Bloat

This is what I spent my Wednesday doing. One pumkin, one southern bourbon pecan, and one sweet potato with praline topping. Yesterday at the bloat, the pumkin was heavily hit, the sweet potato was 40% consumed, and the bourbon pecan had only one sliver taken out (mine). So I have some consuming to do. Actually, I would like for you all to stop by and have a slice. I'll even throw in a free house tour as part of the package.

As far as the bloat went, we had a reduced head count this year as one branch of the family went south to be with kin who had to work today (Friday), and the coastal sibs stayed put to save on travel costs to be used for later visits.

So there were only about fifteen to twenty of us gathered at my brother's new house out in the woods just outside the city limits. My brother (#3) and his wife have been exceedingly generous about hosting family gatherings over the past several years as they usually had a central location in town and the room to accomodate the various participants. We previously gathered at my parents house even though it was a bit small for the hoard that would descend like locusts on every holiday meal that was set out.

This role will now fall to me as steward of the "last" family house and the recent additions will allow the multiple generations to spread out a bit prior to sqeezing in around the table. I hope that we can do a test drive around Christmas this year, though it will be touch and go on that I am afraid.

As payment for the feast consumed yesterday, the universe has gifted me with an attack of gout that began last night and has now reduced me to a pitiful, whiny, sack of pain; immobilized on my bed with my left foot elevated and my laptop on my (imagine this) lap. My daughter, home from college, is crashed on the couch next to me (remember that my "bed" is a mattress on the floor of the living room in the apartment located in the basement of the construction zone), and the Wonder Dawg is snoring on her "really needs a bath" blanket at my feet (er, foot). My son is hanging with his cousins which is a lot more fun than being here and having to clean up his room.

Today looks like it will be a quiet one for us. I contemplated getting up at 4 AM to get in line at the local mall (NOT), but decided that the laptop and the internet would do just as well for any shopping I have to do. For me, it looks like a run to urgent care for some gout meds (crushed up chicken hearts I suspect) and a visit to the local vampire lab for my weekly blood draw.

I'll let you know if the chicken hearts work.