I like wearing socks. I do not, however, like matching/folding socks. It was one of my least favorite chores as a child, and has not improved in my standings lately. My mom knows I do not like to sort socks. My dear husband has found out in the past year and a half, but really, I think it happened within the first month.
Perhaps that's why I embrace patterned socks wholeheartedly. It's so much easier to match a black with red and white polka dots to another black sock with red and white polka dots. Much easier than say, an accumulation of nearly 14 years' worth of black military uniform socks in various stages of fading, wear, and holes.
Just thought I would share. Oh, and can you please ask my husband to stop whistling the theme song to the most depressing show ever, M*A*S*H. Please?
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
The meteorologists who cried wolf
I remember overhearing a discussion about tsunami warnings (back when we lived in paradise/Hawaii). The main gist of the conversation was that the authorities really tried to figure out when to issue tsunami warnings, because if they offered too many, the people would become ignorant toward them, and not heed any sort of warning. Yes, Mayor Harry Kim (who had been in charge of the Hawaii Civil Defense and never seemed to relinquish all of his responsibilities) loved to come on the radio and tell you about any watch/warning that he could think of, but overall, the warnings were warranted.
Since we moved here (about 6 months now), we have had at least 3 tornado warnings. Warnings. Not watches. I can't count how many watches we've had. In this case, I'm just talking warnings. For the first tornado warning, dh was at school. I lit a candle, kept the tv on, and called my parents to tell them I loved them. Dh was in a meeting and unaccessible. I love him too. For the second warning, dh was at school. I kept my flashlight handy (dh makes me keep a small maglite in my purse at all times). I watched tv on the couch. This tornado warning (Tuesday night), the sirens went off. The meteorologists narrowed down the "target areas". Dh and I popped popcorn and watched the lightning out the window, making funny comments about the meteorologists.
I think it's kind of funny, really. Even after living here 6 months, I have no idea what our county shape is. I can look at a map of our state, and know about where ours is, but not have a clue which one it is. Then they start naming roads and subdivisions and I have an idea of some of them in our immediate proximity (the important ones - ie where the grocery store is, where Target is, where Joann Fabrics is, where Maggie Moo's is... you know, the critical stuff). Pretty much, if they could have named our condo building, I think they would have! Dh and I laughed during the five minutes they nearly told us personally to take shelter. We held out for real action. After all, the Florida/Tennessee game was way more interesting than our still-slightly-underdecorated-guest bathroom.
The sirens, in their just-the-perfect-pitch-to-really-annoy-the-poop-out-of-me, are still on. Perhaps we should be more concerned. But we're not.
Since we moved here (about 6 months now), we have had at least 3 tornado warnings. Warnings. Not watches. I can't count how many watches we've had. In this case, I'm just talking warnings. For the first tornado warning, dh was at school. I lit a candle, kept the tv on, and called my parents to tell them I loved them. Dh was in a meeting and unaccessible. I love him too. For the second warning, dh was at school. I kept my flashlight handy (dh makes me keep a small maglite in my purse at all times). I watched tv on the couch. This tornado warning (Tuesday night), the sirens went off. The meteorologists narrowed down the "target areas". Dh and I popped popcorn and watched the lightning out the window, making funny comments about the meteorologists.
I think it's kind of funny, really. Even after living here 6 months, I have no idea what our county shape is. I can look at a map of our state, and know about where ours is, but not have a clue which one it is. Then they start naming roads and subdivisions and I have an idea of some of them in our immediate proximity (the important ones - ie where the grocery store is, where Target is, where Joann Fabrics is, where Maggie Moo's is... you know, the critical stuff). Pretty much, if they could have named our condo building, I think they would have! Dh and I laughed during the five minutes they nearly told us personally to take shelter. We held out for real action. After all, the Florida/Tennessee game was way more interesting than our still-slightly-underdecorated-guest bathroom.
The sirens, in their just-the-perfect-pitch-to-really-annoy-the-poop-out-of-me, are still on. Perhaps we should be more concerned. But we're not.
What does it take to become staff?
To all of you who live in Michigan or the Chicago area, enjoy a paczki for me!! I'll be enjoying my own :) In case you need proof I actually made paczkis, here are a few pictures.
I haven't really deep-fried much in my life. And as my friend Jen Ponder says, "Everyone has to deep-fry something in their life. Now is your time". Well, Sunday was my time. Look at those beauties bobbing around in the liquid heart-attack.
See, I forgot the powdered sugar. They were still good anyway.
I am also dealing with some remorse that I am not voting today. Here it is, "Super Tuesday" and I am making it mediocre, average Tuesday. I, the one-time political science professor, am not voting. Bad example.
Also, I, in Nehemiah 2 fashion, presented my boss with a list of dates I wanted off from work. And like the true Artaxerxes she is, (just kidding), she granted them all to me without blinking an eye. I thought "hey, I'm a valuable employee, perhaps she will beg me to stay, to not take time off." But no. Have fun. Later gator. I think my first indicator should have been the fact she told me about the staff meeting and told me "You can come if you want". Apparently working there 4 days a week doing all of the yucky jobs no one else wants to do still doesn't qualify me as a mandatory staff-meeting-attender. After all, only staff are allowed. No, I'm not bitter.
Anyway, this does help me want to do exceptionally well for my interview that I have tomorrow. Even if the interview doesn't go well, this week I get to take Sabbatical and work at a flower shop for the next week or so.
I haven't really deep-fried much in my life. And as my friend Jen Ponder says, "Everyone has to deep-fry something in their life. Now is your time". Well, Sunday was my time. Look at those beauties bobbing around in the liquid heart-attack.
See, I forgot the powdered sugar. They were still good anyway.
I am also dealing with some remorse that I am not voting today. Here it is, "Super Tuesday" and I am making it mediocre, average Tuesday. I, the one-time political science professor, am not voting. Bad example.
Also, I, in Nehemiah 2 fashion, presented my boss with a list of dates I wanted off from work. And like the true Artaxerxes she is, (just kidding), she granted them all to me without blinking an eye. I thought "hey, I'm a valuable employee, perhaps she will beg me to stay, to not take time off." But no. Have fun. Later gator. I think my first indicator should have been the fact she told me about the staff meeting and told me "You can come if you want". Apparently working there 4 days a week doing all of the yucky jobs no one else wants to do still doesn't qualify me as a mandatory staff-meeting-attender. After all, only staff are allowed. No, I'm not bitter.
Anyway, this does help me want to do exceptionally well for my interview that I have tomorrow. Even if the interview doesn't go well, this week I get to take Sabbatical and work at a flower shop for the next week or so.
Monday, February 4, 2008
I have Paczkis in my kitchen!
And, unfortunately, no elves made them for me. I used the recipe Erinn sent me from recipezaar.
Authentic Polish Paczki Recipe
1½ hours 30 min prep (yeah right, it took me like 4 hours)
Authentic Polish Paczki Recipe
1½ hours 30 min prep (yeah right, it took me like 4 hours)
| 12 | egg yolks (or six whole eggs, see note) (I used 6 whole eggs, and it was still pretty eggy) |
| 1 | teaspoon salt |
| 2 (1/4 | ounce) packages active dry yeast |
| 1/4 | cup warm water |
| 1/3 | cup room temperature butter |
| 1/2 | cup sugar |
| 4 1/2 | cups flour |
| 1/3 | cup rum or brandy(I used rum - the light, clear kind) |
| 1 | cup scalded whipping cream (I heated it to almost boiling) |
| 1 1/2 | cups preserves or cooked prunes or apples or canned poppy seed filling (I used blackberry preserves) |
| | oil (for deep frying, The old-timers used lard, but vegetable oil will work(I use peanut oil.) I used normal vegetable oil. I think canola. |
- Beat egg yolks with the salt in the small bowl of an electric mixer at high speed until the mixture is thick and piles softly, about 7 minutes.
- Soften yeast in warm water.
- Cream butter, add sugar to it gradually, beating until fluffy.
- Slowly beat in the softened yeast.
- Stir one fourth of the flour into the yeast mix.
- Add rum/brandy and half of the cream.
- Beat in another fourth of the flour.
- Stir in remaining cream.
- Beat in half of the remaining flour and then the egg yolk mixture.
- Beat for 2 minutes.
- Gradually beat in the remaining flour until the dough blisters. (I think I added another cup of flour - it was really sticky)
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. (I covered mine with a towel instead of plastic wrap)
- Set in a warm place to rise. (I turned my oven to "warm" and let it rise in there)
- When it has doubled in bulk, punch it down. (I think I added almost another cup of flour here because it was so sticky!)
- Cover and let rise again until doubled.
- Punch it down again.
- Roll dough on a floured surface to about 3/4 inch thickness.
- Cut out 3 inch rounds using a cookie cutter or glass.
- Put 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of half the circles. (I skipped steps 19, 20, 21 & 22 - the next four steps - until "cover the paczki...")
- Brush the edges with water. skipped
- Top with the remaining rounds. skipped
- Seal the edges very well. skipped
- Cover the paczki on a floured surface.
- Let rise about 20 minutes.
- Deep fry in the hot fat until they are golden brown on both sides. (Just light brown- they'll continue to brown a little after you take them out)
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle with honey. (I forgot this step completely - oops!)
- Put preserves in ziplock bag, and cut one edge on an angle to make a "piping bag"
- Once cooled, make a small incision on the side of your paczki. Insert the piping bag and squeeze as much of the preserves as you desire (about a few TBSPs, or in my case, as much as you can fit in there!)
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Things that make me happy on my way to work...
I am fortunate enough to be able to walk to work. Dh can take the car when he wants, and if I have errands to run, I can drop him off at school for the day. Here are a few things that make me smile along my way to the preschool.
This tree. It seems to me to be aged and wise. It sits across the street from a church. It's gnarled and beautiful.
I love this piece of litter and is one of the few things that I won't clean up...
It's Ohana punch!! I had never heard of it before, but it's made by Faygo. Just the subtle reminder of Hawaii makes me happy. Perhaps that's what Faygo was going for.
In other news, we've been to a church twice, and kind of liked it. I'm not sure if we *love* it, but we don't dislike it, and it has Saturday night services, which are really helpful for dh, who frequently has group meetings all day on Sundays. We started liking Saturday services after attending Elevate. Plus, who doesn't like being able to sleep in on Sunday morning too? Saturday has become our sabbath and our day to relax.
This tree. It seems to me to be aged and wise. It sits across the street from a church. It's gnarled and beautiful.
I love this piece of litter and is one of the few things that I won't clean up...
It's Ohana punch!! I had never heard of it before, but it's made by Faygo. Just the subtle reminder of Hawaii makes me happy. Perhaps that's what Faygo was going for.
In other news, we've been to a church twice, and kind of liked it. I'm not sure if we *love* it, but we don't dislike it, and it has Saturday night services, which are really helpful for dh, who frequently has group meetings all day on Sundays. We started liking Saturday services after attending Elevate. Plus, who doesn't like being able to sleep in on Sunday morning too? Saturday has become our sabbath and our day to relax.
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