Hawaii is finally broadcasting events from the rest of the country. :P This time, it's Hurricane Gustav. And I don't feel bad for a single stupid, dumbass idiot I saw on TV.
The reporters must have interviewed the dumbest, most ignorant, stubborn asses on the planet... either that, or New Orleans is just full of asses. One lady is staying behind because "this is my home"- well, no matter where I live, if there are deadly hurricanes hitting my home every year, then I'm outta there. She was also stocking up on "supplies"- I used that term loosely, because her "supplies" were a 12 pack of Pepsi. Ooooh, smart decision.
Another guy was kicked out by his girlfriend that afternoon and was now looking for a bus to evacuate. DUH- if you wanted to evacuate, you shoulda done that yesterday! And she probably kicked you out because you were a crass, loud moron.
One family (yes, family, as in with kids) decided to stay behind because "they've been through hurricanes before". I hope their house gets demolished. I know that's mean, but if people are too dumb to heed government warnings to evacuate because a deadly hurricane was headed right toward them, then I don't feel bad for those idiots.
I do feel bad for the people that can't leave, like elderly people, or people in hospitals. But if you have two working legs and a sound mind, there's no reason to be such a friggin dumbass! And, it kills me that these are the same people who demand government help when their house and town (inevitable) gets wiped out.
*sigh*
I suppose we'll never rid the world of stupid people. I'm just glad I'm not down there living with them.
8/31/08
8/30/08
Blueberry-Peach Pie
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp shortening
4-5 tbsp cold water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 rsp ground cinnamon
2 cups blueberries
2 1/2 cups sliced peaches
1 tbsp butter
How To:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix flour and salt in bowl. Cut in shortening using pastry blender, or by crisscrossing two butter knives. Sprinkle with cold water and toss with a fork. Gather pastry in a ball and divide in half. Roll one half pastry on floured surface slightly larger than the diameter of the pie plate. Place in pie plate (it helps to fold it in 4ths, then unfold in the plate).
Mix sugar, flour, and cinnamon in bowl. Spread blueberries in bottom of pie and top with half the sugar mixture. Layer the sliced peaches on top, then top with the remaining half of the sugar mixture. Cut butter into small pieces and sprinkle over the pie. Roll out the remaining half of pastry and place on top of pie. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, as desired. Place in oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. To prevent excessive browning of the crust edges, cover the edges with aluminum foil, and remove foil during the last 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 2 hours.
*I used thawed bags of blueberries and sliced up canned peaches (drained, of course)- who really has the time or money to used fresh blueberries and peel and slice fresh peaches? :)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp shortening
4-5 tbsp cold water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 rsp ground cinnamon
2 cups blueberries
2 1/2 cups sliced peaches
1 tbsp butter
How To:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix flour and salt in bowl. Cut in shortening using pastry blender, or by crisscrossing two butter knives. Sprinkle with cold water and toss with a fork. Gather pastry in a ball and divide in half. Roll one half pastry on floured surface slightly larger than the diameter of the pie plate. Place in pie plate (it helps to fold it in 4ths, then unfold in the plate).
Mix sugar, flour, and cinnamon in bowl. Spread blueberries in bottom of pie and top with half the sugar mixture. Layer the sliced peaches on top, then top with the remaining half of the sugar mixture. Cut butter into small pieces and sprinkle over the pie. Roll out the remaining half of pastry and place on top of pie. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, as desired. Place in oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. To prevent excessive browning of the crust edges, cover the edges with aluminum foil, and remove foil during the last 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 2 hours.
*I used thawed bags of blueberries and sliced up canned peaches (drained, of course)- who really has the time or money to used fresh blueberries and peel and slice fresh peaches? :)
8/29/08
Dammit
Um, so I forgot about the Friday recipe. I guess I was just too busy with Hubby being home! :) But since he deployed today, I'll have time tomorrow to cook up something... hahahaha, I'm hilarious. :P
8/26/08
He's crawling!
I went to a baby shower this past weekend, and that's when LB decided to crawl for the first time!! He looked so cute and wobbly. The next day, I got a little on video when he crawled for a second time, right after Hubby got home from his trip.
He has also been pulling up really well. He'll usually pull up onto his knees, but recently he's pulled up to his feet, just a few times. He always looks so proud of himself when he does that!
For those of you that want to see it, check out my youtube account.
In other news, Hubby is home and doesn't have to report to the boat until Friday, so we're taking a little family vacation... at home. :) It's been nice- yesterday we went to a farmer's market (which was really just two guys selling fruit and veggies on the marina), then ate at the Greek Marina. Soooo yummy. Our favorite german restaurant (The Chef's Table) closed down, so we were disappointed, but at least we found a new favorite place. :)
My most favorite person in the whole world- we'll call her Izzy (heehee, remember?)- is in the process of finding a house with her husband!! I'm so excited and wish I could visit them once they buy one! It seems like so many people are settling down and buying houses, but we can't really think about that for another seven years, or how ever long it will be once Hubby is out of the Navy. It's kind of a bummer, but at least we've been able to see different states... It's kind of like trying on jeans. You have to try out a bunch to find that one pair that suits you perfectly. So far, nothing has been living up to New England. We both miss it so much!! But hopefully we'll be able to check out Washington (state)- I have a feeling we will both like it there very much.
He has also been pulling up really well. He'll usually pull up onto his knees, but recently he's pulled up to his feet, just a few times. He always looks so proud of himself when he does that!
For those of you that want to see it, check out my youtube account.
In other news, Hubby is home and doesn't have to report to the boat until Friday, so we're taking a little family vacation... at home. :) It's been nice- yesterday we went to a farmer's market (which was really just two guys selling fruit and veggies on the marina), then ate at the Greek Marina. Soooo yummy. Our favorite german restaurant (The Chef's Table) closed down, so we were disappointed, but at least we found a new favorite place. :)
My most favorite person in the whole world- we'll call her Izzy (heehee, remember?)- is in the process of finding a house with her husband!! I'm so excited and wish I could visit them once they buy one! It seems like so many people are settling down and buying houses, but we can't really think about that for another seven years, or how ever long it will be once Hubby is out of the Navy. It's kind of a bummer, but at least we've been able to see different states... It's kind of like trying on jeans. You have to try out a bunch to find that one pair that suits you perfectly. So far, nothing has been living up to New England. We both miss it so much!! But hopefully we'll be able to check out Washington (state)- I have a feeling we will both like it there very much.
8/23/08
Friday recipe on a Saturday
Yeah, I got busy yesterday, but here's a recipe like I promised!
Roasted Pecans
Ingredients:
1 can of pecans
Slightly beaten egg white
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsps ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
How To:
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Mix egg white and vanilla in a large bowl- toss in pecans and mix until pecans are coated. Put sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a large ziploc bag and close it. Shake it to mix. Add pecans, close the bag, and shake it again to coat pecans. Spread pecans in a single layer on an ungreased pan. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes.
*I baked mine 30 minutes, but I probably should have baked them only 20. They seemed a little too well-done. These taste really good alone or in a Waldorf salad!
Roasted Pecans
Ingredients:
1 can of pecans
Slightly beaten egg white
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsps ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
How To:
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Mix egg white and vanilla in a large bowl- toss in pecans and mix until pecans are coated. Put sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a large ziploc bag and close it. Shake it to mix. Add pecans, close the bag, and shake it again to coat pecans. Spread pecans in a single layer on an ungreased pan. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes.
*I baked mine 30 minutes, but I probably should have baked them only 20. They seemed a little too well-done. These taste really good alone or in a Waldorf salad!
8/22/08
8/21/08
Oh my god, make it stop!
It's been another fabulous morning for LB....
He actually woke up around 7am, which is a little late for him, but nice for me! He seemed tired around 9am, so I put him to bed. He was silent for about ten minutes, then the stupid lawn mowing people came by and woke him up. Dammit!
Now it's 10:30am, and he hasn't had any morning nap. He's been rubbing his eyes and his nose is red, so I know he's tired, but he's screaming. Not like he's being murdered or anything, but it's like he's throwing a hissy fit. I turned off the monitors but I can still hear him through the walls.
My nerves are seriously shot right now. I just want to leave the house so I can escape the crying, but what kind of mother just leaves her baby crying in his crib alone in the house? I guess when you can hear eardrum-shattering screaming for hours, it can make you think some crazy things. Thank god for this blog! :)
We're meeting Larissa for lunch in an hour, and I desperately need him to sleep, just so he's not so cranky at lunch. But what's worse? Letting him scream and work himself up, or keeping him up and not letting him nap?? Either way, he's going to be a mess and cry through lunch. *SIGH* I just wish he'd fall asleep, even for 30 minutes. ANYTHING!
He actually woke up around 7am, which is a little late for him, but nice for me! He seemed tired around 9am, so I put him to bed. He was silent for about ten minutes, then the stupid lawn mowing people came by and woke him up. Dammit!
Now it's 10:30am, and he hasn't had any morning nap. He's been rubbing his eyes and his nose is red, so I know he's tired, but he's screaming. Not like he's being murdered or anything, but it's like he's throwing a hissy fit. I turned off the monitors but I can still hear him through the walls.
My nerves are seriously shot right now. I just want to leave the house so I can escape the crying, but what kind of mother just leaves her baby crying in his crib alone in the house? I guess when you can hear eardrum-shattering screaming for hours, it can make you think some crazy things. Thank god for this blog! :)
We're meeting Larissa for lunch in an hour, and I desperately need him to sleep, just so he's not so cranky at lunch. But what's worse? Letting him scream and work himself up, or keeping him up and not letting him nap?? Either way, he's going to be a mess and cry through lunch. *SIGH* I just wish he'd fall asleep, even for 30 minutes. ANYTHING!
8/20/08
My sentiments, exactly
"Chinese Cheaters Exploit Girls"
by Michelle Malkin
Midweek newspaper, Vol. 25, No. 12
I have an 8 year old daughter. I know what 8 year old hands and feet and hips and teeth look like. They look a lot like the hands and feet and hips and teeth of the purported "teenagers" on the gold medal-winning Chinese girls' gymnastics team.
The two pounds of frosty blue eye shadow and Bubblicious pink blush that the ChiComs piled on the cherubic faces of their gymnasts backfired. Rather than masking their youth, the pedo-friendly make-up made them look even younger, like 5 year olds dressed up for a Beijing Halloween Gone Wild.
One of the Chinese team members has an unexplained missing tooth- explicable if someone knocked it out, or if she's the only "16" year old on the planet still losing her Chiclet-sized baby teeth. Take your pick. The coaches refused to elaborate on the gap.
Apparently, the ChiComs hoped all that iridescent glitter slipped onto the wee foreheads of their athletes would blind spectators' eyes to the screamingly obvious. Lo and behold, the magic dust has worked on the ostriches that sit on the International Olympic Committee (IOC). They're in deeper denial about cheating than John Edwards.
Gymnasts are required to turn 16 this year to be eligible for competition. Official records, ChiCom state media reports, and Internet data all undermine the eligibility claims of at least three of the girls. He Kexin, for example, was listed as 13 in November 2007 by a Chinese state news service. Jiang Yuyuan's birth date has magically evolved from one that makes her 15 in October to another that makes her 16 in November.
The sports world is in an uproar. But the IOC is covering its ears and singing, "la la la, we can't hear you". Welcome to this week's live-action performance of "Cheating ChiComs, Crouching IOC".
The committee, along with the International Gymnastics' Federation, accepted China's passports for the girls as iron-clad proof of their ages. They insist on ignoring the long trail of whitewashed documents online. Zhang Hongliang, an official with China's gymnastics delegation, successfully stonewalled: "We already explained this very clearly. There's no need to discuss this thing again." Bowing, scraping, Olympic officials hav complied.
According to Sports Illustrated, the IOC has also refused to investigate a separate admission by a former Chinese gymnast who reportedly has claimed to have competed as a 14 year old at the 2000 Sydney Games.
These sports bodies, intent on papering over China's systemic flouting of the rules for the sake of global harmony, are vying with the United Nations for the title of Most Feckless International Agency. They've swallowed China's excuses that the pre-altered birth dates were cimply record-keeping "errors". There's no such thing as a bureaucratic error in an authoritarian regime.
China has a long, state-sponsored history of cheating by every means necessary and exploiting its female athletes from the doped-up female runners of "Ma's Army" to the human growth hormone-fueled victories of the Chinese women swimmers over the last 15 years. The revelations about the opening ceremony's fireworks fakery and lip-sync switcheroo involving two more exploited Chinese girls simply underscore the regime's threat to whatever is left of the integrity of the Olympic Games.
The Olympic Village has become China's triumphant Potemkin village.
Swifter, higher, stronger? Try smaller, liar, younger.
by Michelle Malkin
Midweek newspaper, Vol. 25, No. 12
I have an 8 year old daughter. I know what 8 year old hands and feet and hips and teeth look like. They look a lot like the hands and feet and hips and teeth of the purported "teenagers" on the gold medal-winning Chinese girls' gymnastics team.
The two pounds of frosty blue eye shadow and Bubblicious pink blush that the ChiComs piled on the cherubic faces of their gymnasts backfired. Rather than masking their youth, the pedo-friendly make-up made them look even younger, like 5 year olds dressed up for a Beijing Halloween Gone Wild.
One of the Chinese team members has an unexplained missing tooth- explicable if someone knocked it out, or if she's the only "16" year old on the planet still losing her Chiclet-sized baby teeth. Take your pick. The coaches refused to elaborate on the gap.
Apparently, the ChiComs hoped all that iridescent glitter slipped onto the wee foreheads of their athletes would blind spectators' eyes to the screamingly obvious. Lo and behold, the magic dust has worked on the ostriches that sit on the International Olympic Committee (IOC). They're in deeper denial about cheating than John Edwards.
Gymnasts are required to turn 16 this year to be eligible for competition. Official records, ChiCom state media reports, and Internet data all undermine the eligibility claims of at least three of the girls. He Kexin, for example, was listed as 13 in November 2007 by a Chinese state news service. Jiang Yuyuan's birth date has magically evolved from one that makes her 15 in October to another that makes her 16 in November.
The sports world is in an uproar. But the IOC is covering its ears and singing, "la la la, we can't hear you". Welcome to this week's live-action performance of "Cheating ChiComs, Crouching IOC".
The committee, along with the International Gymnastics' Federation, accepted China's passports for the girls as iron-clad proof of their ages. They insist on ignoring the long trail of whitewashed documents online. Zhang Hongliang, an official with China's gymnastics delegation, successfully stonewalled: "We already explained this very clearly. There's no need to discuss this thing again." Bowing, scraping, Olympic officials hav complied.
According to Sports Illustrated, the IOC has also refused to investigate a separate admission by a former Chinese gymnast who reportedly has claimed to have competed as a 14 year old at the 2000 Sydney Games.
These sports bodies, intent on papering over China's systemic flouting of the rules for the sake of global harmony, are vying with the United Nations for the title of Most Feckless International Agency. They've swallowed China's excuses that the pre-altered birth dates were cimply record-keeping "errors". There's no such thing as a bureaucratic error in an authoritarian regime.
China has a long, state-sponsored history of cheating by every means necessary and exploiting its female athletes from the doped-up female runners of "Ma's Army" to the human growth hormone-fueled victories of the Chinese women swimmers over the last 15 years. The revelations about the opening ceremony's fireworks fakery and lip-sync switcheroo involving two more exploited Chinese girls simply underscore the regime's threat to whatever is left of the integrity of the Olympic Games.
The Olympic Village has become China's triumphant Potemkin village.
Swifter, higher, stronger? Try smaller, liar, younger.
8/18/08
WTF, gymnastics????
Warning- I will get a little carried away, and this post may be peppered with expletives, but I'm really confused and annoyed right now.
What is going on with gymnastics? Why were the calculations for the scores changed? I understand that now they add the execution with the start value, but don't the judges understand that it's completely skewing the results??
I just watched Sacramone lose to the chinese girl that fell on her knees. Yes, I know I'm a little behind, but Hawaii is 18 hours behind Beijing, so please forgive me. Sacramone landed two great vaults. She didn't fall. She didn't step outside the lines. And she lost to not one, not two, but three girls that made huge mistakes.
Whiskey tango foxtrot, FIG???? Why did they change the way they do the scoring after Athens? I hope they take a long hard look at what they did in this olympics and how gymnasts were gypped out of their rightful medals. This new scoring system has made watching gymnastics a lot less fun. And it has probably made the gymnasts pissed, at least the ones that received poor scores for good routines.
Grrrrrrrrr. Seriously, FIG, reinstate the old scoring!!!!
*Okay, so I managed to make it through without swearing. That doesn't mean I wasn't yelling four letter words at the tv. :)
What is going on with gymnastics? Why were the calculations for the scores changed? I understand that now they add the execution with the start value, but don't the judges understand that it's completely skewing the results??
I just watched Sacramone lose to the chinese girl that fell on her knees. Yes, I know I'm a little behind, but Hawaii is 18 hours behind Beijing, so please forgive me. Sacramone landed two great vaults. She didn't fall. She didn't step outside the lines. And she lost to not one, not two, but three girls that made huge mistakes.
Whiskey tango foxtrot, FIG???? Why did they change the way they do the scoring after Athens? I hope they take a long hard look at what they did in this olympics and how gymnasts were gypped out of their rightful medals. This new scoring system has made watching gymnastics a lot less fun. And it has probably made the gymnasts pissed, at least the ones that received poor scores for good routines.
Grrrrrrrrr. Seriously, FIG, reinstate the old scoring!!!!
*Okay, so I managed to make it through without swearing. That doesn't mean I wasn't yelling four letter words at the tv. :)
8/15/08
Woo hoo!
Hubby had his interview yesterday in DC with the admirals. He spent a few days there getting ready (and getting over a 6 hour time difference), then went in to determine the next seven years of our lives. For those of you that don't really know, the PNEO interview can either make or break you. Someone like Hubby can spend almost 13 years in the submarine force, then have all those qualifications and clearances stripped away in a matter of minutes. And to make the pressure beat down on him more, they failed 25% of the guys in the group before him. Typically, only one guy will fail. So that freaked him out, which of course freaked me out.
But, he passed!
He called last night to let me know, and by the time I got to the pre-deployment brief (yikes, I can't believe I have to think about deployment already), all the other officers knew about it. Even the captain said congrats and that he was proud of Hubby.
So, we basically can relax about the next 7 years. We know we will be in subs. We know which places we can get stationed. We know roughly when to expect deployments, shore duty, more deployments, etc. And, that is a huge weight lifted off Hubby's shoulders!
In other news, I caught LB today on his hands and feet! He's been pretty good about getting up on his hands and knees, but somehow he managed to get up on his feet. Of course, this lasted a few seconds, then he fell on his face and cried a little bit. He's also becoming a little food critic. He loves sweet potatoes, carrots, and green beans with turkey, but won't go anywhere near applesauce or peas. He also found Cheerios to be very perplexing.
Well, it is 7pm here, and LB is asleep, so I think I might just drink a little spiked iced tea and relax with the olympics. :)
But, he passed!
He called last night to let me know, and by the time I got to the pre-deployment brief (yikes, I can't believe I have to think about deployment already), all the other officers knew about it. Even the captain said congrats and that he was proud of Hubby.
So, we basically can relax about the next 7 years. We know we will be in subs. We know which places we can get stationed. We know roughly when to expect deployments, shore duty, more deployments, etc. And, that is a huge weight lifted off Hubby's shoulders!
In other news, I caught LB today on his hands and feet! He's been pretty good about getting up on his hands and knees, but somehow he managed to get up on his feet. Of course, this lasted a few seconds, then he fell on his face and cried a little bit. He's also becoming a little food critic. He loves sweet potatoes, carrots, and green beans with turkey, but won't go anywhere near applesauce or peas. He also found Cheerios to be very perplexing.
Well, it is 7pm here, and LB is asleep, so I think I might just drink a little spiked iced tea and relax with the olympics. :)
Friday recipe
So here's the recipe I would use on a day like today, where LB cries a lot and hawaiians annoy me and Puppy is constantly at my feet making me trip.
1. Call Pizza Hut.
2. Order pizza.
2. Order pizza.
3. Pay for pizza.
4. Eat pizza... the whole thing.
That's what I would do, but since I promised to put in actual recipes, here's another one that's good for the soul.
Spanish Sangria
Ingredients:
1 bottle of dry red wine
1/2 dozen ice cubes
1/4 cup brandy
2 tbsp sugar
2 lemons, sliced paper thin
2 oranges, sliced paper thin
3 cups sparkling water, chilled
How To:
Pour wine over the ice cubes in a pitcher. Add brandy, sugar, lemons, oranges, and water. Stir well, pour into chilled glasses, and sip slowly.
*For those of you not into the wine thing, here's a little something for you.
Martha Stewart's Hibiscus Mint Iced Tea (pictured above)
Ingredients:
4 hibiscus tea bags
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
4 cups boiling water
2 cups apple juice
2 cups cold water
How To:
In a large heatproof pitcher, combine tea bags, mint leaves, and boiling water. Steep 10 minutes. Throw away the tea bags and mint. Add apple juice and water. Refrigerate until cold. Serve over ice with sprigs of mint, if you want.
*I'm trying to get a little fancier with the whole recipe posting. It's always nice to see what the food is supposed to look like. :)
8/11/08
DC has my heart :(
Hubby went to DC this week to have his interview with the admirals. Basically, they ask him questions, and he answers them, and then they decide if he is knowledgeable to keep his job. Obviously, he'll do fine- he's smart and can think on his toes. And I know that he has to do this to move ahead, but...
I miss him.
Of course, there will also be other instances where he will be gone (such as a 6 month westpac). I'm not sure why this one bugs me. Maybe it's because I've been spoiled having him around as much as I did. Or maybe it's because I'm superjealous that he's back on the east coast (mmm, I'd kill for a Kahlua coffee coolatta and a bavarian creme donut from Dunks). Whatever it is, I'm bummed.
But at least I'm keeping busy. Dinner with Trisha (possibly) and rehearsal tomorrow, brunch and watching Trisha's kids Wednesday, and sub wives' coffee and tooth filling Thursday. Okay, so the tooth filling will suck, but it's something. :) Plus, I have a long list of things to get done while Hubby is away.
Sometimes having Hubby away works out fine. I'm not getting elbowed in the face while sleeping. :) Plus, I can make pasta dishes and not hear complaining about the lack of protein. But the cons definitely outweigh the pros by far.
Right now, LB probably doesn't realize that Hubby is away for awhile. He probably thinks that daddy just has a really long work day right now. But as he gets older, not only will I have to contend with my loneliness, but I'll also have to deal with his. Hopefully, LB won't remember all the months that Hubby is away with the military. After all, he'll be 7 when Hubby retires. But it will be hard for a little kid to understand why daddy doesn't come home for months on end. Oooooh, that'll be a fun time. :P (Please note the thick blanket of sarcasm)
*In other news, LB's top front two teeth are starting to poke through! Yay!
I miss him.
Of course, there will also be other instances where he will be gone (such as a 6 month westpac). I'm not sure why this one bugs me. Maybe it's because I've been spoiled having him around as much as I did. Or maybe it's because I'm superjealous that he's back on the east coast (mmm, I'd kill for a Kahlua coffee coolatta and a bavarian creme donut from Dunks). Whatever it is, I'm bummed.
But at least I'm keeping busy. Dinner with Trisha (possibly) and rehearsal tomorrow, brunch and watching Trisha's kids Wednesday, and sub wives' coffee and tooth filling Thursday. Okay, so the tooth filling will suck, but it's something. :) Plus, I have a long list of things to get done while Hubby is away.
Sometimes having Hubby away works out fine. I'm not getting elbowed in the face while sleeping. :) Plus, I can make pasta dishes and not hear complaining about the lack of protein. But the cons definitely outweigh the pros by far.
Right now, LB probably doesn't realize that Hubby is away for awhile. He probably thinks that daddy just has a really long work day right now. But as he gets older, not only will I have to contend with my loneliness, but I'll also have to deal with his. Hopefully, LB won't remember all the months that Hubby is away with the military. After all, he'll be 7 when Hubby retires. But it will be hard for a little kid to understand why daddy doesn't come home for months on end. Oooooh, that'll be a fun time. :P (Please note the thick blanket of sarcasm)
*In other news, LB's top front two teeth are starting to poke through! Yay!
8/10/08
Congratulations!
A friend of mine (we'll call her Anne) just had a baby boy. He weighed in at 6 lb, 9 oz.! I called her this afternoon to tell her congrats and how beautiful he must be. But while I was leaving the message, I actually almost said "I'm sorry."
What a terrible thing to think!
But now that I think about it, I really do feel sorry for her a little. Childbirth is not a pleasant experience- for me, it downright sucked. Maybe my expectations were too high, that this was going to be "the best day of my life", when actually it was one of the most painful days ever. Maybe it was the weeks-overdue-so-let's-induce, the 23 hrs of labor, or the emergency c-section after said labor, or the "recovery period", which (let's be honest) takes a few years, not a few days!
Now don't get me wrong- I love LB so much, and I definitely don't regret having him, but I could really do without the whole process. :P "The best day of my life" it was not.
Watching him learn how to use his hands, or how to balance when sitting, or making things move by moving other things, THOSE are happy days. Teaching him to stand, watching his reaction to new foods (especially lemon juice, hahaha), and even those painful first teeth, THOSE are happy days.
I'm so excited for Anne and her husband and new family. I know that they are going to have so many of those happy days. And I know that she is going to be a good mother. I just also know what she had to go through to get there, and yes, I do feel sorry for her!
*Now, don't get all Confuscious on me and say "those happy days wouldn't exist without childbirth." Duh. I'm well aware of that fact. I may not be great at science, but I do understand basic biology and cause & effect. I'm just saying that even though that day gives you happy days, that day is also absolutely terrible. At least for the mommy. :P
What a terrible thing to think!
But now that I think about it, I really do feel sorry for her a little. Childbirth is not a pleasant experience- for me, it downright sucked. Maybe my expectations were too high, that this was going to be "the best day of my life", when actually it was one of the most painful days ever. Maybe it was the weeks-overdue-so-let's-induce, the 23 hrs of labor, or the emergency c-section after said labor, or the "recovery period", which (let's be honest) takes a few years, not a few days!
Now don't get me wrong- I love LB so much, and I definitely don't regret having him, but I could really do without the whole process. :P "The best day of my life" it was not.
Watching him learn how to use his hands, or how to balance when sitting, or making things move by moving other things, THOSE are happy days. Teaching him to stand, watching his reaction to new foods (especially lemon juice, hahaha), and even those painful first teeth, THOSE are happy days.
I'm so excited for Anne and her husband and new family. I know that they are going to have so many of those happy days. And I know that she is going to be a good mother. I just also know what she had to go through to get there, and yes, I do feel sorry for her!
*Now, don't get all Confuscious on me and say "those happy days wouldn't exist without childbirth." Duh. I'm well aware of that fact. I may not be great at science, but I do understand basic biology and cause & effect. I'm just saying that even though that day gives you happy days, that day is also absolutely terrible. At least for the mommy. :P
8/9/08
Friday recipe on a Saturday
So, I got a little carried away with the Olympics that I forgot to post my Friday recipe! Oops! Here it is:
Spinach Dip
Ingredients:
16 oz can of sour cream
1 package Kraft Ranch Dip mix
1 green onion, chopped
1 package frozen spinach, thawed
How To:
Unwrapped the spinach. Squeeze it dry and blot with paper towels so it's really dry. Mix sour cream, dip mix, and onion well. Fold in spinach. Mix with a fork to break up the spinach. Chill for about 4 hours so the flavors all mix together well.
*I used fat free sour cream and it was fine. It serves well with pita or bagel chips, or raw veggies.
Spinach Dip
Ingredients:
16 oz can of sour cream
1 package Kraft Ranch Dip mix
1 green onion, chopped
1 package frozen spinach, thawed
How To:
Unwrapped the spinach. Squeeze it dry and blot with paper towels so it's really dry. Mix sour cream, dip mix, and onion well. Fold in spinach. Mix with a fork to break up the spinach. Chill for about 4 hours so the flavors all mix together well.
*I used fat free sour cream and it was fine. It serves well with pita or bagel chips, or raw veggies.
8/5/08
Thwack!
That's the sound of a golf ball being hit... or, that's the sound it should make.
Today Shawn took me golfing for the first time since... 2005? Whenever it was, it's been awhile. I went to the driving range the day before and did pretty well. It's like riding a bike, I thought. It'll come back to me. Now I realize it was just beginner's luck.
I didn't do horribly bad today. Considering my absence from the sport, a 114 wasn't a bad score. It's better than what it was when I was first learning! But it wasn't great. There were a few shots that were downright embarassing. And, of course, there were a very few great shots that made me want to play even more. That's the addicting part of the game.
Today Shawn took me golfing for the first time since... 2005? Whenever it was, it's been awhile. I went to the driving range the day before and did pretty well. It's like riding a bike, I thought. It'll come back to me. Now I realize it was just beginner's luck.
I didn't do horribly bad today. Considering my absence from the sport, a 114 wasn't a bad score. It's better than what it was when I was first learning! But it wasn't great. There were a few shots that were downright embarassing. And, of course, there were a very few great shots that made me want to play even more. That's the addicting part of the game.
8/2/08
Meatball Minestrone
Ingredients:
Meatballs-
1/2 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup shredded provolone
1 garlic clove, crushed through a press
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
Soup-
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed through a press
1/2 lb carrots, diced
1/2 lb peeled and diced butternut squash (about 2 cups)
1 can (48 oz) chicken broth
1 can (15 1/2 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1 can (14 1/2 oz) Italian diced tomatoes
1 cup small pasta shells, cooked
1/2 lb escarole, trimmed and chopped
1 small zucchini, diced
How To:
Meatballs-
In a medium bowl, combine turkey, cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix until blended. Shape into 1 inch balls (it'll make about 24). Pan-fry meatballs in 1 tbsp olive oil until browned.
Soup-
Heat oil in large Dutch oven or 5 quart pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add carrots, butternut squash, broth, beans, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes until veggies are tender. Add cooked meatballs and tomatoes, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 4 minutes. Stir in pasta, escarole, and zucchini. Simmer until both are tender.
*I didn't have escarole or butternut squash on hand, so I left those two out, and it still tasted very yummy. The recipe says "serves 6", but I think you could feed a small army on it- it makes a ton! Oh, and I stirred in some grated parmesan cheese- what's an italian dish without parmesan?? :)
Meatballs-
1/2 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup shredded provolone
1 garlic clove, crushed through a press
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
Soup-
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed through a press
1/2 lb carrots, diced
1/2 lb peeled and diced butternut squash (about 2 cups)
1 can (48 oz) chicken broth
1 can (15 1/2 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1 can (14 1/2 oz) Italian diced tomatoes
1 cup small pasta shells, cooked
1/2 lb escarole, trimmed and chopped
1 small zucchini, diced
How To:
Meatballs-
In a medium bowl, combine turkey, cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix until blended. Shape into 1 inch balls (it'll make about 24). Pan-fry meatballs in 1 tbsp olive oil until browned.
Soup-
Heat oil in large Dutch oven or 5 quart pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add carrots, butternut squash, broth, beans, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes until veggies are tender. Add cooked meatballs and tomatoes, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 4 minutes. Stir in pasta, escarole, and zucchini. Simmer until both are tender.
*I didn't have escarole or butternut squash on hand, so I left those two out, and it still tasted very yummy. The recipe says "serves 6", but I think you could feed a small army on it- it makes a ton! Oh, and I stirred in some grated parmesan cheese- what's an italian dish without parmesan?? :)
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