small town me

On Hold

2012-01-27T08:29:00.000-08:00

I feel like my life has been on hold since Thanksgiving. I had such big (to me) plans and actually accomplished a few things this fall. Then the holidays rolled around and there were people in the house. All. The. Time. Between the Thanksgiving break and the Christmas one, my husband had 3 weeks off, Ernest had 3.5, and Frank? It must have been 6 weeks or more total.

Don't get me wrong, I love my ~~perps~~ peeps. (I actually typed perps by mistake, but it was funny enough to leave in.) I loved the Doctor Who marathon with Frank, not having to wake Ernest early, and walks with my husband.

But all those fingers in my pies... I'm not a control freak. Not really. If I do something a certain way, there's a good reason for it.

Please don't put the knives sharp points up in the dishwasher. That's a safety issue.

Please remove the caps from the plastic bottles before putting them in the recycling bin. That's because the recycling center says to, and I don't want to have to take off 100 bottle caps.

Please clean the cat box by taking the pee clumps out, too, not just the poo.

And that ever niggling question of who exactly is dribbling on the floor next to the toilet. No you can't blame the cat because he dribbles elsewhere.

You know, it goes on and on like that.

nigglingpresent participle of nig·gle (Verb)

Verb:

Cause slight but persistent annoyance, discomfort, or anxiety: "a nasty leg wound which still niggled at him".
Find fault with (someone) in a petty way: "he loved to niggle and criticize people".

So what's niggling you today?

Lunch Lady

2012-01-26T07:25:00.000-08:00

Last summer I enjoyed my 3-hour mini-vacations, after I dropped Ernest at the zoo. While he was busy manufacturing dinosaur poop, I did my own thing. I've been missing that this winter, and am already begging Ernest to let me tag along next summer, even though he won't need me to drive him any more.

I used to just pick up some takeout, and sit in the car and read. I always felt funny taking a library book into restaurants. But now, with the iPhone, I look like everyone else! I can sit and read my Kindle for iPhone book in a pretty restaurant and feel comfortable. And I look like I'm doing important business on the phone, ha ha!

The long-ago summer day I started to write this post, I saw a movie and grabbed something quick afterwards at the Chicken Ranch. Out of 3 customers, we were all women with reading material at tables for one. Let's hear it for solo women lunchers! I wasn't too thrilled with the tri-tip plate, but Handy Husband swore the tri-tip sandwich was incredibly good. (I got it the next time I was there.)

The rose was on the table at the Arts and Letters Cafe. I hadn't been there in 10-15 years! At that time, I had the unfortunate experience of finding a copper staple (from their lettuce box) in my chinese chicken salad. They were graciously apologetic and comped me another meal and a glass of wine. This time, I had no problems! Delicious crab cake sandwich and cream of pattypan squash/red pepper soup. And a lovely courtyard with a fountain.

I ended up at Aldo's after stalking a purple car (long story). The Scallops Limone were tasty, but overpriced for the 4 little scallops I got. And the sauce was thick on one side of the plate but thin on the other.

At Opal I had what I fondly call the Christmas Party Shrimp. They cater Handy's company Christmas parties. Handy is not a party-goer. But I can always wheedle him into attending by reminding him that they would have these delicious "shredded phyllo-wrapped tiger prawns." That's how I got him to go last year. It works every time!

Silvergreen's is more casual; you order at the counter and they bring it to your table. But they have free wi-fi! Chicken tortilla soup was tasty, their chicken sandwich was good but the chicken chunks kept falling out of the soft bread. Maybe I should have had it on a baguette. But I am wary of baguettes, because at Panino's they are too hard to chew. My panini at Ca Dario was a little tough, too, and their salad mix looked like what I got at Costco, down to the same rotten pieces. And they are supposedly the #1 Italian restaurant. It must have been an off day.

Jane's beer battered onion rings are touted as the best, but my tummy was a little unsteady that day.

The Art Museum Cafe was savory, with an eclectic menu. Roast beef Gyro with greek salad. Yum. Tzatsiki rules. They have beta fish in little bowls for their centerpieces. I would have taken a picture, but my table's beta was a little too lethargic to make a good photographic subject.

I am definitely on a gyro kick. On Fridays, you can get a good gyro at Metropulos. Any day of the week, the Greek House Cafe swears they are the most authentic. At the Greek festival in July I got my fill of gyros and wonderful Greek pastries. But the best gyro was made by Yanni at Mackenzie Market, although I made my own gyros last week and they were pretty good.

Don't be afraid to dine out on your own. You'll have some lovely experiences.

Love, the Lunch Lady

(Yes, I am digging out some old posts from my drafts. I am so close to my 1000th post and want to clean house.)

Crispy Potato Roast

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

Live from last night...

I found this recipe on Cooking Out of the Box (originally from Martha's Everyday Food) and it's become one of our favorites. I make it often. It tastes a lot like Hasselbeck potatoes but it's easier and less messy. I have made it both peeled and unpeeled. I prefer peeled -- the potato edges are crispier. I've also substituted red onion for shallots when I didn't want to make an extra trip to the store, or because I had a pile of sliced red onions left over from tacos last night.

And I get lazier every time and I still don't wreck it. Why bother to mix the olive oil and melted butter together? The butter will melt on its own in the oven. And one could eliminate the butter if one was not a butter person.

(That's not a tilt-shift effect. That's a lucky outofthecamera shot.)

This batch is not quite as crispy as it could be, due to the delicate balance of cooking vs. chauffeuring*. (I know many parents will understand.) It's quite hard to uncover something at the proper time when you are miles away. No matter -- it will still be delicious.

I'd dig in right now except there is still a husband in transit and the previously chauffeured* offspring to be picked up in about 10 minutes.

Dig in, dear ones.

*And I am desperately going to miss the chauffeuring (note to self: 2 Fs, one R) when the chauffeuree gets his license in April.

Looking Up: Century Plant

2012-01-24T08:58:00.000-08:00

On a walk around town last fall, I suddenly noticed a tall tree. Where did that come from? There never was a tree there before.

Thanks to Aunt Snow (here and here), I realized it was a century plant.

It's gone now. See you in a hundred years.

The Year of the Dragon, or How I Learned to Cook Great Shrimp

2012-01-23T08:57:00.000-08:00

My Christmas ornaments can be useful all year round.

In honor of the new year, I cooked Chinese food last night.

I made egg rolls, Dragon Beans, Lemon Basmati Rice, and Wok-Flashed Shrimp. And I learned something.

I just love the juicy shrimp from Chinese restaurants, but when I cook shrimp at home all their moisture oozes out and I am left with chewy pink nuggets. I think this recipe solved my problem. Make sure the shrimp are really dry. Toss them in a mixture of cornstarch and spices. Stir-fry them quickly over high heat. Wow! They were perfect.

The rest of the meal was pretty darn good, if I do say so myself, but the egg rolls were a lot of work. All that chopping (cabbage, carrots, onion, garlic, ginger, cilantro, mint)!

Happy New Year (新年快樂)

Parenting

2012-01-20T14:24:00.000-08:00

When asked about my parenting style, Ernest says I'm lenient. I counter with, "but you never do anything bad!" He and his brother never did anything that was punishable. Well, toddler Frank did bite my chin every time I picked him up but it was out of love and how could I punish that. I gave him a doggie chew toy instead. And what could I do, ground them? When their favorite place to be was at home? I could, I suppose, have sent them to a party or something. Anyway, life's been pretty smooth with those two.

Here comes Frank with his chompers circa 1992.

And chewing on his favorite toy hammer a few months later.

Ernest is longing for his driver's license. He says he feels bad because I have to drive him everywhere. I keep telling him I don't mind at all. My mother hated driving and didn't want to take me anywhere. I feel I missed out on a lot, and I never wanted my sons to feel that way. He tells me he hates asking. I say I'll miss the chance to talk to him.

Because that's when we have these fascinating discussions. This carried over to his piano lesson last night. The teacher related another student's comments on how much Ernest has been able to accomplish but the girl complained "he doesn't hang out or go on Facebook." Ernest just laughed when he heard this. That's his secret. He doesn't waste his time. That, and getting enough sleep.

Wishes Do Come True

2012-01-17T09:12:00.000-08:00

Ernest always wanted to be taller than his big brother, so he liked to stand on tall things.

(December 2002)

Hop in the Tardis and jump 10 years into the future.

Ernest's measurements are on the left, Frank's in the center. The 6 on the right is the elusive 6-foot benchmark.

(December 2012)

Frank, 5'11"
Ernest, 6'¾" He got his wish. He's taller than his brother.

Ernest was filling out a form last weekend and asked me how tall he was. Just put 6'1", I said. You'll hit it in no time.

Say What?

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

I not-so-shamefully stole this from Ernest's facebook page. Not that he uses facebook very much - - a classmate took this and tagged him.

Anyway, I just love his expression.

Quizzical? Annoyed? Flirtatious? (I believe it was taken by a female classmate.)

Help me out with a clever caption.

Me

2012-01-13T06:58:00.000-08:00

I feel like, if not a miserable failure, at least a minor one in Jen on the Edge's Include Yourself in Pictures project, because I did not manage to hand the camera over to anyone else to take pictures of me. You know me, I hate to delegate.

However, I did take a couple cell phone self portraits.

While reading a book wearing my holiday sweater...

And dressed up for Handy's company Christmas party...

Red Shirt Army

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Frank made an army of little red shirt ginger people for Christmas, and I had fun photographing them.

They all met their doom, as most red shirts do. So I will leave you with the Redshirt Blues.

Fifi Francine

2012-01-11T16:45:00.000-08:00

I call this her glamour shot.

(Photo by Frank. Whisker enhancement by me.)

I think she's the Garbo type. Dahling, I just vant to be left alone.

Well Begun is Half Done

2012-01-06T11:34:00.000-08:00

I always thought that quote originated with Mary Poppins, but it is actually Aristotle.

I seem to have begun a number of things but whether they are even half done, I don't know.

I undecorated the tree, but the ornaments are still waiting to be sorted and packed.

I'm a little obsessive about that. All the cat ornaments must be stored together, for example. The tree, however, has been tossed on the pyre. Well, next to it.

I started on a rearrangement project. This involves putting photo albums where the bottom shelf of books is.

But what to do with the books? Considering I am such a voracious reader, I have a startling shortage of bookshelves.

Once the photo albums are moved, I have been tasked with finding a table for the TV. A cheap thrift store table, since it will be a temporary thing. I have to prove to my husband that my proposed rearrangement of our "front room" (den?) will actually work.

I think I better put on my Mary Poppins hat to get these things done.

Hello New Year

2012-01-01T09:22:00.000-08:00

Hello! Happy New Year! How's it going? It's been a while since I've been here. Having the whole family at home puts a cramp in my usual routine. Not like that's a bad thing.

I gave this to my beloved niece for Christmas and she very kindly shared it on New Year's Eve.

Ernest was scheduled for 4 days of work at the zoo. I offered to drive him. Drive? Heck no. I offered to be chauffeured! He is now driving the stick shift. He's his daddy's boy. While he worked, I spent time with Jean, Robert and Jude, and yesterday, Matt. Not sure who I'll be spending time with today. Maybe I'll just shop. My husband offered to drive him, but I said why spoil your vacation by driving past your work? I've been housebound, so I'm happy to go out. So he ended up grocery shopping and making dinner. Role reversal! He's back at work tomorrow, Ernest still has another week off, and Frank is off till the 25th. (No wonder his school made a list of top 10 JCs.)

I'm not going to do a year end recap, although I might describe some of my year's love/hate relationships.

I'm also not going to make any resolutions, although I like Jen on the Edges's and Mrs. G's ideas of monthly goals.

I do have one goallette for the month: put the Christmas decorations away. Last year I used some of them for Valentine's Day, with the result that they stayed out until March.

More Changes

2011-12-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

Something else changed around here yesterday.

I never thought I would see this happen.

Ernest was tired of the pony tail.

Halfway through...

Ta da!

Instrumental

2011-12-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

I've said before: in this house we have musical instruments from A to Z. Accordion to Zither.

With some others in between: alto sax, tenor sax, oboe, piano, organ (that little thing in the background with the pedal), electric piano, ukulele, theremin, harmonica, an unused bagpipe practice chanter, numerous recorders, and various electric guitars and basses. I may still be forgetting something.

Today, a new instrument (rental) joined us. This is only a half size. OMG, how big is a full?

♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪

Loving it!

Tell me what you're loving today!

Holiday Homes Tour 2011

2011-12-21T01:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the 2011 Edition of the Holiday Homes Tour. Please, take a walk up the path and join me in my little storybook cottage.

I try to do something different with the wreath every year. This year I went with the traditional woven Scandinavian Hearts. It was a pain to make them so tiny!

I never really have a theme. I just put the same old things in new places.

We have my vintage elf collection.

Now I have a tree collection! The tree on the left I've had since I was young. The candleholder tree I found at a thrift store last year. The matroishka tree was a gift from a friend. And the pinched clay tree is a masterpiece by young Frank.

I have to display my favorite holiday photos. Look at how cute ~~the dandelion fluff~~ Ernest's hair is.

The nutcracker collection has grown since last year.

Frank was instrumental in lighting and decorating the tree.

He chose a cat to top the tree. It has been The Year of the Cat around here, hasn't it. Yes, that is Chewbacca underneath.

He picked out the ornaments most similar to Homer and Francine (Fifi).

But you can never have too many cat ornaments. So I hung the rest of them in the ~~powder room~~ Gallery of American Vernacular Cat Art.

Last year's creative masterpiece, the Recession Wreath, has new life as a tree skirt for the Charlie Brown tree.

And the Recession Tree itself? I saved the whole thing. Stuck it in the closet, lights and all, ready to use again this year.

I went a little wild on the piano, with the leg lamp and disco balls.

Why yes, that is a theremin. Doesn't everyone have a theremin?

The tomato cage Recession Tree so inspired me last year, I painted another cage and hung some of my overflow ornaments on it. I kept it up through Valentine's Day, redecorating with a red, pink and silver motif. But wouldn't you know, I didn't take any pictures of either version.

This year I gave the extra tree a theme -- my bubble lights, which are older than Frank, and all the cute home made ornaments. We've got the jigsaw puzzle piece and cotton ball frames, the cardboard angels, and some other assorted semi-hand made wooden pieces.

I've got another tomato cage painted. I'll decorate it if I can just find a place to put it!

Thanks for visiting! Stop by any time. (If you'd like to visit prior years, here are the links:

2008 2009 2010 )

Chchchanges

2011-12-20T14:08:00.000-08:00

I changed to the Facebook timeline. Same old sh-- arranged differently. Big whoop.

Blogger has changed too. I think I like it. Pictures are easier to work with.

What's changed for you lately?

See you on the Holiday Homes Tour tomorrow!

I Ran Out of Apples

2011-12-15T08:32:00.000-08:00

I'm sure the family is happy that the apples are gone and I have stopped making strange food with them.

I have to confess, I had a small rebellion on my hands when I told Ernest I wanted to make meatloaf with apples in it. "Please Mom, make your regular meatloaf. I love it," he begged. So I did. But a week later I was tricksy and made Claudia's Friend's Grandma's Apple Meatloaf on a night when he wasn't home. It was deliciously different. I guess I was forgiven but they are stuck in a rut and don't want me to mix up the meatloaf ever ever again. Sigh.

The last of the apples went into the Thanksgiving pie, thanks to Frank the pie man. That is a turkey outlined on the top.

The Handy Husband's birthday is this weekend. I was all set to make a fancy cake, but then Frank offered to make the traditional cheesecake. There's no bucking tradition in this house. Cheesecake it is.

So, meatloaf and cheesecake. Two traditions I can't mess with. What traditions are cast in stone at your house?

Say Hello to My Little Friend

2011-12-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

We are often entertained by a pair of squirrels who scurry along the fences and up the trees. I wish his tail was showing. It's bushier than the cats'.

Christmas Project Previews

2011-12-13T09:17:00.000-08:00

I've been ~~hoarding~~ collecting holiday-ish fabric and embellishments for years, intending to make a whole bunch of Christmas stockings. But somehow I never got started.

I have a couple planned.

That's going to be a snowflake, believe it or not, and I think this one will have a tree motif.

But I got sidetracked from those because I decided I needed to make Lego-themed stockings for two very special legomaniacs. Do you know how hard it is to find Lego fabric? Hello, Lego? You could make some money there. I eventually came across Spoonflower and there it was.

Those stockings are actually finished, as in completely sewn together, but I want to put names on them. Rather than use glitter glue, I thought I'd sew the names on with sequins, which can be easily ripped off if the recipients wish to re-gift.

Don't ask me about a pattern. Pattern? We don't need no stinkin' patterns here. A little free-form freezer paper is all it takes. And some special spatial engineering skills, to get the loops coming out of the cuffs in the right place!

I'm delighted to have finished something! What has delighted you today?

Previews

2011-12-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

Well, this is what I have to work with.

The difficult part for me is I have too many ornaments, too little tree.

The easy part for me is totally humiliating the cat.

And how is your holiday decorating coming along?

Don't forget to sigh up for Jen's Holiday Homes Tour!

Pink Saturday: NHRA

2011-12-09T15:39:00.000-08:00

I know this isn't holiday related, but I meant to post it a few weeks ago. Whoops! Next week with the holiday theme.

So you might be thinking "What does Drag Racing have to do with Pink?"

Well, here you go. One of Ashley Force's cars.

And we must not forget the great Shirley Muldowney, of course.

My husband is not a big sports guy, but he does love cars. Drag racing in particular. We've been down to Pomona numerous times as the season starts and finishes there. Sometimes he's been able to score tickets for one of the tower suites, courtesy of one of his company's suppliers, but he's always taken someone else, not me! This year I was wily. I'll go with you if you get Cooner Wire tickets, I purred. And he did.

So there we are, on TV. (Behind the glass above the word WIRE. What, you can't see me?)

Here's our view.

And the view 50 years ago.

It was a lot of fun. Not only because there was free beer and food in the suite!

Pink Saturday - Beverly at the blog "How Sweet the Sound" hosts Pink Saturday. Let the colorpink inspire you!

Fine Print

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

When the Handy Husband had LASIK last month, we were offered 0% financing for 24 months. Take it, I said! In perusing the fine print on the paperwork, I noted the fact that if you took longer than 24 months to pay, the interest went up to a WHOPPING 26.99% Scary. I made sure to read all the fine print when we got the first bill.

If you pay only the minimum payment ($143.00) you will pay off the balance in 15 years and will pay an estimated total of $10,411.00. If you pay $157 you will pay off the balance in 3 years for a total of $5,655.00. (The interest rate is not actually 0%, the 26.99% is deferred for 24 months keps on adding up.)

We only financed $3800. That requires a payment of $158.34 for 24 months. I'm going to pay it off as soon as I can.

When you think something's too good to be true, you're probably right.

Strike A Pose

2011-12-07T13:16:00.000-08:00

The olive boy had short days last week because of Parent/Teacher conferences, so he came over to my house a few times. We had Board Game Day, Cookie Baking Day, and Craft Day. Although he didn't want to do any crafts, I got my Christmas Wreath assembled. No pictures of it yet -- I'm saving it for the Holiday Homes Tour.

Anyway, Mr. Thomas showed off his new haircut.

And Frank had a haircut as well.

Strike a Pose!

Traditions

2011-12-01T07:06:00.000-08:00

It was a good Thanksgiving, highlighted by the fact that I got my traditional "boy with olives on his fingers" picture. The boy is growing! Good thing I bought the jumbo olives.

He has short days this week because of school conferences, so I am a lucky auntie to have him visit. Tuesday we played board games: Battleship, Candyland, Operation (its 10-year-old batteries still worked), and Don't Wake Daddy. We tried Whack-a-Mole, but it didn't work correctly. I'm sure the moles were relieved.

During today's visit, we are going to bake cookies. His idea. Frank was a little sad that he wouldn't be around, since he is our champion cookie baker, but he is letting us use his recipe. Don't forget the special ingredient, he said. He said it's cinnamon. I think it's the cookie scooper. Or maybe it's just love.

Fireplace Cozy

2011-11-25T08:17:00.000-08:00

I'm slowly picking away at some long unfinished projects.

For years, my husband's been using an old blanket to cover up the fireplace when we're not using it in the winter, to keep cold air out. And for years I've been intending to make something nicer instead. A fireplace cozy.

This fabric predates our cats by several years, but what do you know?

Here's Homer!

And here's Francine!

Thanksgiving Greetings

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving from me and my family.

May you never be on the wrong side of the door.

Skirting the Issue

2011-11-23T08:06:00.000-08:00

I'll just come right out with it and say: I made my son a skirt.

Technically this is for changing in and out of those tight spandex shorts at bike races. You can do it under a towel but you run the risk of the towel dropping at an inopportune moment. I could have said, go borrow your brother's kilt but I wouldn't want it to get wrecked. His coach has something like it.

So Ernest asked me to make him one. I offered to make it of something plain and neutral, like denim. No, Ernest wanted some funky fabric. Out of several choices from my stash, he picked Cat in the Hat fabric. He'll make a bold statement at his next race.

Hiding

2011-11-22T08:15:00.000-08:00

It rained on Saturday and Homer disappeared after breakfast. I couldn't imagine that he went outside on a day like that. He was not in his usual post of alertness when I cooked the bacon. Usually he is at BaCON Level 1 (maximum readiness to mooch bacon). I was worried and called and called for him. You worry what your neighbors will think when you go outside in jammies and call out, "Homer! Bacon!"

Finally he appeared from under the table.

He slept under the table most of the day. Oh, let me be honest, all day. I mean, he sleeps all day anyways, but usually it's out where we can see him. Maybe the darkness and wetness of the day made him want to cocoon and hibernate.

On Sunday the sun came out and Homer was back to normal. Bacon, bacon, why isn't there bacon today? Why isn't there bacon flavored cat food? Oh well, I'll accept a little cream cheese.

Strange spider

2011-11-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

I caught another strange spider around the house...

Actually, Ernest is drying his cycling shoes after a ride in the rain yesterday. I learned last year that in a pinch you can stuff the shoes with newspaper -- it wicks up the water and you keep changing the paper. But these shoe dryers are a little easier.

Today the sun is shining and 3 out of 4 of us have the whole week off.

Whoo-hoo!

What's the whoo-hoo for you today?

Tuesday Tidbits

2011-11-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

It's another foggy day and I'm going to curl up with a blanket and my first cup of coffee.

Love how I got both the portapotty and the jumping deer sign. I hope the deer don't run into the potty. One night on the way back from picking up Ernest at Hogwarts a deer ran into the side of my husband's truck, in just about this spot.

Apparently today is Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day. I usually clean mine (i.e. throw out what's rotten and spoiled) on Thursdays, since our garbage is picked up on Fridays. I've had great success in eating our leftovers, thanks to a week of homemade soups for lunch. All made with leftovers. Cream of broccoli soup plus 3 kinds (chicken, beef and pork) of spicy tortilla soups, sans the tortillas because I didn't have any. This week's leftovers include quiche and enchiladas, which are still attractive enough for others to take for lunch.

Frank and I are going through marathons of tv shows on Netflix. We've watched Warehouse 13, Heros, and are on Firefly now. I vote for Buffy the Vampire Slayer next, what do you think?

What's happening in your world this week?

Moonlight

2011-11-10T08:52:00.000-08:00

The moon was so bright last night. I took this photo at Hogwarts around 6 p.m.

Later I woke up to light streaming in through the curtains and assumed it was almost time to get up. Wrong! 4 a.m. Sigh.

Eyes

2011-11-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not watching A Clockwork Orange.

The Handy Husband had lasik yesterday.

I'm still squeamish but he's pretty happy with the results. He hated glasses, and hated contacts too, so it was a good choice for him.

Pink Saturday: iPad

2011-11-04T20:30:00.000-07:00

Homer says he fits in very well with Pink Saturday -- ears, nose and pads or should I say iPads.

He enjoys sitting on my reading material, no matter whether it is paper or electronic.

How appropriate that he is sitting on the FOOD section.

Pink Saturday - Beverly at the blog "How Sweet the Sound" hosts Pink Saturday. Let the color pink inspire you!

Socks and Shoes

2011-11-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

There's a nip in the morning air now. I find I have to put on socks in the morning, although I end up taking them off and going back to sandals in the afternoon.

For the longest time I wore white socks. I confess, they were hand-me-downs that my sons had outgrown. Sad but thrifty. But then a sock store opened in town. And they have the most irresistibly cute socks...

But it was so cold and windy yesterday, I had to resort to wearing real shoes.

Which was good timing, because my beloved leopard slides have come undone. (Thanks to Jen, I now realize it is more like cheetah but it says leopard on the box and I've called them leopard for so long now I just can't stop.) I tried mending them once but my knot came untied. I guess I'll try to fix them again.

Although they are not the best shoes for today's weather -- a whole 1/8" of rain. Whoopee!

What are your tootsies wearing today?

Emoticons

2011-11-02T07:22:00.000-07:00

It was difficult enough to shop for Frank's birthday, so I'm already starting to worry about Christmas. He just doesn't want things, so we end up giving him things he needs. Like underwear and coffee mugs.

But since his birthday coincided with Talk Like a Pirate day, he was bound to get some kind of pirate merchandise.

Frank's new coffee mug was a little...

shocked?

If you were an emoticon, how would you look today?

/:-/ This is me, frowning, because Ernest is running extremely late. No wonder the water bill is so high.

UPDATE at 7:25: Ernest just informed me that he is not running late...he has free period first and there are no jobs this morning so he doesn't have to be there till 8:30.

The Daily Drive: Fog

2011-11-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

The fog was thick this morning. I should use my time wisely and take more pictures while Ernest is driving.

Now he's discovered the "sport mode" on my car. Actually we can blame my husband for that. He told Ernest about it last night. "Mom, it's like turning the car up to eleven. But your car's already an eleven."

Scarecrow Invasion

2011-10-31T12:12:00.000-07:00

No zombie invasion yet on this sunny Halloween day.

Instead, the town has been beset by scarecrows.

This one is at a clock shop, of course.

Naturally, there are some folk dancers.

A bridal couple: to love and to cherish even after death.

And my old friends Sally and Jack.

Pink Saturday: Witchy Hixi

2011-10-28T20:08:00.000-07:00

For Halloween, I would like to introduce you to an amazingly talented witch in pink, or maybe I should call the color magenta or fuchsia.

The witch is my bff. As in forever. She runs a company in Germany which brings opera and classical music to children. She is, as my Frank once said, "the most interesting adult I've ever met." That was the highest compliment the then-13-year-old boy had ever given!

We've known each other since we were six. Some halloweenish memories...

We stayed friends while her brother scared us with stories of the monster in the creek.

We stayed friends while we rushed home from school together to watch Dark Shadows. Seriously, can Johnny Depp ever be as creepily attractive as Jonathan Frid?

We stayed friends even when her bedroom closet doors mysteriously opened in the middle of the night and she ran away and just left me alone in the room.

Enjoy this clip of Witchy Hixi and the Opera Ghost.

Pink Saturday - Beverly at the blog "How Sweet the Sound" hosts Pink Saturday. Let the color pink inspire you!

You Don't Sound Like a Senior

2011-10-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

I'm getting overwhelmed by the number of senior citizen focused advertisements out there. I get senior dating spam, senior junk mail, and even senior sales phone calls. The latest phone call this morning made me see red.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Mr. or Mrs. STM?"

"This is Mrs. STM."

"Oh, you don't sound like a senior."

Maybe because I'm not! Besides the fact that I'm not old enough to be a senior citizen yet, I find it really irritating that this woman thinks seniors have a certain sound. I'm always going to have a soft high-pitched voice and I'm going to sound pretty much the same in 20 or 30 years.

I may not look like this anymore...

But I'm not quite this, either...

Thank you phone company, for giving me something to rant about today.

Now what's your pet peeve for the day?

Pink Saturday: Sunset

2011-10-21T16:41:00.000-07:00

Sunset at Hogwarts' Fall Family Weekend dinner last week.

Pink Saturday - Beverly at the blog "How Sweet the Sound" hosts Pink Saturday. Let the color pink inspire you!

Milestone

2011-10-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

Ernest turned 15 and a half on Monday. He was set on getting his learner's permit as soon as possible so weeks ago I made a DVM appointment and had notes all over the house so I wouldn't forget.

We got to the DMV (slightly early, I might add, because I just hate to be late), only to find that their computers were down, state-wide, in all 144 offices. You could come back later, they told us. The computers might be back up. Well, the nearest DMV is a half hour's drive from our small town, so we didn't want to go home and come back again, to risk finding that the computers were still down. Disappointed, we went home.

I went online and was able to make an appointment for 8:40 the next morning. Ernest fortunately had these 2 days off school.

I was expecting huge crowds, but there were only a couple customers when we got there. They spend a long time in the back inspecting his papers, and I was worried something was wrong. It turned out they had a new version of the form, but they finally accepted our older version as long as he filled something out on the new form.

Bureaucracy never runs smoothly, does it. So he got the permit. But it wasn't valid until he has a session of driver training.

Luckily, the driver training instructor was able to fit him in the next day.

So this morning, here he is, driving himself to school for the first time. Ernest is pretty laid-back, but I could tell he was pleased and excited.

And More Apples

2011-10-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

We're still eating our way through the apples. Handy feels they aren't big enough for his lunch but they look fine to me.

Since my last apple post, of course we've had apple sauce with our pork chops.

And apple pancakes (peel and chop one apple and add it to your regular pancake batter).

Thanks to Lala, I found Harvest Chili. It was different but very tasty:

Did I forget anything? I didn't have red onions or fresh sage.

Whoa, this is a HECKUVA lot of squash. I didn't use all of it.

Be sure you get a tasty chicken apple sausage. The Saag's sausages were delicious. But I've had some really bad ones too.

Pink Saturday: Cars

2011-10-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

Aunt Snow's Pink Saturday quiz last week made me think about pink cars.

I have a facebook friend who counts pink cars, in an ongoing competition with her father and daughter who count purple cars. Her father feels there was some cheating involved when she counted all the pink caddys at a Mary Kay convention. Purple cars are rarer than pink ones.

Every once in a while, I snap a pink car picture and post it on her facebook page.

A pink Mustang, anyone? Even the wheels are pink!

This one says "Pink" on the bumper. I wish I had a picture of the whole car (Ernest took it while I was driving.) The lower half of the car was pink and "Pink" was written on the side.

A classic pink pick-up in Paso.

Pink Saturday - Beverly at the blog "How Sweet the Sound" hosts Pink Saturday. Let the color pink inspire you!

I Finished Something!

2011-10-14T14:31:00.001-07:00

I finished the Klimt Coral needlepoint pillow, complete with vintage tassels I found in my stash. Good thing, because I started on the Taupe version.

UPDATE: I should have linked to the Ehrmann Tapestries site.

Apple Days

2011-10-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

This morning's haul.

It's that time of year. The apples are ripe. This year the tree is obliging and drops a few apples every day, so I've been able to keep up with the supply. I know some of you intrepid kitcheneers would say "Can them," but I've never canned anything in my life. And the memory of the chaos in my mother's kitchen as she canned the neverending apricots will stay with me forever. Although I should not blame the canning...she just didn't like to cook period.

As always, I fall back on CH's Apple Crisp** and of course, PIE. But we can't live on desserts, so I've had to branch out (*rimshot*) in my search for apple recipes.

With a tub of yogurt in the fridge, Kitchen M's Apple Yogurt Coffeecake hit the spot. It was moist and delicious.

Apple Chutney was good with our pork roast last night.

I'm going to go apple free today, except for gobbling up the coffeecake for breakfast, but it's back to the apple fest tomorrow with Apple and Sausage Pie.

Do you have any favorite apple recipes you would share with me?

**Apple Crisp (originally from Low Cholesterol Desserts by Terry J. Siegel)

6-7 tart cooking apples, peeled and slice (I don't peel them)

1 T. lemon juice

1/2 cup white sugar (you can use less)

1 1/4 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

3/4 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup light brown sugar (you can use less)

3 T. oil

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the apples in a 9" deep-dish pie plate. Sprinkle the apples with the lemon juice, white sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. (You need to stir a little.) In a small mixing bowl, stir together the oats, flour, brown sugar, and oil. Sprinkle over the apples. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Testing the iPad

2011-10-08T17:29:00.001-07:00

Yup, it works, sort of...if I use an iPhone app. Most of my Homer stealth photography is on the iPad. I take pictures of him on my lap and e-mail them to my husband who does nor believe that Homer sits on me. Bwahaha, dear.

Pink Saturday

2011-10-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

Pink Saturday - Beverly at the blog "How Sweet the Sound" hosts Pink Saturday. Let the color pink inspire you!

And thanks to Aunt Snow and Karen for inspiring ME!

This is prickly pear lemonade at one of my favorite local restaurants.

Yesterday's adventures

2011-10-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

(Written yesterday.)

Ernest walks out of the house with a lighter load this morning. No music today, so no saxamaphone or music binder. Just backpack, gym bag, and massive AP Euro history book.

As we get out the door, he says the gym bag strap is all wet. Eeeew. The dog wet on the picnic basket. No, wait, that was from National Lampoon's Vacation. Homer wet on the gym bag.

Mad rush to pull out the uniform and goo he just put in there 5 minutes ago and find another bag.

Drive him to school. Drive home. Find pee on the ground under gym bag. Find pee on floor in house where gym bag was sitting. Curse Homer. Clean up pee and wash gym bag.

Find history book left outside door. Text Ernest. Yes, he needs it. Drive back to school to put history book in his locker. In the rain. Have minor panic attack thinking I have forgotten something, but remember it is still 20 minutes till my hair appointment. Time enough to go home for coffee.

Drive home. Can't find house keys. Have slightly larger panic. Search purse and pockets 3 times. Have major panic, mostly because my coffee is locked inside the house! Go to hair appt without coffee. 90 minutes later, search pocket and miraculously keys appear. Feel stupid. Open door while observing stream of ants around feet. Find ant spray.

Fortunately, the coffee maker was still on!

Pee, goo, rain, false panic and ants.

But today the sun is shining and nothing weird has happened. Yet. It's only 9:30!

How is your day going?

Still Here

2011-10-04T11:11:00.001-07:00

Either nothing much has happened or a lot has happened, depending on the way I look at it.

I set some half-assed goals for September, and unbelievably I achieved them...to do some major housecleaning, attempt some physical activity (I firmly believe said houskeeping falls in this category if you break a sweat doing it), finish a project, and spend less money.

So I have degrimed the kitchen and the bedroom. Pulled out the dresser to vacuum behind it, and voila, an electrical outlet! 23 years and I never knew it was there. It will come in handy for charging computers and cell phones.

And I finished stitching my Klimt Coral needlepoint (which I mentioned a long time ago here and more recently here).

I was trying to spend less money this month but computer things kept dying and cars needed tires and service and so on and so on. I did manage to save a bit by cutting out what kept me entertained all summer: going out to lunch and to the movies. And my gas bill is significantly lower since Ernest doesn't have to be driven to the zoo.

I plan to keep the same goals for October. On the cleaning front, I was a cruel cruel mom and told Ernest his room looked like something out of Hoarders, so I suppose I should offer to help him deal with it. I don't think he has OC issues, I think he's just a lazy teenager with too much stuff. But seriously, it's time to ditch the children's toys and a lot of Lego that he hasn't touched in 5 years. As a little boy, he loved to keep the packaging from the toys. Now he keeps shoeboxes. Soccer shoes, running shoes, hiking boots, converse all-stars. He couldn't find his cell phone one day and it was because an empty shoe box had fallen on it. Here's a brilliant idea I just had! Pack the Lego into the shoeboxes!

Enjoy October!

Dirty Paws

2011-09-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

Someone has taken to doing his business outside, coming in with very dirty paws.

Yes, I washed the placemat afterwards.

Paula Deen's Spice Cake with Caramelized Pears and Maple Frosting

2011-09-23T08:14:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from Paula Deen's Holiday Baking which was an $8.99 impulse buy at the checkstand, but worth every penny. Full of decadent deliciousness and no ads. It was a tossup between this spice cake and Gingerbread Cake with Creme Brulee Filling and Scotch Whiskey Buttercream...who has the next birthday??? For Thanksgiving, I may go hog wild and make the Pumpkin Cake with Cranberry Mousse filling.

SPICE CAKE
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 large eggs, separated
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 3 9-inch cake pans with nonstick baking spray with flour. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinammon, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, salt and cloves. Add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until just combined after each addition. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into batter. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake for 1-20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Maple Frosting over one cake layer. Top with half of Caramelized Pears. (I didn't follow that part, just smashed up 3 pears with a little applesauce.) Top with second cake layer, and repeat procedure. Frost top and sides. (At room temperature the frosting is a little soft for piping. It firms up quickly in the fridge.) Garnish with chopped walnuts, if desired. (I used shaved chocolate instead because Frank doesn't like nuts.)

MAPLE FROSTING
1 cup butter, softened
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
5 cups confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and maple syrup at medium speed with a mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until smooth.

CARAMELIZED PEARS
1/2 cup butter
6 pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sugar

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add pears and sugar; cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently, until pears are very tender.

Twenty-One

2011-09-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

Something about having a child turn 21 makes me feel really old!

But we had a party for him anyways.

Sweet Frank, he still thinks I'm SuperMom. "Did you cut all those flags yourself?" Ha!

I'm not sure I like the word Geek.

noun Slang .

a computer expert or enthusiast (a term of pride as self-reference, but often considered offensive when used byoutsiders.)

a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, especially one whois perceived to be overly intellectual.

a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid ordisgusting acts, as biting off the head of a live chicken.

I assure you, Frank has never bit the head off a live chicken.

Looking at Ernest makes me feel pretty old, too. We may have lost one designated driver, but we'll have another one pretty soon.

Had to have champagne for the 21st birthday. Time to get out my grandma's glasses.

I made what I call a "pretty cake" this year, as opposed to the novelty cakes of prior years. Mr. Thomas was eager to take a bite.

Ernest took this picture for me. I would have needed a footstool to get the camera up that high. He didn't. Sigh.

This was one fantastic cake.

I'll post the recipe tomorrow.

My Spidey Senses are Tingling

2011-09-21T13:22:00.000-07:00

We've had a glorious spider web in the front yard for a few days.

I cheated on that picture -- I sprayed the web with water first.

If you're at all squeamish about spiders you might not want to look at the next two pictures.

Can you take it? Here's another.

I warned you!

Ribs

2011-09-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

Frank was kindly finishing some leftover ribs (leftovers, the bane of my existence) and Homer decided to help.

Yes, Frank gave him a bite.

When Homer was done, he daintily licked the sauce off his paw.

Signs of Fall

2011-09-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

We're starting to see the usual signs of fall around here.

Handy's laid in a good supply of firewood and is itching to use the fireplace or woodstove. He wanted a fire Saturday morning and I begged him not to since it was going to be hot in the afternoon.

Frank and I love blueberry bagels for breakfast. Late on Sunday afternoon, the pickings were pretty slim at the store. I picked up these seasonal pumpkin bagels, and they are actually quite delicious.

Since I'm not working right now, I've set a few minor goals for myself. This is totally unusual for me! One of them is to complete some of my many unfinished projects. This needlepoint was shoved away on a shelf for a couple years. I was annoyed to find that it had gotten a little motheaten. I've repaired most of the damage now, and am stitching away. Of course, finishing the canvas is one thing. Then it still needs to be turned into a pillow.

We don't get a lot of fall color here. We go from green to yellow to brown. So I was quite pleased to find this gorgeous leaf in the yard this morning which runs the usual gamut and adds some surprising red in it.

My apples are slowly ripening.

Francine feels good cat camoflage is appropriate for any season.

What says fall in your world?

Home Alone

2011-09-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my first day home alone...no husband, no kids, no job, no worries. Well, maybe not the last part. I always worry about something. My mother always said I had worry lines on my forehead as a baby.

I did get some things done...some cleaning, some cooking, some exercise, some reading.

We were expecting a 100° day yesterday. Ernest said it hit 101° just as cross country practice started. So I wanted to get my cooking out of the way before it got too hot. I baked enough chicken for 3 meals...roast chicken last night, green chicken enchiladas tonight, and maybe chicken chow mein in a day or 2. I've got to give them a break from chicken tomorrow night!

Cluck cluck cluck.

Homer feels he hasn't had enough press lately so he decided to crowd into my chicken picture. He also feels it is misleading to say I am home alone when he is such good company. Homer had a very successful day yesterday when he managed to con Handy into a second dinner at 6:00 while I was out of the house. "Meow meow, what? No I haven't been fed yet. Meow meow. I've been starving all day. Meow meow. " That lying cat. I fed them both at 4:30. And his accomplice, Francine, just went along with it.

To be Fair

2011-09-06T11:36:00.001-07:00

To be fair, I really haven't been able to look at Frank's phone to note the subtle differences.

What he has TOLD me is: his screen is bigger, the phone is lighter, he can easily expand his memory with a mini sd card, and he can play old Gameboy games on it. So there, Mom.

We're still a house divided.

Battle Lines Being Drawn

2011-09-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

From my last post, with comments.

Me: ...Frank's phone died...
Cheri: I think your sons both need iPhones. Obv.
Me: Ernest and I have iPhones... Frank is going to the dark side and getting a droid phone.
Cheri: NOOOOOOOO!

My husband, still using an ancient phone (the man won't even text), is now thinking he might want a smart phone (for e-mail and maps) so we are showing off their abilities. Showing off? No, this means war!

iPhone vs. android.

Battle #1: MAPS. Objective: Show a satellite view of our street and find the restaurants nearby. The iPhone blew away the Samsung droid in the Battle of the Maps.

Obv.

Quickies

2011-08-31T08:28:00.001-07:00

I got back on Sunday from a trip with my husband. He had to go to Texas on business and I decided to tag along. He thought I was crazy, but we stayed in Galveston and had a nice time. I've got tons of pictures to organize.

Homer's been on a diet, sort of, and has lost a pound. The diet kibble does things to his system...on the plus side his poop doesn't stink so much. On the minus side it's messier.

Frank's phone died just around the time we were talking about getting him a new one. How convenient for him. Or was it planned?

Ernest's classes start Monday, but he has some meetings over the next few days. He is making the vacation last as long as possible. I didn't see him until noon yesterday.

Why do all the cars need things at the same time? Tires, oil changes, you name it. Why couldn't they spread it out a little bit?

I am not a gardener, but I do have a few home-grown tomatoes for dinner tonight.

It's time for a House Season 7 Marathon! Three discs from Netflix arriving!

That's it for me.

What's new in your world?

Cousins, (Somewhat Sorta Semi) Identical Cousins

2011-08-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

I just do not see enough of this boy! He is always delightful. (As is his brother, but that's another blog post.)

And he reminds me of someone else near and dear to me.

There's something about the eyes. Or the brains. They're both quite extraordinary. (Eyes, Brains, and just the Boys in general.)

(Pizza courtesy of FRANK!!!)

I know I have complete agreement from all the parents, grands, and greats involved.

Here's to cousins!

Fine Feathers

2011-08-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

I can't even count the number of times I've been to the zoo since Ernest has been working/volunteering there.

But I always like to take my camera because, more often than not, I catch something new.

Look at this fine-feathered fellow!

And his iridescent friend.

I don't really have any fine feathers for myself this summer, although I did find some pretty sleeveless tops which are coming in handy right now.

No fine feathers for my sons, either. At their advanced ages (ha!) they don't outgrow clothes like they used to. Frank is always happy if I pick up something at Costco for him. Ernest needs a longer inseam which is hard to find, so I usually order on-line if he wears something out. He needed new running shoes for cross country and I also forced him into a new pair of Converse after ignoring his complaint: "The old ones aren't worn out yet! I don't want to break in a new pair." Well, the old ones have holes and look pretty grody.

Anyway, good luck with your back to school shopping and find something nice for yourself too! You deserve it.

Housekeeping

2011-08-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

A while ago I inadvertently deleted my links list. I repopulated it with the people who had commented here recently.

If you're not on there and you'd like to be, please leave a comment.

Notice Anything Different?

2011-08-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

How funny. This post was in my drafts for a while and then Mrs. G was talking about something and I wrote this in my comment, which was pretty close to what I'd drafted a few weeks ago.

I've been toying over some changes to my blog too...in a similar vein with children close to 21 and 15.5, I'm not really a mommy blogger. My cats took over for a while, but I can't write about all cats all the time. So what is my blog about? Little bits of my life that I want to share. I don't write for other people, it's for myself and I am delighted if anyone wants to stop by for a visit.

Maybe I'll become Smalltown Me.

So there I go...the URL and e-mail are still the same, but that's Me all Me up there in the title. Me me me. I-I-me-me-mine. Although the cats and kids are going to sneak in frequently, because they're sneaky like that. And they're mine.

Cool Summer Supper

2011-08-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I can ever top the Ill-Tempered Mutated Sea Bass, but I made this a few days earlier and it was another winner!

Emeril's Shrimp and Corn Salad

Although I can never quite manage to follow a recipe exactly...my bag of shrimp was a little bigger and I had 4 ears of corn. Also, I wasn't going to go out to buy "crab boil" or Old Bay Seasoning which another version offered as an alternate. I just tossed in some seasoned salt (it was another Emeril recipe so at least I stayed in the family).

The dressing had a nice bite to it.

What's your favorite cool summer meal? I need ideas!!

It's What's For Dinner

2011-08-19T15:16:00.000-07:00

Mutated Sea Bass with a Frickin' Laser Beam

Dr. Evil: You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads! Now evidently my cycloptic colleague informs me that that that can't be done. Ah, can you remind me what I pay you people for? Honestly, throw me a bone here! What do we have?
Number Two: Sea bass.
Dr. Evil: Riiiight.
Number Two: They are mutated sea bass.
Dr. Evil: Really? Are they ill tempered?
Number Two: Absolutely.
Dr. Evil: That's a start.

My start is the mutated sea bass and the laser beam. I think I'll include some fruit salsa, sauteed spinach and rice.

What's for dinner at your place?

Mileage

2011-08-18T17:11:00.000-07:00

My car hit an interesting mileage the other day...

Me? My personal mileage is a lot higher.

Over the past few years, I used to start each summer out with high expectations of what I would accomplish. And at the end of the summer nothing would be done. Except for putting a lot of mileage on the car while Driving Mr. Ernest back and forth to the zoo.

This year I did not make any plans to accomplish anything. Or to rephrase it, I planned to accomplish nothing. Hence, no disappointments. I have seen many movies, read stacks of books, and eaten delicious lunches. That is a good life and I am grateful.

But while my summer of lowered expectations was successful, I can't keep that up forever.

Ernest goes back to school on Labor Day*** and things must change. I must make some plans and have a schedule.

***Yes, ON Labor Day. You heard me correctly. His "Hogwarts," being primarily a boarding school, does not observe the Monday holidays. Ernest is just happy that his school does not start till September. He is "old school" like me and does not like the August starting dates! If I had not been laid off (and chosen to stay that way) I would be going back to work on Monday. This Monday! My sympathies to everyone who has to show up there on Monday.

One of the many reasons I decided to stay laid off was to take advantage of the opportunity to tag along on my husband's business trips. We had such a fantastic time in Ireland. So when he mentioned he had a trip coming up, I started making plans. Nowhere as exotic as Dublin, but still...

Plans and mileage...

What's going on in your world?

Thanksgiving in August

2011-08-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

Well, just the turkey part. Handy was craving turkey so we did a modified shebang earlier in the week...turkey, stuffing, gravy, plus some leftovers to round out the meal. I put a hunk of turkey in the freezer, but we still had a lot in the fridge ...

The solution was Handy's brilliant idea: TURKEY ENCHILADAS.

Enchiladas de pavo son muy deliciosos.

Of course I have no real recipe.

It's just a "throw it together" kind of thing.

Chop up the turkey. Add some sliced black olives and diced green chiles.

Crumble up some queso fresco.

Lightly fry the tortillas...about 5 seconds per side.

(I used to cheat and not do this step but it makes a huge difference.)

Open up a can of green enchilada sauce and let your handy husband assemble them.

Bake at 350 for a half hour or so.

Muy bueno.

Ernest's going back for seconds. He has to carb load...he estimates he burned 1000 calories on the bike today. The giant burger, fries and chocolate shake afterwards probably replenished most of it.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

The Only Thing Cuter...

2011-08-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

I don't think there's anything cuter than one swimming capybara

Unless it's two

or three

or even four!

Spread the capy love.

Video of Garibaldi Rous.

Please visit Gari at www.gianthamster.com

2, 3 and 4 capys from the Santa Barbara Zoo, photos by me.

Looking Up: Courthouse

2011-08-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

A ~~long time~~ while ago, I did some posts on looking up...but then I forgot about the subject until the other day.

While ~~touristing~~ walking around the Santa Barbara courthouse last week, I remembered to look up. I saw...

a giant Fiesta flag.

a balcony to nowhere. Why is it there? Another visitor thought an opera singer should just appear up there and burst out into song.

many staircases. I love staircases. Just not climbing them.

So I was very happy that the elevator to the clock tower was working. The last time I was there, on a field trip with Ernest, we had to use the stairs.

There, I had to look out.

And down.

What a gorgeous day.

Painted Cave

2011-08-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ernest and I took a detour on the way home Saturday, to check out a twisty windy uphill road for a potential bike ride.

And we happened upon a place I had driven by once or twice, but never stopped to look at.

Painted Cave.

(Photos by Ernest)

Feline Embarrassment

2011-07-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

Can I embarrass my darling Homer any more than this?

Possibly, if I compare him to this.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Homer says, I'm no Otto. I'm only half his weight.

I say, Homer, we need to cut back on that kibble a bit.

(Tues) Day Off

2011-07-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

It almost seems like I am still working since I am hardly ever home. Driving Mr. Ernest does get time consuming, although I do enjoy my afternoons. He had a day off yesterday, so I did too. Sort of.

We spent an hour waiting at the medical clinic to see the doctor for 2 minutes to confirm the red bump on Ernest's back was a blablabla hemangioma, and Ernest could either leave it alone or take it off. Since it's just going to get bigger, I voted to take it off.

I realize you need some backstory here. The night I combed out the ~~dreadlocks~~ snarls I thought it might be a good opportunity to trim his hair after his shower. When I felt his eel-like slippery tresses slither through my fingers, I decided it was not the time for me to attempt an amateur trim. "Let's make an appointment with a hair professional," I said. Oh yeah, I can pass the ~~scissors~~ buck baby!

However, I exposed his upper back for the first time in years. Even when he has his shirt off, the hair normally covers it. And there was a little bulgy red bump on his right shoulder blade. "We should have that looked at," I said, because I don't like to see mysterious bumps on my golden child, and that's yet another story.

So we had to schedule another appointment next week for the bump-ectomy. The doctor said something funny like, "There Will Be Blood, " but I can deal with that. How many times have I taken someone to the ER for stitches? And Ernest won't see anything, since it's on his back.

= = = =

In the afternoon, Ernest was bored so he helped me with a cooking project. He juiced an entire watermelon in my handmedown* juice extractor for my Watermelon Jello project. Why am I making Watermelon Jello? Because I saw the recipe in Sunset magazine while we were waiting waiting waiting at the doctor's office. And since there was watermelon juice to spare, he made watermelon/strawberry/lemon/ade. Later I realized I could have saved the extra juice for Frank to make Watermelon Pie.

Oh well, I'm sure I can get someone to pulverize another watermelon. I got Ernest interested in the first place because I said, "Want to Gallagher a watermelon?" He was slightly disappointed that I did not hand him a sledgehammer.

= = = =

*I love my mother-in-law for many reasons, not just because she gives me the appliances she doesn't want anymore.

= = = =

Back to the jello...

Looks gorgeous, doesn't it. Like something out of, oh I don;t know, a magazine? Sadly, it did not taste as good as it looked. I think it was the sugar. I thought to myself, "Self, why does the recipe have all that sugar when watermelon is so naturally sweet?" But we added the sugar anyways. I should listen to myself.

Meeting Friends

2011-07-25T09:42:00.001-07:00

Well, I think this is going to me my week of meeting old and new friends.

Saturday, I met Lala and her husband Dave. Now this was a case of new friends feeling exactly like old friends.

Sunday, Frank invited his best buddy and his parents over for what is becoming our usual Sunday barbecue. Again, terrific new people that we would love to see again.

(Frank made 3 batches of his incredible cookies...our guests also got plates of them to take home and we are left with only half a dozen for ourselves. But I'll have to wait a bit for the next batch. Next he's planning to make lemon bars from the lemons his grandfather gave him.)

Wednesday, I am lunching with two former co-workers, and hope to set up a lunch with another one on Friday.

Usually I go for weeks without seeing anyone but my family, so look at social little me.

What's happening with you this week?

Staying Awake

2011-07-23T15:51:00.000-07:00

After being awake since 4 am, this is how I feel right now...

Why was I awake at 4 am? oh, I don't know, some strange noises from the other side of the bed and so as not to embarrass the other party, I'll just say it wasn't snoring. Then we were up at 5:30 anyway to take Ernest to a bike race.

Fortunately, I was able to stay awake long enough today to meet Lala and her husband. Fantastic people with great vacation stories! I just knew I would like her in real life, too. And such a small world: although we met through our blogs, it turns out we went to the same high school for a while.

Off My Rocker?

2011-07-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

Do you think I have enough rocking chairs? I inherited all these from my mother's house and had them refinished. From back to front, the rocker in my room as a baby, a classic oak craftsman style from my great-uncle's house, my mom's favorite rocker which she kept in her kitchen, and my own little childhood rocker. They all have some kind of meaning or memories attached to them so I made room for them.

Plus we had Frank's childhood rocker. That's Frank at age 3, during the Year of Face Paint, as a frog. He sat in it a lot, until he got so big he got stuck! Ernest did too. Now it finds use as our favorite footstool.

So I need another rocking chair like, what? Like a hole in the head? Like Homer needs to gain weight?

But then I fell in love. It actually matches most of the furniture in my house. So I guess this one is mine, all mine, no emotional baggage attached, it's just here because I find it beautiful.

And it's so cool...

look, Frank Sinatra had one!

When I showed my husband that picture, his eyes slid right past the chair to the high-tech 1964 stereo system. "I think those are Klipschorn speakers," he said. We are all attuned so differently.

More Harry Potter Memories

2011-07-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

I shared some Harry Potter memories when Deathly Hallows part 1 opened. Now that part 2 is out, here's part 2 of my Harry Potter Memories. These are about 9 years ago. Seems just like yesterday!

Here's Frank, ready to do his book report on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. He made his own golden snitch out of a bouncy ball, paper wings, and gold spray paint. I believe the scar is lipstick.

And the Harry Potter Sleepover Party for Ernest's 6th birthday.

A sleepover party for 6 year olds? What the hell was I thinking? ***

*** What was I thinking? That I could not say no to this adorable little wizard.

I had an ordeal getting this cake. Albertson's had a big sign up on their bakery counter advertising Harry Potter cakes. So I walked up to order the cake. "What do you want on it?" the baker asked. "Harry Potter!" I said, pointing to the sign. "Oh, we can't do that. We're all out." Then why the hell was the sign still up? So I stormed out and went to a local bakery, where they said, "Harry Potter, sure thing!" and voila, I got this beauty. Tasted better than Albertson's too. (I haven't bought a cake at Albertson's since....I can hold a grudge a long, long time!)

Well, now I'm going to kick back with my morning coffee and re-read the end of Deathly Hallows.

Accio coffee cup.

Monkee See

2011-07-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

Last week we saw The Monkees 45th Anniversary Tour at the local casino. We haven't been to a concert there in a long time. Usually there are a lot of country singers, which you may have gathered isn't quite our cup of tea.

The show was a lot of fun! Although their voices sound older, the songs are still great. They were backed up by an 8-person band. Kudos to the lady on the right who played keyboard, 2 saxophones, and flute, "and all for one money," quipped Davy. He was full of quips, like "Justin Bieber stole my haircut, and Axl Rose stole my moves." Peter and Micky were quippy too. (Michael chose not to make the tour.)

They opened with "I'm a Believer," my favorite Monkees song, so I was a little disappointed to hear it so early. Not to worry, though, they closed with it too!

I had my experience with their greatest fan about one minute into the show. See that arm and elbow in white just behind my head? Well, she whacked my head twice within the first minute of "I'm a Believer." I was so annoyed. I had to turn around and tell her to be careful. Humphf.

There's the rest of the greatest fan right there below, once again directly behind my head. That's probably the hand that hit me. I absolutely love music and concerts but I am somehow able to contain myself and not spoil others' enjoyment. I wish they would do the same.

Frank came with us. Since it's an 18-and-older venue, we had to leave Ernest home alone. Frank has been to the casino before. To celebrate his 18th birthday, he went in and promptly lost $5 at blackjack. He's not a big spender!

He realized he had heard some of the songs before, even if he wasn't really familiar with the Monkees. Well, everyone has heard I'm a Believer in Shrek.

He was a little surprised by the hordes of old people (my term, not his) rushing the stage at the end. It was a senior mosh pit!

It was a nice long show, about 2 hours 15 minutes, so we got our money's worth. I loved seeing all the old TV show clips on the screen. Micky was always my favorite.

Cats in High Places

2011-07-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

To add to our on-line gallery of cat art, this little statue is perched atop a parking lot wall. Looks like its ear has seen some cat fights.

Golden

2011-07-16T07:07:00.000-07:00

Was it Robert Plant who said "I am a golden god," or was that just a line from Almost Famous?

Here's my golden god, after I got through combing out the dreadlock snarls...

He had comments about the biggest fan sitting next to him at the Eddie Vedder concert. "She used me as a prop when she got up for one of her beer runs." And "I wouldn't have minded her singing along if she had been even close to being in tune."

This afternoon he's going to see Winnie the Pooh with me. Six feet tall and he's still willing to see a Pooh movie with his mother. I just love that. He's a honey, all right.

Or worth his weight in gold...

$769,824 4 years ago. Of course he weighs more now.

Last Summer's Concerts

2011-07-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here my concert season has started, and I realized I had unposted blogs about LAST year's concerts. Oh well...

So this is all from 2010!

First up, a double bill with Peter Frampton and Yes.

BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY! DO YOU FEEL LIKE I DO?

Frampton Comes Alive was one of THE biggest albums at the end of our high school years. (He's touring again this summer, doing the complete album.) Although he doesn't have the hair he used to (my husband can commiserate with that), he was still quite awesome. So cute and self deprecating. His band lost instruments and equipment in a flood in Nashville (I think -- this is what happens when I wait months to blog about it) and were very grateful for the help they got to replace them. He talked about the banjolele he found in his grandmother's attic. I love unusual instruments -- the Handy Grandpa has a ukelin. And then there's his talkbox -- you can't talk about classic Frampton without it. And he can't talk into the talkbox when he's laughing. Only it's not a box, it's a plastic tube.

"Do you feel like we do? Still? I don't. Sometimes when I hear it I change the channel... ... ... I'm lying." And he laughs.

His son Julian is pretty cool, and came out to do a song. A song. One. Not as much of the old nepoTIZ as Wolfie Van Halen benefited from.

Then there was Yes. There were some know-it-alls behind me during the intermission, annoying me with their trivia, but they didn't know it all. Let's see, they said the bass player owned the name but everyone else was new. Excuse me, Steve Howe is not NEW. He looked pretty OLD, as a matter of fact.

As for the newbies, the singer, Benoit David, who sang in a Yes tribute band, was a temporary replacement when Jon Anderson had throat surgery last year, but he seems to be permanent now. Benoit dressed like a Las Vegas lounge singer in a black vest and a yellow shirt with large lapels. He reminded me of a short, stocky, pirouetting David Hasselhoff. But man, does he have pipes! And Oliver White, Alan White's son, was an amazing keyboard player.

Rush again.

I know some of you don't care for Rush, but I have to say they've really grown on me. And I love that they have a sense of humor.

American Idols. There was criticism that last year's Idols weren't Idol-worthy, but it was the first year I was ever interested in watching the show and that's all due to Crystal Bowersox.
After the bottom 4 performed, I was wondering why I wasted the money on the show and the fancy hotel room. But as we moved into the top 6, it got better. Anyway, I loved Crystal!

Roger Waters/The Wall Unfortunately I didn't write anything down about this one but it was fantastic! We had great seats, just one section away from the Wall.

OK, now I'm caught up to 2011. Who have we heard so far this year? Jake Shimabukuro, Jeff Bridges and the Abiders, and Eddie Vedder.

Physical

2011-07-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Ernest recently had a physical for school, which reminded me of this anecdote I saved from last year...

...I warned him they would probably need a urine sample. (Ahem, he's never had to provide one before.) He said, I don't need a drug test. I couldn't do what I do if I was on drugs! He was just mortally offended about that. I reassured him that it was just to check for physical problems.

This year he had a new surprise ... a hernia check. I left the exam room for that one.

Basking

2011-07-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Some days, you just want to crawl up on a nice warm rock. Aaaaah.

It's Getting Vedder All The Time

2011-07-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

Since Saturday night, my husband is probably singing this song right now...

..but I think he's a little bit in love with Eddie Vedder's voice, too.

The show opened right on time with Glen Hansard, Oscar winner for "Falling Slowly" from Once (but he didn't play that YET...wait for it!!!). His set was far too short, only half an hour, but man can he get sound out of that old guitar. I swear, it was the same one as in the movie, with a big hole in it but our seats were way back so I couldn't say for sure. One guitar and a stomp box. Awesome. And he's from Dublin. And says fuck with an Irish accent---fook! This Irishman is fookin' awesome.

I always hate that the opening act has to play while the venue is half empty and people are strolling around. The opener this year may be the headliner later. (For example, I saw Michael Buble open for Chris Isaak, and a couple years later Buble was back on his own.)

And then Eddie...

Well, first we thought we saw him at a pizza place on the way to the bowl, but that turned out to be his doppelganger. And the doppelganger...he was waving, and calling to people, and switching seats. We thought it might be Eddie, maybe going to make a funny entrance to the show, as we heard he did at the Arlington Theater on a previous tour -- he swung out from one of the fake balconies.

No dice, the real Eddie came out on stage (with much better hair than the doppeganger)...

Click on that to embiggen it...he had many instuments besides the ukulele. And, apparently, many ukuleles!

A cute moment was his love/hate relationship with the mandolin. "If this is a campfire and we're out of wood, this is the first thing that will go in it...it's the little guys you have to watch out for..." (it was even smaller than the ukulele).

And he used a lot of guitars...The whole show was fantastic.

This time Ernest had the misfortune to be seated next the biggest fan. "She kept bumping me... and my ear is numb from her screaming...then she fell over on me..." And if it had been a girl his age, maybe it would have been fun, but this was a 40 year (I'm being generous) woman.

Towards the end of the show Glen came back and they did "Falling Slowly" together. Beautiful.

Oh, I'm still swooning over his voice and I can't write reviews anyway....just breathe...

(music starts at about 2:10)

Sights on Sunday

2011-07-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

I think we'll see the usual sights around here today.

That poor barbecue...this was it 2 and a half years ago,

The husband kept patching it...and patching it...

finally I saw some new ones at Costco

and he brought this baby home so today he will inagurate it.

I like the new one because of the cutting board shelves...he won't have to put his paraphernalia on the chairs or ground.

Enjoy your day!

Top of the World

2011-07-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

Ernest and his cousin have been doing some serious mountain biking and the other day they were at the the top of the world (locally). They could see the ocean on one side and the valley on the other. While they were on top of the world, I nervously waited at home because they were out of cell phone range. It's hard on a mom when your 6 foot tall baby goes free-range.

Butterflies are Back

2011-07-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

The butterflies are back at the natural history museum.

(Here's a prior year's visit. This time I was by myself.)

The Most Adorable

2011-07-07T21:42:00.000-07:00

You know I love my Homer. Homer, my darling, when you look at me with those big eyes, I can forgive you almost anything (such as your litterbox stench) when I see your sweet sweet face.

But then I started playing with the fisheye feature on the camera. Sorry baby, I couldn't resist.

I'm trying to make you look like one of those big-eyed paintings.

Oh, Mrs. G, there's so much cat art out there.

Happy 4th

2011-07-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. Time for Nathan's hot dog eating contest.

This is about all we could manage.

Ernest will be in the parade with the cyclists. (I'll add a picture when we get back.)

Since it's just too darn hot outside...

...we're foregoing our usual barbecue in favor of tacos, which can be cooked indoors.

Then off to the fireworks. I need some photo tips for shooting fireworks.

And for your amusement, here's a Robot Chicken take on the day.

Happy Independence Day!

Nothing to Complain About

2011-06-29T16:11:00.000-07:00

My blog fodder's been pretty dull lately and I've had nothing to complain about. But that's a good thing.

School's out, so I don't have to work. Frank and Ernest put together and sealed these great chairs to lounge in. The chairs were on sale at Ace Hardware for Memorial Day Weekend...$29.99 each, I think. They ordered the ottomans for me. I think I still need to pay the guys for their labor. The store would have charged $10 each for assembly.

I have to drive Ernest to the zoo a lot, but then I get to hang out in paradise.

The zoo, the beach, the art museum, and several movies. It's cheaper for me to go to the movies...I could spend far more money in 2 hours than the price of the matinee. I've seen The Beginners, Bridesmaids, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Midnight in Paris, The Tree of Life. All those kinds of movies that my guys aren't interested in. With the guys, I've also seen Pirates, X-Men, Super 8 (fantastic) and Green Lantern (forgettable).

Handy Qed some tri-tip out of the freezer this week and complained how full it was. It is a very small freezer. So I've embarked on "Clean Out the Freezer Week." I threw out some odd chicken parts from 2010, but the rest of the cache isn't too old. Tonight is chili -- I only have to warm it up.
Whoo-hoo.

So let's recap...lounging, movies, easy cooking. I have it made.

What's going well for you this week?

Sunny Shoreline Saturday

2011-06-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

The June Gloom actually lifted for a change!

I caught a lizard sunning itself.

And a rare treat, a small flock of pelicans.

Oh, I do love that camera.

The Reason for the Pelican

The reason for the pelican

Is difficult to see;

His beak is clearly larger

Than there's any need to be.

It's not to bail a boat with-

He doesn't own a boat.

Yet everywhere he takes himself

He has that beak to tote.

It's not to keep his wife in-

His wife has got one, too.

It's not a scoop for eating soup.

It's not an extra shoe.

It isn't quite for anything.

And yet you realize

It's really quite a splendid beak

In quite a splendid size.

by John Ciardi

Abiding

2011-06-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

Concert season started with a trip to a local bar to see Jeff Bridges and the Abiders.

The Dude, man!

We stood right behind the "celebrity table" with Peter Noone, David Crosby, and Sam Elliot, whose grey mane looks just as good in person.

Today's Horoscope

2011-06-17T07:36:00.001-07:00

While some horoscopes might be spot-on and timely, I'm at odds with mine today. (Not that I ever pay attention to them, it's just this one caught my eye this morning.)

There is safety in numbers. Participate in a group discussion, join a local club or go out on the town with the gang. The friendlier you are towards others, the more likely you will gain acceptance.

Hello? Today I am HOME alone with no driving anyone anywhere and I planned to stay home and indulge myself with solitary type activities.

Your amazing personal energy leads you to see things through another's eyes. It's one of those days when you're sure to learn something new -- and maybe feel differently about a bad situation.

Energy? What energy? After being sick for a week and having the weird headache?

Be open and communicative about your feelings today, Taurus. Most people find it easy to share facts or concrete information. The challenge is to share something from your heart. Don't think that feelings always need to be kept secret. Just the opposite is true. Make sure you leave the channels open for emotional expression.

But wait, I was going to stay home alone and not share a thing!

Spoke too Soon

2011-06-15T19:26:00.000-07:00

I've has this weird cold for over a week, every day a new symptom. A sore throat on Wed., sneezes on Thursday, coughs on Friday. Saturday brought me a sinus headache which changed on Sunday to a sharp intermittent pain behind my left ear: the temporal/mastoidal area to be exact. I warn you: do not Google search that... you do not want to know about mastoidectomies and temporal arteritis.

So I've had the stabby headache for several days...pain relievers did not help but plain old caffeine did. So did a glass of wine. Yesterday it was better...only an occasional toothpick poke in the head instead of a bamboo skewer stab and I prematurely posted this as "At Last" meaning at last it was over, but it was back again in the middle of the night. Again, after a cup of coffee this morning, it subsided. But I can't drink coffee all night!

(Note to self...do not try to post from phone when using big words. That is a different kind of headache. Mr. Spellcheck, I really did mean to say "arteritis," not "asterisk!")

Meanwhile, I've got 4 days of Driving Mr. Ernest ahead.

Thursday's movie will probably be Cave of Forgotten Dreams.

Sent from my iPhone, edited on the computer.

Vendredi, du sublime au banal

2011-06-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

Friday was my first official day of no work but it was also a Driving Mr. Ernest day. I like his schedule this year...it's a little later in the day so I can squeeze in a movie instead of sitting around waiting.

I saw Midnight in Paris. Wonderful movie, full of beautiful music.

And click here for Bistro Fada.
Stephane Wrembel | Bistro Fada | CD Baby

And from the sublime music to some mundane trivia...

On a less than beautiful note, Ernest explained to me how they were manufacturing poop for Duncan the Dinosaur. I'm sure it's a secret formula so I won't reveal the exact contents. Let's just say that they haven't hit on the perfect formula yet so Duncan's still a wee bit constipated.

Medium Tech

2011-06-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

I'm not high tech by any means. I'm often behind the curve and late in adopting new technology. But I do adapt to it.

Here are my medium tech marvels for the week...

1) I don't have TiVo or a DVR. I do have an old DVD/VCR combo that records onto DVDs. This is only important because Ernest was going to be in a news segment the other night. So wouldn't you know, the darn thing wouldn't open the DVD tray. I gave it to Frank and Ernest, and they got it to open up, but later it didn't record anything. Fortunately, the high tech world surrounding me has an online link to the clip. Which I embedded right here...

Which doesn't appear at all on my preview but it seems to be there when I publish. Sigh.

2) I used an old memory card in my new camera, and it worked fine on the ~~ancient archaic elderly~~ old computer. When I got a new memory card, the old computer couldn't read it. With a small amount of ~~begging Ernest to let me use his computer~~ detective work, I found it does work fine on Ernest's massive gamer computer, wouldn't ya know. ~~Which he won't let me touch without his permission.~~ But I can plug the camera in with a wire, so there's my medium tech fix.

3) I learned to blog from my iPhone. So far this has been the greatest success. See the wine picture.

Tech or not, what have been your successes this week?

A to Z

2011-06-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Borrowed from Kcinnova's World and The Jason Show, here is my A to Z.

Fair warning---this changes frequently. I started it a couple weeks ago and I had to change things already. I reserve the right to change my mind at any moment. It's my inner P, which is often hidden by my outer J. Myers-Briggs explanation here.

Age – 51
Bed size–California King (although the queen in the guest room has a certain snore-free allure)
Chore you hate – Cleaning the cat box. Oh, Homer.
Dogs –Nope, I'm a cat person, despite the above.
Essential start of your day – coffee
Favorite color – purple
Gold or silver – both, but I have more silver.
Height –5’6″
Instruments I play (or have played) – piano, clarinet, zills
Job title – as of 6/9 I was laid off, or "retired" as I call it
Kids – "Frank," age 20, and "Ernest," age 15
Live – a small town
Mom’s name – for privacy, I'm not going to give you this
Nickname – ditto, but I'll give you my mom's nickname: "Weasel Puss." I kid you not.
Overnight hospital stays – only for the babies
Pet peeve – too many to count...bad drivers, jaywalking tourists, and parents texting at a piano recital currently top the list.
Quote from a movie – "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." My favorite quotes change frequently, too, but this one I always remember.
Right or left-handed – right
Siblings – none
Time you wake up – It was 6:30 but now that school's out for summer I could sleep as late as I please...unless I have to drive Ernest somewhere.
Underwear –yes, please,
Vegetable you dislike – eggplant
What makes you run late – I don't. Period. I hate being late.
X-rays you have had done – my wrist, when I fell while roller skating when I was 20ish. Roller skating is not my bag, man.
Yummy food you make – everything I make is yummy...look at my husband's waistline for proof!
Zoo animal – river otters and capybaras, but I am looking forward to seeing the penguin with the Teva boot.

Zero!

2011-06-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

I could cry "Freedom!" like Mel in Braveheart. Or I could just celebrate quietly with this nice gift from my teacher. Aaah, vacation, I love you. However, I have 3 days in a row of Driving Mr. Ernest.

1

2011-06-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

Walk like an...

2011-06-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

I e-mailed this photo to my husband.

(Photo by Frank who says he could have taken a better picture

if Ernest had given back the camera.

My new very popular camera.

Every day I come home and there is a new stealth cat photo.)

He said, "She looks Egyptian."

Don't all cats?

But does she walk like one?

small town me

On Hold

nigglingpresent participle of nig·gle (Verb)

Lunch Lady

Crispy Potato Roast

Looking Up: Century Plant

The Year of the Dragon, or How I Learned to Cook Great Shrimp

Happy New Year (新年快樂)

Parenting

Wishes Do Come True

Say What?

Me

Red Shirt Army

Fifi Francine

Well Begun is Half Done

Hello New Year

More Changes

Instrumental

Holiday Homes Tour 2011

Chchchanges

I Ran Out of Apples

Say Hello to My Little Friend

Christmas Project Previews

Previews

Pink Saturday: NHRA

Fine Print

Strike A Pose

Traditions

Fireplace Cozy

Thanksgiving Greetings

Skirting the Issue

Hiding

Strange spider

Tuesday Tidbits

Moonlight

Eyes

Pink Saturday: iPad

Socks and Shoes

Emoticons

The Daily Drive: Fog

Scarecrow Invasion

Pink Saturday: Witchy Hixi

You Don't Sound Like a Senior

Pink Saturday: Sunset

Milestone

And More Apples

Pink Saturday: Cars

I Finished Something!

Apple Days

Testing the iPad

Pink Saturday

Yesterday's adventures

Still Here

Dirty Paws

Paula Deen's Spice Cake with Caramelized Pears and Maple Frosting

Twenty-One

geek

My Spidey Senses are Tingling

Ribs

Signs of Fall

Home Alone

To be Fair

Battle Lines Being Drawn

Quickies

Cousins, (Somewhat Sorta Semi) Identical Cousins

Fine Feathers

Housekeeping

Notice Anything Different?

Cool Summer Supper

It's What's For Dinner

Mileage

Thanksgiving in August

The Only Thing Cuter...

Looking Up: Courthouse

Painted Cave

Feline Embarrassment

(Tues) Day Off

Meeting Friends

Staying Awake

Off My Rocker?