Xmas Eve. Also, fucking ants!

So after my distress of the previous day, I was concerned that I’d be really morose on Xmas Eve, not having any particular plans. But AA came over in the afternoon so we could exchange gifts, and we went out for a nice Pho lunch, and that was ok for me, although she got very sad and weepy. But I felt ok, although I was wondering what to do with myself, not particularly wanting to sit around the house.

But at 7:30pm or so I realized I’d better make certain I had all the ingredients for the apple crisp I’m bringing to dinner – yeah, not the fanciest of desserts, but the wonderful almond cake I’d planned to make went out the window when my hostness emailed on Saturday with a note that one guest is deathly allergic to nuts. So: apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, flour, all good. What am I missing? Salt! When AA moved out I kept the kosher salt and gave her the Morton’s table salt, because I use the kosher all the time, but only need the regular kind for boiling pasta or potatoes, which I haven’t had a need to do since then. And the only other thing you need it for is….baking. Sigh. OK, it’s 7:45 – no problem, Draeger’s is just down the street and they’re open till 8pm. Whoops, closed at 7 today. OK, over to Safeway, uh-oh, empty parking lot, lights dim. Gulp, well maybe Mollie Stone’s, which ditto. A-ha! And thank god for Walgreen’s, which solved my problem. Although I admit to being surprised at the number of people who were apparently finishing their Christmas shopping there.