Saturday, April 07, 2007

A Cold Dawn Arriving

I awoke around 1am and walked all the way to the end of Spring Road which took about three hours and is about a six mile walk. Maggie accompanied me tethered to her leash and was still rearing to go when we finally arrived home at my driveway. She is like the energizer bunny and just keeps going and going. I wish I had her energy.

It was really cold this morning and I wasn’t prepared for the cold, stark reality that greeted me around mile three and the point of return with three miles to go ahead of me. I was uncomfortably cold and clammy. I started to walk faster to get my blood flowing and my heart beating faster. I pulled my collar up, thrust my hands in my coat pockets, and soldiered on. I could feel the warmth of my exertions coarse through my veins and my face felt flush, buffeted by the cold air.

I arrived home around 4am and got a hearty breakfast started. I fried some breakfast ham and made a pan of steamy, buttery, homemade buttermilk biscuits. Making southern style biscuits is a fine art in cooking I have learned. You don’t want to knead the dough too much or the biscuits will get tough and not flaky and tender. George’s mom taught me this technique and it has served me well. She will knead the dough just enough to mix the ingredients and then cut the biscuits with an old tomato paste can with both ends opened up. I have watched her do this countless times and she makes a pan of biscuits that will just melt in your mouth they are so tender and fluffy.

I have guests staying at the house with me this weekend. Two friends of my father’s have come from Gainesville, Florida to hunt turkey on our land we own. They are a quiet bunch and I hardly know they are here except for the occasional creaking of the floor as they walk around upstairs. Yesterday morning they got up at 5am to head out for yesterday’s hunting trip. These two men take this ritual very seriously. I never could get into hunting and certainly wouldn’t be heading out to the woods at 5am to do so. My grandfather was an avid hunter, but he died before I was born. I guess if he would have lived, he would have taken me with him on his trips and I would have grown to enjoy and like it. I do so enjoy fishing in the summer though.

I don’t have much planned for today. Saturday’s are usually spent writing and working on my novel while I watch the many cooking shows on Public Broadcasting that come on after lunch. I especially enjoy America’s Test Kitchen and have learned some wonderful recipes watching that show. They have cooking down to an exact science. Just don’t sign up for recipes on their website though or you will get constant spam in your inbox and numerous telemarketing calls on your telephone. That soured my feelings and relationship towards them. I still enjoy the television show though.

Well, this is my most boring post ever. I just felt like rambling and posts like these are fun and casual to write for me and I don’t have to put much thought into them. I hope you all have a grand weekend and hope to get up some more interesting writing material about the gang mid-afternoon. I was going to take Ferret to the Social Security office, but realized they are closed on the weekend. That will have to wait until Monday. Hopefully, I can get Ferret sobered up enough that is won’t be readily apparent he is lush these days when we talk to a representative. Good day.

16 comments:

Cheryl said...

I know you think these kinds of posts are boring, but really, I don't. It's just like a conversation your'e having with us. You're talking about mundane stuff, which is really what life is made up of.

I was wondering about the upstairs of your house. Is an apartment up there? I'm glad that having these hunting guys around doesn't get in your way/space.

I imagine your move is just around the corner. Do you have much to do in the way of preparation? Any date set?

Well, being on the computer right now is my way of putting off getting ready for work on this Saturday morn. I hope today turns out to be an interestingly good one for you, and for me!

simonsays said...

Your posts are never boring, never. I didn't know you were working on a novel----how exciting! I hope your day is wonderful, too. I'm off to get ready for work, ughhhh, I would love to have a Saturday to spend at home, unfortunately, if I don't go in, car deals don't get made. Have a good one, Andrew! Jamie

KYRIE said...

I love butter milk biscuits! But I rarely get the chance to eat these biscuits. Have u tried butter milk buns? I think they are lovely too!

Summer said...

Now I want biscuits and gravy.

gledwood said...

"Crickets chirp"??!??! That is an odd way of putting it!! What you say about cookery is bang on. It is such a skill getting it just right ... ANYhow... I found you quite by accident, you know by pressing that "next blog" button, have you ever done that? I do a blog too: it's at gledwood2.blogspot.com. It's v different to yours but hopefully exceedingly entertaining. You are most welcome to drop by and have a good poke through my Secret Diary online!!! Looking 4ward 2c-ing u there, all the best

Gledwood

Dorid said...

Good morning, Andrew :)

I don't find posts like this boring. As a matter of fact, it seemed very much like I was with you on your walk this morning, something I very much appreciate since I'm home sick in bed ;)

I can totally get into the whole thing about your interest in America's Test Kitchen... with me it's Do It Yourself programs on HGTV and TLC. Even though I'll probably never be a home owner again, I love to watch and plan.

Now I guess that makes THIS the most boring COMMENT ever ;)

MUD said...

One time I was making biscuits and needed something to cut them out. I grabbed a small Tupperware glass (You know, those plastic one's that never break) As soon as you cut them out, the air pressure in the glass pops the biscuits out of the glass and presto. I love about anything for breakfast. Toast, Ham, eggs, biscuits and gravy and the crowning thing coffee. Your walk took me there by your story. Well Done.

Melanie said...

not boring at all! these are the best kinds of blog posts, the ones that just lend an authentic window into a small moment in a real human being's life. that's why i read blogs to start with. and why i write them. in 'real life' people find me a little intimidating, formidable and hard to get close to. but somehow in the blog format, that barrier disappears and we can all connect in a way that face-to-face would be a lot harder.

CRUSTYBEEF said...

to help you with your sleep, check out this site I uncovered, I think it'll be useful for you even with the fact that your med's are impacting your sleep.
www.shuteye.com

Hope you have a relaxing weekend, and enjoy the scents from your cigars.
Always,
Crusty

Rich said...

Good post and good day to you sir!!!

M said...

Hey. I try to write on Saturday too. But lately, I have been lazy.
Or actually, distracted. I make up so many excuses not to write!

Anyway, hope you are having a good Saturday.

kathleen said...

Wow, it's dinnertime and I'm wanting biscuits and meat gravy! Thanks a lot, Andrew, there's not a biscuit to be found in Lima, at least not in these parts! Most people don't even use their ovens! Your walk the other day sounded great, even though it was in the earliest part of the morning...no people, no traffic...perfect for thinking, perfect for planning, perfect for walking.

Have a great Easter weekend! I hope Easter finds you happy and snoring through your normally fitful sleep. :o)

Miss Halfway said...

i feel like i have to say i love the way you write!

i found your blog quite by chance ((im new in here and im trying to make new friends, so i've been clicking on that "next blog" button quite a lot today)) and i started reading... there's something special abt it.

i enjoy writing a lot, although my stuff isn't that good, but i do hope one day i manage to get a similar style as yours^^

what i didn't get quite clearly... the previous post... is it a short story or a true story?? hehe mind my nosyness, but i started reading it and it did seems like a short story... but then... it didn't:S

anyway.. if you celebrate easter, happy easter=) if not, have a good sunday=)

ITAIPU said...

think we all know who was responsible for that, the Godless liberals who cannot stand having their immorality shoved back in their ugly face!! The defenders of free thought, the Big Bang theory and evolution, are not only striking out at me, but at all Christians. . Last night, while I was sitting on my front-porch swing, gazing up at Heaven, President Bush appeared to me in a vision. He told me that my work was not yet finished, there were still many liberals who had not yet seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!! President Bush would not be in the White House right now if God didn't want him there. President Bush was put in a position of leadership in order to wipe the devil's religion of Islam off the face of the Earth, so that the Christian God can fill the world with His message of peace and love. President Bush has stated numerous times that he speakes with God in the Oval Office, he even asked God for military advice before the invasion of Iraq. Modern liberalism is the equivalent of atheism, liberals are in favor of killing babies, raising taxes, teaching evolution, and same sex marriage. Jesus is opposed to all of these horrible things.

austere said...

Nice post, but I think you're too kind to animals to go turkey hunting. anyway.

IEAT_SNOWMANPOOP said...

It's funny how when you post something that sounds boring to you is actually interesting to others. I do that sometimes.

I have enjoyed reading your blog.