friendsgiving

 Traditional Thanksgiving can be awkward eating-wise for vegans.  So when your vegan-friendly friends say they're available the weekend after T'giving for a vegan T'giving meal, you jump all over that.

But first, H went skiing.  Since the last we'd seen said that the ski bus wasn't going to start until 12/13, he drove up.  Of course, there was a ski bus there and when H went to talk to the driver, he found out that the ski bus has in fact been running since the previous week.  Good to know.  There has been no new snow since the Tuesday before (real) Thanksgiving so the conditions were thin and hard.  Being up above the smoggy inversion in the Salt Lake Valley was a nice change, however - being able to see the sun and breathe clean air.  H reported that most chairlift conversations centered around how big a shitshow Christmas week - with all its tourist families - is going to be if we don't get some snow.

No smog up here.  Also no snow, really.

Meanwhile, down in said smoggy valley, Milton and I did a shortened walk, needing the exercise but not wanting to breathe the air longer than necessary.  Then there was a flurry of vacuuming, bathroom cleaning, holiday decorating and clean laundry putting-away-ing.  I had prepped food the night before, so when our friends E and K, and their eight year old terrier mix Stevie arrived late afternoon, things sort of ran on autopilot, allowing us to catch up.  Milton and Stevie get along well, although Milt seemed completely mystified, watching her act like an actual dog: sniffing every inch of every room, getting the zoomies in the basement, getting up on all the couches and chairs, playing with a squeaking stuffie and snacking on whatever anyone dropped on the floor.

Milt, H and Stevie

I can't believe I didn't get any photos of dinner but it was really quite good (if I say so myself).  We had roasted acorn squash, carmelized leek bread pudding (a/k/a stuffing/dressing), mashed potatoes and gravy and cranberry-orange relish.  Dessert was from all-vegan restaurant and bakery Sweet Hazel: key lime pielette, German chocolate cakelette and a giant frosted sugar cookie.  It was a really nice evening for which we are thankful.