Augh.

[kiya]

You know how I've been muttering, "Just gotta make it 'til I'm thirty?"

Forget that.

New goal: Make it through the next week.

Spent a while flailing at party prep, went out to do shopping. Did extensive sort of, "Okay, I need to do this and this and this takes two days to do properly so since I need to do that then, I need to do this now," which led to me coming to the conclusion that to be sane out the other end of this I need to make cake tonight.

So I sort of spent a few hours working up the oomph to make cake tonight, got going, and got hit with the first Horrible Realisation: that while I have the butter for the cake, I don't have the butter for anything else I intend to make, which includes a traditionally-mandatory baked good and I'm a traditional son of a bitch. I swear, note that this includes the thing with the three hour bake time that I was planning on doing tomorrow afternoon because I'm not an idiot and doing that Friday will mean that when I'm a little later getting started than ideal I'll have some kind of breakdown trying to fit it in around everything else.

I am pretty sure I can get butter at the Mobil-Mart. Otherwise I'll have to wait until evening to do it, but that may be workable, aside from the not being able to do much else with that time either, due to, well, the same value of 'lack of butter' as caused the problem in the first place.

I'm nearly out of vanilla, too, which had gone unnoticed because it takes a while to go through a big bottle of vanilla. Fortunately, the only things I need vanilla for are the cake (which I had sufficient for) and the frosting for the cake (which I should have sufficient for, eyeballing it).

Then I discovered that arawen still has one of my cake pans from the last time I made cake. After a minor explosion of neuroticism, I found two pans of the same size in a different material, so there will be Experimental Pans. For fuck's sake.

Then I put the chocolate in and the damn mixer erupted, splattering hot water all over the fucking kitchen through the join in the lid, for crying out loud.

Then when pouring the batter in the pans I found some brown sugar that didn't mix in properly, at which point I gave it a vigorous prodding, said, "Fuck this noise" and dropped it on top. Someone will get crunchy sugar. I DON'T CARE ANYMORE.

There will be more baking and cooking the next few days. Then there will be party, which I hope will go well rather than having one of those 'must restrain myself from killing and eating the guests' fits. Then arawen's ritual on Saturday, for which I have to write some damn poetry, but at least I know what I'm doing if not how precisely to do it or where I'm going to find the artistic oomph to get it done especially given, you know, what ardaniel termed the Cake of Small Errors omens.

And after that? I get to drive south, stay with in-laws for a couple of days, deal with sister-in-law's chaotic family if they turn up, deal with father's wife's people at Dad's place, have some meal with my mother, hopefully not have to drive into DC for any reason whatsoever, and then drive home again. With a little luck I can find a corner to hide in for an hour or two with my brother and just talk.

If I can survive this fucking holiday, I can do anything.

(ETA:
Whitney LAUGHS.
Schroedinger [shaddragon] ?
Whitney says, "Gnome commoner #1: I hope I have a chance to visit with Greatfather Winter before Winter Veil is over."
Lavoisier [erispope] hm?
Whitney says, "Gnome Commoner #2, in response: The Burning Legion has returned! What can we do to stop them?"
Schroedinger says, "Ooohkay. ;)"
)

Comments

[thastygliax.livejournal.com]

And for some reason I don't pretend to understand, this post reminded me of the story of Jacob wrestling with the angel...so, um, don't forget to demand a blessing before you let it go? Expect to limp a little in the morning? I dunno...whatever, stay sane, OK?

[autumnesquirrel.livejournal.com]

This won't help now, but if you find yourself using up all of something again, Peapod does next day delivery.

Is there anything that I can do to help?

[whispercricket]

*hug*

I'd offer to bring you stuff, but between the snow and work, I'd get it to you after / about the time you'd get it yourself.

(Also, I know tradition and all, but if you do run out of vanilla for the frosting, you could use a bit of almond or some other extract - but not the same, I know. :} )

[mindways]

Gah. *hugs* Sounds like some sort of gremlins are fond of your holiday food, and can't resist trying to sample before it's all done.

[labrys6.livejournal.com]

Ah, the Kitchen-Goblins are loose and reveling, eh? Don't worry, we have survived many a holiday season that they virtually RULED! And hey, crunchy sugar means you just dont' need to hide a 'bean' in the cake for good luck, right? Whoever gets the sugar bit 'gets wed in the new year' or 'gets rich in the new year' ....or whatever bit of folklore you assign. Teehee!

But butter? Yeah...it keeps disappearing before I get done producing 'baked goods.' I skipped several this year...no biscotti, no gingerbread cookies, and no krumkake! Still, the table is laden with entirely too many edibles....

[kiya]

I should be okay, once I get my butt down to the Mobil-Mart to buy butter.

We talked with Dave on Tuesday about giving you and M a lift up here, by the way, in case that communication hasn't connected up yet.

[thene]

Totally been there. Cakey doom :(

*livejournal stalks*

[autumnesquirrel.livejournal.com]

I was told that he was renting a car, but will have to hunt down contact information for him. Do you have an email address you can send me?