Lost Keys

My older son was already strapped in his car seat when I realized I had misplaced my keys. I used to lose them all the time, but over the past couple of years, I have gotten much better. There is a hook near the door where they hang.

It is a habit.

It is a habit so ingrained that I cannot remember doing anything differently.

We don't have a spare for our e-bay wonder. It's something we put off doing for the last two years. It is funny how as a parent we have to spend our time thinking up appropriate consequences for our children's carelesness. As an adult, the punishments lie in wait. Lose the car key? You'll be in time-out for the next few days; there will be no playing with your friends. Here's a two hundred dollar fine, do not pass go.

Life's funny like that.

Rosie was Right!

Extremist Christians are just as dangerous.

I found this over at The Mothership.

I snickered.

Blognic '06

Well, with a rough start and a few misses, I think the Blognic was overall a success. I had a great time seeing some of our local bloggers. I am so sorry about those plates. I pulled into the garage and there they were... mocking me. Anyone who did not sample Mike's spread missed out. Also, Jason can I have your recipe for gazpacho, I liked the dill. I normally take more of a garlic/pepper approach and yours was a nice change. Thanks to Eugene for taking so much of the initiative in putting this together. Once everyone figured out (SORRY!) where we were supposed to be, I think things went smoothly.

Thank you to:
Eugene
Dan & Janet
Vera & Patrick
Mike
Chuck
Jared
April + husband & daughter
Jason (We missed you Janet)
Harriet
Margo & boys
Sunnie & crew (the nametags were so helpful!)

Also from the P&C Lucia and a photographer whose name completely slipped my memory.

If I forgot anyone, can we blame the heat and my children? Finally, thanks to my husband, who I hope will one day learn that glowering at people does not invite conversation.

For those who were out of town, how about meeting for happy hour sometime?

In conclusion

Dear County of Charleston:
You need a sign for JICP as you are leaving the city. I did not enjoy my little tour over the connector.
Love,
Heather

My house

My house is a very clean house. So clean, the realtor could have shown it to clients and I wouldn't be one bit nervous.

Oh yeah, the client called and changed his appointment to next week "sometime."

I swear, deeper posting will happen soon. I have ideas, but no energy. Well that and I've taken my fingerprints off with cleaning products. Hmmm, if you don't hear from me, shhh.

Picnic Plans!

12:00pm JICP

Families, spouses, and good friends forced along for moral support are all welcome. We aren't a scary bunch, for the most part. I'm pretty sure Eugene is bringing his dogs to play at the dog park. My basset hounds are retarded and not allowed out in public. ever. again.


I'll bring a cooler full of ice, napkins, and plates. Would someone mind getting some plasticware?

Sunnie e-mailed me as a "maybe."

Haunted

I'm being haunted by a memory or perhaps it was a dream. I don't know any longer.

I do know when I drive narrow highways, twisting through the trees, I remember a house, maybe more of a cabin. It was brown and set back in the trees. I remember swimming on a hot, sunny day, much like today, too early to be Indian Summer, but too late to feel carefree. I remember kissing a boy in a swimming hole. I was happy there, in the warm, green water. I don't think I was in love or trying to convince myself I was and I don't remember who he was. I remember sinking to the bottom of the pond and looking up through the sun spangled surface, surrounded by people, yet immersed in silence.

It could have been Eutawville, Ridgeville, Bethera, or nowhere at all.

I drive on and hope one day to remember.

Stepping Out

Either I'm gaining confidence or losing my mind. Regardless, I've applied for not one, but two jobs. They are both paid blogging positions and I would be thrilled with either. However, I will be satisfied if I just learn that I at least made it to the "we seriously considered your application" round.

Time will tell.

Signs I need a break

It's dinner time. The children and husband are gathered around the table. We bow our heads to pray.

Come Lord Jesus
Be our guest
Let these gifts
to us be quiet.

My husband asked if that was intentional.

No.

What is a monkey cake, anyway?

For weeks Aidan was begging for a "monkey cake." I was clueless. Two days ago he changed his order to a "square cake."

While it won't win awards, I am pretty proud of how it turned out. (I did it freehand.)

Another Birthday Post

During my late teens, I fell in love with The Tragically Hip. My favorite song was Fiddler's Green.

A few months after I had Aidan, I was at the gym, minding my own business. Fiddler's Green came on my MP3 player and all of a sudden I heard the first line in a new way. "September seventeen, for a girl I know it's Mothers' day." It's now Mother's day for me, as well. It's not been one bit like I expected, but is it ever?

Aidan, you bring amazement and laughter to our lives. Happy Birthday, little man.

Thankful Thursday

I'm unabashedly stealing this idea from Shauna; mostly because I've been a little whiney as of late, but also as an exercise to remind myself of the many things I have to be thankful for.

• Friends. I am blessed with many. This week I am most thankful for Ivy who has pushed me to do something I would have chickened out of, on my own. Margo for hanging in there with me through this obnoxious summer. Finally for Lori, who doesn't have a blog, but should. I used to be jealous of all the time Margo spent with her, but I've gotten over it.
• Tim. I don't know how I got so lucky. He may drive me out of my mind at times, but even at his most obnoxious, he's still a man I'm proud to call my husband.
• My boys. Aidan is working overtime to establish his independence, so these past weeks have been rough. A lady I know told me that if I get it right with him, peer pressure won't really be on my list of things to worry about. He's one headstrong little guy; I've just got to point him in the right direction. Mark, when he isn't getting up three times a night, is a joy to be around. I'll keep him anyway.
• Time. I'm thankful that I have time to give to others. I might complain about nursery duty or complain about being busy, but the fact is I do have the time, most of the time.
• Health. Overall, we are all healthy and that fact is priceless.
• On a related note... soft TP. No, really, it's the time of year when my allergies flare up. Thank goodness for soft TP. I'm easy to spot, I'm the redhead with the red nose and watery eyes, carrying a roll of TP.
• My church. I've never belonged anywhere with such a strong sense of support and community; it's an amazing feeling. I've never really experienced the safety net of family, so life always felt tenuous. Now, I know if something were to happen to Tim or I, sickness or accident, we wouldn't face it alone.

There are many more things, but those boys of mine have not received their memo re: discontinuation of crack of dawn wake up calls.

What are you most thankful for, at this moment?

It's just one of those

Weeks? Maybe it's been a month.

I'm sure everyone has had a point in life where just as soon as they believe they've gotten a firm hold of things, someone decides to prove otherwise.

We're right in the middle of that cycle. Everything will be just fine, it's just tiresome while it happens. Yesterday, the battery on the jeep died. It was seven years old, but happened suddenly. This morning the jeep had a flat. There's a lot of construction in the neighborhood, so this isn't really unexpected, either. It's still obnoxious. Tim took my car, so I'm stuck home with the boys. Moments after Tim left, Mark started pulling on his ear and screaming. Thankfully, Tylenol seemed to help and that will have to do, until tomorrow.

I see a fun day ahead, I'm just hoping for patience, scads of patience.

No Television

Today, I'm glad we don't watch television. I'm not ready. It's one thing to hear it on the radio, but I am just not ready to see it again.

Five years ago I was in Organic Chemistry lab. My professor was Asian and although her English was typically perfect, in her excitement she was unintelligable. We didn't understand what she said. She spent most of the lab out of the room, which wasn't unusual.

I remember the building being nearly deserted that morning. I knew something was happening. As I had an afternoon class, I stayed on campus to save gas. I found a television tuned to the news in an empty classroom. I sat in stunned silence and watched the towers fall.

I don't know when I'll be ready to see it again. I don't know if I ever will be. Today is not the day, for me.

God bless everyone this event touched.

Daddy Moment

If you are looking for something heartwarming, take a quick peek here.
The Nashville Knucklehead took some time to reflect on his daughter.

He asked!

My oldest is headstrong, impatient, determined, and fiercely independent. I simply have no idea where he might have inherited these traits. We have had a terrible week, locked in a battle of wills. Yesterday, we spent the morning at Givhans-Ferry State Park.

On the way back to the car, he asked to hold my hand. He'll be three next Sunday and that was the first time he has asked to hold my hand. He's grabbed my friends' hands, his friends', random strangers', and even his dad's hand, but he'd never asked for mine.

It was such a nice change from the, "Go away, Mama," I'd heard all week.

Nickel and Dimed

So, I was perusing Shauna's review of the FAO Schwartz Toy Catalog, having fun.

I saw the Lego life-sized Batman and the part that killed me was not the $27,000 price tag, but the $6.00 fee for wrapping.

Friday Night

They say life changes when you have children. It doesn't and it does. I still look forward to having fun, but my idea of fun has certainly changed. Last night I made a batch of caramel popcorn and settled in for some blog surfing. The baby was in bed and Aidan and Tim were watching the Wallace and Gromit movie.

Thanks to whatever is blooming I had taken some off-brand-benadryl early in the evening. I couldn't even finish my popcorn. I kissed my son goodnight. He made some protest about not being tired and I had to explain that he wasn't going to bed, I was. Puzzled but mollified he went back to the movie.

The best part? I got the side of the bed I like. See, a certain spouse just doesn't understand that the side is still mine, even though we switched the room around. I have tried to explain that the side of the bed is the important part, not the proximity to the door. He just doesn't get it.

Ten hours of mostly uninterrupted sleep is a beautiful thing.

Predatory Lending and Jesus?

Kat Coble wrote a fantastic post,Jesus Compounded Daily. It was sparked by Lydia's Where Credit is Due about the Family Christian Bookstore offering credit cards.

If you have a moment, be sure to check out the comments.

Blogger Picnic

Well, it's past Labor Day and there hasn't been a word.

Should we begin planning for the Blognic?

The only day that won't work for me is the 17th.

Vera and Others

Q. Why did you delete all the old comments?
A. I didn't, they are still there. I'm switching to the Haloscan tool for comments.

Racist?

Aunt B was lambasting one of her favorite targets, Kleinheider and made this comment:

You are a racist. It's not surprising considering that if you're white and American you have a 99.9% chance of being a racist. Look at me. I'm a racist. I don't want to be a racist, obviously; I'd like to believe that I'm a good person and treat everyone equally until proven wrong.

This sparked a flurry of comments (109 at last count). I find it absurd that a very well educated woman with a love of literature would seemingly forget the importance of connotation vs denotation.

In the context above, the word racist pisses me off. The first images that come to mind are of the KKK, riots, lynching, etc. It is an inflammatory word which carries an ugly connotation, its very definition, albeit the second one, denotes action and not inner thought.

I will admit to being prejudiced. I firmly believe it is impossible to live without forming stereotypes. Is this the ideal way to live? No, but it seems to be innate to somewhat compartmentalize, just for simplicity.

I worked in food and beverage for ten years. In a Pavlovian fashion a person, whose income is tip dependent, will learn what to expect upon seeing a customer.* This does not imply that one cannot be surprised in either direction, just that basic parameters are set. In my mind a prejudiced person makes the assumption about the tip, while the racist person alters their service according to that prejudice.

Clearly, this is an argument about semantics. Had B said 99.9% of white Americans were prejudiced, I probably would have ignored the thread completely.




*For the record, the worst possible 'tips' were the "In lieu of tip I've decided to tell you about Jesus." I must say this does not inspire Christ-like behavior or thought.

Fun with Baby

They Ate It Before I Got the Picture

I promised Margo that I'd post the recipe for my Albondigas Soup.

It's one of the very few recipes that survived my mother's cooking. (She's improved greatly, for the record.) The recipe was handed down by my aunt, I believe and is best with fresh tortillas, but store bought will do.

Albondigas Soup
(Mexican Meatball)

2lbs ground beef
2 bunches green onions
2 cans chopped green chilies
2 cans diced tomatoes (sub fresh if possible)
3 qts water
4 (or more) cloves of garlic, minced
1 bunch cilantro (divided)
3 cans beef broth (or equivalent amount beef base + water)*
1 egg
1/2 cup rice
Tabasco, salt & pepper to taste

In a large pot place 3qts cold water, at least 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 can green chilies, a good amount of ground pepper, a small amount of Tabasco, and the bulbs of the green onions, minced finely. Add the broth and bring to a boil. (I don't salt the broth until just prior to serving as it's very easy to oversalt this soup, particularly if canned broth and tomatoes are used.)

Seperately mix the 2lbs ground beef, 1 can green chilies, 1 bunch green onions, 1/2 bunch cilantro, 2 cloves minced garlic, egg, & salt/pepper and Tabasco. Roll into small meatballs. The flavor can be checked by dropping into the broth. When the meatball floats, it is done. Over the years I've learned to bake the meatballs until just done on a broiling pan and then let them drain on paper towels. This lets me eliminate the obnoxious step of defatting the broth. Add the meatballs to the soup. The longer they simmer, the better the flavor.

I add one can of tomatoes with the meatballs and some of the remaining cilantro, reserving the last for just prior to serving. With the broth at a boil add the 1/2 cup rice. When the rice is tender, add the second bunch of green onions, the second can of tomatoes, and the last of the cilantro.

It's a colorful, flavorful soup best enjoyed with soft flour tortillas. Well, that and margaritas.

Enjoy.


*I use Better than Bouillion as it is lower in salt and does not contain MSG.

Completely inconsequential

FYI According to my research*, Southern Home (Bi-Lo's offbrand) raisins are far better than either Dole or Sunmaid's.

Why? They are much plumper and not shriveled little nubs of crystalized sugar.

Carry on.

*That means buying whatever was on sale.

Why I don't care for Plan B being OTC

I have avoided talking about this, because I know it has been discussed to death. However, I was finally able to pin down why I am not a fan. Ivy was having far too much fun calling me on my hypocrisy. I am a Libertarian and do not believe in a nanny state. However I have misgivings about Plan B.

The concept of Plan B is fine with me, I get it. It is supposed to be safe, effective back-up birth control.

I have endometriosis; consequently over the years I have been on hormones of many kinds and done who knows what kinds of damage to my body trying to fix the problem, so this is a sore spot for me. Progesterone only birth control pills are only available via prescription. Mostly, it is to force women to have their yearly pap smears, but it is also to screen against certain health conditions. Birth control pills are not safe for everyone. Birth control pills are also about 95-97% effective.

Plan B® should be taken within 3 days (72 hours) of unprotected sex and can reduce the risk of pregnancy by 89%. But the sooner you take it the more effective it will be.

Condoms are 98% effective when used properly and help prevent STDs. I will not be surprised if there is a bump (notice I did not say spike) in the rate of STD transmission over the next few years. Perhaps it is a good thing the HPV vaccine is also being released. I have this nagging doubt that there are plenty of idiots out there who will not understand that Plan B is for when the condom breaks, not because it is Valentine's Day and Cindy-Lou wants to make it extra "special."

I do not see Plan B as the panacea some do. Ivy called me on my hypocrisy and I have been trying to figure out how to come to terms with it. If the warning labels are clear, I will try to quit worrying about women causing harm to their bodies by misusing this option. After all, I have never been on a soapbox about smoking or drinking, so why should I worry about this?

Lastly, I guess the woman of WaPo editorial fame will not be able to blame Bush for her next abortion. Maybe some good has been done.

Ch-ch-ch changes

So, I got bored and decided to redecorate.

I added a couple of new links and toys, including Haloscan. (Thanks for the help, Chip. If you have a moment, say hi to Connie. She hails from Minnesota, but she's as misplaced as I used to be, bless her heart.

If anyone had been wondering why my posting had suddenly become erratic, we can blame the rugrats. Someone told them it was alright to wake up at 5:45 and 6:00am. This seriously cut into my alone time and I have not been happy about it. Seriously not cool.

Also, I ended up taking Aidan to the doctor because he just didn't get over that stomach bug. Well, it wasn't a virus. It was a parasite he probably picked up at the waterpark and was kind enough to share with the entire family. We are all bug free now and safe to socialize with.

Quick Posthumous Ernesto Observation

It is now raining more heavily than we saw all day on Thursday, with no hoopla.

Hmm

I think a nap is in order.

I fixed myself a PB&J and proceeded to cut it into small pieces.

Happy Birthday, Mark.

I tried to post this yesterday, but Blogger was being tempermental.