avocado's Profile

As a guest, I do what the host/hostess are doing. As a host, I tell guests to do what they are comfortable with. It baffles me that this is such an issue.

I live in fear of the day that I have to carve the turkey.

Previous disasters:
1) One year my mother didn't turn on the oven to cook the turkey.
2) Two years ago, the pyrex bowl exploded when we were pouring in the turkey drippings to make the gravy. Everything on the stovetop had to be remade at the last minute.
3) My older family members used to always make some sort of congealed thing called 'Coca-Cola Salad" and they would stress endlessly about whether or not it would "set". Now that I am in charge, the recipe has been retired.

@yuving, I didn't mean to sound harsh, I really do think you've done a great job on the place. It makes me want to go on vacation.

Another tip: If you live near a college, do not go to IKEA at the beginning of the semester, or any time that parents might be visiting en masse.

I have a Murphy bed and do not use a box spring. My mother insisted I would be crippled by back pain, but I've never noticed a difference.

@PETEG: That is fantastic idea and I am totally stealing it!

I have had two glass dishes break in the last few months - one in the oven and one in the dishwasher. Luckily, both split rather than shattered. I thought it was because I was storing them stacked and creating some sort of weird pressure point that weakened them.

Last Thanksgiving my mother handed me what she thought was a Pyrex bowl for me to pour hot drippings in for the gravy. I don't know if it was Pyrex or not, because it shattered all over the stovetop and the floor. This was about an hour before the company arrived and really threw everything into chaos - several dishes had to be started again. Luckily, one year my mother didn't turn on the oven to cook the turkey, so a shattered bowl can't even rank as the worst Thanksgiving disaster ever. ;)

It might be a generic tourist stop, but I thought Topkapi Palace was stunning. I came back with a million photos of the mosaics.

I also enjoyed the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art which is near the Blue Mosque. It is housed in a 16th century palace.

Istanbul is gorgeous and you will enjoy it - even if you don't make it to all the MUST see places.

I have Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson, though I didn't realize she had another book just on laundry.

I like knowing how I *should* do it before deciding how I am *actually* going to do it.

Ha!
I love this house, but as I scrolled through the pictures, I kept thinking "Why is there no Michael Vartan??!"

Beautiful house, beautiful man. Great work. (Bad movie.)