I Feel Grumpy, oh so Grumpy

 LUCY BURDETTE:  Mulling over what we should chat about last Thursday, I found myself stumped. Rhys touched on what we’d miss over the holidays last week, did we want to do that again? I wondered whether anyone would want to discuss the pandemic and the possible vaccine coming? What about the election? Gah, no way I want to spend anymore bandwidth on that sh**t show. So I thought maybe we’d make it reader’s choice, how are each of you doing? I’ll start…

We made it to Key West last week, just in time for the hurricane. We were very lucky that it passed by north of us so we didn’t lose power or phone or internet. We were sort of prepared: We’d filled the bathtub with water, and made a pot of coffee because caffeine is mandatory no matter the temperature, and borrowed a flashlight (I know, we need to work on that.) We were spared having to use any of it. However, both phone and internet went out simultaneously Thursday morning. Imagine the panic! I had two online meetings scheduled and a ton of work to do, and no way to do any of it. We learned later that a garbage truck had crashed into a pole at Mile Marker 83, taking everyone’s service out from Islamorada to Key West. And such is the risk of living on this fragile string of islands.

And one more thing—I do have a gigantic turkey in the freezer. And there will be three of us at the table. I’m trying to generate ideas and enthusiasm for a lot of turkey leftover recipes. We are going to miss our friends and family terribly. 

So short answer, yes I’m grumpy. But I keep reminding myself—this too will pass. We just have to hang in there and be smart and wait for the scientists to finish their work. I ran across this quote from Walt Whitman in Specimen Days, which he wrote after suffering a devastating stroke: The trick is, I find, to tone your wants and tastes low down enough, and make much of negatives, and of mere daylight and the skies.

How are you doing Reds?

HALLIE EPHRON: We all need Hank’s turkey tetrazzini recipe and a roomy freezer! What I want is a half turkey, sliced the long way so we have a leg and a wing AND half of the breast. I may have to recruit a neighbor to share a bird with us. I’m not going to the market these days so I can’t ask the butcher to halve one for us, and though I can splay a chicken, I think a turkey would be a bridge too far for my knife skills. A hatchet I cannot wield. 

My wondrous news is that both of my daughters are quarantining and then coming here to spend some days just before Thanksgiving. We’ll be having our turkey a few days early, and we will be truly truly thankful. 

JENN McKINLAY: I have no idea what we’re doing for Thanksgiving. This is what happens when you toss the reins of domesticity to your spouse after twenty one years of keeping them firmly in your grasp. Hub will probably deep fry a turkey, maybe some Cornish game hens, I have no idea nor do I care. I am just happy to make the salad and definitely the apple pie. The rest is on him and he’s happy to do it. 

The hooligans will both be here with us, which is nice. One is already out the door while the other has one foot out the door, so we are definitely in a period of big change of the empty nest kind. I am being very mindful to savor the days we’re together and while I miss the extended family we usually spend the holidays with, I won’t complain this year, knowing that there are better days ahead. 

RHYS BOWEN: Not so much grumpy as stressed here. I was elated last Saturday when Joe Biden was declared the winner. But then all these ridiculous accusations of fraud which we know are false but could stir up the most rabid Trump supporters to take to the streets with violence have really upset me. I haven’t been able to sleep well. I just WANT IT TO BE OVER.

Why don’t they just take away his Twitter account?

I’m trying to stay positive about Thanksgiving. Daughter Jane has offered to rig up a shelter in their backyard to have Thanksgiving outside. This will be fine unless it’s pouring with rain and a howling gale. My son suggested we all get tested a couple of days before, which would be great except the girls come back from college and will undoubtedly visit local friends.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I have to admit I am pretty grumpy, too, Roberta, and very stressed. Our Covid numbers are going up like crazy here in Texas, so in our house we are back to the very strict protocols of the spring. I thought we might at least do outside wine and cheese with the kids on Thanksgiving, but even that is out now.  I have no idea what I'm going to cook for the two of us. The upside, I suppose, is lots of quiet time for writing…

Jenn, we deep fried a turkey one year. Your Hubs is a brave dude! I was terrified by hot splashing peanut oil--and then you have to have some way to dispose of it afterwards!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Grumpy, hmm, more like incensed. What are those maskless people THINKING? Honestly, I want to know. And Debs, you know we rely on you and Rick for guidance. And now I forgot what the question was. Oh, Thanksgiving. Our kids are in Brooklyn and Marina Del Rey, and if they said--we’re coming! I’d say: see you next year. kiddos. You know, Thanksgiving is whenever we say it is. We can have it any time. It’s just so dangerous now, and I’m wondering why we can’t be more brave, and proud of ourselves that we can sacrifice ONE DAY and some turkey for the greater good. End of rant. But happy to send the turkey tetrazzini recipe to anyone who wants it. It is INCREDIBLE, and I cannot wait to make it. Sadly, the first ingredient is leftover turkey, which is...a situation. Hey. It works just fine with chicken, or turkey breast that you can buy separately. It’s really all about the bechamel and cheese and the mushrooms and wine and ziti. And the extra cheese, bubbly and crispy on top. SO yum!

JULIA SPENCER FLEMING: I'm definitely trending toward grumpy, mostly because I have spent the better part of the past week in upstate New York clearing out my dad's house to make way for the new owner. My sister, her husband, and our brother have all been champions, but any time you are moving everything out of a house that has been lived in for a quarter century...

It has not been helped by the fact my dad, who is a bit of a control freak, is stuck inside his senior living apartment, unable to leave the grounds due to a Covid quarantine. As a result, he calls one or the other of us approximately every hour beginning at 7:30 a.m. we've also had the experience of carefully FaceTiming clothing, tools, art, etc., having him declare he doesn't want it, only to receive a call 12 to 18 hours later, letting us know he's changed his mind.

Fortunately, after the first couple of times we had already given something away to goodwill, we got more of a sixth sense about this, and has been careful to hold back certain items until the last minute. But when someone else is buying the house, at the last minute, everything has to go!

As you're all reading this, I am finishing the last cleaning and driving back to Maine in a box truck stuffed with furniture destined for Youngest's first apartment. I probably won't be on the back blog, but keep me all in your thoughts and prayers!

Red readers, how are you holding up?