HP movie

We went to see Goblet of Fire last night. We were aiming for the 8:45 show, but they were sold out so we got tickets for the 10:35 and killed time at the bookstore and coffeeshop. It actually worked out better, we had a nice evening together. Overally I really liked the movie. I hadn't read the book in a couple years and there were some things I missed, but others (house elves) I really didn't.

( spoilery movie thoughts )

Amelia and Denis's overly ambitious Thanksgiving

This is our first time Denis and I are attempting to cook Thanksgiving dinner and we are going all out. Denis just returned from turkey hunting and cranberry (and pastry blender) gathering, and I ordered extra sets of wedding china and am going to use the nice tablecloth my mother-in-law gave us for our wedding. The current menu is:

-brined turkey with gravy
-sausage stuffing
-mlinci (a croatian side-dish traditionally served with turkey. They're dough squares you bake in advance then fry in the drippings. A pain to make, but so good.)
-fresh cranberry relish
-steamed asparagus with lemon
-apple pie
-pumpkin pie

I think I have most of the equipment I need, but I don't have a rolling pin. Does anyone (local) have one I can borrow, or has any good substitutions to suggest? We like creative alternatives.

This is going to be a fun cooking challenge because there are lots of things we've never made before (everything but the asparagus) and I really want to make things (including gravy and pie crusts) from scratch. (Excluding the pumpkin pie filling.) Since we're not having guests this seems to be the year to do it.

We eliminated a few things (green salad, rolls, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes), but we're still going to have way too much food. It's only going to be the two of us and the smallest turkey Denis could find that didn't look "mishapen" was 9 pounds. Leftovers are good. Would anyone like to join us for a post-Thanksgiving meal that Friday, Saturday, or Sunday? Help me justify spending money on wedding china, an electric knife, and a 9lb turkey.*

*note if everything turns out badly we reserve the right to cancel, remember this is our trial Thanksgiving.

Rome

I just saw the Rome first season finale and it was *breathtaking*. The first season charts Caesar's reign from his rise to power to his murder tonight. The show's combination of the personal and political, the complexity of motivations, of love and honor, and the perhaps unforseen consequences of events is stunning. Tonight in particular the acting was incredible, there were the women's stark revenge combined with precise manners, the revealing of Vorenus's family secret, and Brutus and Caesar during Caesar's last moments. It was awesome.