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February 28, 2008

I Gots the Fever
100.7, and I normally run at about 97.4. So enough to be fairly miserable. Blah. Same phlegmy lung gunk that Daniel has been hacking up. Watery eyes. Scratchy throat, don't want to talk. Have to study, midterm due by Sunday night, can't concentrate. Ugh.

Tomorrow is the official Blog 365 Rest Day, so I'll be taking full advantage of that. See you on the flip side.
02/28/08 09:16 PM |  Comments


February 27, 2008

Tanqueray Days
It's not as if I didn't expect it. When I started working at the middle school, it took my immune system over a year to adjust to the stewpot of viruses. And the bub is starting out with a lot less immunity than I did. And apparently, preschool kids are nothing more than adorable little Gymboree-clad snotlaunchers. So we have a frustrated bub who has been spending more time out of school than in, more of springtime indoors than out.

And a mom who thinks about renewing her interest in recreational drinking more often than not. At least I'll be safer from malaria. Ha.
02/27/08 08:52 PM |  Comments


February 26, 2008

What Can I Say?
There's a lot of superficial stuff going on lately, and it's more interesting than me.
02/26/08 11:51 AM |  Comments


February 25, 2008

And Another...
...post at Vox today.
02/25/08 11:01 PM |  Comments


February 24, 2008

Over There
Maybe I should work towards Media Sundays.
02/24/08 11:17 PM |  Comments


February 23, 2008

Holy Light
If a picture paints a thousand words... I wouldn't even know where to begin.
02/23/08 10:35 PM |  Comments


February 22, 2008

Cheap Date
It was Parents' Night Out at the preschool. I had two (two! light!) gin & tonics at the local "upscale" "nightclub," and I've been flying almost stupidly high. It seems like I tolerate liquor with less ease the older I get. Sigh!

It sure is nice out tonight, though. Pleasant to wander around a safe downtown, with a big local bookstore to browse, and good pizza to eat, all by the river.
02/22/08 08:44 PM |  Comments


February 21, 2008

Slow News Day
Is it sad? When I'm in that certain springtime (yes, it is -- and there are cherry blossoms all over my car to prove it) organizey mood, not much could make me happier than two of Martha's under-shelf baskets did today.

My laundry closet is 78% happier, too. At least.
02/21/08 08:34 PM |  Comments


February 20, 2008

Sac Stuff
Some photos here, and a teeny video clip here.
02/20/08 10:56 PM |  Comments


February 19, 2008

Off the Wagon
We went to Sacramento for the long weekend, where I fell off the post wagon. Because the internet connection was crappy, and I didn't bring paper to manually write down posts. I guess I didn't bring enough inclination to overcome that ridiculously small barrier, either. And then I got home yesterday, and found myself completely lacking the will to post.

Will to drink? Check. Will to sleep until about Thursday? Cheeeccck. Will to blog? I must've lost that three counties east. Intent to carry on henceforth? Okay.

So, yeah. We went to the zoo. Old Sac. Spaghetti Factory. Pancake Circus. Ran out of oomph for Ikea (strange, considering all that carb loading). The bub was generally compliant. It was nice to get out of town.

I just wish I weren't so wiped and cranky today. The pollen (or something -- smog?) was getting me over there, and I did constant battle with my sinuses. Sleeping is usually an issue in hotels. And then up early this morning, for preschool. Yaaaaaawn.

Just need a day to recover my noggin. Too bad boys seem to have a spidey sense that hones right in on girl weakness. Hope everyone is caught up on their rabies shots!
02/19/08 10:39 AM |  Comments


February 15, 2008

Appointments With Doctor Dan
*looks in ear with scope*

"Yup! You can see."

*sticks thermometer in same ear*

"Beep! You can't hear!"

"Oh, no! What do I do, Doctor?"

"We put dis bandage on you to pwotect it. Yeah."

"On my ear?"

"No, on your arm, to make it heal. Now this is... only doctors can use these. To listen to your tummy."

*listens to random body parts with stethoscope*

More medical fun here.
02/15/08 09:13 PM |  Comments


February 14, 2008

Happy
Hearts Day!
02/14/08 08:53 PM |  Comments


February 13, 2008

Thank You, PBS
I can't believe I've spent the last thirteen years in nearly complete ignorance of the 1995 A&E/BBC Pride and Prejudice. Simply because I've never been much of a Colin Firth fan. Erm... wasn't, that is. Ahem.

And now I can't wait until next Wednesday (I've been recording the Jane Austen series very, very early Wednesday mornings, because there are scheduling conflicts on Sunday nights) to see the second half. Siiiiiigh!

I have to Netflix Mansfield Park, because it didn't get recorded, grumble. No good reason. Maybe the DVR prefers a dippier Billie Piper in Dr. Who, and decided it had had enough of the pre-21st century version after I watched Ruby in the Smoke twice last year. Speaking of which, I wonder when The Shadow in the North will be showing here?

ETA: Sheesh! with all the edits. I swear I had digit-al diarrhea when I wrote this yesterday...
02/13/08 09:54 PM |  Comments


February 12, 2008

Because for Three-Year-Olds...
...it's all about the presentation, right?

Last week, we found these cute little classroom Hoops & Yoyo Valentines at Hallmark (roll with it, right?), but realized too late that they didn't come with envelopes, and looked kind of... tacky (yeah, "imagine that," I know, I know) when folded up as suggested.

So at Michael's this morning, I found these adorable teensy white kraft gift bags with the bows and wrappings, the perfect size to hold the cards when folded (and possibly a little sticker treat from Mrs. Grossman's, if we make it over there tomorrow morning). And not clumsy for little hands to open, like a traditional envelope with glue. A simple heart sticker on the front and Voila! we're good to go.
02/12/08 08:05 PM |  Comments


February 11, 2008

Sigh.
Do three-year-olds really need to exchange classroom Valentines? Considering the majority can barely say the word "Valentine." And if they can write their name, they're probably not going to sit and do it 20 times.

I don't even think we did it in Kindergarten. It just all seems so rushed. Sigh.
02/11/08 11:20 PM |  Comments


February 10, 2008

Eleventh Hour Much?
My homework and quizzes are due each week at midnight Sunday, so guess what I just finished. Yup. Normally I'm better about not procrastinating, but this week didn't involve creating anything, so it naturally bored me to tears, and I avoided it.

But my butt needs prying from this chair right now, so I'll leave you with the letterboxing photos from yesterday. Maybe tomorrow I'll actually log it on our official page. That would be novel!
02/10/08 10:38 PM |  Comments


February 09, 2008

More at Eleven
I'm making my first quilt. Actually, a crib-sized quilt gone wall hanging for the bub's room, but I'm hand-stitching it and all. It has trains! Just doing the basting now. Pics... when I'm farther along.

We went letterboxing today, a semi-successful second attempt at a hunt which we failed miserably (and I do mean miserably) the first time, in Napa. A couple photos... tomorrow.

Yeah. Dumb young pop stars. Some of them are messed up. Some of them are really messed up. I GET IT. I get it so damned clearly that my tailbone itches at the mention of the name. More compelling -- nay, crucial -- analysis... when my cerebrum falls out.
02/09/08 09:36 PM |  Comments


February 08, 2008

Tally, Me Bananas
No, wrong. Wrong. I was wrong.

We do not owe "just" $251.80. Today we got a new bill, and we do owe the hospital $441.68, too. As, in addition to. On top of. Also.

This is how they broke the entire hospital cost down:

Urgent care: 470.00
Pharmacy: 113.49
Supplies: 248.00

$113 in pharmacy, eh? I think someone forgot to hand us our Valium on the way out.
02/08/08 11:40 PM |  Comments


February 07, 2008

I'm Going to Buy Some Black Market Dermabond...
...and open my own back-alley superficial injury-mending business.

If you recall, Daniel cut his chin open before Christmas, and we went to Urgent Care, certain it would need stitches. No -- behold the Miracle of Tissue Adhesives! Took fifteen minutes.

And, let's see:

Three squares of gauze to clean it up
One ampule of Dermabond
Three pairs of sanitary gloves, for the nurses and doctor

Billed:

$269, by the attending physician
$839.49, by the hospital

And Urgent Care is less expensive than the ER. That's the rumor, anyhow.

"Luckily," we're "only" responsible for $251.80.

After giving birth, I know I should hardly be surprised by the big, stupid numbers anymore. I know this! At least, the brain part of me knows this. The stomach part doesn't seem to catch on real quick.

What adds to the fun is that now we've been sent a mandatory form by HealthNet's subrogation henchmen, so that they can try to pin responsibility on someone else if it didn't happen in our own home (it did). We've never been treated for injury before, so I suppose it's just common practice now, but icka. It makes me feel dirty.

PSA: Don't try to use Superglue, instead!
02/07/08 08:24 AM |  Comments


February 06, 2008

In Which I Slaver Over Tofu, Alliteratively
That little web clip link above the Gmail inbox? I've never paid it much eye; usually it's just a recipe incorporating that most famous potted meat (praise to prurient purveyors of purported pleasure progression products! puke).

But today. Oh, today...

Caramelized Tofu, courtesy 101 Cookbooks. When even brussels sprouts sound dreamy, you know you're on to something. I'll bet it's a terrific match for TJ's quinoa and flaxseed rice. Mmm.
02/06/08 01:01 PM |  Comments


February 05, 2008

"Politics and paczki"
You'd be hard-pressed to find paczki here in Sonoma, but it's always a really big deal in Detroit. I had a fat, juicy burger, but it's just not the same.

I'm a permanent absentee voter, so no waiting at the polls for me today. I was a complete ass and failed to request a Democratic ballot (apparently California was only semi-closed, which I would have known if I had LEARNED to READ), so it was just a bunch of dumb props for me. And, at the moment, things don't seem to be going as hoped.
02/05/08 09:22 PM |  Comments


February 04, 2008

Link and Drink
The thought of writing (is that what I ever do, though? signs point to no) pains me in my thinky place. Here's a fun link, though: RecipeMatcher. Put in some things that you have in your cupboards, and it'll recommend recipes... which, now that I've typed it out, sounds pretty much like Ingredient Search on AllRecipes. Ah-hah! But AllRecipes doesn't do liquor! Err...
02/04/08 04:32 PM |  Comments


February 03, 2008

I is ur naybor...
...heerin ur supah bowl partay.

Not a big fan. In fact, I only know that one of the teams playing is the Patriots because I read a blurb on some blog about John Krasinski not dressing "appropriately" in support of "his" Boston team. Such is my obliviousness.

I just got back from my walk, and there've been massive parties in about every other house. Just judging by the uncharacteristically large number of cars I had to circumnavigate. I also learned that our walls are thinner than I've believed for the past three years. Whoops.

You'll let me know if there were any good ads, though, won't you?
02/03/08 08:43 PM |  Comments


February 02, 2008

Another First
Today we took the bub to a matinee for the first time ever! Yes, exciting! We saw The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, which, aside from being the only little kid-appropriate film out in a long time (we've been waiting. and waiting), also was less preachy and more entertaining than I'd bargained on, so score.

It was also the first time I've ever seen a filmstrip crash -- and burn! -- in real life. I've seen it plenty in movies, but never to a movie. They spliced it back together within ten minutes, and afterwards, gave everyone free passes for next time. Score again!

The bub looked so cute, sitting there in the special theater booster (with its own little armrests and cupholder), clutching his own wee bub-sized bag of popcorn. D. wanted to snap a pic, but his phone was full up, and I didn't have mine along.
02/02/08 08:23 PM |  Comments


February 01, 2008

February Funnies
Some (NSFW -- or kids) videos to kick off the month. First, Sarah Silverman is, well, Matt Damon. Then, a series titled "You Suck at Photoshop," instructive and hilarious.
02/01/08 11:18 PM |  Comments