Meme for Monday

Got this, as usual, from Mrs. Chili.

1. Is there anybody you just wish would fall off the planet? Yeah, kinda. It's not very nice, I know.

2. How do you flush the toilet in public? Carefully. Often with my foot, if possible.

3. Do you wear your seat belt in the car? Absolutely!

4. Do you have a crush on someone? DarlingMan, of course. Also, Hawkeye Pierce.

5. Name one thing you worry about running out of. Milk (like most people).

6. What famous person do you (or other people) think you resemble? Oh, totally nobody!

7. What is your favourite pizza topping? Pepperoni, green onions, bell pepper, crushed red pepper.

8. Do you crack your knuckles? Yes, to the annoyance of everyone around me.

9. What song do you hate the most? The beauty of the iPod is that you get to listen to only what you like!

10. Did just mentioning that song make it get stuck in your head? Nope. No song mentioned, therefore, head is clear.

11. What are your super powers? Loyalty, bread-making, writing.

12. Peppermint or spearmint? Spearmint all the way.

13. Where are your car keys? Behind me, on the window ledge of mom's hospital room.

14. Last song you listened to? Something on the 60s channel on Sirius while driving here.

15. What’s your most annoying habit? Procrastination.

16. Where did you last go on vacation? Grammie's, over 4th of July.

17. What is your best physical feature? Eyes I suppose.

18. What CD is closest to you right now? None. But I have two iPods with me full of music and books and such.

19. What 3 things can always be found in your refrigerator? Milk, cheese, eggs.

20. What superstition do you believe/practice? None consciously.

21. What colour are your bed sheets? This week - cream with a print of lavender, green, and rust Aspen leaves.

22. Would you rather be a fish or a bird? Penguin! Best of both worlds.

23. Last thing you broke? Duuno. But I can tell you that DarlingMan broke a lamp and a computer monitor.

24. What are you having to eat tonight? Porcupine meatballs and green bean casserole.

25. What colour shirt are you wearing? Black, as usual.

26. If you could be doing anything else today, what would you rather be doing? Anything other than watching my mom be miserable in the hospital!

27. Do security cameras make you nervous? Not especially.

28. If you wrote a book about your life, what would the title be? When the Going Gets Weird, the Weird Turn Pro (boosted from Hunter S. Thompson).

29. Last time you went to a cemetery? July, went with Grammie, Igor, Niece, and Nephew to visit Granddad's spot.

30. Last concert you went to? Uhhhhh, it's been a looooooooong time - since I moved to this state. But I've been to musical theater - does that count? Last saw "Man of La Mancha."

31. Favourite musician(s)/bands you’ve seen in concert? MANY! Went to Lilith Fair three years straight; loved everyone in it. Also, Sting, INXS, Fleetwood Mac, Depeche Mode, Melissa Etheridge, Joan Osborn, and many more.

32. Next concert you’re planning to attend? No plans at the moment.

33. Do you talk to yourself? I talk to the dogs in lieu of to myself.

34. Have you ever adopted or purchased a pet? Adopted - several (Allie, Henry,and Zeb the cats; Molly and Scout the dogs); purchased - a pair of white rats in college and various fish over the years. The last was a red betta named Rupert.

35. Have you ever been present when an animal is being born? Not that I recall - I'm always just a little late.

Menus 10/11/09 - 10/25/09

I haven't stopped menu planning, just haven't had free time to write about it. However, menus and recipes have been requested, so here ya go:

10/11 Sun: London Broil (on the grill), baked potatoes, salad, homemade French bread (have several loaves in the freezer from making a big match a couple of weeks ago)
10/12 Mon: Szechuan Beef (using un-cooked portion of London Broil, sliced thin), Sesame Noodles
10/13 Tues: Ate out with DarlingMan's mom at Five Guys Burgers and Fries, which just opened here
10/14 Wed: C.O.R.N (clean out refrigerator night)
10/15 Thurs: Creamy chicken and spinach pasta (we used Barilla whole wheat penne)
10/16 Fri: Zippy Dogs and chips (a half-size recipe of Zippy Dogs was plenty for the three of use for both dinner and lunch-leftovers the next day)
10/17 Sat: Navajo Tacos - DarlingMan is GREAT at making the fry bread!
10/18 Sun: Cheddar Chicken and Potatoes, salad, homemade French bread
10/19 Mon: Porcupine Meatballs, Cheesy Green Bean Casserole, salad
10/20 Tues: Creamy Oven Chicken with Swiss Cheese, stuffing (as in, Stove Top brand), salad
10/21 Wed: Crockpot Loaded Baked Potato Soup, salad
10/22 Thurs: Greek-style Pork Chops with Brown Rice, salad, homemade Oatmeal Rolls (got lots of these in the freezer from a bake-fest a while back)
10/23 Fri: Chicken Cacciatore with whole-wheat linguine, salad, Italian Cheese Bread (the Chicken Cacciatore recipe is one I got from GolfDad; I'll post it later)
10/24 Sat: Straw Hat - taco filling & fixings served over Fritos (special request from DarlingMan)
10/15 Sun: Souvlaki (made and grilled by DarlingMan) served with tzatziki in/on homemade flatbread

Big Ol' Lists Meme

I got this from Mrs. Chili, and posted it last week on Facebook. But here it is again, in case you somehow missed out (like, it's sooooooo thrilling!).

1. What is the color of your toothbrush?
Purple, of course!
2. Name one person who made you smile today.
Terry, of course! And the doggies. And Kathy P.
3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
Driving down St. George Blvd. on the way to work.
4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?
Emailing my program participants about their goal sheets; IMing with Trent about today’s agenda.
5. What is your favorite candy bar?
Depends… Snickers, if they are frozen; Reese’s cups are perennially popular; Skor or Heath bars have a place in my heart.
6. Have you ever been to a strip club?
Um, no.
7. What is the last thing you said aloud?
“I have a bunch of file folders you can use… they’re the boring color; I put all my stuff in the purple ones.”
8. What is your favorite ice cream?
Any flavor that we make ourselves! Coffee/cocoa/chocolate chip has been the top flavor recently.
9. What was the last thing you had to drink?
DietCoke, of course!
10. Do you like your wallet?
Yes, I have several, and switch between them according to season.
11. What was the last thing you ate?
A miniature Snickers out of the Raiders candy jar on my desk.
12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
Nope. Last clothing we bought was a new black coat for Terry about three weeks ago.
13. The last sporting event you watched?
Football, of course!
14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?
Mmmmm, butter and salt! No funny stuff
15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to?
I think Trent. Maybe Teresa. Already deleted the last pile of messages so can’t check.
16. Ever go camping?
Yep, lots as a child, though not too recently.
17. Do you take vitamins daily?
No, but I take fish oil and niacin along with my prescriptions.
18. Do you go to church every Sunday?
Church of the NFL, Baby!
19. Do you have a tan?
Kinda. I don’t seek it, but it builds over the summer here.
20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza?
No. Pizza rules, especially my homemade pizza! Zachary’s in Oakland/Berkeley is a close second. I don’t like most Chinese restaurants, though I make good Kung Pao chicken, curry chicken, cashew chicken, and Szechuan beef at home.
21. Do you drink your soda with a straw?
From fast food and convenience stores, yes. At home, not usually.
22. What did your last text message say?
Can’t remember, already deleted. Oh! It was to Trent and said “Terry got the Google Wave invite – thanks!” See, I’m not totally memory-challenged.
23. What are you doing tomorrow?
Work, schmerk.
24. Favorite color?
Purple, of course!
25. Look to your left; what do you see?
Giant printer/scanner, my Franklin planner, three participants’ goal sheets, and MacWorld magazine, a purple file folder with Utah State University endorsement program info in it, a black Sharpie, a huge pile of student Media Acknowledgement forms to be scanned, my business-card holder, a tiny bend-able Pink Panther figurine.
26. What color is your watch?
Titanium.
27. What do you think of when you hear “Australia”?
That I would like to visit… and “The Thorn Birds!”
28. Would you strip for money?
Um, no.
29.Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
Depends on the place, time, mood, etc.
30. What is your favorite number?
The one on my paycheck! (Though it could be bigger.)
31. Who’s the last person you talked to on the phone?
Human resources secretary.
32. Any plans today?
Work, visit mom at lunch time, work, make Szechuan beef and sesame noodles for dinner, help Terry with job stuff, do mom’s blog, read, sleep.
33. In how many states have you lived?
3
34. Biggest annoyance right now?
Never feeling like I have enough time!
35. Last song listened to?
Dunno. Was listening to NPR in car on the way to work.
36. Can you say the alphabet backwards?
Yes. In two languages.
37. Do you have a maid service clean your house?
Oh, HELL YES!!!
38. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
A couple of pairs of Nikes, my black “Simple” slides, my purple Crocs, my red Old Navy slippers, my black Nine West boots.
39. Are you jealous of anyone?
Not specifically.
40. Is anyone jealous of you?
Highly unlikely.
41. Do you love anyone?
Most definitely. Many people!
42. Do any of your friends have children?
Yes, many. And some don’t. It takes all kinds!
43. What do you usually do during the day?
Live on the Interwebz.
44. Do you hate anyone that you know right now?
I try not to hate. There are people who disappoint me, anger me, hurt me… but these are temporary.
45. Do you use the word ‘hello’ daily?
No. My cell phone is also used professionally, so if I don’t recognize the caller I answer with my name.
46. What color is your car?
Raiders Silver!
47. What size wedding ring do you wear?
Fat fingers – I think a 9 or so.
48. Are you thinking about someone right now?
Yep. Terry, Mom, program participants, and friend with some challenges in her life, and others.
49. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
Yes, Magic Mountain in Valencia, CA (north of Los Angeles).
50. How did you get your worst scar?
No scars! Weird, huh?

Okay, break’s over. Back to work! ☺

50 States (well, not quite)

create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide

A strange little meme...

I got this from Tense.

1. You are at the store when suddenly 2 men walk in with guns and rob the place. Are you the hero, quiet & follow the rules type, or try to make a run for it?
Whatever it takes to stay alive. I'd probably talk too much, though, and get shot in order to get shut up.

2. Do you like Twizzlers?
The cherry ones yes, NOT the strawberry flavor. Though that's what GrandmaT likes, so I buy them for her at The Walmarts.

3. Are you a YouTube watcher?
Not regularly; usually only when someone points out something particularly good.

4. When an auto glass store calls and asks if you have a chip or crack in your windshield, what do you tell them?
That I already have an intimate relationship with a glass repair establishment, being that I am on my FOURTH windshield since moving here 5 years ago - gravel trucks here do NOT seem to feel compelled to cover their loads!

5. What is the age difference between you and your father?
27 years I think.

6. Have you ever tried to find the end of a rainbow?
Literally? No. Figuratively? Yes!

7. Camping – recreational vehicle or tent?
It's all fun!

8. Have you ever had to call 9-1-1?
Yes. tried to set the house on fire as a young teen while cooking popcorn on the stove; have had to call for a few road accidents I've witnessed.

9. Whose is your favorite blog to visit?
Oooooh, many - recipes and frugality and teachers... just take a look at my sidebar!

10. How long do you think you could live locked in your house on the food that you have on hand right now?
WEEKS! We have VERY well-stocked pantries and freezers. I LOVE that feeling!

11. Pepper – shaker or grinder?
We have both, used for different purposes.

12. What state is 2 states west of you?
The one with a Guvenator, that's teetering on financial ruin, that I'm thinking I'm glad I escaped from...

13. What color do you believe you look best in?
Black, fer sure.

Have a great weekend!

I'm Totally Disgusted

St. George paper rejects same-sex wedding announcement - ABC 4.com - Salt Lake City, Utah News


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Ya Got That Right!

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Mermaid or Whale?

Someone recently sent this to me via email, and it's too good not to share.

Mermaid or Whale?

Recently, in a large French city, a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said, “THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE?”

A middle aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman in the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern:

Whales are always surrounded by friends - dolphins, sea lions, curious humans. They have an active sex life, and they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with all their sea friends. They play and swim in the seas of the world, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Bering Sea, and the coral reefs of Polynesia. Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone and everything in the world.

Mermaids, on the other hand, don't exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of psychoanalysts due to identity crisis.. Fish or human? They wouldn’t have sex lives because stories tell that they kill men who get close to them. Besides, how could they have sex? Just look at them...where is IT? Therefore, they wouldn’t have kids either. And what man would want to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me; I want to be a whale.

We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a piece of chocolate with my friends, and a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver. With time, we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads. When there is no more room in our heads, the information and wisdom distribute out to the rest of our bodies.

So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror, I will think, “Good grief, just look how smart I am!”

Mermaid image credit

Whale image credit

How I often feel...

Hair, There, and Everywhere

Niece has rather unruly hair. There's a lot of, it's wavy and curly, and impossible to contain/control very effectively. I understand this hair, as mine was almost identical to hers when I was a wee lass. Mrs. Igor came up with a good summer solution, though: she took Niece to one of the local beauty colleges (when a friend's daughter is currently a student), and got Niece's hair put into bunches of little braids. It's WAY CUTE!

I'm a little jealous. A couple of years ago, when KP and I went to the SnoopyFest in Santa Rosa, she did my hair in "spider braids" one day. It was cool, but the rubberbands kept poppin' off, I guess because my hair was too slippery or something. Sorry, can't seem to find a picture, but here's one of KP checking out the Snoopy statues instead:

My Sunflowers

Part of the row - they all came up and bloomed, despite my neighbor's over-watering of his yard and subsequent flooding in mine!

Close-up:

Food Pix!

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings - the biscuit dough gets all puffed up; very cool!

Ready to become "freezer meals" (a homemade alternative to the ones from the store, full of chemicals and salt and such).

Turkey Cheeseburger Casserole - turkey, peppers, onions, carrots, etc. in the skillet.

All done, and very tasty!

15 Books

15 Books That Will Always Stick With Me

( I got this from Wide Lawns, as a FB note - don't know if it's on her blog))

1. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austin
2. The Giver - Lois Lowry
3. The Loved One - Evelyn Waugh
4. Small Sacrifices - Ann Rule
5. Gone to Soldiers - Marge Piercy
6. Anne of Green Gables (series) - LM Montgomery
7. Ulysses - James Joyce
8. Beany Malone (series) - Lois Mattingly Weber
9. Savage Inequalities - Jonathan Kozol
10. The Breadwinner - Deborah Ellis
11. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling
12. Letters Home: Correspondence 1950 - 1963 - Sylvia Plath
13. A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson
14. The Crucible - Arthur Miller
15. Harriet the Spy - Louise Fitzhugh

Y'all Are Strange...

(Mamie's Recipe Binders and Assorted Cookbooks)

...because a surprising number of you want to know what's up with my menu planning. Okay, yes, I admit to menu-planning (hey, my mama did it when I was a kid). I finally have my organizational crap together enough (and enough recipes, and enough skills, and well-stocked-enough pantry) to select around 20 dinners each month that I plan to prepare. 20 is the number because the remaining nights are generally taken up by business travel, dinner at Wombat's or Chez Igor, or left-overs, or popcorn-for-dinner. I've managed to do this for the last 6 or 7 months pretty consistently, and to tell you the truth, it's like this giant burden of THINKING ABOUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT DINNER/OH CRAP NOTHING'S DEFROSTED-PREPPED-AVAILABLE has been miraculously lifted. Also, the local restaurants are getting FAR fewer of my slaved-for dollars - perhaps bad for the local economy, but good for my own fiduciary health.

When I pick the 20 I do it based on what's in the pantries and freezers, what's on sale, and what we might be craving. I try NOT to pick stuff that requires the purchase of special ingredients that will only every be used once (if you read my mother's blog, this was mentioned recently). I don't mind buying something that I can use in multiple dishes. Example: pure maple syrup. I admit, I like a little Log Cabin on my panqueques and wafflies; despite years of living practically steps away from the "Gourmet Ghetto" of North Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley, CA I never really converted to the pure maple thing (among other foodie failings).** However, I've got a couple of new and delicioso-sounding pork shop and chicken grillin' recipes that involve the use of maple syrup, and I know there will be other recipe opportunities down the road that will ultimately make this a worthwhile purchase.

**Disclaimer: I am not dissing the Berkeley gourmet scene. The Best. Meal. I. Ever. Ate. was at the famous Chez Panisse prix fixe dining room in about 1994. It involved peas (which I loathe), and many other vegetables, and I don't-even-know what sort of exotic meat delicacy and it was incredible. Alice Waters is a freakin' food genious. Alas, I am not Alice Waters, as you will see shortly.

Anyway, I pick the 20 or so dinners at the end of one month for the coming month and make sure to include any necessary items on my major monthly shopping list. I put the main dishes on a chart with the major ingredients listed, pull all the recipes from my main dish recipe binder, and then put it all into a different (cool, striped) binder. Every Sunday night I sit down with a little form for the coming week that has a space for each day (Mon - Sun) and decide what will be prepared each night (which main dish from the list, and whatever sides sound good). Obviously I look at personal/work calendars to account for evening events, social plans, etc. that impact the dinner experience. It takes about 5 minutes and gives me an enormous feeling of security and control (my favorite emotions!).

I am not a food blogger, nor a mommy-blogger, nor a organizational/productivity blogger. I'm not going to commit to doing a cool fancy weekly menu planning/recipe exchange thing here every week or month. I am, however, willing to share-as-I-go. So here's what you can have:

1. This week's menu with recipe sources, listed below.

2. A zip file with my August '09 plan and all recipes - leave a comment with your email, and I'll send it to you. There's probably a better way to do this, and I'll figure that out eventually, but right at this moment, that's what I can offer.

MENU FOR JULY 27 - AUGUST 2

Monday: Cheesy Hashbrown Chili (Niece and Nephew loved this)

Tuesday: Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings (I added some canned/frozen veggies to this)

Wednesday: Turkey Cheeseburger Cassrole (Niece and Nephew will be over for dinner)

Thursday: Homemade Pizza - I already have the sauce and dough in the freezer

Friday: Easy BBQ - I will be working late, running a training and prepping/loading equipment to leave for Up North on Sunday, so whoever is around can just toss a CostCo burger patty/hot dog/hot link (the Louisisana hot links from CostCo, which I LOVE, slathered with my homemade "fry" sauce!) on the grill and live it up.

Saturday: No plan yet, as not sure what we are doing this day. It will be my major monthly shopping day, so I may make something cool and elaborate and involving many fresh ingredients. I'll keep you informed.

Sunday: I'll be eating a Wendy's taco salad in my hotel room in Salt Lake. Everyone else can have leftovers/freezer meals (which are leftovers that have been frozen into individual portions for occasions such as this, or for lunches to take to work, or to feed Niece and Nephew when they are here).

Happy now? I am; I've got my plan for the month!

"A Time of Angels" - Book Review

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and definitely my top fave when it comes to young adult literature. Karen Hesse is well-respected in the field, and her Out of the Dust is a masterpiece (and one of the few really good YA historical fiction novels set in the time of the Great Depression). However, A Time of Angels fell short for me. The setting is Boston, during the great influenza epidemic (1918). I had high expectations, but found the story to be awkwardly told. Many things were under- or unexplained, and this is a failing when it comes to YA novels (not all kids have adequate background knowledge, and a skillful YA writer will make sure to weave the necessary information into the flow of the story). I expected Hesse to be able to carry off this novel quite a bit better than it actually came off, at least for me.

However, this is a time period and topic that has NOT been exhaustively addressed, especially in YA fiction, and the books does have several good qualities, in particular, the exploration of the cultural context of orthodox Judaism in the story's time/place. This wouldn't be a bad addition to a classroom library or 10 - 12 year old's personal bookshelf.

For a fantastic treatment of an epidemic era, check out Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson - an extremely well-received read-aloud in my classroom for several years.