Random Thread ~Usagi-Chan ☮ Tūsurī~

[esm]

maybe use should one of those services that gets people to shop for you and deliver groceries

I've done that a few times. My roommate has used it more, and sometimes it's not very reliable around here because things run out and they'd replace it with something else you don't necessarily want (but he'd get a full refund). I don't usually buy more things than I can carry home so I'm usually okay just walking/bussing to go to the store.

[TotallyUncool]

I just bought pies, roasting pans, bread, onions, celery, rosemary, and sage - and since the 99 Cent store was out of large food containers with lids, I bought a bunch of plastic lidded shoeboxes for transporting the turkey meat (I'm roasting turkey breasts, mostly because I didn't have time to thaw a turkey). I'm taking it all up to my family's house in the high desert tomorrow.
I also picked up a cheap whole turkey, which I'll roast on Sunday night, after it thaws - the timing for doing any real preparation was bad this year, but a delayed turkey is better than none.

[erilaz]

Almost 100% guaranteed to be there:
pilaf (absence of which would be a deliberate attempt to make me unhappy)
"penerlee" (i.e. peynirli börek: fried, cheese-filled pastry)
yalanchi sarma (stuffed grape leaves)
lavash (flatbread)
basterma (cured meat)
string cheese
turshi (pickled vegetables)

Thanksgiving dinner update: We had all of these except the penerlee, which was quite understandable, because the logistics of making it for two dozen people would have been crazy. Instead, we had sou-beoreg, which is basically sheets of pasta layered with butter, cheese, and parsley, and which I haven't eaten in many years. Making it is very labor-intensive, but it works better for a large group than penerlee.

While I was visiting the relatives, I acquired some family heirlooms. I picked up the rest of my uncle's Armenian stamp collection that I inherited, mainly his partial album of Nagorno-Karabakh (1993–98) and a couple of stock books of duplicates from 1919–23 (I had brought home the four main albums of the collection last month). My sister dug up a bunch of old photos at my dad's house, so I snagged my favorite picture of my mother: her high school graduation photo in a gorgeous beveled glass frame ornamented with hand-painted roses. I also got my mother's photo wallet, which contains photos of my mother, her brothers, my dad, and myself (but none of my sister, who was a little less than a year old when our mother died of cancer), as well as my mother's driver's license, her Social Security card, and her permit to carry a concealed firearm. My mom, the gun-totin' belly dancer!

[Moh]

Everything you listed sounds delicious! Sounds like it made for a fun time.

Our day-after-Thanksgiving dinner consisted of:
Bacon-wrapped turkey (seriously!)
Sweet peas
Roasted root vegetables (russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet onions, baby carrots)
Shells and cheese
Hawaiian rolls
And an apple pie cheesecake for dessert

My mom really took a risk with that bacon-wrapped turkey. None of us are big turkey people, but it was incredibly moist and actually had flavor!

My brother got into a car accident on Thursday night right after he left work. Some "young kid" rear-ended him.
He has a Scion iQ, and it didn't look that bad on the outside, but the underside is another story... So until he hears something back from his insurance, we've only got one car for now.
I should note that he's not visibly hurt! He said his back was bothering him, so that's kind of concerning. He declined an ambulance when he called 911.

[TotallyUncool]

I hope he doesn't have any lasting injuries!

[Starra]

This inconsistency kills the Starra.

Spoiler: show

I hate that my brain even A) notices and B) gives a shit about these things, lol.

[DSQueenie]

I'm always curious about Aldi in other states/cities, because the one near us isn't even worth setting foot into. Prices too high, selection too small, product size too small, mediocre produce selection, feels like it needs a mopping.

Prices too high? Where is this Aldi?

(Also hello everyone it’s been a while. It’s nice to be back.)

[TotallyUncool]

Hi, and welcome back!

The Aldi in my neighborhood is cheap, but they just changed their shopping carts to pay-to-use, which is the wrong kind of cheap (as in cheapskate).

[Celedam]

Pay? Or deposit? It’s a deposit at my Aldi — a quarter to unlock the cart handle — in order to get people to return the carts themselves.

[TotallyUncool]

I didn't even bother to check (since I walked in with my own bag) - it's probably a deposit, but if it turns off customers (which I suspect it does), then it may not be that great for business. I think they're the only store in my area that does it, and you've pretty much have to go with what the local market will accept, as long as you've got a lot of competition (and there is a lot around there, including a Walmart across the street).

Important Japanese pop culture note: An acting agency for ex-yakuza!