25 Random Things

I haven't really seen any good memes to steal from other blogs this weekend, so I'll post the "25 Random Things About Me" viral note that's been going around Facebook all week (a whole bunch of people have tagged me, so I guess it's inevitable). Here ya go:

1. I love, love, love dietCoke – cold, delicious and loaded with bad chemicals.

2. I love unsweetened iced green tea from Starbucks almost as much. Unfortunately, it’s about half the beverage volume for twice the price.

3. I don’t like seafood.

4. I was a nanny from after I finished my undergraduate degree until I was almost through with grad school. This was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

5. I almost drowned at Moonlight Beach in San Diego when I was 10 or so.

6. I was a varsity swimmer in high school.

7. I sang in junior-high and high school choral groups, and I miss that type of activity. But I’m too lazy and intimidated to do anything about it at this point in my life.

8. I recently made the switch from PC to Mac and could not be happier!

9. I once walked the length of the National Mall, over the bridge, and to the Arlington National Cemetery (by myself) – in a fine mist on a gray spring day with the tulips in bloom. It was beautiful.

10. I am a klutz.

11. I like my dogs better than I like many people.

12. I like sleeping next to the DarlingMan better than sleeping next to BeagleDog. This makes BeagleDog a little bummed. It seems to make DarlingMan quite happy.

13. My favorite flower is the sunflower - big happy yellow ones.

14. Some of my favorite childhood activities (besides reading, of course) were playing with Legos and Matchbox cars, roller-skating, and bike riding.

15. My first car had a name: Marvin. My current car is Marv II (there were three cars in between).

16. I’ve gotten four speeding tickets in my life: two while an undergraduate, and two right after I moved to Utah.

17. I am not a fan of either beer or wine.

18. If I am going to have a drink it will involve either gin or tequila.

19. I unequivocally do not like mushrooms – they are fungus, and should not be eaten.

20. I am going to get married for the first time at age 40.

21. No, you won’t be invited – it will be a secret, and we’ll tell you afterwards.

22. I really don’t like being the center of attention, which is disharmonious with my various professional roles.

23. I love to write, but prefer academic/expository forms. Personal narrative is not my favorite genre.

24. I have never kept a diary/journal in a regular way.

25. Despite #s 23 and 24, I’m getting quite a lot of enjoyment from my blogging activities.

I smell like a quince...

The hotel I’ve been staying at for the last few days is a “Courtyard By Marriot.” This is not my usual brand; I’m generally an inmate of the Crystal Inn or Best Western, as those two will always guarantee that I only pay state government rate. I love the Crystal Inn (every one I’ve ever stayed in) – they have the BEST breakfast (free, of course, which lowers the per diem hit on my budget) and for every ten nights you stay, you get one free. At the Crystal Inn in downtown Salt Lake I inevitably see someone I know from my own or another school district. A friend from the district just north of mine stays there so often that once when she arrived later than they thought she should, the front desk clerk called her husband back home in concern (my friend had stopped to shop on the way). That particular hotel is like a home- away-from-home. But I digress.

So I was unfamiliar with the amenities that this establishment might offer. Aside from the serious aroma of “new carpet,” everything was fine and standard hotel-ish. Then I went into the bathroom and investigated the complimentary toiletries. They’re from a purveyor called “Davies Gate” and are rather unique in their composition.

“Seeds and Grains” face and body bars.
“Quince” lotion.
“Quinoa” shampoo.
“Amaranth” conditioner.

What, did gourmet guru Alice Waters make their bath products?! It’s just too precious for words! Well, perhaps not, since I just wrote a 275-word blog about it.

And for the last three days I have smelled like a quince.

Image credit

Schools or roads - is it an either/or?

Explain something to me: Months ago, when the economy really started tanking, politicians in Utah said that they wanted to "hold public education harmless" in the face of looming budget cuts.

Today the Education Appropriations Committee talked of cuts of up to $90 million in education budgets in this state.

But funds are being increased for road construction projects.

What am I missing here???

...and his dog, SPOT!

OMG, it's Cal Worthington on NPR! Check out the story HERE, and remember the musical glory of:

If you want a good deal now, go see Cal!
If you need a better car, go see Cal!
If you wanna save some dough, go see Cal!
Go see Cal, go see Cal, go see Cal! (And his dog, SPOT)

Of course, once I get THAT jingle stuck in my head, the smooth sounds of

At Pearson Ford they stand alone,
At Fairmount and El Cajon!

are sure to follow.

Image credit

Ten Things Tuesday

Here's my contribution to the blogosphere's "Ten Things Tuesday." I actually starting drafting this post over the weekend, and it was entitled "Ten Things Tuesday: The Annoyances Edition". But then last night, when I was kinda feeling negative about a lot of things (the economy, for example), I STOPPED myself and said "look around and find ten GOOD things - and then make THOSE the content of the blog". So I did. I actually wrote two lists, one of things that are more trivial/material/fun in nature, and one of more serious items. I'm posting the "funner" one today, and will think about doing the serious one on another Tuesday.

TEN THINGS THAT MAKE LIFE HAPPIER, BETTER, AND/OR FUNNER

1. TiVo - all my shows, whenever I want (including "Gilmore Girls" and "M*A*S*H" re-runs that I then use as nighttime tranqualizers when DarlingMan is not here).

2. Things made of FLEECE - socks, jackets, blankets, bath robes. Its furry plushness is a fleecey delight!

3. Bluetooth devices - I can have my phone stuck into my ear (both hands on the wheel, then), and my mouse and keyboard free from the cords that limit and bind.

4. The time-sucking FaceBook, in all its precocious and precious glory, because it's brought friends and family back into my life in a way that would not otherwise have happened.

5. Frequent diner cards at my favorite cheap restaurants, because eventually they result in free food!

6. BOOKS, oh books - because outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend... and inside of a dog, it is too dark to read.

7. Dry erase markers that made my classroom bright and freed my sinuses from the assault of chalkdust.

8. Cap'n Crunch cereal, especially Crunchberries. 'Cause they're YUM-O!

9. Containers of gum with lots of pieces that fit into the cupholder of my car. Handy!

10. The ability to keep up with tons of blogs and news sites, thanks to RSS feeds.

I'll be at the UAGC Conference for the next few days, trying to assume the weighty mantle of my new role as Advocacy/Legislative Vice-President. Argh. Posting may be thin, so let me say now that I've cast my lot with the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Stay warm and dry!

Image credit

It's all about the food...

Working backwards, we had tacos for dinner tonight. It was quick, easy, and yummy (as always). I was using a box of taco shells purchased in an Albertson's 10 for $10 buying spree last summer, and almost every single shell was broken (kinda annoying). So what we really had were more like tostadas on the half shell!

I had the fun of meeting a non-teacher friend for lunch today. We had BIG SALADS (Seinfeldian reference here) at one of my favorite fast-n-cheap places in town - and it was even better 'cause my "frequent diner card" was full so my salad was free. This is really the only way eating out happens at the end of the month, especially THIS month since we haven't been paid since December 22. One of the FEW so-called "perks" of being in administration is NOT having to get my class through the lunch line, pee, make copies and return phone calls, nuke my food, and then shovel it in ALL in about 33 minutes. Forget leaving the building!

Sunday dinner was - you guessed it - left-over Chick n' Noodies. My giant pot fed the folks here PLUS Igor, Niece, Nephew, Wombat, and GolfDad with even more left over. The bonus was that I made Cheddar Cheese Biscuits, based on the recipe for Baking Powder Biscuits from my trusty Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. These are SO easy and SO yummy and they totally beat biscuits-from-a-can (though I'm certainly not above that). Here's the recipe:

CHEDDAR CHEESE BISCUITS

Pre-heat oven to 450.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together 2 cups white flour, 1 Tbl. baking powder, and 1/2 Tsp. salt. I don't know what would happen if you tried to use wheat flour, so if you're on a whack "no white" diet, TOUGH.

Use a pastry cutter to cut in 1/3 cup butter (into the dry ingredients). You're done when you have course crumbs. If you lack a pastry cutter use two table knives (and buy a pastry cutter tomorrow at Walmart).

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour 1 cup milk into the well.

Using a fork, stir until ingredients are just moistened. Then throw in a handful of shredded cheddar cheese (the fancy/fine shred works great) and stir that in. Your dough's going to be sticky.

Drop the dough by biggish-spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

YUMMY! And lovely for breakfast the next day. I forgot to take a picture last night, so make some yourself and you'll know what they look like.

The Landing Strip

I have been making an effort to get more organized, but not in a superficial sense. I needed to tighten up my systems and routines to improve productivity and my ability to manage multiple roles at once. I read several frugality and productivity blogs, and have been trying to employ some of the ideas I've read about in a gradual-so-as-to-be-sustainable manner.

One cool idea is the "landing strip," a place where everything goes when you come in the door. In the picture you can see our landing strip. Specifically, there are places for the following:

Keys - a hook for each of us on the odd fish-thingie (scrounged from the Igors' garage years ago).
Cell phones, wallets, pocket items - the green bowl.
Chargers - to the right of the bowl, for cell phones, bluetooth headsets, and one of the camera batteries (the oneI use almost daily)
"In" basket - on the far left; all mail goes here until it is cleared weekly.
Pen holder - for last minute signatures and calendar notations.
Bulletin board - currently has stuff like the dogs' rabies certificates and the city dog license renewal form, the DMV certificate for DarlingMan's Pathfinder, a service notice for my RAV, and some sentimental stuff that's nice to look at on a daily basis.
Wall calendar - a regular one for dates, etc. and then a wipe-off one for lists of to do items, etc (that one isn't visible in the picture).

There's room in this space for stuff like books that need to be transported to work or to the library (there's one visible in the picture). To the right of the landing strip there's a place for me to put my laptop bag and purse, and the paper shredder and trash can are located here as well (for efficiency in going through the "in box"). To the immediate left of the landing strip is a space for the bag with my SLR camera equipment and tripod, which I like to have easy access to. Of course, there's a nice photo of DarlingMan and me displayed here, just 'cause we're so darn cute!

Our landing strip is in a great loaction, because in this house one can walk stright in from the garage door (our usual means of entrance) and into the master bedroom. Keeps the crap out of the rest of the house!

Having a landing strip helps me to feel more in control, and I like that. :)

Menu Smugness

Ha! I'm felling very smug because I cleaned out my cookbook binder, threw away a bunch of useless crap, and pulled out a bunch of main dish recipes out to make in the next few weeks. I checked my pantry for ingredients already on hand (many) and made a shopping list of what is needed (mostly just the fresh stuff, and my meat supply is low).

Would you like to know what we'll be eating around here? I'll just bet you would!!! I'll list it below, and as stuff is made I'll post the recipes. A few caveats:

Yes, there's a lot of ground beef. It's cheap and lower-fat versions are easily obtainable.

I'm totally not above cans of cream soup, canned corn, boxed stuffing, and other convenience items. Combined with healthier, fresh stuff these things make cooking after working all day a less-daunting task. I also try to use the lower sodium/lower fat/organic versions of such products, which also improves the evil factor of prepared foods.

Obviously we like tomato-based things and pasta. So there.

These 15 main dishes will probably stretch over the next 6 - 8 or more, given the travel schedule and the fact that I already have frozen lasagna, hamburger patties, chicken patties, a frozen meatloaf, and a few other items stashed away. These are also things that can mostly be refrigerated for left-over lunches or frozen for second meals. Salads, vegetables, and other side dishes will be added as appropriate. We even occassionally have desert! I can also make and serve tacos, tuna casserole, baked chicken and rice, mac n' cheese and hot dogs, and a few other stand-bys on an instantaneous basis(the ingredients are always present). And of course - there'a always cereal for dinner!

I'm not freakin' Martha Stewart, ok? We like the basics, we work and don't have the luxury of being home to whip up gourmet spreads on a daily basis, and we're kinda cheapskates (we shop at Costco and Walmart, and fill in from the local Lin's Market). There is netiher a Trader Joe's nor a Whole Foods Market in this part of our state. Our menu reflects those conditions. However, even with our fairly pedestrian tastes and limited budget/shopping options, cooking at home is less expensive, healthier, and more fun. And that leaves money for other, even-funner pursuits.

So here's the list. If you want a recipe for something before I post it, let me know.

Stuffed Bell Peppers
Tamale Pie
Chicken Tortelini with Pesto
Baked Beef Ziti
Chicken Jambalaya
Beef Taco Skillet
Crock Pot Creamy Swiss Steak
Corey's BBQ Sloppy Turkey Joes
Hamburger Hash
Pork Chop and Stuffing Bake
Chicken Cacciatore
Baked Ravioli
Tomato Swiss Steak
Chicken and Stuffing Skillet
Baked Rigatoni with Beef
Crusted Honey-Mustard Chicken

Tonight we're having left-over Chick n' Noodies, of course.

Chick n' Noodies

Every blogger posts a recipe at some point. There are blogs out there – lots of them – that are ALL recipes, ALL the time. Some bloggers have a main blog, and then have a secondary recipes-only blog. Here’s my contribution to the occasional-recipe-within-the-blog genre.

A little history first, though. Chicken and Noodles is one of my Grammie’s specialties, and I have many happy food memories associated with this dish. The Grammie way of making chicken and noodles involves boiling a whole bird, pulling all the meat off the bone and then using the stock, and making the noodles BY HAND. Making noodles by hand requires a special touch, so the dough doesn’t get too tough (Grammie gets annoyed if you play with the dough, by the way). The dough is rolled into thin sheets, then the sheets are rolled into logs, then the logs are cut to make rolled-up bunches of noodles, then the noodles have to dry for a while (but not for too long), etc. It’s complicated. I can do it, though the pulling the meat off the bird part grosses me out. Making the noodles is time-consuming though oddly therapeutic. It’s also something I haven’t had time to do since about 1992.

Sidebar: When I was a kid, my dad’s family owned motels and restaurants. One of the restaurants served chicken and noodles as a lunch special one day each week. These noodles were very thick and wide and somewhat doughier than Grammie’s but still very satisfying. However, it’s been 25 years or so since they served those lunch specials, so no joy to be had there.

In recent years, Brother Igor, Mrs. Igor, and I have concocted an extremely lazy, extremely laissez-faire version of chicken and noodles, usually fixed as an occasional alternative to football-Sunday-chili. This don’t-tell-Grammie-‘cause-it’s-so-lame version involves several cans of canned broth, some canned chicken, and a bag or two of frozen egg noodles. Mrs. Igor usually fancies things up by serving it over mashed potatoes. I know, we’re some pathetic 30-something excuses for home cooks.

However, we’re ARE all capable cooks, and I have been making an effort to prepare, serve, and eat “more better, more homemade” food around here. Today being cold and rainy, along with my back being jacked-up and making me unwilling to do much of substance, I decided that cooking would be the productive/creative outlet of the day (and having done that, I could reasonably spend the rest of the day sitting on my ass watching TV and reading blogs and every single thing on NPR.org).

Now mind you, while I classify this as “homemade” food, it did involve some “convenience” items. Frankly, while I love Grammie-style made-from-scratch noodles, I have neither the time nor patience on the best of days, and I certainly wasn’t going to stand on a hard tile floor for the amount of time required to make those special noodles when my back is acting stupid like it is currently. Also, I do not boil whole chickens. Sorry, but UGH. And since I was out of town the last few days there were no conveniently-leftover Costco rotisserie chickens lying around either. So no “fresh” broth/stock/bird flesh. But here’s what you CAN do to make mostly-homemade and DARN YUMMY chick n’ noodies:

Get out a large stock pot and drop a stick of butter in the bottom. Turn the burner on low and let the butter start melting gently. While that’s happening, chop a smallish-medium onion up fairly finely. Toss the onion bits into the butter in the pot and stir. While the butter continues to melt and the onions begin to cook, chop – again, fairly finely – a few ribs of celery (you decide how much). Add the celery to the butter and onion, stir it all, and cook until the vegetables begin to soften.

Once the butter is melted and the vegetables are just softened, slowly pour about ¾ cup flour into the mix and stir, stir, stir. This will turn into a pasty-type stuff. Cook and stir for a few more minutes so that the flour will be well-incorporated into the butter and loses it’s “raw” smell/taste.

Now it’s time to add the liquid. I used Swanson’s broth from those giant juice box-type packages, from which there are many varieties to choose - organic, low sodium, etc. I put in a total of about 80 ounces or so. After adding the broth use a whisk and stir very thoroughly for several minutes – the butter/flour paste needs to get well-blended and there should be no traces of flour lumps in the broth. Add 1 tsp. dried dill, 1 tsp. dried basil, ½ tsp. dried thyme, ½ - 1 tsp. salt (depending on preference), and a heaping tsp. ground black pepper. Stir well to incorporate spices and then turn the heat down to a simmer.

Once the broth is simmering, chop up a few carrots – how much depends on how carroty you want your chick n’ noodies. I used about five medium carrots and chopped them pretty small. Big carrot hunks will take WAY longer to cook, so really, smaller is better. Add the carrots to the both and simmer away.

If I DID have some leftover chicken available (for example, of the aforementioned Costco rotisserie variety), I would shred it and put it in. Amount – like the carrots, depends on how chickeny you want the dish. It IS chick n’ noodies, so the more the better. Today I used three 12.5-ounce cans of Kirkland (that’s the Costco brand) canned chicken. Grammie would find this a travesty, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. I opened the cans and dumped the contents into a strainer. I didn’t add the chick-liquid from the cans to my pot o- broth, but you could if you wanted. With the chicken in the strainer, I took a fork and smooshed it up so that I had small, shredded-like chicken bits. This went into the pot, everything got stirred well, and I retreated to my recliner to loaf.

Every so often the pot must be stirred (in more ways than one, but that’s another post) – for me, that was whenever I had to re-fill my glass of dietCoke/pee/let a dog out the back door. That translates to every 20 minutes or so. Just simmer everything gently until the carrots are cooked through and getting soft, much like my brain as I loafed the afternoon away.

When the carrots are soft you can add the noodles. I used two 24-ounce packages of Reames frozen egg noodles, which are the best frozen egg noodles available, in my opinion. Cut open the bags and pour the noodles into the pot straight from their frozen state. At this point you must stir fairly frequently to keep the noodles from gluing themselves together or sticking to the bottom of the pot. You may want to turn the heat up a bit in order to get the noodles to cook (the package instructions say to boil them, but you can do it without getting things that hot). Test the noodles periodically to check for doneness.

I ended up with a very thick, not-liquidy pot of chick n’ noodies. If I happened to have more broth around, I might have added a bit more toward the end. I think I’ll pop down to the store tomorrow and buy another jumbo-juice box of organic Swansons broth to add before I reheat my pot o’ noodles. All in all, it was an excellent cold-evening dinner, and the doggies enjoyed the big spoonful they got on top of their evening chow.

Oh, and a note to the Igors and my cousins who read this blog: If you tell Grammie about the bastardization of her Chicken and Noodles, I will hunt you down and twist your noses off!

Bratty kids are created by idiot parents

Check out this story from the local CBS station in Los Angeles: Bratty kid throwing a temper tantrum + overly indulgent/reactive parents = potentially deadly cliff rescue. Idiotic parents and bratty kids are a self-perpetuating cycle (no, I'm not a parent, but 12 years in public education has helped me to form this snobby opinion).

Image from CBS news website in LA.

Yiiiiiiiiiiikes!!!

On "What Not to Wear," Carmindy (the make-up artist) is CUTTING a woman's eyebrows with cuticle scissors!!! This looks terrifying and surely violates some OSHA regulation, wouldn't you think???

Credit for the eyebrow goes to Esquire magazine.

The Color of History

I'm watching a re-run of a program on the History Channel called "The White House: Behind Closed Doors", hosted by former President and Mrs. Bush. The narrator is some History Channel guy. It makes for fairly interesting-yet-innocuous background noise while I wander the Internet and read a cookbook.

However, one statement by the narrator really caught my attention. He stated that the White House, "like much of America" was built "by laborers hailing from Africa and Europe." This struck a jarring note for me, given that much was made during President Obama's inauguration of the momentousness of a Black president taking the reigns in a city/capital/executive mansion built by slaves.

"Laborers"??? What kind of bland whitewash (yes, double-meaning intended) is THAT? But then I thought - now, don't be reactive; check your facts. So I did.

According to The White House Historical Association recruitment of European laborers was "dismal" and the District of Columbia Commissioners "soon... turned to African Americans - slave and free - to provide the bulk of the labor that built the White House, the United States Capitol, and other early government buildings."

C'mon History Channel - don't be purveyors of bland; be accurate, even when the color of history isn't lilywhite.

Photo of the White House from The History Channel.

Meme on a Rainy Saturday

Not much else to do (unless I were inclined to WORK, shudder), so here's a meme for a rainy Saturday:

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought? That is some WICKED bed-head!

2. How much cash do you have on you?
 $15 and some change. More than usual!

3. What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR?
 Chore

4. Favorite planet? 
I’m going for Pluto, because I always picture it populated with a society of Disney’s Plutos.

5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone? DarlingMan

6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone? 
The theme from Monday Night Football.

7. What shirt are you wearing? 
A long-sleeved oatmealish colored t-shirt under a short-sleeved black t-shirt.

8. Do you label yourself?
 Uh, yeah, most frequently as a nerd.

9. Name the brand of the shoes you’re currently wearing? 
At the moment, my pony-print slippers. Earlier when I was wearing actual shoes they were Nikes.

10. Bright or dark room? Bright natural light in the daytime, dark at night (I have elaborate rituals for obscuring all the little blue lights that seem to glow all over the place).

11. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?
 This came from a blogger I really enjoy – Tenseteacher.net

12. What does your watch look like? 
Stainless-steel with a white face.

13. What were you doing at midnight last night? Enjoying being back in my own bed after some hotel nights.

14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say? Work-related and since it was about a personnel/hiring matter it will not be repeated here.

15. Where is your nearest 7-11? 
Either in Las Vegas or Salt Lake City. We have Maverick, which is way cooler, and there’s now one at the highway corner a half-mile from my house.

16. What’s a word that you say a lot?
 ”Stop barking!”

17. Who told you he/she loved you last?
 DarlingMan

18. Last furry thing you touched?
 My plush Raiders blankie.

19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days? 
My usual prescriptions and a lot of Motrin for my messed-up back.

20. How many rolls of film do you need developed?
 Uh, that would be NONE – I have two excellent digital cameras (an SLR and a great point-and-shoot), plenty of memory cards, and my trusty iPhoto.

21. Favorite age you have been so far?
 They’ve all had their plusses and minuses.

22. Your worst enemy? 
Laziness and procrastination (mine, that is).

23. What is your current desktop picture? 
All the people on the Mall on Inauguration Day.

24. What was the last thing you said to someone?
 ”Uh huh” (conversation is so stimulating around here).

25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be?
 Well, I hate to fly and have plenty of debt to pay off, so I’m thinking the MONEY.

26. Do you like someone?
 Well, yeah.

27. The last song you listened to?
 Theme music on a TV show.

28. What time of day were you born? 
My mom’s told me, but I never remember.

29. What’s your favorite number?
 Infinity.

30. Where did you live in 1987? 
Vista, CA and Santa Cruz, CA.

31. Are you jealous of anyone?
 At times; I’m human.

32. Is anyone jealous of you?
 Seems unlikely.

33. Where were you when 9/11 happened?
 In a cabin on the Russian River in Gurneville, CA. It was a work-related retreat, and we went scrambling out of there to get home because we were afraid they would close the bridges in the Bay Area. After that I was in my apartment in North Oakland.

34. What do you do when vending machines steal your money?
 Get ticked.

35. Do you consider yourself kind?
 I try to be.

36. If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be?
 No tattoos! They don't appeal to me whatsoever.

37. If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be?
 How about Latin?

38. Would you move for the person you loved? 
Absolutely.

39. Are you touchy feely?
 With some people, but not generally.

40. What’s your life motto? 
”When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!” (Hunter S. Thompson)

41. Name three things that you have on you at all times. 
Cell phone, lip balm, glasses.

42. What’s your favorite town/city?
 Berkeley, CA

43. What was the last thing you paid for with cash?
 Chicken broth, celery, and dietCoke at Lin’s Market.

44. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it?
 Pretty recently, actually.

45. Can you change the oil on a car? 
Nope. And don't want to.

46. Your first love: what is the last thing you heard about him/her?
 My first love was Hawkeye Pierce in the M*A*S*H TV show, so whatever was last in the news about Alan Alda, I suppose.

47. How far back do you know about your ancestry? Not very, though that’s a huge pastime in this state. Makes me even more of an outlander.

48. The last time you dressed fancy, what did you wear and why did you dress fancy? 
Oh, heck, I can’t even remember. I think I’m going to have to fancy up a little for an awards dinner at a conference next week, though.

49. Does anything hurt on your body right now?
 My jacked-up back!

50. Have you been burned by love?
 Hasn’t everyone, in some form? And why is that question on EVERY meme?

Worthy Words

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met....

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord....

The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness....

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned....

[O]ur power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint....

[B]ecause we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace....

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task....

This is the price and the promise of citizenship....

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled....

With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

~Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States of America

Image of President Obama from NPR.org website

Clean your room!

Chores. That's the subject here - you know: laundry, dishes, vacuuming, dusting, toilets, shower doors, and all that other stuff we love to hate.

I have a long-term love-hate relationship with chores. As a child, I was told every Saturday to go clean my room. This was because during the week I did not do those trivial things like put my clothes/books/etc. way in a timely fashion. So Saturdays became the Day of Reckoning, and also became a battle of wills. Mom told me to go clean my room, and so upstairs I went. Except that I generally laid on my bed and read, instead.

I'm still fighting that battle 30 years later. I would rather read than do most anything, and reading these days has been greatly expanded by the never-ending supply of material available on the Internet. Who wants to sweep the front porch, dust the shelves, scrub the shower, or mop the floor when there's so much still to read?

When I actually get around to doing the chores, I have definite preferences: I like clean clothes, and a closet full of stuff ready-to-wear, and the damply-warm-flowery smells that emit from the dryer vent on a cold day BUT I hate folding and putting the clothes away! I did not like it as a kid, I did not like it when I was a nanny and did the family's laundry, and I do not like it as an adult. DarlingMan is good about doing this part of this particular chore when he's home (for BOTH our wardrobes), but as that is not the case at the moment, I am faced with a load in the dryer waiting for me (it's jammie pants and jeans, so not too much wrinkling to worry about).

Vacuuming, on the other hand, is pretty fun. I think it's the "instant gratification" aspect, especially when using nozzles on things like baseboards and windowsills. You can really SEE the difference, and it's rewarding. In the interest of full disclosure I'll admit that vacuums were fraught with peril for me in my youngest years; I was terrified of the industrial-strength/sized "fweepers" [derived from "sweeper," which is what my dad called vacuums] that the maids used in the motels/restaurants my family owned. I don't how this phobia began or how it dissipated, but it's family lore now. So it's kinda funny that vacuuming is a chore that's slightly higher on the current preference list.

The two domiciles I lived in before this one featured master bathrooms with glass shower walls and doors. BAD BAD BAD!!! Do you think I was inclined to clean these regularly? Nooooooooo. I didn't let them get grossly slimy, but there were definite areas of hard-water build-up up that were bitches to clean upon move-out. So when buying this house, a HUGE selling point was the Travertine tile "walk-in"-style DOORLESS shower in the master bath. LOVE IT!!!

Turns out that writing is a good way to avoid chores as well. But maybe I better go get those clothes out of the dryer.