#turkey

For me, it's about fulfilling a sense of wonder about a specific place. Unlike some travelers, I don't go to a place because it "sounds nice". I only visit places that intrigue me for one reason or another. I may have watched a documentary or a movie or read a book and suddenly I'm hooked. For instance, I loved British comedy when I was a kid. I had to go see England. So I did. It was everything I expected and more because I was interested in the small details of the place. The brick architecture. The hedgerows. The musty air of an old pub. The gray slate skies over the Channel. All that stuff. I've been to London twice. Still haven't seen Big Ben or Parliament. Why? I just don't care about them. I've read a lot about Roman history and the great Slavic migrations, so I visit those places. I probably won't visit Sweden because it just doesn't hold any allure to me. I'm sure it's nice and I even have a very good Swedish friend. But I'd rather go to Turkey. Or New Zealand. Or Argentina. Those places intrigue me. That's why I tell new travelers on this forum to think hard about what place holds that magical appeal in their minds. GO THERE. Once you do, every moment becomes special. You aren't just plodding from one tourist site to the next. You are instead immersed in a dream come to life. That's why I travel. Being completely immersed in a culture you have no experience with and people who speak a language you dont know is incredibly fun.
What I mean by perspective: these are the tourists who want to see something that they've heard about or read about all of their lives, and they want to see it for their own eyes rather than on a page or a screen. Times Square, the Mona Lisa, the Pyramids of Egypt, etc are typically the things that these people want to see. Examples: people who sign up for tour groups and spend 10 days on a bus going from tourist trap to tourist trap. Very few people fit perfectly into those three categories, but you can define a lot of travelers by how they fit across those categories. I'd say I personally am about 15% adventure, 15% hedonism and 70% perspective. I travel on my own, without a minimal set itinerary or guide, but the places where I travel tend to be fairly sedate and within an easy walk of toilet facilities. While travelling I indulge a little, but not much more than I would at home - it's about indulging in different things. And I'm 70% perspective: I want to be able to see thing with my own eyes so that I know what it really looks like, without the perspective filter that books, movies and video games put on places.

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Buckle up. The menu for this year, after changes, is as follows; Turkey, bone on prime rib, braised carrots, mashed Yukon tatoes, frog eye salad, cranberry relish(fresh not canned or cooked), fresh rolls, steamed broccoli, layered jello, fudge, hot chocolate, wassail, spiced cider, cherry pie, pumpkin roll, and Turkey gravy. This is all for dinner on the 24th. Breakfast for Christmas Day; baked ham, French toast, hot pear butter, bacon, sausage links, scrambled eggs, fried mashed tatoes, pan fried cabbage, sauteed onions, OJ, apple cider, miso broth, hot chocolate, and maybe cinnamon rolls. Our fancy dinner is Christmas Eve. This year, it's a prime rib roast with green peppercorn sauce, popovers, fennel and gruyere scalloped potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and a Danish riz alemande, rice and almond pudding in a whipped cream base served with fruit sauce. On Xmas day, we start with two kinds of panettone, two pastry strips (apple and raspberry), and whatever leftovers we have.
We always have a big 'drop by' party on Christmas eve - where people can drop by, socialize for a bit, grab some food, etc - without having to stay for a 'party'. Typically lots of people do stay quite late into the evening, though. For this party we always serve a big anti pasta plate, a chaffer full of meatballs in sauce, crusty bread, a few cold sides (salads, etc) and lots and lots of wine. There's also a table with cookies and deserts. We'll probably have between 35-50 people stop by. It's really easy and fun although I usually end up putting toys together drunk at 2 am.
Christmas eve we go to my in-laws and it is basically potluck. It's crowded so anything you can eat off a paper plate. She usually grills some pork tenderloins for sandwiches and will usually have one other meat. For Christmas day we are lucky to have it just us , as in me , husband, kids. Last year I started making my ham on Christmas eve day and getting it all sliced down so it is ready for ham and country gravy as part of breakfast. We'll also have a traditional ham dinner but since I have most everything ready , I can get started on the real reason I make ham and that is a huge pot of split pea soup to eat for days (and frozen to eat weeks later).
So for Christmas Eve my parents, who I'm visiting, and I visit my brother and his family. He recently sort of got into cooking, his wife doesn't cook at all, and his kids have very... Simple tastes. In the past we've tried to bring food like my mother and I make, generally simple but well seasoned and not lacking in flavor, but we've been relegated to desserts the last couple of years. I offered to make a pastry dessert but that was turned down (I'm itching to make another babka) so we're making brownies, and I expect to be served something dry and overcooked with sides from the prepared grocery section.
Christmas Eve in my family has always been and will always be my Mom's stuffed peppers. We eat and then sit around playing video games.

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Actually slept last night but still woke up about 4AM.
The tender nudges and purring of my cat, eager for his morning snuggles. The sound of diesel engines starting as my neighbors warm their trucks up to head to the frac well. The light breathing of my beautiful, sleeping wife. A mild back ache. The rugged brrrrraaaaaapppfffsss of my surprisingly vibrant morning fart, and the smell of broccoli and graveyard dirt wafting from the depths of my comforter, as though a diseased and angered mallard had snuck into bed over night.
Woke up in the crabbiest mood because school wasn't canceled. First world problem. I then made the seemingly safe walk to school, and slipped in ice right in front of everyone walking up. Tried playing it off and slipped again. 3/10 morning with rice.
My SO and I are long distance so we try to facetime as often as we can. So much that we fall asleep together. This morning I woke up to her saying my name loudly to wake me up because my TV was on too loud and bothering her. It's not much, but I love that we are able to have semi-normal interactions like that.
I like that it's 24 hours so I don't risk waking up to an infomercial any time of the night. There is literally a late-night infomercial titled, Got A Turkey Neck? It's on all the time, at least where I live, on every channel. I'm 30. I don't want to accidentally wake up to that. I don't need that kind of terror in my life.
I ended up waking up and opened the blinds to find a light snow cover on the car in the driveway, a smell of stale cigs and looking at the alarm clock to see I finally got some rest.
The feeling of being loved enough for my fiancee to be out running the snowblower so I'd be able to easily get out of the driveway. We BOTH work.
The sound of my sink running. Our pipes were frozen last night so i cranked up the heat and left the faucet in the bathroom off my bedroom on. Didn't think I'd get to shower today.
My SO. She's beautiful, and last night was the first night she stayed over at my place and got to wake up to her face. She had to leave to go to Seattle for the weekend, and I miss her.
Thing that woke me first time: boyfriends alarm (he had an early meeting, I didn't have to be up that early so I went back to sleep for another half hour). Thing that woke me for the day: boyfriend putting our dog in bed with me to wake me with puppy snuggles right before he left so I didn't have to get up to my alarm.
My husband getting home from work and the dog excitedly running out of the bedroom to meet him.
Between 7 and 9 usually. I just naturally wake up in that timeframe. Also, I have designed my life so that I don't have to wake up very early in the morning (i.e. by an alarm clock), since doing so makes me actually hate my life a little bit.

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Stews, soups, casseroles, hot cocoa.
Soups/stews/chowders are a favorite this time of year. Bread dressing out of the turkey or just baked in the oven.
When my ex of almost five years left me I felt really crushed. This was the first meal I actually made for myself after about a week of nothing but fast food because I didn't have the energy to cook. I ate it alone in the my quiet, lonely house. It was the first thing that I actually enjoyed at a really low point in my life.
My moms chicken and dumpling casserole and my girlfriend's falafel. Due to moms declining health prior to passing away, the last time she made it for me was over ten years ago, and until I recreated the recipe this year, I hadn't had it or any other since then. My girl makes me the falafel any time I give her my sad hungry eyes.
My mom has some interesting recipes and combinations since she spent a part of her early adulthood in Italy. One of my favorite which I haven't had in a while is a cream cheese, tomato, and cucumber sandwich. I've never met anyone else who's ever had just those three, but when I eat one I remember being 3 years old visiting Stone Henge and having a picnic.
Chili. I have been making it since I was a teen. When I'm down, I have 'sad chili'. Sad chili is never good. I screw it up some way or another, or it just doesn't come out right. When I make it, I acknowledge that it's not good because I made it while I was sad, and eat it anyhow.
My mom is Vietnamese, and whenever we had special occasions with family or friends she'd make a huge pot of pho and we'd let it simmer like all day. The fragrant spices and rich oxtail. Peppers and thai basil and it just makes me remember those good times in my childhood where we were all together and happy and things were simple. Whenever I have a good bowl of pho it just takes me back for a minute. I can't help but feel good.
Sinigang is perfect for when the weather gets cold. Lugaw/arroz caldo is what I crave whenever I am sick. When my lola lived with us, she would make this for me every time I felt under the weather and it would always make me feel better. Too bad lola had to go back home. =( sad times. Miss her.
When I'm stressed over exams or something, I always order Dominos to start my study sesh. Unfortunately, I've recently discovered that they don't deliver to my new apartment - I'll need to learn to cope like normal people now. Depends in what needs comforting. If I'm sick, soup every time. If it's more emotional sandwiches.
We grew up poor. So my Mom would make Meat, Beans and Corn for dinner. Super cheap and super effective. It's literally just Ground beef, Ranch style Beans and Corn all mixed together.
Donuts. No matter what mood I’m in, if offered a donut, I’ll immediately perk up.

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I am a horribly addicted smoker and have been since I was around 11 to 14. I think I started right out chain smoking.
I want to quit but when I try to quit cold turkey I find myself looking at my watch and saying " Yup... 8 minutes and no cigarette".
Also it seems each time I try I come back smoking more.
So I finally decided to get a little more proactive about it and I found vaping.
Now the appealing thing about vap is you control the amount of nicotine that is in your vap so you can slowly lower it while still having the sensation of smoking.
Well it turned out that it makes me super tired so that is out. Now I have decided to chew my way out.
Red man to the rescue.
Chewing tobacco seems to be my last resort.
I tried the gum and I would chew two pieces and still smoke.
I thought about the pills like Chantex but there is a possibility that it could have mental issues with some people and I already am medicated for that and the doc doesn't want to chance the possible side effect. So chew I am trying. Nicotine patches worked for me.
21 mg patch
At night I would put it in the night stand ready to use in the morning (when I craved the most)
I would set the alarm for about an hour before I was due to wake.
Put it in and go back to sleep. Just before I woke up the nicotine would kick in. Really helped. You can put it on for 24hours with the brand I used if you were a heavy smoker. I tried to limit it to just the day. That way in the morning when it kicked in I felt the buzz.
Hope this helps. Also like to mention
I invested in lots of toys to keep my fingers busy.
Available to me at all times.
Slime,
Chewing gum
Puzzles
Fidget spinners
Fidget poppers
Infinity cubes
Anything I could quickly pick up and distract myself when I felt my hand was empty.

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