InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Stick 'em with the pointy end"

Christopher Summers (chrisss) wrote in finnigans_rpg,
@ 2014-12-28 01:00:00

Entry tags:

journal: alicia, journal: ben, journal: bryn, journal: chris, journal: melinda, journal: pandora

Journal: post-Christmas notes
Ben & Bryn: I hope you don't mind kittens? Mum and Dad got us a cat for Christmas. If there're any allergies, just say the word and speak to some friends about charms and such to put around my room at the house. In the meantime, his name is Sin and he's quite friendly, they adopted him from an animal rescue.

Melinda: Can't thank you enough for the recipes, but I'm sure my housemates will regret my having more excuses for more bourbon in my diet. I'm sending along some of my first attempt, bourbon ginger cookies. Let me know what you think? I'm not a baker by any means, that eggnog was really my first attempt at ever cooking anything harder than tacos, your opinion would mean a lot, being that you're the expert in these parts. Also: how alcoholic are these sweets, do you think? I'm hoping to send some to my cousin Andie at Salem once she's back to the Academy, but she's only 13 and in the States and all. Hope the holidays treated you well.

Dora: How was your Christmas? Your New Years plans sound fun though I can't say I wouldn't want to be a fly on the wall of a girls' night. I might order a portkey over to Boston to see Andie before she heads back to school full time. But my family is the 'toast with sparkling cider at midnight and then all head straight to bed' type, so I figure I'll be back early on the first. Lunch? When do you go back to work?

Alicia: I've already entered my first Great Idea into the notebook, and if you see the Fawleys over the holiday, you can let them know. I want to work with you on housing for the orphans, but I think we can do more. The war displaced more than children - people who lost their jobs, their families, their standing. People who ended up in prison because of choices no one ever wants to make and because of spells no one should ever cast. What do you say? Want to help me change the Wizarding world?

Public: Happy Christmas, all!

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Melinda and Chris

_melinda_
2014-12-28 05:46 pm UTC (link)

While not a favourite of mine, I find that Bourbon often adds an interesting twist to a lot of sweet treats (admitted: I don't know a whole lot about the savoury kitchen, aside from liking to eat from it) and it's always fun and interesting to see other takes on familiar recipes.

I'd say you succeeded pretty well with the cookies you sent my way, though I'd recommend giving them just a couple of minutes less the next time you make them, to avoid that slightly burnt surface. As for whether or not they're suitable for your niece... as long as the Bourbon (or any other kind of alcohol) is in the part of the treat that is heated up (in this case, the cookie that is baked) the alcohol will have evaporated leaving only the taste, so I'd say you're good there. Maybe leave the 'Bourbon' part out of the name when you send them to her, just to be on the safe side.

As for Bryn and Ben, well, they've been on the receiving end of my experiments for years, so they know the drill about trying out new things.

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	Re: Melinda and Chris chrisss 2014-12-29 04:33 am UTC (link)
	I'm glad you liked them! And yeah, I wasn't sure about that dark color on the top, so I'll definitely take your advice for the next batch. Most likely, the batch I make when I visit Andie. I'll be sure not to tell her the secret ingredient though, don't need her telling her friends at school anything untoward. You've been a life saver this season. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Melinda and Chris

_melinda_
2014-12-29 08:11 pm UTC (link)

Every oven, even ovens of the same brand and type, are different, so what takes 25 minutes to bake for one may only take 22 for you. It's nothing major, just something to keep in mind.

Haha, yeah, it wouldn't do for her to get in trouble for something that isn't actually trouble.

I've just been a baker, and it's always fun/interesting to follow someone trying out new things.

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Chris and Alicia

_alicia_
2014-12-28 07:27 pm UTC (link)

Well, you know me (in that area at least); I'm always ready to change the Wizarding World.

As for what I have to say? Well, I have a couple of things.

The first thing I want to say is: I like your idea, it's definitely in line with what the Foundation aims for. However, I would like to add, that you're going to be needing that Great Ideas Notebook a whole lot more, because even without having talked to the Fawleys, I can tell you that there are quite a few things that I would like to have cleared up unless I'm going to veto your idea straight off. First off: What kind of help would we be offering/providing? Who would qualify for this help? How about the screening process? The last thing I want (and I'm sure the Fawleys, too) is for the Foundation - in the honour of their son who was killed by Death Eaters - to become an easy way for (former) Death Eaters to gain funds to replace what they had to pay as part of their sentence or add to whatever they may have stashed in whichever loopholes they've found (yes, I freely admit to having quite a distrust for some of them).

So, are you talking about people forced to take the Dark Mark (and if so: how do we verify that they were indeed forced?), Death Eaters who have served their sentence (and if so, how can they guarantee that whatever means we provide them with won't be used to re-establish organisations supporting their (former?) beliefs and values?), or anyone affected by the war to a degree where it still affects them now (PTSD or loss of a limb rendering unable to hold a full-time job, financial or proprietary loss that's keeping them from geting back on their feet, etc.)?

Like I said, you've definitely gotten the right idea, now it just needs tweaking.

As for the housing; if you really are interested, you'll be the head of that project alongside Harry Potter, as I will be cutting down on my time with the Foundation come July (most likely), but we can talk more about that once we're back in the office.

Speaking of: why are you working? It's your time off! Enjoy it!

Happy (belated) Christmas.

By the way; the slopes are closed for the day due to a blizzard here. Any good recommendations on which treats or specialties we absolutely have to try now that we're here?

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Re: Chris and Alicia

chrisss
2014-12-29 04:35 am UTC (link)

I'm interested in all of this and all the conversations we'll have that will go into the Great Ideas notebook.

And you're right, I shouldn't be working, and neither should you. How are you spending the new year? I hope our office is a ghost town (figuratively speaking, of course).

Happy Christmas to you, too!

Where in the States are you? Depending on the region there are a lot of fun things to do, even in a blizzard.

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Chris and Alicia

_alicia_
2014-12-29 08:03 pm UTC (link)

I am really looking forward to hashing this out with you and hopefully getting it to work perfectly.

Oh, I'm not working. I was just chatting a bit with Adrian when I saw your message. We'll be spending the new year here ('here' being Jackson Hole, Wyoming), probably do some skiing and then we're having dinner delivered from the hotel nearby ('we' being myself and the twins, Adrian, and Marie (the nanny) and her boyfriend, Gary), so nothing huge or wild, but it's going to be great, I'm sure. And then we're off to St. Thomas to visit Adrian's family on the 3rd. So I should be back in the office on the 15th.

How about you? Any wild parties in the making back home?

We've already found loads of fun things here, but I was thinking more along the line of treats or foods that we don't have back in England, and yes, we did find Tootsie Pops. Huge hit, I tell you, HUGE!

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Chris and Pandora

pandacharms
2014-12-29 03:23 pm UTC (link)

Christmas was good. Lowkey but good, spent it with some of my family ~~the ones who talk to me anyway~~ . Did the fundraiser, of course. First time really though I've heard about it most of my life. The Scamanders do know how to throw a party.

I hope you enjoy your visit with your cousin. I hope she enjoyed her gift.

I think lunch can be managed! If not I'd of course let you know. I'll look forward to it.

(Reply to this)

	Chris, Ben & Bryn nowinaminute 2015-01-01 01:16 pm UTC (link)
	No allergies here. I think we can survive a cat! (Reply to this)