Think....

The other day I implored you to Think Snow. You either didn't think hard enough or I didn't give you enough advance notice to think long enough because we got nothing. 

Last night through this morning we were supposed to have another storm and we got nothing again except some sleet. 

There's another storm coming tomorrow night through Monday. MONDAY!  Do you know what that means, people?  We could have a snow day or at least a snow delay. 

 

I don't want you to think snow. I want you to think

I want you to imagine

Think "white" and lots of it. 

I can feel a snow day coming in my future. 

Think Snow!

Random Musings

1.  Yesterday morning Mac got dressed for church, wearing a polo shirt and his blue blazer. (Up until yesterday, he has never wanted to wear anything to church but jeans and a wrinkly shirt.)  He also had his hair fixed. Not just combed, but fixed. I told him the polo didn't look right and that he really needed to wear a long-sleeved shirt under the blazer. Without argument, he changed into an appropriate shirt and put the blazer back on, fixed his hair again and away we went to church. 

He also told me we needed to go to the mall because he needs new jeans and more nice shirts "like Dad wears". 

Um, what?

This odd behavior, coupled with the fact that he is wearing jeans to school at least 3 days a week instead of wearing basketball pants every single day, is worrisome. The times, they are a'changing. 

2.  Are you watching Parenthood?  I've caught up on the last 2 weeks' worth and I think it's the best season yet. 

Most poignant line from two weeks' ago?  An emotional Grandmother Camille giving pregnant granddaughter Amber advice at Amber's baby shower (which took place in the hospital cafeteria because Grandpa had a major heart attack - do NOT kill off Zeke Braverman, please.  I can't stand it) -  "Life is short You cannot know how impossibly fast it goes by.  So enjoy this baby. Cherish every moment."  Wow, is she right or what?

Best parts from this week's episode?  Sara said yes to Hank's sweet, sweet proposal and profession of love. I love them together. And the other best part?  Julia and Joel are back together. Sweet Joel has been persistent and it paid off. Oh wait. There's another best part. Adam reconsidered and is staying in The Luncheonette with Crosby. I love Crosby, who is played by Dax Shepherd, who I believe I love, too. At least I love him on the commercials he makes for Samsung with his wife. 

I'm devastated that there are only 2 episodes left. Whatever will I do without the Bravermans??

3.  We have had exactly one two-hour snow delay. I am so bummed. If we could've had half of last year's snow this year, I would've had at least 3 or 4 snow days by now. There's no rest for the weary. 

4.  The beef burgundy from America's Test Kitchen was excellent. Super rich but so extraordinarily good. 

5.  This week's two recipes from the cookbook are split-pea soup and pasta marinara. Nothing stellar, nothing complicated, but I can do it ahead and pull it out after work. 

6.  Mac has chosen tonight's menu: cheeseburgers cooked on the panini grill he received for Christmas and oven onion rings from ATK cookbook. 

7. Last week, I took a State Department night class on managing real estate overseas. Jimmy tried to serve Mac leftovers, but that kid just hates leftovers. Where did that come from?  That's clearly a nature over nurture thing because, as our kid, he should totally love eating leftovers.  He either better love to cook or marry someone who does. 

Anyway Jimmy, frustrated, ran to the grocery store and bought a 12-pack of ramen noodles so Mac could eat ramen if he didn't want real food. A 12-pack. Of ramen noodles. Like we live in a frat house. 

He came home and Mac put up the ramen. Jimmy was later looking for something, pulled the ramen out and put the Gigantor pack on a bench we have under a dining room window.

Well guess who got into the ramen the next day?  This is rhetorical if we're Facebook friends where you might have seen the video. Young Leo apparently went on a ramen bender and got into 7 of the 12 packs.

 

He pooped and peed like nobody's business for 2 days after. 

8.  I weighed Leo yesterday in anticipation of his vet appointment next weekend. He's gained 2 pounds in 6 months. The vet is going to read us the riot act. I was thinking of putting him on a crash diet but he starts whining and I can't resist slipping him some turkey or cheese. Like I said, we're going to be in big trouble next weekend. 

9.  Finally, on the occasion of MLK Day, I'd like to share one of my favorite MLK quotes:

Let's practice, seek out and celebrate love and light, people!

America's Test Kitchen

After Christmas I gifted myself The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook, which was on sale at Costco and features every recipe cooked on the TV show from 2001 to present. 

I've owned another America's Test Kitchen cookbook since about 2006 when it was gifted to me by a dear friend and these recipes turn out every single time. Without fail. They are the best. 

I've decided to try two new recipes a week from the cookbook. This week is Mexican tortilla soup and boeuf bourguignon (although I'm using the slow cooker recipe and not the "real" version so it's probably best to just call it beef burgundy.)

I made the tortilla soup yesterday and just added the cooked chicken tonight when I re-heated it. I even made the crispy tortilla strips in the oven using corn tortillas like the recipe called for. The soup base was very thin and I was nervous that my pickier eater would hate it and that it wouldn't be substantial enough for Jimmy. 

Mac ate 3 bowls full. He loved it and raved on and on about it. He even liked the baked tortilla strip. It was sort of like a Christmas miracle in January.  Jimmy and I finished off what Mac didn't eat. The recipe said it makes 6 servings which equates to 3 for hefty cinch sacks like us. 

Today after work I made the beef burgundy which is happily cooking in the crock pot overnight. Mac told me that  the smells coming from the crock pot were the most divine he'd ever smelled. (He was in a particularly great mood today after school.)  I'll refrigerate it all in the morning and finish it off tomorrow after work. Stay tuned.

In the meantime I instructed Mac to pick out one recipe for next week. He came back all excited and said he'd found the best section of the whole cookbook and he knew what he wanted to cook. I asked it it was from the Mexican section or the Italian one. 

Wrong on both fronts. 

It was the cookie section. 

Dogs and ice cream

(From 1-11-15 Washington Post)

Note to self:  don't let Leo share my ice cream. 

Or if I do, don't let him eat it from my mouth, which is apparently what this nitwit was doing to be bitten on the lip. 

1/9/15

A cold weather selfie...

And you know what I had on my feet...

(Fake) Uggs

Uggs boots are really the ugliest shoes in the world. I could not understand why anyone would ever wear them. 

Until I lived through last year's winter horribilis. 

I couldn't bring myself to pay top dollar for real Uggs to use for just two winters, so I bought a $34 knock-off pair at Sports Authority last January and let me just tell you that even the cheap ones are the best invention ever. Your toes always stay nice and toasty. 

I asked Jimmy if he thought it would be bad to wear them on the train to work (and then switch to regular shoes in the office). 

His response?  "You're just one step away from shopping at Stride Rite for adults."

(My toasty feet next to one of Jimmy's in his dress shoes, where he was probably actively getting frostbite at the time the photo was taken.)

Those who laugh last, laugh the loudest. Even as they're driving to the Stride Rite store. 

The Weather

Rio is looking better and better in general, but specifically as a dog owner. 

This morning I walked Leo in this:

If I lived in Rio right now, I could have walked him in this:

Yes, please. 

1-6-14

Leo experienced his first snowfall this morning and I don't believe he was a big fan. It was a very fast poop and pee!

(His little paw prints beating a quick retreat back to the apartment.)

Our small snowstorm ended up being a little bigger than they thought. A prediction of 1" last night turned to 1-2" by this morning and then to 4-6" by about 9:00. 

Unfortunately the school nor Uncle Sam delayed opening (based on early predictions) so we all trudged out at 7am into a lot of cold snow. Mac ended up waiting for the bus for 45 minutes because his bus slipped on the road and got stuck. According to the email from the school, there were "only" 17 children on the bus, which I guess they think is better than waiting in the 26-degree snowstorm, which is where the rest of the children were. 

I'm just bummed we didn't get a snow day from work. By this time last year, it seems like Jimmy had already had a handful of snow days. This is the fates conspiring against me because they don't want me to have any fun. 

I apologize now to all the government workers out there in the DC area as I can pretty much guarantee there will be no snow days this winter just because I'm working now.  Sorry. 

Happy New Year!