Monthly Archives: July 2011

Waiting for train on leg 1 of my epic all-public-transportation-and-walking day that includes work and ladies night with the ladies! # Oh hai train: http://t.co/OJp8FhE # Walk through the woods to the office. Beware of spacy deer, giant poison ivy, … Continue reading

bowl of chocolate cake and milk for breakfast. this is best zucchini in chocolate cake ever: http://tinyurl.com/l3rptz – it tricked Twelve! # oy! borrowing against my 401(k) to pay for refi/closing costs. I'm thinking of it as the downpayment I … Continue reading

Sauerkraut

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Started a gallon of sauerkraut tonight with Mike manning the mandoline and myself in charge of recipe reading, mixing, and packing. We used 1/2 gallon jars – the largest I could find at our local supermarket with canning supplies – and filled and stashed two jars under the cabinet. We weighted the cabbage with ziplock bags of brine, as suggested in The Joy if Pickling. If it gets too hot next week we will move it to the basement.

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This used two heads of cabbage, we have two more in the fridge. We will probably make kimchi with the rest in Sunday (no matter how non-traditional it is to use white cabbage).

working from home today: auspiciously to provide little dudes with late afternoon supervision, but also have to clean for the cleaners. bah! # We have a bunch of thyme fm CSA – want to try infusing vodka. Anything else to … Continue reading

Sardine Sandwiches

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How have I never made sardine sandwiches before? I didn’t even think such a wonderful thing was possible until last month – normally I’ve just had sardines straight up, from the can, probably on crackers.

This sardine sandwich includes a nice spicy yellow mustard, a squirt of lemon juice, chopped cucumber, black pepper, and slices of tomato. I’m eating it on a whole wheat hamburger bun because that’s the only bread in the house – honestly, I don’t really eat a whole lot of bread, especially lately. Not to be all 1980s diner-diet-menu, but I think this would be delicious served without bread and inside of a hollow tomato.  If I were a little less hungry and a little more thoughtful I would have put in a pinch of chopped fresh dill.

I used Season Brand sardines, in water, no salt added, and found in the deepest darkest corner of my cupboard. These sardines may be 4 years old. I will report back if that is an issue. Hey, they’re from Morocco! I didn’t know that!
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I’m not sure if it was the brand of sardines or the water pack, but I noticed that the sardines mashed so easily with a fork – much easier than tuna – and didn’t have nearly the fishy flavor that tuna does. Why on earth are sardines so scary to people? Sardines are nicer for the environment and can have a much more delicate fish flavor than your traditional albacore.

The sandwich was delicious. Wish you were here! I ate yours, though. Sorry, I didn’t think it would keep.

Working from Home

Normally Mike will work from home on Wednesdays so he can manage the boys in the late afternoon one day a week. We have an alternating schedule – they are either at our house on Monday-Wednesday-Friday nights for an overnight or they are here for the Wednesday. I can get them a couple of times a week but on weeks when we have them 3x it was becoming disruptive to my job to have to jump up and leave at 4:30 every other day. We schedule all kinds of awkward stuff for Mike to manage when he’s at home, for example our every-two-weeks cleaners come on Wednesdays too.

But today he had to go into NYC for an all-hands work-activity, so I am working from home so I can let the cleaners in and get the boys at around 5PM. He gets home around 630, when we have the little dudes.

And I’m shifting floors to stay out of the way of the cleaner – she did the upstairs bathroom and I worked in the dining room, and now she’s doing the downstairs bathroom, kitchen-dining-room-living-room combo and I’m hiding in the upstairs library.

Book is also hiding:

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He is awfully handsome, isn’t he? We think he may be a French Chartreux. Mike’s mom saw a television program about them and told me all about it. It fits – he has the tiniest meow, and he’s a fabulous hunter.
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I Love To Do Dishes is back stateside, and I believe she’s figuring out her next steps and living arrangements – so poor melancholy Book, don’t worry. Your Human will come and fetch you soon. Sometime.

Just took break outside do I could screen iPhone text msg alerts without bugging cube neighbors. So nice out here, do not want indoors! # Powered by Twitter Tools

RT @MissAdventuring: You know that guy. Don't be that guy. http://t.co/zzYKIJX # not only do my painted finger nail and shoe color match, but they also match my travel mug and underpants. no worries: no photos. # hmmm was afraid … Continue reading

New motorcycle gear

Got a crazy new bandana filled with water absorbing microbeads – it cools you off as the beads slowly release the water. I’m trying it out and giving the health and safety supply buyer at Day Job feedback. There are so many perks to environmental consulting, you know?

It kept me really cool on my ride home through upper-90 deg temps last night. AND it matches my jacket. Awesomepants.

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I woke up maybe 50 times last night [*may be slight exaggeration]. PERFECT PREPARATION FOR MY NINE HOUR MEETING TODAY. thanks, body! # Powered by Twitter Tools

got to sleep in with @mikegrundy and now we're each out to get a little exercise before motorcycling north to family bday party. #awesomeday # Is it still a lucky penny if I find it in the bathroom? http://t.co/sk53sj3 # … Continue reading

Nails and knitting

Turns out I accidentally picked the exact same color as my knitting. nerd party!

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Hairs cut

I worked from home today so I could get my hair cut. I’m super short now for the first time since college, when in to the Vidal Sasson teaching salon for an “orbit” and came out with a less coolly named cut. it’s wonderful, I’d been feeling for the last couple of years that my long hair was getting in the way, like it was taking over my head and overshadowing my personality.

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So the thing that is shocking me is how well my bangs and I are getting along. They’re not that hard to manage, they don’t make my forehead hot, and I don’t feel like I’m hiding behind them. I’ve avoided bangs vehemently since 7th grade and now I kind of like them. Oceans are boiling, people.

Blueberries

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From eating all the cherries (I probably have had 5lbs this week) to all the blueberries. There’s two more pints of these at home, and I bet they won’t make it in to any baking.

I have to confess a tiny amount of jealous bogglement at people who manage to bake with fresh seasonal berries. They are such a treat to me, I can’t stop from devouring them while they’re available. See also: beets. Delicious.

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ugh, dropped the bike pulling into R+Js driveway tonight. broke off the end of the clutch lever. BOY is my knee glad I wear armored pants! # Powered by Twitter Tools

Hilarious encounter with road/roid rage brah on the highway: in a huge hurry but unable to read the traffic ahead of him. Slowpoke! Amateur! # last night peggy and I developed a whole new line of slashfic starring putin and … Continue reading

Daily cheat: what’s happened lately

I went to Reno week before last.
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It was super pretty outside, but the insides were … Well. It’s a casino and resort in a place where smoking in public spaces is still legal and where local brothels (also legal) were heavily advertised. In the other hand I saw lots of people who were clearly there for an affordable luxury-style vacation, and good clean fun.

The casino carpet, on the other hand, was AMAZING. where can I get some for our house? I pretty sure that sweet mike will at least permit an area rug in the attic. 20110711-074153.jpg

And the fish/sushi restaurant in the resort. Underwatertown! It was delicious, actually. I read a book while I ate. Can you believe that this was the first time I’ve eaten in a sit down restaurant by myself? Rite of passage: passed!

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Then I went to Columbus Ga for a family wedding. It was beautiful! And I spotted this knit bomb on the river walk:

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A close-up:

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And then home again to our gorgeous and clean-for-once home. With gargoyles. Aaah.

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I'm trying to decide how many cherries will be a bad idea for breakfast. I have 2 lbs… # "I am a professional engineer! my signature means something!" – me to the credit union, on why I won't sign the … Continue reading

Lotsa cherries

This is, hopefully, not too many cherries to eat in one day. I love love love cherries, and definitely am researching them for our yard! It occurs to me that one sign of wealth (or splurge) is how I am able to buy cherries in the grocery store every couple of weeks, even though they are so wildly expensive.

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five most common iphone repairs – a little late for me (OH I HOPE NEVER AGAIN!) but this is great information: http://t.co/KtzoyWh # Powered by Twitter Tools