> I'm going to Roast a Chicken Hen later this weekend and I will use your method on the Egg to roast the Old Hen...

I do recommend spatchcocking. It's a little more work upfront, but the bird will roast more quickly. 

Our guests departed earlier today, marking the end of a pleasant long weekend.

Thanksgiving celebration was attended by eight people. The spatchcocked turkey was a success. No one left the table hungry. The conversation flowed smoothly, with only one instance where my husband had to steer his mother’s discussion away from a potentially contentious topic.

Over the weekend, we took the opportunity to showcase the beauty of Seattle to our guests, while also spending quality time with my in-laws.

The husband's cousin is interesting. He's a struggling rock musician with a day job running the warehouse for an instrument manufacturer. He has played for rock bands, but since COVID has mostly released ambient albums. As he put it-- they had success in Sacramento. There the band regularly played in front of hundreds of people. When they toured they could never replicate that success-- San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle. In the end it was exhausting and a constant drain of money to only play to small crowds in small clubs. 

The husband’s aunt and cousin have arrived. The are spending a few days with us. They seem to be lovely people.

The cousin has spent a good amount of time investigating their family history. Throughout the evening, he shared stories. The husband greatly appreciated this. Although the husband has various bits of memorabilia from his family, he knows little about them or their history. He was able to make some connections and understand a bit more about who owned what and why.

They also discussed the chaos the Husband's mother put them through as they grew up. I think it was the first time the Husband realized that the neighbors and extended family were conserned about the chaos that he and his brothers went through. There was little an outsider could do to intervene. The husband’s mother always provided her children. They had food and shelter. She never abused them. The chaos resulted from many moves, constant drinking, a high turnover of her husbands and boyfriends and many lovers’ quarrels. It was not the best place for kids to grow up.

How will I roast my bird? Short answer-- spatchcock and roast it on a gas grill.

Longer answer. I'm really using our gas grill as an oven. I'll put an 18lbs spatchcocked turkey on a large sheet pan that's lined with lemons, carrots, rosemary and a little broth. I'll roast it at about 375F with indirect heat, baste regularly, pull it when the breast hits 165F then let it rest for twentyish minutes.

And what are your turkey day plans?

The recent layoffs, followed by the ensuing reorganization and associated chaos, have turned my work into a nonstop firehose of tasks. I despise being the manager who convenes last-minute meetings to discuss last-minute deliverables with last-minute deadlines, but here I find myself.

As many of my colleagues take this week off for vacation, I'm hoping for a moment of tranquility to catch up and ponder our current situation. We are so busy that we can't think.

Later this week, we'll be hosting a large Thanksgiving dinner. The Husband's relatives are coming in from out of town, and we've also invited friends.

My role will be to roast the turkey. I look forward tot that. There's something satisfying about roasting meat. It's not particularly challenging; it demands more patience than skill. And the outcome tastes great.

We recently had layoffs at work, mainly affecting middle management and senior employees. Fortunately, my department was not affected. Looking at the list of those laid off, I'm not entirely sure what their jobs were, so it seems like a reasonable decision.

Reflecting on it, I wouldn't mind being laid off myself. It could be a clear signal to take a break from the daily grind, focus on what's next, and possibly ease up on my career ambitions.

Reactions to the layoffs vary. In my department, most people seem quite calm about it. It reaffirms that our objectives and aspirations exceed our current capacity to achieve them.

I regularly video chat with my parents. I got them a smart display at the start of COVID, which has been a wonderful way to stay in touch, especially since my mother's strokes.
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The smart display sits off to the side of the living room. My parents have to navigate across the room to use it. When I call, Dad answers, then goes back to assist Mom. He patiently guides her across the room, and she eventually flops down into a chair with no coordination or control. It's a tough sight to witness. 

On Saturday, we put up Christmas decorations, at least on the inside of our house. My husband enjoys the decorations, and since we will be spending Christmas with my parents, he wanted ours to be up a few extra weeks.

Sunday, we took my husband's mother out to see a musical, "Hadestown." It's a great musical. My mother-in-law is also in decline. She is rather frail and on oxygen all the time, so getting her into and out of the theater is a logistical challenge. I don't mind doing it though, even if it does take a few extra hours for us to get there and back.

Monday, my husband flew off for work. On the way down, he wrote me a touching love text inspired by "Hadestown." It was very sweet of him.

The workweek is ending on a positive note. Two personnel issues within my organization have been successfully resolved, and the executive who was providing the most challenging feedback on our plans has decided to depart from the company.

Work has been stressful. Work has been in the news and not in a good way. Fortunately the issues don't directly impact me. The executives are stressed though and that can't help but trickle down.