Thanksgiving 2010

Timi's How To
Not Ever Host Thanksgiving Dinner 

Yes I'm 29- 39ish and I still don't cook one stinkin thing for Thanksgiving!

It's not because I don't know how or because I don't want to.  It's because my family revoked my holiday hosting privileges many years ago.

Back in the early 90's I worked for a company in downtown Seattle.  I loved working for this company. They are now out of business so the name isn't important, but this was one of the best jobs I ever had.  I worked with really great people, met some friends who I'm still close to, and I got to travel for the first time with this company. 
This is also when I got bit by the travel bug.

We were a young group at this company. Most of us were single, no kids, and barely makin it on our own.  This company also liked to recruit employees from all over the country and send them to towns where they had no family or friends. 

Well Timi decided that she would host Thanksgiving at her little 2 bedroom apartment for 9 of her orphan coworkers, parents and brother.

Super excited! 
Went shopping days before, got my big 20+ lbs. turkey in the fridge defrosting, special cocktail recipes found, spent days cleaning, decorating and making things beautiful for hosting my first Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving came and I got up at O'dark:30 in the morning to get started! 
Just like my Grandmothers always did... and my mother.  Dinner would be served at 2 and guests would start arriving about noon.  Cocktails, apps, and football was on the agenda before dinner.

When I went to get my turkey out of the fridge it was FROZEN SOLID!  That sucker had been in there for 4 days and not done a damn thing to help me prepare for my big day! 

I panicked! 

What to do? What to do?

So I filled the sink up with warm water and let it sit, with warm water running on it.  There I sat on a stool staring at a frozen turkey freaking out trying to figure out what to do. 

Finally after a couple hours I got that ole' bird to a point where I could at least try to attempt to get the guts out of it. 

I fished around in there, got the flashlight out and looked in there, and could not for the life of me find them.   What's a girl to do?
I needed to get this bird in the oven!

Totally stressed out!

Call Grandma!  
I called my Grandmother to find out where else they may have hid the guts.  After she gave me some pointers on how to get that turkey more thawed out I was able to find the frozen solid packet of giblets stuck up inside of that bird.

Time to get that bird in the oven! 

So I prepared it and in the oven it went.

Now to get the other items prepared.

Next up............. The sangria! 

It was important that this be made early so it could sit for a while and all the flavors could marry together.  Because I was 20 something the booze was always important.

Here's the recipe.
This seriously is one of the best sangria recipe ever!

Timi's Sangria Recipe

2 16 oz bottles of Cabernet Wine ( I have always used St. Michele cab)

1/4 bottle of Dubonnet I leave this out most of the time; it’s not something always on hand.

3 oz Brandy

3 oz Peach Schnapps

6 oz Triple Sec

Sugar to taste about 4 Tablespoons

Simple Syrup works better because the sugar doesn’t always dissolve.

32 oz Orange Juice (1 Quart)

I use the Orange Pineapple Juice concentrate mix when I can find it or the carton in the refrigerator section. It works really well.

6 oz Pineapple Juice
Mix and garnish with

Lime Slices

Orange Slices

This makes a lot and you will need a pretty good size bucket to mix it in. All amounts are approximates. You will want to taste as you mix. Always taste before you serve it. Especially if it’s been sitting for a day or so. The flavor changes a lot.

This keeps for about a week and it’s always better the second or 3rd day. I suggest mixing before hand and let set over night at a minimum.

So I'm mixin, a tastin, a mixin, a tastin and trying to get this recipe just right.  While doing this I was multi-tasking and trying to get everything else ready too.

Well then BAM!
Out of  no where it hit!
 I was drunker than a skunk!

My guests started showing up and I was H A M M E R E D!

images from Apron Goddesses

Things went a bit downhill from there. 
Ok,  a lot downhill!

Thank GOD for Mom's. 
My Mom showed up, didn't pass judgment and stepped right in and got dinner going. 

She wasn't frazzled at all by the drunk daughter and the husband (my Dad) telling her "I told you, she should have just done BBQ Hamburgers!"

2 pm.............The turkey................. NOT DONE! 

It took that mostly frozen bird about 2 hours longer to cook than planned and Mom getting dinner ready by herself took a little longer.

Mom saved the day!

This would be a Thanksgiving that guests were spared the disappointment of no dinner and chewing off their arms from starvation.

It's been almost 20 years and I have never been asked to host Thanksgiving dinner

again!

When I suggest that I might like to do it

I'm given the "look"

Yes the look of

"no I don't think so"

Then I'm quickly reminded of "that Thanksgiving"

I called my mom the other day to see what I could bring on Thursday

This was her response;

"oh I think I got everything, why don't you just bring a banana for the fruit salad"

Now none of this was planned out... it was just an unfortunate sangria accident, but now that I'm older and not so ambitious...........

It's worked out pretty well.

That my friends is how you get out of all work involved with the holidays.

It just takes one incident of drunken irresponsibility and you are off the hook for years!

 

Have a wonderful day and take a moment to be Thankful for all the good in your life.

Me..........

I'm thankful I accidentally got drunk 20 years ago!

I'll be enjoying a day of lounging in my eatin pants.

Happy Thanksgiving!

ROAD TRIP!

Photography by my niece Princess Spoiled Brat

A few months ago I heard through the grapevine about a little go-ins on over in Spokane. So I made some phone calls and invited myself to the shindig I had heard about.

Sometimes that's what a girl has to do.

So this little shindig was happening during the week when apparently, my usual road trip posse has these things called jobs, and kids, and they couldn't go.

I know!

Those jobs and kids are always getting in the way of  my fun.

Anyway...............

I finally found someone to go on a little road trip with me to the shindig that I had invited myself to.

and my partner was................

HAPPY TO GO!

 Meet Princess Spoiled Brat! 
My road trip partner

So we gased up, got some Diet Cokes and we were off to Spokane!

We did a little chatting, Princess Spoiled Brat did a little artwork

Then about an hour into the 5 hour trip she was board.

So I handed her the camera and said

"you will be the official road trip photographer"

Of course we start the session off with a fabulous photo of the driver.

NICE!

Then I beat her with the camera!

So we drive and drive and drive and drive and finally arrive at our first destination

Our hotel!

We decided that on our trip we should have fancy accommodations.

So we got checked in before PJ could get home and log in to his on-line banking to see what we had been up to.

Not to mention Princess Spoiled Brat demanded a pool.

So we stayed at  Northern Quest

Yes I took the kid to the casino!

Beautiful rooms!

This was the closet with the fancy white robes. 

The door lit up when you opened it.

Our fancy bathroom

 This is the night light that was on in the bathroom when the lights were off.

It was very swanky!

 The view from our 7th floor suite

The next day we got up early, we spent A LOT of time in the bathroom getting ready. Doing hair, makeup, ironing clothes and looking just right.

This was a very important shindig.

Then we finally arrived at our destination 

That's right! You read it right

Princess Spoiled Brat and I went to the taping of Diners Drive-In's and Dives

I've been a big fan of Guy Fieri since he was on Who Wants To Be The Next Food Network Star

and................

He's on my list!

What list is that you ask?

It's entirely OK for me to have sex play spin the bottle with Guy if the opportunity comes up.

PJ can't get mad.

Princess Spoiled Brat is a big fan of Minute to Win It and Diner's Drive-In's and Dives

Can you guess where we were to see this taping of Triple D?

 

That's right!

Chaps

One of my most favorite places ever!

I had heard through the grapevine that Chaps had been selected to be on Triple D

So I immediately got a hold of Celeste and asked if it was true.

She said yes and then I explained to her that Guy was on my list and if the opportunity came up for us to have sex   play spin the bottle, PJ would be fine with it. 

This was my opportunity!

 So we arrived on time, lipstick on, nails done, and teeth brushed!

OMG!!!

Yes he was that close!

We watched quietly as they taped the opening

Then I was sure I would get my opportunity to make my move

No such luck!  It was more waiting outside for us

We waited and waited

We waited with those crazy Mermaids of the Lake

and that wacky Hollie of Funky Junk Antique Show

We had all kinds of fun while we waited.

Then we got called in! 

Yes, I was chosen to go inside and have a little "one-on-one" with Guy.

We talked about me being from Seattle, about the blueberries, and just how fabulous Chaps was.

Then I peeded my pants!

Well not really but Me, Myself, and I were sitting there tongue tied and trying to keep our cool.
It wasn't easy.
I don't know about you but I have a hard time on a daily basis not making a fool out of myself.
Put a big time celebrity in front of me and............
well it's just a recipe for me making an ass out of myself. 

Me, sitting next to Guy chatting. I couldn't believe this is what was happening in this moment of my life and totally forgot my mission!

DAMN!

So Princess Spoiled Brat and I loaded up and headed home

More photography by Princess Spoiled Brat

The trip from Spokane over HWY 2 in to Monroe really is beautiful

but there are a lot of bugs! 

We were getting closer to home and the picture taking quality out the window went down hill quick!

We had one more stop to make in Leavenworth WA

A little shop called The Hat Shop

I might not have gotten to play spin the bottle with Guy Fieri but I knew who would play spin the bottle with me!

 We picked up this little number for PJ

 WHALA!!!  Instant Guy Fieri!

How can you not love a bald man who will wear this hat for you?

I KNOW!

So that was our Hollywood road trip!

This was Princess Spoiled Brat's first overnight girls only road trip with me. She was the official photographer on almost all the pictures. 

We really had a great time and at times it really was hard to believe that it was all real.  A girl doesn't get too many opportunities like this.

Thank you Celeste!

The Chaps episode airs Monday November 1, 2010 at 7:00 pm. 

I'm not sure if I made the cut or if I ended up on the cutting room floor. Either way I don't care. It was so much fun to see all this unfold before my very eyes. Even more exciting to to see Celeste and her Chaps crew get national recognition.

Way to go!

Princess Spoiled Brat got a lot of Show and Tell material also.

Have you never been to Chaps? 

You must go!

Here's a fun event coming up that you might like to attend.  Two celebs for the price of one!

This next Friday November 5th from 10 am - 1pm  Serena of The Farm Chicks will be at Chaps signing copies of her new book

Go on down, get yourself a maple scone from the famous Celeste and then get yourself the new book from Serena The Farm Chick

That right there has GREAT DAY written all over it!

Have a wonderful day!

Ruffles & Rust A Vintage Market to Inspire Show Updates

I have show updates!

Click Here

We hope that you can join us

It's Show Time!

I'm so excited  about the show I'm putting together in October. 

Please go check out Come Junk With Us for all the details about

Early Shopping -  Blogger/Facebook Fan Ball on Friday Night

Classes on Saturday by The Fancy Farm Girl and Beth Evans Ramos of Living A Greener Life

You will be able to Shop Til You Drop!

It's looking like we will have 50 vendors!

Not 50 spaces, 50 vendors that have multiple spaces.

The vendor line up is JUNKTACULAR!

I'll be talking more about this in the weeks to come and posting the vendor list.

Why Men Shouldn't Be Unsupervised

Ever since PJ and I have met he has talked about his love of airplanes.  To the point sometimes of making my eyes cross when explaining to me the difference between propeller and a wing. Really all I care about is that a plane will not get me to the crash sight first.  

There was a weekend when PJ was unsupervised. It was just him and Charlie hanging out. They were suppose to be doing yard work the entire time I was gone.

When I got home on Sunday PJ made a huge announcement

I've signed up for flight school! 

I was excited for him.

I knew he really wanted to get his pilots license and I thought this was fantastic! Then I went to this really great day dream while he was explaining all the details.

My daydream went a little like this.................

As usual, had I been listening instead of daydreaming about PJ flying me to antique shows, and fabulous shopping destinations in a luxury Learjet with all my BFF's I might have been a bit more prepared for the weeks that lay ahead of me.

First off I became a flying widow! 

PJ has been flying almost 7 nights a week and when he is home I have been gone with

Come Junk With Us business so we haven't seen much of each other.

Not to mention it's almost time for Omador's Landscape Marriage Counseling to come back out to our house.

So after some really long stressful weeks of too much on both our plates I said "you want me to go flying with you today?" 

Like a bar troll at closing time being asked to an after party he very excited said YES!

It was a beautiful day in the Pacific Northwest. You could not have asked for a more beautiful day. Clear, not a cloud in the sky.

Look at PJ doing all his pre-flight stuff. 

So professional!

Then PJ says "I'm going to need your weight!"

Me; What the hell for?

PJ: "for the paperwork, and it needs to be your real weight not whats on your drivers license."

Me: "I don't know, I've weight 125 since I was 16 years old"

PJ; "well then step on over here"

Now I'm thinking why in God's name is all this important when I'm about to get  on a luxury Learjet with staff?

I go with PJ..............

This is what he takes me over to.

Not a counter where I can sign up for what I'd like to be served for lunch or to drink on the flight but some damn scales!

This was horrible!  Who gets on scales before a luxury flight on a Learjet? 

NOBODY!

Then as I was looking at PJ horrified, what do I see right next to the scales?

Yeah!

A vending machine!

What was in that vending machine RIGHT NEXT to the scales?

Oh wait it gets more annoying

So what kind of jackass puts a vending machine right next to scales?  A vending machine with all the things this little chubby girl loves! 
You know I love me some Hostess Products!

It was just wrong and this should have been my first indication that my beautiful daydream about flying was just that.  A freakin daydream!

So then it's out to the tarmac

This isn't a luxury Learjet!

WHAT? PJ's doing all his own pre-flight checks?

What about those guys in the coveralls?

That's PJ shoving me in the back seat.  Riding in this plane in the back seat was like riding in the back of a VW bug.

Getting things ready to go

PJ and Brian going over a few things

Brian is PJ's flight instructor.  It's possible that I might have babysat Brians FOLKS!

Yes, he looks that young!

The only thing I get to control while shoved in the back seat...

The air and reading lights

Here we go!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH LORD!  Here we go!

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHITTTT!!!!!

 Something a girl wants to keep handy!

What a beautiful day! This is approching Tacoma

Do we not live in one of the most beautiful places?

So I made it about 45 minutes before I was thinking I would like the window rolled down.

PJ did a fantastic job on take off, circling, and landing.  I don't know much about flying but I think he's pretty damn fantastic!

And then it was over!


Then we went for what pilots call the
$100 Hamburger

We ended our day with a  little lunch at Full Throttle Grill

If you are ever in the Auburn area by Emerald Downs I highly recommend this place.

It was a great day and it was nice to spend some time with PJ
I'm looking forward to more trips.

HOWEVER............
Let this be a warning to you when you say "I'll see you later today, have a good day Honey!"