the garage.   Dinner was great and no more misshapes happened. That I can remember anyway...    

Once the dinner was over Brad removed the raw meet from the carcus and we cleaned up the kitchen and slipped the pre-cut turkey back into the oven... hmmm twiced baked turkey... something new.   Actually it turned out great.  Brad... I have another turkey sandwich for you.  Joke... he likes dark meat.

What a memorable memorable day.  Hope yours was fun too.  Love and kisses, Auntie Marilyn 

When I get a little time I will write all of the wonderful silly things that happened on Thanksgiving starting with the Turkey being frozen like a rock when I removed it to bake it on Thursday morning.  The funniest one is the kids and the dogs were playing in the back yard. and my neighbor dog (who I am looking after this weekend)  dug herself out of her yard to come play in all of the commotion in my back yard... Also Eliot Connie's dog goes nutzo for balls and stuffed toys... and with three kids in the house and two dogs... well two and a half dogs... We were removing kids toys from dogs mounths and visa versa for two days.     

It was funny and fun and pretty darn hectic... but I loved it and I will write it up when things settle down. 

Hope your day is grand.  Jason I laughed out loud twice in your last couple of posts.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

I am really enjoying family... although the turkey did not thaw... so we are on the quick thaw method.  Love and kisses, Mairlyn

So I won't be writing for a couple of days.  Have a great Thanksgiving.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

Well this morning my sister Connie came to stay with me for a while.  Tomorrow my niece is coming.  I am excited about spending time with them. 

Then I went to school to pull projects from last year for accreditation. Tomorrow I will go in for a while to finish my stuff up and to help get things packed for moving a week from today.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

I got up at 8:00 again... on the first day of my vacation... hmmmmm time change go to bed a hour later and get up at the same time... hmmmmm It takes me so long to get adjusted... Anyway.... 

I decided to get things set up for Christmas.  So I set up my while plastic tree and put out the other stuff.  Last year I decided if I was buying an easy to assemble pre-lite tree... I would by a obviously fake one... Therefore fake plastic...  but I think that it looks pretty cool, with blue and green bulbs going with my scheme.    

I had a massage around noon and then took a lovely nap.  I need to put my normal decorations away and baby proof my house for a toddler... I am excited about everyone coming. 

Hope that your day is wonderful.  Love and kisses, Marilyn   

I am done with grading.  Yeah!!!  But it took me most of the afternoon to get them loaded on to the web.  I kept on getting dumped off of the web...  and then couldn't get back in.  I had to add the pre and post tests, and then put the grades in and then record how many hours of classes they attended and what was their last day of class they attended.  It was frustrating to not being able to get one and stay on line.  I will finish my syllabi for next term next Monday.  And complete my quaterly report and then I think I am done.

Tonight I started sorting through my file cabinet.  It felt good to get rid of old papers I don't need an more.  I have about about 10 boxes of files plus a four draw file cabinet all full, plus my dissertation stuff.  I threw away (recycled) old papers from CMU and from my business.  Hopefully I can continue this until I have cut my files down to about four boxes and my file cabinet... and half of my dissertation... hmmmm

Love and kisses, Marilyn  

I just finished my grading... I need to get the grades posted, finish the pre and post-test, and do some other house keeping before I leave school behind for six weeks... Well not really cause I will be back there doing accreditation stuff... but the teaching part anyway.  Hope your day is grand.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

Grading that is...

Carole asked what my plans are for break... My family is coming for Thanksgiving week so that will be fun.

Hmmmm I am going to try to get some more stuff done around the house.  Clean the outside of my house...  the siding, deck and concrete driveway (don't know if I should just get it power washed... probably easier and quicker).  After that is done clean the windows outside especially the greeny moldy sills.  Weed the flowerbeds.  I also want to finish painting the living room and master bedroom.

Our school is doing the room set up for our program accreditation in January, so between Dec 3 and Dec 12, I will be working on that. I also want to go to Virginia the weekend after school gets out and of course for my graduation and party on December 19th. 

In addition, I want to meet with the Executive  Directors of my professional organizations in Washington DC about my research.  I also want to see about getting my dissertation published as a book.  Hmmmm 

Thats enough... okay... relax and catch up on sleep, but most of these things will be relaxing.  Hope your day is grand!  Love and kisses, Marilyn 

Only a couple of more days of grading.  Then I am done for the term.  Hope your day is grand.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

The big construction document package is almost done.  I have spent about ten hours grading ten students work.  Today my rendering classes hand in their projects.  More grading for rest of the week, but then school is out.  Hope your day is fine.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

Well I am going to try to finish grading today.  I got half done yesterday.  Sun is shinging but it is going to be cool here for the next three days. I am going to keep the weather on here, but move it so Elizabeth doesn't have to see how nice it is here versus  how cold it is in B'burg.

Matt and I were bad yesterday and went to see the new James Bond movie yesterday afternoon.  That is why I didn't get more grading done.  I really, really liked it.  It was more gritty and less glitz that the old B*nds.  Harkens back to S*an, but grittier. They got rid of some of the old and somewhat warn things like B*nd, James B*nd, martini shaken not stirred (they did have the martini recipe though) and changed the music.  But I really, really enjoyed it.

Cr*ig is a great person to pay B*ond cool as ice hot as fire at the same time.  Now it is like the series understands that each Bond is a new person taking over the 007 position... not the same person with a different face.  Some really nice architecture too.
 
Hope your day is grand.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

Wow what a great morning. Yesterday I cleaned the bonus room and relaxed.  Last night Kathy had a party and I went.  It was fun.  the sun gave way to thunderstorms.

Today is sunny and I have spend the morning writing a letter to Sarah.  She is struggling with her job at her university.  We all struggle finding our place.  We chatted yesterday on Facebook for at least a half an hour.  In the letter I gave her some ideas of ways to cope with her new life.  She really misses B'burg, as we all do... I think even the people in B'burg are missing what we had in those four short years we were together striving for excellence.  Hmmm 

Well I am off to grade... hope your day is grand.  Love and kisses, Marilyn    

Saturday morning... wow... what a beautiful day.  The sun is shining after three days of clouds... It is pretty and clean after the rain, yesterday and last night. 

After going to the meeting in the morning, I came home and lay on the sofa reading a good Nora Rob*rts book.  I slept for a while and then read some more.   It was really great to relax for the day. 

Matt called and wanted to give me something so I asked him  to dinner... we had warmed up chili.  He gave me a gift for my graduation... A gift care to help pay for my party...  He is such as sweetheart.   

Today I am going to clean my bonus room, guest room... and vacuum rest of the house for my family visit for Thanksgiving.  I will also clean the bathrooms and sweep the leaves off of my back porch.   

I hope that your day is great.  Love and kisses, Marilyn   

It is Friday and we have one more week of class... We had some major melt down issues with printing their projects this week.  But finally last night everyone was printed and this weekend I grade.  I am pretty happy with what I have seen so far. 

This morning I need to go to a profit sharing meeting for school.  I think it is pretty cool that they share the profits with us, but they won't share with us if we don't attend this meeting.  I am up early and tried because it was really hard to go to sleep last night.  I don't know why I am exhausted at 8:00 or 9:00 and almost falling asleep in front of the tv and at 11:00 I am wide awake... greeehhhh

My friend J's sister has a new job working for Hospice.  She said today she hates her job.  She has only been there six months.  It must be so hard.  Hospice is a wonderful idea and really important in so many peoples lives.  We tried to get my sister Marci into it, but she died before she could be transferred and my mother's cousin Hazel was in it for six months before she passed.  While there was some family drama, it was basically peaceful.  But it must be hard on the people who work there.  I am sure for some people it must be great, but dealing with peoples grieving process must be very draining.   People are so emotional when someone is dying and many times all of the family garbage comes out... Sort of like what happens at Thanksgiving but in the extreme.  All of the hurts, slights and pains from years of interactions... and lets face it the greed come into play ... Some people feel this is the last time they have something to say... and say it.... and I am sure for as many wonderful peaceful passings there are as many or more strident passings.   We all have things we are good at, I would not be good at being a Hospice nurse at all. 

I hope that your day is wonderful.  Love and kisses, Marilyn       

So I prepared and rehearsed a fifteen minute presentation.... hmmmm three minutes in Linda goes the senators need to leave, so I had five minutes... I am so glad I know my topic so well, I went to the key points... Which I think went well...  I am really glad that I didn't fly up there for five minutes. 

The video conferencing was really cool.  I could see them in their conference room and see me in the corner of the big screen tv... in my conference room.  I don't think the camera put ten pounds on me.. oh the vanity... and my make up made me look healthy.... I met Brad at 7:45.  He set up the the connection and then helped me to put my power point up on the screen.  It was terrrific... I don't think I was very nervous at all  because he took care of the technology for me.

While I was sitting there waiting for the meeting to start, I saw so many of my old friends on the screen from Michigan.  Linda, Lisa, Harrell, Margie, Sandy, Jeanneane and Virginia... and one of my former students from CMU is a representative for suppplier.  It was great so see them.  The capitol building was in the window of their conference room and it was not snowing... tee hee It was 75 yesterday here. 

No Jason I won't be in the newpaper...  unlike you...

My students handed in their projects yesterday.  We had major melt downs because of printer issues.  I am excited to look at their projects and see what they were able to accomplish.  I think they will be pretty terrific.  I will grade most of the day Friday and most of the day Sunday.  Tuesday, my rendering class hand in their perspectives.  I gave them an extension, because other professiors had their due days a week before school gets out... too.... I try to have my due dates staggered with others so the students can spend time on my class.

Hope your day goes well.  Love and kisses, Marilyn 

 

I am presenting my findings of my dissertation to 12 Michigan senators this morning... I am up before dawn with make up on... first time in a year I have put on blush, eyeliner and mascara... I have so many allergies .... and my eyes itch that I stopped wearing make up years ago... but I need to look alive for the camera.  Ha

My students are handing in their big part of their projects today.  I will be grading all weekend.  I gave my rendering class over the weekend to finish their work.  They seem to have everything due Thursday.  You would not believe the relief reflected in their faces.  

Hope your day is great.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

Caught in the parade... I came down to school early to try to go to Probes Hall to see the facilities I will use tomorrow morning for my talk with the Michigan Seators... but Savannah was having its Veterans Day parade... so I couldn't get there from here.  I could walk, but it is a long way.  I may do it anyway so I am not so nervous tonight... when trying to sleep. hmmmm nope... to late to go.  My students may need me in office hours... and it starts in 15 minutes.  Oh well.
I'll just get up extra early.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

My horoscope is a description of my weekend.... except that Matt and I also walked our boodles off. 

"Too much food and drink could have you feeling a little out of sorts today, dear Gemini. Some friends might have taken you out and exposed you to the most tempting of wines and exotic dishes. This is always fun, but today you have to face the consequences! A workout fueled with spring water could help burn off any toxins or extra calories, and a nap just might complete the process so you're feeling like your old self again. Get going!"

Friday we drove most of the day.  I met with a friend and then gave Matt a tour of the campus.  We went into Cowg*ll Hall and walked around the newly renovated spaces.  He liked the work that the students did.  He was amazed how much the students move into the studios.  Of course they have their desks for a whole year.  At SC*D the students have to move out of their studios at the end of each term.   Then we met Noelle and went to dinner at the Mexican Restaurant in the mall.  EL Rods was packed and had a line out the door.  

After sleeping sporatically, I woke up six times with hot flashes.  I got up and went to see Dr. Cracken... and Matt got ready.  We stopped for breakfast at a really good donut shop Noelle told us about and drove to cascde falls... It was a beautiful fall day and we hiked the two miles up and two back.  When we got home, we ate at More than Coffee (I finally had the fruit and nut salad)... it was yummy, but noisy .  Then we meet Ellen at the pool and I looked at ther strokes.  Then Matt and I were too tried to swim so we hit the hot tub and drove to Elizabeth's to see she, David and K.  I swear that K has grown another inch. 

We then went back to the hotel for me to change out of my sweats... drove by my old house and went by the book store to pick up invitations to my graduation.  Then we had a great dinner with Luke and Ellen.  It was so much fun.  We sat, and ate and talked for 3 and a half hours, just like old times... The food and wine and conversation was amazing...

I was so tired I was falling asleep at the table... so we left, I was asleep five minutes after my head hit the pillow. 

When we got up in the morning, we had breakfast at Gilly's... it was really yummy  (are we seeing a pattern here... back to the horoscope).  And then we went to Pandapus Pond and walked the short (2 mile) trail.  Then we got in the car and left for home.  On the way we listened to Time LIne again... it is such a good book.  We got home at 8:15 but it felt like mid-night.  I watched a little tv and then took a bath with a good Nora Rob*rts book and fell into bed at 11:00.  All in all it was a great weekend.  Matt was fun to hang out with and he seemed to really like B'burg, the beautiful fall weather and trees, and meeting my friends whom he has heard all about. 

Hope your day is grand.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

Love and kisses, Marilyn

Home safe... my friend and colleague Matt went with me to B'burg... was had a great time.. I introduced him to most of my friends left there  We went for two walks in nature and had great food, including dinner with Luke and Ellen at Z*polis... it was so much fun and really good food.  and breakfast at Gilly's.   I think K has grown another inch...  Hope your weekend was great.  Love and kisses, Marilyn