Hubris
Fri., November 29, 09:32 AM
Hubris – the Thanksgiving That Wasn’t Meant to Be
This is one of those “best laid plans” that almost didn’t make it. I knew damned well I wasn’t going to get through November without something going very wrong.
Thanksgiving is so important to me that I started getting ready about six weeks ago, buying nonperishables, planning what I would do when. I figured that, if I bought a little at a time, the cost would be easier to manage. U.D. receives a free turkey from her job, so that wouldn’t be a problem. I had the makings for stuffing, spinach casserole, cranberry chutney, apple pie, baked yams… You get the picture.
I should have known I couldn’t do it this year – M.D. is away, and U.D. is next to useless in the kitchen. The first sign that this really wasn’t going to work was Tuesday night, when my water heater gave up the ghost. Even though we had time to replace it (and it was), I couldn’t cook on Tuesday night or Wednesday. I need to be able to wash things, especially the utensils I used for preparation. Wednesday morning began with snow – beautiful, but wet and sticky, not good for driving – but at least I knew the electrician was coming.
My cellar was filling with water, as I could not stop the leak. So by noon on Wednesday I had turned off all the house water. I had drawn enough to drink or make coffee, but there was nothing else I could do. (Without water you can’t even flush the toilet.)
I baked the yams, a new recipe that suggested doing it the day before and reheating. Since they were baked, not boiled, I didn’t need extra water. A fork, a potato masher, a knife for butter – I didn’t leave a lot of dirty dishes.
One more sign that things weren’t going too well: the electricians pointed out that my car had a flat tire. I called the auto club, thankful that I could do that and also that I had left the car out of the garage, where they could get to it. The tire is two years old, with perhaps three thousand miles on it. Aren’t they supposed to last longer than that. Well, at least I have a “donut” to drive on till I find out whether it can be repaired.
I put together my cranberry chutney, though it smells funny. That could be my imagination. I made the dough for the pie crust, but I decided to leave the pie itself until Thursday morning. I would get up early, but in a pinch I could get the turkey in the oven and prepare the pie while the turkey roasted. We might eat a little later, but Thanksgiving dinner was still possible – or so I thought.
Thanksgiving morning I woke up with a splitting headache. Heating pad, hot shower, Tylenol – I had a little relief but not much. When I went through the garage for the newspaper – and to feed the cats – I noticed that the donut was flat. I’ll worry about that tomorrow.
I made stuffing – vegetarian so U.D. can eat some – and got the bird ready to go. I started the oven, waiting for the “preheated” signal. It beeped, and I put the bird into the oven, but it didn’t feel that hot.
It wasn’t; and then the display died and the whole stove went off for a minute. It came back on – but I had to reset the clock and the oven. We went through this again. I tried resetting the breaker. Worked for a couple of minutes. I talked to my brother-in-law the appliance repairman, and he wasn’t encouraging. There is probably a short in the stove somewhere. (The stove is three years old, seldom used. This is my week for shoddy merchandise.)
Currently the oven is working. If the turkey browns a little, I can always finish it in the microwave. My head has stopped hurting, but the ache was replaced by a heavy nosebleed. That hasn’t stopped. I still haven’t vacuumed or mopped the floor, but I needed the comfort of telling someone, so here I am.
Y’know, the act of sitting down to write settled me down. The turkey continued to roast, and at two o’clock I sat down to peel apples. At three the turkey was done; I took it out and put the side dishes in. Son arrived while I was assembling the pie, and he – such a good guy – put in my winter doors and put a different donut on my car. Meanwhile, I set the table, got the vegetables out and put the pie in.
We actually had a nice Thanksgiving dinner, albeit a little late. The only thing I didn’t manage as planned was the appetizers. (Even the chutney was fine – fragrant and tasty.) For the first time, I was glad we were not expecting a big crowd this year. Husband actually got dressed and ate with us. He seemed to enjoy the food, more than he usually eats at one time, and conversed with the kids. (I let them serve him, because sometimes it works better if I back off.)
Y’know, I have plenty to be grateful for. We have electricity, heat and hot water. No one is sick. We will not starve. This is not what I planned, but it was enjoyable.
In Greek literature, hubris – a sin of pride or arrogance – was punished by the gods, usually with dire consequences. All I got was some inconvenience. I’m grateful.
