Strix, your 'friend' is being a jerk.

In other news, I had a very Buffista moment at Thanksgiving yesterday. The conversation at the table turned to grammar and (im)proper word usage.

A family friend who was sitting next to me talked about how when he was young, he had a teacher who insisted that you should never use 'hopefully' to indicate that you were hoping for a certain outcome, and that you should instead say 'it is to be hoped that.' 'Hopefully' should be only be used if you are talking about doing things in a hopeful manner.

Before anyone else could chime in, I said: "Well, hopefully these days people aren't so pedantic about it."

Ha! Hopefully no one will count my hopefully abuses.

As usual, I am pretty awful at Christmas shopping. I just suck at it. I need to figure out a way of getting my MIL to do it for me because she rocks at shopping.

We're not doing gifts this year, since we're spending so much on the Africa trip. It's really quite relaxing.

Took the dog for a walk, and coming back into the house I realized that I was so tired last night, that I put my compost in the recycling bin. Woops!

Just had the mandatory first slice of leftover pie for breakfast. Tasty! It's apple-cranberry-cherry, just tart enough.

Now I should get off my ass and see if I can get a massage somewhere...

In handing out printed recipes to my minions yesterday I inadvertently gave a really rather complex one to my DIL. (shifting from son's girlfriend to daughter-in-love because this is totally happening, they are getting ready to put an offer in on a house together) Anyway, she really has zero experience cooking, but is all up for learning, and this cranberry gingerbread recipe from the NYT was challenging for her, but 100% yummy. [link]

shifting from son's girlfriend to daughter-in-love

That is so sweet!

I was so prepared to be stressed out yesterday, but Thanksgiving went pretty smoothly for me. I'm feeling it right now, though, I guess my brain is burning off all the residual anxiety it had stored up. It doesn't help that there is absolutely nothing to do here at work today.

Of course, my analyst took the day off today; this is the one day of the year that need therapy the most!

hivemind thoughts on brand of food processors?

I currently only have a 1 cup electric chopper thing. It took me 5-6 rounds to get all the cranberries chopped this Thanksgiving and I decided it is time to get a bigger one.

Yay for a good Thanksgiving, Tom.

Laura, I love daughter-in-love. I've been calling Kelly's fiance my son-in-law already, but maybe I'll flip over until the wedding.

msbelle, I have no advice on food processors. I don't even know what brand mine is or where it came from. But it comes in hand more often that I'd have thought.

Consuela, apple-cranberry-cherry sounds great. The ginger pumpkin pie with a gingersnap crust was tasty but the ginger built up a bit too much. And I love ginger. If I try that recipe again, I'll probably cut the fresh ginger in half and maybe do a half gingersnaps and half graham cracker crust.

I'm very tempted to hit up Michaels and Lowes. But that requires leaving the house. I already tried to see if I could order the things I want online and over half of what I want is only available in store.

Timelies all!

We are at Chessiecon.

Laura, I love daughter-in-love.

Seriously, it is the best when you love your kid's mate choice. I see too often when that isn't the case and that sucks mightily. Even better, her parents adore my son. They have to stay together because all the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends will be mad at them it they don't make it work. (such pressure, but they can take it)