Meanwhile, I've been shopping for the big Thanksgiving dinner. We were going to just do the usual small turkey dinner for the two of us, but then we thought it would be fun to have someone else over for a change, so we invited the Humphries whom we socialize with regularly. A few days later, John decided he'd like to ask Alf Wachsman, a German computer scientist he works with, to come over as he was bound to be alone. And today Julie mentioned Michael Rawdon wasn't planning to go anywhere for the holiday, so we invited him, too.

Tragically, I'd already bought the turkey. It looked positively scrawny when I thought about feeding four men.

So tonight I went back to Safeway and braved the hordes of crazed shoppers in order to get a nice, plump turkey breast so we'll have enough meat to go around. I decided to double the size of the stuffing (which I guess is technically dressing rather than stuffing since I don't actually stuff the bird), so I had to get more of the bread mixture. And I needed an extra Pyrex bowl to hold the extra green beans. And beer, have to have beer if you're having Germans over. The result is our refrigerator is absolutely packed with food, an unusual sight. But I'm totally ready for a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, and I'm really looking forward to having guests.

Don't mention my low-cal diet. Right out the window this week. I never mess with tradition.

Work was surprisingly busy, a very steady series of phonecalls that kept me continuously making reservations all day. I spoke with one of my favorite clients who called to cancel her Hawaii trip in January as she had just bought a house. "Really?" I said, perking up. "Here? In Redwood City?" Yes, as it turned out, and since she was in the same sort of position John and I are in I grilled her on the experience. She was enthusiastic about her real estate agent who got her a heck of a deal, so I got his name and called him. I've not been happy with our first agent who just never seemed to grasp what we really wanted and has been urging us to settle for anything at all just to get our foot in the door (have I mentioned my foot is sore?). I like this new guy so far. He's a dog owner, so at least he understands why we're so insistent on a yard. Cross your fingers for us.

By the way, I looked through the Sunday Auto Classifieds, and I can definitely get a 15 year old Toyota Celica for under $3000. I hear they're incredibly reliable cars that need little to no maintenance. Dave Van offered to sell me his '90 Dodge Shadow for $1000 but I'm not a Dodge kind of gal. Well, that, and I don't have $1000. I'm waiting until after taxes to buy anything since we always walk the edge between getting something back and owing something. We really got socked last year because we didn't take state taxes into account after eight years in Tennessee where they don't have a state tax. This year we're being cautious. I can wait to get a car until after my overseas trip in May.

And of course, because it's me, I'm all up in the air about my overseas trip next year. Originally, I was going to take in PloktaCon and meet up with some of my British friends after far too long an absence. But since I gave up going to Chile and Italy this year due to heavy vet bills I wanted to make up for it by going somewhere new and exciting next year. And I could have pulled it off, I really could have, by going to the London convention and then on to Rome. Unfortunately, they didn't get the London hotel they wanted, so they booked their con into a hotel in ... ready? ... Leicester. Argh. Bloody nowhere East Midlands. Nothing remotely interesting to tour nearby. A complete full stop in the old travel itinerary. It won't do. I'm very sorry indeed to be missing a great little convention chock full of my friends, but I want to get in another trip or two someplace interesting before I can't afford to go any more. In fact, if we can pull it together financially I'd really like to go to Santiago still, or Japan, or Peru. So I don't know where I'm going over Memorial Day, but it's not Leicester.

Bonus Geo I.Q. test question, to be answered tomorrow: what is the name of the Arizona community run on ecologically sound principles which was founded by an Italian architect and is famous for its bells?

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