Thanksgiving Week

Monday: (11/24) Another week begins. I started the day with a dentist appointment. They had to do some warranty work on one of my fillings. It only took a few minutes. I did a little looking around at the old Vallco Shopping Center now Cupertino Square. They've been remodeling it for years, going on decades. It's finally taking shape but still mostly empty and with the current economy, probably will remain that way for a while. they changed to an entertainment theme. They've always had an ice scating arena. A big multi screen theater opened a while back. A bowling ally more recently and now, the food court reopened. it only has two tenants now, Burger King and Popeye's but within a few days a third will open and it looks VERY interesting. It's the HB Express a german fast food eatery. They are going to open a big HB Hofbräuhaus sometime but the Express will provide schnitchels, bratworsts and other different fare. We've been waiting for the HB to open. We make it a point to drop by their Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas and their Biergarten in Las Vegas every time we pass through.


Lou got the living room back in order today rehanging pictures, etc. When I finally got home, I decided to install the security door on the front. It got deferred but I had a few moments today and it went up easily. Then time to finish the dreaded gutter cleaning.

Brother Ernie arrives tomorrow evening. For dinner we went out to Chili's Restaurant.

Tuesday: (11/25) We were all up early today. Lou and Dawn enjoyed breakfast, I was fasting. We dropped Dawn off in Mountain View to catch the trolley. Lou and I passed a little time browsing a Rite Aide store. We arrived at the Kaiser hospital for my 930 appointment a bit early but they took me right in.


The surgery on my ring finger was schedule for 1030 and started about 1025. They sliced my ring finger open and removed a cyst (a bone spur under a tenon) from my finger just behind the nail. It took about 25 minutes. Fortunately, there was no pain involved. I'm such a sissy.

Lou and I then went to breakfast at the Country Inn in Cupertino, my first, here second. We shared a really nice omlette.

I took a nice nap when we got home. Now, I get to sit or lay around with my hand held high for a few days. Oh gee, I can't do dishes! Brother Ernie is a great cook/chef but he is a real dirty dish generator. I usually spend most of my time trying to keep up. Not this year, poor Lou.

Speaking of Ernie, he just left Bakersfield, 5pm, on his way here from Las Vegas. Not only am I using the tiny keyboard on my little eeePC laptop but I'm also using just onr hand.Ernie arrived about 9:30.

Wednesday: (11/26) Ernie did his laundry all morning. He and I then went grocery shopping for his tenure as chef.

For dinner Ernie fixed some very nice chicken fried steak with smashed potatoes and sour cream green beans.


Thursday: (11/27) Thanksgiving day or Turkey Day or whatever, it''s what those who work call a holiday. We, on the other hand call it "today."

Ernie has been very busy baking pies this morning. Lou's been busy trying to keep up with his dirty dish and messy kitchen efforts. They're both doing good work.


The doggies always like the holidays.

Today, the sun actually came out. Yesterday, the rain allowed the fellosw to collect mud and decorate the house with some of it. Much better today.

Wonder of wonders. Dawn actually made a post to the blog I setup for her over two yeears ago, http:\dawnwood.info.

Dinner was topical. Roast turkey breast, smashed potatoes, creamed peas with pearl onions, non stuffed stuffing, and fruit salad. Everything of the usual Ernie quality. This is the first time we did a turkey breast. It was cooked on the rotisserie.

And then there was desert. Ernie baked three pies; mince, cranberry pear, and apple. Thee cranberry pear pie is very good and holiday appropriate.

We didn't have a stuffed bird but everyone ended up stuffed after dinner.

Friday: (11/28) Omletes ala Ernie for breakfast. He and I went off to Wally World where he did a little shopping for items such as doggie food and I visited Trader Joe's for more eggs and some green peppers. Lou and Dawn headed over to the OSH hardware store and collected a sales tax rebate on the washer we bought a while back. This weekend OSH pays the sales tax.

Lou and Dawn continued thrift shopping. Ernie and i remained home with the dogs and computers

Saturday: (11/29) Lou and I sudoku-ed lot today. Ernie fixed biscuits and gravy for breakfast. He wanted to go over to Sunset gardens but they were closed today. For dinner Ernie fixed potato cheese soup.


We got our first look at my finger without a bandage today. Doesn't look bad, if a dark ugly finger isn't bad.

The weather was nice again today.

Sunday: (11/30) Ernie was up early preparing to leave. he did a some final laundry and prepared breakfast for us all. He is very handy to have around! We distracted his doggies in the back yard while he packed up. He was off sometime around 11 am. We then all cleaned up and headed out to do a little shopping and generally waste the rest of the day.

My finger has been very nice. The minor pain both during and since the surgery has been much less than the occasional feeling it had been hit by a hammer that has been common for these past many months.
I've got a couple of doctors appointments over the next two weeks and Lou and Dawn plan another visit to Lou's sister in Fresno. I'll also take a few hikes if all goes well. Then, hopefully, we'll be on the road again in mid December.