My sister and her family came over yesterday for a visit. They are moving from Phoenix to Portland, and I was sorta kinda on the way. ;-) It was great to catch up with my sister, because I just don't see her very often; once a year is about all we can manage. Her daughter, who is autistic, has made a LOT of progress since the last time I saw her, and I was really enjoying spending some quality time with my niece. I didn't get to spend as much time with my BIL and my nephew, as they took off to visit BIL's Bay Area friends shortly after they arrived.
Anyhoo, I thought about making chicken enchiladas but then discovered that I didn't have enough tortillas to make enough for us all. So Sister & I improvised, and came up with the NOT DIET-FRIENDLY Yum Yum Chicken Enchilada Casserole:
2 cooked chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 jar enchilada sauce
2-3 tortillas, cut into strips
Shredded cheddar (or Jack, or Mexican Mix - whatever you have) cheese
Fritos
Sour cream (optional - for serving)
Preheat oven to 350°.
Take the 2 chicken breasts & shred the meat with forks. Mix together the can of soup, plus 2 or 3 chiles (minced) and a little of the adobo sauce (you will have TONS of the chiles left over; save them for another recipe). Mix enough of the soup/chile sauce in with the shredded chicken to make it like chicken salad or tuna salad consistency. You don't want your chicken swimming in the soup stuff, but you need enough to keep the meat moist & tasty.
Spray a 9" square casserole dish with nonstick spray. Pour in enough enchilada sauce to lightly coat the bottom of the dish. Lay slices of tortilla over the sauce to cover, then carefully spread the chicken/soup mixture over it. Top with more sliced tortillas. Pour more enchilada sauce on top (you'll probably have a lot left over - I think I used half a jar). Then add a layer of shredded cheese. Finally, crunch up some Fritos and put them on the very top. Pop it in the oven for about 30 minutes, until the cheese and sauce is bubbly. Then broil the casserole for a couple minutes to make the Fritos golden brown. Serve with sour cream. Will serve 4-6, depending on how often you go back for more. Heh.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Yum Yum Chicken Enchilada Casserole
My sister and her family came over yesterday for a visit. They are moving from Phoenix to Portland, and I was sorta kinda on the way. ;-) It was great to catch up with my sister, because I just don't see her very often; once a year is about all we can manage. Her daughter, who is autistic, has made a LOT of progress since the last time I saw her, and I was really enjoying spending some quality time with my niece. I didn't get to spend as much time with my BIL and my nephew, as they took off to visit BIL's Bay Area friends shortly after they arrived.
Anyhoo, I thought about making chicken enchiladas but then discovered that I didn't have enough tortillas to make enough for us all. So Sister & I improvised, and came up with the NOT DIET-FRIENDLY Yum Yum Chicken Enchilada Casserole:
2 cooked chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 jar enchilada sauce
2-3 tortillas, cut into strips
Shredded cheddar (or Jack, or Mexican Mix - whatever you have) cheese
Fritos
Sour cream (optional - for serving)
Take the 2 chicken breasts & shred the meat with forks. Mix together the can of soup, plus 2 or 3 chiles and a little of the adobo sauce (you will have TONS of the chiles left over; save them for another recipe). Mix enough of the soup/chile sauce in with the shredded chicken to make it like chicken salad or tuna salad consistency. You don't want your chicken swimming in the soup stuff, but you need enough to keep the meat moist & tasty.
Spray a 9" square casserole dish with nonstick spray. Pour in enough enchilada sauce to lightly coat the bottom of the dish. Lay slices of tortilla over the sauce to cover, then carefully spread the chicken/soup mixture over it. Top with more sliced tortillas. Pour more enchilada sauce on top (you'll probably have a lot left over - I think I used half a jar). Then add a layer of shredded cheese. Finally, crunch up some Fritos and put them on the very top. Pop it in the oven at 350 or so for about 30 minutes, until the cheese and sauce is bubbly. Then broil the casserole for a couple minutes to make the Fritos golden brown. Serve with sour cream. Will serve 4-6, depending on how often you go back for more. Heh.
Anyhoo, I thought about making chicken enchiladas but then discovered that I didn't have enough tortillas to make enough for us all. So Sister & I improvised, and came up with the NOT DIET-FRIENDLY Yum Yum Chicken Enchilada Casserole:
2 cooked chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 jar enchilada sauce
2-3 tortillas, cut into strips
Shredded cheddar (or Jack, or Mexican Mix - whatever you have) cheese
Fritos
Sour cream (optional - for serving)
Take the 2 chicken breasts & shred the meat with forks. Mix together the can of soup, plus 2 or 3 chiles and a little of the adobo sauce (you will have TONS of the chiles left over; save them for another recipe). Mix enough of the soup/chile sauce in with the shredded chicken to make it like chicken salad or tuna salad consistency. You don't want your chicken swimming in the soup stuff, but you need enough to keep the meat moist & tasty.
Spray a 9" square casserole dish with nonstick spray. Pour in enough enchilada sauce to lightly coat the bottom of the dish. Lay slices of tortilla over the sauce to cover, then carefully spread the chicken/soup mixture over it. Top with more sliced tortillas. Pour more enchilada sauce on top (you'll probably have a lot left over - I think I used half a jar). Then add a layer of shredded cheese. Finally, crunch up some Fritos and put them on the very top. Pop it in the oven at 350 or so for about 30 minutes, until the cheese and sauce is bubbly. Then broil the casserole for a couple minutes to make the Fritos golden brown. Serve with sour cream. Will serve 4-6, depending on how often you go back for more. Heh.
Monday, January 15, 2007
*sigh*
The lockout karma is apparently still in full effect. I went out back this morning to have a smoke, and *somehow* the sliding glass door LOCKED behind me! How do I get into these situations? I was still in my jammies and robe (actually robeS, plural, for warmth) and had to go next door to the neighbor's to borrow a cheap butter knife. I managed to pry the damn door back open but this is seriously ridiculous, y'all. I couldn't use my hidden spare key because I have one of those slide-bar lock thingys on the front door (that I lock before going to bed) so there was NO other way to get back in the house except through that f'ing back door.
In other news - New Year's was meh, but I did manage to get myself laid at just about exactly the one-year mark (two days before New Year's). I basically set out to have meaningless sex simply to break my unending dry streak, and achieved exactly that: meaningless sex. Not great sex, but hey, it served the purpose. I couldn't leave 2006 without having sex at least once. It's just...unnatural. Mom asked me the other day when I'm going to have another kid. Ha ha, Mom. First I have to find someone I like, then I have to actually sleep with him. These days that's a herculean task in and of itself. So I'm pretty sure my childbearing time is far, far behind me.
On the plus side? 24 last night rocked. I was waiting for Jack Bauer to mention "fava beans and a nice Chianti." Yay for the new season of fabulous no-repeat TV!
In other news - New Year's was meh, but I did manage to get myself laid at just about exactly the one-year mark (two days before New Year's). I basically set out to have meaningless sex simply to break my unending dry streak, and achieved exactly that: meaningless sex. Not great sex, but hey, it served the purpose. I couldn't leave 2006 without having sex at least once. It's just...unnatural. Mom asked me the other day when I'm going to have another kid. Ha ha, Mom. First I have to find someone I like, then I have to actually sleep with him. These days that's a herculean task in and of itself. So I'm pretty sure my childbearing time is far, far behind me.
On the plus side? 24 last night rocked. I was waiting for Jack Bauer to mention "fava beans and a nice Chianti." Yay for the new season of fabulous no-repeat TV!
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
HAAAAATE
I am FURIOUS with the fuckers over at Integrated Alarm Services. I called back in July, wanting to cancel my account with them because I never use the damn thing, and they told me "Oh, your contract doesn't expire until January 16, so you can either pay us a big ass block of money now to get out of the contract, or wait and send a letter and cancel it then." So I opted to cancel it later. They told me to send a letter 30 days before the contract expires. Fine, I sent off a fax today - yes, it's a couple days late, but it's JUST a couple days. Now they're telling me that I needed to send the letter 90 days before the contract expired. NINETY days. No. They are giving me the fucking runaround and I am sick of this shit. It's not like they didn't know I was going to cancel. They did have notice, y'all. I am FUCKING PISSED. I am considering actually changing my bank account to keep them from getting their grubby fucking hands on any more of my money. Haaaate!
And if that's not enough, Rugrat's GATE teacher is retiring in January, and nobody seems to know what's going to happen to the program. They're certainly not hiring anyone yet. They are taking this time to "re-evaluate" the program. Translation: they can't afford to do anything and they are stalling. Haaaate!
This is not a good day. Not good at all.
And if that's not enough, Rugrat's GATE teacher is retiring in January, and nobody seems to know what's going to happen to the program. They're certainly not hiring anyone yet. They are taking this time to "re-evaluate" the program. Translation: they can't afford to do anything and they are stalling. Haaaate!
This is not a good day. Not good at all.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
CPSIL update
OK, CPSIL has gone off the deep end. Babydaddy tells me that she told PBIL she "made a mistake" when she left him. So she...wants to get back together now? After being separated for over a year. And after having vicious screaming matches with him all the time, in front of the kids. And after deciding that her kids are expendable and she doesn't want to deal with them anymore. And after making every excuse she could think of to get more money out of PBIL and at the same time spend less time with HER OWN CHILDREN.
And now she wants to get back together?
I hope PBIL tells her to go take a flying leap. The woman needs to be institutionalized.
And now she wants to get back together?
I hope PBIL tells her to go take a flying leap. The woman needs to be institutionalized.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Books, books & more books
Last year I started keeping track of the books I read. This year, so far, I've read 133 books (although seven of them I either did not finish, or am still reading). I knew I read a lot, but more than 11 books per month, on average, is probably a little excessive. Maybe I should cut back next year and do something a little more productive with my time, like keep up with housework or, maybe, find a date. Heh.
Anyhoo, the standouts on my list this year were (in the order I read them):
Anyhoo, the standouts on my list this year were (in the order I read them):
- The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini - this book was fabulous and heartbreaking
- Something Borrowed and Something Blue, both by Emily Giffin - fun chick-lit fluff, but with substance; taken together, the books form two sides of the same story
- A Million Little Pieces, by James Frey - not exactly non-fiction, but VERY well written and compelling
- Undead & Unwed, by Mary Janice Davidson - another fun fluff piece, this time about a rather shallow young woman who becomes a vampire
- The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls - disturbing non-fiction memoir
- Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger - a coming-of-age story about the bonds of family and duty
- A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving - another lovely coming-of-age story, focused on faith
- A Dirty Job, Christopher Moore - more fun stuff: a man who becomes one of Death's helpers (Christopher Moore is always a good bet for offbeat, humorous "horror" stories)
- Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer - powerful story about a boy searching for clues to his father's past after he dies in the 9/11 attacks
- Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro - creepy but hopeful at the same time
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Pulp Fiction...the really short version
You must click here.
I laughed for a full five minutes after watching this. Because I am twelve years old.
I laughed for a full five minutes after watching this. Because I am twelve years old.
Gossip
Remember crazy pseudo-SIL (CPSIL)? I haven't talked to her in a year, at least. But the other day, Babydaddy told me her latest psychotic tale. She's decided that she "can't handle" her kids anymore and is foisting them off permanently on her ex-husband, my pseudo-BIL (PBIL). Apparently, CPSIL is convinced that the kids hate her, they don't appreciate anything she does for them, and she's certain something is wrong with A, the youngest, although the doctor has told her repeatedly that he is fine.
I have major, major issues with this. First of all, knowing CPSIL as I do, she's probably just got a boyfriend who doesn't want her kids around and so she's dumping them. Or maybe they just cramp her style - she can't go out and party as often as she'd like with her friends. Doesn't matter, really, the point is: you don't get to delete your kids from your life and still be considered a decent human being. Those poor little boys are being abandoned by their mother and her excuse for doing this is that they don't appreciate her? THEY ARE LITTLE KIDS. Of course they don't appreciate what she does for them, no child under the age of 18 appreciates what their parents do for them (you know, not until they move out and have to fend for themselves). That is no excuse. And they probably do act up more around her, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. She's high-strung, impatient, and obviously not responsible enough or emotionally invested enough in her children to put them first. I'm sure they pick up on that. But what REALLY galls me, what absolutely horrifies me, is that she was desperate to have children. She pushed PBIL into it, she went through fertility treatments to get pregnant with those little boys, and now she is ready to throw them away like they're trash. And what will happen to those boys when she decides in six months that she misses them, or (more likely) her parents guilt her into trying to get the boys back? It will completely fuck with their heads, and then she'll throw them away again when she gets tired of being a mommy.
I...have no words. Just NO FUCKING WORDS. She is inhuman. I hope PBIL gets sole custody of the boys and a restraining order against the bitch.
Oh, and CPSIL was trying to get PBIL to carry more than his share of the load before this, and she somehow used ME as an example -- something about how Babydaddy and I have things worked out, and how CPSIL and PBIL should do things differently (obviously something to her selfish advantage) because what works for us must work for them. Ummm...no. I don't know what point she was trying to make, but she made it sound to PBIL like CPSIL and I are still great friends and talk all the time, when...no. Not happening. And for her to try and use me as leverage in her fight with PBIL is just totally fucked and completely irrelevant. What works for one family is not necessarily going to work for another family. And what she doesn't seem to get is that I LOVE MY SON and would NEVER abandon him, and both Babydaddy and I are committed to making things easy on Rugrat and therefore we get along and are flexible with each other. Plus Babydaddy is a good friend and a great person. Whereas CPSIL is completely fucking out of her mind.
That is all.
I have major, major issues with this. First of all, knowing CPSIL as I do, she's probably just got a boyfriend who doesn't want her kids around and so she's dumping them. Or maybe they just cramp her style - she can't go out and party as often as she'd like with her friends. Doesn't matter, really, the point is: you don't get to delete your kids from your life and still be considered a decent human being. Those poor little boys are being abandoned by their mother and her excuse for doing this is that they don't appreciate her? THEY ARE LITTLE KIDS. Of course they don't appreciate what she does for them, no child under the age of 18 appreciates what their parents do for them (you know, not until they move out and have to fend for themselves). That is no excuse. And they probably do act up more around her, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. She's high-strung, impatient, and obviously not responsible enough or emotionally invested enough in her children to put them first. I'm sure they pick up on that. But what REALLY galls me, what absolutely horrifies me, is that she was desperate to have children. She pushed PBIL into it, she went through fertility treatments to get pregnant with those little boys, and now she is ready to throw them away like they're trash. And what will happen to those boys when she decides in six months that she misses them, or (more likely) her parents guilt her into trying to get the boys back? It will completely fuck with their heads, and then she'll throw them away again when she gets tired of being a mommy.
I...have no words. Just NO FUCKING WORDS. She is inhuman. I hope PBIL gets sole custody of the boys and a restraining order against the bitch.
Oh, and CPSIL was trying to get PBIL to carry more than his share of the load before this, and she somehow used ME as an example -- something about how Babydaddy and I have things worked out, and how CPSIL and PBIL should do things differently (obviously something to her selfish advantage) because what works for us must work for them. Ummm...no. I don't know what point she was trying to make, but she made it sound to PBIL like CPSIL and I are still great friends and talk all the time, when...no. Not happening. And for her to try and use me as leverage in her fight with PBIL is just totally fucked and completely irrelevant. What works for one family is not necessarily going to work for another family. And what she doesn't seem to get is that I LOVE MY SON and would NEVER abandon him, and both Babydaddy and I are committed to making things easy on Rugrat and therefore we get along and are flexible with each other. Plus Babydaddy is a good friend and a great person. Whereas CPSIL is completely fucking out of her mind.
That is all.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Vegas recap
I went to Vegas this past weekend for a reunion of sorts - a bunch of people that I used to work with all got together to get drunk and gamble and stuff.
I arrived just before 10 PM on Friday and waited at the airport for a while as the people I was meeting up with were all on delayed flights. We caught a cab together to our hotel (the Strat, way at the far end of the Strip) and dropped off our bags and jumped BACK in a cab to the Bellagio for our midnight meetup with the group. Had a few drinks, some late night food, and back to the hotel to sleep at around 4 AM.
Saturday morning I awoke bright and early at 8 AM, not even hung over. Yay! We cabbed down to the Luxor for a semi-group breakfast buffet, and then folks went their separate ways. I did a little shopping at the Venetian, then headed for the Mirage and my spa day with A, one of my old project managers. She and I got luxurious pedicures, then I hung out at the spa (AWESOME steam room) until my 4:30 massage. Took a shower, did my hair, then hopped a bus back to the Strat to change for the evening into the lovely lavender silk top I bought at BCBG that day. I got ready in ten minutes (I know!) and jumped in another cab with the guys at the Strat, and we went to Ellis Island for a BBQ dinner with the whole group. Fantastic BBQ, by the way. Juicy chicken, delish beans & corn on the cob. Plus microbrew beers that were pretty damn tasty. A group of us left Ellis after a couple hours and headed to Mandalay Bay to drink some more at House of Blues, and then watched the guys play Pai Gow (while we drank some more). Had a nice conversation with JL, who managed to fly in from LA after his motorcycle broke down and he missed his meetup with JW, who was driving from LA. Then we moved on to the Monte Carlo, which was kind of funky because I was following part of the group and didn't realize that they were heading back to sleep at their hotel - the Luxor. I ended up cabbing separately to the Monte Carlo and meeting up with the group again as they played...craps? Blackjack? I dunno. I put three dollars in a slot machine and drank some more. There was (obviously) lots of alcohol involved in this evening, but I don't think I embarrassed myself too much. ;-) Stumbled back to the room around 3, I think.
Sunday morning I woke up around 7 AM and couldn't get back to sleep because H was snoring like a truck driver. LOL. Grabbed some coffee and biscuits & gravy at the cafe in the Strat and then headed to the airport with a group of folks. The airport was a mob scene, but I managed to check in & get through security in about an hour. I got separated from the rest of the group and they didn't make it to the gate until it was almost time to board! And...that's it. Flight home was uneventful. I took a nap when I got home, and Ryan was wonderful - played quietly in his room while I slept for a couple hours. Then I went to bed early. Ahhh, bliss! Sleeping in my own bed...
I arrived just before 10 PM on Friday and waited at the airport for a while as the people I was meeting up with were all on delayed flights. We caught a cab together to our hotel (the Strat, way at the far end of the Strip) and dropped off our bags and jumped BACK in a cab to the Bellagio for our midnight meetup with the group. Had a few drinks, some late night food, and back to the hotel to sleep at around 4 AM.
Saturday morning I awoke bright and early at 8 AM, not even hung over. Yay! We cabbed down to the Luxor for a semi-group breakfast buffet, and then folks went their separate ways. I did a little shopping at the Venetian, then headed for the Mirage and my spa day with A, one of my old project managers. She and I got luxurious pedicures, then I hung out at the spa (AWESOME steam room) until my 4:30 massage. Took a shower, did my hair, then hopped a bus back to the Strat to change for the evening into the lovely lavender silk top I bought at BCBG that day. I got ready in ten minutes (I know!) and jumped in another cab with the guys at the Strat, and we went to Ellis Island for a BBQ dinner with the whole group. Fantastic BBQ, by the way. Juicy chicken, delish beans & corn on the cob. Plus microbrew beers that were pretty damn tasty. A group of us left Ellis after a couple hours and headed to Mandalay Bay to drink some more at House of Blues, and then watched the guys play Pai Gow (while we drank some more). Had a nice conversation with JL, who managed to fly in from LA after his motorcycle broke down and he missed his meetup with JW, who was driving from LA. Then we moved on to the Monte Carlo, which was kind of funky because I was following part of the group and didn't realize that they were heading back to sleep at their hotel - the Luxor. I ended up cabbing separately to the Monte Carlo and meeting up with the group again as they played...craps? Blackjack? I dunno. I put three dollars in a slot machine and drank some more. There was (obviously) lots of alcohol involved in this evening, but I don't think I embarrassed myself too much. ;-) Stumbled back to the room around 3, I think.
Sunday morning I woke up around 7 AM and couldn't get back to sleep because H was snoring like a truck driver. LOL. Grabbed some coffee and biscuits & gravy at the cafe in the Strat and then headed to the airport with a group of folks. The airport was a mob scene, but I managed to check in & get through security in about an hour. I got separated from the rest of the group and they didn't make it to the gate until it was almost time to board! And...that's it. Flight home was uneventful. I took a nap when I got home, and Ryan was wonderful - played quietly in his room while I slept for a couple hours. Then I went to bed early. Ahhh, bliss! Sleeping in my own bed...
Monday, November 27, 2006
Bragging
Whose son is a freakin' genius? MINE! Rugrat was accepted into the Gifted & Talented Program last week. Students have to score 98% or higher on the exam to get in, and my kid did it! Wooohooo! Classes are held once a week - at another school, dammit - and it should be interesting to see what he thinks of it.
Yay, Rugrat! Way to go!
Yay, Rugrat! Way to go!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Ha ha, suckas!
The Republicans are scrambling now...vows of "bipartisan cooperation" are being made all over, now that the Dems are back in town. House? We got it - hell, we ROUTED those muthas in red. Senate? They're still counting (and recounting) the votes in Montana & Virginia, but it's looking good, y'all. Real good for the folks in blue. Finally...an end to the right-wingers running roughshod over the rest of us and our civil liberties.
And Rumsfeld resigned! Good lord, the joy just keeps on coming.
Two more years, y'all. Just two more years until we take back the White House.
And in other news, Britney finally, FINALLY lost 170 pounds of asshole and dumped that idiot K-Fed. I'm not a big Britney fan, but watching her sliding down the slippery slope from angelic, virginal teeny-bopper to sleazy, white trash, gum-poppin', Cheeto-eatin', overweight married mother of two was painful. Talk about disillusionment. In fact, I think it sort of mirrors the state of our nation. The last two years have been awful, but lo & behold, yesterday we pulled it out. We took the first decisive step towards turning it around - both the country and Britney.
And Rumsfeld resigned! Good lord, the joy just keeps on coming.
Two more years, y'all. Just two more years until we take back the White House.
And in other news, Britney finally, FINALLY lost 170 pounds of asshole and dumped that idiot K-Fed. I'm not a big Britney fan, but watching her sliding down the slippery slope from angelic, virginal teeny-bopper to sleazy, white trash, gum-poppin', Cheeto-eatin', overweight married mother of two was painful. Talk about disillusionment. In fact, I think it sort of mirrors the state of our nation. The last two years have been awful, but lo & behold, yesterday we pulled it out. We took the first decisive step towards turning it around - both the country and Britney.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Did you vote?
I cast my ballot this morning around 11 AM. I'm not going to get all "patriotic! woo-woo" on you, but I do think that it is a wonderful blessing to be able to vote. I'm not very active in politics - I don't go to city council meetings or anything - but I do believe that the ability to let your voice be heard, via voting, is an incredible honor and privilege. And a duty. It is your duty as a citizen of this country to learn about the issues on the ballot, to learn what the different politicians stand for (or purportedly stand for; we all know that once they gain office all bets are off), and to make the best choices based on your values and beliefs.
With all that said, WOOOO f'ing HOOO! Looks like the Dems are taking back the House...and the long, hard reign of the elephant will finally be over. For now, anyway.
Here's hoping for an Obama-Clinton ticket in '08!
With all that said, WOOOO f'ing HOOO! Looks like the Dems are taking back the House...and the long, hard reign of the elephant will finally be over. For now, anyway.
Here's hoping for an Obama-Clinton ticket in '08!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Halloweeeeeeeeen
Guess it's time to play catch-up. I haven't done much in the last month, just same-old same-old. I did meet an old friend in Livermore last weekend - someone I hadn't seen since high school. He has gorgeous eyes, but a jacked-up grill. I totally forgot about that. Plus right now he's pretty much starting over in life - no car, living in a friend's "spare" room, working a low-paying job, etc. It was nice to chat though, and catch up on the last fifteen (!) years. I found out a bunch of people I knew in high school are dead now. God, that's depressing.
Rugrat's going as Blade (a vampire, who's a vampire hunter) this year for Halloween. The obsession with all things monstrous continues. He started karate classes at the beginning of the month and he loves it. It also seems to be helping quite a bit with his bossy-ness and his acting out at daycare. There haven't been any issues now at daycare or school for almost a month. Thank goodness.
The weather's turned cold, suddenly. It was in the 80's just last week, and now all of the sudden it's not getting above the mid-60s. Freakin COLD at night, too.
Dad & stepmom moved to Arizona last weekend. They bought a place in an "active senior community" and sold their house and moved. Active senior community. Gah. Hard to think of my dad as retired, but there you go. Time marches on, I guess. And it does sound like a pretty damn cool place, what with their state-of-the-art computer lab and fully stocked woodworking and pottery rooms and all that. There's a full gym there, and just all kinds of rooms geared towards specific hobbies. It's all included in the homeowner's association fees, and guests get free access too, which rocks. But, damn. Now I'm the last one left in the bay area. Sister & Dad both in Arizona, Mom in SoCal, and I'm left here all alone. :-(
So for Thanksgiving this year, since we won't be at Dad's partaking of the fabulous gourmet feast, Rugrat and I are going to volunteer at a church-sponsored soup kitchen. It should be an interesting change of pace. And it means that I won't be making a huge T'giving dinner for just the two of us. I need to talk w/Babydaddy and find out what his plans are for T'giving.
And lastly, I'm heading off to Vegas in a month. The people I used to work with, at my last (now-defunct) company, are organizing an alumni reunion there, and it should be loads of fun. A weekend of booze & gambling & partying with some great folks, hopefully celebrating the Democrats retaking control of Congress and leading us out of the Valley of Darkness that has been the US for the past several years. VOTE, y'all!
Rugrat's going as Blade (a vampire, who's a vampire hunter) this year for Halloween. The obsession with all things monstrous continues. He started karate classes at the beginning of the month and he loves it. It also seems to be helping quite a bit with his bossy-ness and his acting out at daycare. There haven't been any issues now at daycare or school for almost a month. Thank goodness.The weather's turned cold, suddenly. It was in the 80's just last week, and now all of the sudden it's not getting above the mid-60s. Freakin COLD at night, too.
Dad & stepmom moved to Arizona last weekend. They bought a place in an "active senior community" and sold their house and moved. Active senior community. Gah. Hard to think of my dad as retired, but there you go. Time marches on, I guess. And it does sound like a pretty damn cool place, what with their state-of-the-art computer lab and fully stocked woodworking and pottery rooms and all that. There's a full gym there, and just all kinds of rooms geared towards specific hobbies. It's all included in the homeowner's association fees, and guests get free access too, which rocks. But, damn. Now I'm the last one left in the bay area. Sister & Dad both in Arizona, Mom in SoCal, and I'm left here all alone. :-(
So for Thanksgiving this year, since we won't be at Dad's partaking of the fabulous gourmet feast, Rugrat and I are going to volunteer at a church-sponsored soup kitchen. It should be an interesting change of pace. And it means that I won't be making a huge T'giving dinner for just the two of us. I need to talk w/Babydaddy and find out what his plans are for T'giving.
And lastly, I'm heading off to Vegas in a month. The people I used to work with, at my last (now-defunct) company, are organizing an alumni reunion there, and it should be loads of fun. A weekend of booze & gambling & partying with some great folks, hopefully celebrating the Democrats retaking control of Congress and leading us out of the Valley of Darkness that has been the US for the past several years. VOTE, y'all!
Monday, September 18, 2006
Last night
I had a date last night (yes! on a Sunday!) with M, the bartender from Ruth's Chris. He's about five years younger than me, but we've always had good conversations about books, travel, etc. So I was looking forward to it. And...I don't know what it was. It was more like going out with a friend. It certainly didn't seem much like a date.
Exhibit #1 - he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Not a nice solid color t-shirt; it was like a skater/surfer logo t-shirt. Glad I didn't spend forever trying to figure out what to wear or anything. :-P
Exhibit #2 - I offered to pay for half of dinner and he let me. I've never had that happen before. I'm not totally bent about it or anything, but it was kind of unusual for a first date, I thought. He did pay for the tix for the comedy show, though, and for the 2 drinks at the show (I did not drink any alcohol, and he doesn't either, so it wasn't a whole lot of money, but still).
Exhibit #3 - When he dropped me off at my car, he just gave me a half-assed hug and told me to come by the bar sometime.
WTF? Was this a date? I mean, I know I don't date much anymore (OK, maybe a few times a year) but this just seemed odd. He was very subdued - he said he hasn't gotten much sleep lately and was tired, but I thought maybe he was just stoned. Heh.
Do I give off a weird vibe or something? I haven't had a really good date in a long, LONG time.
Exhibit #1 - he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Not a nice solid color t-shirt; it was like a skater/surfer logo t-shirt. Glad I didn't spend forever trying to figure out what to wear or anything. :-P
Exhibit #2 - I offered to pay for half of dinner and he let me. I've never had that happen before. I'm not totally bent about it or anything, but it was kind of unusual for a first date, I thought. He did pay for the tix for the comedy show, though, and for the 2 drinks at the show (I did not drink any alcohol, and he doesn't either, so it wasn't a whole lot of money, but still).
Exhibit #3 - When he dropped me off at my car, he just gave me a half-assed hug and told me to come by the bar sometime.
WTF? Was this a date? I mean, I know I don't date much anymore (OK, maybe a few times a year) but this just seemed odd. He was very subdued - he said he hasn't gotten much sleep lately and was tired, but I thought maybe he was just stoned. Heh.
Do I give off a weird vibe or something? I haven't had a really good date in a long, LONG time.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Growing Up
Sometimes I forget that Rugrat is still just a little kid, and then all of the sudden he'll mispronounce something or use a word incorrectly. For instance, he was talking about something the other day and mentioned that it was made out of "concreek". "Concreek?" I asked. "Yes, like the backyard," he replied. "Oh, you mean concrete, as in 'our patio is made of concrete'." He insisted that the word was "concreeeeeek." He gets so offended when I correct him. It's as if I'm personally attacking his intelligence. Honestly, though, I'm just relieved to occasionally have a reminder that he's still young.
It's like his teeth. He's 7 1/2 now, and has only lost two bottom front teeth. None of the top ones are gone yet - they're barely even wiggly. Part of me longs for him to lose the top teeth and see how he's going to look with a full set of adult chompers...but the other part of me is so happy to just have my boy be a baby for a bit longer.
It's like his teeth. He's 7 1/2 now, and has only lost two bottom front teeth. None of the top ones are gone yet - they're barely even wiggly. Part of me longs for him to lose the top teeth and see how he's going to look with a full set of adult chompers...but the other part of me is so happy to just have my boy be a baby for a bit longer.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Guess I know why he's single
OK, I know why my date from Friday is 32 and still single. He's an asshole. A hard-drinkin' asshole. The date started out fine - a couple of beers and dinner at Pyramid. Then we went to play pool. And he just kept up with the drinking. And trying to pressure me to come home with him. And grabbing my ass. And giving everyone "constructive criticism" - including me, for my poor pool-playing skillz, and the BOUNCER, for god's sake, for actually having the temerity to ask people for their ID when they came in. Then we went to Nation's for some late night fries & a soda (I wanted more food in my belly before the drive home, after having those 2 beers plus a shot of tequila at the bar). Yes, the staff at Nation's was being weird, calling numbers all out of order and for some reason not making fries at an adequate rate. But is that a good reason for him to JUMP UP AND START YELLING AT THEM??? I think not.
So, yeah...no more dates with this guy.
And by the way, when I left at 1 AM to head home, where did he go? To nearby Farringdon's - for another drink. Good lord.
So, yeah...no more dates with this guy.
And by the way, when I left at 1 AM to head home, where did he go? To nearby Farringdon's - for another drink. Good lord.
Friday, July 07, 2006
What can you say about a month?
Goodness, it's been a while since I last updated. Last weekend, over the 4th, Rugrat and I went to Santa Cruz to visit some old friends of mine (and their little rugrats), and to frolic on the beach and play at the boardwalk. It was fun, but I always seem to be so exhausted by the end of these little solo trips with Rugrat. There's just no break at all from the constant chatter. And of COURSE I got a sunburn. A real good one. Even after spraying on the magical Neutrogena SPF 45. Dammit!
The party jinx is still in effect, I see. The June book club meeting consisted of me and one other person -- not the same person as last time, but I think she may have had her baby, so I won't hold it against her. ;-) But this time I got smart and the book club meeting was held at Panera, a bakery/coffee shop nearby. So I didn't spend oodles of time cooking/cleaning/etc.
Father's day was nice, although Babydaddy was a no-show since he was busy unpacking (or at least that was his excuse). My father & stepmom came, however, and we pigged out (no pun intended) on pork tenderloin with chipotle sauce, fresh green beans, cheese & crackers, spinach/artichoke dip, vanilla ice cream with macerated berries, and plenty of wine & beer.
I got the most bitchin' cell phone. Yeah, I said it. Bitchin'. You wanna make somethin' of it? Heh. Anyway, it's a Motorola Razr. This is the first time I've ever paid money for a cell phone, y'all. I have always, in the past, gotten the "free" one that was available through my phone company. So I ran right out and bought a Bluetooth USB plugin thingy, and when the phone came (joy!) I uploaded my own ringtones, that I created using my MP3s and free Audacity software. Man, that's good stuff. My default cell phone ring is now the theme song to Kim Possible. Yes, the cartoon. Yes, I'm a dork. No, I don't care if you laugh at me.
And tonight I have a date! I actually have two guys in the works. One is a pipe layer (that is just MADE for jokes, y'all) that I'm kind of meh about, and the other one (the one I'm seeing tonight) is in the remodeling/construction biz and is very cute, just my age, and a book geek. Cross your fingers for me! It's about time the boyfriend drought ended.
The party jinx is still in effect, I see. The June book club meeting consisted of me and one other person -- not the same person as last time, but I think she may have had her baby, so I won't hold it against her. ;-) But this time I got smart and the book club meeting was held at Panera, a bakery/coffee shop nearby. So I didn't spend oodles of time cooking/cleaning/etc.
Father's day was nice, although Babydaddy was a no-show since he was busy unpacking (or at least that was his excuse). My father & stepmom came, however, and we pigged out (no pun intended) on pork tenderloin with chipotle sauce, fresh green beans, cheese & crackers, spinach/artichoke dip, vanilla ice cream with macerated berries, and plenty of wine & beer.
I got the most bitchin' cell phone. Yeah, I said it. Bitchin'. You wanna make somethin' of it? Heh. Anyway, it's a Motorola Razr. This is the first time I've ever paid money for a cell phone, y'all. I have always, in the past, gotten the "free" one that was available through my phone company. So I ran right out and bought a Bluetooth USB plugin thingy, and when the phone came (joy!) I uploaded my own ringtones, that I created using my MP3s and free Audacity software. Man, that's good stuff. My default cell phone ring is now the theme song to Kim Possible. Yes, the cartoon. Yes, I'm a dork. No, I don't care if you laugh at me.
And tonight I have a date! I actually have two guys in the works. One is a pipe layer (that is just MADE for jokes, y'all) that I'm kind of meh about, and the other one (the one I'm seeing tonight) is in the remodeling/construction biz and is very cute, just my age, and a book geek. Cross your fingers for me! It's about time the boyfriend drought ended.
Monday, June 05, 2006
All My(stic) Children
Good lord, I didn't think it was possible for anyone to abuse the Mystic Tan as badly as Walt Willey (Jack). But today, Leven Rambin (Lily) looked absolutely freakish. What, did she go in to get married and get a complimentary tanning session (or twenty) along with her wedding vows? She looked like Ross in that episode of Friends where he goes to the tanning salon and gets tanned only on one side...about a dozen times!
I really think that the faux-tanning is getting completely out of hand on television in general. What's wrong with looking natural? Alicia Minshew (Kendall) is gorgeous, and she's got that milky skin. So does Eden Riegel (Binks). They are downright pale, and incredibly beautiful nonetheless. There's no reason for abuse of the FakeBake. Orange looks lovely on pumpkins, but not so much on people. If you MUST faux-tan, PLEASE, for the love of God, do it MINIMALLY. Like, ONE session per week or two. Not twenty sessions in a day.
I really think that the faux-tanning is getting completely out of hand on television in general. What's wrong with looking natural? Alicia Minshew (Kendall) is gorgeous, and she's got that milky skin. So does Eden Riegel (Binks). They are downright pale, and incredibly beautiful nonetheless. There's no reason for abuse of the FakeBake. Orange looks lovely on pumpkins, but not so much on people. If you MUST faux-tan, PLEASE, for the love of God, do it MINIMALLY. Like, ONE session per week or two. Not twenty sessions in a day.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Grrr
Babydaddy is slacking. His brother has sold the house, although it hasn't closed escrow yet, and Babydaddy needs to be out as soon as they sign the papers. Brother has already rented a house and moved in. Babydaddy? Has not found a place yet, although he's been looking for a month. WTF? And now he's living in this empty house, with NO washer/dryer and NO refrigerator. So he just wants me to pick up Rugrat all the time at school and bring him home with me, which...no. I mean, I don't want to make Rugrat suffer for his daddy's sloth, but damn, Babydaddy needs to get off his ass and get things done. No REFRIGERATOR, for fuck's sake. Jesus.
And where is he moving to? WC, which is a 30 minute drive. And when he finally finds a place and moves there, he's decided that it would be ever so much easier if I kept Rugrat every day during the week and he just had him every other weekend. And maybe he'd pick him up a couple times during the week and take him out to dinner so I could "have the evening off." And he thinks that this will be essentially the same as our current setup. Which? No. It is not. It means I am getting up early every single weekday to drop off Rugrat at school. It means I have to be at home every weeknight by 8:30, so that Rugrat can sleep here. It means I have to pack his lunch every morning, feed him breakfast, deal with all the dirty laundry and the bathtime and the book-reading before bed.
And what really really chaps my hide is this: I never wanted to move out here. I wanted to move closer to WC, back when I sold my townhouse three or four years ago. WC has better schools, nicer neighborhoods, great restaurants and bars, clubs, etc. Here? It is fucking suburban hell. Families everywhere, crappy chain restaurants, no single life, and now the fucking ghetto is taking over the city, with the Section 8 housing and the pissy fucking teenagers everywhere. But I moved out here. And why? Because Babydaddy moved out here, and it was going to be easier and better for Rugrat if we lived close together, what with school and daycare and all that. And now he's fucking deserting us and moving to WC, where I WANTED TO LIVE IN THE FIRST PLACE, and my house is losing value and the market is drying up and I am just sick to fucking death of this whole thing.
Goddammit. Fucking asshole.
And where is he moving to? WC, which is a 30 minute drive. And when he finally finds a place and moves there, he's decided that it would be ever so much easier if I kept Rugrat every day during the week and he just had him every other weekend. And maybe he'd pick him up a couple times during the week and take him out to dinner so I could "have the evening off." And he thinks that this will be essentially the same as our current setup. Which? No. It is not. It means I am getting up early every single weekday to drop off Rugrat at school. It means I have to be at home every weeknight by 8:30, so that Rugrat can sleep here. It means I have to pack his lunch every morning, feed him breakfast, deal with all the dirty laundry and the bathtime and the book-reading before bed.
And what really really chaps my hide is this: I never wanted to move out here. I wanted to move closer to WC, back when I sold my townhouse three or four years ago. WC has better schools, nicer neighborhoods, great restaurants and bars, clubs, etc. Here? It is fucking suburban hell. Families everywhere, crappy chain restaurants, no single life, and now the fucking ghetto is taking over the city, with the Section 8 housing and the pissy fucking teenagers everywhere. But I moved out here. And why? Because Babydaddy moved out here, and it was going to be easier and better for Rugrat if we lived close together, what with school and daycare and all that. And now he's fucking deserting us and moving to WC, where I WANTED TO LIVE IN THE FIRST PLACE, and my house is losing value and the market is drying up and I am just sick to fucking death of this whole thing.
Goddammit. Fucking asshole.
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