martinimade

Scott* has gone from tech week to tech week to tech week this semester. It's been a bit of a schlep, the sort where you're carrying 6 bags of groceries home while being pelted by hail. But we realized that he'd have a dark day** on Saturday and decided to test run our Thanksgiving turkey plan. He wanted to smoke one this year.*** The bird, however, resisted.

He was prepping the bird, which I had dumped into a cooler full of brine the previous night, when the smell started. Like all experienced cooks, he figured that the trash just needed to be taken out, which he did. But that wasn't it. It wasn't the bird itself, either. Then the garage light switch, which is inexplicably in the kitchen, released its magical blue smoke.

And just like that, there was no power to the garage, which is where the smoker was.

To make a long story short, my husband is MacGyver. The bird got its smoke on, eventually. 

The blond strip is where the bacon was. And, lo, it was good.

I don't know if we'll actually smoke this year's bird -- it was cold enough here that it was difficult to get the smoker up to temperature and keep it there -- but it was a noble experiment where even a failure would be tasty.

On Sunday, since his rehearsal didn't start until the evening, I decided to get my craft on. As you do.

I'd purchased a Paper Source wreath kit from their store in the big city last time I was there. Yes, I am completely unable to resist a paper goods store, especially Paper Source.**** My only goal was to get it done before fall ended. 

Supplies. 

Stalwart (and sleepy) companion by my side.

The kit itself couldn't be better made. The only real challenge was finding a bone folder. I know there is one in my house somewhere that was misplaced by a kid, which meant that I had to buy another one, which was hard to find locally and seemed like too small a thing to get online.***** 

The finished product, in situ.

And now, back to tech week. At least there is leftover turkey this time around.

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*a.k.a. "The Featureless Saint" or "my husband"

** a.k.a "no rehearsal"

*** I know. Make the jokes now and get them out of your system.

**** I'm trying to convince myself that I don't need gnomes and mushrooms on this year's tree. But their siren call is strong.

***** Locals: Artware has 'em.