It began innocently enough. I worked in an office, and I was supposed to be working when I was there, obviously. Not unlike many (most? all?) people, I would occasionally spend time on the internet. As long as I got my work done and did it well and in a timely fashion, no harm, no foul. But that didn’t mean I wanted anyone to catch me not working. I kept several windows open, with at least one related to work, so I could switch over if I heard anyone approach. When I began working from home, I carried that habit with me. I also continued to switch to a work-related website whenever I finished any browsing.
I am now in my third week of not working, and I still find myself pulling up the PubMed Citation Matcher before walking away from the computer. I am tempted to delete all of my work bookmarks, but it seems like such a drastic step. I’m not one for burning bridges. Sure, I left my job, but maybe someday I’ll want to search for an article or verify the scientific name of a bacterium. Those bookmarks could come in handy someday…hopefully not, but you never know. Until I get around to at least moving them off the toolbar, I’ll just keep kicking myself for being such a creature of habit.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Moving beyond pizza and PB&J
Gogo is a picky eater. We're not sure how it happened, but there is a long list of foods that she just will not try...any kind of ground meat, beef, any vegetable, any chicken not breaded and shaped like a nugget, any meat that is not chicken, grilled hot dogs (she doesn't like the grill marks), many fruits, pasta sauce (although she'll eat it on pizza), and strangest of all, chocolate (and consequently, anything brown).
It was awkward when she started preschool and the teachers expressed concern about the fact that she hardly ate anything at lunch. They eventually got used to it. Strangely, I don't recall her previous daycare provider ever having trouble getting her to eat anything.
We’ve tried doing the "four bites because you're four" routine, and it's torture all around. We arrange the food on her plate to show her what constitutes a bite, and each one gets broken down into teeny tiny pieces, which she chews forever, making faces and shivering with the disgust the whole time. We end up instructing her to take a drink and just swallow. We know she's not going to choke on what's in her mouth because it's so miniscule, but it just seems like a bad thing to advocate.
The strangest of all is her aversion to chocolate. We have no idea how or when it started or if she ever tried it. She won't eat anything brown (except peanut butter) because she thinks it's chocolate. In some ways, this works in our favor. If we don't want her to have something, we tell her it's chocolate or that it has chocolate on or in it, and she backs down. On Halloween, we get half of her candy because she doesn't want the chocolate. But it's also embarrassing when she notices that someone gave her something with chocolate and she declares that she wants something else.
On St. Patrick's Day, we managed to get her to eat corned beef, potatoes, and carrots by promising her a green milkshake for dessert. The milkshake was made with mint chocolate chip ice cream. We warned her that the brown was chocolate but assured her that she wouldn't even notice it. She hardly touched the shake, but we don't know if that was because she actually filled up on her dinner or because she was freaked out by the chocolate bits.
On Saturday, we went shopping, and Pete bought a box of Girl Scout cookies from a group of Brownies. All they had left were Tagalongs and Thin Mints, and since Tagalongs are his favorite, that's what he bought. In the car, Gogo begged for a cookie, even though we told her they were chocolate. "I like chocolate now," she protested. Pete handed her a cookie, and she got it close to her mouth, said "yech," and made a face. "I don’t like chocolate," she said. A few minutes later, she wanted to try again.
Pete decided to take charge. He said it wasn't natural for her to be so anti-chocolate. He doesn't care for chocolate but doesn't refuse it either. My grandmother, who claims Gogo gets her dislike of chocolate from her, is known to always have a tin of Cadbury's cookies in the fridge.
He handed her a cookie and told her to take a big bite. After much coaxing, she did. Oh, how I wish I had the camera with us. I have never seen a child's eyes filled with such delight. She loved it! "I like chocolate now!" she declared, and this time, she meant it.
We waited a couple of days before trying to get her to eat something else new. We were grilling for dinner tonight and decided to offer her a cheeseburger. She resisted a little, but when reminded of the chocolate cookie, she decided to try it. Another success!
It was awkward when she started preschool and the teachers expressed concern about the fact that she hardly ate anything at lunch. They eventually got used to it. Strangely, I don't recall her previous daycare provider ever having trouble getting her to eat anything.
We’ve tried doing the "four bites because you're four" routine, and it's torture all around. We arrange the food on her plate to show her what constitutes a bite, and each one gets broken down into teeny tiny pieces, which she chews forever, making faces and shivering with the disgust the whole time. We end up instructing her to take a drink and just swallow. We know she's not going to choke on what's in her mouth because it's so miniscule, but it just seems like a bad thing to advocate.
The strangest of all is her aversion to chocolate. We have no idea how or when it started or if she ever tried it. She won't eat anything brown (except peanut butter) because she thinks it's chocolate. In some ways, this works in our favor. If we don't want her to have something, we tell her it's chocolate or that it has chocolate on or in it, and she backs down. On Halloween, we get half of her candy because she doesn't want the chocolate. But it's also embarrassing when she notices that someone gave her something with chocolate and she declares that she wants something else.
On St. Patrick's Day, we managed to get her to eat corned beef, potatoes, and carrots by promising her a green milkshake for dessert. The milkshake was made with mint chocolate chip ice cream. We warned her that the brown was chocolate but assured her that she wouldn't even notice it. She hardly touched the shake, but we don't know if that was because she actually filled up on her dinner or because she was freaked out by the chocolate bits.
On Saturday, we went shopping, and Pete bought a box of Girl Scout cookies from a group of Brownies. All they had left were Tagalongs and Thin Mints, and since Tagalongs are his favorite, that's what he bought. In the car, Gogo begged for a cookie, even though we told her they were chocolate. "I like chocolate now," she protested. Pete handed her a cookie, and she got it close to her mouth, said "yech," and made a face. "I don’t like chocolate," she said. A few minutes later, she wanted to try again.
Pete decided to take charge. He said it wasn't natural for her to be so anti-chocolate. He doesn't care for chocolate but doesn't refuse it either. My grandmother, who claims Gogo gets her dislike of chocolate from her, is known to always have a tin of Cadbury's cookies in the fridge.
He handed her a cookie and told her to take a big bite. After much coaxing, she did. Oh, how I wish I had the camera with us. I have never seen a child's eyes filled with such delight. She loved it! "I like chocolate now!" she declared, and this time, she meant it.
We waited a couple of days before trying to get her to eat something else new. We were grilling for dinner tonight and decided to offer her a cheeseburger. She resisted a little, but when reminded of the chocolate cookie, she decided to try it. Another success!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Eerie
I’ve always been fascinated by old houses. My dad watched “This Old House” religiously when I was growing up. He even recorded it. The first celebrity I ever met was Bob Vila.
Since moving into our house in 2005, I’ve often bemoaned its lack of character. But right now, I’m very glad our house is new, otherwise I’d think it was haunted.
Yesterday, I was sitting in the family room with Zuzu while Gogo played on the computer in the library. I heard a noise that sounded very much like someone had bumped a doorstop (we have the springy ones that make that “brrrrrrrt” noise). I feared we had mice but rationalized that it was probably the computer, even though it sounded like it came from behind me (the opposite side of the house from the library). Now I realize that it was probably the buzzer on the dryer in the basement (underneath the kitchen).
Later, though, I went upstairs to find that the ceiling fan in the master bedroom was going full blast. The fan is operated via remote control, and the remote is in the drawer of Pete’s nightstand. I had found Zuzu playing with stuff from the drawer earlier, and I wrote it off as something had hit the button to activate the fan when I tossed stuff back into the drawer. I turned it off. (I have to admit, though, my first thought was “there’s a mouse in the drawer,” and I was a tiny bit afraid to open the drawer to get the remote.)
A few hours after that, I found the fan on again, this time on low. I figured I must have hit the wrong button when I turned it off earlier. I turned it off again, but it seemed to take several pushes of the button to finally turn off.
I told Pete about it when he got home from work, and we had a good laugh at my active imagination. But then we were both in the bedroom when I set the TV and DVR remotes on the dresser out of Zuzu’s reach and the fan started again. We wondered if a button from the TV remote had been pressed which maybe matched the frequency of the fan remote. A few minutes after Pete turned the fan off, it turned on again. This time, Zuzu had been screaming.
Unconvinced that Zuzu is activating the fan with high-pitched screams, Pete thinks the wires are shoved together so tightly that the vibrations from walking around are causing them to touch and turn the fan on. I’m not sure I buy that, since the fan has been in place for nearly a year and this is the first time we’ve had any issues with it. I’m just glad there’s some explanation other than ghosts or mice.
Since moving into our house in 2005, I’ve often bemoaned its lack of character. But right now, I’m very glad our house is new, otherwise I’d think it was haunted.
Yesterday, I was sitting in the family room with Zuzu while Gogo played on the computer in the library. I heard a noise that sounded very much like someone had bumped a doorstop (we have the springy ones that make that “brrrrrrrt” noise). I feared we had mice but rationalized that it was probably the computer, even though it sounded like it came from behind me (the opposite side of the house from the library). Now I realize that it was probably the buzzer on the dryer in the basement (underneath the kitchen).
Later, though, I went upstairs to find that the ceiling fan in the master bedroom was going full blast. The fan is operated via remote control, and the remote is in the drawer of Pete’s nightstand. I had found Zuzu playing with stuff from the drawer earlier, and I wrote it off as something had hit the button to activate the fan when I tossed stuff back into the drawer. I turned it off. (I have to admit, though, my first thought was “there’s a mouse in the drawer,” and I was a tiny bit afraid to open the drawer to get the remote.)
A few hours after that, I found the fan on again, this time on low. I figured I must have hit the wrong button when I turned it off earlier. I turned it off again, but it seemed to take several pushes of the button to finally turn off.
I told Pete about it when he got home from work, and we had a good laugh at my active imagination. But then we were both in the bedroom when I set the TV and DVR remotes on the dresser out of Zuzu’s reach and the fan started again. We wondered if a button from the TV remote had been pressed which maybe matched the frequency of the fan remote. A few minutes after Pete turned the fan off, it turned on again. This time, Zuzu had been screaming.
Unconvinced that Zuzu is activating the fan with high-pitched screams, Pete thinks the wires are shoved together so tightly that the vibrations from walking around are causing them to touch and turn the fan on. I’m not sure I buy that, since the fan has been in place for nearly a year and this is the first time we’ve had any issues with it. I’m just glad there’s some explanation other than ghosts or mice.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Done, done, and done!
On Monday, I had a migraine. I was feeling quite stressed about my holiday to-do list plus the things that needed to be done for everyday life. I couldn’t concentrate on my work, which needed to be done, as I was going to be out of the house for the day on Tuesday. I was desperate to finish on Wednesday, so I would have Thursday to myself, but it just didn’t look like it was going to happen. On top of the migraine, I was sleep deprived and feeling like I was coming down with something. All I could think about was seeing myself up all night the night before we were to leave for Christmas trying to pack and wrap presents and spending our entire week away desperately trying to catch up on sleep instead of enjoying the time off. I found myself having thoughts of “I hate Christmas,” which is so not me, as I absolutely love Christmas, and it really made me truly sad to be having those thoughts.
I had been so proud of myself for being nearly finished with my shopping by Thanksgiving. When I finally place my last Amazon order and was finished, I was so busy patting myself on the back that I neglected to think about all the wrapping that needed to be done. I kept thinking about the packages that needed to be shipped, but I never made any move to get those done either.
And then there were the Christmas cards. I picked out the stamps way ahead of time; we bought them before Halloween. We always go with a “Season’s Greetings” card instead of a strictly Christmas card, and we usually get something with a snowman or snowflakes. So the snowflake stamps this year were perfect for us. I spent November planning for our family picture, picking out clothes that would be complementary without being too matchy-matchy. We took the picture Thanksgiving weekend, and we picked up the cards last Friday. The only thing missing was the letter. I already had the paper and matching address labels (snowflakes, natch), but I just did not feel like writing the letter. We had only done a letter once before, 2 years ago, and the main reason for that one was to let everyone know that we were expecting. I wanted to write a letter this year, especially since I had everything coordinated, but I just didn’t feel like it.
Well, I got my act together. All I have to do to ease my migraines is to dispel the stress. It’s like magic. In the past, I’ve had migraines at work or school so severe that I could hardly stand up straight. As soon as I got the okay to leave early and left the building, the migraine was gone. I almost felt bad for going home, but I knew that if I went back inside, the migraine would return.
Not feeling well…skip yoga and make chicken soup for dinner. The trip to the store is added stress…call Pete to pick up the necessary ingredients. Worried about getting work finished…sit down and do it, get to point x tonight, do y on Tuesday, finish up with z on Wednesday. Christmas letter…feeling better after dinner, stay up and just write it. Presents need to be wrapped, laundry needs to be done, dishes need to be washed…get work done Wednesday night and have Thursday for everything else.
And it all worked out. My work took a little longer to get done that I had hoped, and I thought I was going to be working on it into Thursday, but I sat down Wednesday night and got it all together. I folded the remains of 3 weeks’ worth of laundry on Thursday and wrapped nearly all of the presents. Right now only 1 present needs to be wrapped, and that’s because I still need to knit half of it. Pete and I edited the letter throughout the week, and it was ready to be printed Friday night. I stayed up Friday night folding and stuffing and sticking and licking, and Pete dropped them all off at the Post Office Saturday morning. I also got the presents to be shipped wrapped and packaged on Friday night, and Pete mailed those on Saturday, too.
Shopping, wrapping, and shipping…done, done, and done!
Now, let the baking begin!
I had been so proud of myself for being nearly finished with my shopping by Thanksgiving. When I finally place my last Amazon order and was finished, I was so busy patting myself on the back that I neglected to think about all the wrapping that needed to be done. I kept thinking about the packages that needed to be shipped, but I never made any move to get those done either.
And then there were the Christmas cards. I picked out the stamps way ahead of time; we bought them before Halloween. We always go with a “Season’s Greetings” card instead of a strictly Christmas card, and we usually get something with a snowman or snowflakes. So the snowflake stamps this year were perfect for us. I spent November planning for our family picture, picking out clothes that would be complementary without being too matchy-matchy. We took the picture Thanksgiving weekend, and we picked up the cards last Friday. The only thing missing was the letter. I already had the paper and matching address labels (snowflakes, natch), but I just did not feel like writing the letter. We had only done a letter once before, 2 years ago, and the main reason for that one was to let everyone know that we were expecting. I wanted to write a letter this year, especially since I had everything coordinated, but I just didn’t feel like it.
Well, I got my act together. All I have to do to ease my migraines is to dispel the stress. It’s like magic. In the past, I’ve had migraines at work or school so severe that I could hardly stand up straight. As soon as I got the okay to leave early and left the building, the migraine was gone. I almost felt bad for going home, but I knew that if I went back inside, the migraine would return.
Not feeling well…skip yoga and make chicken soup for dinner. The trip to the store is added stress…call Pete to pick up the necessary ingredients. Worried about getting work finished…sit down and do it, get to point x tonight, do y on Tuesday, finish up with z on Wednesday. Christmas letter…feeling better after dinner, stay up and just write it. Presents need to be wrapped, laundry needs to be done, dishes need to be washed…get work done Wednesday night and have Thursday for everything else.
And it all worked out. My work took a little longer to get done that I had hoped, and I thought I was going to be working on it into Thursday, but I sat down Wednesday night and got it all together. I folded the remains of 3 weeks’ worth of laundry on Thursday and wrapped nearly all of the presents. Right now only 1 present needs to be wrapped, and that’s because I still need to knit half of it. Pete and I edited the letter throughout the week, and it was ready to be printed Friday night. I stayed up Friday night folding and stuffing and sticking and licking, and Pete dropped them all off at the Post Office Saturday morning. I also got the presents to be shipped wrapped and packaged on Friday night, and Pete mailed those on Saturday, too.
Shopping, wrapping, and shipping…done, done, and done!
Now, let the baking begin!
Saturday, December 16, 2006
When will I ever learn?
So, yesterday I was supposed to make a half batch of pretentious cookies* as a holiday gift for Gogo’s ballet instructor. At 4pm, the studio manager called to inform me that today’s class was being canceled. My butter was already at room temperature, so I went ahead and made the dough. The directions said to chill it for 30 min. I was tired and thought I was going to go to bed early (I ended up assembling holiday cards and stayed up much too late), so I left the dough in the fridge overnight, not thinking it would be a problem.
I pulled the dough out of the fridge to make the cookies tonight, and it was nearly rock hard. Well, duh! A dough basically made of butter, sugar, and flour will harden like butter when refrigerated for an extended period of time.
Since I was planning to make sugar cookie dough tonight as well, I thought I ought to check the recipe to make sure I wasn’t going to mess it up by refrigerating the dough overnight instead of just for an hour or so. Lo and behold, the recipe expressly says to refrigerate the dough overnight. It’s a good thing I had decided to get ahead of myself and make the dough tonight. That would have been a fine surprise tomorrow morning.
(For the record, I broke the dough into pieces and let it sit for a few minutes, and all was well. The cookies are fine. I have also learned to bake these on the middle rack; on the top rack, you get burnt coconut instead of toasted coconut.)
*The cookies themselves are really good, and the recipe is quite easy. I just call them pretentious because it’s an Ina Garten recipe from “A Barefoot Contessa Holiday” on the Food Network (I’ve linked to the regular recipe on the site; if you go to the recipe through the show link, it has all this “limited time only for legal reasons [copyright]” business). When she makes the cookies, she’s doing so as holiday gifts for her friends instead of trying to shop for them. She wraps them up, 5 or 6 to a bag, and then goes around delivering them in person (2 bags each). They all live in huge houses or quaint cottages (these are The Hamptons, after all), and they all see her coming and invite her in. She begs off in every instance…she has more deliveries to make. It’s just all too much. But the cookies are divine!
I pulled the dough out of the fridge to make the cookies tonight, and it was nearly rock hard. Well, duh! A dough basically made of butter, sugar, and flour will harden like butter when refrigerated for an extended period of time.
Since I was planning to make sugar cookie dough tonight as well, I thought I ought to check the recipe to make sure I wasn’t going to mess it up by refrigerating the dough overnight instead of just for an hour or so. Lo and behold, the recipe expressly says to refrigerate the dough overnight. It’s a good thing I had decided to get ahead of myself and make the dough tonight. That would have been a fine surprise tomorrow morning.
(For the record, I broke the dough into pieces and let it sit for a few minutes, and all was well. The cookies are fine. I have also learned to bake these on the middle rack; on the top rack, you get burnt coconut instead of toasted coconut.)
*The cookies themselves are really good, and the recipe is quite easy. I just call them pretentious because it’s an Ina Garten recipe from “A Barefoot Contessa Holiday” on the Food Network (I’ve linked to the regular recipe on the site; if you go to the recipe through the show link, it has all this “limited time only for legal reasons [copyright]” business). When she makes the cookies, she’s doing so as holiday gifts for her friends instead of trying to shop for them. She wraps them up, 5 or 6 to a bag, and then goes around delivering them in person (2 bags each). They all live in huge houses or quaint cottages (these are The Hamptons, after all), and they all see her coming and invite her in. She begs off in every instance…she has more deliveries to make. It’s just all too much. But the cookies are divine!
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Deck the halls
When Gogo was Zuzu’s age, we only put lights on the tree. It was tricky enough to keep her from trying to eat the lights. For the last three years, we’ve made salt dough ornaments. They are not faring well this year. For starters, I am the only one in the house who hasn’t tried to eat them. Yes, I even caught Pete trying to sneak a bite. I had to remind him that the new dental insurance doesn’t go into effect until January 1.
When we put the ornaments on the tree, they all ended up on the bottom half, as is expected with little helpers. We didn’t even have all of them on the tree before it became clear that they all needed to be on the top half. Zuzu couldn’t keep her hands off them. She is still tempted by them and has managed to pull the tree down twice. The first time, I caught it before it hit the floor. The second time, I wasn’t in the room. I heard a crash, and then I heard crying. She wasn’t hurt, just scared. She picked up the star and chewed on it while I righted the tree and collected the pieces of the half dozen ornaments that didn’t make it.
She has also managed to pull the stockings down, too. So now we have empty stocking holders on the mantel. I feel bad for not having more decorations up, but I don’t think anything else would survive.
Until last year, all we ever had was a tree (skirtless). There wasn’t really enough room for anything else. Now we have a mantle, so we have a cheap garland bunched up on top of it (and the stocking holders), but we could do better. I’ve gotten loads of inspiration from several others, but I just don’t have time to make things happen for this year. I think next year will be the year of Christmas décor crafting. If I start in January, I figure I should be able to get things done in time for Christmas. Maybe.
When we put the ornaments on the tree, they all ended up on the bottom half, as is expected with little helpers. We didn’t even have all of them on the tree before it became clear that they all needed to be on the top half. Zuzu couldn’t keep her hands off them. She is still tempted by them and has managed to pull the tree down twice. The first time, I caught it before it hit the floor. The second time, I wasn’t in the room. I heard a crash, and then I heard crying. She wasn’t hurt, just scared. She picked up the star and chewed on it while I righted the tree and collected the pieces of the half dozen ornaments that didn’t make it.
She has also managed to pull the stockings down, too. So now we have empty stocking holders on the mantel. I feel bad for not having more decorations up, but I don’t think anything else would survive.
Until last year, all we ever had was a tree (skirtless). There wasn’t really enough room for anything else. Now we have a mantle, so we have a cheap garland bunched up on top of it (and the stocking holders), but we could do better. I’ve gotten loads of inspiration from several others, but I just don’t have time to make things happen for this year. I think next year will be the year of Christmas décor crafting. If I start in January, I figure I should be able to get things done in time for Christmas. Maybe.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
The end of NaBloPoMo
Today is the last day of NaBloPoMo. Hurray! I made it. Hopefully, this has become a habit and I will write more often.
I thought about doing Holidailies, but I think I could use a break. Zuzu needs her bedtime routine back, and when you’re trying to keep a 17 month old occupied while updating your blog at 9 p.m. at night for fear that you’ll fall asleep while getting her to sleep and not wake up until after midnight, things don’t always go so well. I have several half-written entries that I gave up on in favor of something dashed off quickly just so I could get Zuzu to bed.
****
In other news, it’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.
Okay, so we haven’t decorated at all yet. We usually do that the weekend after Thanksgiving weekend. I’m actually surprised at how many people in our neighborhood and town have already decorated. We went out for dinner last Wednesday (the day before Thanksgiving), and we drove past a house that already had two Christmas trees up and decorated.
But, the packages have started arriving! Most of my shopping was done before Thanksgiving, but I had a few odds and ends to order once the credit card statement changed, which happened last week. UPS alone has dropped off boxes three days in a row this week. We also had parcels from DHL, FedEx, and the mailman. They’re not all holiday items (some are computer things and my work for next week), but it’s so much fun to hear a thud! followed by the sound of the doorbell and then rush to the door to see what has arrived.
I thought about doing Holidailies, but I think I could use a break. Zuzu needs her bedtime routine back, and when you’re trying to keep a 17 month old occupied while updating your blog at 9 p.m. at night for fear that you’ll fall asleep while getting her to sleep and not wake up until after midnight, things don’t always go so well. I have several half-written entries that I gave up on in favor of something dashed off quickly just so I could get Zuzu to bed.
****
In other news, it’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.
Okay, so we haven’t decorated at all yet. We usually do that the weekend after Thanksgiving weekend. I’m actually surprised at how many people in our neighborhood and town have already decorated. We went out for dinner last Wednesday (the day before Thanksgiving), and we drove past a house that already had two Christmas trees up and decorated.
But, the packages have started arriving! Most of my shopping was done before Thanksgiving, but I had a few odds and ends to order once the credit card statement changed, which happened last week. UPS alone has dropped off boxes three days in a row this week. We also had parcels from DHL, FedEx, and the mailman. They’re not all holiday items (some are computer things and my work for next week), but it’s so much fun to hear a thud! followed by the sound of the doorbell and then rush to the door to see what has arrived.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
About me
The month is nearly over, and I haven’t yet done an “about me” post. Better late than never, right?
I was born in Iowa, grew up in Minnesota, spent my adolescence in Florida (hated it...both adolescence & Florida), and moved to NYC (by myself) when I was 19 (what was I thinking?!).
My mom died when I was a freshman in high school. She had acute myelogenous leukemia. She was 39.
My maternal grandmother is from Liverpool, England. Her name is Elizabeth, and when I was younger, I thought it meant that we were related to the Queen.
I went through a Beatles phase in high school. I later found out that my mom met Paul McCartney before he was famous (he was a friend of her uncle).
Pete and I were married at the Algonquin Hotel (of Roundtable fame). It's been more than six years, and people are still talking about our wedding cake. I finally threw the top away last year...that was a sad day (chocolate and hazelnut goodness all gone to waste).
I do not like cut flowers...they remind me of death. Because of this, I procrastinated and did not hire a florist until two weeks (to the day) before my wedding.
I love hydrangeas.
On my first day of kindergarten, I took the wrong bus home and wound up at another elementary school on the other side of town. Now that I have children of my own, I can only imagine the terror my mother must have felt when I didn't come home.
I wanted to drop out of school in second grade because I didn’t think I was learning anything.
Growing up, I never attended any given school for more than 2 consecutive years until I got to high school. My parents promised me that I would complete all 4 years at one high school...I transferred high schools in November of my SENIOR year (thanks for keeping that promise, Dad!).
My best friend in high school saved my life.
My favorite high school activity was math competition.
My favorite college classes were History of American Urban Planning and History of Architecture.
My favorite punctuation mark is the ellipsis.
My favorite building is the Flatiron.
I was born in Iowa, grew up in Minnesota, spent my adolescence in Florida (hated it...both adolescence & Florida), and moved to NYC (by myself) when I was 19 (what was I thinking?!).
My mom died when I was a freshman in high school. She had acute myelogenous leukemia. She was 39.
My maternal grandmother is from Liverpool, England. Her name is Elizabeth, and when I was younger, I thought it meant that we were related to the Queen.
I went through a Beatles phase in high school. I later found out that my mom met Paul McCartney before he was famous (he was a friend of her uncle).
Pete and I were married at the Algonquin Hotel (of Roundtable fame). It's been more than six years, and people are still talking about our wedding cake. I finally threw the top away last year...that was a sad day (chocolate and hazelnut goodness all gone to waste).
I do not like cut flowers...they remind me of death. Because of this, I procrastinated and did not hire a florist until two weeks (to the day) before my wedding.
I love hydrangeas.
On my first day of kindergarten, I took the wrong bus home and wound up at another elementary school on the other side of town. Now that I have children of my own, I can only imagine the terror my mother must have felt when I didn't come home.
I wanted to drop out of school in second grade because I didn’t think I was learning anything.
Growing up, I never attended any given school for more than 2 consecutive years until I got to high school. My parents promised me that I would complete all 4 years at one high school...I transferred high schools in November of my SENIOR year (thanks for keeping that promise, Dad!).
My best friend in high school saved my life.
My favorite high school activity was math competition.
My favorite college classes were History of American Urban Planning and History of Architecture.
My favorite punctuation mark is the ellipsis.
My favorite building is the Flatiron.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Too young
The sister of a friend passed away yesterday. She was 28 years old.
Two weeks ago, the sister of a friend from my middle school years passed away. She was 29 years old.
I complained about turning 30 this past summer. I’m not complaining anymore.
Two weeks ago, the sister of a friend from my middle school years passed away. She was 29 years old.
I complained about turning 30 this past summer. I’m not complaining anymore.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Calgon, take me away!*
Once I was old enough to take showers instead of baths, I never looked back. At one point, I attempted a relaxing bath several years ago. I’m not particularly fond of the idea of a bare bottom going where bare feet have been, so I spent a couple of hours scrubbing the tub first. I never tried it again. It’s not all that relaxing when you have to do all that work immediately beforehand.
When we had our house built, we went for the "super bath" option with the separate tub and shower. Surely, I could get into the whole relaxing bath thing if no one had to stand in the tub on a regular basis. When we moved in, I was 39 weeks pregnant, and I couldn’t take a bath for a month and a half after giving birth. Then there was a repair that had to be done. Then the edges needed to be recaulked. So the tub got dirty. I tried to clean it, but that was nearly impossible. I had nearly given up on the idea of my relaxing bath. We hired cleaners to clean our bathrooms, so I was assured of a clean tub on a regular basis.
In May, Pete went to New York on business, so I sent a Lush shopping list with him. The bag has been in the closet ever since. Every time I thought I would take a bath, I decided I was just too tired and I’d rather sleep. Two weeks ago, I was finally ready for my bath. I told Pete several times that I was planning to take a bath that Saturday night. Then I fell asleep nursing Zuzu. I woke up 2 hours later, and I was so groggy, I barely made it out of the chair and into my own bed. I was so disappointed.
This Saturday, everyone was in bed by 10, and I finally managed my long-awaited soak in the tub. It almost didn’t happen, though. The stopper was unscrewed and wasn’t sealing, so the water just went down the drain. Eventually, I got it all squared away, filled the tub, threw in my bath bomb, turned on the jets, and settled in. It was heaven. I can’t wait until next Saturday.
*Apparently, Calgon is still around. I had no idea. I remember my mom saying "Calgon, take me away!" when she’d had a particularly stressful day when I was a kid, and I have vague recollections of the television commercials. I don’t think I really knew what it was except that it looked like it came in a box like dishwasher detergent. I guess it was bubble bath or bath salts or something of that sort. Now they have a whole line of bubble baths, body sprays, and lotions, etc.
When we had our house built, we went for the "super bath" option with the separate tub and shower. Surely, I could get into the whole relaxing bath thing if no one had to stand in the tub on a regular basis. When we moved in, I was 39 weeks pregnant, and I couldn’t take a bath for a month and a half after giving birth. Then there was a repair that had to be done. Then the edges needed to be recaulked. So the tub got dirty. I tried to clean it, but that was nearly impossible. I had nearly given up on the idea of my relaxing bath. We hired cleaners to clean our bathrooms, so I was assured of a clean tub on a regular basis.
In May, Pete went to New York on business, so I sent a Lush shopping list with him. The bag has been in the closet ever since. Every time I thought I would take a bath, I decided I was just too tired and I’d rather sleep. Two weeks ago, I was finally ready for my bath. I told Pete several times that I was planning to take a bath that Saturday night. Then I fell asleep nursing Zuzu. I woke up 2 hours later, and I was so groggy, I barely made it out of the chair and into my own bed. I was so disappointed.
This Saturday, everyone was in bed by 10, and I finally managed my long-awaited soak in the tub. It almost didn’t happen, though. The stopper was unscrewed and wasn’t sealing, so the water just went down the drain. Eventually, I got it all squared away, filled the tub, threw in my bath bomb, turned on the jets, and settled in. It was heaven. I can’t wait until next Saturday.
*Apparently, Calgon is still around. I had no idea. I remember my mom saying "Calgon, take me away!" when she’d had a particularly stressful day when I was a kid, and I have vague recollections of the television commercials. I don’t think I really knew what it was except that it looked like it came in a box like dishwasher detergent. I guess it was bubble bath or bath salts or something of that sort. Now they have a whole line of bubble baths, body sprays, and lotions, etc.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Dizzy
Zuzu has discovered the joy of spinning in circles. She just spent 15 minutes spinning around in her room until she stumbled around drunkenly and ran smack into a wall. She stumbled back to her starting point, hesitated for a few seconds, and started spinning again.
Oh, to be young again! I’m still dizzy, and I was just watching her.
Oh, to be young again! I’m still dizzy, and I was just watching her.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
A is for apple
Last Monday, Gogo needed to bring a picture to school of something that starts with the letter A. I’m sure the teachers were expecting something cut out of a magazine, but I had a picture of an apple from our trip to the orchard in October and we were going to Costco anyway, so I had a picture printed.
This week she needs a picture of something that starts with B, so I took a picture of some of her bears. I don’t wish to make weekly trips to Costco throughout December, so I was planning ahead and taking pictures to get us through to January. We got stuck on the letter E. All Gogo could think of was elephant, but we don’t have any toy elephants. All I could think of were elevator, escalator, and employee. Finally, it hit me…E is for egg.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Let the madness begin!
The holiday season is officially here. We tend not to be Black Friday shoppers,* so today’s excitement is more about deciding how and when to break out the new Christmas books and DVDs for the girls.
In fact, one thing I’m thankful for that didn’t get on yesterday’s list is the fact that I am about 95% finished with my holiday shopping. And about 95% of what is left can be done from home.
I decided earlier this year that I didn’t want a stressful December. I love the holidays, and I wanted to be able to enjoy them. So I set a goal to have my shopping done by Thanksgiving. This way I can sit back, relax, listen to Christmas carols, and watch my favorite Christmas movies. If I go to the mall, I can take my time and enjoy the music and be thankful I’m not rushing around for last-minute gifts.
The most stressful thing on my December to-do list? Deciding which mall to hit for Santa photos.
*Pete decided to try to get the cheap computers at Best Buy this year. He got there at 8 p.m. last night and was too far back in the line to get them.
In fact, one thing I’m thankful for that didn’t get on yesterday’s list is the fact that I am about 95% finished with my holiday shopping. And about 95% of what is left can be done from home.
I decided earlier this year that I didn’t want a stressful December. I love the holidays, and I wanted to be able to enjoy them. So I set a goal to have my shopping done by Thanksgiving. This way I can sit back, relax, listen to Christmas carols, and watch my favorite Christmas movies. If I go to the mall, I can take my time and enjoy the music and be thankful I’m not rushing around for last-minute gifts.
The most stressful thing on my December to-do list? Deciding which mall to hit for Santa photos.
*Pete decided to try to get the cheap computers at Best Buy this year. He got there at 8 p.m. last night and was too far back in the line to get them.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Thankful
At the risk of sounding like a third grader doing a class assignment, here is a list of things for which I am particularly thankful today.
My husband, who finally got the hint and installed iTunes.
My children, who let me sleep until 8:30 a.m.
TiVo, which allowed me to see the Macy’s parade in its entirety even though I started an hour late.
Happy Thanksgiving!
My husband, who finally got the hint and installed iTunes.
My children, who let me sleep until 8:30 a.m.
TiVo, which allowed me to see the Macy’s parade in its entirety even though I started an hour late.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Giblets
I posted a Happy Thanksgiving bulletin on MySpace earlier, and I included the following:
"I'm also thankful to the wonderful folks at Butterball who saw fit to sell a fully cooked smoked turkey so that I do not have to reach into a cavity tomorrow morning to pull out a turkey's innards. May you all be so lucky as well."
So that got me thinking…why do they have to include the giblets and neck anyway? Why can't they sell the giblets and neck separately? Do they somehow help preserve the turkey as a whole?
Chicken giblets are sold separately, aren't they? I’ve never purchased a whole chicken. Do those require cavity exploration as well?
If the giblets and neck were sold separately, then people who find the cavity digging unappetizing would not have to endure the torture of it, and those who wish to feast upon the visceral organs can buy as many as they’d like. Seriously. It's a win-win situation.
Butterball? Jennie-O? Are you listening?
"I'm also thankful to the wonderful folks at Butterball who saw fit to sell a fully cooked smoked turkey so that I do not have to reach into a cavity tomorrow morning to pull out a turkey's innards. May you all be so lucky as well."
So that got me thinking…why do they have to include the giblets and neck anyway? Why can't they sell the giblets and neck separately? Do they somehow help preserve the turkey as a whole?
Chicken giblets are sold separately, aren't they? I’ve never purchased a whole chicken. Do those require cavity exploration as well?
If the giblets and neck were sold separately, then people who find the cavity digging unappetizing would not have to endure the torture of it, and those who wish to feast upon the visceral organs can buy as many as they’d like. Seriously. It's a win-win situation.
Butterball? Jennie-O? Are you listening?
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Soap
I don’t know what kind of soap we used when I was growing up. I remember Suave strawberry shampoo and Avon crème rinse conditioner, but I don’t remember the soap. Soap was like toothpaste…it never ran out, at least not that I could see, so I don’t recall the labels.
We must have used cheap stuff because we didn’t have a lot of money. I remember a particular soap episode from 8th grade. My mom was in the hospital for chemo (she had leukemia), and my grandparents were staying with us. Grandma used Dove soap, and it was on sale, so she stocked up. Our grocery budget was $20/week (for a family of four!), and the soap used up a good portion of the budget. My parents were quite upset.
When I was first on my own as an adult, I discovered the after Christmas sales at The Body Shop. I would buy lots of little fancy soaps…sweet smelling, pretty glycerin soaps, exfoliating soaps, and itty bitty guest soaps. But I never used them. I always thought they were too nice, “expensive,” or fancy to use, so I stuck with Dove. Eventually, I threw the nice soaps away.
In the last few years, my hands have gotten incredibly dry. The skin cracks and bleeds, and my fingers throb in pain. Using the ubiquitous antibacterial liquid hand soap appears to be one of the causes. This year, instead of trying to repair the damage (using lotions and creams), I want to address the cause of the problem by switching soaps.
I’ve been looking into natural soaps, i.e., those containing olive oil, goat’s milk, shea butter, and the like. I ordered a bunch of sample soaps from MoonDance Soaps & More, and I am in love! I haven’t actually used them for hand washing yet, though. I’ve been using them in shower…I figure I’ll use them up faster that way, so I can decide which ones I like the best and order again sooner. They have some wonderful holiday soaps, and I’m planning on giving some as gifts this year.
Now I just have to figure out what to do with all the Dove in the linen closet.
We must have used cheap stuff because we didn’t have a lot of money. I remember a particular soap episode from 8th grade. My mom was in the hospital for chemo (she had leukemia), and my grandparents were staying with us. Grandma used Dove soap, and it was on sale, so she stocked up. Our grocery budget was $20/week (for a family of four!), and the soap used up a good portion of the budget. My parents were quite upset.
When I was first on my own as an adult, I discovered the after Christmas sales at The Body Shop. I would buy lots of little fancy soaps…sweet smelling, pretty glycerin soaps, exfoliating soaps, and itty bitty guest soaps. But I never used them. I always thought they were too nice, “expensive,” or fancy to use, so I stuck with Dove. Eventually, I threw the nice soaps away.
In the last few years, my hands have gotten incredibly dry. The skin cracks and bleeds, and my fingers throb in pain. Using the ubiquitous antibacterial liquid hand soap appears to be one of the causes. This year, instead of trying to repair the damage (using lotions and creams), I want to address the cause of the problem by switching soaps.
I’ve been looking into natural soaps, i.e., those containing olive oil, goat’s milk, shea butter, and the like. I ordered a bunch of sample soaps from MoonDance Soaps & More, and I am in love! I haven’t actually used them for hand washing yet, though. I’ve been using them in shower…I figure I’ll use them up faster that way, so I can decide which ones I like the best and order again sooner. They have some wonderful holiday soaps, and I’m planning on giving some as gifts this year.
Now I just have to figure out what to do with all the Dove in the linen closet.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Ick
On Friday, the cleaners were here to do the bathrooms. I was in the kitchen taking care of breakfast, and I heard a loud clanging crash coming from the master bathroom above me. I assumed it was the toothbrush holder and stifled the urge to rush up the stairs and shout, “what the hell was that?” I hoped that they would at least clean up the toothbrush holder after it came in contact with the floor.
During my shower yesterday morning, the incident came to mind again. I thought about the various things on the bathroom counter,* and the cotton ball holder came to mind. The container and its lid would definitely be more likely to make a loud clanging crash than the toothbrush holder. In fact, if the toothbrush holder made that kind of noise, it would most likely be broken.
But there were still cotton balls in the container. Certainly, if they had fallen on the floor, they would have been thrown away. My first urge was to throw them out just in case, but I feared it might be a princessy move. I could hear Pete’s eyes rolling just thinking about it.
When I got out of the shower, I just had to check. I took the lid off the cotton balls, and I saw them…mixed with specks of dirt, lint, and hair. Ewwww.
*When we first started having the cleaners come in to clean the bathrooms, I took everything off the counters. I’ve since relaxed a bit, although I do remove most stuff, especially toothbrushes (and my razor from the shower). I think I’ll start moving it all again.
During my shower yesterday morning, the incident came to mind again. I thought about the various things on the bathroom counter,* and the cotton ball holder came to mind. The container and its lid would definitely be more likely to make a loud clanging crash than the toothbrush holder. In fact, if the toothbrush holder made that kind of noise, it would most likely be broken.
But there were still cotton balls in the container. Certainly, if they had fallen on the floor, they would have been thrown away. My first urge was to throw them out just in case, but I feared it might be a princessy move. I could hear Pete’s eyes rolling just thinking about it.
When I got out of the shower, I just had to check. I took the lid off the cotton balls, and I saw them…mixed with specks of dirt, lint, and hair. Ewwww.
*When we first started having the cleaners come in to clean the bathrooms, I took everything off the counters. I’ve since relaxed a bit, although I do remove most stuff, especially toothbrushes (and my razor from the shower). I think I’ll start moving it all again.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Sounds of the season
The local radio station that plays Christmas songs 24/7 throughout the holiday season has started playing Christmas songs. My car no longer needs to be silent. Hooray!
Gogo does not tolerate the radio unless it plays Christmas music. My car doesn’t have a CD player, so we do not usually have music playing. I have a tape of
Now, I absolutely love the holiday season, and I would start the Christmas music on November 1st if I could, but Christmas music from December to April is a bit much even for me. When my car went in for a repair, I took out the tape for safekeeping and never put it back.
When I told Gogo we were going to listen to Christmas music on the radio, she wanted to know if we could get the tape back... they don’t play “Smurfing bells” on the radio.
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