Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all you readers and safe travels to those hitting the road to visit family and friends.

I'm grateful we still have Tun-Tun here. I don't know what I'll do when he's gone. Over fourteen years old this last month. I repaired these basement stairs this spring. Not the best concrete work but the uneven risers made it dangerous.

My wife said; "You finally fixed those because Tun-Tun can't go up and down the stairs anymore and it's going to be hot in the summer (we don't have central air)."

One step was too tall for Tun-Tun to climb, but my wife never got me to admit my true motivation. Now they are all an even 7" riser with a 12" tread.

Tun-Tun spends most of his time in the basement or outdoors. He can't climb the steeper steps to the upper floors, though recently he has made it up to the first floor by himself a few times. We tried several ways of lifting him (in a crate or sling) but they all left him scared and extremely stressed. But we miss him when we are upstairs, and he barks when he's alone too long. So I started scooping him up in my arms, which he doesn't like but tolerates well. He wont nip at me but I wouldn't recommend anyone else trying. My wife brought home an old futon mattress to put in the basement for him. He likes it a lot; soft but firm. Sometimes he barks and just wants someone to come down and cover him with his blanket. Yes, he wants to be tucked in. He can have trouble staying warm.

The Dinovite has been a great help. Just over six months now, we've been giving it to him. Like I said he started climbing more steps and the tumor on his jowls has shrunk significantly. He still has problems breathing but not as bad as before.

We will have Thanksgiving dinner with most of my immediate family. All the yummy food.... I will be making my rice pudding (recipe in comments). And then...? I really have to get back to the gym. I thought you had to pay for the spinning classes but someone told me they are free.

Otherwise we would be home alone watching football, with plenty of popcorn salted and buttered. And perhaps some grilled cheese sandwiches rather than the fuss of preparing a Turkey. And rice pudding of course. And, no we didn't watch the second half of the Packers' game. We couldn't. It was too painful. Maybe if I made popcorn they would have won.

I received my copy of the WORS 2008 DVD. It is that much better and my wife enjoyed it as if she were watching it for the first time (I showed it to her on the web site). They have a short promo version. They went with 'Tom Petty' for the background music. Thank God they didn't go with 'Journey'.

Again...

Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels to all.

1 comment:

Phillip said...

-1 quart half-and-half
-3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
-1 piece lemon peel the size of your little finger (I think any citrus peel works)
-3/4 cup sugar
-2 egg yolks
-1/2 cup heavy cream
-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-cinnamon to taste

Place the half-and-half, rice and peel in a heavy sauce pan and cook on low heat for 1 hour uncovered. Stir often with a wooden spoon.

Combine cream, sugar and yolks (blender or whisk) and slowly add to rice. (I usually do that after 40 minutes)

Continue to cook on low and stir until mixture comes to a slow bubble. Remove from heat and place in a container. Add vanilla and cover with plastic wrap. Punch holes in wrap. Cool.

Add cinnamon to taste.

You can added raisins or cranraisins. They'll be plump and burst in juicy goodness if you add them early in the process.