Last one

Words. I like words. I have my favorites, like sepia and abyss and serendipity. But really, I've never met a word I did not like.

Since I like words, I like to read and write and solve crossword puzzles, and I hate Sudoku. I would like to earn my living reading and writing and solving crossword puzzles, but it hasn't come to pass. Yet.

In a previous life, I spent a short time as a freelance writer. I wrote people pieces for a small town paper, which sometimes led to articles in national magazines like Soybean Digest. My specialty was organic gardening and farming, and the epitome of my career was an article I wrote for Rodale's Organic Gardening. My plan was to grow my writing career bit by bit while the kids were little, then expand it once they reached school age. Other forces intervened, though, and I fretted about earning enough to support myself. I bailed on the writing and became a software developer instead.

Blogging has been a lifeline of sorts, allowing me to get back into the habit of writing. I am still searching for my voice. Maybe someday I will find it and get back in the game. (How's that for mixing metaphors?)

We can do it!

Only two more days of NaBloPoMo left, thank god. Maybe they (whoever "they" are) should move it to a month without a holiday. And even though I have a theme (things I like), today I am drawing a blank. Not because I can't think of things I like, but because I can't think of anything intelligent to say about any of the things I like.

Nothing. I got nothing.

I cooked and cooked then cooked some more

I like a challenge, but I almost overdid it with Thanksgiving dinner this year. When perusing magazines, do you ever see complete menus for holiday meals laid out in photographic splendor? The magazine was AARP (shut up) and the article was from a year ago, but I found the recipes online and decided, if I was going to cook, I was going to COOK. I tried to be organized about the whole endeavor, but there were still a few surprises along the way.

Surprise number 1 was how much money I spent at the grocery store on the ingredients for a dinner for eight. It could have been more, because usually I buy the organic, free range turkey. I was not organized enough for that this year, but I also did not buy the cheap bird, either. Then there were many ingredients I did not have on hand, like the fresh herbs, some of which at least came from my garden. And, in case things did not go well foodwise, I bought plenty of beer. Still, I could have taken everyone out to a very nice restaurant for that kind of money. And not had to clean the kitchen six times in the course of two days. (Surprise 1.5 was how difficult it was to find dried apples.)

Surprise number 2 was my ineptitude in the kitchen. I live alone and don't cook much anymore. Still, you'd think I would remember things like to put the lid on the blender before pressing the puree button. I don't think it was my fault when I did get the lid on, only to have it fly off when I tried the puree button again. Surprise number 2.5 was that the mess wasn't as bad as I expected.

The recipes had been touted as being healthier than the normal Thanksgiving day fare. By that, I guess AARP means no pie. Surprise number 3 was the amount of butter and oil used throughout the recipes. But I think holidays are exempt from the low-fat rule.

Surprise number 4 were all the little details in the recipes: cooking the turkey broth until it was reduced by three-quarters, adding egg yolks one at a time, beating this, then folding in that, fresh herbs here, dried ones there, etc. There are probably logical reasons for all these instructions, but I sometimes think chefs make recipes difficult to execute just because they can.

Surprise number 5 was the amount of stuffing that the authors think can go into a 12-pound turkey. There was easily twice as much, so I threw the extra into a pan and baked it while we ate. Can anyone say "leftovers"?

Surprise number 6 were absences from the table: my son came down with the flu and could not muster the energy to drive seven hours just to watch us eat while he sipped Sprite and nibbled on Saltines. I wish he could have been there, but I'm glad he chose to keep his germs to himself. Because of a scheduling lapse, dinner was late, and my son-in-law was expected at a family poker game. At least he got to sample the soup before he left, and I sent plenty of leftovers home with my daughter.

But the best surprise of all was how delicious everything tasted, especially the Roasted Butternut Squash with Honey-Pecan Butter and the Dried Apples and Corn Bread Stuffing.

Despite all the work, I enjoyed the cooking. It made me wish for a bigger kitchen, with a bigger oven and more counter space and more cupboards for used-once-a-year kitchen appliances. Maybe I should have remodeled the kitchen instead of adding on the new room. Maybe next year. *sigh*

I Like Thanksgiving

Just a quick note to wish you all a feastful Thanksgiving!

It's Not a Rut, It's a Routine

I am a creature of habit. When it comes to everyday things, I favor sticking with a routine because it helps me get out the door in a reasonably timely manner. One downside, however, is when the routine becomes so automatic that I can't remember if I did something. Did I feed the cat? Is the garage door closed? If I really doubt myself and I haven't gotten too far from the house yet, I have been known to circle back to check. But not compulsively. Really.

When the kids were little, routine kept me sane. When I went back to work, routine kept us in groceries and clean underwear. I could be too inflexible at times, which may explain my lack of spontaneity, but I'm still sane. Really.

Lately, my routines have been in a bit of a jumble, and I blame DST. At night, my body says it is time for bed, but the clock says no, so I stay up too late. My body gets its revenge in the morning when it wakes up before the alarm. Then, with extra time on my hands, do I shower first or laze about with my coffee? Maybe knit a bit or read the paper? Then suddenly, it's rush, rush, rush.

Did I close the garage door?

Games People Play

I like card games more than board games, but I am usually willing to play either, up to a point. The kids and I used to play gin rummy, but once they got good enough to beat me regularly, I lost interest. How mature is that?

At WW we used to play Trivial Pursuit but it seemed to generate some sore feelings about who was on the "smart team" and who was not. We played Therapy once - more bad feelings. Honesty is not always the best policy. Last time we did not play any double deck Euchre, opting for solving NY Times crossword puzzles as a group instead. Next time we are going to try to combine the two. Yeah, wild times.

You Are Chess

You are brilliant and shrewd. You can often predict what people will do in the future. You thrive in complex situations. You deal with contradictions well. You can have many streams of thought going on at your mind at once. You keep track of things well. You are very patient. You have lots of endurance, even when your energy dwindles

What Board Game Are You?

Mem'ries

There are a few things I like about growing older. The disappearance of menses is a real plus, although the journey to its end is not without its detours and trip wires. Also, I find myself less and less concerned with what people might think. Even forgetfulness can be a plus: others don't take offense when you can't remember names, faces, birthdays because they just assume you are growing senile.

I find myself drawn to reading memoirs, some of which provide vivid detail of the author's childhood. For a while, I wondered how they could recall so much, but now I know. While my short term memory is becoming a sieve, my distant past is marching to the forefront of my consciousness.

The recent election raised two such memories. The first occurred the summer between high school and college. The fellow I was dating aspired to become the first Jewish President of the United States. (He abandoned that plan about a year later.) We used to joke about how I would be the First Lady and give tours of the White House in blue jeans. This was back when only dirty hippies wore blue jeans. I was no dirty hippie; I was just so ahead of my time.

The other memory involved a fellow college student. I was in G's dorm room. G had a framed picture of Jesus on the wall above his bed (G was destined to become a minister) and a framed photograph of Martin Luther King, Jr. (G was - and still is, to my knowledge - black). There was also an empty frame. I asked him about it, and G said it was for the one who was to come next, implying that he might be that person. Now I am wondering if he has filled that frame with Obama.

But It's Tradition!

I like to try new things, but I'm a little nervous about my plans to tweak tradition this Thanksgiving. Yes, there will be turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberries, but not in their usual form. Instead, I am recreating the menu from last year's AARP Magazine "Luscious" Thanksgiving article. If you hear an ear splitting whine emanating from the Midwest, you will know someone is protesting the lack of sweet and sour green beans and crescent rolls. And no pie! To sooth the savage breast, I will be providing plenty of beer.

Cleanliness Is Whatever

I don't like housework, but I like anything that truly makes cleaning easier. Enter my Animal Dyson.

Before vacuuming...



... and after.



Presumably, most of that stuff is pet hair and dirt, not my carpet. I'm happy to be done with bags, though.

I also like my electric broom.



I never liked sweeping with a regular broom, because I felt I was just pushing the dirt around and I could never get it all swept into the dust pan. I guess I'd rather suck than sweep.

Any recommendations for dusting?

Isn't It Ironic?

Once upon a time, one of my co-workers served a stint working for D. D is not a bad person, but he is a horrible manager. The idea of positive feedback never occurs to him because in his eyes, no one is as competent as he is, which apparently is the gold standard.

The year that my co-worker was under D's command, he scheduled her time 200%, assigned her tasks for which she was not trained, and generally made her working life hell. Needless to say, that year she did not get a favorable review from D. She has refused to work for him since.

Unofficially, I was given the opportunity to work for D. After my co-worker's experience, I said I would be glad to work on D's projects, but I did not want to report to him. Apparently, those two things were mutually exclusive, which was fine with me.

Eventually, two others were assigned to D's team. These two people appeared to get along with D, and seemed busy and productive. Therefore, it was somewhat of a shock when they were recently "job eliminated". It was a surprise even to D. Now no one reports to him.

I was puzzling over this state of affairs the other day when it occurred to me that maybe D repeatedly gave them unfavorable annual reviews.

I like irony.

What To Do, What To Do

I like lists. Even better, I like checking items off my lists. I like checking items off my lists so much that sometimes that is all the motivation I need to tackle an onerous task.

Samples of my lists:

Things to do

• laundry
  
• vacuum
  
• pay bills
  
• watch movie (sadly, I have to remind myself to do this)
  
• scoop litter box
  
• pick up dog poop
  
• clean rabbit cage (do we detect a theme here?)
  

Places to go

• Target
  
• Goodwill (things I buy at Target frequently eventually end up here)
  
• ATM
  
• local yarn store (ATM first, then LYS - this is very important)
  
• yoga
  
• grocery (because I am really hungry after yoga)
  

People to see

• financial planner
  
• vet
  
• insurance agent
  
• vet
  
• hair dresser
  
• vet (hmmm, another theme)
  

What's on your list?

This Is Hard

Unfortunately for me, the Blogger blocker at work was not lifted for the month of November like it was last year, so I come home after a day on the computer to get on the computer to blog. Sometimes I email myself a possible blog post from work, but these are usually pretty lame (see yesterday's post) and feel stale when I reread them in the evening. But NaBloPoMo is more than half over. I can do this. Next year, however, maybe I will write a novel instead. At this point, it sounds easier.

My theme this month has been things I like, so I will pick an easy topic today and say this: I like my kids.

Yeah, you are thinking, what a no brainer. But really, while most parents love their kids, some of them don't like their kids all that well, especially when the kids are teens.

I am the first to admit the teen years were rough. There were a few painful moments when I regretted having children at all. But once those years were past, things got better. And better. And better. Not just because the kids grew up, but because I learned to relax a little and let go of my expectations of how I thought they should be and be living their lives.

One thing that helped me get through the teen years was to remind myself (over and over and over again) that this was their story, not mine; my job was to serve in a supporting role. I wish I had figured this out earlier, but I must have been a good enough parent because they are both doing fine, in their own ways, on their own schedule, by their own terms.

Losing my mother when I was 20 greatly influenced me, and it became important to me that my kids be independent. I still worry about them, but less so because they are capable of functioning without me. What is great about this is I can stop being a parent and just be Mom.

My daughter did not intend to wind up back here after college. While I would have supported her no matter where she wanted to live, I am glad she is close by. My son has made noises about moving back to the area, too, once he is done with school. I want him to do what is best for him, but I will not squawk if he too is near at hand.

My parenting work is done.

Am I What I Eat?

This is going to be a lame post about foods I like.

Favorite food:

• Popcorn, preferably with Parmesan cheese and lots of salt, but not butter
  
• Rhubarb pie (or if I'm sharing with tart wimps, rhubarb strawberry pie), crust by Pillsbury
  
• Vegetarian sushi (includes wasabi, pickled ginger, and a little tamari)
  
• Corn on the cob (swimming in real butter and salt)
  
• Maple syrup (out of a tree, not a corn field)
  
• Potato chips (reduced fat but NOT baked)
  
• Dill pickles and dill pickle relish
  
• Cafeteria chili with crushed Nacho Doritos (without the latter, the former is inedible)
  

When I eat in "slow food" restaurants, I usually order something different each time; not so with fast food:

• Penn Station: grilled artichoke with mushrooms
  
• BK: cheeseburger, fries, Diet Coke off the "value menu"
  
• McDonalds: Big Mac
  
• Taco Bell: taco salad (it's the bowl)
  

• If I'm in the mood for ribs, we go to O'Charley's.
  
• For steak, it's Applebee's (good for the price)
  
• The best local Mexican is Cebolla's.
  
• The best Italian is Biaggi's but the local Casa's is closer and cheaper
  
• Chinese from the local Mandarin but if P.F. Chang's comes to town, they will be better but also more expensive
  

When it comes to alcohol, I try to stay in context:

• Dos Equis with Mexican
  
• Tsing Tao with Chinese
  
• Peroni with Italian
  
• Martinis at Club Soda
  

Favorite easy things to cook:

• Chili
  
• Spaghetti (I never eat spaghetti in restaurants because I like my sauce much better)
  
• Pot roast
  
• Meatloaf
  
• Soups
  

Favorite not-so-easy things to cook:

• Bread
  
• Winter squash (cutting into and/or peeling the damn things is what's difficult)
  

An aside: I just realized I did not get enough zucchini this summer. I usually grow my own and am sick of it by August, but due to the room addition, I did not have much of a garden this year. Store bought zucchini is not the same. Note to self: Must plant zucchini next year. And tomatoes. And green beans. Successively.

Are there any foods I do not like? I've never developed a taste for organ meats, don't care for coconut meat but I like the milk, can't eat shellfish, not too fond of fish in general but I'll eat it on occasion.

What might I refuse to eat based solely on the taste? I can't think of anything offhand. What about you?

Mini Movie Reviews

I like my friends, but we have divergent tastes in movies. I like the quirky and/or foreign and/or oddball films; most of my friends favor lightweight movies, particularly romantic comedies.

At WW, we usually watch several movies. This past weekend was no exception. I brought "27 Dresses" because I thought it would go over relatively well, unlike "Something's Gotta Give" and "The Station Agent". Here are some mini reviews:

"Broken English" - reminded me of "Pieces of April" - painful to watch but a sweet ending. Directed by Zoe Cassavetes - the camera style reflects her dad's influence and of course her mom is in the movie as well.

"No Reservations" - somebody please explain to me why Hollywood takes an award-winning movie ("Mostly Martha") and remakes it into garbage. Skip this one and watch the original instead.

"27 Dresses" - if you like formulaic romantic comedies that are mindless but still kind of fun to watch, this is the movie for you. Reminds me of "In Her Shoes." Warning: the Elton John song "Benny and the Jets" will get stuck in your head.

New York, New York

I like visiting NYC. I think I would even like to live there for a while, except I can't afford it.

The people in NYC have a reputation for being rude and unfriendly, but I have never experienced that. In fact, my SO and I, while standing on NY street with map in hand and confused expression on face, have been spontaneously helped by strangers. Subway workers have exuberantly explained the intricacies of the turnstiles to us. Even more amazing, locals have asked us for help.

NYC also has a reputation for being unsafe. We see our share of crazies and we avoid the sketchy parts of town, but I never feel unsafe. Not in Little Italy or Chinatown or Central Park or the subways or Greenwich Village or Union Square. But then, I can be oblivious.

On our last visit, I stuffed my pockets with $1 bills and handed them out to beggars. One cadaverous fellow who lay crumpled on the sidewalk, propped up by a wall, apparently near death but for the few coins in his Styrofoam cup, was later spotted up and about and hale and hearty. When my SO pointed him out to me, I said I was paying for the performance, like one would throw money into a street musician's instrument case.

Warning: controversial statement coming up. Our visits to NYC have occurred post 9/11. A little part of my brain wonders if that tragic event has not inadvertently produced a kinder, gentler NYC.

But I Can Explain!

I like memes, which I pronounce ME-ME because they are all about ME!

I found this on Knitty Otter's blog.

YES/NO GAME RULES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

You can answer only yes or no. You are not allowed to explain anything unless someone comments and asks (and even then I might not!)

Over 18? Yes
Danced in front of your mirror naked? No
Ever told a lie? Yes
Been arrested? No
Kissed a picture? Yes
Fallen asleep at work/school? Yes
Held an actual snake? Yes
Ever run a red light? Yes
Ever drink and drive? Yes
Been suspended from school? No
Ever been fired from a job? Yes
Totaled a car/motorbike in an accident? No
Sang karaoke? No
Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t? Yes
Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? Yes
Ever laughed until you wet yourself? Yes
Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes
Kissed in the rain? Yes
Sang in the shower? Yes
Sat on a rooftop? Yes
Thought about your past with regret? Yes
Been pushed in the pool with your clothes on? No
Shaved your head? No
Blacked out from drinking? No
Had a gym membership? Yes
Been in a band? Yes
Shot a gun? No
Liked someone with nobody else knowing about it? Yes
Played strip poker? No
Been to a strip joint? No
Donated Blood? Yes
Liked someone you shouldn’t? Yes
Have a tattoo? No
Have or had any piercings besides ears? No
Made out with a complete stranger? Yes
Caught someone cheating on you? No
Skinny dipped? No
Regret any of your ex’s? No
Been to a rodeo? Yes
Been to a NASCAR race? No
Been in Love? Yes

There. That wasn't so bad.

I Like WW

About thirty-plus years ago, when my friends and I were married and starting families, our husbands started an annual tradition: the Memorial Day Weekend canoe trip. The first trip was a simple overnight excursion down a local river, but it did not take long for the trips to get longer, the rivers wilder, and the weekends expanded.

It also did not take long for the wives to demand something equitable. Since many of us had nursing babies, our options were somewhat limited, but we started with what could be called Women's Afternoon Off. Eventually, we added an overnight (nursing babies were allowed, but no other children), and finally we settled into a semi-annual Friday-night-to-Sunday-afternoon arrangement that included staying at a cabin where there was no telephone (this was pre-cell phone days).

The membership of this group has fluctuated a bit over the years, and not everyone can make it everytime, but we have stuck with it, even when the price paid by absenting ourselves from our families sometimes was not balanced by the rewards.

Although the men believe otherwise, we rarely discuss them. Most conversation revolves around our children (and now grandchildren and aging parents). We used to drink a lot (wine and coffee) smoke a lot (cigarettes!) and eat a lot and chocolate a lot and watch R-rated movies and play cards and Trivial Pursuit. Now we eat less, drink less, smoke less (some of us have quit). We still play cards, but less ferociously, still watch movies, but fewer each time. Last spring we spent an inordinate amount of time solving New York Times crossword puzzles as a group. I know - sounds like a wild time!

I thought it would be easier to schedule our getaways once the kids were grown, but now we have to work around graduations, weddings, births of grandchildren, volunteer commitments, surgery, and even a kidney donation. So far, with only one exception I can think of, we have pulled it off, twice a year, for thirty (30!) years.

Mr. Right

I like my SO. Not only is he good looking and well read and articulate (and he likes me!), he occasionally offers me an insight into my own life.

Recent pet problems have led me to declare repeatedly that Betsy is my last dog, that I want to live dog-free, that any time I am tempted to get another pet he is to whisper "ACL" in my ear. But the other day I found myself trolling pet adoption sites.

"What is wrong with me?!?" I wailed to SO that night.

"You just want a grandchild," he answered.

And you know what? He's right.

Cooking with Gas

In spite of all the family meals I prepared and served over the years, I like to cook. In spite of the four-loaves-of-bread-a-week batch I baked when I was a full-time mom, I like to bake. And yet, finding the time to do either has become more difficult. I am so tired of restaurant food that I'm willing to try to fix at least one major meal a week, for my SO and me.

The weekend before last, it was ham loaf. At the meat market (I knew they would have ground ham), I could not remember if I needed 1.5 or 2 pounds of ham, so I bought the larger amount. Not only did I have leftover ham loaf, I had ham salad as well, which is really good on Triscuits. But man, too much salt for one week.

Last weekend it was beef stew, my own sorta made-up recipe (based on Betty Crocker's):



Dredge 1.5 pounds of stew beef in flour, then brown it in oil in a Dutch oven.



Add 1 c. water, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 2 hours.



Add two pounds of Russian banana potatoes (scrubbed and unpeeled), a couple of carrots (peeled and sliced), coarsely chopped peppers (green, yellow, red, orange), coarsely chopped onion, coarsely chopped celery (with leaves), a bay leaf, and one can of condensed tomato soup. (Other vegetables may be added, at your discretion. Mushrooms, garlic, peas, or green beans come to mind.) Cover and cook for another hour.



Adjust seasoning and serve with toast or biscuits to mop up the soup.

Needless to say, this meal was a success.

I Can't Keep Up!

Is anyone else having a hard time sticking with NaBloPoMo? It seems like everyone, even those who are not officially participating, is posting more often. So it's not just the posting, but the reading that is eating up my days and nights.

Is it cheating to write a handful of posts, then either schedule them for the future or just hold onto them for those days when posting live feels impossible? Is anyone else cheating?

I like blogging, both writing and reading, but I either have to become a faster writer/reader or else find another diversion. Like housework. (HA!)