Eddie Izzard - First Thanksgiving

Kerrigan and Charlie

Here's a pic I took of Kerrigan back in September with my phone, but didn't get around to uploading until yesterday:








And this is Charlie, one of the current crop of feral cats living in my yard:




I named her Charlie because she has a cute little Charlie Chaplin mustache. At the time, I didn't know whether she was a boy or a girl, because she is skittish around me and usually doesn't let me get too close. She appears to be pregnant now, though, so there you go. Also, because she is so skittish, I didn't notice until recently that she has a perfect little heart on her back. She showed up for dinner last night while I was out on the porch, and I was able to snap a quick photo with my phone.

Happy birthday to me

I had a really nice birthday today. Usually hardly anyone remembers my birthday because I tend not to mention that it's coming up, but last week I was talking to my friend Jessica about getting together for lunch this week and I said, "Hey, we should go on Tuesday. It's my birthday!"

Well, sneaky little Jessica sent me a box of delicious cookies and brownies from Tiff's Treats this morning (Y'all. These cookies are still warm when they are delivered! Also, I think they put crack in them. They are ridiculously addictive.) and then took me out to lunch at Bess Bistro (Sandra Bullock's new restaurant). It was fabulous, and so nice to be treated on my birthday!

I also got lots of nice emails and e-cards and phone calls, and a lovely gift card from my boss for a shopping spree at the mall. And, of course, this evening I got to kick back and watch one of my favorite t.v. shows. It was a very lovely day.

HandyCat

I put a new door handle and deadbolt on my front door this evening. My deadbolt was broken so I'd been relying on just the flimsy doorknob lock for several months and didn't really feel safe at night. If I didn't have a security alarm, I probably would have replaced it a lot sooner, but I'm lazy and the security alarm made me feel a bit safer, so it took me awhile.

But it's done! And while I was at it, I replaced my standard round doorknob with a lever style that is much, much easier for me to open. The RA has gotten bad enough over the past couple of years that I have a lot of difficulty turning standard round doorknobs and faucets. The new one looks like this, except that it has the lever on both sides rather than having the, um... I don't know what to call it. The thumb tab thingie on the outside. That would be really hard for me to open during a flare-up. The lever is easy.

Of course, looking at the picture, I now realize I put the levers on upside down. I'll switch them tomorrow. But the point is, I did it myself. It took me nearly two hours (because at one point I couldn't figure how to get the levers on at all, so I gave up and put the old doorknob back on. Then I figured it out and had to do it all over again.) and my hands and wrists are now all swollen and sore from all the screwdriving and such, but I did it!

Craving

Y'all, I don't know how long it has been since I last ate a cheeseburger, but every once in awhile I still get a wicked craving for one. This week, for some reason, I was craving a McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese. I could almost taste it, I wanted one so badly. I actually considered abandoning my principles and going to McDonald's.

Fortunately, I found a better solution. I don't often eat veggie burgers, as I've rarely found one that tastes good. However, at the grocery store on Friday, I decided to give it one more try. I found these Morningstar Farms Grillers Prime veggie burgers and bought a box, along with hamburger buns and all the fixins. As soon as I got home, I put together my own version of a Quarter Pounder with Cheese.

I baked the veggie burger in the oven as directed and then put it on a bun with a couple slices of cheese (and then popped it in the microwave for fifteen seconds to melt the cheese) and added ketchup, mustard, and a bit of dill relish.

It was delicious! It actually tasted pretty much like a real cheeseburger! It wouldn't have passed for a gourmet burger or even a homemade on the grill burger, but it was definitely every bit as tasty as a fast food cheeseburger. I liked it so much I had another one yesterday and will probably have one again today. Yum!!