补记：繁忙的感恩节

今年的感恩节信誓旦旦的决定自己做火鸡，提前三天把火鸡买回来，一只12磅的中型鸡，星期二晚上拿出来解冻，忙手忙脚的，竟然把家里唯一一个比较大的盆给打碎了，只好放在高压锅里，一会儿解冻头，一会儿解冻屁股，需要解冻一天。星期三下午三点多就忍不住偷偷的遛出来，去中国超市买了菜，回来就开始腌火鸡，本本乱七八糟放了一堆的酱油，盐，蒜粉，黑胡椒，姜。一夜无话。

星期四起来就开始大张旗鼓的忙活开了。火鸡肚子里的 stuffing，我配了面包丁，西芹，洋葱，柿子椒，用 butter 炒了之后，再放点盐，然后放到专门的 stuffing bag里，再塞到火鸡肚子里。stuffing 太多了，好不容易才塞进去，把两条腿绑上。把烤箱温度调到375度左右，火鸡放到烤盘里，用锡箔纸盖好，进烤箱，这时是西部时间下午1点整。

然后把搬沙拉的蔬菜准备好。本本又作了他最喜欢的酸酸甜甜的　ｃｒａｎｅｂｅｒｒｙ　酱。朱头和诺两个人就敲响了我们的大门，因为我请诺帮我烤她最拿手的黏糕，所以他们就兴冲冲的带着家伙来了，帮我们准备了一些水果和黏糕的材料。火鸡需要烤三个小时，等着也是等着，我们说打牌巴。抓阄的结果是我和朱头一家，我们互望一眼，心里有点忐忑，咱们俩儿？，我心想，本来呢我比本本高那么一点点，现在有了喏这个牌精，笨笨就比我高那么一点点了。（朱头再一旁说：还有我呢？）就是因为有你这个朱头，笨笨才会比我高那么一点点地。

不过，嘴上我们当然不会示弱了。谁怕谁呀。

为了感觉好点，我们决定从8开始打起。没想到，我和朱头的手气狂好，不是主好，就是副好，不是拖拉机，就是对子，打得他们落花流水，我们一蹦三跳的打到 K 乐，他们还在 10 那里徘徊又徘徊。爽！我们的口号是：不靠实力，全凭手气！

不知不觉地，三个小时就这样过去了，我们好想继续打阿，可是伙计需要照顾了。把火鸡拿出来，stuffing 取出来，我们意识到一个严重的问题：stuffing 太多，火鸡肚子给撑开了，难看死了。本本急中生智，把两块红薯放在火鸡旁边顶着，还好还好，勉强过得去。用　ｂｕｔｔｅｒ，奶油，和　ｍａｐｌｅ　ｓｙｒｕｐ　调了汁，开始每隔十五分钟给鸡刷一遍进烤箱，裸露着烤以上色。考出来的油汁，好鲜阿，煮开了，加点芡粉做成　ｇｒａｖｙ，浇在土豆泥和火鸡上。说到土豆泥，很简单了，把土豆开水煮开煮软，去皮，压碎，再加牛奶和　ｂｕｔｔｅｒ，拌匀就行了。不过我好像牛奶和奶油对了一些。下次改进吧。诺的黏糕也好了，不过忙忙活活的，烤过了，没有发挥出她应有的水平。我还烤了小面人的ｂｉｓｃｕｉｔ，也有点过火乐。

这时，客人们一拥而进，饭菜上桌，好丰盛的一桌阿。当天的菜单：
火鸡一只，ｓｔｕｆｆｉｎｇ，土豆泥，沙拉，酱牛肉，牛百叶，海带，年糕和　ｂｉｓｃｕｉｔ．
火鸡有点过火，不过还是很受欢迎。本本做的酱牛肉，牛百叶和海带最畅销了，很快被一扫而空。大家好像不太喜欢沙拉，只有我在拼命的吃，以给自己一点面子。等我们都吃完乐，本来不能来的蓝马两口子竟然来乐。哈哈，帮我解决沙拉把。

房后的娱乐当然是卡拉ｏｋ了。我们为即将结婚的蓝马两口子点了两首歌：路边的野花不要采，和明天我要嫁给你。一定代表了他们的心情吧。一顿的乱吼之后，正应了：高音全靠吼， 颤音全靠抖，共振全靠头。当然专唱周节棍的歌唱家甲和会腹腔共振的歌唱家乙除外，这里就不点名表扬了。

唱累了，一些人打游戏，一些人继续打牌。直到子夜。。。

我们的感恩节就这样过去了。

第二天早晨睁开眼已经９点多了，看来今年的疯狂购物又赶不上了。索性睡到中午，起来说：还是出去看看吧。去了离家很近的　ｋｏｈｌｅ＇ｓ，已经１点多了，还是人山人海，结账的队伍拐了好几个弯。最后在　ｅａｒｌｙｂｉｒｄ　ｓｐｅｃｉａｌ　结束的最后一分钟买了一个结帐不需要排队的红宝石戒指，也算体验了感恩节购物吧。晚上去一个朋友家吃饭，他们家里装饰的真好，很有中国情调。

星期六是蓝马的婚礼，新娘很漂亮，尤其是穆斯林的红头巾裹在头上越发衬的人娇艳无比。晚上去马家馆吃饭，这两口子被大家折腾得够呛，哈哈。

007, 又见007

昨天晚上去看新的007乐，还因此错过了现在紧跟的 prison break and heroes. 不过还是值得的。新的007确实很好看，跟以往完全的花里胡哨买汽车特技加男色女色外，情节紧张连贯，故事讲的不错。最关键的是， james bond 成了一个有血有肉专一痴情的英雄。新的演员并不是很帅，不过在电影里还是很有男人味的，小三角眼睛，夹巴夹巴挺有神的。因为男主角不够帅，所以所有的男配角统统的不是老就是丑，以衬托我们的英雄。女演员还行，虽然本本觉得不够漂亮，我觉得气质还是挺不错的，可能就是这样的性格气质才能让我们的英雄爱上（注意，是爱上哦）。总之，我觉得是所有我看过的007里最好看得（p.s. 我总共只看过2部，加这一部），推荐大家去看吧。

羽毛球，又见羽毛球

上个周末，连续打了两天的羽毛球，笨笨的手都磨出了大水泡，什么时候破了都不知道。我的脚上也差点儿磨出水泡，胳膊也疼得很。不过，找到了一点点高远球的感觉，原来我的击球点太低了，所以使不出劲来，经过喏的指点，好像有了那么一点点进步，而且喏喂给我的球好好吃啊，不像笨笨的球我老是借不到，真坏。上星期的 fortune cookie 说：sucess is never final and failure never fatal. It's the courage that counts. 看来路漫漫其修远兮。可惜连着两个周末，场地都不开放：（

感恩节我跃跃欲试要自己烤火鸡，恩，烤完再报告把。

an interesting talk about what makes us happy: many people made the wrong choice.

http://www.ted.com/tedtalks/tedtalksplayer.cfm?key=d_gilbert&flashEnabled=1

how strong can a person's mind be

http://news.eastday.com/eastday/node79841/node79861/node159587/u1a2302803.html

贵州苗族女陈翠菊，17岁到东莞一电子厂打工，下班途中突然晕倒在河边一废弃小木船上，十几天后才被一老工人发现，无呼吸、无心跳、瘦成骷髅状、全身发臭、无任何身份证明，被签定为死亡，以无名女尸送往东莞殡仪馆火化。即将火化时一殡仪馆收敛工突然发现女尸脚轻微动了一下，似有轻微呼吸，报告上面再送往医院，经医院诊断，陈翠菊极度营养不良、脱水、酸中毒和电解质紊乱、各器官功能严重衰竭，瘦削得没有人样，头发乱作一团，大小便失禁，经抢救与细心照顾，陈翠菊奇迹般活过来了，免去所有医药费，送其800元回家路费，后被画家陈仲濂邀请陈翠菊到金华学画，并承诺负担她的一切生活和学习开支，先后数十次在全国性的书画比赛中获奖，作品被选送到美国、韩国和马来西亚等30多个国家巡回展出，十年后的今天她重返东莞，身穿苗族隆重服饰，到医院和殡仪馆向恩人们跪拜。

有趣：耶酥是中国人

原文太长乐。给个 link:

http://bbs.jjwxc.net/showmsg.php?board=138&id=520&msg=妖怪茶社

one smile each time

一年以前我给 operation smile 捐了一次钱。这是一个非盈利的组织。一些医生志愿捐献他们的时间和技术，到一些贫困的国家免费给有兔唇的小孩子做矫正手术。需要社会上的人捐助药品什么的。每次都有很多的家长带着小孩来，太多了，不能每个人都得到机会，只要抽签，幸运的能得到医治，其他的人只能失望而回，等下次了。我去年大概这个时候看了一个电视节目，小孩子实在太可怜了，就给他们捐了一点。今天竟然受到一封信，是我捐助的小孩子做了手术前后的照片。终于作了一点有意义的事情。纪念一下。手术前的照片我就不贴了，实在有点吓人呢。这个小孩不仅仅是兔唇，还有上鄂和牙齿的畸形，我都不敢看。

smallwalk

中午吃完饭出去遛达了一圈。外面天气真是好。空气里暖烘烘的。我只穿了一件衬衫，还慢慢的走出汗来。加州的阳光真是灿烂。就像阳春三月一样。想着 minnesota 和 iowa 的兄弟姐妹们那里一定已经万物凋零一片萧瑟了吧。恩，加州还是好啊。

今天是竞选日，不知道是瓦辛格同志能否连任，看电视上的广告效应，还是很有可能的。说起来这种竞选广告，以前在明州的时候，还没有太大的感觉，到这儿才感觉这种广告真是铺天盖地，整天的互相埋汰，想来就是政治作秀。以前在明州的时候还觉得对政府和政府官员有些 trust, 觉得他们还是有为大众服务的意识。加州就是纯粹的金钱社会，有钱就能打广告，把自己捧上天，往对方身上泼脏水。每年收那么多的税，service 搞得这么差，都给他们贪了吧。恩，还是明州好啊。

Ps. check out Miramar airshow pictures:
http://qiuqiubaobao.spaces.live.com

A friend gave me a sweater. How does it go with my skirt and shoes? P. S. The shoes were bought 2 weeks ago, which cost me $20. They are Clark's. Here are all the shoes we bought last time: Men's shoes 2 for $50. And women's are 2 for $40.

This is how it looks on my feet.

My new outfit which I like very much.

A TV program

Last night, I watched a TV program about the old people's brain. Japan is known to have the highest rate of long-live people ( it also holds the record of highest rate of suicide:) . The researchers studied the brains and lives of some old people of about one hundred years old in Japan. The conclusion is rather simple as we expected: the more you use it, the more you brain is healthier and younger.

What moves me is not the result but the life stories of these people. One man is now 98. But his brain is about 20 years younger than his age. He had two children, one son and one daughters. Both got brain fever when they were little and therefore couldn't communicate properly. He devoted himself to teach them at home. A few years later, at the age of 47, he put his own money in opening a daycare for those kids who are interllecturally disabled. It became his career and passion ever since. To help them develop, he invented thousands of toys and tools. He learned Korean before. Now he wished he could use his experience to help disabled kids in China. So at the age of 95, he studied Chinese. Recently, he did visit China. He used his invented toys to play with Chinese kids. When he asked to give a speach, he insisted in using Chinese. His pronuciation was so unclear that a translator had to step in to help. Later on, he also joked about the translation from Chinese to Chinese, but he said:"you know, I can't stop trying". Sadly, his wife died earlier. And even more sad, his two children both died in 2002 and 2003, respectively. What might seem devastating to others became his motivation to live. He said:" they both died in their fifties. So I took their power to live on. People asked me how I can handle it. You know, I have the power of two fifty-year-old inside me." He lives on his own, doing everything except cooking. Every week, a Chinese girl comes to help him with his Chinese.

There is another guy who is now 103. At his seventies, he began to run and took part in marathon. He won many medals. But at his eighties, his wife died, which had a great impact on him. He lost interests in everything including running. All day long, he just stayed at his room doing nothing. His health began to fail. There were a time when he couldn't even walk. It went on like this for a few years. To help him, his son and daughter-in-law took him out to the field to excercise. Once he began to run, he found his life back again. He gradually recovered. When he was 99, he began to run marathon again. He was the oldest contestant.

Another woman began to learn peotry at the age of 90. Everyday she reads newspaper for a few hours and composes poems. Her poems were published, which covers a variety of topoics, for example the mission to Mars.

We may be just ordinary persons. But it's good to have some one we can look up to, especially some one who is this old and just couldn't give up living.

迎春

虽然人称二木头。她也不是真的没有知觉。其实，我觉得在大观园里过的最满足快乐的就是她了，别人得到的虽然多，外来的自寻的烦恼也很多。迎春则是不见不生烦恼的。所以她自己也说：过了几年安心日子。她甚至都不需要别人爱她喜欢她。

在行令的时候，大家都说的挺好的，就她一句：桃花带雨浓，被评：不像，又错了韵。她一笑，吃了杯酒，也就过去了。

我觉得，她的要求很少，也不想出人头地，也不想争宠，也不想生事，人家说她糊涂她也不介意，在大观园和姐妹们安安静静的过日子，即使没人注意，她也就挺满足的了。起诗社，她做监考的，就挺高兴的了。惜春后来借画画之际，离了诗社，也没提迎春，想来她还是有滋有味的做她的监考官的。你看她出嫁后回娘家的时候，对大观园多怀念，她只想分享一点热闹的气氛，虽然在那里她也是可有可无，对她也够了。

可惜，这么个要求不多的人也给折磨死。

Last night, I was waiting for knocks at the door. Nothing happened until 8:30 pm. I took the candy bag and opened the door. It was a two-year-old boy dressed up as a little bear. He was so cute and he was my first customer so I gave him lots of candies. His mother was so happy that she asked us to have dinner with them during the weekend. See how much the candies can do? :)


The fact is, this little boy is my only customer, and he is my friend's boy :( His mom said it is probably because we didn't decorate our window or door. Oh well, let's see what next year will bring.

Last night I also had a dream that time went back to my senior high. We were taking a Yuwen exam. I did so bad. I didn't even finish all the problems. And I made so many mistakes. I used to be a top student but this time even the bad students were doing better than me. I was so embarassed. :(

再为宝钗辩

我不是贬黛玉，就像作者也并不是要褒贬黛玉或者宝钗一样。一个是咏絮才，一个是停机德。黛玉活的为的是她的心。而宝钗，她是有德的人。她处事常常是为大局，为别人处处留心，却并没有为自己生活过，最后也因此泯灭了自己的真心。这里说的，她对别人体贴，是她的德行。没有为自己生活过，说的是她没有自由。不是别人剥夺了她的自由，而是她自己没有给自己随心随性的自由。从这点讲，宝钗才是一个可悲的人。

当然，宝钗最被人反对的可能就是她的机心。没错，她是个有心计的，以她的目光胸襟，没有心机是不可能的。但是有心计，是她又处理事情的能力，不代表她就是在算计别人。她的德行保证了她不会去害人，反而会在适当的时候替别人说句话。

说到她的功利，我并不觉得她是真的热爱功名，而是她知道大观园里的春光烂漫都是镜花水月，她知道背后的现实，在这样的现实里，有现实的需要。所以说她是本可以脱俗的人，而选择入了俗。相反，宝玉和黛玉天天吃喝不愁，才说要蔑视功名，这是没有现实基础的，假的，不代表他们就是真的脱了俗了。

说宝钗有德，不是说她就是一个高大全的假人了。书中也有很多她娇憨可爱的地方，也有她被讽刺富态而恼羞成怒，也有她嫉妒宝琴的得宠。这些都是她的血肉，而她的骨子，我觉得却是有德而无情（不动情，不随情）的。对香菱关键的时候予以援手，想要学诗的时候又说她得陇望蜀，是因为宝钗自己无“痴”。

书中对黛玉的心思都是正面描写，所以很容易让大家了解，同情和喜爱。而对于宝钗，却很少有直接的描述。所以给人的感觉就是不知道她到底想什么，喜欢什么，讨厌什么。大家可以喜欢黛晴的率性，可以不喜欢宝钗的复杂。但是对于宝钗，她的品性就是如此的矛盾，有热毒而吃冷香丸，能脱俗而入俗，对人体贴让人想亲近，无情冷静又让人无法亲近，这些自己也是不能改变的吧。