More blue foods

I've blogged about this before. Take a look. I've said for many, many years that I don't eat blue foods that don't occur that color in nature. It's just not right. Friends and family have told me how strange I am. Now I have proof. This is from the April issue of Family Circle:

"Fast food chain logos are designed in red, orange and yellow for a reason. Those colors stimulate our nervous systems and cause us to salivate, making us feel hungrier, say experts. And shades of blue, at the other end of the spectrum, may have the opposite effect. How come? 'There are very few foods that are naturally blue, and the color can signify mold, spoilage and toxins,' explains Carol Pfeffer, a professor of color theory at Purchase College in Purchase, New York. 'Blue may suppress the appetite by triggering an instinctive defense mechanism in the body.' In other words, it could be nature's way of protecting us from ingesting potentially poisonous foods. To ease hunger pangs, consider buying blue dinner plates, glassware, napkins, place mats and tablecloths for your kitchen."

See! I told you guys!

Go here for concrete images that show what I mean!

WHEW!

I feel like I finally get to sit down and take a breath. It's been kind of a crazy week. The hubby's been out of town since last Thursday and I've been a single mom. Talk about culture shock. I don't know what I'd do if this was the situation I was forced to deal with every day. Hats off to all you single parents.

Today was a good day. I finished two manuals! These suckers have been languishing on my backlog for months. One of them is something I've been actively working on for two months. The person I was working with kept making changes. He's a nice enough guy, I just wanted to strangle him by the end of the process.

The munchkin didn't get a nap while she was with Amy. So she crashed out in my chair before she even had a chance to eat. I'm not sure if I should hope she wakes up and eats or if I should let her sleep as long as she will. If I let her sleep, she might wake up in the middle of the night. Blech. What a horrible thought.

I want to be wrong

In the past couple months I've been reliving some of my younger days by watching episodes of Diff'rent Strokes in syndication. Because two of the main characters are young black men, these episodes air on Black Entertainment Television.

Tonight, I noticed a disturbing trend in the commercials. During one commercial break, three of the four commercials seemed to prey on those in our society some might consider less than intelligent, having poor credit, needing to take advantage of offers that would force them to pay much more than necessary for an almost ubiquitous piece of household technology, or those that are simply down on their luck and needing a little extra cash.

Am I wrong in sensing that a commercial for a payday loan company (many of which are renowned for charging outrageous interest rates), a company offering computers to people with bad credit, approval guaranteed and without a credit check, and an offer for "cash for gold", might be attempting to take advantage of the demographic towards which the station is skewed?

I'd like to be wrong in this. I really would. But I have to admit that I see this type of advertising more on this channel than anywhere else. I don't know what else to make of it. Is it a comment on our current economic situation? Is it simply that this station has less viewers, making advertising prices low enough so these less than reputable companies can afford to purchase spots? Or, am I correct in my gut feeling?

This is not the way I feel about this demographic. I feel that they have as much to offer as my demographic does. I just can't understand this theory of advertising.

Like I said, I want to be wrong. Please, let me be wrong.

More on the icky list

1- Clean bathroom and kitchen floors.
2- Wash bedding.
3- Finish I Married Wyatt Earp.
4- Work on the Noah's Ark afghan.
5- Wash dishes.
6- Do laundry.
7- Clean out closet.
8- Clean tub.

As you can see, I've made even more progress. The bathroom floors are all I have left. I've even been adding things to the list. I did some long overdue dusting, picked up general clutter, started going through a stack of magazines that have built up, and done some more dishes. I'd like to do some vacuuming, but the munchkin girl is so afraid of the vacuum that while she naps is the only time that I could do it. She is napping right now, but I'm really considering a nap myself. Maybe after she goes to bed.

On the up side, I found the other set of keys for my car. They've been MIA for a while. I decided today was the day to find them. Sure enough, when I looked in the pockets of my other coats, that's where they were. This is very good news. Guess I'll kick back for the rest of the day. Goodness knows I've earned it.

That nasty list

1- Clean bathroom and kitchen floors.
2- Wash bedding.
3- Finish I Married Wyatt Earp.
4- Work on the Noah's Ark afghan.
5- Wash dishes.
6- Do laundry.
7- Clean out closet.
8- Clean tub.

I'm making progress. I've done some laundry, but I'm not done yet, so I'm not marking it off.

The afghan is going well. After I figured out I couldn't count, I was able to do a lot better. *smacks head*

Cleaning out the closet...now there's a fun task. But it needs to be done. Guess I'll just suck it up and do it!

Books Vs Movies

Topic

Books and films both tell stories, but what we want from a book can be different from what we want from a movie. Is this true for you? If so, what’s the difference between a book and a movie?

So true. I typically watch a movie to be entertained. Books are similar, but I'm usually hoping to take something deeper away from a movie. I want something to think about. Something to roll around in my head for a while. Try it out on my mental tongue.

Manual Labor Redux

Topic

Following up last week’s question about reading writing/grammar guides, this week, we’re expanding the question….
Scenario: You’ve just bought some complicated gadget home . . . do you read the accompanying documentation? Or not?
Do you ever read manuals?
How-to books?
Self-help guides?
Anything at all?

This is tailor made for me. I read the manual. I read accompanying documentation. I go online to find out more about it. And, I write this kind of stuff. Yes, dear readers, I do what most would consider to be a boring job. I write manuals. I love it though. I don't find it boring at all. Seriously. Ask me about it. It's way cooler than you might think.

To do

Here's my list for the weekend. I'll update you on progress as things get done.

1- Clean bathroom and kitchen floors.

2- Wash bedding.

3- Finish I Married Wyatt Earp.

4- Work on the Noah's Ark afghan.

5- Wash dishes.

6- Do laundry.

7- Clean out closet.

8- Clean tub.

I think that's enough for now. Ick. I hate housework!

It's a BOY!

My nephew, Truman Dane, was born on the 21st. What a cutie. I'll meet him tomorrow. So glad the munchkin girl has another cousin. His parents have decided they'll just have to buy ruffles for my girl. They're done. I'm just happy they have two healthy children.

Tires are black because they're EVIL

Munchkin stayed with my friend Amy the other day while daycare was closed. On my way home from picking her up, my left rear tire blew out. And I mean it shredded!

I had to wait about half an hour for AAA, but once the guy got there, he was done in 5 mins. I can't complain about that.

The next night munchkin and I went to Wal-Mart to get four new tires. They told me 45 minutes to an hour. Three and a half hours later I was on my way.

Long story short, first they told me they couldn't get the shredded tire off the rim. Come on, you're a tire place. Why are you open if you don't have the right tools? Then they told me that one lug nut on one tire was a locking lug nut and couldn't be gotten off without the key. Wouldn't you know, my key was missing.

It took a long time, and a lot of phone calls, but a pissed hubby and I finally got them to see reason and to get it done. I did end up with a 25% discount and a $25 gift card to Wal-Mart.

Munchkin was a trooper for most of the time. But it was rough. I will never go back there for anything having to do with their car service department. But, I did get great tires at a cheap tire price.

Slap my hand

I started yet another afghan. But honestly, I had reason to. My nephew, Truman Dane, was born on the 21st. This afghan either goes to him or to two babies who are on their way. I haven't decided yet.

The pattern, the Noah's Ark you see here on the cover, is from this month's issue of Crochet! I'm following the pattern, but had to switch to Caron's Soft because that's what was available. I'm not very far in, but I can't wait to see how this turns out. I'll let you know how it's going as I progress.

What fun

Here's my latest deconstructed sweater. Thanks again, Tara. The yarn is 60% nylon, 30% dehair angora rabbit hair, and 10 percent wool. That's right, more little rabbits. It's soft and snuggly.

To give those of you wondering about the process just a little idea of how it goes, here's what I've got.

First, a couple of snips, and pull. Here's what you get.

Then you can remove individual pieces with the same steps.

This sweater was a little different because once I actually unraveled each piece, I had to separate the yarn into two pieces. Two strands had been plied together (think two-ply toilet paper). So, I unraveled each section of the sweater, un-plied (is that a word?) the two strands, and then wound the individual strands into balls.

I ended up with 5 balls of lovely yarn. In the picture you can see the start of a single crochet scarf. I wanted to see what it would look like once it was worked up. I was also experimenting with hook size.

Guess I better add the scarf to the UFO list in the sidebar.

Dismantling

Can't quite remember how, but I ran across some tutorials telling me how to pull apart old sweaters for the yarn. Since I thought this was a grand idea for trying out making socks without investing the money in sock yarn, I was waiting for my opportunity.

The last time we had stitch and bitch, Tara told us that she had tons of clothes to give away. And boy did she! I didn't score much along the lines of clothes for me, but I did get three sweaters to attempt pulling apart. Want to give it a shot? Check here for some really great instructions. My first attempt (100 % acrylic) took me forever. Note to all others interested in trying this, don't attempt it for the first time with boucle or anything resembling it!

But, here you can see the fruits of my labors. I've included the VHS tape for size comparison. Seven balls of yarn. I'm anxious to try making socks. I've got a book, but I'll admit to being nervous. Not like I can't frog it if it doesn't work.

Now I'm working on another one that is 56% nylon, 40% angora, and 4% lambswool. That's right. Angora. As in bunny. As in approximately $20-25 for a 2.5 oz hank. To give you an idea, that's one piece, about half the length of a football field.

Thank you Tara! Can't wait to play around with this and make something luscious!

Ears and nose

I was still concerned about the munchkin girl's nose this morning, so I called for a doctor's appointment. Got her in this afternoon. Turns out that since we last saw the doctor, what was a cold has turned into a sinus infection and a slight ear infection in one ear.

This is why you listen to mother's intuition even when the "professionals" tell you that it's just a cold. I gave it the obligatory two weeks to clear up. When it didn't, I took matters into my own hands. She's got two BIG bottles of amoxicillin. 1 and 3/4 teaspoons twice a day. If that doesn't knock it out of the park, I'm not sure what will.

Here's to pink bubblegum flavoring. How many of you remember this stuff? :)

The big three-oh OH MY GOODNESS!

Yep. It's time to admit it. I'm 30. The last few hours of my 29th year were spent sleeping. I woke up this morning to face the irrefutable fact. I am, indeed, 30.

So, to honor this momentous occasion, here are 30 things for which I am grateful.

1- A healthy, beautiful daughter. I didn't realize what I had until this year. My friend Amy has 4 beautiful children. Two of which have had SERIOUS health problems within the first couple of years of their lives. Laurie has a son with health issues too numerous to mention. Carrie has an autistic daughter. To you three, I take off my hats. Raising this munchkin is often more than I can handle. The three of you handle the situations you're handed with grace and style. I salute you.

2- A loving husband. We have our issues. But when it comes down to it, I know he's got my back. He's a provider. He's gentle. He's loving. He puts up with all my neurosis. And he loves me just the same. It's amazing, but the good ones do still exist.

3- Family. Having lived without them during a self-imposed exile, I now truly appreciate it. For all of you that got ignored during those 10 years, I'm sorry. Just know how much I love you and how I love spending time together now.

4- Friends. Take a look at my list of blogs I read. A lot of those are really good friends. Some of them will get direct mentions in this post. If you don't, don't feel bad. I love you all or I wouldn't spend the time reading your blogs, calling you, emailing you, etc.

5- Amy. You're my rock. You're everything I want to be and all that I've never had the courage to be. Thanks for always being there and for being a great sounding board. You're the sister I never had.

6-Carrie. We lost each other for 20 years. I love that we've been able to pick up where things left off. And I love how our relationship has grown. I'm always here.

7- Christianne. How did we miss all the similarities until this year? I'm so glad you're around for me to bounce things off of at work. And I mean that literally and figuratively! ;)

8- Jodi. What do I say about you? I am lucky to have met someone like you that I'm related to through marriage. We've been friends for so long. And even though we don't talk too much (or enough, for that matter) you still put up with all my goofiness. And now we've got you in blogland. I miss you!

9- Deb. Here's a raise of the glass to blog friends. You've got it going on girl. Keep up the good work!

10-Crocheting. It's gotten me through a lot of tough times. I'm grateful that I'm able to take out my frustrations and my joys and create beautiful things at the same time.

11-The ability to read. Without it I wouldn't know half of what I know.

12- Technical Writing. This is probably a strange one to mention, but here it is. I'm in a job that I love. It's not the conventional job that I always thought I'd be in, but it sure works for me. I write directions for people to follow. And I work with some really great people.

13- Lazy weekend naps. There's something to be said for having your chores done and taking that snooze that you feel is well-earned.

14- Rain. I love the sound and the smell. And if I'm the only one in the house and it's a rainy night. That much the better. Add some thunder and lightning and I'm in heaven.

15- Chocolate chip cheesecake. Yum. Need I say more?

16- Hugs and kisses. I love 'em. Can't get enough. Kisses from my little munchkin are the sweetest of all.

17- Mornings where you can wake up slowly. I love the slow resurfacing from sleep. I don't like being vaulted out by the alarm clock!

18- Good people in the town where I live. I just love that there are still people here who will take care of you even if they don't know you very well. There's a girl at the gas station I frequent that keeps a carton of these donuts that the hubby likes in the freezer for me. When I feel like it, I go in and pick them up. In a big city, people don't do that kind of thing.

19- Talented people. I love spending time looking at other people's art. Whether it's a well-known, established artist, or someone on etsy. I find inspiration in all of it.

20- Pictures. I never knew my dad's mom. She died when I was two. Through pictures I'm able to see part of her life.

21- Quiet moments. I love them. Most moms do! :)

22- DVRs. How great is it that you can watch your favorite shows on your time and not have to worry about getting a tape in the vcr?

23- Organizational tools. From my planner at work to my wish list on Amazon. All of these things help to keep me together. I can't keep everything in my head, so being able to keep track of them in other ways is so helpful.

24- Dishwashers. Who wants to spend time standing at the kitchen sink when there's so much more fun stuff to do?

25- Goofy moments with the hubby. I love it when we're both on the same page and can share those crazy moments that make us laugh so hard we almost lose it!

26- Listening to my daughter laugh so hard she can't catch her breath. There's nothing better than little kid giggles.

27- Free podcasts. There's so much great information out there. Look what you can learn. It's amazing.

28- Insurance. With everything that has gone on already this year, we'd be in trouble without it. We'd make it, but none of us would like it. Thankfully, we've met our deductible. Insurance can be a pain, but it's nice to work full-time and have benefits.

29- Purple. I love the color. I love things that are this color. Purple's not just my favorite color, it's a way of life!

30- Completing another wonderful year of life. I never thought I'd make it through some of what I've been through in the past 5 years. But I'm stronger and a better person for it. Thanks to everyone who helped me get here. I love you all.

Cheese? Cake? CHEESECAKE!

For three years I haven't made a cheesecake. Why such horrible self-imposed exile you might ask? Well, the hubby isn't much on cheese. He told me he doesn't like cheesecake. I can't eat a whole one by myself. So, I haven't made one. But, with my birthday being on Saturday and needing to take treats to work, I made this lovely.

Check out the recipe here.

I have made it multiple times before with wonderful success. How delicious. I can't wait to cut into this baby tomorrow.

Tonight, once I was spooning the batter into the pan, hubby asked me, "Where's the cheese?" I told him that it was in there. "You know, cream cheese."

"Cheesecake uses cream cheese and not cheese cheese?"

Seems up to this point that he'd been thinking cheesecake was made with actual cheese. Guess who now gets to expand her dessert making? *evil, delighted grin*

Manual Labor

Topic

Writing guides, grammar books, punctuation how-tos . . . do you read them? Not read them? How many writing books, grammar books, dictionaries–if any–do you have in your library?

HA! I'm laughing out loud at this one. Own them? I not only own them, I write them! I discuss them. I facilitate discussions as to whether or not a word should be hyphenated. I lust after a position on our writing task force at work. I have a book that talks about how to use grammar rules. The table of contents and index are more complicated than most crossword puzzles. I get nerdier every day.

Specs

WAHOO! I can see! I have two new pairs of glasses. One is on my face right now. They're just like my old pair, only blue. And the other pair is...wait for it...wait for it...prescription SUNGLASSES! I can see and I can see in the sun. It is the coolest thing ever. So SO nice to be able to do things like this. To have someone that is supportive of these things.

I got Silhouette frames for my regular glasses. They look great. But they looked great when I had them in brown too! LOL.

Let's hear it for CURVES!

Read all about why.

Who wants to be tall and willowy? OK, sometimes I do!

Mayday!

Topic

Quick! It’s an emergency! You just got an urgent call about a family emergency and had to rush to the airport with barely time to grab your wallet and your passport. But now, you’re stuck at the airport with nothing to read. What do you do??
And, no, you did NOT have time to grab your bookbag, or the book next to your bed. You were . . . grocery shopping when you got the call and have nothing with you but your wallet and your passport (which you fortuitously brought with you in case they asked for ID in the ethnic food aisle). This is hypothetical, remember….

This is oh so simple. I'd either buy a book at the gift shop, or I'd pick up an abandoned newspaper. Of course, there's always the option of asking someone working at one of the desks if they could help. They might lend me a book or have something around I could read.

And sometimes you cry

I can't put words to this. Any words of mine would pale in comparison.