spinning-jennie: archives « October 2006 | Main | December 2006 »

November 30, 2006

Fin.
They're hinting that tonight we might break record lows set in the 30's. Curious, I went and looked up just what that would mean.

27°, in 1936.

Now that I've stopped laughing...

I know, I know. I know. And I shouldn't get annoyed when neighbors talk about how "bitter" it is at 40°, either. I shouldn't. But... holy mighty, that adjective irks here. The temperature range is so, so narrow. About 70 degrees? I won't go into the whole "I walked to school in -30 windchill both ways" spiel, but, gah.

Anyhow. November is done! I definitely got the quantity down, perhaps a little shaky on the quality. I've decided to string it out another month, see what happens. I might even go a whole year. Run, run while you can!
11/30/06 11:59 AM |  Comments


November 29, 2006

Thirty Days Have September, April, June and November...
Coolest use of a school display window ever.
11/29/06 10:48 PM |  Comments


November 28, 2006

Foiled!
I knew the two streets were nestled back there, all nice and perpendicular:

danielhenry.jpg

I wrongly assumed that they crossed, thus spoiling my plans to make a silly little photo of the bub beneath one of the street signs at that intersection. Stupid Weiling.
11/28/06 12:32 PM |  Comments


November 27, 2006

This is Day 27.
Oooh, just getting under the wire on this one. I can't help but wonder how many of the original ??? NBPM participants end up sticking it out the whole month. Percentages would be interesting!

I finally found a use for the little warming crock that came with the big slow cooker. Chopped up some peels from the half-dozen clementines consumed today, tossed those in with a few whole cloves and a little water, simmered all afternoon, and, voila! the kitchen smells all citrus-spicy. Big improvement over burrito-leftovery.

Somehow I suffered a fairly deep, sore scratch on my forearm, and don't remember how. I've sustained many bruises that way, which I believe is fairly common, but mysterious flesh wounds are new for me. Senility, or toddler-induced dementia? Who can tell.

I've been using the library a lot more now that the bub will sit still for stories at night (usually). Because, damn, those picture books are shorter than I remember, and we go through them like water. And I'm not big on close repetition. I also didn't remember hating the ending to the first Curious George book. Huh.

The tree is now decorated. We'll see how long the branches lower than four feet stay that way.

11/27/06 11:57 PM |  Comments


November 26, 2006

Phoning it In
Oh, I almost forgot to post today. Whoops.

It was a short day, but seemed long. Put up a few more decorations. Did some laundry. Finished watching Love Actually (not too shabby) and then semi-watched Kate and Leopold (meh). Splashed around outside with the bub. Made burritos. Did some (overdue, whoops again) homework.

Tomorrow my number one goal is acquiring more clementines.
11/26/06 11:20 PM |  Comments


November 25, 2006

It's Actually Twelve Days...
...but they didn't want some lame-ass punlover like me using "Twelve Days of TJ's" as a post title (dooooon't think it hadn't crossed my mind).

I've only had HeatEatReview.com on my feedreader for a couple of weeks. Just in the nick of time: Monday begins Trader Joe's Week.

I haven't been spending as much time at TJ's lately -- our store is kind of crampy and rushy, and what with me being a misanthrope and all... you know. Maybe something will pique my interest just enough to battle close quarters with the pushy folk. I do loves me some TJ's. And that bergamot iced tea sounds awfully good right now.
11/25/06 11:36 PM |  Comments


November 24, 2006

"Every New Flake Makes a Difference."
An even better reason to while away the hours cutting out virtual snowflakes -- the more we create, the more money Popular Front will donate to the Salvation Army! Can't get more win-win than that.
11/24/06 09:24 PM |  Comments


November 23, 2006

Thankee.
What a nice Thanksgiving dinner we had.

The Hilltop was exactly that -- at the end of an upward-winding road, in a grove of old oaks (the photos they use on the site don't do the exterior justice at all). The views were nice, though my photos didn't do that justice. I made reservations for just before dusk, so it was a treat to watch the changes over the hills while eating.

Such a friendly, homey place. Candlelit tables, lighted swags on the walls, and fabric ceiling lamps cast just the right amount of warm light. No rushing -- it took us over two hours to get through dinner, which is really how the holiday should be, even when you're out, no? It was the best Thanksgiving experience out that we've had, in my opinion, and we've had a few. The bub would agree on the basis of getting a balloon alone.

He and I had traditional turkey dinners (turkey, stuffing, cranberries, mashed potatoes, yams, and green beans), and D. had the prime rib with baked potato and beans. All simple, all very, very good. Even the salad was the best I've had in some time. And dessert. Oh my thighs, the dessert. D. and the bub split a chocolate mousse, and I had pumpkin bread pudding, with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. It was indescribably good, warm and cold and sweet and savory and... ummmm.

Of course we had our Thanksgiving shark along. For the benefit of those who are relatively new around here, I'll tell the story. D, my sister and I went to a big old Thanksgiving buffet in White Lake, Michigan many years ago (1999, to be exact). We were greeted by this shark in the entryway, and proceeded to make fun of it. After that, it just didn't seem like Thanksgiving without one, so we picked up a Ty "Crunch," and dragged it with us to our feasts forevermore. It certainly made the bub happy today!

We did take some photos, mostly of the bub. He was very good and charming the whole time.

I know I spend a lot of time here wringing my hands and/or complaining -- that's just the nature of this beast, and what I need it for, sometimes -- but don't think for a moment that I'm not aware of exactly how much I have to be thankful for. One of those things is all of you, who've been faithfully visiting and keeping me company here these long years. Thank you!
11/23/06 09:16 PM |  Comments


November 22, 2006

Gobble Gobble!
I'm just going to answer these nice Thanksgiving questions that greentshirt posed. Don't you just love content providers when it's late, you've fallen asleep drooling on the couch, and you're yet again at a loss?

1. What is your favorite dish on the Thanksgiving table?

I love stuffing. And bakery rolls. Carbs good. Mmmm.

2. Do you generally make the food and host a group gathering, go to someone else's house for Thanksgiving, or just stay home and have a quiet day with your nuclear family? What would you do if you weren't obligated to be with family?

We used to have the big turkey thing at home. It's been a looong time since that happened.

3. What are you most likely to be doing tomorrow night around 7 p.m. ?

Being stuffed. Watching TV.

4. How do you feel about Christmas?

I am all about the Christmas. The decorating. The food. The music. The fun little secrets everywhere. Santa Claus. I'm agnostic, so I see it all as more the original pagan solstice celebration.

5. If I were a wealthy benefactor and I told you that I would buy you one gift for Christmas, it had to be an actual item that I could buy (not cash or paying a bill for you, etc.) what would you ask me to buy you?

Probably can't buy a babysitter, huh? Does a house count? Because California sucks. If it doesn't, hmmmm... Goodness, I'd love new furniture. Is that cheesy? Real furniture. You know. I'll have to get back to you on which, though. Though... who am I kidding, it'd just be destroyed when we move it again and again. Maybe a schmancy camera, then.
11/22/06 07:03 PM |  Comments


November 21, 2006

Babbly
Clementines! Thank goodness they're here again. Because it's awfully nice to be addicted to something that's, well, good for me. I wish I felt this way about broccoli. Or any fruit would do. Or at least that clementines weren't so temporary.

IE 7. Not feeling the love yet. Can't get a new tab to open. Feeling like an idiot. Grumble. Yes, I should probably just RtFM, but that sounds too much like work at the moment.

Elli is getting more mellow towards the bub, which is nothing short of astounding. He can, every now and again, even manage to pet her before she streaks off to hide beneath a heavy piece of furniture.

You people need to stop having such cute little squishies, it inflicts side effects on the surrounding poor unwitting uteri!
11/21/06 10:13 PM |  Comments


November 20, 2006

Pedestrian Terror II
So, they caught the woman who hit my mom.

Because she hit a car today on M35. When they asked her about the hit-and-run, she fessed up.

She said she sped off because she panicked. And that she hit her because she didn't see her. Her response to "...but you flagged her through (!!!)" was met by silence, and then a request for representation.

Not that a cracked rib is great, but obviously it could've been so much worse. Woman had better damned well lose her license, at the very least.
11/20/06 10:59 PM |  Comments


November 19, 2006

Pedestrian Terror
I tell you. With scary personal stories from forums, and the news... and now my own mother! I'll admit that I'm becoming just a little afraid to walk near any traffic at all with the bub.

My mom was struck by an older woman yesterday. She waved her through, and as my mom began to cross, she sped up and knocked her over.

And then took off, fast enough that my mom couldn't get the plate number.

She's been in pain since, and has had trouble breathing, so she's seeing the doctor tomorrow. Luckily it wasn't worse.

Disturbing isn't quite a powerful enough word for this mini-trend.

And I know, I know -- there've always been idiots behind the wheel, these things have always happened. It's just easier to fall prey to the fear of them when a) it gets personal, and b) I'm responsible for more than my own life.
11/19/06 09:06 PM |  Comments


November 18, 2006

Retrofood
Every now and again, I get this inexplicable, whole-body craving for KFC coleslaw. Cold, crispy, creamy, yum. At those times, it's better than ice cream could ever be, call me crazy.

So last night the bub and I ventured out to get a bucket meal. You should know that our arteries aren't in grave danger (from that particular threat) -- it's something we never, ever do, so it's just a rare treat.

It all made me flash back to the places we used to eat as a family in Milwaukee.

  • Cousins Submarines, oh my! That's what got me hooked forevermore on subs. Sadly, though, I think they were better before they became a rapidly-growing chain; when I visited the area in the nineties and had them... they just didn't seem the same at all.
  • Leon's, a true midcentury landmark, was just a few blocks away, and I swear it's the best cone you could ever have.
  • Marc's Big Boy. Not even certain if it exists these days.
  • IHoP! Again, I think the one in our neighborhood is closed now. It was the traditional blue A-frame, and we'd go there early in the morning, bleary-eyed and cold, before heading up to the Upper Peninsula. I was a weird kid and often ordered the spaghetti.
  • The diner at Woolworth's. Oh, that whole big two-story Woolworth's had kind of a magic to it in general. Too bad they demolished that entire deliciously retro mall (where, if I remember correctly, we also used to get our Easter butter lambs) to make way for WalMart.


    • Strange that it wasn't until I lived there again briefly in the early nineties that I "discovered" George Webb.
    11/18/06 09:15 PM |  Comments


    November 17, 2006

    Artsy Fartsy
    I've been at the cheap canvas & fabric "art" again, this time on the landing between floors. A blisteringly boring spot beneath the skylight that needed a little punch.

    Which this photo does not illustrate well. Should've planned ahead and shot earlier. It'll do for now.

    ETA: Ah, natural light from above, that's a little better.
    11/17/06 10:58 PM |  Comments


    November 16, 2006

    Early to Rise
    An hour before midnight, and I'm at a complete loss for a topic. I think my Code Orange-Red level of irk is restricting the blood flow to my brain.

    Or maybe it's lack of sleep.

    Nah. I don't need sleep. I have my bon-bons. Right?

    That was a rhetorical question, you know.

    I've never been a six-hour kind of person. I mean, there are periods lasting a few days -- usually in spring or summer -- where I'm inexplicably wired, and can breeze by on four or five. But fall and winter? Nah. I need my seven or eight.

    Well, Daylight Savings has really ripped our schedule here a new one. Still not adjusted. I've never been a huge fan of Daylight Savings, but that disdain increased by about a million bajillion once I multiplied. And if we were talking about just the lost hour, that would still be doable. But no -- for whatever reason, these days it's more like two.

    But who can expect a toddler to understand circadian math?
    11/16/06 10:44 PM |  Comments


    November 15, 2006

    Wee
    Just imagine -- with the new iLoupe microscopic digital camera, I could take bad pics of really, really tiny things, too!

    I wonder how much it's going to cost? Far too rich for my blood, I'm certain. Pity. But I suppose there are much cheaper, if geekier, options for capturing smallness.
    11/15/06 10:27 AM |  Comments


    November 14, 2006

    Daisypoops
    Okay, enough with the snarfing. In an effort to allay my seething crank, I will make a list of things that are recently or currently cheery or amusing to me.

  • When the bub leans over and demands a "kees!"
  • Joel McHale
  • The thought of Elmo riding in one of these
  • Cool, partly cloudy days
  • Lost being gone until February Oops, sorry -- wrong list
  • Puuuuuuummmmpkin Pie shakes at Jaaaaaaacccckk, mmmmmmmm
  • Pumpkin ale
  • Pumpkin pie that I don't have to bake
  • Secret gifties arriving all week
  • Living in a neighborhood fairly buried in golden leaves
  • Anticipating the first Netflixed CD of Sesame Street Old School arriving tomorrow
  • Finding new blog comments on my newsreader
  • Engagement news from old friends
  • The day after a cold is finally, really gone
  • The bub recognizing letters of the alphabet
  • John Krasinski
  • Hazelnut coffee
  • Getting my way on at least half the propositions and measures
  • Roasting my own chicken for the first time (yup!)


    • And wasn't that cathartic?
    11/14/06 09:19 PM |  Comments


    November 13, 2006

    Do You Need More Proof...
    ...that the government is out to get people with respiratory problems? Or, at least far too willing to sacrifice the ones that can't afford things like physician's visits, Advair, and albuterol to "more important" issues.

    It's getting increasingly difficult for me to obtain sinus decongestant. Target, that big-box bastion of all things consumerly wonderful, has let me down for the first time ever. Kmart stopped carrying it awhile back. I can still get it at Albertson's, which I did today, after signing in and showing I.D. One box, and I'm now at my federally-imposed monthly limit with twenty-four doses. Which, if I were unfortunate enough to need it around the clock, would mean six days.

    Luckily I am insured, and can (hopefully?) put an end to my own madness by having a physical and getting a prescription. But that's just me. I'm absolutely livid on behalf of those that aren't. Because how long do you think drug companies can keep producing OTC products that large retailers refuse to carry because of the burden it places upon their pharmacies?

    Overreaction? Sure! After all, it's just one more way our consumer rights are being chipped away in the name of public protection. Perhaps the FDA will start passing out Soma in lieu.
    11/13/06 01:18 PM |  Comments


    November 12, 2006

    You Want Me to What, Young Man?
    Okay. I didn't even have to undergo drug testing for a paid position in a public school. Fingerprinting and background checks, perhaps, but that actually, you know, makes sense.

    As much as I hope, someday, to volunteer in my community as I can -- I would immediately walk out on a demand for my urine (or mouth swab, thank you very much). Way to endear your most fervent supporters and waste perfectly good tax dollars to boot, people.
    11/12/06 05:53 PM |  Comments


    November 11, 2006

    Whoa.
    We watched RiffTraxed Matrix tonight. Either I'm a) old, or b) more affected by sensory overload during the day than I thought. Because all the weapons noise and crashes really, really got to me, my skin and spine crawling at points.

    That said, it's as hilarious as you'd expect. Point Break is going to be a hoot, I can tell.
    11/11/06 11:03 PM |  Comments


    November 10, 2006

    Now With 100% More Miscellany!
    After about a month of asking and poking around, I finally found a casual, inexpensive restaurant for Thanksgiving with decent reviews, right down the highway in Marin, and I'm stoked. The only problem will be choosing my entree -- traditional turkey, ham, prime rib, salmon, pork, or vegetarian pie. How about a sampler plate? Mmm.

    The bub and I went to our second library storytime this morning. They were setting up for the library book sales (whee!) in the meeting room, so we had to cram into a corner of the children's area. And the bub was just too distracted by all the stuff to listen (or let anyone else listen, for that matter). So we lasted all of ten minutes. You can tell he really wasn't having any fun -- he didn't put up even a tiny bit of fuss when I took his hand and led him out.

    I began to have technical difficulties with my putz house (re: sugar snow glitter) and got discouraged. Hopefully I'll finish off my test house this weekend. Dammit, I knew I forgot something at Michael's yesterday -- spray adhesive.

    I am now offering a finder's fee for a reliable date night babysitter. Yes -- just that desperate. Did you know that there are 16-year-olds out there who expect $18 an hour (not a typo)? 16-year-olds who, it would seem, don't realize that some "old" mother would/could use an email address to look up their MySpace page, and rule them out by virtue of their partial nudity/lapdancing, drinking, and hoochieguttermouth? Yeah. Sometimes this alone drives me to the verge of packing it up and moving back to the Upper Peninsula.

    Breakfast for dinner can be the best palliative, no? So tonight it was baked French toast with Vermont maple syrup, vegetarian sausage patties, and fruit salad (entirely off-the-cuff, with some media crema I'd picked up to try on a whim, and a dash of amaretto syrup).
    11/10/06 08:17 PM |  Comments


    November 09, 2006

    The Devil Wears Pampers:
    Similarities between working for the fictional Ms. Miranda Priestly and stay-at-home mothering.

  • Both require you to report at any minute of the clock.
  • Illness is not an excuse, and will not be indulged. Sick days are for humans, not you!
  • A food or service might be requested, and then promptly rejected -- vociferously -- as if you, my dear, were demented all along.
  • Tantrums. Even though Ms. Priestly's are delivered in full sentences, it amounts to the same thing.
  • How your day turns out might be completely dependent on a mood not of your own making.
  • Both can run roughshod over your sense of self-esteem, because...
  • ...menial, mindless tasks? That's your MO, baby.


    • Of course, the major difference is that one builds to loathing, and the other never breaks away from full-on adoration.

    It's kind of funny how that works, isn't it?
    11/09/06 08:58 PM |  Comments


    November 08, 2006

    Miscellany
  • The popcorn turned out so well using the microwave auto settings! It tastes ten times better than pre-packaged. There were a lot of unpopped kernels, but I'm certain that it was because I used the Large Snack setting, and not the Regular. Whatever -- no char, just delicious, fluffy popcorn! The kosher salt flakes from Trader Joe's were just the perfect touch, too.
  • I'm really channelling my inner Hermione now, what with the new moisture in the air. So I've got the frizz and the straight A's (a little bossiness mightn't hurt...). Now if I can just whip up some polyjuice potion and turn myself into a being not susceptible to the cold virus even for just a few hours tomorrow (because everyone else is sick here, and I can feel it coming on in my throat -- again), I'll be all set.
  • I'm not having much luck finding a restaurant in the North Bay that serves up a traditional, family-friendly, Thanksgiving (for example, not serving anything I can't pronounce), at something a bit less than $80 a plate. This is probably futility, but if you happen to know of such a place, could you kindly drop a comment? Thanks!
  • I'm sorry, but with people wearing shorts yesterday... it's especially difficult to believe that I saw a house this evening decked from roofline to shrubbery in lights (even though, ironically, I bought two boxes of my own, along with a chocolate Advent calendar and one of these paper lovelies).
  • Okay, blonde lady in the ridiculously large SUV. I know you're probably in a big hurry to get to your manicurist and all, but I'm not going to roll through my end of the four-way stop just so you can get there faster. Waving maniacally at me won't do you a shred of good.
  • I'm a little cranky and wired, and my nighttime tea of choice isn't helping. I think I need to get back into my walking routine again, I've been a slacker.

    • 11/08/06 10:08 PM |  Comments


    November 07, 2006

    Election
    Thank goodness for the availability of Permanent Absentee status to any citizen in this state. Have I said that before? I feel as if I've said that before. Well, I appreciate it, muchly, so it bears repeating.

    Of course I miss out on the shmancy "I Voted" sticker.

    I'll sleep a little more soundly knowing that the SD abortion ban has been defeated. And CA Prop 73 is failing. I'm lukewarm re: the Governator staying in, even if the mere idea of him being in office still rankles/offends. Badnarik tanked badly in the Texas District 10 race, but the only surprise there is how badly.

    And, yes, I am relieved that the House has been taken, this time.
    11/07/06 09:34 PM |  Comments


    November 06, 2006

    Trail of Blood
    I woke up (too early -- civilized people don't get up at six, bub) this morning to a trail of very bloody paw prints across the floor, my desk, and the office windowsill, still damp. Needless to say, this was a bit upsetting.

    So I hurried back down the stairs to hunt cats. Which was easy enough; they were both just hanging out, acting their normal, epitome-of-lazy selves.

    I picked Elmo up and flipped him over in my lap (he's a very obliging kitty). Nothing. Elli won't let me do the same, but everything looked normal as far as I could see. If she were seriously hurt, she wouldn't have let me within ten feet of her snarling demon self.

    So... WTF?

    I'll update with any new findings.

    Update: It appears to be one of Elli's rear paws -- looks like a little damage to the pad or claw, but there's too much clotting (and she's too dangerous to hold long) to really get in there for a look. It doesn't seem to bother her, though. Elmo started acting strangely after I wrote that first bit, and I thought it might be him, after all, but maybe the smell bothered him or something.

    Update Update: We managed to get a good look at the damage. Appears as if she snapped a claw off below the quick. I'd heard those things bled like crazy, but... eesh. I'm still finding spatters on my desk. Ew.
    11/06/06 07:08 AM |  Comments


    November 05, 2006

    When at a Loss for Words...
    ...and you don't have any new video: list.

    Toys that I would get the bub just so I could play with them, too. Not necessarily yet, but a mom can dream.

  • Lots and lots of GeoTrax (we already have a starter kit, so cool)
  • TinkerToys and Lincoln Logs, of course
  • Frigits - build a marble coaster on your fridge
  • Legos. Buckets upon buckets full.


    • Waaaait a minute. Trend, much? I hope he likes building toys...

    11/05/06 08:17 PM |  Comments


    November 04, 2006

    Dia de los Muertos
    Well, we tried to see the procession in the Plaza downtown last night, but it seemed as if we'd missed it. So we decided to eat in the veranda at the wonderfully old McNear's (where famous folks like Seth Green hang out when they visit Petaluma on nearby LucasFilm business, or so I've been told, insert fangirl blush and giggle here).

    We didn't really miss it, after all, because it danced past the windows about fifteen minutes later! Next year we'll know to grab some outdoor seating, weather permitting, and really have a fantastic show.

    So I didn't catch any footage of the procession as I'd planned. But I did get a bit of the bub enjoying his dinner with reckless abandon, seen here. I must say that I'm very impressed with the improvements to YouTube, in both upload and processing speeds (the latter often took hours to complete just a few months ago).
    11/04/06 08:49 PM |  Comments


    November 03, 2006

    Snacky Snacks
    Encouraged by this ReadyMade blog post, I thought I might try Alton Brown's DIY microwave popcorn.

    Luckily the burning smell dissipated after a couple of days.

    The problem was, of course, my timing -- even though I removed the bag at the supposed optimal time between pops, it wasn't fast enough! And so, scorch. Pee-ew.

    But someone in the recipe review section writes that they've had better luck using the microwave's automatic "popcorn" setting, so I'm going to give that a shot sometime this weekend. Because the non-blackened kernels, though infused with Essence of Charcoal, still tasted pretty good, and I really, really want it to work.

    Also this weekend: I'll finally be roasting my pumpkin (and squash!) seeds, trying the Sweet & Spicy recipe here, via Megan. Hopefully the seeds won't be any less delectable because I neglected them this many days.
    11/03/06 01:51 PM |  Comments


    November 02, 2006

    Thank Goodness for Night Vision Mode.
    Here's the trick-or-treating video -- it comes in long, even with brutal editing, at six minutes.

    He was met with collective "Awwwwwwww!"s everywhere, and, even though he's a tad young, who are we to deprive the people of The Cuteness? Pshaw. We seemed to catch the houses where he was the most apprehensive, but, honestly! we didn't have to drag him to every door. It's all part of the "get him out in public as much as possible so he doesn't end up an antisocial hermit like us" plan.

    Of course scoring a little bucket of candy for us didn't hurt, either. Think of it as partial payback for the tantrums.

    This neighborhood goes all out on Halloween, even so far as making haunted houses in garages and spooked-out "tunnels" up to the door (too scary for bub, of course). And the loot! Oh my goodness. It's a very popular place, as you might imagine.
    11/02/06 03:12 PM |  Comments


    November 01, 2006

    Mommy's Little Candy-Scoring Monkey Pie
    I don't usually pine for gadgetry, but I admit -- I'm aching for a few more megapixels. Perhaps, though, what I really need is a digital photography class. Aherm.

    In any case. Here's the zookeeper and monkey (why do we persist taking photos indoors? and why aren't 1.5 semesters worth of PS tricks helping past a certain point?), a petite, particularly pensive primate, and monkey twins, unite! Mad props again to The Sister for loan of her spare zoo duds.

    Videos tomorrow, I think, because I just had my midterm project and exam this weekend, and I'm all edited out. No soundtrack on these, his voice is just too cute to cover.
    11/01/06 03:08 PM |  Comments