Pseudomammal

Baby's first John Hodgman experience.


He gets the columns and reads every line.

Dreams of dirt, bone marrow and coffee.

I think about food a lot.
I like to talk to food about my problems.
Everyone else in the New Year is all about "let's eat healthy and read Proust and make plans to join a gym".
I am thinking about butter, cream and garlic and how I can get a terrine dish for not too much money. I suppose some of this has to do with the whole hibernation yen I often have at times. I can't hibernate but I can make plans to roast things and eat a few pears and a bar or two of chocolate to feel better about the dark months.

I watched Julie and Julia tonight. I don't think I have many new thoughts to add to what has been said about the movie. I agree that Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci should make more movies together. They are terrific actors and when they are together they are amazing. The food scenes were beautiful. Julie Powell continues to irritate the tits off of me and the movie was a great deal of fun. To completely bare my soul I admit I kind of got teary during some of the Julia scenes. As I told my Mother, it was a bit like seeing an old friend. A wee bit corny in some ways but there you have it. I am easy like that. That happens every so often with certain movies.

I have bread to bake tomorrow. I will also cook up some lentils and sausages. There will be bacon and butter involved. It will help keep the wolves away.

So, yah, it's been a /long/ time since I've bothered with this thing. A lot has changed in my life. Most of it seems as though it would be for h worst but has slowly started to come around as for the better.

*shrug*

Today has been a random, sluggish day, and I've been down in the dumps since I woke up. Slept in later than I have been lately, was really tired for some reason (even after going to bed at 11pm).

Had nightmares all night. Mostly about ghosts and poltergeists and a bit about war. Some of them were about war and famine and our country being wrecked by civil war (and foreign intruders). Then I wake up for a long day of blues.

My own dad didn't recognize me when I called him today and my mom, for some unknown reason, decided to email me a picture of my half sister. I've never met her, nor seen her before and until now, never knew her name. Apparently she's some petite blonde girl named Alex. Bares quite the resemblance to me. She's obviously still in her early to mid teens, though.

I know I shouldn't care, but it hurts when your own parents don't recognize you when you call. Or when the other parent deliberately ignores your phone calls.

Money is tight and emotions are tighter. Rebounding from mistakes and sometimes finding myself happier with the idea of not waking up in the morning. Wishing I could go back in time and stop myself from bad decisions....stop myself from that piece of shit guy who ruined two and a half years of my life. Who turned me against all of my friends and someone I could've loved for the rest of my life. Thanks, Danny, for squashing my hopes and dreams and treating me like your barbie doll.

The weather is cold and it's incredibly miserable for a southerner like me. Ready, so so ready, for the blistering hot summer with 98% humidity and 98 degree temps. 

Beginning to doubt my purpose in life and everything I had planned for myself. What to do? Where to start?

Life is too crazy. And I hate living it alone.

A parody from 1971 that's still disturbingly accurate.

I'm sitting here waiting for my first class in the Moriarty art building. How can such an awesome named building be full of such tasteless crap? Professor Moriarty must be rolling around in his literary grave.

I had this extra calendar that I was going to use for a white elephant gift exchange. Never made it to the party. So I decided to give it away on Freecycle.
This was my post:

I have a 2010 calendar that has 12 exciting pictures of outhouses. yes. outhouses. Some are mildly attractive looking if you can appreciate the beauty of a small rustic building in attractive surroundings. If that doesn't win you over I can promise that one of the pictures has an outhouse with a chimney. Icing on the cake if you will.

People were lining up for this thing. I gave it to the person who said my post was hilarious.
Advertising is all about selling the lifestyle.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
I climbed a mountain and traveled to a foreign country. I visited Boston. Woot for that.

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't know, and can't be arsed. I didn't make resolutions for this year. Just plans. Evil plans, of global domination. Or maybe just adventures.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My sister had a child. I think it was a girl. I don't know her name.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not particularly.

5. What countries did you visit?
Greece!

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Same things I lacked in 2008 and 2007.

7. What date(s) from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Jan. 8th, because friends were coming from out of town then. September 12 for my first Greek Wedding.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Finally getting out of the gorrham country.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Heart got quite a bit smaller and harder, despite everyone's best efforts (fortunately it was over-sized to begin with).

10. Did you suffer any illness or injury?
Not particularly.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Tickets to Greece and Maine, a lot of fabric, postage.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Everyone's. The people who disappointed me will never read this, so they aren't worth considering. But everyone who is reading this, they are good people who mean the world to me. And they should remember that.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
See the above.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Same place it always goes: incredibly good food. And travel made up more than normal.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Orlando, Greece, Maine, Massachusettes, craft projects and letters.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
I don't think any will. While I love music, I am bad about associating it to anything more refined than a decade.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? I think I am still the same: Mostly despondent with hope.
ii. thinner or fatter? Fatter
iii. richer or poorer? I am guessing poorer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Same thing I always wish I were doing more of. Spending time with my loved ones.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Working.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Family meals by day, and friendly meals by night.

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
For the first time in a long time, I can say no. There was no new love in this year.

23. How many one-night stands?
Like every year except one, there were none.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
I believe "Leverage" was my favorite TV show this year.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don't think there is anyone I hate. Just behaviors and social tendencies.

26. What was the best book you read?
I really liked "American Gods", which I squeezed in for the first time, just as the year was running out. "The Historian" also is at the top of my list. I don't think I read that much else, but time is unclear for me. What year did I read "Fool" in? I really fucking loved that book.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Was Brandi Carlile this year? I really enjoy her. Other than that, I just keep trying to fill in the gaps of all the great music I found the years before.

28. What did you want and get?
Vacations in Maine and Greece.

29. What did you want and not get?
The rest of the stuff I wanted.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Zombieland. Fuck yeah.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Big fucking party, burned down a tree (dried christmas tree saved for the occasion).

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
What I am hoping will happen this year, but probably won't.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Same as every other year: T-shirt and blue jeans, this year seasoned with a little more "Why should I fucking bother?"

34. What kept you sane?
Nothing. I am batshit crazy. deal.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Marisa Tomei, for fulfilling some of my adolescent fantasies.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The slow and steady destruction of nature.

37. Who did you miss?
Myself and my friends.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
All the wonderful people I met in Greece.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
Keep fighting. The Game's crooked, but it's the only game in town.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I am stealing Davin's, because while I haven't heard the song, it works:

There is a war going on for your mind.
If you are thinking, you are winning.
Resistance is victory.
Defeat is impossible.
Your weapons are already in hand.
Reach within you, and find the means by which to gain your freedom.
Fight with tools.
Your fate, and that of everyone you know, depends on it.

I read this review about an interesting new book on the English language and its evolution and constantly changing ways. What I really like is the fact that he is keen to point out that various rules weren't handed down on high from some holy inspiration. It is often arbitrary and based on the fashion of the times. Over the years I have read a few books on the subject and while I am no expert, I think it has made me think differently about language and how we use it. I have friends (whom I love dearly) that worship like fundamentalists when it comes to grammar and punctuation and that is great. I am happy for them. (There is a religion for everyone. Be it Southern Baptist, Physics or Noah Webster) Sometimes though, it can be entertaining to see such a common tool used in unorthodox ways or to watch the path something might take. I think I also appreciate that the author wants to get across the idea that language isn't going to hell in a handbasket and "oh sweet lord" civilization is doomed doomed doomed. It could be that I am just bored with pessimism in regards to the path that society takes. There are always going to be dull people and sometimes it is just a better idea to avoid inviting them to dinner. On a slightly snarky note, the author of this book seems be such a fan/expert when it comes to Samuel Johnson that he rocks a hairstyle from the period. I dig that kind of devotion.

I went to bed late last night for a few reasons. Mr. Jenner was catching up on work downstairs so I was on my own with Miss Biscuit. I saw that Cranford was on PBS again. I thought, "oh hey I will just watch a little bit since it is on and I am stuck here holding a baby." Well I then had to watch all of it. I have the same problem with Ghostbusters. I have very little self control when it comes to bucolic long frock films and the comedic stylings of Harold Ramis. (important facts) What is kind of hilariously pathetic is that we have a copy of Cranford so it isn't like I can't watch it whenever I want; I was merely captivated by Miss Matty and the goings on. After it was over Miss Biscuit decided that it was time for a chat and she was doing her best to charm the socks off of me. I was sooooo sleepy but she just would not be put to sleep. Eventually around midnight I was able to convince her that semi-civilized people on a Sunday night need their rest. It wasn't a restful night. We then come to Monday morning. It is dark. It's 7am and it is raining. A proper start to everything after the holidays. It was kind of like being told, "Wake up clowns. There isn't going to be any fun so you better get your big girl pants on." At least it feels like that when you haven't had a great deal of sleep and you have actually been awake since about 5:30. (yay teething)
It really isn't all that bad. There was tea and crumpets and home-made jam for breakfast. Senor Onion is pretty cheerful except for the minor meltdowns where he doesn't want me to help him BY GOD despite the fact that he kind of needs some help. But whatever. That is merely retribution for the hell I put my Mother through because I was the same way. (I still am to a certain degree but we won't discuss that because we are nice. Though when my Mother reads this she will snort. I know Mrs. Chazbot well.) As it is dark and rainy we have watched Charlie and Lola and now we are working on blocks and the marble run. Though the marble run provides a fair amount of emotional anguish when things don't go right. I am tempted to hide it for awhile.

Now to face the laundry.
Again.

Yesterday we took down the tree (which will be dried in the garage and used for bbqs and fire-starting purposes over the next couple of years) and put away the ornaments. We still have some of the Christmas lights and Christmas cards up as I like to keep those up until Epiphany. It was a lovely tree and I will miss it.

It was a fairly quiet New Years Day. Tidying, a bit of grocery shopping and general lazing about. I was completely tired as Miss Biscuit has begun teething (no teeth yet for now) and so she isn't sleeping so well and it takes a great deal to soothe her. I felt like a zombie yesterday and I had only about half a glass of prosecco on my birthday. Children -when you want to feel hungover but are too cheap to drink. (new motto) But it was a pretty decent day. I found online a replacement for my favorite dish that broke at Thanksgiving. It will be mine. When it arrives I will feel complete once again. I also ordered a few seeds for the Spring. I have plans for the garden. I will keep it simple but it will be a productive year I hope.

Today things seemed more alert. Children napped, I ran some errands (I had fun in a couple of book shops) and I got things done. I came home this afternoon and made pasta doug. Then I cooked up a roast beef and roasted potatoes, baked some muffins, sauteed some broccoli and then I made this mincemeat and apple sponge thing I found in The Guardian. I had some leftover mincemeat in the fridge and it was a quick way to use it up. Dinner was fairly pleasant despite Senor Onion declaring that he wasn't eating. The sponge was pretty delicious.

Tomorrow I need to buy some spices and hit up the farmers market for some produce.

Right now I am kind of in a phase (let's blame it on post-partum hormones just for fun) where I feel so disorganized in my thought process. I have a million ideas or plans and at times it can be difficult to grab a hold of them and do something about it or at least put things down so that there is a path to take. I absolutely hate it at times because I become so overwhelmed that I can't do a thing and so I just sit there. A kind of sensory overload. BUT I will overcome it. I just need to narrow down what I need to do now and go from there. And remind myself that I don't need to do everything.

Happy New Year.
Let's keep it awesome.

Well then.
Happy Birthday me and thank you to every person who wished me happy birthday via various means. (be it phone, FB, twitter, email or carrier pigeon.) I appreciated it.

It has been a fairly low key sort of day. It is a vast improvement over my last birthday. Last year I was dealing with a flooded downstairs, the highlight of my day was getting hot water and I had raging morning sickness. Par-tay as they say. This year there was some calm. I had tea and toast. Some presents. I took the kids to the library. Put people down for naps. I went out and picked up something for dinner and then went and looked at girly bath stuff and bought said girly bath stuff. Mr. Jenner's very sweet Grandma sent me a card with some money in it and she told me to buy myself something I would really like. It helps that Lush had a buy one, get one free thingie regarding some christmas stuff and now I am good for awhile. It was less about the stuff and more about the luxury of taking my time in a shop and not having to be on hyper Mom time. Where you are doing your best to make sure your child is acting civilized and not pawing things or throwing himself on the floor. You don't relax in those situations. You are in combat mode. I even enjoyed walking in the misting rain. The amateur tourists with their umbrellas... It was darn glorious walking through the market. I went to Cafe Campagne to pick up the Cassoulet. Everything smelled so delicious in there. The restaurant wasn't crowded but it was busy. I love the sound of a busy restaurant and being able to watch people at work. There is something so beautiful about the choreography of restaurant workers. I was captivated by one server assembling things for kir royale and then by another balancing plates so gracefully. I could also see people in the kitchen hustling. It was equally toasty and inviting. I stopped in Sur La Table afterward to check out stuff for the kitchen sale. Plenty of fantastic things. I am trying to think about what I want to do with my kitchen next. Where I want to take my cooking projects and so on. I am definitely happy as a clam when I am in the kitchen. I suppose I could try and be a little more social again. Invite people to dinner or something.
Anyhow...

Dinner was delightful. It was made up of some things I made and some things I bought and Senor Onion declared the cassoulet, "not too bad". He preferred the salad but liked the beans.

So anyhow here we are.
In my twenties I learned that I was indeed lovable and it was okay to show my vulnerable soul on occasion. I let people in. I think I will continue with that theme. I will be kinder to myself and others. A continuing theme of forgiveness and love.

Happy New Year!

Littering the Internet are piles upon piles of essays and articles trying to explain or engage the idea of what girls want from video games; and I, as a girly gamer, am about ready to hurl my Nintendo controller at the next person who comes up with one.

The consensus seems to be that girls want more social interaction and friendship building. Companies like Purple Moon tried to make games specifically for girls crap like choose your own adventure where you play a new girl in school and the object is to become popular. This is wrong in so many ways.

1. This makes for a really, really boring game. Gaming is a medium that has standards and expectations of its own.
2. It’s condescending crap. Girls do not need to be pandered to or treated like some special subspecies of gamer. We don’t need help breaking into a hobby that has been traditionally male oriented; I think history has pretty well documented we’re good at this on our own.

The appeal of video games is pretty varied, there are first person shooters for people who like games based on skill and quick rewards, there are puzzle games for people who like mental challenges, there are story oriented games for people who like narrative, and there are rpgs for people who like to make their own characters so to speak. The most successful games are not the ones that pander to one type of gamer or another, but those that combine one or more of these styles in unique and original ways. This is why games like World of Warcraft are so popular with both genders. It isn’t pandering to one stereotype or another, but gives a lot of free rein on how you like to play. To start with there is a ton of choice in avatars — from the sexy shallow blood elves, to the adorable short and squeaky gnomes, to the peace-loving hippy taurens. Then there are numerous rolls your avatar can play: tank, damage dealer, or healer, depending on your gamming style. Want to kill stuff quickly? Play a dps class. Want to plant yourself heroically between your party and the monster that wants to destroy them? Play a tank. Want to hold sway over the life and death of your fellow gamers? Roll a healer!

Then there is the social aspect. It is a mmorpg, so socializing isn’t exactly hard, but you have a choice over how much or how little you want it to affect your gamming. End game content requires a rather large guild of people, but for leveling toons or running dungeons you can easily play alone or with a few close friends. All this is topped of with a long intricate plot and constant updates, patches, and expansions that continue the story line. The company also takes into consideration what players are saying on the forums, what they want from the game, what they want to change.

My entire point is not that Warcraft is awesome (though it is) but that it is successful and played avidly by both genders because it is an awesome well-thought out game that isn’t trying to pander. If getting girls into games is such an important social step then this is the way to do it. Don’t pander to stereotypes, don’t dress them up with pink sparkly glitter, don’t make them all about one stupid idea like socializing. Just make a good game. The gamming industry is mostly male, I fully admit this, and I do wish there were more girl gamers for me to play with, but slowly women are becoming a larger part of the industry, and we are doing it because games are fun and interesting. Not because they appeal to some deep inherent feminine need, but because they are fun and engaging. As odd as it may seem to people, even girls like to sit down and kill things.

( a year in pictures )

The gingerbread spice chocolate ice cream turned out well. That great combination of cold and touch of heat. Though I might be inclined to make it a more dark chocolate. It is a good rough draft that gives me some clear ideas about where it can go.

Looking at some new pictures of Miss Biscuit today, I keep seeing my Grandpa's face. It isn't a bad thing. My Grandpa was a very good looking person and his face on a baby girl doesn't hurt one bit. It is just odd at times. I think it is her eyes in particular that make me think of him. He had big sad eyes. Even in the few photos I have seen of him as a small child -he had these big pretty sad eyes.

I think this weekend I will go and peruse kitchen goods and look at books on North African cuisine. And storage. That is another thing I need to think about. The kitchen is getting out of hand again and I need to get control over the chaos of stuff.

My Mother knit me a tea cozy shaped like a bee hive. I find it entertaining and charming. I like how there are little bee charms on it. I happen to own four tea pots. I came to them over time in the usual ways. I was given one as a gift, there was one that came with my set of wedding china and I inherited a couple from my Grandma. I need to pass one of them along to my sister so that she can also have multiple tea pots for no good reason. It seems fair. I think one is Delft... Kit do you want the Delft one? I made a joke that this cozy could be some sort of avant-garde piece of fashion. A hat. Very Schiaparelli.

My Mother made me another tea cozy years ago that is quilted in a sort of crazy quilt fashion in multiple shades of green. I don't make a great deal of tea in pots these days but it is good to have such things on hand just in case. I like to be prepared for any sort of kitchen/dining experience. (please see the escargot plates and oyster knife)

While I didn't get much sleep last night (Miss Biscuit wasn't amused about something or other and just couldn't get comfortable and fussed a great deal) and I woke up feeling like midgets had been stomping on me all night long; today hasn't been too bad. I took the kids for a walk, we went and had snacking waffles at a near by coffee shop and we met a super friendly cat who I think must be the progeny of another super friendly cat that lives in the neighborhood. It is a cat that is aggressive with affection and is willing to trip you in hopes of being loved/adored. I think the cat's affection made Senor Onion a little nervous. He was happy to pet her but then she kept following him and he kept looking back and saying, "go home cat...go home." And it didn't for the longest time. It tried to leap up into my arms but that space was taken by Miss Biscuit in the sling. We then wandered back home, had lunch, watched a little Charlie & Lola which Senor Onion has just discovered and then naps for small people. Oh thank god they napped today. It is doing a lot for my sanity. Now if I could only get the Charlie & Lola theme out of my head. I suppose the one upside is that the brand isn't so saturated in this country compared to the UK. mockduck could probably offer her opinion on that subject. Apparently the brand should send her a Christmas card or something for all the stuff that her daughter has amassed over the years. I do find the show funny and very sweet. The conversations between the children is more natural than some shows. The names kind of amuse me. They are just this side of trendy for children's names. A touch of classic and a touch of celebrity chic. We do have a set of Charlie & Lola dominoes that Senor Onion was given to him by his Nana & Granddad for his birthday and it dawned on him today that the show he watches has something in common with his toy. "That's the same as that other thing." He runs off to his room and brings out the dominoes and goes, "PINK MILK" "CHARLIE". That was something else.

Enough children television talk for the moment.

Let's see I made the custard for the ice cream, which is now chilling. Chocolate gingerbread spice (thank you for the inspiration Theo chocolate) which has that right kind of back of the throat spice feel I was aiming for. I just took a loaf of bread out of the oven. It is a no-knead bread. I am playing with the flour ratio a bit to see what I come up with. It will taste good when I slather it with butter and home-made jam. But most things do when you slather butter and jam on top.

Had a nice pleasant chat with Mr. Jenner during lunch regarding chickens and coops.

Today a package arrived for me! It had some beautiful cards and a hat. I can always use another hat to keep my head warm. I like the cards so much that I will likely frame them and put them up around the house.

I took the leftover duck and made that into a pie. It made for happy people. Except for Senor Onion who declared he wasn't going to eat dinner. Today was one of those days where I briefly thought about running away to Tahiti and opening up a juice stand and becoming the Thomas Pynchon of food writing. Small children didn't nap, they shrieked in my general direction and nothing I did pleased anyone. After slamming some things in the kitchen and getting people to bed I took a nice long bath. Though it wasn't hot enough. What a bother eh? At least I had some time alone. It was quiet. I could read my book. I felt much better. I got into my pajamas, moisturized my tootsies and watched a so-so movie on the sofa with Mr. Jenner. I even got to have a nice conversation with him. I really cherish those conversations. They don't have to be about anything important or deep but it is sure novel. Some days your conversations are about the digestive habits of the children, boring grown-up stuff like bills and who needs to do what next. That gets dull quick doesn't it.

We made loose talk about where we want to go on holiday over the next year or so. You see in May 2011 (if all goes to plan) Mr. Jenner's youngest brother will be getting married to his long-time partner Kat. We have this casual idea of spending some time in England (of course) seeing the family/helping with the wedding and whatever and then maybe going to France or something afterward. Something rural where we just hang out with the short ones and do a fair amount of eating and lazing about. We are good at these kinds of things. This will involve saving pennies and whatever. Anyhow, this coming year we are discussing where we might go. Maybe a short jaunt to San Francisco since my sister will be living in Oakland and it would be neat to see her and see this and that. We may also do a long weekend either to the coast or over the mountains here in our state. We are definitely going out of town the weekend the blue angels are flying because sweet jesus we live right where they like to practice and perform. (near the lake) Then there will be Christmas next year with Mr. Jenner's enormous and ever growing clan. Even though nothing is set in stone it is fun to research possibilities.

What else am I doing with myself... I am knitting a blanket for Miss Biscuit. Who knows if I will get it done before Spring but it is calming. knitknitknitknitknit.

Okay, well I joined the gym and its been fun. It caused me a pretty bad cold, but other than that, I like it. I ended up getting an iPod for when I am on the exercise bike. I never wanted one before and feel kind of like a sell out getting one... but the bike is REALLLLLLLY annoying. And boring. Really really boring. Having music to listen to does help a little. I downloaded some of my mp3's to it. A nice assortment of songs I think. I am glad I did put a pretty wide variety in there.

My youngest son, Hank, is a tad bit hyper. He really seems to have something in him that keeps him from standing or sitting still for any given amount of time. It is kind of a hassle when we go out and we have this ball of energy being annoying. It also makes car rides a hassle too. Three kids in the back of the small little KIA we got for driving around town to save gas. One of those kids being unable to sit still makes it harder.

We went to see Princess and the Frog tonite. Side note - I LOVED it! Hank was wanting to run and be wild, but since we had to stand in line - not a good idea. Suddenly I remembered my iPod in my jacket pocket. I flip through it and find "Bananaphone" and plug the headphones into his ears. Miracle of miracles, the boy stands still. It was uncanny. He was perfectly willing to just stand there and listen to the song. That song ended and I switched it to "Still Alive" from the Portal game. He again just stood there, very still, and listened. We got to go into the theatre and find our seats.

I felt he would be okay, so I let my daughter, Wendy, listen to the song "Windy" by the Association. She of course was thrilled because I told her that is the song I named her for. Hank on the other hand began to get wild. I rolled my eyes and switched it back to Bananaphone and put the headphones in his ears - once again, he is a zombie.

So yeah, the iPod is now something I imagine I will never leave home without. It is nice to stick the ear buds in his ears and have silence. I like that. It is a nice break. He listened to a few songs, then the movie started and he was content to sit and watch and eat his pizza.

Life is pretty good. Cannot believe I own an Apple device... *shudders*... but it does serve a purpose I suppose.

My inlaws gave me a tagine for Christmas. I haven't ever really cooked with a tagine before but I like an adventure. I was given a little booklet with it but it isn't terribly inspiring. I like North African cuisine and I should hunt down a good book on the subject. Nothing like something to research. I admit I wasn't sure what to make of it at first. I realized quickly my Mother inlaw is merely returning the favor for all the times I have enabled her to buy some fancy piece of kitchen equipment. She visits me, I show her some toy of mine, some kind of fun food or a book and then she goes home and buys it. Sometimes I give her things as presents and it sets her off down a path. She doesn't have any daughters and so she enjoys her relationship with both me and Kat (my youngest brother inlaw's fiancee) because she can talk girly things with us. We are there to justify buying something pretty when the guys go, "well why would you get that?"
I have to thank her for turning me onto ice cream machines and I think she has me to thank for turning her onto pasta makers.
So now I have a tagine to play with. The only real bother is figuring out where to store it. It needs to be out of the reach of small children. I will mull this one over and attempt to re-arrange things. Again. I will have to get my Mother inlaw back somehow. "yeah yeah? is this how we are gonna play it? Now see this awesome kitchen toy???" And then her kitchen can be crowded with stuff too.

I have an urge to make some ice cream. Maybe I will do that this week. I have eggs, cream and milk. Let's get our churn on.

Slowly working our way through the timpano. Senor Onion has no interest in it. But he is working his way through some mortadella and fancy-pants cheese. His ideal dinner as of late is sliced fruit, camembert and a little sliced cured meat. He likes to finish it off with some chocolate coins or christmas cake. He is a strange little guy at times.

In September 2005 I picked up a green string off the Waldron Island dock and tied it around my wrist. It fell off last week. That is a hell of a long time. I spend today writing a recap of my last decade.