A novel TR.A christmas staycation.

[drron]

I wanted to do something different for post 5000-presuming the mods do not delete a whole lot and upset my plans.I did think I would finish my last TR but the inspiration has not been there recently-busy doing everything around the house for the Christmas invasion.then the events of Friday the 23rd inspired this TR.
it began early.I arrived at the local oyster wholesalers in Warana just before 0530.already a line-they opened at 0500.Didn't have to worry about choice they only had Tassie oysters in large or small-so 4 dozen large.The Coffin Bay and Sydney rock oysters had all gone to restaurants and seafood retailers.There were 8 fellows shucking,3 ladies serving and assorted others loading trucks,filleting fish etc.by the time i left the line was out the door.
Back home for a quick brekkie-2 slices toast and it was off to Eumundi to pick up our Christmas centre piece-a Turducken-turkey stuffed with a duck,stuffed with a chicken which is just stuffed.Not cheap but it does take a lot of preparation as each bird is deboned.If you are interested they can be ordered from Eumundi Meats all year.
Now it has dawned on me that a Turducken comes with a price.we had originally ordered one 4 years ago when 11 of us had Christmas in the Adirondacks-a blizzard put paid to its delivery so I and my former Cardiologist partner ventured forth into the blizzard to the small village of Croghan,NY to purchase their last Turkey.I would soon realise that weather and Turduckens are a natural fit.
The oysters were for a small "family"affair at our place that night-our son's family-kids of 4,2 and 1 and our adopted family-that of my partners with his 4 children all of whom regard us as grandparents-and we have attended the last 12 Grandparents day at their school.It was scheduiled to start at 1700 but weather and JQ intervened.our son was sheduled to arrive at 1215 from SYD on JQ784.fortunately being schooled in AFF i monitored SYD JQ departures.JQ784 didn't leave until 1235-nearly an hour late.So we arrived at 1300 at MCY to await them.Clive Palmer's MD82 is still parked there and a VA plane was at the gate.Ominously VA suspended boarding as we arrived.
next JQ mayhem.

 

[medhead]

SWMBO just mentioned that she almost got a turducken yesterday, when I mentioned your Christmas fare. But she it didn't, as it look foul. Boom, boom.

Having just fixed the bathroom taps after how many months, I'm looking forward reading about your staycation. I'm having a staycation as well and will be getting into thos jobs around the home.

 

[drron]

We decided not to go through MCY security with our umbrellas etc.Also because I have a 100% record at MCY of secondary explosive testing.There is a cafe in the baggage hall so we got our cappucinos and waited there.The display board had 784 and the flight from MEL both expected at 1305.At 1310 we heard what sounded like a plane landing.But the sound contiued into the distance.So I went outside and the DJ plane was still on the apron.It weas about then they announced that boarding of the DJ plane would recommence.
So back inside I went.
Later we heard the DJ plane beginning to move.Outside again.Saw the DJ plane taxi to the end of the runway,turn around and just stay there.A young fellow asked why it was not taking off.A coach driver said-"Well mate you cant see the mountain.Flying a plane and not being able to see the mountain is a bit of a problem."Though you now could not see the units opposite MCY on Marcoola Beach.We then heard what sounded like 2 planes heading south.I came inside and thought aloud JQ had probably diverted to BNE.About 10 minutes later JQ announced the 2 planes had indeed diverted to BNE.
So I set off in the car to BNE as my car had the child seats.A bad accident on the Sunshine Motorway which obviously had just happened as the ambulance was about 6 vehicles in front and the TV crew were just behind me.Held up for a few minutes.The rain on the drive down was incredible making a slower speed a necessity until just south of Morayfield.however arrived at BNE not long after JQ had let pax deplane and before the busses were loaded.Of necessity my son had to take the coach.soon after getting the grandkids and their mother back home it was off to MCY again to pick up my son.
Talking to him JQ784 had virtually done a touch and go at 1310.Did 2 other go arounds and the headed to BNE.Kept on the plane there for another 30 minutes before deplaning.Apparently a lot of complaints on the coach but my son gave the prize for best comment to the fellow who on getting off the bus at MCY said-blast,we could have been in Bangkok by now.
Next-an interrupted dinner.

 

[drron]

Friday night was a christmas dinner for our extended family-our son,his wife and 3 young children and my former cardiologist partner whose family has become part of ours and vice versa-we have been to Granparents day for his children for the last 12 years.They were flying off to KUL that evening on MH to have a Christmas eve lunch with his family before flying out to CPT for Christmas dinner with her family.
So a meal that was to start at 1700 became somewhat shortened when I arrived home with my son at 1800.fortunately the oysters had gone down a treat.For the locals or others visiting the coast I can thoroughly reccomend our supplier(other seafood as well)-
Contact Us
I was straight out to the barbie for the typical sausages and steak,my wife's sister and her TA daughter had brought the salads and the youngest of my partners daughters had spent the afternoon at our place making the desserts.She is the one with the severe allergies.That however is not stopping her taking a real interest in cooking.We had a fruit mince strudel and a delicious variation of Rocky road.
Several bottles of Moet,Petaluma Coonawarra and some Marlborough SBs we bid farewell to the travellers.
Then it was the task of keeping 3 under 4s in check without doing to much damage for the next 4 days.Fortunately the old crab pot was productive-unfortunately mostly undersize or female-but it did keep the interest up.So did feeding our fish-we put in a water feature at the end of 2010.After initial losses of stock the 4 survivors have proven quite adept at breeding.
So next will be Christmas day and the Turducken.

 

[drron]

The day arrived.The beast was uncovered-

now I should have known there would be problems.We tried to get as much info as we could on cooking Turduckens and the best turned out that it must be slow and guided by a meat thermometer.however when you put a page entitled how to cook a turducken it is shortened leaving off the ...ucken.This was a sign.the cooking took a lot longer than planned so Christmas lunch featured the glazed ham and the turducken became the evening meal.So here it is cooked and dissected-

So how was it.Surprisingly it tasted like turkey,duck and chicken.so was it worth it-well yes because our son really wanted to try one but in future it will be just a turkey-much easier and cheaper.