It's Easter, and it's still winter here in Calgary, so it's not ideal weather to make photographs outside, not that weather is normally a consideration, but -8C and snow in mid-April doesn't offer a whole bunch of inspiration.
The 4 day weekend is a nice break from the working from home routine that's developed over the last month. It's not so bad, but it's important for me to have some firm office hours to avoid work taking over my life. So far so good!
I did a live video conference with some people on Thursday night to demonstrate making a print in the darkroom, that went pretty well, although it was clear it could have been better if I did some organizing. I decided I would spend the weekend sorting out the darkroom and maybe making some prints.
For Easter I hadn't planned a big meal, it's just me here after all. For some reason when making my list for the supply run over to Safeway on Good Friday, turkey was at the top of the list. The bird I selected was frozen solid, so it would be a Saturday dinner. Game on!
Once I had the food plans for the weekend settled and supplies purchased, I thought I would put on an audio book to listen to while I got under way organizing the darkroom, so I got into my Audible account to pick out a title, I've been a member of Audible since 2003 I think, a long time in any event. I have accumulated something over 300 audio books. Some are better than others, but it's a library that clearly needs some curation!
While the turkey was thawing in the fridge for the day on Friday I took a half loaf of bread to cut and dry for the stuffing, that's all there was to do for the Turkey dinner on Friday, so I got into my Audible account to start cataloguing of my collection, the darkroom would have to wait. While cataloguing the audio books Friday afternoon I realized I haven't done a photo project at home in a long time, so I decided to document the preparation of my Easter turkey at the same time I was cataloguing my audio book collection.
It's a thrill a minute around here, I'm sure you will agree!
I was up before the sun on Saturday, and started on the stuffing mix, the turkey spent the night in a sink full of water to finish thawing, success! It would be a mid afternoon turkey dinner, which allowed time for a nap after dinner before doing the dishes and packing the leftovers away.
Once the stuffing was ready and well, stuffed into the turkey, I loaded the whole thing into the oven, and then got back to the audio book library catalogue. While on a short break from that I did a quick inventory of the supplies in the storage room...
54 rolls of toilet paper is in the yellow warning zone of low supplies, it was about 8:45, 15 minutes before Costco was opening, normally getting there right at opening is bearable, not too busy and can get in and out in under 20 minutes. The line-up when I arrived about 9:10 am was at least an hour long, it was snaking along the whole length of the building 3 times. I decided that I was unlikely to go through all 54 rolls over the Easter weekend so I would pass on waiting in line in the cold and snow.
Then I spotted Walmart, and there was no line, so I decided to have a look in there. Actually there was a very short line-up once I got inside, but I was inside the store within 2 or 3 minutes. I would go through the vegetable section to get to the side of the store and make a beeline along the wall to get down to the toilet paper aisle.
That was a mistake, Walmart has set-up a one way only, single line parade through the vegetable section, before I realized it I was stuck in the middle of a bunch of people and could not go back or forward, a lady a few ahead was casually looking at vegetables while talking on the phone. Patience, I had to practice patience. Holy.
It was then I spotted them, Brussels sprouts. Normally I don't care for Brussels sprouts, too bitter for my taste. I decided that in the spirit of trying something new I would add some to the menu, adding a brown sugar glaze to make them less bitter.
Finally through the vegetable section and down to the toilet paper aisle... out, totally out. Oh well, they did have some cleaning supplies, so I picked up some bleach and some Mr Clean for the floors. Cheap stop, all under $10, but no toilet paper, will have to stay on code yellow for the time being. While there was no line-up at Walmart on the way in, there sure was one on the way out, but still pretty short when compared to Costco.
After the rather eventful outing I retreated home where the smell of the roasting turkey had taken over. It was still a couple of hours until it would be ready so I settled back into cataloguing the audio book library.
And then it was time, the turkey was done, I had made the potatoes, sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts, extracted the stuffing from inside the turkey and made the gravy. I was time to eat, and it was delicious, even the Brussels sprouts were pretty tasty with the brown sugar glaze. I have enough left for the rest of the weekend and then a turkey soup into next week.
The leftovers mostly fit in the fridge, but the turkey was a little too big, so I fashioned a makeshift cooler out on the patio, at least the temperature is right for that!
So now it's Easter Sunday, the audio books have been catalogued and I have turkey leftovers to get me through, I still have time to organize the darkroom! I do like a good 4 day weekend, it allows for diversion from planned activities.
I've attached photos from the turkey dinner photo project, and the epic line-up at Costco.
Happy Easter!
Dean.
