We Are Called Fudge

Eddie Is the New Jon

2008-05-13T22:27:00.003-05:00

Since the Snotties are all going to see him the day after tomorrow, I was suckered into promising that I would not reveal too much about seeing Eddie Izzard live and in person this evening. But I can't possibly say nothing at all, as it is contrary to my very nature, so here goes...

First and foremost, single-ticket sales can be a beautiful thing, and a big, BIG shoutout to LaCa for arranging that for me... my designated 18 square inches were all I could have desired without someone requiring a kidney for down payment. Added to this, the nimrods who had the two seats directly in front of me didn't show up (!!!), so my view was clear and unobstructed for two solid hours.

Not sure if it was the lighting, my imagination, or perhaps the safety tinting on my contact lenses, but I had no idea Eddie's eyes were quite that strikingly blue. Seriously.

He got heckled in French.

There was a line that he deemed to be a "four-person joke." I was one of the four people. NO doubts on this, probably even the strangers on either side of me would confirm it.

He has an iPhone, and doesn't leave it in his dressing room... which makes me wonder who he would actually take a call from while on stage.

A couple of things I might have expected, I saw none (or at least very little) of. If you know his stuff well, there were references that I believe had to be deliberate, but not obvious. Overall, the reactions I heard from others in the crowd as we filed out were very positive, and I myself laughed myself into a hacking cough regularly. Even took a couple hits on the pneumonia inhaler that I'm still carrying around, hoping that might help relieve some of the hacking. It did not.

Pondered hanging around at the back of the theater for a while to let the crowd thin out and maybe catch a glimpse or a 'graph... but the beefy bouncer boys appeared to be taking their jobs very seriously, so I decided against it. Did I miss out? Possibly. But I'll just have to live with that.

What the hell IS the Pope's real name, anyway?

Enjoyed the Columbus stuff he opened with, curious to see how it changes when he's playing in Chicago.

Brace yourself ladies, he is all boy in this one. Well, not ALL boy, he's still Eddie, but... Dude. Was. Smo. KING.

And this is all VERY tightly scripted.

So... yeah.

What Can You Say?

2007-12-05T15:35:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, there just are no words. I've been waiting for a few days now for the words to come to me, and they just aren't.

While still working through the grief of Larry's death in October and preparing to go to Arizona for his memorial, I received a voicemail message from my father on Saturday afternoon. He was calling to tell me that my stepmother had died. She was not old. She was not sick. I was not ready.

When Larry died, the words came to me immediately, and I posted them here. Larry had been in my life for 12 years, and I knew just exactly what I wanted to say about what I was feeling. Astrid has been my stepmother since 1973, and our relationship can probably be most kindly described as complex. And I have no idea what I'm feeling now.

I posted a picture of Larry, taken only a couple of months before his death, and less than 2 weeks after I last saw him. I could post a picture of Astrid, but it would be either taken by somebody else at a time and place to which I have no real emotional attachment, or so old as to not have any real relevance to it anymore. Such was the nature of our relationship.

If there is a gift to be had, it is that through all of this, both of my parents have each expressed a concern and a sympathy for the other that I honestly didn't think possible. A couple of people have wondered if this is perhaps some sort of karmic sign that my parents should be together again... I must ask forgiveness when I laugh at that. One co-worker asked if that was a fantasy that had died long ago. My answer was no, that was a fantasy that had never existed in the first place. If there is one thing I can be certain of, it is that that is not the path the universe has in store for either of them.

But beyond that... I don't know what to say...

Looking Back

2007-11-25T10:35:00.000-05:00

So, we are now back at home, pictures have been posted, wine has been drunk, and my body is beginning to figure out this night vs. day thing once again...

It's weird, though. We had a lovely, albeit somewhat frigid time, met a bunch of fun people, saw priceless art... but now that I'm back home, I sort of feel like, Italy? Check. Which is new for me. Every other time I've traveled like this, I've hated to leave and wanted to turn around and come back as soon as it was over. Now, I feel like OK, been there, done that.

Maybe it was because the weather was not all that conducive to wandering the city streets and exploring lots of stuff. Maybe it was that the emergency car repairs constrained my budget, so I wasn't shopping for everyone I've ever met or seeking out five-star restaurants. Maybe it's the lack of any familial connections. Maybe it's because Larry died ten days before I left. Or, maybe I'm just comparing apples to oranges, and Italy just doesn't speak to me the way other places I've traveled have done. Whatever the case, I feel like I'm bracing myself for returning to work tomorrow, where I'm going to get the, "So, how was your trip?" at every turn.

In other news, however, I should mention that my friend Erin's record of 8 scoops of gelato in a single day still stands -- I think I only ever got as high as 5. I can unequivocably say, however, that visitors to Venice should stay away from the gelato offered in the shops on Piazza San Marco. It was the least creamy, had noticeable ice chunks in it, and is clearly there only to cater to a tourist market that doesn't know any better. Seek out Gelateria Nico, even if you have to take a vaporetto completely around the city to get there. It's worth it. If you find yourself on the island of Lido, there was also a great little place there, right on the main street, where the scoops were humongous and they gave you a little wafer cookie with it, too. Yum.

In Florence, we did sample the wares at Vivoli, although did not get over to the competition at Perche No. (I think this was due in large part to the weather being at its coldest in Florence, making walking about unappealing and gelato as a reward unmotivating.) I had read in one of my guidebooks that gelato in Florence is generally sweeter than in other places, and based on my Vivoli experience, I can see where one could make the argument, but it was still damned tasty. The texture was a bit softer, so it got all melty a little faster, but the staff were very helpful in explaining the myriad of flavors available, and overall, I feel I can recommend Vivoli as an enjoyable experience.

The absolute winner for me, though, was Giolitti in Rome. These people have been around for over 100 years, and the place has sort of an old-time elegance to it... it's like black-tie gelato. They didn't seem too keen on offering gelato in a cup rather than a cone (I didn't see the option offered anywhere), but their cones are chocolate-coated, and their gelato was the smoothest, richest, creamiest, and most luxurious of any that I had during the entire trip. If I ever do find myself in Italy again, I'm going to try and get there to sample some more flavors.

Not sure that's enough of a reason by itself to go back, though.

My Ass is Freezing on the Beautiful White Marble

2007-11-16T11:14:00.000-05:00

PA and I have agreed on many things, of late... Italy is fun, gelato is yummy, espresso is addictive, Italian men are overwhelmingly hot... but I think the one thing we agree on most strongly at the moment is that Zes was somehow destined to not make this trip with us. It is COLD here, and she would not have appreciated God's little meteorological thumbing of the nose.

That said, it is also beautiful. The whirlwind touring of Wednesday afternoon did not diminish the beauty of this city by any measure. Yesterday, we were on our own to scope out precious works of art, sample local gelato (yes, apparently there IS a difference between cities!), experience an Italian laundromat, and take a short beauty break. Today was Pisa, which... for all the pictures you've seen of a building that tilts and what's the big deal... was really kinda cool. Not to mention the church and the baptistery that are right next to it that you NEVER hear much at all about -- it's a new perspective on all of that, really. I felt similarly to how I did upon seeing Mt. Rushmore live and in person. You know what it's going to look like, but somehow, the experience of actually being there makes it altogether different.

On the down side, the clouds rolled in and the wind kicked up, and this was probably the coldest day we've had yet. On top of that, we just missed a shuttle bus that would take us back to our tour bus to come back to the hotel, and we were unaware that we'd arrived at the bus stop just exactly as the shift was due to change... so, yeah, our butts sat on those white marble bus benches for just over half an hour before we gave up and decided to walk. An unbeknownst adventure, as even the tour director wasn't sure how to get back to our bus on foot! It didn't take long, though, till we were safe and warm on our comfy big green bus, and back on the road.

Oh, and PA and I also got insulted by one of the Nigerian illegal immigrants who walk around selling fake Pradas and shit!! Yeah, the hilarity continues...

Dinner in Fiesole tonight, then on to Orvieto and Rome tomorrow morning... which means I'll have to pack after dinner. Better be careful how much wine I drink!!

Aaaaand.... We're Walking

2007-11-14T13:17:00.000-05:00

Only mere moments available for this post, but for now, we have arrived in Florence, seen the Duomo, learned about leather, bought a sweatshirt, and realized how fabulous hot chocolate is here. Oh, and our feet are damned tired.

But, we've found the internet here, so more soon!

Buonasera!

2007-11-13T11:51:00.000-05:00

It's evening here in Italy, and for the record, PA and I have decided that time passes MUCH too slowly over there in the States. We've been tooling around Venice all frakkin' day, and when she asked me what time it was in Chicago, the answer was, "Oh... 10am." That just doesn't seem right, somehow.

In the two full days here (not counting the day of arrival, when we were heavy on the gaping and glazed looks), we've covered a lot of territory, thanks in part to the purchase of 12-hour vaporetto (waterbus) passes. It's interesting... I didn't really use public transit at all whilst in Central Europe. I think that was both because I had local relatives to take me around Budapest, but also because I did more of the optional trips and therefore had less free time. But I also think that perhaps, somehow, in her own quiet and unassuming way, PA pushes me to get out there. Which... is a good thing when one is thousands of miles from home! But perhaps we've overdone it just a tad for one day -- sitting here at the keyboard, we are both feeling like we're still on a boat. For God's sake, somebody stop the rocking!!

We depart for Florence in the morning... looking forward to warmer weather (or at least a lack of wind coming in off the water), and are debating Italian haircuts. We'll see... stay tuned to this station for updates as events warrant!

9/18/38 - 10/30/07

2007-10-30T19:18:00.000-05:00

Larry loved trains.

Larry loved his grandkids.

Larry loved Arizona.

Larry loved Carl Sandberg.

Larry loved his son.

Larry loved the Yankees.

Larry loved classical music.

Larry loved his job. Most days.

Larry loved giving up his job and being retired.

Larry loved his life.

Larry loved Annie.

And we who are left loved you back, dear one. Go in peace.

We'll Be Back After a Word From Our Sponsors

2007-10-27T13:10:00.000-05:00

Yes, yes... I have been woefully neglectful of this little piece of web space... I was reminded not too long ago that I have not put anything up here since June.

But fear not!! PirateAlice and I journey to Italy just two short weeks from today!! And from there, my friends, there will hopefully be blogging aplenty! At the very least, you'll have lots of pretty pictures to look at...

Memories of a Former Life

2007-06-30T20:54:00.000-05:00

As I sit here jamming out to all 75 Police tracks (OK, most of them... I skipped a few) in preparation for the concert next week, the wise and mighty iPod has seen fit to shuffle them in such a way that "Hole in My Life" is the last song. It reminds me of how, back in the day, Sting once said that the group would always close their shows with "So Lonely," because he loved the irony of closing out a gig in a massive stadium full of people with a song about desperation and feeling isolated. The irony here in my living room is similar.

I'm excited for this concert not just because it's going to be ass-kicking music from a group that I never believed I'd see on stage again. The Police were the defining music of my early college years. They were the end-all and be-all to this tender and as yet unbattered 18-year-old, at a time when I was still struggling to figure out who I was, and my place in the universe. Certain songs bring me immediately back to a time and place when the world was my bitch, anything was possible, I just had to figure out where I wanted to go, and how I wanted to get there, when I had no preconceived notions about what the universe might expect in return. Sometimes, a chord change is all I need to smell the cold Syracuse night air.

My introduction to the blonde trio came from a friend I'd made my freshman year of college. She lived down the hall in the dorm, shared a similar taste for biting sarcasm, and let me crash on her floor when my stuck-up bitch of a roommate was intent on having sex whether I was in the room or not. We roomed together the following year, visited each other during the summer, and when I moved to Chicago to find what it had to offer at the age of 20, she followed eighteen months later. She was my best friend and confidant for the next fifteen years, and even my ex-husband once told me, "You two have something that I just know better than to get between." It was me that took her to the airport when her father died. It was her I called when my marriage fell apart.

And then, in 1999, she cut me off. Broke my heart. Left for reasons I will never understand.

I've made my peace with it, with the fact that what happened will always be unknowable to me. But I've also had to find a comfort level in being OK with her being part of my past, that there are things in my world, important things that I don't want to let go of, that will just always be inextricably linked to the memory of that friendship. Like listening to The Police.

It's funny, because it really seems that her departure was the starting point of when things really turned around for me. I moved to another city, found new friends, went to school and embarked on a whole other life that is wonderful and fulfilling in ways that 18-year-old couldn't possibly have imagined. I realize now, in retrospect, that she had a lot of negativity, her world was so full of things she couldn't do... Hers was a life filled with holes. And mine, now, is a life of anything but.

So, by this time next week it will all be over except the ringing in my ears. I expect to have a completely righteous, rockin' good time, as part of a long weekend spent with people I love, because life is good.

And here's to you, Jane. I hope you get to see Sting 'n' The Boys when they come near you, wherever you are. I hope jamming out to "Regatta de Blanc" takes you back to a time when happiness came to you a little more easily. And I hope your life has a few less holes these days. Mine sure as hell does.

Raise Your Voice

2007-06-24T10:27:00.000-05:00

OK, people, there's only about 12 days left to cast your vote for the New 7 Wonders of the World! I just read an article that says most of the votes are coming from Asia and Latin America, with a much lower response rate from the US and Europe. So, let's get on it!! You can read about each of the top 20 sites (and the Pyramids of Giza, which are going to be included no matter what, since they are the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World) right here:

http://www.new7wonders.com/index.php?id=315

You get to pick your top seven, so it's not like you're making Sophie's Choice or anything, here...

And we'll all find out who the winners are on 07/07/07! Yay!!

I Need More Friends Who Blog

2007-05-19T19:04:00.000-05:00

OK, the rules as stated to me are:

1. Each player starts by blogging 8 random facts about themselves.
2. At the end of the post, you tag 8 friends and post their names.
3. You leave a comment on the blogs of the aforementioned 8 friends, telling them they've been tagged, and instructing them to read your blog.

Random facts about Sister Madness:

1. I was given the name Sister Madness by La Cabeza Grande.

2. I have visited, driven through, or otherwise been to 32 states and the District of Columbia.

3. My parents have, between them, three marriages and one long term relationship. Through all of that, I have never had a sister, a half-sister, a step-sister, or a pseudo-sister.

4. Of all the children I refer to as nieces and nephews, only three have direct blood relation to me, and they are actually first cousins once removed.

5. I could read at the age of 4. The first book I read by myself was Dr. Seuss's "Hop on Pop."

6. I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was almost 9.

7. I won a prize for "Most Adorable" in the annual Halloween costume contest of the village where we lived when I was 3. I was a yellow gingham sunflower (handmade by Mom, back when she did those things), COMPLETELY adorable, and have spent the last 38 years trying to win the title a second time.

8. I was just puked on by a kid at work for the first time this past Thursday. Considering what I do and where I do it, I'm rather surprised that it took this long.

OK, Missy and Bridget? I don't see that anyone else has tagged you (and if they did, then you haven't posted!), so you're the only two left on my list that I can tag. I'll also mention that Zes has been tagged, and I am anxiously awaiting her post.

The Kraftiness Kontinues

2007-05-17T21:07:00.001-05:00

OK, major accomplishment, here!!

Little Alex is due to arrive next week, and I'll be headed to the post office on Saturday with a box containing three of my standard, all cotton poop-n-puke blankets, which I have been making for beloved babies the world over since 1985, and three (Count 'em!! Three!!) little delights for the delicate newborn noggin. Check 'em out!

Counter-clockwise from the upper right, the first is the previously blogged first foray with circular needles, with a pompom added for a little fun and flair. It is completely precious, but I was concerned that, even for the most newly-arrived melon, it would be a wee bit wee. So, I took another stab at it, doing complete and utter "whim-knitting" for the second go-round. And around I went, to the tune of 96 stitches per, in a 5 knit-1 purl pattern. For Lucky Number Three, I found some larger needles on sale and undertook Vintage Knits' Rolled Brim Baby Hat with Top Knot. All told, I ended up with three hats that appear to be all of varying sizes, so here's hoping that at least one of them will work for the little bugger!

And I got 'em all done before the baby arrived!! Go, me!

Mr. DeMille...

2007-05-15T18:39:00.000-05:00

So, I come back to the office around lunchtime today, minding my own business, when I see there's a message on my phone. I've got a few minutes before my next meeting, so I check the voicemail. It's a woman from the Marketing/PR department of the hospital...

I took a class a couple weeks ago from a local magician/comedian who wanted to teach interested hospital employees a few basic tricks, which we could use to break the ice and connect with kids who are feeling anxious about being at the hospital. Since Child Life is all about distractions and helping kids to engage their own inherent coping skills, many of us have signed up for the class, but it just so happened that my class was the very first one.

It seems that the local paper has gotten wind of what's going on, and wants to do a story on it. They are going to profile the guy teaching the class, and also want to interview somebody who has taken the class and can put the value of it into everyday use. The Marketing/PR lady called my director, who pointed her my way. Said director then advised me that I should "be prepared for pictures..."

ACK!!! There's essentially no wiggle room in my budget these days, and I need an emergency eyebrow wax! Dammit!!

Sister M's Krafty Korner

2007-05-06T19:43:00.000-05:00

I don't know what hit me this particular week... but I'm somehow channeling all of my junior high school home ec classes. It started, I guess, because I needed to fix a pair of pants for work. The seam was coming loose, and, well... a blowout in a room full of preschoolers would probably be a bad thing. So, I got the sewing machine out.

Once it was out and set up, I decided to tackle the under-sink curtains for my half bathroom. I'd bought the material not long after moving in here, and it has just sat for months. Meanwhile, the space under the sink has been useful for storage, but stuff has sort of piled up under there, and it's really not much to look at. So, a bit of ironing, a few pins, some meticulous measuring, and some simple straight line sewing, and voila! Now the bath is festive and fashionable!

(The hand towels will need to be replaced with some fingertip towels that match the color scheme a bit better, but... all in due time!)

Next, I decided to make another small object for baby Alex, who will be arriving at the end of the month. This is strictly "on a whim" knitting, and I'm totally making it up as I go along, but I'll be sure to take a snap and post before I send it off. The purple fingerless gloves are still a work in progress as well, but I think I was in need of something I could start and finish quickly in order to recharge my juices for tackling them again.

Stay tuned!! More krafty stuff to kome!

The Highs & Lows of Vehicle Ownership

2007-03-17T22:29:00.000-05:00

Well, I did it. Gave up one of the last vestiges of my Texas life. Oh, there's still a burnt orange tassel hanging from my rear view mirror, and a "Texas Exes" sticker in my back windshield (which I don't really deserve, because my membership has expired), but the Texas license plates are gone. In their place? Some lovely Ohio vanity plates (I have ALWAYS wanted vanity plates!!!) that complement my gorgeous little Bluebonnet to a T. Lookie, lookie!

On a more frustrating note, a couple of days before this, some kids were apparently in the parking lot of my apartment complex with some eggs, and wee Bonnie was one of the victims. Now, I'm not sure I'd make all that big of a deal out of such a thing... was I annoyed? Yeah. Did I want to be outside at 11pm cleaning sticky goo off of my car? No. But did it warrant calling the police and filing a report? Apparently so to my next door neighbor, who made sure that the entire surrounding area knew it was "dem kids from over the way, dey always wanna be playin' wit Shayna, but Shayna sixteen, and dey just KIDS..." I have my own opinions about Shayna AND her mother, but... that's another blog entry. Anyway, she gets the guy who lives across from us to come over and help clean up the eggy mess. Now, I don't really know this guy at all, but he's always seemed just a little too eager to be friendly for my taste, so... I generally give him a wide berth. But there he is, cleaning off the cars, offering up the services of his friend Vince's car detailing place, and bemoaning that I'm gonna need a new paint job because of ONE egg. Take a look:

I mean, seriously. A whole new paint job?? For this??? Do eggs really do that much damage to a car? Anybody wanna weigh in on this one?

On a happier note, the knitting is going well! I've tried to take it sort of slowly, just learning one or two new skills with each project. The baby hat was my first stab at circular needles, and doing decreases. Now, I'm working with double-pointed needles to make fingerless gloves out of this GORGEOUS silk/wool blend (courtesy of LaCa, natch!), and when I get to the thumb gussets, I'm gonna have to learn to do increases.

Wish me luck!

Feigning the Metier

2007-02-28T22:45:00.000-05:00

OK, I admit it... a long weekend spent with LaCa, and the knitting bug has bitten me once again. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the first outing on the first afternoon I arrived was to her chic new neighborhood yarn store, where she loaded me up with goodies!

And so, I present here, my first foray into knitting on circular needles -- a bonny wee hat for a bonny wee Alex, who will make his debut in May.

It's not perfect (and naturally, I can see all the mistakes), but I think it's still pretty damned darling.

Beware the Rabbi, He Only Takes Tips!

2007-02-22T23:52:00.001-05:00

OK, so since I work in an HIV clinic, I decided to take a look at a recent news article.

It's important work about a scientific study that could have significant impact on how the AIDS crisis is handled in Africa, but this quote just made me laugh out loud:
"This is an extraordinary development," said Dr. Kevin de Cock, director of the World Health Organization's AIDS department. "Circumcision is the most potent intervention in HIV prevention that has been described."

Dude, either work on something else, or change your name before you enter the field...

Huzzah!

2007-02-07T10:10:00.000-05:00

It's Eddie Izzard's birthday! Penne a la arrabbiata for everyone!!!

Pardon Me While I Freshen Up...

2007-02-03T17:32:00.000-05:00

Wow, I hadn't realized that we're already into February, and this is my first post of 2007!! With all the things that have been running around in my head that I might post, I admit to being a tad incredulous that I haven't actually done it.

But here I am, conscientiously staying indoors to avoid the instantaneous snot-freezing that's taking place outside, so I'm strolling about the internets, pondering the upcoming trip to Italy, getting in line for Harry Potter, and finally landing here at Blogger. The site encouraged me to upgrade to their new stuff, so I did, and from there, it was clicking aplenty. They lured me in with the "give your blog a fresh look!" thing, so I did it... and have reverted back to the original gray tones that I had way back when. I played around with some of the colors to make it not quite so funereal, but can't figure out how to change the top and side colors like I had 'em. Not to worry, though... In less than two weeks, I will be dropping in at Casa Cabeza, and I'm sure she will help me fix it. (Please, K??)

Meanwhile, life is grand but frigid here in central Ohio...

Christmas Donation or New Hire?

2006-12-26T22:09:00.000-05:00

Came in to work today to find my cubicle already occupied. Apparently, Kermie likes the Lego blocks...

Yes, yes... I'm sure the AADL is going to have something to say about this...

The 10PM Haiku

2006-12-12T06:41:00.000-05:00

Crazy day at work
Body betrays me again
Home. Ahh, stretchy pants

On the Other Hand...

2006-12-09T13:36:00.000-05:00

Even with chocolate, there is too much of a good thing.

After last night's post about the sumptuous and delectable Lava Bar, I remembered that I'd come across this a few weeks ago at the clinic where I work...

In an office where a fair portion of the patients are homosexual men, this somehow takes on a whole different light... And, ew.

Only Natural

2006-12-08T22:35:00.000-05:00

I think a blog titled "We Are Called Fudge has to be all about this, don't you??

When Last We Left Our Heroine...

2006-12-08T13:23:00.000-05:00

Yeah, OK. Tried to do the "posting every day in November" thing. Did pretty well for a while there, too -- until Thanksgiving, that is. The folks were here, the house nearly burned down, then Zes was here, and now here I am, barrelling my way into the holidays. Life happens, what're ya gonna do?

So, the rather cute volunteer guy was here again last night... he stuck his tongue out at me as he walked by. I, of course, responded in kind. Then, he pretended (facetiously) that we had never met to the supervisor a while later (Note: supervisor then went about introducing us, which leads me to believe she didn't catch any of the previous antics). She caught on that he was bullshitting her when he bowed to me and kissed my hand...

I only have two or three weeks left where I'll be around when he is... after the first of the year, I will be upstairs in the clinic on Thursday nights, and our paths will rarely cross. Suggestions?

The Curse of the Thanksgiving Pies

2006-11-22T23:54:00.000-05:00

Mom arrived today, and since my cousin wants to have dinner early tomorrow, we decided we'd better make pies tonight. I conceded the fat-free half & half thing... although, I will say, the pumpkin pie doesn't seem to be quite the appropriate color that I think it should. We'll just have to see how it tastes tomorrow.

The apple pie went in first, as it needed the highest temperature to begin with (and gets turned down to the same temp as the others during baking). After the pie had been in the oven for some time, some juices began to bubble up, and Mom realized she hadn't put any flour in the mixture... which meant it was going to be extra-juicy, and gunk up the bottom the oven. Argh.

The pecan went next, and we noted that, in spite of using a standard-sized pie plate, it seemed a bit full. I should have known right there... The folks left just apple pie came out of the oven, and things seemed under control -- I just had to wait for the pies to finish baking, and take them out to cool. No biggie, right? Five minutes after they left, the pecan pie starts puffing up to the point that huge chunks of it are dripping off the plate. After seeing one whole pecan (fully coated with Karo syrup and gook, of course) slide off, I decided that done or not, the pecan pie had to come out. So, that one may be a bit gooey still in the middle.

I got it out just in time, though, because as soon as I repositioned the pumpkin pie in the center of the oven, the crap at the bottom started to catch on FIRE. Don't worry, the house is still standing... but I felt the safest thing to do was turn the oven off for a few minutes while the goo on the oven floor carbonized and burnt itself out. Good God, do I have a mess to clean up.

But, so long as the pies don't taste like my entire house smells... it should be fine.

Now, on to the cranberry sauce.