11.23.2007

Turkey N'At

Since I spent Thanksgiving with a real live Western PA family, I decided I should use a Western PA-ism in my title. (N'at is their version of "and everything." Don't worry, no one actually used this terminology yesterday.)

I almost didn't make my punch because I didn't feel like going to the grocery store. But there wasn't anything in the house that could magically morph into something people would want to eat for Thanksgiving and that could feed more than 3 people. Plus once I got to the grocery store, I was going to take the easy way out and buy a potted plant or a bouquet, but they were too expensive for the quality of plant. Punch it is! And it was a hit! Yay!

After the grocery store, I make my punch, then wash the hair (ugh) and watch "Brown Sugar" while twisting it up. Then it's time to leave. I head to ST's house. When I get there, the punch has spilled!! Son of a!! Get that cleaned up, then head to his mom's house. When my families (my mom has a knack of getting adopted by all of her friends' families, so I have lots of families in Charlotte) do Thanksgiving, there are 7 million extended relatives and people everywhere. It was me, ST, his parents, grandma, sister and sister's boyfriend.

Everyone was so fun and nice. Here's the menu: turkey, homemade mashed potatoes (important distinction because I don't do mashed potatoes out of a box. Potato flakes? No.), corn, cranberry sauce, yams, stuffing, biscuits, regular and mushroom gravy, pumpkin pie, and apple pie. I was so happy it was good. I did learn that I'm not a fan of pumpkin pie. It tastes okay but I'm a sweet potato girl even though I don't like yams. Turns out ST is the oldest and favored child of the family. (Sounds familiar lol) His mom had made a small personal pie for him to take home with him. WOW!! I would never leave the area, either if my mom cooked for me all the time! Sent home personalized portions and stuff. Lol.

After dinner, me and ST headed to the casino. I'd never been to a casino before. LAWD!! EVERYONE looks like their spending their last dime there. Smokers, missing teeth, coughing, in wheelchairs, on oxygen tanks. As we walked out, we saw a blind man WITH A GUIDE DOG!! ST says, "Does that mean you're addicted." That's EXACTLY what that means. Wow. First we do the 25 cent machines and I keep winning-- only $2 or so, but enough to keep me sitting at that machine for 10 minutes and only putting in $2. Then we go to the 5 cent machines. Not as lucky. I play $5 quickly on this one. (I'd given myself a $12 budget). After that I head to the penny slots. This one. MAAAAAAN!! I kept winning for real. I put in $5 and every time I hit the button to spin, I won something. I was getting bored and not feeling the cigarette smoke so once I got up to $10.70, I got up to leave. Know what that means? My net loss was only $1.30. Yay casino! The one in Pittsburgh isn't supposed to open until 2009 at the earliest but it will be 2/3 smoke-free. Smoke-free casinos for everyone!

I was going to go shopping today. I really considered it and did look online a bit, but since it started snowing OUT OF NOWHERE as we walked into the casino last night, then stopped, I had a feeling it'd snow overnight. I look out the window and the grass is covered, the pine trees, and there's 1/2 inch to an inch on my car. Why does it snow every Thanksgiving here? That's not cute! So no shopping today. I probably won't leave my house until I have to go to work tonight. (Typical Friday).

Project Runway Recap on the Record Dish.

17 comments:

BK said...

da hell?? you had snow? I'm SOOOO not ready for it!!!

glad you had a good thanksgiving.. i did too.. very relaxed and low key!

Sparkling Red said...

Happy Thanksgiving! Mmm.... pie...

GreatWhyte said...

Per Moniquester- "gamble" (v.) action meaning to put forth money in an unsure manner hoping to increase it's value.
Girl, please... you didn't do any gambling! $1.30? Booooooo... play some table games. Win some money!!!
Wish it would snow here so people would stay out of the pharmacy. J'adore pumpkin pie!

Jameil said...

bk... me either!! yay for lowkey!!

red... you too! apple pie is the love of my life.

x... table games are illegal in pa. i don't like to throw away money. so if i don't understand the games (and i don't), why gamble? i have to go to work even if it snows. and if i get snowed in i will be pissed you wished this on us. snow there, not here!!

Liz Dwyer said...

Snow...EEK!

The first time I went to Vegas, I could not believe all the geriatric action going on in the casinos. Folks that looked like they needed to be hooked up to an IV just playing slot machines like there was no tomorrow.

Glad y'all had fun. And who in the world eats mashed potatoes out of a box! Just nasty!

Anonymous said...

yaaaay for your Thanksgiving! The snow is no good though ... I realized last night in San Fran and its no where near cold here ... that Im gonna struggle goin home to the cold... Ive become weak already ...shiverin and everything and is was probably high forties ... I gotta man up !!!

the joy said...

Ha! Casino! I wanna go! Looks like you had fun. I just watched project runway and I think I'm hooked. Unfortunately I can't post comments on record dish. Blackberry be hating.

Don said...

Sounds like you had a great Thanksgiving Day. That's great. I was dying laughing @ your description of the casino trip.

Southerner in Suomi said...

It looks like the only casino I'm stepping foot in is this new one in Pittsburgh. I can't deal with that smoke.

Momisodes said...

Ugh,...so not ready for snow. Glad you had a lovely, laid-back holiday :)

Jameil said...

liz... booo snow! the geriatrics man! i tell ya! box potatoes are so gross.

cali... skirt down man up homie! lol

joy... i did have fun & hurray for another convert!! yay!!

don... the casino is ridic.

sandy... me either & me too! :)

Mr. Jones said...

N'At??? I'm still trying to imagine how this sounds.

Jameil said...

like it's spelled, in-at. lol. it sounds even crazier when they string it with a bunch of other pittsburgh-isms.

there's even an urban dictionary page tho that makes no sense to me considering i can't imagine black folk saying this. they may but whatever.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=n'at

Nikita T. Mitchell said...

snow!? oh man, can i get a blizzard so that i can stay home all this week. i need it.

anywho, don't feel bad. i didn't do black friday shopping. I can't take that madness. Plus i'm on a tight budget. Going shoppin during sales makes you think you need a gizzillion things that you didn't even need before you walked in!

Elle Willa said...

"LAWD!! EVERYONE looks like their spending their last dime there."

HHAHAHAH that is why I HATE casinos and gambling in general. Folks just look so sad and desperate about it.

dreamyj said...

aww, that's cool that you had your first casino experience! i always have the best luck on the nickel slots, if i play $10, i win at least $10. i can't play much more money than that though, i'm just not into losing money.

Jameil said...

m... go somewhere w/that blizzard talk!! i don't feel bad abt the sales, just a bit wistful.

elle... this is what i'm sayin!!

dreamy... me either!! i'm like i can't throw all that money down the drain!!! i think me and the penny machine are homies.