Saturday, and dinner at Mom's

Got up around 7:00 AM Saturday morning. Cleaned up the kitchen from last night's activities, cleaned myself up with a shower and shave, made a list of things to take (old Project Management habits die hard, I guess) and started packing up today's dinner.

I was on the road by 10:00 AM, with one quick stop for a bag of ice to put in the cooler. Knowing the weekend's are for road construction on the expressways in Michigan, I took 8 Mile Road to Groesbeck and Groesbeck to Mt. Clemens and my Brother Carl's house. He had suggested I stop and say hi to the goldfish that used to live with Newt.

I checked out his pond and his yard. It's quite lovely and it made me jealous! (I want a pond, too!) However, saying hi to Goldie was problematic, as he has about 25 goldfish roughly the same size and color as my old fish (along with some beautiful Koi and a catfish, BTW). At one point, he said, "You're not really gonna wrap a meat loaf in bacon are you. It'll be greasy as hell!" I just said, "Trust me!" Anyway, he was trying to get his lawnmower going (dead battery) and I had to get to Mom's, so I took my leave. I left thinking I not only got to see the pond, but I also got a large reality check: ponds are nice, but way too much work and money!

I got to Mom's just before noon, took the stuff out of the oven (that's where she keeps her cookies) and preheated it to 375 degrees F. I took a cake pan and inverted the loaf pan of meat loaf onto it (that's why it's not greasy, see? You don't cook it in a loaf pan, that's just so you can wrap the bacon easy and get the "meat Loaf" shape.) Since I had the meat loaf and the apple-raisin betty already made to go in the oven, it gave me and Mom a good hour to sit and talk before I had to peel the parsnips, etc. While unpacking, I discovered I had forgotten the chives (I forgot to put them on the list, LOL!) but Mom has some garlic chives growing outside, so problem solved.

Carl got there around 2:00 PM, with a huge hanging pot of Gerbera Daisies (he said he couldn't let me show him up in front of Mom, so if I was bringing food, he'd bring flowers). I already had the meat loaf out and resting on a platter (bacon was perfect texture, better than the last one I made). I finished up the potatoes, parsnips and made the gravy. Then I cut the lettuce into wedges (I made them too big, BTW - nobody could finish their salad) and dinner was served.

Upshot? Everybody loved everything EXCEPT for one small thing. Carl felt the herb-butter mixed in the parsnips masked the parsnip flavor too much. He said they were great, just not enough of the earthy, nutmeg-sorta taste of parsnips. He had me try a small slice vs. a large slice and he was right. So, now I have to experiment on how much is too much when it comes to the herb butter (I did follow the recipe, BTW).

I did try just a little of the warm apple-raisin betty topped with just a little ice cream (I have been fascinated by it ever since I saw it made). Very good (but not made for diabetics, I'm sure). Carl insisted on doing all the dishes and I ended up leaving about 4:30.

I normally take I-94 expressway home, but the expressway was down to one lane from 26 mile to 16 mile, so I tried Gratiot but that was stop and go, too (probably all the people who would normally be on the E-way). So, at 21 Mile, I got p*ssed, went over to North Ave and went Groesbeck (fine) to I-696 (fine) to the Southfield (more construction!) Finally got home.

My legs were killing me, so I told myself, see stupid, you ain't supposed to drive that far and you sure ain't supposed to stand on a tile floor for two hours cooking either. Was gonna start on the trailer, or do something outside, but just felt crappy in general. So, I watched the end of the Red Wings game, then a movie ("Exit Wounds" with Steven Segal and DMX - set in Detroit, BTW)).

I finally figured it out this (Sunday) morning, when I discovered I forgot to take my pills yesterday. So, I'm thinking no Celebrex might have added to my leg problems and no diabetic meds was probably why I felt so lousy.