Kiddie Stuff

(I figure the best thing to do is just keep on going like there wasn't any hiatus in writing at all.  Nope, nothing to see here...)

When I was a kid, our family Christmases were HUGE.  At the time, they didn't seem like anything unusual - 20-30 people at our place for the holidays was par for the course.  My sister and her family would come over from Seattle and stay for a few days, and my three brothers and their families were all local so they'd drive out on Christmas day for dinner.  It was chaotic, messy, and fun, but most of all it was our tradition.

There were a few years where the kids outnumbered the adults, so we did two Christmas trees - the pretty, sparkly, white-lighted formal one in the living room, and the kids' tree in the kitchen with the beaded fake candy garland, the felt and plastic toy ornaments, and gaudy multicolored lights.   I loved the formal tree, "Mom's tree" as Dad would call it, with her angels and crystal icicles and collectible glass ornaments.  She'd put velvet bows and gold garland on it, and it just shone and sparkled like one big neon "DO NOT TOUCH" sign.  The kids' tree, however, was right in the middle of the traffic zone in the kitchen - there was nothing breakable or fragile about it.  It was a rough-and-tumble tree, meant to be bumped and prodded and dug around under with abandon.  It wasn't pretty, and it was awesome to us kids that we had our very own tree.  But the sheer beauty of Mom's tree was captivating in a way that the kids' tree just couldn't hold a candle to.

 So you'd think that, as an adult, my taste in Christmas decor would run along the lines of my Mom's - sparkly, pretty, a bit more formal.  But when I look at my tree now I see that kids' tree.  I have the original candy garland, the wooden beads, and a lot of the kids' ornaments that we hung on the old tree.  B has contributed all of his ornaments that he made or had from his childhood.  Almost all of the new decorations that we've acquired follow this theme too - Beaker from The Muppets (he meeps "Ode to Joy" when you hit a button!), a GI Joe action figure, Strawberry Shortcake, Mr Potatohead, snowmen and S'moremen and felt Pac-Men and penguins.  I did go a little bit the other direction when I bought glass icicles and red velvet bows, but I think there's only three glass balls on the entire thing.  When you look at the tree, you definitely see the childhood memories of two 30-something-adults reflected there.  And I love it.

Smile... no, SMILE.

This weekend I decided we should take our annual "Christmas picture" to put in our e-cards to friends and family.  First off, yes, I send e-cards instead of paper cards. I hate spending a lot on postage, so this way I can send it to more people, I can attach multiple pictures, and I also don't feel like I'm adding to the after-Christmas-massive-amounts-of-paper-waste-stream as much.  (Read: I'm a cheapskate.)

Anyway, the pictures.  The dog is apparently afraid of the tri-pod, so I couldn't get him in any of the pictures even by sitting on the floor:

(Also, hello chins?  Plural?)

So I cropped Jake's (worriedomgwhatsthatblinkingthingwithlegs) face out and got a halfway decent one.

And yes, B has a beard.  And yes, that's exactly how it grew in.  There is no hair between the 'stache and the goatee.  It's kind of weird, yet I'm glad because can you imagine if it was all filled in?  Yeesh.  As it is, he's a pretty decent looking mountain man.  Also, note the side-swept bangs that happen to perfectly cover a massive volcanic zit on my temple.  Ta-daa!

Then we got the giggles, trying to take a "scenic overlook" type picture (you know, the ones where you hold the camera at arm's length) but the timer was still on so B's holding the camera out there for a full ten seconds...



...which morphed into this:



....and then we have the Gaping Nostrils of Doom:



....yeah.

First ye take de boom-boom...

(I'm hoping there are some Muppet Show fans out there that recognize that line...)

Initially we were going to host Thanksgiving at our house this year.  We held Christmas here last year, which I considered a success despite the potential disaster with the potatoes (don't let them cool before mashing!), and we have a turkey in our freezer that's been there for oh, a while (*coughtwoyearscough*) that we thought would be wise to cook sometime soon.  But MIL is working the day after Thanksgiving at her friend's knitting shop, so we're trekking over to their place instead.  No big deal, I can still cook some things, and the turkey should last until Christmas (right?!).

So for Thanksgiving, here's what I'm taking:

Raspberry-Jalapeno Chutney: Basically a relish, using raspberries from our garden.  It had a little too much heat, so I added some raspberry and orange jell-o to it last night to try to temper it a bit.  B liked it zingy though, so even if it's too much for the fam I know he'll eat it.

Raspberry Chipotle Sauce: I didn't make this specifically for the holiday, but to try & use as many of these danged raspberries as possible.  This turned out even better than the chutney, with a smoky-sweet-zingy flavor that's awesome as a marinade or a dressing for sandwiches.

Puffy Potatoes: I made these for B a while back, and they turned out so stinkin' good that I'll never make plain mashed potatoes again.  The basic idea is to whip up some egg whites into a meringue and add it to mashed potatoes, along with the yolks and some cheese, then bake them until they're a little crusty on top.  YUM.  Of course they're potatoes, so me and my Irish blood are biased anyway, but you should seriously try this recipe (organic or no).

Pumpkin Pecan Pie: Unlike many recipes for this pie, this one puts the pumpkin as the top layer.  Which doesn't sound like a big deal, but to me it makes a huge difference, giving precedence to the pumpkin flavors.  Unfortunately now I can't find the website that I got it from.  If I find it, I'll update later.

What about you?

Antiques, part 2

I re-shot the beaded jewelry this weekend, among other things.  We think the necklaces and the collar belonged to my Grandma Jones, and the beaded flowers were Grandma Meredith's.

Antiques, in more than one sense of the word...(kidding Mom!)

My mom visited this week, and rather than packing a suitcase across the country and paying $20 in fees, she shipped her things to me.  I unpacked and hung her clothes in the guest room closet, and found a package among her jammies.  I had asked her to look for a patchwork quilt that I'd started in the eighth grade, made from fabric scraps of dresses she'd made for me when I was little.  She'd found it for me, but she'd also found a few other treasures... some beautiful beaded jewelry that both of my grandmothers had made, and some letters from my dad to his parents from when he was young.  Unfortunately the photos I took the other evening turned out crappy due to artificial lighting and my stubbornness about not digging my tri-pod out of the closet.  So I'll add some artsy-fartsy pics soon when I get over myself.

Mom had never been to Chicago, and neither had my mother-in-law, so we took the train on Friday morning and stayed until Saturday evening.  It rained and was windy (duh...) but we still had a good time.  Of course when I go to Chicago on my own I walk everywhere, and had hoped to do the same on this trip... but I failed to take into account the fact that my mom is... er... not as energetic as she used to be.  I had a hard time slowing my pace down so I didn't leave her in the dust, abandoned somewhere on Michigan Ave., and my plans for walking up into River North had to be changed to sticking to the Loop.  But we still had a great time and enjoyed ourselves at the Art Institute, Giordano's, and Millennium Park.

[caption id="attachment_237" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Mom & I at "The Bean""][/caption]

Reminiscing, and Mosquitoes

We went camping for the first time last weekend. It was hot as the devil's armpit (sticky and sweaty too) but we had a wonderful time. We didn't go far, just to a state park an hour south of home, but it was far enough to relax for a bit and enjoy the outdoors.

The Subaru was laden down with B's canoe, our bikes, fishing stuff, and all the requisite gear - earning it the new name of The Adventure-Mobile. We got to use our tent for the first time (camping in the in-law's front yard doesn't count) and I got a new sleeping bag, which unfortunately is nylon inside and out. I wouldn't mind normally, but it was so hot and sticky and sweaty that I wound up glued to the thing. Add to that a sadly deflated air pad, and sleeping was kind of uncomfortable - but not so much that it affected the fun of getting away from home for a couple of days.

It might sound weird, but I think my favorite part was planning the trip. It made me think so much of my dad, and how ridiculously organized he was about camping. He had multiple lists, special Rubbermaid camp boxes that stayed packed with essential items, and gear suitable for van camping, tenting, or RVing. It was truly an artform, so I had that standard in my head while planning our trip. I forgot a couple of things (ziplock bags and anti-histamine lotion), purposefully left out others (corned beef hash, bleah!), and added a couple of our own touches (fresh garden tomatoes and potatoes). We had to buy a few pieces of necessary gear (a percolator, some dollar-store utensils for campfire cooking) and added a few more pieces to our list for next time (a dutch oven, a new foam sleeping pad).

The key part of any trip with Dad was the fishing. He had the aluminum Nymph rowboat, the 'peapod' black vinyl folding rowboat, float tubes, and the Boston Whaler for bigger lakes. He had multiple flyrods and spinners. He used a depth-finder sometimes, and had a detailed atlas and mental list of lakes, what fish they held, and what the best fly was. And he rarely got skunked, or at least that's how it seemed. How could he, after all?

We're getting there. We have the canoe, which I'm getting used to the balance of and learning how to paddle. B has a flyrod and a good spinner, and he bought me my own spinner this summer and promises me a flyrod soon too. My regret is that I'm just now learning how to enjoy it - the quieter campsites, the lakes with no-motor regulations, the repetitive, relaxing solitude of fishing - I didn't fully appreciate it when Dad was around, and it makes me sad that I missed those chances. But it makes me that much happier to be doing it now.

Dad, Mom, and Romeo at Big Meadow Lake.

It's a tax deduction! Come on!

Just a reminder to show your support for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the valuable research they do, and the help they provide to people with MS.  Click here to sponsor my team at the Toledo WalkMS event on March 29!  

Want to find a Walk or Bike event in your area?  Click on the link above to find your local chapter.

Back, and Forth

We survived Christmas!  Mom was here for a little over a week, which went well I think.  I lost patience a couple of times, which I'm sorry about, but I guess it's my fault... I don't call her often enough, so I never really know how she's really doing, so I expect the worst when she comes to visit, which makes me anxious, which leads to me being kinda snippy sometimes.  But I only lost it once, which is pretty dang good if you ask me.  We had some fun though, playing cards & shopping & hanging out.  Resolution #1: Be more patient.  Resolution #2: Keep in touch with friends & family better!

Christmas itself went pretty well too.  I was kinda stressed about cooking a fancy dinner for the in-law's but it turned out great.  We almost had an incident with the mashed potatoes... did you know they turn to GLUE when you wait until they're cold to add the cream & mash them?  Amazingly enough the salmon didn't catch fire and I didn't forget anything, and the soup was awesome even though we made it with crab instead of lobster.  And there's actually still a slice of pumpkin swirl cheesecake left that is calling my name!  Resolution #3: Eat healthier, while still enjoying what I eat!

***

Supposed to get the Suby (aka "The Blue Booby" according to B) back from the shop tomorrow.  It took a lot longer than it should have due to the warranty company being a bunch of jackasses and refusing to cover the claim.  But thankfully the guys at my shop went to bat for me & convinced them to cover the majority of the repair, and they even convinced the dealership to cover part of it too which surprised the crap out of me!  We still have to pay a little bit out-of-pocket but it's affordable and worth it too, considering our shop warrantees their work for 3 years.  I hope I never see them again, but it's still good to know.  I am SO TIRED of having car problems!  Resolution #4: Take care of this car like it's the last one on earth!

***

I managed to convince the "higher powers" at work that I needed a different computer.  For the first several trips I was using my personal laptop, which I didn't really feel comfortable with, so I asked for a work laptop a couple of months ago.  They gave me a hand-me-down old Dell that weighed somewhere close to ten pounds (I'm not kidding!) and would crash every time I let it go into hibernate mode.  So right before Christmas I went to the tech guys & told them I needed something light-weight and more convenient to actually travel with.  We got to chatting about my options (a new Dell) and someone mentioned MacBooks, and I mentioned the new "green" MacBook, and they were like, "You want one?  They cost the same as these Dells" and I was like, "SCORE!!"  So I now have a 13" MacBook and I am in loooooove.  And so is B.  Resolution #5:  Stop thinking of myself as still being the last man on the totem pole at work.  I work hard, and I've earned the respect (and the priveledges!).  So now the problem is that my stupid brother-in-law went & got himself an iPhone, and I want one of those too.  Wah.

I'm into the "green" and environmental stuff, yeah, and I think that people's standards of living need to shift in order to save the economy AND the planet, but I'm not necessarily anti-consumerism like some people.  Anti-credit, yes, anti-spending-above-your-means, yes, but that's not the same thing.  Just, you know, justifying myself and my wanton desire for shiny Apple products.  Resolution #6:  Get rid of credit card debt, then get rid of the credit cards.  

***

Travel picks back up next week with a 2-day jaunt to Atlanta for a big training seminar, which may result in my frequent flyer miles going through the roof.  I'm learning how to teach a class to interior designers about indoor air quality, through the organization that we earned our fancy-pants certification from (GREENGUARD Environmental Institute).  Most designers & architects have to earn a certain number of "continuing education units" to maintain their memberships in the national and international associations and such, so being able to teach a class to them for a CEU will get us in the door at a lot more design firms.  I've been feeling more confident talking to groups of people, so having a script like this class will make it even easier I think.  I'm looking forward to it.  Resolution #7: Be more confident!

*** 

Yes, there are more resolutions, but they're for ME.  

Um, Hi Mom!

My nephew is setting up my mother with a Facebook page.

I've been linking my posts here to Facebook. (So much for not telling anybody about this site.)

Hi Mom! I don't swear this much usually! Only when the dog craps on the floor or eats my Tupperware, I promise! Or when my finances go down the toilet (notice I refrained from saying "shitter" there! See, I'm doing better already!), or when people at work are dumb.

Also, I'm not sure why but Facebook only links my posts back to August.

Time to make some edits I guess. (Sorry again about the swearing Mom.)

Habits are both hard to break and hard to form

Still haven't gotten the hang of posting on a regular basis, but I doubt anyone is concerned about that. Regardless, I'll sum up the last few weeks in bullet-point fashion.

• Was in Boston all of last week, attending Greenbuild. Huge, massive convention for the tree-hugging hippie types such as myself. Some great speakers & presentations, however my hotel wasn't really comfortable (avoid the Hilton Financial District) and the weather was frigid.
• Week before was in Raleigh for AASHE. Really not relevant to me, but then this was just a scouting mission to see if we would want to exhibit there next year. Conclusion: nah.
• Re-decorated the basement at home, converting it from the cat-pee-palace to potential guest suite. Got the carpet 99.9% pee-free thanks to a carpet shampooer and multiple enzyme products, and now am working on the bathroom down there.
• Mom is coming out here for Christmas, hence the guest suite in the basement. We're having Christmas at our house which will be interesting, but since there's only 6 of us I think it'll be good. Salmon & lobster chowder for dinner!
• Service guys at the house today checking out our furnace... just got a call from B that there's a massive crack in it, and since it's 20 years old it'll have to be replaced. GAH! Landlord will not be happy I'm sure, but considering the thing hasn't been functioning properly since last winter it's probably a good thing we found the problem at all.
• Jake ate an entire crock pot of homemade beef stew. The mound of shit in the yard was atrocious.
• Off to Cleveland tomorrow for the holiday... may take time to look at a new car while we're there. The Mitsi is just not cutting it & I'm afraid of something happening in the middle of a snowstorm this winter.

Relations & Relationships

I got a new friend request on myspace this morning, from one of my cousins that I've never really kept in touch with. Her dad (my uncle John) passed away on Monday.
First, this is sad of course. I know he was a good man, and he looked a lot like my dad. Second, it's strange, in a few different ways. This past weekend I was thinking about him, and considering writing a letter to him to see if he'd be willing to tell me more about my dad and their family to help my attempts at geneaology. But now that he's gone, I don't think there's anyone that would really know much about their parents & their story. On top of that, when I read John's obituary I learned that he had a few more children than I knew about, and a total of 20 grandchildren! So now the whole "let's learn more about my extended family" idea just got a whole lot more daunting.
I admit a little bit of jealousy towards B's family, in that they are all so close. His cousins are good friends of ours, and we keep in close contact with them. Granted, there aren't very many of them (B's mom has one brother, and his dad has one sister, so not a whole lot of branches on the family tree), but I still wish I had that with my own family.
My mom has 3 sisters, only one of whom I've actually met (and only once!). My dad had a brother and a sister, and we kept in touch with them when I was young and their mom was still alive, but we lost touch soon after she passed away. Of all of these aunts & uncles and all their kids, I only know a fraction of them. I may still try to get in contact with a lot more of them, just to see if I can at least develop a correspondence.

If I was on a diet, I totally would have blown it today

I discovered today that while red velvet cake is not my favorite, cream cheese frosting is and always will be. Also Butterfinger ice cream = DA BOMB.
(Yes, today was a co-worker's birthday. No, this is not my everyday lunch fare.)
***
The job, when related to a rollercoaster, is currently on the sloooow upward climb before all the dizzying loop-de-loops and nasty drops where your stomach relocates to your throat. In other words, I don't have much going on right now but it looks like next month will be a nightmare. Three major trips in three weeks: Washington DC, Raleigh, and Boston. Time to vacuum the sawdust out of my suitcase I guess.
***
I think I'm going to try to have my mom visit for Christmas. Last time, she not only got stuck in O'Hare overnight, but also caught a disgusting plague. Good times were not had by all, to say the least. This time, perhaps a non-stop flight from Phoenix to Detroit will solve the one problem, and a pre-trip care package of Airborne tablets might help solve the other?
***
In regards to the craziness that is my home, B's den is done, the back door is nearly done, the basement carpet is as clean as it's gonna get, and things are starting to come back together. The added bonus of having Mom to visit is her inherent desire to decorate will come in handy!

Call me Sidney f-ing Bristow

So last week we added another four-legged critter to our menagerie, albeit temporarily. We dog-sat B's family pooch, Bailey the 90+ pound Yellow Lab. The dog doesn't have a mean bone in his body, but he is the most stubborn creature on the planet, and his training is somewhat limited despite his intelligence. But he and the Jakester get along wonderfully, so he stayed at our place for a week while the in-law's were on vacation.

So mom-in-law dropped off Bailey Beans on the Thursday before their trip, but she failed to give us any details about when they would be home and what we would need to do at that point (if she was picking him up or if we were dropping him off, what day, what time, etc).

First, that same weekend B & I had a wedding reception to attend outside Cleve-hole, and since that is the general area that the in-law's live, we decided the best course of action was to drop off both pooches at their house to chill while we were out, and then B & I would probably stay the night there in the guest apartment and make the 2-hour drive back home the next morning. Good plan, right? That is, until we realized 1 hour and 45 minutes into the drive to Cleve-hole that we had forgotten the keys to their house. B is somewhat skilled at the art of b&e however, so we weren't all that worried about it. (And no, my husband is not a felon... he was bored during the year spent in the Sandbox and taught himself how to pick locks so he could fuck with his buddies by leaving bottles of KY Warming Sensation in their footlockers.) ('Cuz we all know that it's a BIG hit with our troops.)

So upon arrival I manned the dogs while he found a way in... (details not included... you can never be too careful). Dogs ensconced, we headed to the reception and the rest of the weekend was fine.

So the following Thursday we gave the mom-in-law a call and got the scoop... they were returning Saturday, could we bring him home please. No prob! B would be out of town but I could take care of it. That is, until 1 hour 45 minutes into the drive when I realized, FUCK! I'd forgotten the damn key again. One call to B for instructions, an hour of sweat and swearing later, and I'm in. I felt so fucking empowered, it was amazing!

Oh, but it doesn't end here. Ooooh no.

I headed back to Toledo early that same afternoon, leaving Bailey on his own until the folks arrived home around 5 that evening. Not a big deal, just a few hours, right? I got home, worked in the garden, ate some dinner, read a book... then checked the clock and realized, it's 8:30 pm and they haven't called yet. So I called their house, no answer. So I called their cell.

"Hi Mom! How was your trip?"

"Oh it's so beautiful! Next year we'll all have to come up here together."

"That would be great! So you made it home okay?"

"Oh no, we're still in Boston. Our flight isn't until tomorrow you know."

"....really."

"Is everything okay?"

"Um, no... B said you had told him your flight was today."

"Oh no, tomorrow." (not realizing the impact of this yet.)

"I took Bailey home this morning."

"Oh. OH. Oh dear! I'm so sorry!"

So I loaded Jake into the car and drove the 2 hours back to Cleveland, let Bailey out for the longest pee ever, gave him his dinner about 6 hours late, and drove home again the following morning.

At least that time I remembered the key!

I was really hoping to NOT go to Cleveland again anytime soon, but we're on our way there again tonight for a concert... but at least this time there are no dogs involved.