December 26, 2009

1. Merry Christmas!
2. Dinner Christmas Eve with Paula nd His family, dinner Christmas Day with my family and AB, Ali and their families.  So much fun to be together.  I do love this crazy gang of mine.
3. So much snow last week!  My lovely county gave us three snow days, which we may pay for later, but which were absolute bliss right now.  I did some good navigating of the snow in my little car, and was able to complete my crew leader responsibilities with a crew of stalwarts.
4. Lots of movie time about to happen.  Saw Sherlock Holmes today, and might see something else tonight.  Christmas Carol tomorrow I think….
5. Sometime during this holiday I am going to attack, delete and consolidate my email.  It MUST be done!  I’ll pack a lunch and make a day of it.

January 7, 2009

1. This weather must cease and desist!  Absolutely horrible.  Rainy dark and cold, and it feels like it has been that way since October.  I am going to have to start shining UV lights in my eyes or something.
2. Took down the tree tonight.  So sad.  It really could have made it longer.  I think it might be worthwhile to be the person on the block who leaves their tree up until all the needles fall off.
3. I felt very bad taking Mr. Tree out to the curb.  It seems so callous to cast him aside.  I apologized profusely.  To a tree.  Well, at least I’ll still be the crazy lady to the neighbors, one way or another.
4. Today was pretty exciting because I got a wireless connection for my smartboard.  This takes one more cord off the floor.  I have said before, and one of the kids pointed out, that the wireless signals are traveling through the air and even through us.  That does freak me out some times.  I may have to start teaching in a tin foil hat.
5. My style points are non exsistent.  I need to revamp my wardrobe big time.  The pants sweater combo is wearing mighty thin.

December 31, 2008

1. Still cranking out the Christmas Cards.  Hooray for me!
2. Is it insane that to buy sale wrapping paper at IKEA, that I drove out there during rush hour?  Probably.  But I moved pretty efficiently, and even made it back in time to meet AB and some work friends for happy hour downtown.  I have to say though, the valet parking makes it possible to go downtown efficiently.  I’m a big fan of that.
3. Stressful moments when the sink backed up, but the neighbors did too, and he called the rental company (since he is renting, and they sent someone to fix it, and fixing his clog, fixed my problem too, and I didn’t have to write a check!  Hooray!  Now I can do dishes again.  Hooray?
4. Chris’s Christmas Report:   “Speaking of other countries, we have a large French contingent here at Phoenix.  Their job is to run the ANA staff college and NCO school system nearby.  They live in one corner of the camp which they have marked off and dubbed “Quartier Lafayette.”  For all of some Americans’ bad mouthing of the French, even to the point of renaming french fries “freedom fries” the French are intensely proud of their role in our Revolutionary War.  The buildings in the “Quartier” are all have names like “Valley Forge”, “Yorktown”, “Rochambeau” and “Louisiane”.  For Christmas, they built a very elaborate mechanical Christmas Nativity scene, which is apparently a Foreign Legion tradition, with platoons competing for the best one.  This one showed all of the local area and had a narrative of and american and a French soldier sharing a beer and talking about life at the camp.  At one point the French soldier talks about the crazy traffic, and seemingly unaware drivers and pedestrians running through the streets on Route Violet which runs in front of the camps.  I turned to one French NCO and said “I have driven in Paris; it is the same!”  He had a laugh at that.  At the climactic moment of the presentation, part of the Afghan mountainside is lifted away to reveal the creche.”
5. Reports from our friends visiting up north.  Hooray for a babies that coo and gurgle!

 

 

December 26, 2008

1. We had a really nice Christmas dinner last night. 
2. Church at 5 was also great, where once again my ego vied with my love for the Lord and I swung some crazy smoke as thurifer and thought, “Damn baby, I am swinging some crazy smoke!”
3. Fondue and presents with Pauls’ family.  M and B gave us Rock em, Sock em Robots!  Awesome!
4. AB and I took M and C to the new American history museum today.  That museum better not be finished in terms of displaying the collections, because if they are the American Taxpayer needs a refund.  The place is better lit than it used to be, but bare.  I want them to pull all of the stuff out of the attic and lay it out!  I know it is now trendy to  create a narrative and have lots of white space, but I kind of think it should look like one of those Oklahoma junque/antique shops.  Wall to wall stuff, and you make up your own damn narrative.
5. I will be able to join the digital tv revolution!  I’ve been, sadly, mesmerized for much of the day  by the crystal clear picture on my new TV Paul got me.  and to have channels like rader scan 4.2 and the A-Team, Magnum PI 7.3 is pretty exciting.

December 22, 2008

1. Oh how we struggle through the last days before the break.  The kids are happy and full of energy, and the teachers are just done!
2. I’ve received several charming gifts from the children, my favorite a homemade card and ornament.
3. Went for a holiday pedicure with AB and Ali, then we went and had fancy cocktails at the Ritz and then shopping.  Lots of fun!
4. I feel completely unprepared.  Some of my gifts may come post Christmas.  I still need to finish blank for blank and blank and there is major construction to be done on the blank for blank.  I hope blank likes her blank, I was able to work a great deal on that.  I still need to purchase the blank for blank.
5. Made cookies for the custodians tonight and will buy bagels for the sociology class, then 8th grade art project for the next four periods, then classes are cancelled for the volleyball tourney in the afternoon.  Don’t be in front of my car at 4:06, because I will run yo ass down ass I head home! (stopping at the blank store to buy blank’s blank.)

December 19, 2008

Gingersnap recipe with commentary.

They are our absolute family favorite, and the recipe is attributed to my Great Grandaunt Zelta Esther Peace.  Unusual name, no?  I don’t know what was in the water out there in Oklahoma, but the Peace sisters were: Zelta Esther, Bessie Arzona, Evelyn Geraldine, and Opal Vinnie.  Other notable names among the Peace Family: Okie Lucinda, Edphard Bemus, and Hobart Waldo.  May they rest in peace.

Aunt Zelt’s Ginger Cookies

1 C. granulated sugar
3/4 C. shortening
1/4 C. molasses (Green Label*)
1 egg
2 C. flour
1/2 t. salt
2 tsp. baking soda (yes soda, not powder)
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
granulated sugar
Stir sugar, shortening, molasses and egg together.  Combine flour, salt, soda, ginger, cloves and cinnamon, stir into molasses mixture. Chill dough thoroughly for easier handling.  When chilled, make dough into balls the size of walnuts.  Dip one side of balls into suger and place, sugared side up, on baking sheet.  DO NOT FLATTEN.  Grease the cookie sheet for the first time only.  Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 10 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE.  The gingersnaps will seem soft when they come from the oven.  Store covered.

Historical Notes:

* The Original recipe says, in bold and threatening letters “BRER RABBIT GREEN LABEL” DO NOT SUBSTITUTE ANOTHER BRAND OF MOLASSES, YOU MUST USE BRER RABBIT GREEN LABEL.” – I have not been able to find Brer Rabbit for years, so I use Grandma’s with the green label, but I am pretty sure I am going to hell because of it. 

I recommend a heavy duty stand mixer for this dough.  We made it with a bowl and wooden spoon growing up, because it gave us character so we could handle life’s challenges, but now that I am grown, I bust out the Kitchen-Aid.

I also use a silicone mat for baking instead of greasing, but it doesn’t matter.  My mom has three cookies sheets, expressly for this purpose, that she greases up every year. (She also still uses the bowl and wooden spoon method, but she is much tougher than me.)

For the most recent batch I did not chill the dough and I think that might account for the cookies being so thin.  Experimentation on this issue will continue.

I like all the capital letters in the instructions.  Clearly Zelta did not put up with any nonsense.  It’s all true though, I have done both the flattening and the overbaking, and I am the lesser for it.

I have never made a single recipe of this.  I always double and I do that about 3 times.  I mean, what is the point otherwise?

March 18, 2008

1. Another day, spent mostly quietly.  Napping, a little laundry, a school board meeting in the evening.  Am feeling better, but still not 100%.
2. My only shopping crisis today was when I walked over to Starbucks for a coffee and the paper, they had no Washington Post.  (Sorry NY times, you have great writing, but I am not as familiar with your layout, and you have no comics, or local news.)  There were also lots of people there, and it looked like all the comfy chairs were taken.  So I gave up on Starbucks and went to the bagel place instead.  They were also out of papers!  Was this some sort of conspiracy?  I was finally successful at the Rite-Aid next door, and then went back and had a bagel.  No comfy chair, but that’s ok.
3. I’ve been thinking about my college roommate Cathy a lot lately, wondering how she is.  She has been really good about sending me Christmas cards every year, and of course, I am terrible at responding, or sending cards of my own.  I didn’t get one this year, so I guess she has probably given up on me, and I can’t write her, because her card last year said they were moving.  I have an old email address for her, so I am going to try that, but before I do, I am going to get out five Christmas cards and address and stamp them, and put a note on my calendar every year on December 10th to write a note and mail them.  I have a few people I should do that for.
4. I don’t know why I have such a hard time with simple things like keeping in touch, or mailing cards.  I guess I always think, oh I can do that tomorrow, and the next thing I know months have passed.  It really is a terrible part of my personality.
5. I watched Terminator 1 and 3 (watched 2 last month).  I never noticed before, but the police psychiatrist is the same guy in all three.  Nice.  2 is definitely the standout of the series.  #1 has the surprise of newness, #2 has the best plot, and #3 has the best terminator, because not only can she form complex weaponry, but she is wearing a fabulous red leather suit and never gets a hair out of place.

January 8, 2008

1. Every morning, I carefully hang up my coat in the closet, and make sure the car keys are in the pocket.  This closet is right next to my classroom door.  On the back of the classroom door is an envelope with our emergency procedures.  Hanging the coat by the door with the keys in the pocket is my personal emergency procedure.  I don’t like being cold during a fire drill, and if there is a crisis, once we get out of the building and all my little childrens are accounted for, I want to be able to get the hell out of dodge.
2. Our trainer Nate has been moved to a new location.  We are entirely heartbroken! Nate was the man! Very distressing.  Perhaps I will slack on my push-ups with the new person until they show their worth.
3. Today was the Geography Bee and I was pleasantly surprised that one group, which normally teases one another to death, was totally supportive of each person when they gave their answers, right or wrong.
4. Ever have one of those days where you realize a few hours in that you forgot to put on deodorant?  Yup.
5. I feel like this is one of those days I really need to be careful about food, and occupy myself with other tasks or I will eat a car or a like amount of cake (mmm…cake…) or something.  Possible tasks, knitting (project deadline approaching) Go to a movie (oh wait, I don’t have vestry tonight do I? That would certainly interfere with my plans.) or take down the Christmas tree (would it be so wrong if it stayed up until February?  Shouldn’t Christmas be in our hearts year round?)

December 25, 2007

1. I like the idea of a big gathering of friends or family at Christmas, where I would have a fireplace, and hang mismatched socks for stockings, like I see in the holiday magazines.
2. Along these lines, I’d like to have a Christmas dinner, or really any dinner that I wouldn’t invite anyone in advance, but gather up people just before.  Strangers from church, people from the coffee shop, anyone.
3. I had Christmas eve with Paul’s family, Christmas morning with my parents and Christmas dinner at the Berry’s.  It was all really nice.  I’m full of food and Christmas cheer, and ready for bed!
4. But first Paul and I need to exchange presents.  I made one (not a coffee sleeve!) for Paul.  I have been imagining this project for months and I am really pleased with the way it turned out.
5. Happy Christmas from the English, Merry Christmas from the Americans.  I favor Happy Christmas, but to use it seems pretentious.  Happy instead of Merry feels more calm and an internal feeling of joy, whereas Merry has a certain ”must party” attitude. 

December 22, 2007

1. Here is the inner commentary when I get my eyebrows waxed:  “La-la-la-la-la.” “La-la-la-la-la.” “La-la-MOTHERF—–!” ”La-la-la-la-la.” 
2. When I get my nails done there is a moment that is very soothing when the lady massages my hands.  Then she starts punching me.  Seriously.  She balls up her fist and punches up and down my arm.  This is fine at first, but then it gets a little painful. “La-la-la OW!  OW!  OW!”
3. Other than my morning of pain and beauty, I had some very successful shopping.  Kudos to the small independent shops in the DelRay neighborhood.  8 Hands Round and A Show of Hands came up big winners. 
4. Quite a contrast to my beer shopping last night.  The socializing was nice, but there were too many people in the lines and the things caught my eye were more “because I have to get a gift” than things that were meaningful or needed.  So I bought something for me.  It was a sandwich.
5. I’ve sorted through my teacher loot, and it is all pretty awesome, but my favorite gift is an apple.  A real genuine red edible apple.  Iconic and tasty, all at once.