On the importance of reading labels...

So, GolfDad calls me at about 5:30 this afternoon. His voice sounds a little weird, and he says that his BigBrother1 told him that he had to call me.

Oooooookay, why is that, GolfDad?  Well, it's because when his arthritic knees were achy and bothersome this afternoon he took some acetaminophen. He's grouchy about the acetaminophen; he says it doesn't work for crap, but given that he's having hip replacement surgery on Monday, ibuprofen is currently banned (and will be for six more weeks while he's on blood thinnners - oh, joy). The crappy acetaminophen doesn't work for crap, so he takes some more. Hmmmmmmmm, he's feeling kinda strange.

BigBrother1 calls right about then, and informs GolfDad that he "sounds like he just drank a pint of whiskey." GolfDad says "Nuh uh" and then looks at the bottle of acetaminophen. OOOOOOOOOOOPS, he just took an overdose of the NIGHTTIME acetaminophen! Hence, the feeling way groggy and sounding slurry. BigBrother1 insisted that GolfDad needed to call me so I could come over and check on him.

Which, of course I did after stopping at Maverik to fortify myself with a giant a giant dietCoke - elder-tending requires such measures.  Mrs. Igor has the phone number for the state's poison control programmed into her phone, which she gave to to me when we passed in the driveway.

Arriving at GolfDad's he was cooking his dinner and seemed basically alert. He showed me the bottle (pictured above), and indeed - it's the bright blue pills indicating PM formula. I called poison control, and after a few questions, they assured me that aside from the grogginess, GolfDad would be fine.  They will even call back later tonight to make sure all is well.

So here I am, keeping company with the over-doser for the next little while, just in case.  No prob, we're talking real estate and stock market and what's available on streaming Netflix, and I'm glad to do it!

Nearly Wordless Wednesday 7/28/10

Lazy summer Saturday afternoon...

Maybe some explanation is needed:

On the couch, we have Nephew who's on the computer, stacks of folded laundry on the back, and apparently some Play-Dough and the associated tools.

On the floor is Niece, surrounded by the accouterments of various art and dress-up activities. I think there is a dog or two back in the shadows.

In the background on the dining table is a white plastic laundry basket filled not with clothes, but rather with produce from the weekly Bountiful Basket haul.

The curtains are drawn on the south-facing windows, because it's approximately one-hojillion degrees outside.

And that is the scene here.

Teaching Tuesday

I had a Ten Things Tuesday post ready to go, except for some photos I wanted to add. However, due to a camera FAIL that post won't be happening today. It was a post about school, so I'm going to direct you to a substitute school-related article instead.

EVERYONE needs to read what this Florida teacher has to say about the state of our profession and what it means to be an educator in today's world. Teacher friends, I know you will relate! Non-teachers, please read this and understand that this IS our reality!

Image credit

Dessert Nirvana

This afternoon I made a simple, delicious peach cobbler and tonight we gobbled it up with fresh whipped cream - soooooooooooo good!

You don't have to subject yourself to that spray stuff or the creepy, waxy frozen chemicals known as "whipped topping." It's NOT hard to make real whipped cream, and believe me, the taste and texture difference are incredible!

Real Whipped Cream:

• 1 - 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla for each 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for each 1 cup whipping cream (this is my preferred ratio; adjust to your taste depending on desired sweetness)

1. Chill a metal bowl and the beaters from your hand mixer/the whisk attachment from your stand mixer in the fridge until ice cold.
2. Remove bowl and beaters/whisk from fridge and pour in whipping cream.
3. Beat on HIGH until just before stiff peaks form - you want little, soft peaks at this point.
4. Add vanilla and powdered sugar.
5. Beat again stiff peaks form. DON'T over-beat or your whipped cream will get clumpy and butter-ish!
6. Use on top of your favorite dessert, and be prepared to NEVER buy the canned/frozen stuff again!

Monday Meme

As always, thanks to Mrs. Chili for providing good stuff to steal (which she, in turn, steals form others...)


1. What is your favorite color?

PURPLE, always purple!

2. Have you ever slapped someone?

Not that I remember. Slapping seems so petty and gratuitously violent.

3. Is your hair curly?
It has quite a bit of natural curl and wave… and some "cowlicks" in inopportune places.

4. What was the last CD you bought?

Physical CD? NO idea! Possibly "Supernatural" by Carlos Santana. I've been an all-iTunes girl for quite awhile now.  I think the last full album I bought on iTunes (that wasn't kids' music for school) was the "Hope for Haiti" compilation.

5. Do looks matter?
Truly, no. Cleanliness does though!

6. Could you ever forgive a cheater?

What type of cheating?  I have dealt with certain types as a teacher… as for the more intimate variety, I don't know.  That's hard to predict or imagine.

7. Is your phone bill sky high?

No, though I think we're being robbed blind by the landline phone company.

8. Do you like your life right now?

Yes, except for the lack of my mom, which I still feel acutely.

9. Do you sleep with the TV on?
Our ritual is to get in bed, set the TV timer for 30 or 60 minutes, and watch an episode or two of "King of the Hill" (which we TiVo daily).  We pause the TV to comment and chat, and then snuggle up and drift off when the TV timer turns off.

10. Can you handle the truth?
I hope so. I try to.

11. Do you have good vision?
No, terrible. I have worn glasses since age 8 and contacts since age 16. Lately I seem to need reading glasses on top of my contacts... depressing.

12. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people?
I try to avoid that type of negativity. I am "processing" some very angry feelings toward one individual right now (don't worry, it's none of YOU), but hope to reach a place of closure soon. Yes, I know, that was very…. "something"-sounding.

13. How often do you talk on the phone?
Daily. Not my favorite pastime, but it's part of life, so there ya go.

14. The last person you held hands with?
Mr. Mamie, often!

15. What are you wearing?

Black t-shirt, charcoal gray knit skirt, black flip-flops.

16. What is your favorite animal?
Aside from Beagle and Laprador? Penguins!

17. Where was your favorite picture taken?
Zion National Park, May 1, 2010: The "foot picture" from when the Mamies got hitched!

18. Can you hula hoop?

Sorta. Kinda. Maybe.



19. Do you have a job?

1st grade teacher and university adjunct instructor.

20. What have you most recently bought?

A cold, delicious fountain diet Dr. Pepper.

21. Have you ever crawled through a window?

Not that immediately comes to mind, but it's entirely possible that I am banishing such an event from my active memories!

Pioneer Day 2010 Fireworks

I love taking pictures at night - the effects are so interesting! Here are some shots from last evening's fireworks.

SuperGeek (Mr. Mamie's cousin)

Mr. and Mrs. SuperGeek - they're newlyweds, so they're all aglow!

Mrs. Igor, "chillaxin!"

 

Niece and Nephew, waiting for the fun to start.

 

 Nephew in repose.

 

Mrs. Igor tosses one out.

 

Flash, bang, smoke!

 

Sparkle-time!

 

 Now that's some action!

They're lighting something on fire....

 

 Happy, glowing house!

Sunday afternoon at Chez Mamie

Image credit

Pioneer Saturday

I seem to have fallen off the bloggy bandwagon (again)… oh well, climbing back on and picking up where I left off…!

It’s a holiday weekend here in our intermountain west state – Pioneer Day! Pretty much just another excuse to hang out on the patio with feet in the wading pool, eat tons of yummy food, and light things on fire.

Mr. Mamie’s cousin SuperGeek (SG) and his wife Mrs. SuperGeek (Mrs. SG) arrived yesterday afternoon to spend the long, hot weekend with us here in the southern part of the state.  Last night we ate big ol’ spaghetti dinner which featured this delicious sauce served over organic, whole wheat spaghetti. I increased the tomatoes and spices and added a pound of spicy organic chicken sausage – delish!  We also had a double-batch of Italian Cheese Bread, which came out perfectly. A giant salad made my Mr. Mamie rounded out the dinner, along with a German chocolate cake (from a box) made almost entirely by Niece.  Mrs. Igor, Nephew, Niece, and GolfDad joined us, making nine for dinner. Afterwards we watched half of Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity before everyone conceded defeat and fell into bed.

Mr. Mamie and I were up early this morning (7:30 FELT dang early!) so that we could pick up our Bountiful Basket.  It was a great haul today: 8 ears of corn two huge tomatoes, a bag of Yukon Gold potatoes, two heads of brocoflour, a head of green leaf lettuce, 20 or so peaches and plums, a bunch of bananas, a small pineapple, a small watermelon, and a large bunch of red grapes. I still find it absolutely amazing that we get all that for $15!  We also paid $21 extra for a flat of blueberries, which was twelve 12-ounce containers.

I used one of the containers of blueberries to make a double batch of sour cream blueberry waffles for breakfast.  The five adults in the house ate them ALL, to the disappointment of Niece and Nephew who arrived about a half-hour after we had polished them off.  The rest of the blueberries are getting frozen on trays and then poured into big Ziploc bags for use in waffles, smoothies, cobblers, etc. for the next few months.  SO GREAT to have fresh-frozen fruit available!  We still have OOODLES of strawberries from the flats we bought a while back, as well as some peaches I cut up and froze.

After gorging ourselves on waffles, I got some chicken, lime juice, and chili powder plopped into the crock pot for tonight’s dinner, made an angelfood cake, and cut up strawberries to macerate in sugar for dessert.  Once the SGs had showered, we all (SGs, Mamies, and kids) headed into the Village to buy pop for GrandmaT and the kids at the grocery store and fireworks at the stand outside.  We managed to get away from the fireworks place only $35 poorer, though Nephew and Mr. Mamie could have easily spent double that.  It’s overcast and windy right now, but hopefully things will improve by later tonight so that Mr. Mamie and SG can do their pyromaniac thing in the street in front of the house.

After relaxing for awhile and watching the second half the Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity, the SGs and the Mamie headed into the Big Town for lunch at a local favorite.  We had a delicious pizza lunch and a good time telling and listening to stories about Mr. Mamie’s/SG’s childhood (their mothers are sisters) and about the foibles of their various relatives.  As a bonus, one of my best teacher friends and her family came in and were seated at the table next to us.  As much as I love to cook, it’s nice to go out and let someone else do the work sometimes while we sit back and enjoy!

Home again to another round of Jeff Dunham (Christmas special; LOVE "Jingle Bombs" and "Roaskill Christmas"!) while I blanched corn and made dough for cinnamon rolls (tomorrow’s breakfast).  Mr. Mamie is now napping, and while I wouldn’t mind joining him, it’s a little late in the day – I might never get up!

Looking forward to another fun evening… holiday weekends with family and friends are the best!

BTW - yes, I know Jeff Dunham is not particularly "politically correct."  He is, however, pretty dang funny, and his ventriloquism and puppetry are AMAZING! 

Menus 6/21/10 - 6/27/10

Here's what we're eating this week:

• Left-overs from our fabulously delicious Father's Day dinner: Pulled pork tacos with green cilantro dressing and lime and cilantro rice.
• Steak salad topped with Cafe Rio-style spicy creamy tomatillo dressing.
• Honey curry chicken with Mediterranean curry couscous (Near East brand box mix) and green salad.
• Beef and brown rice soup with French bred and green salad.
• Brown rice/black bean/pinto bean/corn wraps (with lettuce and tomato) - leftovers from these will go in the freezer for lunches when I am home in July. Meatless meal - read more about it here.
• Homemade pizza with pick-yer-own toppings.
• Nephew's birthday dinner (as requested by the Birthday Boy): Grilled pork kabobs (with spicy peanut butter, sesame and soy sauce marinade), Parmesan couscous (near East box mix), CrockPot baked beans, and green salad. He says he wants a "REALLY chocolate-y cake."  I have a recipe that my stepmom gave me that makes a good chocolate cake, and the frosting can be adjusted for how chocolate-y you want it. Sounds like the ticket for Nephew's birthday! I'll post the recipe. He's having a pizza-movie-cake-sleepover party at home the night before, so I told Mrs. Igor that the "family party" could be at my house if she wanted - I'm sure she'll need a break after being invaded by a bunch of adolescent boys!

Happy eating, and have a good week!

Monday Meme

It's a good thing I can snag these from Mrs. Chili, otherwise I'd have nuttin'!

1. The phone rings; who don’t you want it to be?
People wanting money. The dentist's office. The highway patrol.

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?
That is usually Mr. Mamie's job (or Nephew's), and yes, we are conscientious about it.

3. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener?
It varies. In unfamiliar situations, a listener; within the inner circle, more talky.

4. What was the last compliment that someone gave you?
Related to last night's Father's Day dinner o' deliciousness.


5. Do you play the lottery?
No lottery in this state. When I lived in California, very rarely. Just not a gambler in that sense. I'd rather spend the buck on a cold Diet Coke!

6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, who would you want with you?
Mr. Mamie. He's a former Boy Scout. Plus, he's good company.

7. Do you like to ride horses?
I did when I was younger.

8. Did you ever go to camp as a kid?
Yes, a few times. I should have appreciated it more.


9. What is your favorite party game?
Card games - Pitch, Hand and Foot, and Uno are the usual ones we play.

10. If a sexy person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was married, would you go for it?
Of course not. I too am married, as well as loyal and faithful.

11. When was the last time that you lied?
Hmmmm, not sure. I am quite sure that I have told "social fibs" to smooth awkward situations recently; that's unfortunately something that one has to do at times.

12. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you?
I married someone who grew up in a different faith/tradition than I did, and who still has ties it. I also live in a place with a "dominant religion" (and culture), which is not my own but IS my husband's. One learns to adapt and accommodate.

13. If you have a S/O, who pursued who? If not, do you like to pursue or be pursued?
It was mutual.

14. Use six words to describe yourself.
Nerdy, loyal, nosy, hopeful, insecure, reliable.

15. Name a song that could make you cry.
"Go Rest High On That Mountain" by Vince Gill.

16. Are you pleased with your education?
Very much so. Like Chili, I harbor fantasies of the doctorate, but also realize the general uselessness of such a pursuit (in terms of return-on-investment). Still....

17. How do you feel about gun control?
It's a good thing. Too bad it is so uneven, disorganized, misunderstood, and maligned.

18. If your house was on fire, what thing would be the first thing you grabbed?
Aside from people and dogs? My MacBook.

19. How often do you have a romantic weekend?
Every weekend! I'm with the person I love, living life.

20. Do you think more about the past, present or future?
The present, certainly. Of course, working to resolve things from the past requires thought. And I try to think hopefully about the future, to give myself some direction.


21. What was the last adult magazine that you have read?
Define "adult." Naked mags - who knows. Closest I've come that I can remember semi-recently is probably a "Maxim" at my brother's. I tend to read things like "Educational Leadership" and "Linux Journal." Nerd alert.

22. What are you told about your eyes?
That the color is kind of indefinable.

23. How tall is just right?
I like Mr. Mamie's 6+ feet. My 5'6" seems okay. Niece is cute with her almost-7-year-old height; Nephew is getting entirely TOO tall and adolescent-ish (he still hugs me though!).

24. Where is your dream house located?
Top of a mountain.

25. Do you have a secret fetish?
Of course. But it's a secret. Shhhhhhhh.

26. Have you tried bourbon? If yes, what type?
Don't think so. Scotch tastes like dirty dishwater, though.

27. Have you ever seen a male or female stripper?
Not other than on TV/in movies.

28. When was the last time you were at TGI Fridays?
YEARS. None around here, and not my fave of the chains, anyway.

29. When was the last time you were at church?
May 2nd, for darling KH's baby blessing (an LDS ritual). I told KH years and years ago that when she "got" a baby, I would be in church, in a dress, for its blessing.  We thought then that she and CH would be adopting, but lo these many years later, a miracle happened, to someone who deserved it beyond belief. And so, I was there, in a dress and in tears, so happy for my friend!

30. Where was the furthest place you traveled today?
From home to the school district I/T building, where my office is located - about 15 miles. But only for one more week!

31. What was your favorite job?
Teaching!!!

32. What condiments do you like at your BBQ?
BBQ sauce, ketchup, and fry sauce (on things other than fries) are my usual choices.


33. Bud is hosting Thursday Thunks this week. Will you play?
Not a clue.

34. Do you look like your mom or dad?
More like mom.

35. Who was the last person that you showered with (it’s okay to leave out the name)?
Molly (the lab/spaniel mix) occasionally steps in (we have a walk-in shower with no door).

Ten Things Tuesday 6/15/10

Ten things sitting on my kitchen bar this morning:

1. 10 bananas - four ripe ones on the banana hook, 6 greener ones sitting below.
2. A star-shaped wire basket full of small Fuji apples and giant naval oranges.
3. A glass jar half-full of Lazy Granola, to which I added dried blueberries and mini-chocolate chips. YUM! There's a neat little metal scoop inside to extract the granola. I just bought the scoop and and kinda have a crush on it.
4. Our glass cookie jar, half-full of Newman-O's cookies.  I was too lazy last weekend to make my own cookies. But I really want to make these Monster Cookies... maybe next weekend.
5.  A butternut squash. Need to cook that some night for dinner.
6. An empty glass jar that usually holds cut lemons or limes, which we store in the fridge to add to water glasses/bottles. Again, so lazy this weekend that I did not even cut any. Need to do that.
7. An empty glass bottle that usually holds soy sauce. It needs to be re-filled from the ginormous jug o' soy sauce from the garage fridge. Once again, laziness....
8. A red chili-shaped tray holding two zucchinis from Mrs. Igor's garden (she had the first producers this year).
9. Another red chili-shaped tray holding several small red and yellow onions from a farmer's market trip.
10. 3 half-coconut shells (from our Island Way coconut sorbets), waiting for Niece to paint and add to her family of coconut-turtles.

Fascinating. I should have taken a photo!

Menus 6/14/10 - 6/20/10

Here's what we're eating this week:

• Zesty Chicken in the CrockPot with leftover Cowboy Mashed Potatoes and green salad.  The chicken is a whole, Coleman organic chicken from Costco.
• Savory Cheese Soup (meatless*) with sliced baguette and green salad.
• Super Bean Burritos (meatless*), which include brown rice and cheese, plus fixings (lettuce, tomato, sour cream, etc.)
• Grilled Aidell's chicken sausages (chicken and apple, and a spicy version) with corn on the cob and green salad. Maybe also some sweet potato oven fries, depending on if I have time to prep them.
• Pulled pork tacos with green cilantro dressing, cilantro-lime rice, and homemade ice cream and brownies (this will be our Father's Day meal). I use the vanilla ice cream recipe from the Cuisinart ice cream maker instruction book, which is wonderful! Even better because we use organic whole milk and cream, mmmmmmmm!

*We try to eat a meatless meal at least once or twice weekly, for reasons of health, budget, and planetary consideration. See the Meatless Mondays website for more info.

Image credit

Monday Meme

As always, got this from Mrs. Chili.

1. You’re building your dream house. What’s the one thing that this house absolutely, positively MUST HAVE? (other than the obvious basics of course).
A fabulous kitchen with lots of storage for me, a “tech room” for Mr. Mamie (OK, and for me too!), a swimming pool.

2. What is your dream car?
 Volkswagen “Thing,” for having fun.

3. What is your favorite website that isn’t a blog?
 Hmmmm, lots to choose from… probably my state’s education network site, because of all the amazing resources. Nerd alert.

4. iPhone 4 or Droid, which do you want?
iPhone. If only Apple and Verizon could agree to be friends…

5. When you’re feeling down or lonely or just generally out of sorts, what do you do to cheer yourself up?
Have fun on Facebook, peruse the books in the Amazon Kindle store and choose something enjoyable.

6. Tell me about something or someone that you love that most people seem to hate.
19th century English literature, perhaps? Also, cilantro – that seems to be a “love it or hate it” kind of thing, with no in-between.

7. What do you want to be when you grow up?
Calm, secure, and confident. Still waiting for it!

8. Would you go on a reality show if given the chance?
 No way, no how.


9. Who was your favorite teacher when you were growing up? (Grade school, Middle School, Jr. High or High School only.)
My sixth grade teacher was awesome – I see a lot of him in how I now teach.  I also had several incredible teachers in high school – I was very fortunate!

10. You get one pass to do something illegal or immoral. What are you gonna do?
I like Chili’s answer regarding insider trading; “something involving the acquisition of obscene amounts of money.”

11. What were you doing 10 years ago?
Teaching first grade in east Oakland; preparing to open a new school as a recipient of one of the first Gates Foundation education grants.

12. By this time next year, I …
Will have been back in the classroom for a year, and will be recovering from it!

13. Do you think the United States will elect a female President in your lifetime? Do you think this would be a good thing?
I certainly hope so, and of course it will be a good thing. It’s time for our country to grow up!

14. Which fictional TV show character you would shag anytime?
Again, so many to choose from… Elliot from “Law and Order: SVU” comes to mind, as does Brenda’s husband Fritz from “The Closer.”  I like the two new Jacks in my life as well – from “Lost” and “24” (just getting into those, thanks for streaming Netflix).

15. What is your greatest pet peeve?
People with hidden agendas who manipulate situations and act disingenuously.

16. Tell me about your most recent trip of more than 100 miles?
We picked-up and returned The Little Mermaid to the airport in Las Vegas a week ago; the big thrill of this was a trip to Trader Joe’s while we were down there.

17. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus?
Thesaurus

18. Do you have a nickname? What is it?
Mamie, and “Teeeeeeeeeeacher!”

19. What are you dreading at the moment?
Moving stuff out of my office, and cleaning the garage in order to organize my teacher-stuff. Oh, and also, all the LAMINATING that must be done (and subsequently, cut out).

20. Do you worry that others will judge you from reading some of your answers?
Don’t really care all that much. It’s my blog; I get to say what I want. Don’t read it if it offends you.

21. In two words, explain what ended your last relationship.
Ineffective communication.

22. What were you doing this morning at 8am?
In the car with Mr. Mamie, eating toast during the morning drive into town for work.

23. Do you have any famous relatives?
Not that I know of.

24. How many different beverages have you drunk today?
Winder Farms fresh orange juice, Tazo iced green tea. That makes two.

25. What is something you are excited about?
Getting back into the classroom!

26. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group?
University course I taught last semester probably. I am guest speaking to another university class on Wednesday.

27. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
Which glasses am I going to wear today?

28. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Sleeping! I am not a night owl.

29. What’s a word that you say a lot?
“Allrightythen!”

30. Who is your worst enemy?
The procrastination troll.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday 6/9/10

The Little Mermaid and Me, 6/5/10

Menus 6/4/10 - 6/13/10

The dates are kinda whacked on this menu post, due to the fact that I had not totally figured out what we were going to have while The Little Mermaid was visiting.  She's been a vegetarian since about the age of six, so I needed to take that into account as I planned.  It wasn't an inconvenience at all to accommodate her, as we don't mind eating meatless meals, and in fact, try to do so a couple of times weekly.

So here's what we had over the weekend, and what's planned for this week:

• Spinach lasagna - made with this homemade tomato sauce that I froze at the end of last summer (using garden-fresh, not canned, tomatoes). Mrs. Igor, Niece, and Nephew joined us making a total of 7, and we only ate half the lasagna. That means lots of little frozen meals for future work lunches!
• Mexican black bean and brown rice bowls - I made extra lime chicken last Thursday, so each person could build a bowl or tacos using ingredients to suit them. We had cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and a variety of salsas for toppings. The kids were over, for a total of 6 people, and again, there were enough leftovers for two more dinners for Mr. Mamie, GrandmaT, and me (as bowls, tacos, and quesadillas).
• Blueberry sour cream waffles - a great breakfast before our trip to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary on Saturday!
• "Mixed grill" with a selection of beef burgers, turkey burgers, and veggie burgers.  We had crockpot baked beans and chips as sides.  Igor, the kids, and GolfDad joined us for a total of 8. There were plenty of beans leftover for GrandmaT to be munching on during the week - and as she commented, they don't turn to mush after a day or two like canned bean tend to do! By the way, I didn't use any bacon in these (so that the Mermaid could eat them) and they still tasted great!
• Spicy cheeseburger soup with cheddar muffins.
• Buffalo chicken spaghetti with garlic muffins (both will be new to us).
• Tender grilled pork chops with couscous.
• Tasty meatloaf with cowboy mashed potatoes (new meatloaf recipe).

Have a great week of cooking, and don't forget your green salad every night (we sure don't)!