Treats Please

Die Fledermaus (The Bat)

So, I had two companions at the opera house the night I saw Strauss II's  Die Fledermaus ("flying mouse" = bat). One was very tall. One... not so much.

If I was ever going to take Bruce the Bat to the opera, it had to be this one.

We got there early and checked out our box seats as soon as the doors opened. Bruce had a good time after that at the bar, the shop, mingling. He's a social guy and had a good time.

Act I alone was worth the price of admission, bringing out Freudian-dreamscapes that made this the first Fledermaus I've ever truly enjoyed. Someone had thought this one out. Chocolate-box images were erased from my mind... relief.

 

Giving Thanks

How has it been a month? Oh right... working hard, playing not so much.

But we had a beautiful Thanksgiving, enlivened by the Armenians, who came, as usual, bearing mysterious pastries... and jewellery! I love them. They're lively, loving, glamorous, optimistic, opinionated and passionate. What's not to like?

I tell you what... cutting up a rabbit.

Venison is fine. It didn't look like Bambi.

But the rabbit... well, I could see Thumper laying there. I fiddled a bit, then girded my loins, whacked off the head, except... I hadn't. I took the somewhat severed head, averted my own, and gave it a good twist. In to the garbage without looking into that face.

"OKAY!" I declared to the world. "I can do this now."

We spent a fair bit of time pre-dinner with some fine cheeses and Prosecco. For dinner, we had game pie (pheasant, rabbit, venison) which was sweetened with the inclusion of many onions. I feared the new recipe called for too much and cut down the amount. It was still too much in my opinion. No doubt the quantity was to counter the gaminess, but then what's the point? But it was deeeelish nonetheless.

We also had turkey, cranberry sauce, the usual veggies, lashing of gravy. Except I seemed to have lost my mind when it came down to the potatoes. I made a vat. No, I mean a VAT. My parents were eating them for five days afterwards. Odd.

For dessert, I tried a new recipe, a cranberry-apple crumble pie, with pecans in the crumble topping. This was to die for. I'll do it again. Ice cream or whipped cream were the accompaniments. Strangely there was still enough heavy cream to whip... I hadn't use quite all of it in the potatoes. Armenian pastries followed of course.

I lay like the snake digesting the deer the next day.

Oh, and check out the sparkly new place mats. Slightly more sparkly than I had planned, but, as I always say... oh, actually I don't, never mind.

Very thankful.

The Frankenstorm is on its way, but my cup Runneth Over... and I Won't Waste a Drop.

It's back... at long last, the LCBO carries it again. I'm picking up a bottle after work. A big warm bed, safe from the frankenstorm, awaits.

Thank you for the heads up, Cowboy.