Petunia is so good to me.

She installed our heavy-ass air conditioners yesterday in anticipation of today's heat/humidity fest. She also bought another a/c for Hester's room, which she installed before she left for work this morning.

She fed Hester at 3am.

She's v. solicitous of Hester's and my icky snotty summer colds. She even called twice today to check in on us.

She got everything ready for last night's final post-placement visit with Ms. Stork. All I had to do was clean up from work.

She made strawberry sundaes last night. Yum!

Petunia is the best. I'm so lucky to be her wife!

Tales From a Dressing Room, or The Best Back-Handed Compliment EVER

Clementine: What do you think? I think it's kinda cute, but it's a skort. Also it's femme-y.

Petunia: No, it's cute on you. You look good in skirts--you have nice legs from far away.

Yay for equal marriage!

Petunia and I were married legally 3 years ago today.

Equal marriage makes a world of difference.

Thanksgiving Eve

I'm generally a Thanksgiving scrooge, but you know what? I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow. Petunia and I had plans with L&L for T-Day at their house, but Petunia came down with a nasty cold. Instead of spreading our sick germs to the whole L&L family, we've moved on to Plan B: Thanksgiving here!

I should preface this next part by saying that Petunia and I have very different ideas about What Makes a Good Thanksgiving. On Petunia's list: tablecloths, candles, nice clothes, bone china, and this fancy French dressing she makes with potatoes, cloves, and TVP (in her family's recipe, it was beef). On my list: paper plates, jammies, takeout from Boston Market, and a slew of movies from the video store. Oh, and Pink Stuff, a top-secret family recipe made from the contents of 3 cans and one tub.

You see my point, yes?

This difference between us has been a point of contention in years past, though all that eased when we started going to Thanksgiving at other people's homes. You know I still grumble about having to get gussied up on a holiday, though. I'm a brat like that.

Because Petunia's ill, there's no question about it: This year's Thanksgiving will be Clementine Style. And while I'm very excited about getting to stay in my jammies all day, I can't claim cultural victory under such crappy circumstances. When Petunia walked in from the Price Chopper early this morning and handed me a box of Stove Top, I knew that mine was a very shallow victory indeed. But since Petunia won't tell me her French dressing recipe (probably because she knows I'd eff it up royally), I'll be doing the food prep and cleanup and entertainment planning for this year's T-Day. That's right, y'all! I figure that if nothing else, it should be a pretty good incentive for Petunia to feel well next Thanksgiving.

And so here you have it, from my house to yours, A Very Merry Clementine Thanksgiving:

The Menu
Stove Top chicken flavor (for me)
Chicken breast from Boston Market (also for me; Petunia's vegetarian)
Sweet potatoes (though not with marshmallows and brown sugar, as my cultural heritage might suggest)
Regular potatoes (for Petunia; I don't really like potatoes)
Cranberry sauce from a can (for Petunia)
Green beans from a can (also for Petunia)
Pink Stuff (top-secret W________ family recipe, for both of us)

(An aside: From this list, it should be clear to you that I don't come from Fancy, if you know what I mean. Hell, I still get cravings for the fried baloney sandwiches my mom used to make when I was little: Fried up Oscar Mayer coated with French's mustard and sandwiched between 2 slices of white bread--trashy, but delicious! Oh! and also why I sometimes get a hankering for potato chips with ketchup, or Little Debbie cakes, or those cheap Vlasic pickles, or....)

The Attire
Jammies, of course. You know it!

The Entertainment
NOT that damned football, but maybe the parade if Petunia feels like it (that's a generous nod to her family's tradition, in case you didn't catch it). Also, my next installment of 90210 has arrived along with Petunia's next installment of Dead Like Me. Maybe we'll also play Uno or Trivial Pursuit if she's up to it.

And that's it! Feel free to borrow my plans, if you like (Canada, I'm thinking of you here!). Of course, it's more My Name is Earl than Martha Stewart Living, but what the hell. Petunia and I will be together, in sickness or health, with French dressing or Stove Top, and that's what Thanksgiving's all about.

Happy Thanksgiving Eve, y'all!

Petunia's home!

Petunia is back from Missouri, and I'm so glad! I was very happy to pick her up at Logan last night, and we went for a fun dinner at the Border Cafe in Harvard Square to celebrate her return. She had a great time at her conference, and she was glad to come home. She has today off, mercifully, and she's downstairs napping right now.

Today is the first day of Petunia's new 4-day work schedule. She came for a walk with the kids and me this morning, and I made her a grilled cheese along with my favorite sweet potato and apple dish for lunch. She's been doing her own thing otherwise, but I like having her home with me.

I'm spoiled!

Petunia's off in Kansas City for a conference this week, but she hasn't given me much of a chance to miss her! Every time I turn around, I find something she's left for me...Godiva cocktail truffles in the microwave, sweet little notes all over the house, a Bit-O-Honey by my keyboard. I've gotten a couple of deliveries, too: yesterday's mail had a postcard from her, and today I got a package of Luxembourgers from Burdick's! When she comes back, I'll weigh twice what I did when she left, but I'll be hella happy about it.

I'm super spoiled, but I'm also super grateful. Thank you for thinking of me, Petunia!