I had a quiet but enjoyable birthday dinner with friends at Ryleigh's Oyster Bar in Baltimore. $1 bivalves are hard to beat, and they were some of the best and freshest-tasting I've ever had. Even Hans liked them! Later in the month the party continued as Hans and I went out for Thai food and then saw Verdi's Requiem at the Strathmore performance hall in Maryland. It's convenience for transportation and easy parking has made it a new favorite venue of mine. Don't get me wrong, I love the Kennedy Center. However, the 1-1/2 hour trip home via metro/car is a little excruciating when you leave the theater at 10pm.
The performance was pretty great. I told Hans that it wasn't going to be very relaxing music, and to just wait for the Dies Irae. For most listeners the second piece of the requiem is recognizable. The chorus did a great job of wailing in misery and the percussionists did their part with gusto. The soloists were good too, but the soprano's voice did not carry well. The mezzo-soprano was our favorite and the tenor was originally from Maryland!
Getting ready for Thanksgiving was definitely a lot of work. We invited some people over for dinner and games, so I felt the need to really make an effort. I don't know where the hours escaped to on Thursday! I saved myself a lot of stress by doing all the precooking, chopping, and dessert making on Wednesday but the day was still full. I think the dishwasher was run 3 times by the time we went to bed but that kitchen was spotless at the end of the night. We had a great time, good drinks, and managed to prevent the end of the world in a game of Arkham Horror.
Ingredients for two kinds of stuffing, and a salted bird ready for it's overnight seasoning
Even Bunsen knew it was time for a post-dinner-cleanup glass of wine at the end of the night!
We hope everyone else had a nice and not too crazy Thanksgiving. Christmas is in less than 30 days?!
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