I Made Them Myself...

I have been writing a little bit about how I am trying to make a homemade Christmas this year, so I thought I would show off what I have gotten accomplished so far.

Before I begin the Christmas gift show, here's a picture of the kitty bed that became my kid's new pillow:

Is it a kitty bed? Not if Peanut has anything to say about it!

Peanut hasn't really started using a pillow yet, but when she saw me trying to convince our cats to sleep on this kitty bed, she decided it belonged to her. So I am sorry, kitties. I tried.

I made a couple of the Artsy Clutch purse from Bend the Rules Sewing:





A couple of zipper pouches from the same book:







A Charming Handbag in Amy Butler's Lotus fabric:



With a Moda interior:



A bunch of crayon rolls to go with the super cool watercolor crayons I got here.





A bunch of reusable grocery totes (based on the pattern from the Sew Mama Sew blog, just with little bags added to store them in:









Burp clothes:

Summer is Going and I am Sad.

Well, about a few things, anyhow. I have been watching the light change its character in the last few weeks, going from the green and blue bright clarity of summertime to the golden haziness of fall. Even though it has still been relatively warm here, I can feel the colder note of the breeze on my skin after the sun sets.

Also, Peanut has begun announcing the moon when she sees it, which makes time feel as though it is passing like nothing else. She told us on our Saturday evening ramble, as she saw the moon through the leaves of a magnolia tree- "Moooong" or something similar. I asked, "Do you see the star next to the moon?"

She replied, with the wonder only a 1 year old can summon, "Staaaaaa."

In any case, I am dying to bake again. I hate baking in the summer and by the time falls creeps into view, I am craving all manner of baked goods- bread, cookies, scones.... Scones have been calling to me today, so after I made dinner, I started a batch of scones. I started making these, but then I realized we didn't go to the farmer's market this past weekend, so my eggs are rather elderly and probably not at their best. So I googled a scone recipe that didn't call for eggs, and made this one.



The picture is from my mobile phone, so excuse the extremely poor quality. They turned out ok, but I think that I overworked the dough, and since I didn't have cream on hand (who does?), I used the full fat milk that Peanut drinks. They are a bit more chewy than I normally like, but I think if I were to make them again, instead of using the pastry blender, I would use my food processor instead, to make sure the butter stays cold. I would also freeze the milk/cream and butter for a few minutes before starting, to make sure everything was really cold. That always makes my pie crust really flaky, so I bet it would work on these, too. (Thanks, Martha Stewart for the best pate brisee recipe ever).

I also mentioned the other day that I am knitting now. Well, in my excitement over this, I signed up to join Ravelry.com- and my invite just came today! It's such a cool site! I wish there was one out there like this for sewing- I love the tool tracker thingy and the project queue is amazing. I know it is going to suck up too much of my time, but I was very stoked to see the invite in my mailbox today!

I am working on a scarf, as I mentioned, from the Better Homes and Gardens 123 Knit book. The pattern is called the Wavy Rib Warmer, and it looks like this so far:





I am making it from an off white acrylic yarn, so it is super high quality (um, or not), but I figured that this is totally a learning process and I may as well start with relatively cheap yarn so I don't waste money on my screw-ups.

And while I was looking at my photos, I saw this one, of our Sego Palm in the front yard- it had this weird ball of leaves in the center and I took this picture before it began to unfurl...



Have a good week.

Back on Friday...

A train car, parked on the tracks behind my work...

Isaac's Storm

Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson

My review

While this was well written (Erik Larson's style is easy to read and very compelling), there was a bit too much focus on the gory details for my own personal taste. I'm glad this wasn't my first taste of his work, as I would have missed out on the fascinating "Devil in the White City" and his others. Read it, but read one of his other books first.

Oh, Internet.

You Are So Full Of Things I Want to Make!

Ok, so I read about this really cool fabric basket-thing on PerpetualPlum's Weblog because Not Martha blogged a bunch of links. She also blogged that reusable sandwich thing that I am obsessed with. (And still haven't made, mind you).

I did, however, make and serve the chocolate minty cloud cake. Do you like the name? Or do you perhaps prefer Thin Mint Cake? (Even though I used pretend Thin Mints...) Whatever it should be called, it tasted really good. Everyone commented (except my sister) that the minty flavor was mellow, and the whole thing wasn't too sweet. So, overall a success, I think.

I am knitting a scarf, because as of last Friday, I knit now. (Badly). I am making a scarf from the book I bought, and it is slow going for me. I am used to sewing, where I can punch something out fairly quickly- this knitting thing takes some patience! (Which I lack). I'll post a pic when I have a chance to take a picture in daylight.

I also have on the back burners: a baby sling that will fit R (I already have one), a pillow case for R my husband is funny- check out the fabric he picked, and various sundry Christmas gifts that are in the pipeline. I also want to make a quilt for Peanut's big girl bed out of scraps of fabrics I have used to make her things with, and I was also planning on making some crib sheets out of our old sheets that the cats destroyed. I think I need to make a priority crafty-list. Maybe that will be added to the blog sidebar soon... As if it weren't busy enough.

A Day At the Beach

So, even though poor R had to work today, I managed to have a little bit of fun. Ace, Nana and I took Peanut to Seal Beach to play, for her first time ever. It was very fun. I even got to swim for a few minutes. Peanut really dug the water, but mostly she wanted to play with her bucket.



I forgot how much I really love spending time at the beach. It was perfect timing- we got down to the water just as the sun broke through the haze.


How have we not done this more? Five minutes from my house, and I can have this:



Happy Labor Day.

Writing is Hard...

Read about it what Finslippy says about it.

Cake! Knitting! Fresh Vegetables!

One of the girls at work makes "BTS" (Better Than Sex) Cake for special occasions. It's really good. She uses a Duncan Hines devil's food cake mix, sweetened condensed milk, Heath toffee chips, caramel sauce, and Cool Whip, but basically the recipe at Cooks.com. Very yummy.

But, I kept thinking about how it could be adapted to a chocolatey-minty cake. So, rebel that I am, I am trying it out. Here's what I have:

Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake Mix
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Smuckers Fudge Sauce
Keebler Grasshopper Cookies
Cool Whip

I had intended to add Andes Mints, but for some reason Ralph's didn't have them. (Have I ever mentioned I hate Ralph's? Because I do). I am hoping that the heartburn won't be absolutely horrid. This is probably idiotically optimistic.

In any case, here's the game plan:

Cook the cake according to the directions (Duncan Hines DF takes a little water, half a cup of veg oil, and three eggs). Once the cake is out of the oven, poke it with a chop stick and pour a whole can of sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk, which I always accidentally buy) over it. This will soak into the cake and make it lovely and moist. Once I am ready to serve it, I am planning on dumping a ton of the fudge sauce over the cake, then crumbling the mint cookies onto the top, then adding a very generous dollop of cool whip on the very top.

I will let you all know how this comes out. I am pretty sure it won't be terrible, but I don't know if it will even rate anywhere near the BTS cake.

I bought some knitting needles on Friday. I know, I have no time, but I thought I could at least bring this with me to work, so I could knit on my lunch. I have made a really crappy scarf for Peanut so far. I am currently failing at making a grown-up scarf from a Better Homes and Gardens 1-2-3 Knit book. So far I like the book- it's clear and easy to understand, mostly. It would probably help if I had a few minutes to read it without having to chase Peanut or help R (he gave blood today- how nice is that?) since he was feeling woozy.

We did also make it to the Farmer's Market down at the marina today, too, so I can balance my sugar overload with the cauliflower and fresh melons. Well, I am ready to take a few minutes to sew a couple things, if I can keep my eyes open. I am so glad I have tomorrow off- we're going to the beach!

Oh Thursday.....

Well, I finished another small project today and even managed to have my five month check-up (two weeks late). Lovely.

Regarding the pregnancy stuff- although I have been worried about not gaining enough weight, the doctor didn’t seem that worried. I did lose two pounds this month, so at this rate, pregnancy may be the best diet I’ve ever been on. (Sigh).

I’ve been so worried I was going to gain a ton of weight, then I got sick last month and lost some last month, too. So I have the preggo-belly, but my maternity pants are loose in the legs. Weird. I think I am learning that life will never go the expected path- every time I think I know something I find out I am wrong. It makes it interesting, but sometimes I wish it could be a little more predictable. I find myself craving adventure and sameness at the same time, lately.

My project came out well- see? Here is my finished glasses case:






I think it came out pretty well. My sunglasses even fit inside! Surprise!

Blue Sky, Green Leaves

A picture of the sky through the canopy of leaves. My child, playing in the sandbox. I can feel summer, slipping away.

Ode to My Dad

I am sure he will never read this, but I have to write about how my dad totally saved the day. Yesterday (which was horrible, by the way), I managed to dump a TON of pasta down the garbage disposal and, as a result, completely clogged the drain. R and I tried to fix it with very little success and much Draino. No luck, and this morning our house smelled delightful, really. A mix of ghastly pasta-starchy water infused with the odorific-ness of Draino. YUCK.

In any case, I moped about it all today, and whined a copious amount, and probably made my co-workers hate me. On the way home, I thought about calling my dad. I was of course reticient because I didn't want to get called out on my moronic decision to drop a giant pan full of pasta down the drain. I realized, like the smart girl I am, that eating crow was a little bit better than eating the plumber's bill. So I called.

He not only NEVER said anything about me being dumb (which was actually quite deserved) but he dropped his own home improvement painting project to come help me. He stuck it out, even though he had to go back home to grab plastic gloves, and my stepmom watched Peanut while I ran to the store.

By the time I came back with the kid's dinner, the garbage disposal was good as new, the pipes were clean, and Peanut was playing happily while watching Dora the Explorer with her Nana.

So in short, my dad is pretty awesome. My stepmom rocks, too. So, in short, we got away with only spending the $568.00 at the mechanic's yesterday. This little plumbing adventure somehow makes it seem a little easier to bear that expense, though....

Thanks, Dad.

What Have I Been Googling?

Mechanic Los Alamitos California

Brakes Camry 2001

Plumber

Clearing Clogged Garbage Disposal

Loans
....
.......
....
.
(Well, the last one was a joke. I wish the rest were).

Did I mention this week sucks? I also missed my last doctor's appointment because I was late and the doctor had to leave early to do a surgery. Awesome. Oh and many Braxton-Hicks contractions, yep.

Super awesome.

Bend it Like Angry Chicken

Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew by Amy Karol

My review

So far, I've made the bibs, the charming handbag, the pleated beauty handbag, and the no-cash wallet.... and they've all been relatively easy and fun to do. Amy Karol has written this in a generally clear way (although the hand-drawn diagrams could sometimes be clearer) and the projects are fun to do.



I really like that everything takes only a little bit of time and fabric to accomplish- it really is encouraging to have finished projects to spur you onto trying something new. It's very satisfying to actually finish projects for once- and the small amounts of fabric needed make it easy to jump into the projects without a huge investment. It's very confidence-building, and I really have enjoyed myself. You should also check out the Flickr Bend The Rules Sewing group, too, for fabric ideas and to see a huge variety of things other readers have made.


View all my reviews.

More Stuff to Make and Why Plastic Doesn't Freak Me Out...

I am officially on a making-stuff-bender. I can't drink, smoke (well, I quit a while ago, so it's not like it's a thing anymore) etc. Adam Ant asks, "What do you do?"

Idle hands, right? If I believed in the devil, maybe.

In any case, idle hands are just bored hands. So I keep trying to figure out what I am going to make next. I just ran across this tutorial for reusable sandwich wraps. I think I mentioned some of these I saw on Etsy a while ago.

I was reading a couple of the comments on that post on the Small Object and wondering about how anyone has the energy to be so worried about chemicals in plastic that touches your food. (To explain, if you haven't been over there, she used a vinyl covered material for the inside of the food wrap). I mean, I get being worried about "safe" plastics, but I think we probably aren't going to die from lunch baggies, either. Mr. Bush's actions seem a lot more dangerous than, say, a ziploc. My perspective, of course. (I can't call him the president, since he didn't win. And yes, I am petty and generally a bit immature, too, in case you were wondering. I am also a championship grudge holder).

I am sympathetic to feeling crummy about wastefulness, (please note I am only environmentally sound when I can be so in a lazy way) but I think that the fact is I hardly ever bring sandwiches for lunch, so the plastic bag thing isn't really an issue. I usually use wax paper, anyhow, when I do bring a sandwich. (Which you can reuse a bunch of times before you chuck it- I use a small piece of scotch tape to hold it shut). I have found that as my budget gets tighter, I am bringing my lunch more often, but I tend to just make an extra portion of whatever we are having for dinner. That way we waste less food, too, and I don't have to use more gas to drive five blocks each way for lunch.

Well, blah blah blah. I wanted to mention the adorable creature that my friend got for his birthday. It's called a "gut-creature" and it's weirdly adorable. Bon Anniversaire, Jonathan. Hope it was happy!

And congrats to Boo- another member of the family- yay!

R is concerned that his hatred and general loathing of people is abating... He has always claimed a real loathing for individuals and an affection for humanity in general. He blames Peanut for this tidal change. I have always distrusted humanity in general and liked individuals. Put people in a group and suddenly they are goose-stepping their way to "racial purity" or some other bullshit. But a lot of my favorite people are people, so there you are.

R asks that I add an addendum here- he doesn't like groups of people, either. He just is sort of impressed with where we have gotten, evolutionarily speaking. He's fond of some of our books, music, etc. He claims that homo sapiens are his favorite animal. (I actually think that might be a tiny lie- he's truly very fond of chimpanzees, as well).

In any case, good night.

I Made It Myself!

Well, I am probably nesting, but my sewing machine and I have been pretty busy for the past week or so. I made these bibs (almost done- just awaiting my new snap putter-inner thingy from The Snap Source) for Dangerfeet (new baby's current nickname):



I am not sure if this one is my favorite:



or if I like this one better:



This one is the leftover material from the sling I made for Peanut once I figured out how much I hate strollers:



This is the camera case I made for our new Canon that I LOVE:



It's lined with adorable Amy Butler dots and closes with Velcro:



Also, my sister in law is expecting, so in honor of her new addition, I made some cool-kid bibs (it's too early to know boy or girl yet):



The backs of those ones are little skulls:



All the bibs are based on "Bend the Rules Sewing" by Amy Karol of the super Angry Chicken blog, which I have really already enjoyed playing with (even though all I have made is a pile of bibs and the "No-Cash Wallet" which I did a bad job at. I know there are a lot of bib patterns out there, but this was really easy for me and has helped me get a little better at sewing curves (which is not my strong point). I got the book on Friday last week and have made 10 bibs in my spare time. Fun!

Finally, I also made two skirts for Peanut, which are basically the same, only different material:



The other one is red with white polka dots. It's pretty cute, too. Both of those were based on Amy Karol's five minute skirt that I blogged about before. She has really caused me to fall in love with that fold over elastic from Sewzanne's Fabrics. So fun and easy! It makes me feel like I sew better than I thought I did.

In any case, this post will probably take a very long time to load, thanks to all the pics. 20 weeks pregnant and counting. I'll probably have made a crib set next week. Oh, nesting pregnant self, you are a fickle one. C'est la vie.

Blechiness...

Peanut has a cold. I've been sneezed on, cried on, and dribbled on. We're in the wait and see part of her cold- will she be better tomorrow? Or will it turn worse?

Isn't motherhood fun?

In any case, I have been busy, while she sat and quietly watched "Dora the Explorer" and "Sesame Street" today. ("Dora" is said "DOHHH" by Peanut. It's super cute. Sometimes.) I made two totes for Christmas gifts from this really easy-peasy pattern from the "Sew Mama Sew" blog/shop. Totally a breeze to make, so I'll probably make a few more and hand them out for Christmas. I really want to have a hand-made Christmas this year- partially for budgetary concerns, partially for the idea that I love the idea of giving things that I have made, partially because I want to cut back on buying useless crap that no one wants or needs.

So, the answer?

Reusable tote bags that can be used for grocery-toting and other stuff. That pattern is really easy and super fast to make. I added a small bag to store it in, sealed with Velcro. So, a tote bag that can be rolled up into a small handy-dandy bag. Not the worst gift ever, right? I mean, it's not like when I was in high school and my mom gave me towels. Like, the ugliest towels EVER. And I did actually live with my dad. (Who did actually own a set of towels).

I also made up my own pattern for a tote bag that does have a lining. It's a little more finished style, but sort of similar. I'll post pictures soon, when I don't have a sister in law coming to stay tomorrow and my kid isn't sneezing all over the place. I'll also post pics of Peanut's two skirts I made.

Cross your fingers, maybe the kid will wake up smiling and healthy again. And maybe I'll get a little bit of sleep.

It's a Girl

Check out the adorable baby announcements here.

Insert Stupid Earthquake Pun Here

Well, nothing broke, and I am quick like a bunny at jumping under my desk. The USGS says it was a 5.4, which isn't that big, but enough to make me feel a little wonky afterwards. I don't remember ever feeling seasick after any other big earthquakes of my youth, but maybe I am just getting old. Whatever.

Also I dropped a can on my little toe, which, as it turns out, was a more major injury than anything I sustained in the actual earthquake. (To be clear, the only thing that happened after I stopped the swaying light fixture at work was that no one's mobile phone worked. Yay cell phones!)

In other news, I think I have started dreaming TV pilot ideas. Somehow I had this long involved dream that struck me as a great and original idea for a pilot, with a built in fan base. Hmmm... If only I had time or inclination to write for television. Is there a way to sell your ideas without actually having to write something, other than a pitch? Because I think I could do that part. Oh, I am not sharing it here, sorry... Maybe someday times will get desperate and I will be forced to try to write the damn thing. It would be good though, I know that.

See there's this dog, but he talks like Chris Rock and his owner is white.

Comedy ensues.

I'm kidding, that's not it. But if I see the Chris Rock is a funny talking mutt show next spring, I'm coming after you.

Braxton Hicks and the Reason I Have to Find a New Dry Cleaner....

Again, I really need to work on titles.

In any case, I've been having the good old Braxton Hicks for the last three or four days (conveniently just after my monthly baby doc appointment, but then are symptoms ever "convenient" in a pregnancy?). Five today, so not so many to worry about, it's just kind of early for shenanigans. Shenanigans! I call shenanigans! (What is that from? AHHH! My brain is clearly turning to mush). So, I need to sit still a while and drink more water before R calls the doctor at nine o'clock at night. (Overreact much?)

Also, in addition to the titles, we shall also need to address my deep and abiding love of parentheses. It's pretty funny that I really and truly do look down on people who abuse the exclamation point!!! And I agree with something Terry Pratchett wrote somewhere, that people who use five !!!!! in a row are clearly deranged, but I will use parentheses or brackets with wild abandon, whether called for or not. Whenever I am wantonly abusing grammar I think guiltily of my writing friend, Jonathan, who is oh-so clever and utterly without mercy to those of us who abuse the laws 'o grammar. You should click over to see an example of how truly funny this gentleman is. Wicked, this one.

Oh, and the reason I turned this blasted machine on- I used to use Foasberg Dry Cleaners, until a guy from there showed up trying to talk at me THROUGH MY WINDOW WHILE R WAS TRYING TO PUT PEANUT TO SLEEP (in plain view of said window). Apparently, stating that "I'm not interested, I'm putting the baby to sleep" wasn't enough. The guy actually answered, "Well, do you use Foasberg?"

Um, not anymore we don't. Thanks for stopping by. We're now Betty Brite people, I guess.

I Get to Know This Week...

... If I"m having a girl or a boy. The ultrasound lady said last time that it's probably a girl. Or a boy with an erection. So, on Wednesday, I finally get to know. It's funny this time, but I am sort of lazily hoping I'm having a girl so my life can officially become one long slumber party with my gals. I'm not so comfortable with sports and jockiness and boy scouts and all the attendant boy crap. So, I'd rather have a girl. Or a gay boy, I guess. I would be fine with that, too.

Can you believe it? I'm already 18 weeks pregnant! I've got a mere 21 or 22 weeks left til I meet my little early Christmas present.

Anyhow, it was pretty much the same old, same old this weekend. Farmer's market, clean and cook a bunch of stuff (stuffed curried eggplants, red snapper with a verde roasted garlic salsa and black beans with rice, lemon madeleines). Oh, and did I forget the laundry? I kid of course- I will NEVER forget laundry.

Peanut is having a rough weekend- I think she's having trouble with her molar coming in... Ack. She's currently walking around our block, with her daddy trying to tire her out. I really, really, really hope it works. I am so tired. It is unbelievable that a pregnant lady is tired after chasing her toddler around. Somebody page CNN. That's gotta be news, right?

Things That I Am Thinking About and Other Stuff...

I need to work on titles, clearly.

I just began reading SouleMama's blog and stumbled onto her shop, where she sells this stuff which looks like stuff I can make myself. But she actually appears to sell it. Which, of course, I have never done. Hmm... (Not to underestimate her obvious creativity and skill, of course).

I made this dress this past weekend, after seeing some cute things on Etsy.



I also saw this on Etsy which I thought was a cool idea. Maybe I'll make something like that but with oilcloth, so you can wipe it clean.

I thought I took a picture of Peanut wearing the skirts I made her, but my camera is being weird, so I guess not. I will post it soon. But here's another one of her seventies pillowcase dress...

Books and I Made Some Stuff...

Yay! R got me a membership to Paperspine, which is like a pay-library where it works like Netflix with paperback books. Which is SOOO up my alley. If you try it out, tell 'em I sent you by entering referral code RD3309. So fun and such a good idea for those of us who either spend too much money at the bookstore or rack up ridiculous fines at the library.

AND- I made some stuff. I made two skirts with the Angry Chicken pattern. I'll post pics tomorrow. Woo hoo.

AHHHHH!!!!! BOUCHON IN BEVERLY HILLS!!!

I am a big foodie dork. And I just read in the L.A. Times that Thomas Keller is coming back- he's bringing Bouchon to Beverly Hills! I am way too excited. R and I have joked for a while that our first really expensive meal, should we hit the lotto, would be the French Laundry (in like, 8 years when we could get reservations). Check out today's tasting menu. I mean, come on. Isn't it like a beautiful French poem?

Yay! Bouchon!

Isn't It Funny?

I was listening to the podcast of This American Life today on my lunch, and one of the topics was those under-examined beliefs we hold- such as the word "XING" not actually being a word that you would say "Zing", and how one girl thought that unicorns were real and wasn't disabused of this notion until one fateful cocktail party conversation concerning endangered species exposed her ignorance (can you imagine!). I of course brought it up at work and we talked about our own areas of non-expertise.


One such gem- as a kid, one of my co-workers thought that the hospital was called "Cedars-Cyanide", which he figured was either some medical term, or was just ok because cyanide was probably scientific somehow.

Another, mentioned by a wandering coworker, was as a child he kept wondering why people kept going to that town called gunpoint if they kept getting robbed there. I loved that one. It's so obvious, isn't it? I mean, why would anyone go there, right?

My own ignorance was related to the human body. My aunt had diabetes, and there was constant talk of her possibly needing a kidney transplant. I had no concept of any sort of inside to my body, and I knew from what everyone said you had two kidneys, so I figured, what do I have two of that doesn't have a name? So of course I figured that a kidney was a butt cheek. I also considered the problem of sitting with only one butt cheek and I came up with the idea that you would just need a fake butt cheek, maybe made out of foam, or pillows or something. Eventually, and I can't remember when but I'm sure I was embarrassed, knowing my family, I learned the truth.

It is nice to know I'm not the only one, sometimes.

Oh Belly...

Why you gotta be like this? I treated you so nice this weekend, going to Clifton's and then Bono's for lunch... And you repay me with work vomiting. Awesome. I busted so many little blood vessels in my eyelids they look like a Swiss Dot fabric, only with red spots. I am a vury purty leddy today. And my belly STILL hurts. Stupid stupidness. (By the way can I trademark that? Or would that be lame?)

Also, I heard from my friend that the hippo stood up to one whole washing so far. Not bad yet!

I Want to Make Stuff....

I got some fusible interfacing and made animal shapes out of crazy patterns to stick on clothes. Boo- if you read this, e-mail me with kids/colors/animals/sizes so I can make them shirts. I am so into this stuff. I'll post a picture soon. I already made my girlfriend's little boy a navy blue ringer t with an olive green polka dot hippo. It came out pretty cute. In the works are an olive green polka dot electric guitar -I love that Amy Butler fabric, a pink "M" for Peanut, and a pink elephant out of a pink brocade style pattern cotton. I have to see how well these stand up to washing, but they look really cute at first.

I also have an Amy Butler skirt pattern pending, too. I just ordered some yardage of the Amy Butler sea green coriander fabric to make it with. So pretty.

AND Angry Chicken keeps making me want to make stuff, so I may have to try her "Five Minute Skirt" even though I have no serger. I am wondering if maybe I just need to make more of my own clothes and that will keep me busy.

Although I often demonstrate that my ideas far outdo any natural ability by at least 120%, I seem to keep thinking I can do this kind of thing anyhow. Why do you think that is? Do you think that I keep thinking I will somehow get better at some point? Or am I just deluded?

Lunch At Clifton's

How can you not love Clifton's Cafteria?
Click here to check out the moose.

We used to go to the Clifton's in Lakewood when I was a kid. Alas, it is no more...

It's nice to know that the Clifton's in LA is still chugging along. I know cafeterias aren't all that popular anymore, but there is something about having your choice of jello that is sort of appealing to the school kid in me.

Haikus and Dancing...

Well, this are from my work buddy, BZ:

Screen dulls eyes keyboard
Dulls touch, ergonomic makes
Your soul atrophy

Here's mine:

my life, lived in
beige. Cubicle prison that
holds me captive here.

Um, yeah, it was a great week. Anyhow, Miss Peanut has been jumping around and dancing to a song about a potato on Sesame Street. It is just way too cute.

We're off to somewhere in LA to see some friends for lunch, I have no idea where we're gonna go. Fun! Fun! Hot! Yippee!

Molars are a Bunch of Bitches

Peanut's teething again. And molars? Hell, no, those babies do not come easy into this dark night.

But besides teething, what am I up to?

I could bore you about how I am trying to figure out if I can get my kid into swim lessons this weekend. But I know you don't really care that much.

Um, I guess I could add that: I am weirdly addicted to Deadliest Catch. I mean, yeah, I grew up playing house under my dad's boat trailer, and I spent more than my share of Saturdays scraping barnacles off the hull of our soling in the Long Beach Marina Shipyard, and tagging along on yacht races, but I don't think that really explains why I obsess about this show like I'm a house frau who's desperately into General Hospital. I mean, really. It's almost a little embarrassing how into this show I am. I got into it during my last maternity leave and now I am a sucker for it.

And of course, the incomparable Anthony Bourdain, whose snarkiness I adore. He's the travel host that actually is interested in food and culture- and he would have definitely been smoking behind the gym during P.E. in high school. He's not a joiner, which is I think why he's so fun to watch- he is like the friend you wish you were cool enough to hang with. I guess I know deep down I am not, since I will probably never eat the still-beating heart of a cobra. But I can still tune in and watch him do it.

I guess the two shows I am into are really just me living vicariously through other people, when you really start to think about it. Wow, that's just so sad, huh?

More soon, about more than just t.v., I hope. Maybe about swim lessons, if we're lucky.

Reminder- I don't have to be nice to you.

You know how when you are young, you have to be nice to your elders because your parents make you? Well f*ck that when you have grown up.

Tonight I went to my mom's house to say good bye to a friend of my sister's who is going away to be a missionary in a remote jungle place that I won't mention here. I am not kidding, to convert the natives. Christianity is just so repetitive, you know?

In any case, after said person left in after I had been there five minutes(!), her mother, who was there apparently waiting to see her too, said to me (note- I last saw her when I was in high school) "Wow, you are a good mother. I wouldn't have guessed that."

Ok, so I didn't say anything. But now that I've had a couple hours to think of some witty replies (thanks, internet) here you go:

"I wouldn't have guessed you'd get so fat"

"Wow, I didn't know you were such a c*nt"

Ok, so they aren't so witty. I didn't even hit her, although that did cross my mind. I just thought people who loved jebus were supposed to be nice.

Oh, right.
.
.
.
Never mind.

Also, I dreamt that my lovely grandmother who died a few years ago died again. So I had to go through her second funeral and it made me think of how much I still miss her all the time and how I miss that crackly sound of her smoker laugh and I actually woke myself up crying from the dream. I should have known that was an omen to stay home.

Before I go, the dream about my grandmother made me remember a line from the movie "American Beauty"- something about the "way my grandmother's hands felt like paper"....

Madeleines

So I FINALLY got two Madeleine pans last week from Crate and Barrel. Despite the warm weather, I had to try some out. After reading this and this about the mysterious and appealing little cookie-cake, I dove in. I made the Barefoot Contessa's lovely Coconut Madeleine recipe. While they did come out good (well, let's be honest, the ones that I didn't burn did), I learned that in buttering the pan I needed to make sure, since my pans are sort of non-stick, that there was no visible butter left before I floured the pan. The pans, by the way were great- nothing stuck and I got a nice golden color on the shell side of the cookies.

I actually made two batches, one with the coconut and on the second batch, I left out the coconut and added the zest from one lemon. Yummmm...... I think that I actually like the lemon ones a little better, just because they are a little more of a sophisticated flavor.

I also made the Barefoot Contessa's potato chips, from her "Barefoot in Paris" book. (Which is one of my favorite cookbooks of all time). I really love Ina Garten's food. One of my favorite recipes of all time is hers- her roast chicken over croutons from the Paris book. Soooo good, crispy golden skin, tender meat.... Lemony goodness.

Stupid Stupidness.

Oh hell.

The husband left out a pineapple rind. Hence? Twenty thousand fruit flies in the kitchen.

Solution! Suburban Turmoil mentioned this way to catch/kill them, which has so far caught seven flies.

I have get back to scrubbing our kitchen to get rid of the germs, oh the germs.

Yuck.

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream...

I only seem to dream while I am pregnant, for some reason. Last night I dreamt that my co-worker had a pet giraffe. In the third story of his parents' house. Then it died, but he was not that sad, because he had these special orange spiders that had giraffe babies, so it would be okay. Um, yeah.

Anyhow, my little kid got to play at her gramma's today. Gramma got her a baby pool and TWO new swimsuits. She's not spoiled at all. She even took an actual two hour nap after all the excitement. It was a big couple of days for Ms. Peanut. First time on a carousel:

First time seeing a goat:

First time peeing on a potty. Yeah, sorry, no pics of that one. Well, actually there are. And trust me, they are super-cute. However, I don't want to make her hate me when she's 16, so those aren't making their way on to the internet.

She's A Big Girl!!!

Well, almost. So I got the big girl potty (well, two of them, actually- IKEA, $3.99) today and a certain little one made a little bit of pee-pee in the potty. Oh, yeah. You read that correctly- the FIRST TIME she sat on the big girl potty she made a pee-pee because mommy asked her to.

Hot damn in the hot tub, this kid is so cool.

Also, since when is it 100 degrees in Long Beach in JUNE? Although, may I take a moment to recommend the Crystal Court mall (the little bit of mall across from South Coast Plaza) as a place to cool off? Free underground parking, a $1 carousel ride and a cheap day out. (Except for the H&M, of course).

World's Quickest Post

Ok, I really need to get the Peanut out of bed so I need to do this oh so fast.

Last night I dreamed that I was married to Alec Baldwin's character from "30 Rock". (Which I love, by the way).

We filed our taxes and found that we earned $649,599. Which means, with his magical rich people math, we got $30,000 back on our taxes. Hooray America!

Can you believe I dreamed a tax joke? I need to get out more.

Did You Know.....

That in 2007 the exact same number of people named their female kids "America" as did people who named their male children Mohamed? That's right, there were 462 people that named their kids one of those two names. Isn't that just a little weird? (Note that Mohammed, which I thought was the correct spelling, was number 692).

Well, the name that R keeps trying to convince me we should use?


Petunia Dangerfeet Drew.


Yep. Ponder that, why doncha.

The Sanctity of Biogtry

I am so utterly tired of hearing about the "sanctity" of marriage. What is exactly is that supposed to mean, anyhow? "Sanctity" means, basically, something that is sacred. Sacred means, according to Dictionary.com:

1. devoted or dedicated to a deity or to some religious purpose; consecrated.
2. entitled to veneration or religious respect by association with divinity or divine things; holy.
3. pertaining to or connected with religion (opposed to secular or profane): sacred music; sacred books.
4. reverently dedicated to some person, purpose, or object: a morning hour sacred to study.
5. regarded with reverence: the sacred memory of a dead hero.
6. secured against violation, infringement, etc., as by reverence or sense of right: sacred oaths; sacred rights.
7. properly immune from violence, interference, etc., as a person or office.

There's a huge assumption here, with all this "sanctity" talk. What exactly, about the 50% of hetero-marriages that will actually last is about religion? I mean, I get that people who believe in a deity think that said deity somehow cares or is involved in their lives might think they are "led" to certain choices in their lives. But what about marriage is supposed to be sacred? Is it the ability to jointly file taxes? Is it the ability to sign up for your spouse's healthcare plan? Becoming beneficiary of your spouse's IRA?

I have been married for coming up on six years. I have a kid. I am an atheist. I have such a hard time figuring this one out- why would someone else's marriage threaten your own? I really don't understand it. It has always seemed to me just an excuse for spreading hatred and division. I don't campaign against Christians getting married even if I think they are deluded. It seems ... I don't know...petty and nonsensical and full of pathetic, wrong-headed self righteousness.

I got married in a French restaurant, by our communal best friend. We promised in our super-short ceremony, only to be good. We figured that covered everything. There were no promises to a church or a god or any recitation of pre-determined cookie-cutter vows. Just a promise to one another, to be good.

So far, so good.

In any case, for all those reading out there in internet-land? If you and your partner (regardless of the gender identity of parties involved) got married in California this week- I wish you much happiness. Marriage is complicated and strange and wonderful, and I wish you years and years of happiness, with hard times few and far between.

There should be less sadness in the world- go and share your happiness this week.

My Baby's Daddy is a Big Fat Liar....

It cracks me up to hear him tell Peanut crazy stories during her bath time. "You don't even know what the penalties were for laughing when I was a kid" and "We didn't even have baths when I was your age."

She thinks he's pretty funny, too. He just told her to pull the plug and she did. I know, she is a super genius, huh? She also tricked us into going into the children's bookstore, Once Upon a Story at the end of our block and buying her a book this weekend. She needed "Olivia" so she made her daddy get it for her.

Also, I had my first ultrasound this week. The technician said that she is fairly certain that it's a girl. Or a boy with an erection. Um, OK. I guess we'll really find out during the next ultrasound. We did get to see the little Zippy leaping around in there, looking a lot (to me) like a tiny dancing skeleton, like from El Dia De Los Muertos.

When Did This Happen...

I am almost incapable of staying up past 10 PM. I used to go to sleep only when the sun cracked the eastern sky. I have been a ridiculously neurotic insomniac since I can remember. And now? I am nodding off before the end of primetime. It's just a few minutes after 10 and I am SO sleepy.

I have this generally beige-colored life most of the time now, with a regular bed-time, daycare, naps, and sippy cups. A friend pointed out that I once snorted vodka off the bottom of a champagne glass, just to try it. Now...

It's just a bit of change, that's all.

I was once chased by a homeless man brandishing an iron (yes, a clothes iron, cord flailing) several blocks down Hollywood Boulevard in the middle of the night. I used to do things. I used to create my own adventures. Now... not so much.

I think I am due for a change. Maybe there is something in the wind.

Oh Dear...

I want to be like Angry Chicken when I grow up. Oh, deary me these are so cute. I need to remember to make these for Peanut when she's a little bigger and a little less, um destructive. Paper is for tearing into tiny pieces, not for stories, at least right now.

Oh how I want to be more creative.... Also, I want to make cake in jars, too. Like Not Martha and Angry Chicken. Oh baking how I miss thee.

Blargh.

So...

I am pregnant. Again. It's a good thing. But, maternity clothes right now? Not a good thing. I need a couple light weight work-appropriate tops (I was mostly big-preggers during the winter last time) and this time I have already "popped" and I don't have any light weight things to wear. Last time, I relied heavily on the maternity clearance at Old Navy and the Gap, but this time? SOOO ugly. Click here to see what I mean. Um, it looks like a cross between a bathing suit coverup and something my mom wore in 1982. YUCK.

What's a chubby pregnant mom on a budget to do? I think I am just about ready to wear the same dress over and over until October. To quote Liz Lemon from 30 Rock, "Blargh."

Fun Fun Fun....

.... in the LBC, yo. We went to the Long Beach Aquarium today with our friends who have kids the same age (very nearly) as Peanut. They got to see fish and lorikeets and seals and otters... It was very fun.



I also got an apocalyptic sunburn which is making me now feel both hot and weirdly dizzy. So that is awesome. But it really was a beautiful day and I just (as I do at least once a year) forgot that I am an albino freak that belongs in a circus in Siberia where people can come and gawk at my strange coloring. Oh how I wish I could tan....

One of Those Weeks...

Well the "cold" turned into an ear infection for Peanut. (Mine disappeared into nothingness). So that is awesome. Oh, did I mention the vomiting? Because there has been a lot of vomiting. Oh and snot. And coughing. Not a lot of sleep, though.

In fact, I am currently trying to wait out the kid while she babbles to herself in her crib. Mommy just needs you to take a nap. I mean Mommy REALLY NEEDS YOU TO NAP FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.

It has truly been one of those weeks that I wish was already over. Today I have laid the sleepy girl down THREE TIMES only to have the following wake her up:

1) The girl cat vomiting. Because I haven't cleaned up enough vomit this week.

2) The boy cat trying to pop open my bedroom door, no doubt so that he could vomit on my bed.

3) What sounded like a nail gun from next door (the house next door is about 11 feet away from her window, so that rocks that the new owners are gonna do some improvements.

I am not kidding at all- our street has been HGTV-home-improvement-village since I went out on maternity leave. One of our direct neighbors tore up their lawn to put in a Japanese style dirt garden. Which I am sure consumes a lot less water, but does attract a large number of cats who see it as a very large litter area. This involved many many trucks and an enormous dumpster parked in front of my house for about a month.

THEN across the street our older neighbor died and a woman who I think is his sister inherited his 1915 bungalow. A very nice place, that just needed a little bit of TLC. So, of course, she tore it down and built what appears to be exactly the same thing, except without the craftsmanship and attention to detail. Oh, and a complete lack of taste, too. Also, she actually had the temerity to ask me to move my car (as I was strapping in the baby into the car seat- TO LEAVE IN LIKE, A MINUTE) so that a workman's truck could park there. If I hadn't really had to go, I would have gotten Peanut out, flipped the bird and walked back inside. The woman hasn't even EVER introduced herself or even made any sort of apology for the dirt that lands on my car and runs into the storm drains every day, or the noise from the construction that has woken my baby up about five hundred million times (they have their workmen working 6 days a week, so even on Saturday we get woken up AT SEVEN AM).

Then, the Persian palace across the street is being worked on AGAIN, so Mr. Persia himself has to come out and SCREAM at the workers for not working hard enough for him. That guy is crazy. There is a story that I heard about him from another neighbor that may or may not be true about how when his youngest boy was a baby, he thought his wife wasn't paying enough attention to him so he HID THE BABY IN A CLOSET AND THEN ACTED LIKE THE BABY HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED. His wife called the police and then they found out that he hid the baby to teach his wife a lesson. Um, yeah, it's a fun street.

Anyhow, my mom is graduating this week with her doctorate in something. I actually don't know what it is in, because it is from a certain Christian university that (I kid you not) teaches that the world is 6000 years old in their "science" classes. So I do take that "doctorate" with a grain of salt, even though I am sure she has been working very hard even if is less academic than another college. I guess I'll be able to call her "Dr. Mom" after Friday.

Also, my grandpa from Tennessee will be in town this weekend for my mom's graduation, so he will get to see my daughter for the first time. That should be fun!

Well, I feel better now that I have vented a bit. Peanut hasn't peeped in a while, but there is now (this is, sadly, not a joke) an electric saw, two elementary school age neighbor boys, and hammering echoing down the street. I hope she's in a deep sleep. Mommy needs a nap.

It's Summertime, and the Living Ain't Easy...

Peanut and I have colds, just in time to coincide with the 90 degree heat. So we didn't get to go to the Dodger game (which was actually in the middle of the day today instead of a night game-YUCK) and I have been sneezed on, coughed on, and generally been cried upon today. So now Peanut is a diaper, howling as she drags her toy from room to room. I still like her, somehow.

I have been thinking about writing something, sewing something, doing something, making anything. But I am in the thralls of this terrible feeling of ennui and stillness. All I can do is think, I cannot do. I feel as if I am waiting for some indefinable moment to be able to break my own stillness. It is a strange feeling.

I hope the heat breaks, the moment comes. So I can just do something.

Pic-a-palooza.

Safety first.


A Little Bit of Nature.


Staplers Have Feelings, Too.


This is the sign posted next to the door in the one room bathroom at the Tustin Pinkberry. It is a small room with four walls, no mirror, simply a toilet and a sink and a door. Which is clearly labeled:

Oakley Hall

The one and only Oakley Hall passed away. My wonderful writing teacher, known as Rebel Girl wrote this about him. She also quoted him, from his novel "Warlock" which I was lucky enough to hear him speak about:

"But those I love more do not sleep, and see no hope, and suffer for those brave ones who will fall in hopeless effort for us all, whose only gift to us will be that we will grieve for them a little while; those who see, as I have come to see, that life is only event and violence without reason or cause, and that there is no end but the corruption and the mock of courage and hope."

What a beautiful and heartbreaking sentence. The world is a lesser place today.

Interesting Things Afoot...

Well, I guess. Boo is funny.

And I wrote a haiku about work:

Payment was rejected;
The address was invalid,
Call for assistance.

Yes, I wrote a crap haiku about my super boring job. But really? That TOTALLY IS WHAT I DO ALL DAY. Oh yes, I am completely fulfilled. Perhaps some people love and are made complete by their jobs. I mean, I don't know them, but I am sure they exist. But I bet they don't do what I do. Or they have been doing Salvia. I just heard about that. People will just smoke anything, huh? I love that one of the "side effects" listed on Wikipedia is "uncontrolled giggling". Um, ok.

I'll be back sooner rather than later. I hope.

Another Crazy Weekend....

Grocery Shopping! Target! Bed Bath AND Beyond!

Last night we were supposed to play board games with our neighbor and his boyfriend (who we LOVE) but I fell asleep at like, 9:15 PM. So R went over alone and I slept until 8:30 AM!!! AND SO DID PEANUT!!! (I have to admit that she did wake up for about 20 minutes at 3 AM, but still. Let's take those victories where we can, shall we?

Today Peanut took five whole steps by herself. Granted, she then sat down, with no apparent interest in walking alone. She likes to push stuff and to walk holding R or my hand, but she hasn't really gotten to the point of wanting to walk alone. Soon, I guess. I kind of like that I don't have to really chase her on foot yet.

There's a tour of Long Beach homes coming up, spotlighted in The Press Telegram. I wondered what it would be like if someone wrote a similar piece about our house...

"Open the glass paned door, missing the bottom left hand panel and you will find yourself surrounded with the past two years of Fisher Price catalog, perhaps you will also trip on a stroller... Edge your way into the kitchen (if you can squeeze by the high chair crusted with last night's meal) and your senses will come alive! Is that a stray piece of onion you're stepping on? What is that stain on the countertop? And who can live with that many dishes in the sink? Is that LEAD PAINT peeling in the cabinets?"

Ok, so maybe it isn't quite that bad. I mean, I did mop today.

This is going to be SHORT

I am so tired, and I really want to post about this very clever thing that Uma Thurman said during an interview with NPR's Terry Gross, but I am too tired to find the receipt I wrote down the quote on. So instead, for now, here's a picture of the virgin mary inside a giant cement egg on my mom's neighbor's lawn. It's just so Mork and Mindy. Nah-Nuu Nah-Nuu.

A Lovely Day at UCLA

Well, we just got back from the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, one of the few events that make me feel like there really are good, worthy people in Los Angeles. I got to see Jane Smiley interview Gore Vidal, and it was very entertaining. She introduced him, saying, "He is reviled in all the places that decent people want to be reviled." He was very erudite, and it made me feel like yelling "Yes! Why isn't he more places saying these funny and important things!" Why is Paris Hilton everywhere I turn and Gore Vidal is not! But he was there today, and if I saw him face to face I wouldn't bother him with questions, I would just say, "Thank you". Because that is really what I mean.

Mr. Vidal answered Jane Smiley's questions and came back with clever and interesting answers. He mentioned Ayn Rand, saying, "Oh, you can't talk to Ayn Rand...." as if to say that she simply cannot listen. The other moment that sticks in my head is when he was asked if he thought that Truman Capote died as a result of publishing "Answered Prayers" he answered in a buttoned down, ironically cheeky way: "Are you implying that there is a god?"

I also saw one of my favorite people today, my former writing teacher, Lisa. We sat in the shade a talked for a little bit while her little boy kindly shared his toys with my daughter. It was really really nice.

Peanut is passed out from all the excitement. Kids! And Books! It's all so amazing!

Happy Earth Day!

So here is my darling little contribution to Earth Day... (Since I kind of forgot to bring IN my reusable, homemade bags to the grocery store today- I had a very hungry little kid and was sort of in a rush).

Here are some suggestions on reducing your junk mail (I know you recycle it, but still):

Sustainable Dave, a guy from LA that is trying his gosh darnedest to not throw anything away this year, has some great ideas on reducing your junk mail.

In SoCal, call 800-313-6880 to get rid of Red Plum, a marketing pile of paper each week.

To get rid of the Pennysaver, call 800-422-4116 or mail them at:

Circulation
C/O Pennysaver
2830 Orbiter Street
Brea, CA 92821

Another happy earth day idea- a repurposed pillow case from Martha Stewart. Or make a bag out of an old t-shirt. I made one, and we use it all the time!

Have fun!

Festival of Books!

Yay! It's that time of year again! The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is this weekend. 

I got tickets to the Gore Vidal interview, so that should be interesting. Sherman Alexie is going to be speaking on one of the children's stages, too, so we may make our way over there, also.

I am a little sad that we are going to miss out on the one and only Mo Willems, author of the Knufflebunny and "Pidgeon" books for young kids. I have a couple really good voices for the Pigeon and the duckling from "The Pidgeon Finds A Hot Dog". I do wonder about the wisdom of a story that involves ANYONE "finding" a HOT DOG AND JUST EATING IT but it is fun to read to Peanut. I mean, where did this hot dog come from? Was it on the ground? It concerns me. 

Happy Earth Day, one day early. Recycle, use a reusable bag, go nuts. 

Actually, I have to link to this idea, because I think it is so clever: a reusable bag you can make from a t-shirt, from Martha Stewart. Super clever- reuse an old t-shirt into something you can use all the time. Make a couple, keep them in the car. Neat! 

Go forth and reuse, recycle, and repurpose!
 

Isn't It Sad When Things Don't Work?

I got a new mobile phone this week, since mine has been baby-assaulted enough to make the plastic back finally give up the ghost. I got a Sony Ericsson Walkman phone, and so far I like it. I am pretty annoyed though, that on the Sony Ericsson website they say that you can photo blog from your phone. How cool, right? Except that it doesn't work on my phone. So that is lame.
SIgh. I mean, I CAN upload the pics from my phone using Bluetooth, then upload them to Photobucket, then post the link in a blog post (like this):



I mean, how often do you see a person on a unicycle on your way home?

It Smells Like Burning...

....In my daughter's room. Edamame and the amount of milk she has taken to drinking make her poop smell like something is literally on fire in her room. I mean, wow. Really? Or maybe there's a house on fire in our neighborhood. Maybe, right? A little girl's poop can't actually smell this bad, right? This is through the normally impenetrable Diaper Champ that I also put a baking soda disk into. I normally smell NO POOP in our house.

I have been back in touch with an old friend this week and have had some lovely e-mailed conversations.
Golly I miss you, philosophermom!

I am pretty excited that it is finally the weekend. Although, truth be told, I have been dreading it a bit, too. You see (written in a whisper) I have not actually filed my taxes yet. Shhh. Yep, that is my dirty little secret. I am not sure if we will be getting something back this year, as I took some of California's WONDERFUL Paid Family Leave in addition to my maternity disability leave. As a result, I have a wee bit of untaxed income to declare. I have absolutely no idea whether this will mean that we owe money or not, since we also have a Peanut to claim. I think we should hopefully come out even, at least.

I have been jotting notes to myself to remind of what I wanted to write about this week. Here is the weekly ephemera:

I love Fresh and Easy Market. USA Today thinks they aren't doing so well.I say everyone should shop there because I really liked it. How I love thee and thine own peeled, cubed, butternut squash. That cooks in it's own bag!* Hurray! And you can check yourself out. And it isn't stupid like the Ralph's self check out, which always takes me WAY too long.

*Side note: I made a really yummy baby recipe this week- all by myself! I took Acini de Pepe pasta, cooked it, then took the butternut squash from Fresh and Easy, steamed it in my steamer rack (I sort of didn't read that you could steam it in the MICROWAVE IN THE BAG. Um, duh.) I then smashed the squash with my potato smasher and then added some heated, previously frozen peas. Yummy for my Peanut! And easy for me! Woo!

Funniest thing I saw in the news this week- "Clothes on sale included Abadia's underpants, the quickest items to sell after his capture half-naked by Brazilian police in August 2007." From BBC News. Don't you just hate getting arrested while naked? I do.

Also in the food realm:
I grew up and fell in love with cauliflower, thanks to a work friend. Apparently I am not the only one. NPR and I like the same things! Yay!
From the story:
"My favorite approach is to find an organic, healthy-looking head and, after washing, to cut it into smallish pieces and coat with olive oil and salt. I then roast it until easily pierced with a fork, and when it's alternately soft and crispy with good blackened bits along the sides of the pan, I pick at it gingerly with a spoon while hovering nearby and waiting for it to cool. A roasted cauliflower is nothing less than transcendent."

I wouldn't quite say transcendent , but tasty. A nice way to shake up that recipe? Toss it with a little bit of red pepper flakes! Cauliflower is also very, very tasty in many Indian recipes.

Last but not least, I really want to go to The Spy Museum in D.C.It looks WAY too fun.

100 Posts! And a 1 Year Old!

Well, I have been somewhat sporatic in my blogging, but I finally hit 100 posts! Wow! And my kid will officially be 1 in a couple more hours. Crazy, huh?

So, I was reading about a website called Ponoko on Wired magazine's website, where you can design your own item and they will manufacture it for you. Crazy. Boo- there's your idea. Go forth and make loads of cash while working from home. There are some neato goodies there. Check it out.

The almighty Peanut, in her infinite wisdom, has allowed the loyal subjects of Peanutdom a brief respite, so I shall go make use of it and get some rest.

Good night, sleep tight, and wake happy.