{"id":8159,"date":"2013-12-31T11:42:04","date_gmt":"2013-12-31T16:42:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debslunch.com\/debslunchblog\/?p=8159"},"modified":"2014-01-01T10:18:07","modified_gmt":"2014-01-01T15:18:07","slug":"the-holidays-vs-real-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debslunch.com\/debslunchblog\/the-holidays-vs-real-life\/","title":{"rendered":"The holidays vs. real life"},"content":{"rendered":"

The holidays are winding down, and real life is intruding –<\/p>\n

Over the weekend, I sold the old Toyota that John’s been driving, that belonged to Mark’s Dad. It’s probably worth at least<\/em> $4000, but needs work that would cost someone\u00a0 like me, who has to hire a mechanic to do it, at least $2000. So I put it on Craigslist on Saturday morning for $2500, and it sold in 6 hours. I’m giving John my grey Subaru wagon, and leasing a new Impreza for me. I must’ve gotten 30 calls, assorted texts, and dozens of emails about the Camry while I was at the dealership doing the deal for the Impreza.<\/p>\n

\"dadscar1\"<\/a>

Old Camry in the driveway – the shot that sold it<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Grey<\/a>

Grey Subaru at the dealer’s waiting to get its plates put on my new one<\/p><\/div>\n

Sunday morning I got up and cleaned out the Toyota, so the buyer could come and take it away at 11:00. I’m afraid the 4 long skinny aluminum rods that I’m banging my shins on now in the basement when I go down to feed the cats & clean their litter are actually part of the Toyota’s (partially broken) trunk-opening-apparatus – but they also could be part of some kind of photographic lighting rig that John wants. Why I saved them.<\/p>\n

We had duck fat fried potatoes for Sunday breakfast and finally ate the trifle with TV on Sunday night. It was good, but maybe a little too traditional for our American tastes – a little too much sherry. It’s from an article spread in the now defunct Waitrose Food Magazine, on designer Terence Conran’s<\/a> Christmas lunch and the following tea, that includes this trifle and a game pie, among other dishes.<\/p>\n

On Monday morning, I had to spend about an hour on the phone with the insurance guy and the car dealer. Then I used Mar’s car, on loan from Ethan, to go shop for New year’s day brunch<\/a>. Then Mark & I took a cold walk over to the Credit Union, to pay off the grey Subaru.<\/p>\n

We are supposed to be picking up the Impreza on New year’s eve day – maybe I can get it to pose then.<\/p>\n

I made the very last cookie kind, the Lora Brody rugelach<\/a>, on New year’s eve morning. Note to all you Epicurious commenters – I make this pretty much as written, following Rose Levy Berenbaum’s meticulous instructions – but removing the cookies from the parchment to cool on a rack is a bad idea. They’ll stick to the rack. Just let them cool on the cookie sheets, on the parchment.<\/p>\n

I think I’ll be working January 2, 3, 4 & 5 – Thursday thru Sunday – to write a syllabus for a new class<\/a> I’m teaching spring semester. But maybe I can mostly work at home.<\/p>\n