The other day I decided to make some ciabatta bread. I looked in my recipe box, wasn't there; checked computer bookmarks, not there either; then in a back corner of my cobweb filled brain I remembered.
I used to have it together. There was a time when things were put in there place. That place was my blog.
I looked & yes, the post, the crumb & recipe were easily located. More importantly, I ached for how much I miss writing, documenting the craziness of life, my blog world of friends (real & imaginary).
My last post was in March, that's a lot of catching up to, it's been a long, rough year. Time passes no matter what though. I've spent the past few days working on posting from my phone. I don't know that I can do back links & other cool stuff, but I'm going to make a real effort to do this. It was good for me, made me happy, helped me see & get over the not so easy parts of life.
Missing you,
Me
Showing posts with label nummies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nummies. Show all posts
Monday, December 24, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
B's birthday weekend & another haircut story bc it's about that time of year....
B's mom & step dad came out for a visit for B's birthday. they arrived on weds, so B & the boy were able to drive down to the airport to pick them up in the afternoon. i didn't get to spend much time with everyone except for dinners, where we all ate like cavemen.
i don't remember what all it consisted of, but yeah, no vegetarians in this house. then for B's birthday, one of his classmates gave us coupons to a local casino's seafood buffet. yeah, let's gorge some more. Z ate plates & plate of crab legs, then a couple of deserts, then 2 MORE plates of crab legs. i was worried he might get sick on the drive home, he was fine though.
so on to the haircut story shall we?
one night Z's in the shower & mom-in-law says something about him taking a long time in there. i didn't really think much of it, but the next morning when i went to shave my legs i noticed the blade was on backwards. i'm not very smart so it took awhile for me to make the leap that the boy had been in the shower the night before.
alone with a razor.
& m-i-l had noticed he'd taken some time.
when Z got up i asked him if he'd used my razor & he said yes, he'd given himself a haircut in the shower. that he thought of shaving his arms & legs too, but decided against it. so i asked where? how? did he "give himself a haircut in the shower?" & he showed me [without the blade] how he shaved one side of his head, then the other, then the back.
the sides didn't show any obvious damage, the back however was shaved down to the skin. it was not a good haircut. B's first instinct was to shave his head completely, but the boy is much to light to sport that 'do. so for a couple of weeks we just let it be & the long hair for the most part covered up the bald spot.
i don't remember what all it consisted of, but yeah, no vegetarians in this house. then for B's birthday, one of his classmates gave us coupons to a local casino's seafood buffet. yeah, let's gorge some more. Z ate plates & plate of crab legs, then a couple of deserts, then 2 MORE plates of crab legs. i was worried he might get sick on the drive home, he was fine though.
so on to the haircut story shall we?
one night Z's in the shower & mom-in-law says something about him taking a long time in there. i didn't really think much of it, but the next morning when i went to shave my legs i noticed the blade was on backwards. i'm not very smart so it took awhile for me to make the leap that the boy had been in the shower the night before.
alone with a razor.
& m-i-l had noticed he'd taken some time.
when Z got up i asked him if he'd used my razor & he said yes, he'd given himself a haircut in the shower. that he thought of shaving his arms & legs too, but decided against it. so i asked where? how? did he "give himself a haircut in the shower?" & he showed me [without the blade] how he shaved one side of his head, then the other, then the back.
the sides didn't show any obvious damage, the back however was shaved down to the skin. it was not a good haircut. B's first instinct was to shave his head completely, but the boy is much to light to sport that 'do. so for a couple of weeks we just let it be & the long hair for the most part covered up the bald spot.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
the cereal standoff
so the boy has graduated from the smaller bowls to regular size cereal bowls, the problem is he FILLS the bowl & then throws half of it away. there is no pour 1/2 to 3/4 of a bowl & if he's still hungry pour more, no, no, no, it's all or none, don't want to waste that bowl space.
he's overfilled the bowl repeatedly & we have not been able to figure out a way to get him stop; no talk, no reasoning, no threats, nada. finally one day i told him if he poured that much & put milk on it, he'd better eat it all, he continued on with is bowl of shredded wheat & so the day began.
he said he would eat it, but i knew it was too much. i told him to put it in the fridge to keep in cold & to not let it sit very long bc the longer it sat the worse it would be. i thought in an hour or so he would eat it, but he didn't. lunch time came & went, the cereal was not eaten. the day continued & it was time to get ready for a cub scout meeting but i told him he had to eat before we went, eat the cereal. i was not going to let him gorge on snacks & treats without eating that darn bowl of cereal.
he refused, we didn't go to the meeting & the battle of the wills continued...
even B was impressed i hadn't folded by this time.
a couple of hours later he brought out the bowl, he tasted it & said it was gross. surprise. it took some time, but he did finally eat it. i felt bad, but the line had been drawn in the sand & i had to stand my ground with him. i know it seems harsh & ridiculous to have to do things this way, but honestly it made a difference. he's gotten better with listening to me & he's definitely more mindful about wasting food.
he's overfilled the bowl repeatedly & we have not been able to figure out a way to get him stop; no talk, no reasoning, no threats, nada. finally one day i told him if he poured that much & put milk on it, he'd better eat it all, he continued on with is bowl of shredded wheat & so the day began.
he said he would eat it, but i knew it was too much. i told him to put it in the fridge to keep in cold & to not let it sit very long bc the longer it sat the worse it would be. i thought in an hour or so he would eat it, but he didn't. lunch time came & went, the cereal was not eaten. the day continued & it was time to get ready for a cub scout meeting but i told him he had to eat before we went, eat the cereal. i was not going to let him gorge on snacks & treats without eating that darn bowl of cereal.
he refused, we didn't go to the meeting & the battle of the wills continued...
even B was impressed i hadn't folded by this time.
a couple of hours later he brought out the bowl, he tasted it & said it was gross. surprise. it took some time, but he did finally eat it. i felt bad, but the line had been drawn in the sand & i had to stand my ground with him. i know it seems harsh & ridiculous to have to do things this way, but honestly it made a difference. he's gotten better with listening to me & he's definitely more mindful about wasting food.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
so we had an anniversary
yes, we did!
neighbor J watched the boy & although I wasn't feeling that great B had made reservations at that little french restaurant we used to go to a long time ago. i was so glad considering recent economic times this place was still around. B got the fish bc he's the chick & i got the beef wellington, cuz i'm the dude. B wanted to go to the movies afterwards to watch "the vow" but i didn't want to rush dinner nor did i want to watch a sappy movie that was going to make me cry....[see chick/dude references].
it was nice to sit & have a relaxing dinner, the restaurant is not one to feed you & push you out the door. B also noticed we were probably the youngest people in the restaurant & joked that we got the kiddie table. we sat & talked for a bit after eating & although we'd decided to go to a coffeeshop, in my delirium i ordered tea so B got his espresso there. I shouldn't be allowed to talk when i'm in that state.
B also got me some purdy roses, the yellow ones with the orange tips & a nice card.
the next evening Z asked if he could eat the left over b.wellington i brought home. beings i wasn't feeling well the night before i didn't want to eat very much as it's quite rich. Z didn't care for it, the meat was too rare, but beings it was there on the counter i tasted it again. wow, was it ever good, yes, i had ordered it med-rare, but even re-heated it was still pretty red, so i understood why the boy didn't care for it. however, it made me realize how off i was the night before.
i missed getting a card for B for our anniversary, but i got him one for valentine's day. i didn't get a card for valentine's though, not that it was a big deal, more something we laughed about. he did actually tell me when i was going to the store that if i wanted a card, i needed to buy one for myself. i think i owe myself some valentine's day shoes or purse though...
neighbor J watched the boy & although I wasn't feeling that great B had made reservations at that little french restaurant we used to go to a long time ago. i was so glad considering recent economic times this place was still around. B got the fish bc he's the chick & i got the beef wellington, cuz i'm the dude. B wanted to go to the movies afterwards to watch "the vow" but i didn't want to rush dinner nor did i want to watch a sappy movie that was going to make me cry....[see chick/dude references].
it was nice to sit & have a relaxing dinner, the restaurant is not one to feed you & push you out the door. B also noticed we were probably the youngest people in the restaurant & joked that we got the kiddie table. we sat & talked for a bit after eating & although we'd decided to go to a coffeeshop, in my delirium i ordered tea so B got his espresso there. I shouldn't be allowed to talk when i'm in that state.
B also got me some purdy roses, the yellow ones with the orange tips & a nice card.
the next evening Z asked if he could eat the left over b.wellington i brought home. beings i wasn't feeling well the night before i didn't want to eat very much as it's quite rich. Z didn't care for it, the meat was too rare, but beings it was there on the counter i tasted it again. wow, was it ever good, yes, i had ordered it med-rare, but even re-heated it was still pretty red, so i understood why the boy didn't care for it. however, it made me realize how off i was the night before.
i missed getting a card for B for our anniversary, but i got him one for valentine's day. i didn't get a card for valentine's though, not that it was a big deal, more something we laughed about. he did actually tell me when i was going to the store that if i wanted a card, i needed to buy one for myself. i think i owe myself some valentine's day shoes or purse though...
Saturday, July 9, 2011
my 40th birfday
we had a lazy morning, of course, i wouldn't have it any other way.
the plan was to head to a nearby mall for shopping & seafood buffet; then B got online & found out the place we planned on eating had closed due to renovations. not that big of deal, i knew of another one at a different mall, just further away. so we drove down to mall #2, only the restaurant wasn't there either & it wasn't listed on the directory. fine, i know of a 3rd seafood buffet place!
we went to #3 & we should not have. it wasn't that good & B was sure a bite of some sort of scallop concoction was no bueno. i didn't eat anything that bad, but i did have a bit of a roll that the fried outside was so greasy i had to spit it out. thumbs up on the crepes for dessert though.
after our not so good birthday lunch we went back to mall #2 for some birthday shopping. i didn't find all that much; Z got a darling lil hat & B got some good shoes. apparently we're of that age where we need good [read ugly] shoes.
oh, um, sidenote i forgot to make the awesome announcement:
B GOT INTO NURSING SKOOL!!!
so he really does need ugly, i mean, good shoes.
we even went to mall #3 [really 2 as we didn't actually go to 1 but whatev]. we malled it until 8pm i think, then we hit costco up for a birthday cheesecake, the vietnamese restaurant for some dinner then home to gobble up our goodies. i forgot to leave room for cheesecake :-(. Z didn't want vietnamese so he had chef boy-r-dee :>P
the plan was to head to a nearby mall for shopping & seafood buffet; then B got online & found out the place we planned on eating had closed due to renovations. not that big of deal, i knew of another one at a different mall, just further away. so we drove down to mall #2, only the restaurant wasn't there either & it wasn't listed on the directory. fine, i know of a 3rd seafood buffet place!
we went to #3 & we should not have. it wasn't that good & B was sure a bite of some sort of scallop concoction was no bueno. i didn't eat anything that bad, but i did have a bit of a roll that the fried outside was so greasy i had to spit it out. thumbs up on the crepes for dessert though.
after our not so good birthday lunch we went back to mall #2 for some birthday shopping. i didn't find all that much; Z got a darling lil hat & B got some good shoes. apparently we're of that age where we need good [read ugly] shoes.
oh, um, sidenote i forgot to make the awesome announcement:
B GOT INTO NURSING SKOOL!!!
so he really does need ugly, i mean, good shoes.
we even went to mall #3 [really 2 as we didn't actually go to 1 but whatev]. we malled it until 8pm i think, then we hit costco up for a birthday cheesecake, the vietnamese restaurant for some dinner then home to gobble up our goodies. i forgot to leave room for cheesecake :-(. Z didn't want vietnamese so he had chef boy-r-dee :>P
Monday, June 27, 2011
pumpkin pie bars
a friend ask for this & if i'm gonna type it out, i might as well keep a copy of it here, it came from kraftfoods....
1 1/3 c flour
1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c white sugar
3/4 c cold butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 c uncooked oats (i add 1/2c more)
1/2 c pecans (i used walnuts)
1-8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
3 eggs (i prefer only 2)
1-15oz can pumpkin
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
preheat oven 350 & grease a 9x13 pan
mix flour, brown sugar & 1/4c of white sugar in a medium bowl, cut in butter until crumbly. stir in oats & nuts. reserve 1c of oat mixture (i split it in 1/2 bc i like more crumble) & press remaining onto bottom of pan. bake 15 min.
beat cream cheese, remaining 1/2c of white sugar, eggs, pumpkin & spice in a small bowl with mixer on medium speed until well blended. pour over baked crust, sprinkle with remaining oat mixture.
bake 25 min (i cooked extra 10min or so to get a brown & crunchy top). cool completely & cut into bars.
1 1/3 c flour
1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c white sugar
3/4 c cold butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 c uncooked oats (i add 1/2c more)
1/2 c pecans (i used walnuts)
1-8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
3 eggs (i prefer only 2)
1-15oz can pumpkin
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
preheat oven 350 & grease a 9x13 pan
mix flour, brown sugar & 1/4c of white sugar in a medium bowl, cut in butter until crumbly. stir in oats & nuts. reserve 1c of oat mixture (i split it in 1/2 bc i like more crumble) & press remaining onto bottom of pan. bake 15 min.
beat cream cheese, remaining 1/2c of white sugar, eggs, pumpkin & spice in a small bowl with mixer on medium speed until well blended. pour over baked crust, sprinkle with remaining oat mixture.
bake 25 min (i cooked extra 10min or so to get a brown & crunchy top). cool completely & cut into bars.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Z the foodie, updated, totally...
i knew i had used the title before, but really this needs updating....
(why my brain holds on to something like this yet i can't remember how many cups are in a quart, i don't know...)
Z has kicked it up quite a notch over the past couple of years, it's a quest now, he keeps a mental list of the foods he's eaten & has a bigger list of what he wants to try. if you ask him what's his favorite vegetable; it's artichoke, spinach, edamame & corn (the order varies) & he also loves brussel sprouts, but only when first cooked, re-heated no dice.
for his birthday he asked to go out for indian food; we explained to him that wasn't going to happen while visiting grandma in chicago though, we still owe him that one.
if you take the boy to an any asian flavor restaurant he wants every seafood dish on the menu.
down in the valley for nana's funeral, over 100 degrees, he ordered shark fin soup. he loved it, finished the whole bowl & more importantly had the brag factor! i didn't care for it though, it was thick (read gelatinous) & um, just not yummy...too fishy.
for father's day we went to a buffet place & when Z returned to the table with his first plate i about fell out the booth. it was piled high with all kinds of mussels, anything on a shell, he had it. green mussel with cheese on top, oyster on the 1/2 shell & ginormous shell of some sort, no joke about he length of his forearm, cooked but still - omg!
the green mussel went down fine, the oyster was another story. he picked it up off the shell with a fork & saw the texture or lack thereof, but you gotta give the boy credit he still put it in his mouth. it quickly came back out, followed by a gag, but thankfully not any previously consumed food! then he said it was "putrid" & was not about to try to giant one, cooked or not he was done exploring!
in the next few weeks there's a bug show coming to town, featuring, you guessed it, edibles.
Z is so there!
(why my brain holds on to something like this yet i can't remember how many cups are in a quart, i don't know...)
Z has kicked it up quite a notch over the past couple of years, it's a quest now, he keeps a mental list of the foods he's eaten & has a bigger list of what he wants to try. if you ask him what's his favorite vegetable; it's artichoke, spinach, edamame & corn (the order varies) & he also loves brussel sprouts, but only when first cooked, re-heated no dice.
for his birthday he asked to go out for indian food; we explained to him that wasn't going to happen while visiting grandma in chicago though, we still owe him that one.
if you take the boy to an any asian flavor restaurant he wants every seafood dish on the menu.
down in the valley for nana's funeral, over 100 degrees, he ordered shark fin soup. he loved it, finished the whole bowl & more importantly had the brag factor! i didn't care for it though, it was thick (read gelatinous) & um, just not yummy...too fishy.
for father's day we went to a buffet place & when Z returned to the table with his first plate i about fell out the booth. it was piled high with all kinds of mussels, anything on a shell, he had it. green mussel with cheese on top, oyster on the 1/2 shell & ginormous shell of some sort, no joke about he length of his forearm, cooked but still - omg!
the green mussel went down fine, the oyster was another story. he picked it up off the shell with a fork & saw the texture or lack thereof, but you gotta give the boy credit he still put it in his mouth. it quickly came back out, followed by a gag, but thankfully not any previously consumed food! then he said it was "putrid" & was not about to try to giant one, cooked or not he was done exploring!
in the next few weeks there's a bug show coming to town, featuring, you guessed it, edibles.
Z is so there!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
mah crumb
during all those breaks i was reading up on ciabatta & watching videos trying find a way to remedy my soup dough issues. the instructions said "beat the crap out of it" & i did, i even put on my black leather boots & called it all kinds of dirty names.....
when i pulled it out of the micro i wasn't too surprised that even with all the fluffiness it was still pourable; one of the videos i watched, she had pourable dough so i wasn't too stressed over it. i separated it into 2 batches on parchment & gave it another rise period. the next part was difficult, flip the liquid mass.
Z was hollering to me about something & i told him to come to me & he asked what i was doing so i explained i was wrestling with paper & dough. he said "wouldn't that be easy?" then when i watched what i was trying to accomplish he said "why don't you get another piece of paper & just flip it upside down?"
BRILLIANT, my child!
i baked & it fluffed some more. B came home, said whatever i was baking smelled good, i told him it was an experiment gone wrong 7 different ways & there was no telling what was coming out of the oven. both loaves came out looking great; a bit of crisp to the crust, tender inside, just a little, tiny bit on the salty side.
there is is, in all it's blue cast glory (sorry but i don't know what's up with that). also, don't mind all the alcohol in the background....
the last slice from loaf #1 & loaf #2 waiting patiently, it's holes weren't quite as large.
when i pulled it out of the micro i wasn't too surprised that even with all the fluffiness it was still pourable; one of the videos i watched, she had pourable dough so i wasn't too stressed over it. i separated it into 2 batches on parchment & gave it another rise period. the next part was difficult, flip the liquid mass.
Z was hollering to me about something & i told him to come to me & he asked what i was doing so i explained i was wrestling with paper & dough. he said "wouldn't that be easy?" then when i watched what i was trying to accomplish he said "why don't you get another piece of paper & just flip it upside down?"
BRILLIANT, my child!
i baked & it fluffed some more. B came home, said whatever i was baking smelled good, i told him it was an experiment gone wrong 7 different ways & there was no telling what was coming out of the oven. both loaves came out looking great; a bit of crisp to the crust, tender inside, just a little, tiny bit on the salty side.
there is is, in all it's blue cast glory (sorry but i don't know what's up with that). also, don't mind all the alcohol in the background....
the last slice from loaf #1 & loaf #2 waiting patiently, it's holes weren't quite as large.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
tears in my ciabatta
in an effort to distract myself, not to mention i was hungry & we were low on bread, i decided to give the ole ciabatta another try. for reals this time though, no no-knead type like i made before. the bread was pretty good, i just don't like having to plan like 18 hours in advance for my baking. i'm lucky if i think about such things 4 hours ahead of time. since then i've made french bread, rolls & a few types of breadsticks; so i figured i could handle traditional made ciabatta. even when i make breadsticks they're served after the 1st round of spaghetti bc i don't plan well, 18 hours is way out of my league.
i looked for recipes & then from all the talk, i started to get a little nervous. i decided to go with this recipe. which probably wasn't a good idea bc hello, conversions, my first hurdle, not a big one though thanks to the internet. i went through the trouble of going to a few different conversion sites to make sure i got it right, bc conversions are so not my thing.
recipes states 475g = ~2c water, ergo 500g = ~2+c flour, no? grams are little right?
also, when converted i got 15g = 3+tsp salt, i'm on the fence thinking that may be too much, but i went with it. i've worked with enough bread dough to know measurements are all estimates & that's why i can do it, i'm not precise when i cook.
the recipe also says to use your KA (kitchen aide)-like mixer. um, i have a $30 handheld from walmart, will that work? if i have to go buy a KA-like mixer i might as well go buy 300 loaves of bread....
so with all odds against me & occasional tears before i even get the flour out, the adventure begins. it says expect pancake batter & yes, that's what i started with. i used my dough hooks (which i initially mocked when i got the mixer, never mock, not even inanimate objects, it will come back to you) & beat, then rested hoping gluten strands would form, repeated like 4 times & still had pancake batter. not even kinda thick pancake batter.
i decided to switch on over to regular mixer dohickeys; not sure if the blades would destroy the gluten strings but i needed more motion. the batter is supposed to thicken up with the mixing, pull away from the sides & even the bottom of the bowl, yet i still had a bowl of soup. i beat for 10 minutes, not much changed, i let it rest, then beat again & this time i reviewed the recipe again. more importantly i read the comments bc i remember seeing someone saying they beat their pancake batter by hand & their's turned into ciabatta dough so wtf????
then i read a note that for some reason, again me & conversions not friends, the 500g of flour does not equate to 2+c flour, it equals somewhere along the lines of 4+ (i think it was 4.2 or 4.3 but, i don't give a F now....) so my pancake batter was never, ever, ever gonna turn into ciabatta dough without more flour.
easy fix, but now i had frankenbatter.
i added 1+c more of flour so i no longer had soup, but still had messy, sloppy, sticky dough. then i put it in the micro (no heat, just closed environment) to rise. that was 2 hrs ago & it's about to spill out of the bowl. rise it has, i'll bake it, but it will probably be tougher than nails.
i looked for recipes & then from all the talk, i started to get a little nervous. i decided to go with this recipe. which probably wasn't a good idea bc hello, conversions, my first hurdle, not a big one though thanks to the internet. i went through the trouble of going to a few different conversion sites to make sure i got it right, bc conversions are so not my thing.
recipes states 475g = ~2c water, ergo 500g = ~2+c flour, no? grams are little right?
also, when converted i got 15g = 3+tsp salt, i'm on the fence thinking that may be too much, but i went with it. i've worked with enough bread dough to know measurements are all estimates & that's why i can do it, i'm not precise when i cook.
the recipe also says to use your KA (kitchen aide)-like mixer. um, i have a $30 handheld from walmart, will that work? if i have to go buy a KA-like mixer i might as well go buy 300 loaves of bread....
so with all odds against me & occasional tears before i even get the flour out, the adventure begins. it says expect pancake batter & yes, that's what i started with. i used my dough hooks (which i initially mocked when i got the mixer, never mock, not even inanimate objects, it will come back to you) & beat, then rested hoping gluten strands would form, repeated like 4 times & still had pancake batter. not even kinda thick pancake batter.
i decided to switch on over to regular mixer dohickeys; not sure if the blades would destroy the gluten strings but i needed more motion. the batter is supposed to thicken up with the mixing, pull away from the sides & even the bottom of the bowl, yet i still had a bowl of soup. i beat for 10 minutes, not much changed, i let it rest, then beat again & this time i reviewed the recipe again. more importantly i read the comments bc i remember seeing someone saying they beat their pancake batter by hand & their's turned into ciabatta dough so wtf????
then i read a note that for some reason, again me & conversions not friends, the 500g of flour does not equate to 2+c flour, it equals somewhere along the lines of 4+ (i think it was 4.2 or 4.3 but, i don't give a F now....) so my pancake batter was never, ever, ever gonna turn into ciabatta dough without more flour.
easy fix, but now i had frankenbatter.
i added 1+c more of flour so i no longer had soup, but still had messy, sloppy, sticky dough. then i put it in the micro (no heat, just closed environment) to rise. that was 2 hrs ago & it's about to spill out of the bowl. rise it has, i'll bake it, but it will probably be tougher than nails.
Monday, April 4, 2011
survived the camping
we came home on the 38 & it was WAY easier drive than the 18. oh, i forgot to mention we initially tried to go up the 330 but it was closed. there wasn't much for traffic & there were tons of pulls out & all the slow drivers pulled over so faster drivers could pass, it was a fab drive down the hill. not only that, we were pretty much at the bottom of it when i thought about putting in in neutral & coasting, the car got over 45mpg, the highest it's ever gotten - whoohoo!
at best it's been about 32mpg & i thought that was great, that alone was keeping me from getting a new car [never mind not having a job to pay for one....]. although my body was not happy with all the crap food we'd eaten the car stopped at A&W, i couldn't help it.
burger, yes, fries, yes, rootbeer float, hell ya!
we had to complete the weekend appropriately right?
we made it home, unpacked & set our clothing on fire. well, i was tempted....with my clothing at least....the yoga pants i had put on night 1 never came off my body until we returned home. ok, they came off for a couple of minutes while i changed my chonies, i HAD to change those....then the pants went right back on for an extra layer that i had to have.
i exfoliated & facialed, showered & omg finally shaved mah legs! surprisingly one of the things i was most worried about wasn't a problem; i am old & i don't get greasy hair, well, not like i used to. greasy for normal people but not for me.
& that night i slept. i was warm. there were no murdering trucks within a few feet of my head. nor squawking feathered beast.
yah for home!
at best it's been about 32mpg & i thought that was great, that alone was keeping me from getting a new car [never mind not having a job to pay for one....]. although my body was not happy with all the crap food we'd eaten the car stopped at A&W, i couldn't help it.
burger, yes, fries, yes, rootbeer float, hell ya!
we had to complete the weekend appropriately right?
we made it home, unpacked & set our clothing on fire. well, i was tempted....with my clothing at least....the yoga pants i had put on night 1 never came off my body until we returned home. ok, they came off for a couple of minutes while i changed my chonies, i HAD to change those....then the pants went right back on for an extra layer that i had to have.
i exfoliated & facialed, showered & omg finally shaved mah legs! surprisingly one of the things i was most worried about wasn't a problem; i am old & i don't get greasy hair, well, not like i used to. greasy for normal people but not for me.
& that night i slept. i was warm. there were no murdering trucks within a few feet of my head. nor squawking feathered beast.
yah for home!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
the party, THE40
so we did it, we planned, invited & they came! YAH! [except for the whole 40 part]
a celebration for THE40, for March birthdays - B, M, ES & wife (although she's not 40) & L.
actually a few days prior to the party i decided to be good with turning 40. i mean i had the dreams, but i realized the alternative to turning 40 is being dead, so hey, this is awesome! like totally!
we had a backyard bbq & people came throughout the afternoon & some stayed late & we had a really good time all together. it was just like bbq's we used to have....
well, less marines & no one went flying through the screen door. i remember the time a couple of the guys started wrestling & of course one of them got mad & then there was blood & then there was little ole me yelling at a couple of marines to "get the f-out of my house!"
thankfully, it was not like that....
neighbors J&M, KB & the new ones came by, RB & family showed up, the hs gang & a few others also made it. M brought a bouncy house which was fabulous for the kiddos. we had tons of food & everyone brought tons more, it was food extraordinaire [my kinda party for sure!]. M also brought a extra-yummy margarita recipe; not to mention jalapeno carrots & salsa fresca. S made cheesy potatoes which everyone loved & her aunt sent up some hot sauce & capirotada [mexican bread pudding]. so much was going on i don't know who brought what, someone brought chocolate chip cookies & 3 kinds of cheesecake appeared on the table.
for a moment we were in a panic thinking ES was gonna flake, but he made it, surprised us all. even S&J made it. i think we need to do it again soon!
a celebration for THE40, for March birthdays - B, M, ES & wife (although she's not 40) & L.
actually a few days prior to the party i decided to be good with turning 40. i mean i had the dreams, but i realized the alternative to turning 40 is being dead, so hey, this is awesome! like totally!
we had a backyard bbq & people came throughout the afternoon & some stayed late & we had a really good time all together. it was just like bbq's we used to have....
well, less marines & no one went flying through the screen door. i remember the time a couple of the guys started wrestling & of course one of them got mad & then there was blood & then there was little ole me yelling at a couple of marines to "get the f-out of my house!"
thankfully, it was not like that....
neighbors J&M, KB & the new ones came by, RB & family showed up, the hs gang & a few others also made it. M brought a bouncy house which was fabulous for the kiddos. we had tons of food & everyone brought tons more, it was food extraordinaire [my kinda party for sure!]. M also brought a extra-yummy margarita recipe; not to mention jalapeno carrots & salsa fresca. S made cheesy potatoes which everyone loved & her aunt sent up some hot sauce & capirotada [mexican bread pudding]. so much was going on i don't know who brought what, someone brought chocolate chip cookies & 3 kinds of cheesecake appeared on the table.
for a moment we were in a panic thinking ES was gonna flake, but he made it, surprised us all. even S&J made it. i think we need to do it again soon!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
cub scout camping
the trip was planned some time ago & let's just go with yeah, i was bit worried....
camping.
in a tent.
outside.
not exactly me.
however a long time ago i told Z i would try it, so i was up for it worried or not. we found a tent & bought a sleeping bag for Z, figuring we could sleep on the air mattress. then came food planning, which i have no clue about. most of the meals would be in a group; but hello, it's us, we eat, a lot & often, then some more for good measure, then we snack.
we planned on bringing additional sausages to grill & have with hotdog buns & a can or 2 of beans. i was also looking up granola bars recipes, something with dried fruit & nuts but not overly sweet.
then a couple of days before the trip it was canceled due to bad weather. crazy i know, but we did get a good storm over the weekend & if we had gone camping, that would have been my one & only time for sure!
so i have a little more time to get used to the idea of sleeping in a tent & figuring out wth people eat whilst camping.
camping.
in a tent.
outside.
not exactly me.
however a long time ago i told Z i would try it, so i was up for it worried or not. we found a tent & bought a sleeping bag for Z, figuring we could sleep on the air mattress. then came food planning, which i have no clue about. most of the meals would be in a group; but hello, it's us, we eat, a lot & often, then some more for good measure, then we snack.
we planned on bringing additional sausages to grill & have with hotdog buns & a can or 2 of beans. i was also looking up granola bars recipes, something with dried fruit & nuts but not overly sweet.
then a couple of days before the trip it was canceled due to bad weather. crazy i know, but we did get a good storm over the weekend & if we had gone camping, that would have been my one & only time for sure!
so i have a little more time to get used to the idea of sleeping in a tent & figuring out wth people eat whilst camping.
Friday, February 11, 2011
10 YEARS
wow, it's pretty crazy to think we've been married for 10 years.
in the morning i got Z off to school & when i returned B was up on the computer. i started getting things together to pack up for our night away from home. i found B's card on the vanity; it was classic, i had depilatory on 1/2 my face [what can i say, i didn't want to have a fuzzy face] & went over to kiss him & said "this is what you get 10 years later...lucky you!"
we picked up Z from school then took him over to the neighbor's house. oh, not the intended neighbor, unfortunately our planned babysitter ended up with forgotten plans so i had to ask another friend. gotta love someone coming & asking for last minute overnight babysitting! yeah, 10 years, non-refundable hotel, at a casino & a comedy show. all completely not kid appropriate; but thankfully the neighbor came through - YAH! thanks J!
so we headed up to one of the nearby casinos, i didn't realize there were a few. we checked into our suite, then checked things out. i have to say i was disappointed they didn't have a bigger pool spa area, a definite opportunity for improvement especially if they want to get summer guests. they also have a spa, although we didn't attend, instead we headed to the casino bar area.
i actually managed the impossible & embarrassed B by asking the bartender if he knew how to make a tom collins. he did, they were good & i had 2, but B said i should have just ordered it. i wasn't trying to embarrass the guy, it's just i've ordered one several places/times & most of the time i will get "if you know what's in it, i can make it" - no thank you!
after our couple of drinks we decided we needed some food to balance out our alcohol content. the buffet was not all that but they did have prime rib, so we were pleased. i managed to save a little room for dessert, a small piece of 4 layer chocolate cake! it was SO good, surprisingly not overwhelmingly sweet with 4 layers of frosting.
shortly after that it was comedy show time. the 1st two comedians were crap, sorry but just bc you throw "f" in every sentence does not make it funny, you still have to have some comedic factor as a base [the "f" exemplifies, it does not create]. the headliner was great though, he didn't even get into his routine bc he was interacting with the audience the entire time. after the show we threw some cash in the machines then it was time for bed, we were done.
the next morning i felt like i'd been hit by a truck; good thing 10 yr anniversaries are spaced out a bit. i was going to need a few days to recover; not from what you think though, although the bed was comfortable i woke up all night long either freezing or drenched is sweat [sexy, i know]. we got up, had breakfast & were home before noon.
in the morning i got Z off to school & when i returned B was up on the computer. i started getting things together to pack up for our night away from home. i found B's card on the vanity; it was classic, i had depilatory on 1/2 my face [what can i say, i didn't want to have a fuzzy face] & went over to kiss him & said "this is what you get 10 years later...lucky you!"
we picked up Z from school then took him over to the neighbor's house. oh, not the intended neighbor, unfortunately our planned babysitter ended up with forgotten plans so i had to ask another friend. gotta love someone coming & asking for last minute overnight babysitting! yeah, 10 years, non-refundable hotel, at a casino & a comedy show. all completely not kid appropriate; but thankfully the neighbor came through - YAH! thanks J!
so we headed up to one of the nearby casinos, i didn't realize there were a few. we checked into our suite, then checked things out. i have to say i was disappointed they didn't have a bigger pool spa area, a definite opportunity for improvement especially if they want to get summer guests. they also have a spa, although we didn't attend, instead we headed to the casino bar area.
i actually managed the impossible & embarrassed B by asking the bartender if he knew how to make a tom collins. he did, they were good & i had 2, but B said i should have just ordered it. i wasn't trying to embarrass the guy, it's just i've ordered one several places/times & most of the time i will get "if you know what's in it, i can make it" - no thank you!
after our couple of drinks we decided we needed some food to balance out our alcohol content. the buffet was not all that but they did have prime rib, so we were pleased. i managed to save a little room for dessert, a small piece of 4 layer chocolate cake! it was SO good, surprisingly not overwhelmingly sweet with 4 layers of frosting.
shortly after that it was comedy show time. the 1st two comedians were crap, sorry but just bc you throw "f" in every sentence does not make it funny, you still have to have some comedic factor as a base [the "f" exemplifies, it does not create]. the headliner was great though, he didn't even get into his routine bc he was interacting with the audience the entire time. after the show we threw some cash in the machines then it was time for bed, we were done.
the next morning i felt like i'd been hit by a truck; good thing 10 yr anniversaries are spaced out a bit. i was going to need a few days to recover; not from what you think though, although the bed was comfortable i woke up all night long either freezing or drenched is sweat [sexy, i know]. we got up, had breakfast & were home before noon.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
how do you dent your speakers?
i don't know much about speakers, it's definitely B's arena & i'm just thankful i have sound when i'm watching tv or playing the blue-ray (yes, it does involve different selections but i know them!).
SEE how easy going i am?
i digress, that wasn't where i was supposed to with this. anywho, a few years back B got some smoking deal on some kicka$$ speakers from his brother. if i knew anything about them that would translate into something meaningful i would share, but i do not [read previous paragraph, geez]. there's the long one (amp maybe?) that sits in front of the tv & 2 tall ones (really like 6ft or so) & they're cool bc they have a blue light when they're in the dark.
again, see my easy to pleaseness?
then there's this other boxy thing which is encased in some pretty faux wood. i remember when B was telling about getting them, some fancy brand was trying out a new line that failed & they were closing out the inventory in lots so B's brother was getting a few people together to make the purchase.
i was not excited about spending $500 on speakers.
do you know how many pairs of shoes i could buy with that?
but B went on & on about how good they were, etc so yeah, sure, whatever....pretty sure if i made too much of a fuss over it later we'd pay more for less. anyways, yes, years later, they're pretty & they work & we get many a compliment on them. [i could get many more compliments on some good shoes, but B doesn't get that]
so fast forward to the other day we were playfully "discussing" something. really, we were just joking around & prior to that B had gone to the garage to get a bag of frozen beans to thaw for dinner. so talk, joke, jab, talk & i don't even know what i said but B acted like he was going to throw the bag at me.
only bc they'd started to melt some the bag was slippery & it flew out of his hand directly into his purdy speaker.
a bag of frozen beans....
that he threw....
hit his pretty speaker....
gigglegiggle.
it's not really noticeable unless you look for it, but i think i'll tell everyone who will listen to me about the time B threw a frozen bag of beans at me.
SEE how easy going i am?
i digress, that wasn't where i was supposed to with this. anywho, a few years back B got some smoking deal on some kicka$$ speakers from his brother. if i knew anything about them that would translate into something meaningful i would share, but i do not [read previous paragraph, geez]. there's the long one (amp maybe?) that sits in front of the tv & 2 tall ones (really like 6ft or so) & they're cool bc they have a blue light when they're in the dark.
again, see my easy to pleaseness?
then there's this other boxy thing which is encased in some pretty faux wood. i remember when B was telling about getting them, some fancy brand was trying out a new line that failed & they were closing out the inventory in lots so B's brother was getting a few people together to make the purchase.
i was not excited about spending $500 on speakers.
do you know how many pairs of shoes i could buy with that?
but B went on & on about how good they were, etc so yeah, sure, whatever....pretty sure if i made too much of a fuss over it later we'd pay more for less. anyways, yes, years later, they're pretty & they work & we get many a compliment on them. [i could get many more compliments on some good shoes, but B doesn't get that]
so fast forward to the other day we were playfully "discussing" something. really, we were just joking around & prior to that B had gone to the garage to get a bag of frozen beans to thaw for dinner. so talk, joke, jab, talk & i don't even know what i said but B acted like he was going to throw the bag at me.
only bc they'd started to melt some the bag was slippery & it flew out of his hand directly into his purdy speaker.
a bag of frozen beans....
that he threw....
hit his pretty speaker....
gigglegiggle.
it's not really noticeable unless you look for it, but i think i'll tell everyone who will listen to me about the time B threw a frozen bag of beans at me.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
mom's birthday
i knew it was on the weekend, i just thought it was on sunday, not saturday....
i had called & left a message for her, asking when she wanted to get together & it was planned for Z to spend the night, so i got that far.
when she called on sat am & we talked, i didn't say happy birthday though. i thought, with every grain of my soul it was on sunday & thankfully the woman did not get all crazy about it. we were trying to get the scheduling down bc Z had cub scout stuff sat am then again sun pm, so everything had to be done around the 8 yo's schedule.
then when i realized it was the 8th i called her right back, really it was minutes after our initial call, but i didn't answer the phone singing happy birthday so i was surprised that she didn't answer the phone yelling at me what an ungrateful & selfish child i am. [yeah for parents!]
after Z's morning gig we picked my mom up & went out for soup lunch. she wasn't feeling well either so it was just lunch then back to her place. we hung out for a bit until Z asked "aren't you leaving?". i tried explaining to him that it was Grammie's b-day & it wasn't really nice for us to just up & leave but that's what he wanted, lunch & out, see ya!
i gave her a framed collage of family portraits which came out really neat beings i have nana's old albums. there's pics of her when she was a little girl in front of the house, one of nana's birthday parties, & lots of Z of course. beings i was confused on my days, i didn't bring a cake though, but mom ordered her favorite white cake, white frosting & coconut.
since we were kicked out, i came home & made the cake so on sun when we went to pick up Z we had the birthday cake then. my mom gave me some to take to nana & bring home, i think she planned on taking the rest to work as she kept 1/2 of it....or maybe she just kept it for herself!
i had called & left a message for her, asking when she wanted to get together & it was planned for Z to spend the night, so i got that far.
when she called on sat am & we talked, i didn't say happy birthday though. i thought, with every grain of my soul it was on sunday & thankfully the woman did not get all crazy about it. we were trying to get the scheduling down bc Z had cub scout stuff sat am then again sun pm, so everything had to be done around the 8 yo's schedule.
then when i realized it was the 8th i called her right back, really it was minutes after our initial call, but i didn't answer the phone singing happy birthday so i was surprised that she didn't answer the phone yelling at me what an ungrateful & selfish child i am. [yeah for parents!]
after Z's morning gig we picked my mom up & went out for soup lunch. she wasn't feeling well either so it was just lunch then back to her place. we hung out for a bit until Z asked "aren't you leaving?". i tried explaining to him that it was Grammie's b-day & it wasn't really nice for us to just up & leave but that's what he wanted, lunch & out, see ya!
i gave her a framed collage of family portraits which came out really neat beings i have nana's old albums. there's pics of her when she was a little girl in front of the house, one of nana's birthday parties, & lots of Z of course. beings i was confused on my days, i didn't bring a cake though, but mom ordered her favorite white cake, white frosting & coconut.
since we were kicked out, i came home & made the cake so on sun when we went to pick up Z we had the birthday cake then. my mom gave me some to take to nana & bring home, i think she planned on taking the rest to work as she kept 1/2 of it....or maybe she just kept it for herself!
Monday, December 6, 2010
ciabatta this
the other day at the library i found a book "kneadlessly simple", seriously, i had no idea there was such a thing! this is totally what i need! bread sans kneading bc, well, i'm a little over the top, so light kneading does not happen over here, it's all EXTREME KNEADING, which you know, does not make good bread.
so anyways, i didn't want just plain ole bread, i mean, why start simple? that's just not me...
i decided to start with ciabatta, but then it went into a description about how the bread was supposed to be shaped like a slipper or something & i was lost....
so, yeah, i googled "ciabatta bread shaping" or something along those lines & found a video that lined it all out. yes, i did watch it probably 10 times thoughout the bread making process, but hey, guess what?
i made bread!
& it wasn't tuff as nails!
it was edible even!
although i didn't like that it came out kinda flat, but hey, for me & bread, it was good!
i made another loaf a few days later, i added fresh rosemary & a little olive oil & planned to not stretch it out as much the 2nd time around. it didn't work out that way though, i didn't do the saran wrap trick & made a mess, i was happy to not have dough all over the kitchen by the time i was done.
i haven't made anymore bread since then, but i will soon, probably a baguette & when i'm up for it sourdough, my favorite.
so anyways, i didn't want just plain ole bread, i mean, why start simple? that's just not me...
i decided to start with ciabatta, but then it went into a description about how the bread was supposed to be shaped like a slipper or something & i was lost....
so, yeah, i googled "ciabatta bread shaping" or something along those lines & found a video that lined it all out. yes, i did watch it probably 10 times thoughout the bread making process, but hey, guess what?
i made bread!
& it wasn't tuff as nails!
it was edible even!
although i didn't like that it came out kinda flat, but hey, for me & bread, it was good!
i made another loaf a few days later, i added fresh rosemary & a little olive oil & planned to not stretch it out as much the 2nd time around. it didn't work out that way though, i didn't do the saran wrap trick & made a mess, i was happy to not have dough all over the kitchen by the time i was done.
i haven't made anymore bread since then, but i will soon, probably a baguette & when i'm up for it sourdough, my favorite.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Thanksgiving 2010
wow, i'm getting good at this, a few years ago i listed our "standard" menu & that makes things so much easier! i decided to not make any cookies this year so i could focus on pie crust.
i actually made the crust about 6 weeks before bc i was dying for some pumpkin pie. then i realized i didn't have any evaporated milk, so it stayed in the freezer. when i got the milk, B told me he really, really, really was going to try to watch his weight, so the in the freezer it stayed.
that is until i couldn't take it anymore & i didn't care about the man watching his weight, i would eat the whole pie myself if i had to.....
so i made the practice pumpkin pie, it came out pretty good. i took some to nana & she said it was too sweet. i didn't put as much pumpkin spice it, oh well, now i know better! next time around i'm tempted at putting some cream cheese in there.
bc nana was coming over we knew we had to get things going early in the morning & have more of a lunch instead of our regular 4 or 5 dinner. so the day before thanksgiving i made the real pumpkin pie, a chocolate pudding pie with homemade graham cracker crust, the spinach dip (bc it's always better the 2nd day), cooked the acorn squash & prepared the cranberry sauce. then in the middle of the night B woke me up with "did we get a pan for the turkey?"
ugh, no we had not. i had asked him about getting a disposable one while at the store & we did decided to look for a real pan & uh, forgot about it i guess.
so we got up early, actually B did, i was dragging *ss....
he started prepping things, like life-giving coffee so i could get out of bed & when i finally did, he was already dressed & headed out to buy the pan. i started chopping stuffing ingredients [& FB-ing (shhh)], but we still ended up about an hour or so behind schedule.
about noon we went & got nana, she was ready to go. we were starving & dug into some appetizers, but nana didn't want to ruin her appetite, even though i told her it would be a couple of hours before it would be ready & her normal lunch time is 12:30, she would not eat a bite of anything. my mom showed up shortly thereafter, she wanted to make sure she got a lesson in from nana on gravy making.
only nana said she didn't remember how she made it. i make the world's worst gravy, so that meant my mom had to & as soon as she started, nana told her she was doing it wrong.
HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHAAH!
oh, sorry mom!
ahem................
dinner, er lunch, whatever, the thanksgiving meal, was ready about 2:30 & by then nana was starving. she only got a little mashed potatoes & henry VIII style, had the turkey leg, seriously. & she put a hurt on it too. the rest of us had full plates & enjoyed our thankgiving very much.
shortly after the meal my cousin ME showed up with her teenage daughter, it was nice to have more family over. i don't even remember what we talked about anymore. we did dessert next. i don't know how many times nana asked about the pumpkin pie (my mom brought cherry & coconut cream, so i guess beings nana didn't see the pumpkin, she didn't believe we had one even though we told her repeatedly).
nana didn't have any dessert though, she was stuffed with turkey. about 4:30ish she was ready for her nap, so it was time to take her back & that seemed to be the cue for everyone to head out.
my mom skipped out too & didn't take any leftovers & honestly, there was a part of me that wondered if something was up. we talked a day or 2 later & she told me she left here to go to a friend's, so that was good.
i actually made the crust about 6 weeks before bc i was dying for some pumpkin pie. then i realized i didn't have any evaporated milk, so it stayed in the freezer. when i got the milk, B told me he really, really, really was going to try to watch his weight, so the in the freezer it stayed.
that is until i couldn't take it anymore & i didn't care about the man watching his weight, i would eat the whole pie myself if i had to.....
so i made the practice pumpkin pie, it came out pretty good. i took some to nana & she said it was too sweet. i didn't put as much pumpkin spice it, oh well, now i know better! next time around i'm tempted at putting some cream cheese in there.
bc nana was coming over we knew we had to get things going early in the morning & have more of a lunch instead of our regular 4 or 5 dinner. so the day before thanksgiving i made the real pumpkin pie, a chocolate pudding pie with homemade graham cracker crust, the spinach dip (bc it's always better the 2nd day), cooked the acorn squash & prepared the cranberry sauce. then in the middle of the night B woke me up with "did we get a pan for the turkey?"
ugh, no we had not. i had asked him about getting a disposable one while at the store & we did decided to look for a real pan & uh, forgot about it i guess.
so we got up early, actually B did, i was dragging *ss....
he started prepping things, like life-giving coffee so i could get out of bed & when i finally did, he was already dressed & headed out to buy the pan. i started chopping stuffing ingredients [& FB-ing (shhh)], but we still ended up about an hour or so behind schedule.
about noon we went & got nana, she was ready to go. we were starving & dug into some appetizers, but nana didn't want to ruin her appetite, even though i told her it would be a couple of hours before it would be ready & her normal lunch time is 12:30, she would not eat a bite of anything. my mom showed up shortly thereafter, she wanted to make sure she got a lesson in from nana on gravy making.
only nana said she didn't remember how she made it. i make the world's worst gravy, so that meant my mom had to & as soon as she started, nana told her she was doing it wrong.
HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHAAH!
oh, sorry mom!
ahem................
dinner, er lunch, whatever, the thanksgiving meal, was ready about 2:30 & by then nana was starving. she only got a little mashed potatoes & henry VIII style, had the turkey leg, seriously. & she put a hurt on it too. the rest of us had full plates & enjoyed our thankgiving very much.
shortly after the meal my cousin ME showed up with her teenage daughter, it was nice to have more family over. i don't even remember what we talked about anymore. we did dessert next. i don't know how many times nana asked about the pumpkin pie (my mom brought cherry & coconut cream, so i guess beings nana didn't see the pumpkin, she didn't believe we had one even though we told her repeatedly).
nana didn't have any dessert though, she was stuffed with turkey. about 4:30ish she was ready for her nap, so it was time to take her back & that seemed to be the cue for everyone to head out.
my mom skipped out too & didn't take any leftovers & honestly, there was a part of me that wondered if something was up. we talked a day or 2 later & she told me she left here to go to a friend's, so that was good.
Monday, November 1, 2010
the microwave story...
[the really sad thing about this story is that i have to go over to fb to figure out what really happened in the month of november bc it's all a blur to me]
anywho....
so yeah, Z's been on lockdown for awhile [remember?]. his first taste of freedom was when M & S came to town; we went to a craft fair then met up with an old hs buddy for talk & dinner. it didn't go well. wait, no, i take that back, it went well, Z however did not. spankings were had in the restaurant's bathroom, he laughed, we went outside & talked & i think we spanked out there some more for good measure, then he still was a little shit. see fun!
at home one day i noticed the [new, about a year old] microwave door seemed a lil loose. i know Z is just able to reach it, so i told him he needed to be really careful with the door & it would be best for him to climb up on the counter when he was opening the door so he could pull it out straight & not down.
anywho....
so yeah, Z's been on lockdown for awhile [remember?]. his first taste of freedom was when M & S came to town; we went to a craft fair then met up with an old hs buddy for talk & dinner. it didn't go well. wait, no, i take that back, it went well, Z however did not. spankings were had in the restaurant's bathroom, he laughed, we went outside & talked & i think we spanked out there some more for good measure, then he still was a little shit. see fun!
at home one day i noticed the [new, about a year old] microwave door seemed a lil loose. i know Z is just able to reach it, so i told him he needed to be really careful with the door & it would be best for him to climb up on the counter when he was opening the door so he could pull it out straight & not down.
2 days later, if i'm not mistaken, in the morning he cries out from the kitchen while i'm getting dressed. i run out & find the door completely unhinged, off, not even hanging by a thread, it is it's own entity now. Z said "it fell" - yeah right! the bottom metal hinge was completely bent, he yanked it down, apparently pretty hard.
geez, does this child not realize i have a list of
so he wrecked a new micro & don't get me started on how much i hate living without one!
ugh, i had to re-heat my coffee on the stove top, all camper/cowboy style, i'm sure i was growling in doing so. then later that night i wanted a cup of tea, so i had to heat the water the same way. outrageous i tell you!
B's the man though, he done fixed it; the door is back on & Z's not allowed to touch it....probably until he's like 30.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
singer's in the house
the singer is out of the garage, it's now a part of our normal living/dining room furniture. i have some of nana's things sitting on top of it; a bag of clothing, a blanket from her house, things of that nature. sometimes when i walk by it, i can smell her scent bc of the clothing & for now, that gives me some sort of comfort.
when we came back from LA, i visited nana (on the 23rd), she was doing crazy good. she was very happy, very talkative & all around in a good mood. it was good to see her in such high spirits & so healthy.
i spent the week looking for a new place for her, short term care will end soon. i'm learning things like medicare A & B, hospice & medi-cal - things i'd rather not know about, things i was happier not knowing about.
i finally found a place that would take her [nobody wants people that can't private pay or females bc they live too long, ugly but true] & on friday B, cousin ME & I checked it out. it was disappointing, a true nursing home where people go to die. 3 beds to a room, next they'll have them bunk-bedded. what's even worse is ME said this place was much nicer than the previous one she checked out!
i visited nana again on 8/30, she's still doing very well. she did ask if she was going home though, so i had to explain it all over to her again. she wasn't as upset & she admitted that she didn't know why she thought they would tell her she could go home, but she did. i also explained to her that she was probably going to have to go to a different facility & that she probably wouldn't have a private room again.
she told me she noticed her pansa [stomach] was getting big again & i told her that was good. i reminded her of how much better she was doing, that she wasn't in the hospital getting poked over & over again. she also told me the other day she rang for assistance but when they didn't come right away she took herself to the bathroom. although i know that's very dangerous for her, she did it & it proves her strength is improving too.
i've been making tortillas again & i know she can't tell me her recipe [i don't think i've ever seen the woman measure anything] but i asked her about the dough, if she let it set?
she told me "if you're in a hurry you cook them, if you have time, then let it set" [spoken like a true mom]
then she added "just make sure you use a lot of lard so they taste good".
when we came back from LA, i visited nana (on the 23rd), she was doing crazy good. she was very happy, very talkative & all around in a good mood. it was good to see her in such high spirits & so healthy.
i spent the week looking for a new place for her, short term care will end soon. i'm learning things like medicare A & B, hospice & medi-cal - things i'd rather not know about, things i was happier not knowing about.
i finally found a place that would take her [nobody wants people that can't private pay or females bc they live too long, ugly but true] & on friday B, cousin ME & I checked it out. it was disappointing, a true nursing home where people go to die. 3 beds to a room, next they'll have them bunk-bedded. what's even worse is ME said this place was much nicer than the previous one she checked out!
i visited nana again on 8/30, she's still doing very well. she did ask if she was going home though, so i had to explain it all over to her again. she wasn't as upset & she admitted that she didn't know why she thought they would tell her she could go home, but she did. i also explained to her that she was probably going to have to go to a different facility & that she probably wouldn't have a private room again.
she told me she noticed her pansa [stomach] was getting big again & i told her that was good. i reminded her of how much better she was doing, that she wasn't in the hospital getting poked over & over again. she also told me the other day she rang for assistance but when they didn't come right away she took herself to the bathroom. although i know that's very dangerous for her, she did it & it proves her strength is improving too.
i've been making tortillas again & i know she can't tell me her recipe [i don't think i've ever seen the woman measure anything] but i asked her about the dough, if she let it set?
she told me "if you're in a hurry you cook them, if you have time, then let it set" [spoken like a true mom]
then she added "just make sure you use a lot of lard so they taste good".
Friday, August 20, 2010
walking in LA - day 3 & 4
on thurs we got up & finally caught that bus down to santa monica pier. we didn't expect it, but they dropped us off right at the mall...
we were there for the pier though, but then we saw cafe crepe. i've never had crepes before but B has & said they're yummy. they have both sweet & savory types, we ordered a salami panini & a spinach/feta crepe - WOW, good stuff!
the pier was even more of a tourist trap than we expected. i know our entire trip was based on that, but this was uber. Z had a good time on the rides though, it was very carnival like & tons of school camp kids. yes, of course Z found a girlfriend, that's what the boy does, a little girl in a skirt with boots [hussy!].
we headed back to the mall to find something for dinner. we stopped at a japanese place & had some hors d'oeuvres [yeah, i totally had to look that up!], then we walked around some more checking out all our options. we finally decided on thai, then after a relaxing meal we bused it back to the hotel.
on fri am, our last day there, Z asks me where's the soap to wash his hands...really? we've been ALL over LA & hollywood, been on various buses & now he decides to wash his hands?
we considered heading over to china town, but then decided we were tired, achy & blistered from all the walking & will save that for another trip.
the trip wasn't what either of us would really would like to have done, but considering the circumstances it worked. i think it's rather funny that although i'm borned & raised CA girl, all our site seeing was completely new for me too.
we were there for the pier though, but then we saw cafe crepe. i've never had crepes before but B has & said they're yummy. they have both sweet & savory types, we ordered a salami panini & a spinach/feta crepe - WOW, good stuff!
the pier was even more of a tourist trap than we expected. i know our entire trip was based on that, but this was uber. Z had a good time on the rides though, it was very carnival like & tons of school camp kids. yes, of course Z found a girlfriend, that's what the boy does, a little girl in a skirt with boots [hussy!].
we headed back to the mall to find something for dinner. we stopped at a japanese place & had some hors d'oeuvres [yeah, i totally had to look that up!], then we walked around some more checking out all our options. we finally decided on thai, then after a relaxing meal we bused it back to the hotel.
on fri am, our last day there, Z asks me where's the soap to wash his hands...really? we've been ALL over LA & hollywood, been on various buses & now he decides to wash his hands?
we considered heading over to china town, but then decided we were tired, achy & blistered from all the walking & will save that for another trip.
the trip wasn't what either of us would really would like to have done, but considering the circumstances it worked. i think it's rather funny that although i'm borned & raised CA girl, all our site seeing was completely new for me too.
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