Slowly coming back to the real world

That I am an indifferent cook is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that my proudest boast about my Thanksgiving dinner is that nobody got food poisoning.  Other than that, the food, over which I labored for two days, was more than adequate.  I had the whole Thanksgiving megillah:  Turkey (of course), stuffing (made in the crock pot to avoid food poisoning), butternut squash, candied yams, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, homemade gravy, salad, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.  Our gathering was small (my immediate family, plus my mother), so we have leftovers for at least two nights.  That’s good, because I’m all cooked out.

I’m also slowly returning to real life, to my life.  I took two days off from writing and from reading news.  When I wasn’t cooking, I was walking dogs and reading junk novels.  The world didn’t go away but, for a brief time, I went away from the world.

Today, slowly, I’m catching up — and rather wishing I hadn’t bothered.  The news today, after all, is no better than it was two days ago.  Still, like a junkie staring at that needle heading to my vein, I’m equal parts loathing and desire.  Even as I fear the news, I crave it.

And so I’m reading again, and will soon be writing again.  Until then, please consider this an Open Thread.