So, it’s been quite a long time since I’ve posted anything, due to my ridiculous class schedule at wonderful Fort Benning. But due to my endless frustration at the lack of true music lovers that seem to be left in the world, I though it appropriate to post a new listening list.
I believe there are three groups of music listeners. The first group are the ones who rely on radio and television airplay to inform them of new music. Not true music lovers in my opinion. The second group are people who otherwise could be true music lovers, but they are too comfortable remaining inside certain genre boxes. Also not true music lovers. The third group are the ones who rely on the internet, music magazines, and live shows to inform them of new music. These are who I would call true music lovers.
Those who primarily listen to the radio and watch music television channels are those that I would call ‘song lovers’. They claim to love certain musical artists, when actually the only songs they’ve ever heard are the three or so singles released by those artists. They don’t own the albums, they don’t really know all of the lyrics, and they probably don’t even know the names of all the band members.
The ‘genre lovers’ are well intentioned music enthusiasts, however they have limited themselves to only purchasing one style of music. These are what we would call scenesters. Hip-hopsters, metal-heads, emo-kids, indie rockers, or hard-core-kids would fit within this genre-loving description.
The true music lovers, I would say, are constantly trying to broaden their musical horizons. They most likely will have a potpourri of folk, rock, classical, metal, indie, experimental, or ethnic all in the same CD case. They know the names of every band member, and could probably recite all the bands the members have been in before. They know what instruments were played on the albums and who played them. They know what individuals the artists thanked inside the record sleeve. They’ve attended several live shows, and own more than one band t-shirt, purchased at the show, not the mall. They know the lyrics to all of the songs. They probably own every record the band has released, and would pay almost any price to get the limited edition, European import version, on colored vinyl. And they consider it normal to have several rooms of their house covered, wall-to-wall, with band posters, and memorabilia.
So, not to make myself sound any more pretentious, and although I don’t know where all the music lovers have gone, here is the list of what I’ve been listening to lately:
Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza: Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza (Decent sophomore record from these Tennessee tech-metal / grinders. Funny song titles too. My only complaint is that half of the songs had already been released on their first CD.)
Stephen Mark Sarro: Sympathy for the Living (One of the strangest records I’ve ever heard. This record walks a fine line of even being defined as “music”. Stephen primarily utilized sounds from things he found lying around the house, like pots and pans, alarm clocks, and other such oddities, for inspiration. Lyrically, the album exhibits some very heavy topics and personal issues that Stephen was dealing with at the time of writing. This record is kind of a downer, so I can only listen to it on occasion.)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Howl (Very good third album from this rock and roll threesome. I got the chance to see them play at Cornell University last year, and just recently missed the chance to see them play in Atlanta. This record sounds a bit different than their first two, but I really like it. They make good use of acoustic / slide guitar, and I’m definitely digging it.)
Blindside: The Great Depression (Very good fourth album from this Swedish foursome. A unique rock sound, like nothing else I’ve heard before. I also love Christian Lindskog’s lyric writing.)
Lole y Manuel: Grandes Exitos (Beautiful middle-eastern influenced latin-flamenco. Manuel Molina’s flamenco guitar is some of the best I’ve ever heard, and Lole’s voice is extremely unique and beautiful. This record is a best-of from their early days in the late seventies, to the early-mid eighties.)
Between the Buried and Me: Alaska (Hands down, the most diverse tech-metal / grind record of 2005. This record is all over the spectrum, from metal to metal-core, to grind, to classic metal, to black metal, and even quiet, instrumental interludes. The album ends with a mellow, jazz-lounge number, which puts a perfect cherry on top of this truly awesome record. Tommy Rogers’ vocals are also all over the spectrum. One minute he’s screaming high, standard metal-core, then he’s going way low grind, and then he’s doing clean, harmonized singing. He can also do a very good black metal scream that can rival any of the big names out there.)
Leng Tche: The Process of Elimination (Really good, straightforward grind. Fast, technical, and innovative. This is their third record, and was just released in September. Their drummer is also the vocalist for Aborted if that means anything to anyone.)
Lovedrug: Pretend You’re Alive (Beautiful, unique, indie rock that you have to hear. And, although a big stylistic shift, drummer, Matthew Putman used to play percussion in Living Sacrifice.)
Other Desert Cities: Other Desert Cities (A unique five-piece that plays undefinably unique rock in the style of Havalina Rail Co. And actually, the CD was produced by Matt Wignal of Havalina.)
Maylene and the Sons of Disaster: Maylene and the Sons of Disaster (Thick, grove-oriented, classic metal/hard-rock. Very catchy. Featuring former Underoath vocalist Dallas Taylor.)
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique (Conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas) (One of my favorite symphonies of all time, conducted by world famous conductor, Michael Tilson Thomas.)
Crowpath: Son of Sulpher (Strong sophomore effort by these Swedish metal-core masters. They have breathed a breath of fresh air into a stagnated genre.)
Headnoise: For Now We Know: In Part 1 (Fourth full length from this Chicago septet. Really good, female fronted aggressive street rock.)
Ed Gein: Judas Goats and Diesel Eaters (Second full-length from this Syracuse, NY, tech-metal / grind trio. It’s good, but I think their debut was better written and better produced.)
OkGo: OhNo (Capitol Records debut of catchy, power-rock /disco. Fun to dance to.)
MxPx: Panic (Definitely their best release in recent years. I don’t care what people say about these guys, I still really like them.)
Danielson Family: Tell Another Joke at the Ol’ Chopping Block (Need I say more? Pure genius.)
Denison Witmer: Are You a Dreamer? (The latest from this native Philadelphian folk soloist. We saw Denison play at Purple Door festival this year and it was a real treat, as always.)
Anathallo: Sparrows (Debut from this indie-rock / experimental group of guitarists, xylophonists / percussionists, and drummers. Very good. Very unique.
Demon Hunter: The Triptych (Although I’m not really a fan of this style of metal, I like to support Demon Hunter because they are fronted by Ryan and Don Clark of Training For Utopia fame. And TFU was, of course, the best band ever, in the history of rock and roll.)
Over The Rhine: Drunkard’s Prayer (Of any releases this year, I think this album has seen the most frequent rotation in the Darling household. Peaceful, down-to-earth songs of life and love. OTR is definitely a mutual favorite between Faith and I. Whenever these lovely melodies are played, we really can’t help but smile.)
Me Without You: Catch for Us the Foxes (This is a record that everybody needs to hear. If you’ve glossed over everything else I’ve reviewed, you need to give this album a fair shake. This record has definitely earned a coveted space on my list of best albums of all time, which, given the 700-plus records in my collection, is quite an accomplishment. Only 16 albums of the 700 have made this best-of list so far. I don’t even know how to adequately describe their style because they sound absolutely nothing like anything else out there. Highly recommended.)
Two parents, four children, and our adventures in food, music and travel.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Thursday, December 01, 2005
baby kisses
Elijah cut his first tooth on Sunday. Since he won't allow me to take pictures of the tooth, here's some ridiculously cute shots of my two little men together:
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Smokin!
For our church's pot-luck Thanksgiving dinner last Sunday, Greg mixed up this kick-arse coleslaw. The recipe is based on one that I found at Taste Of Home on the message board (a great, free resource). This slaw is a punch in the mouth of flavor, and the spicy, garlic-infused dressing is totally addictive. I've been eating the leftovers all week.
Greg's Smokey Spicy Coleslaw
1 bag shredded cabbage
Chipotle Dressing:
1 cup Aiole (recipe to follow) OR OTHER MAYONNAISE
6 tblsps cider vinegar
2 1/2 tblsps unsulphured molasses
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 canned chipotle chiles, minced, plus, for more heat, 1 to 2 tsps of adobo sauce from the can
Aiole:
1 cup mayo
1 1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp minced garlic
2 to 6 drops Tabasco sauce or other hot pepper sauce
In medium bowl, whisk the ingredients together. Uste the mayo immediately or refrigerate. It keeps, covered and refrigerated, for up to several weeks.
To prepare slaw:
Prepare the dressing, whisking together the ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss the dressing with the slaw and refrigerate for at least an hour for the flavors to develop. Serve chilled.
Greg's Smokey Spicy Coleslaw
1 bag shredded cabbage
Chipotle Dressing:
1 cup Aiole (recipe to follow) OR OTHER MAYONNAISE
6 tblsps cider vinegar
2 1/2 tblsps unsulphured molasses
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 canned chipotle chiles, minced, plus, for more heat, 1 to 2 tsps of adobo sauce from the can
Aiole:
1 cup mayo
1 1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp minced garlic
2 to 6 drops Tabasco sauce or other hot pepper sauce
In medium bowl, whisk the ingredients together. Uste the mayo immediately or refrigerate. It keeps, covered and refrigerated, for up to several weeks.
To prepare slaw:
Prepare the dressing, whisking together the ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss the dressing with the slaw and refrigerate for at least an hour for the flavors to develop. Serve chilled.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
This is one of the best things about living down South:
You've probably had them at the gas station. You've probably
never had them hot. You probably never should. Andrew never
should have.
First you have one.
Then another.
The next thing you know, a dozen donuts are gone, and no one knows how.
So just take my word for it: never eat them hot.
Oh, for those with questions from last post:
Jessica, we don't know where we're going next -- the Army thinks it's
fun to keep you on your toes. Also, we don't know how long we'll
be there -- refer back to the "toes". =)
Megan, we don't know which post yet in Germany. I wonder if it's the same one you guys were at?
I'm pretty excited, but it hasn't sunk in yet that we're actually going there!!
You've probably had them at the gas station. You've probably
never had them hot. You probably never should. Andrew never
should have.
First you have one.
Then another.
The next thing you know, a dozen donuts are gone, and no one knows how.
So just take my word for it: never eat them hot.
Oh, for those with questions from last post:
Jessica, we don't know where we're going next -- the Army thinks it's
fun to keep you on your toes. Also, we don't know how long we'll
be there -- refer back to the "toes". =)
Megan, we don't know which post yet in Germany. I wonder if it's the same one you guys were at?
I'm pretty excited, but it hasn't sunk in yet that we're actually going there!!
Monday, November 07, 2005
news flash
Hey everyone, I don't have much time to write today, but I must give you the latest update on our little family. Friday, Greg called me from work to let me know that we got the spot in Germany. We'll be moving there probably in the summer. I'm a little sad because it's so far away, but really excited at the same time, because how often does someone get to just up and move to another country for a little while? We probably won't be there very long (maybe just a year, maybe more), but I'm going to try to learn German before we go. Does anyone know of a good home study language program?
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Chop chop!
Just what does a full, messy baby look like? Well, I'm glad you asked. Here's The Messy Man himself, having just polished off an entire cup of smashed yams/bananas/barley cereal:
This came in the mail yesterday. I was beyond excited:
Greg bought it for me from Viking:
I love it! All of the things I cook are on the prep heavy side of things, since there's so much chopping and such, so this makes my job SO much easier. This knife happily made short work of this entire bowl of veggies for Medditerranian Roasted Vegetables:
After preping a dish this fragrant, the hardest thing to do is wait for it to be done, especially when you have a light inside of your new oven (the waiting is done with your cheetah, of course).
This came in the mail yesterday. I was beyond excited:
Yes, Andrew knew he was being photographed, and chose to be a little snot.
("Andrew, put this stuff in the yellow bowl...ok, now put this in the red garbage bowl in the sink" "Wed bowl. Yeyow bowl.")
We then mixed up a bowl of spices to toss it with; cumin, cinnamon, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, lemon juice and oil:
Andrew, of course, had to taste the spices. Not only that, but he also ate some raw, sliced garlic. ("Need some!" "Andrew, this is kind of spicy..." "Need more spicy!" "Ok..." "Need more?")
After preping a dish this fragrant, the hardest thing to do is wait for it to be done, especially when you have a light inside of your new oven (the waiting is done with your cheetah, of course).
Note: This dish was then eaten over cous cous and sprinkled liberally with sliced almonds and sultanas (golden raisens). Yummy!
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Milestones and catching up
Woah, the minute I don't make time to blog, I have a million things to say! Or show, more like it. So come along with me for a little pictoral journey.
Elijah (or "Ijah", as Andrew calls him) had been sleeping thorough the night (from 8 or 9 until around 6 in the morning, then back down again for a few more hours until Andrew woke up at 8!), but started to get up at least once every night to eat. I started to get very weary of this and suddenly thought (or actually my mom thought) "Hey! Maybe the little guy's hungry." So Grace and I gave him his first taste of banana.
As you can see, it wasn't a big hit at first.
Soon though, he was snogging down 3/4 of a banana per shot!! And that was after a full "both sides" meal of breastmilk. Woah. He was hungry.
So now he eats barley cereal mixed with banana, and today he'll try some sweet potato that I baked this morning. For those who care, his first taste of banana happened in Florida on September 11th.
Andrew has started potty training. I am a firm believer in "windows training", which is to say: I don't believe that there is a hard and fast rule that says what time you train your kids to do any one thing. You look for windows (which are usually fairly obvious) of opportunity and take them if it works with what you're doing in your life just then. Andrew probably could have started potty training a few months ago, but because of everything that was going on in our lives, I knew it would be time wasted on my part. Soooo....
On October 20th (this past Thursday) we went out to buy the new potty. I explained it to Andrew and told him that it was his, and he proudly held it on his lap as we went to the check-out. When we got home, he and Elijah tried to figure out exactly what it should be used for (aparently my detailed instructions were like water through as seive).
Because really -- there's a cup, so shouldn't we be drinking out of it?
OK, Mommy didn't react too well to that one. Well, no matter, if all else fails, throw the thing! That's always a good idea.
Aha! So this is what she was talking about. Cool!*
I have never cleaned up so much pee in my life. But he does get everything in there more than not, which is good. Also, not to go into too much gory detail, but he pooped in there yesterday and today, which is a big step. Usually toddlers are very upset about the idea of pooping anywhere but their diaper (Andrew feels this way too), but I was able to convince him otherwise.
Andrew will eat almost anything as long as it's dipped, and usually the dip is ketchup. Here he is dipping soup:
Yesterday (finally, I'm caught up!) Andrew and I made the Fabled Date Nut Bread from Sarah K's family recipe. That stuff is amazing, I tell you, and I have no idea why it took me so many years to start making it. Every year Sarah's family would bake up truckloads of the stuff in cleaned out coffee cans and hand them out at Christmas time. They'd be wrapped in foil with a little festive bow, and the bread would be so dark and sticky that you had to use a can-opener on the bottom of the can and push the bread out that way. There were some people who didn't use their noggin and thought the only way to get the bread out was by scooping it out with a spoon. But scoop they did, because that bread was not to be wasted! The best thing about the bread is that the longer it sits, the better it gets. There was this story (included in at least one of her dad's christmas letters, always taped to the bread) of some lady who kept hers for some unbelievable amount of time and when she finally decided to eat it it was still good. Sarah would have to back me up on that one, because I don't remember the details of it.
Anyway, Andrew helped me by eating flour (Mmmm! Good!)
He ate at least a 1/4 cup of it straight before I could add anything else, so I wasn't sure if they'd still turn out right, but they did
Elijah wasn't allowed to eat any, but he bounced away for most of the baking time in his jolly jumper:
As you can see, he was very jolly.
*Yes I do realize that Andrew will be mortified** in about 10 years when he realizes that his first potty attempt was blogged, but the picture was just so damn cute I couldn't help it. Anyway, it's a modest one, so I'm ok with that.
**If he ends up like Greg, he won't be mortified.*** He'll be proud.
***Have you ever read a footnote to a footnote to a footnote?
Elijah (or "Ijah", as Andrew calls him) had been sleeping thorough the night (from 8 or 9 until around 6 in the morning, then back down again for a few more hours until Andrew woke up at 8!), but started to get up at least once every night to eat. I started to get very weary of this and suddenly thought (or actually my mom thought) "Hey! Maybe the little guy's hungry." So Grace and I gave him his first taste of banana.
As you can see, it wasn't a big hit at first.
Soon though, he was snogging down 3/4 of a banana per shot!! And that was after a full "both sides" meal of breastmilk. Woah. He was hungry.
So now he eats barley cereal mixed with banana, and today he'll try some sweet potato that I baked this morning. For those who care, his first taste of banana happened in Florida on September 11th.
Andrew has started potty training. I am a firm believer in "windows training", which is to say: I don't believe that there is a hard and fast rule that says what time you train your kids to do any one thing. You look for windows (which are usually fairly obvious) of opportunity and take them if it works with what you're doing in your life just then. Andrew probably could have started potty training a few months ago, but because of everything that was going on in our lives, I knew it would be time wasted on my part. Soooo....
On October 20th (this past Thursday) we went out to buy the new potty. I explained it to Andrew and told him that it was his, and he proudly held it on his lap as we went to the check-out. When we got home, he and Elijah tried to figure out exactly what it should be used for (aparently my detailed instructions were like water through as seive).
Because really -- there's a cup, so shouldn't we be drinking out of it?
OK, Mommy didn't react too well to that one. Well, no matter, if all else fails, throw the thing! That's always a good idea.
Aha! So this is what she was talking about. Cool!*
I have never cleaned up so much pee in my life. But he does get everything in there more than not, which is good. Also, not to go into too much gory detail, but he pooped in there yesterday and today, which is a big step. Usually toddlers are very upset about the idea of pooping anywhere but their diaper (Andrew feels this way too), but I was able to convince him otherwise.
Andrew will eat almost anything as long as it's dipped, and usually the dip is ketchup. Here he is dipping soup:
Yesterday (finally, I'm caught up!) Andrew and I made the Fabled Date Nut Bread from Sarah K's family recipe. That stuff is amazing, I tell you, and I have no idea why it took me so many years to start making it. Every year Sarah's family would bake up truckloads of the stuff in cleaned out coffee cans and hand them out at Christmas time. They'd be wrapped in foil with a little festive bow, and the bread would be so dark and sticky that you had to use a can-opener on the bottom of the can and push the bread out that way. There were some people who didn't use their noggin and thought the only way to get the bread out was by scooping it out with a spoon. But scoop they did, because that bread was not to be wasted! The best thing about the bread is that the longer it sits, the better it gets. There was this story (included in at least one of her dad's christmas letters, always taped to the bread) of some lady who kept hers for some unbelievable amount of time and when she finally decided to eat it it was still good. Sarah would have to back me up on that one, because I don't remember the details of it.
Anyway, Andrew helped me by eating flour (Mmmm! Good!)
He ate at least a 1/4 cup of it straight before I could add anything else, so I wasn't sure if they'd still turn out right, but they did
Elijah wasn't allowed to eat any, but he bounced away for most of the baking time in his jolly jumper:
As you can see, he was very jolly.
*Yes I do realize that Andrew will be mortified** in about 10 years when he realizes that his first potty attempt was blogged, but the picture was just so damn cute I couldn't help it. Anyway, it's a modest one, so I'm ok with that.
**If he ends up like Greg, he won't be mortified.*** He'll be proud.
***Have you ever read a footnote to a footnote to a footnote?
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Amtrak
Ok, I was having all kinds of gallery troubles, but they're fixed. Everything's in order. So click at your own risk, and please forgive the confusion. Immerse yourself in an Amtrak trip. =)
Saturday, October 15, 2005
shirt in panama city beach, FL
And then the shirt went to Panama City Beach. (A bit hot to wear it here, but we wanted to let you know that we were thinking of you even then) =)
shirt in atlanta, GA
Becky, wish you were here! We miss you so much! Grace has your black sweatshirt you left behind. She's taking it to see the country before sending it back (...or so she says...)
Here we are!
Ok, I'm attempting to make an album of the train pics, but somehow Buzznet isn't letting me. Frustrating. I'll try again later, but for now, here's a few shots from the past two weeks. Click on each for a little description on Flickr. =)
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Alive and well in GA
Hey everyone! We've successfully made it to GA via Amtrak two weekends ago. I haven't gotten a chance to breath yet, much less actually blog, but I promise that there are pictures, there are stories, and my apartment is beautiful! More to come...
P.S. For those of you who have written me emails, I appreciate them, and will get back to you as soon as I stop feeling like a crazy person!
P.S. For those of you who have written me emails, I appreciate them, and will get back to you as soon as I stop feeling like a crazy person!
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Crazy Days
Click here to see some stuff we've been doing the last few weeks. Packing in as much family time as possible, since we won't see them until Christmas, once we move!
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
New hair
I just got my hair cut and colored on Saturday, and am pretty pleased with the results. I happen to be having a bit of a bad hair day today, but the color is good in this picture, so this is what it looks like:
photo shoot
A few weeks before Elijah was born, a professional photographer friend of mine (Amy) did a photo shoot of us for her portfolio. I blogged one of them before, but here's the link to her site and our album. It may take a little while to load all of them, but at the bottom of the page are a few shots from another shoot she did a few days before we moved out of Watertown (to include Elijah). She did such a good job, and was the same photographer Jesse and Sara D used for their wedding a few weeks ago. (Congratulations again, guys!)
Oh, while you're on Amy's site, be sure to check out the Soft vs Steel album -- incredible.
Oh, while you're on Amy's site, be sure to check out the Soft vs Steel album -- incredible.
Monday, September 26, 2005
Email?!
Hey everyone, so sorry that I didn't post this in a more timely fashion (especially to people like Sarah K who's been trying to email me!), but my edress has changed. The TWCNY one was only good for Watertown. Now that we've moved, I've switched over to Yahoo (Yahoo is way cooler than I expected, and I'm pretty excited about my new customized home page and stuff). You can email me at my new edress: FaithfiberflashATyahooDOTcom (lest the SpamBots wish to join in too)
Pictures tomorrow, when I am at my inlaws, but for now, I hope that you're all having a fantastic day.
Pictures tomorrow, when I am at my inlaws, but for now, I hope that you're all having a fantastic day.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Oh what a crafty bunch
Yesterday Rachel and I went to get some more corn from the farmstand I posted about earlier this week. They've had consistantly sweet butter and sugar corn -- the best year that we can remember, so we can't get enough of it!
After my mom shucked it all, I taught the little guys how to make corn husk dolls. We ended making a whole family, complete with Mommy with baby in sling. Click on the photo to see more!
After my mom shucked it all, I taught the little guys how to make corn husk dolls. We ended making a whole family, complete with Mommy with baby in sling. Click on the photo to see more!
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Apples and ice cream and corn, oh my!
Andrew, Rachel and I went out yesterday to spend some time together. I'm trying to make every moment count as the days draw near to the GA move. Rachel found an apple that was pink on the inside. Click on the picture to see more.
We are successfully moved out of the Watertown appartment, and Greg is setting up house in Columbus. He's also getting a jump start on the studying he has to do for his class, so that he can spend more time with us when we get there.
Grace will hopefully be able to go down to GA with me and stay for a few weeks. It will help soften the impact of the move for me, I think.
Elijah keeps getting cuter. Here he is in his saucer play station:
Mr Adorable, I tell you.
Precious little sleepy guy:
Andrew and Elijah generally get along really well, but that fuzzy, soft little head is just begging to be squeezed...
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Have you seen this phone?
Today someone stole my husband's phone. It looks just like mine, except it has a black leather cover on it. This is mine:
It's an LG 4400, and most of the numbers in there aren't backed up anywhere. I know, bad idea, but it's true. He's getting a new phone now because that one was insured, but we're definitely getting my phone and his new one backed up now. Anyway, the main thing is that we need it back. If you live in Watertown, please post a message here to let me know if you've seen it. If you live anywhere else, please, please: back up your phone.
A girl stopped by our house right after the movers left at noon and asked to use our phone. She was pretty shaken up and said that her brother had just punched her in the mouth. We let her use our house phone. She sat on the couch while making the call, next to my husband's cell phone.
About a half-hour after she left, we looked for the phone and it was gone. Since there's pretty much nothing left in our house, it didn't take long to look through our suitcases and realize that it was definitely gone.
We called Verizon to see what the time was of the last call from that phone was and it was 3:11pm, definitely after we found the phone missing. So we have verified that it was stolen and has been used, and the only person in the house since the movers was this girl (the phone was still on the couch after the movers left). Following is a description of the girl -- things we observed and things she told us about herself (so some of that -- like her name -- could be suspect)
Here's a description of the girl who (we assume) took it:
Appearance:
Things she said about herself:
It's an LG 4400, and most of the numbers in there aren't backed up anywhere. I know, bad idea, but it's true. He's getting a new phone now because that one was insured, but we're definitely getting my phone and his new one backed up now. Anyway, the main thing is that we need it back. If you live in Watertown, please post a message here to let me know if you've seen it. If you live anywhere else, please, please: back up your phone.
A girl stopped by our house right after the movers left at noon and asked to use our phone. She was pretty shaken up and said that her brother had just punched her in the mouth. We let her use our house phone. She sat on the couch while making the call, next to my husband's cell phone.
About a half-hour after she left, we looked for the phone and it was gone. Since there's pretty much nothing left in our house, it didn't take long to look through our suitcases and realize that it was definitely gone.
We called Verizon to see what the time was of the last call from that phone was and it was 3:11pm, definitely after we found the phone missing. So we have verified that it was stolen and has been used, and the only person in the house since the movers was this girl (the phone was still on the couch after the movers left). Following is a description of the girl -- things we observed and things she told us about herself (so some of that -- like her name -- could be suspect)
Here's a description of the girl who (we assume) took it:
Appearance:
- Age:20
- Height: 5'4"
- Hair color: Medium to dark brown very straight, pulled back in low ponytail hanging to mid back
- Light denim skirt ending a few inches from knees
- Dark blue/navy short sleeved shirt
- Flat shoes (possibly dirty, light blue flip-flops)
- Swollen lip and cut chin (from being beat up)
- Uneaven pasty white skin
- Large scabs on knees and legs
- Brown (or hazel) eyes
- Receding chin
Things she said about herself:
- Name: Nichole
- Place of residence: Palmer St, Watertown, NY
- Goes to school at JCC community college
- Brother is a large guy 18 years old and a senior in highschool (probably Watertown High)
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
the move, oh the move
My brain has officially left the building. I put Elijah down for a nap, then ran upstairs to see where he was. Oh! He's sleeping. Right. No memory of putting him there. I've been very productive though, which is good. I just don't remember what I've done once I've done it. Crazy, I tell you.
The movers are here today packing everything up that we don't already have in plastic bins (Greg bought a bunch of the bins since we'll be moving every few years or so now, and it's nice to be able to pack the important stuff yourself). The Army pays for these movers (your tax dollars at work!), which is really cool. I've heard stories of movers stealing and breaking some stuff, so we'll see exactly how good they were when we unpack. They do seem to be doing a very efficient job though.
Still can't believe we're actually moving...
The movers are here today packing everything up that we don't already have in plastic bins (Greg bought a bunch of the bins since we'll be moving every few years or so now, and it's nice to be able to pack the important stuff yourself). The Army pays for these movers (your tax dollars at work!), which is really cool. I've heard stories of movers stealing and breaking some stuff, so we'll see exactly how good they were when we unpack. They do seem to be doing a very efficient job though.
Still can't believe we're actually moving...
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Now I lay me down to sleep...
Andrew loves to sleep with his feet up on something. We have the "roll bar" on the side of his bed, and we often find him like this:
This was taken two nights ago. Five minutes later, he looked like this:
Look at that face!
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
sleepy
All morning, Andrew has been quite difficult. It all started when I woke to the sound of him crying somewhere, calling "Mommy, Mommy!"
I was groggy, so it took me a few minutes to gather my wits, but then I started to search the house. He was at the front door, weeping, aparently thinking that I'd left him. (Yesterday he nearly scrambled out of a second story window when he saw me leave to get the mail -- a lesson never to leave a window open, even if it's screened, when a toddler can reach it.)
I comforted him and we ate breakfast and all, but it started his day out on the wrong foot, and he was whining, crying or throwing a fit all morning.
So anyway, he was being so unreasonable that I finally just put him in his room to calm down.
Five minutes later I heard him come out, and it sounded like he was at the top of the stairs... then nothing. I went to check, and found him like this.
Now naptime is usually at 1pm, but I suppose he needed it earlier today.
The joys of parenting an (almost) two-year-old.
I was groggy, so it took me a few minutes to gather my wits, but then I started to search the house. He was at the front door, weeping, aparently thinking that I'd left him. (Yesterday he nearly scrambled out of a second story window when he saw me leave to get the mail -- a lesson never to leave a window open, even if it's screened, when a toddler can reach it.)
I comforted him and we ate breakfast and all, but it started his day out on the wrong foot, and he was whining, crying or throwing a fit all morning.
So anyway, he was being so unreasonable that I finally just put him in his room to calm down.
Five minutes later I heard him come out, and it sounded like he was at the top of the stairs... then nothing. I went to check, and found him like this.
Now naptime is usually at 1pm, but I suppose he needed it earlier today.
The joys of parenting an (almost) two-year-old.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
loosing my marbles...
or Rachel's, anyway.
On Sunday, Greg noticed Andrew choking on something. He went to see what it was, and Joel and Rachel (my little brother and sister, 9 and 7, respectively) informed him that it was a flat, decorative marble. Greg reached into Andrew's mouth just as Andrew opened his mouth to show Greg...his tongue. Only. Aparently the marble had..dissapeared? So we think he swallowed it. However, several "poops" later, and no marble. He's eating fine and drinking fine, peeing tons, as well as the other (as noted), so I'm not too concerned. So the real questions is, will he enter his 20's and 30's with the marble? Only time will tell.
On Sunday, Greg noticed Andrew choking on something. He went to see what it was, and Joel and Rachel (my little brother and sister, 9 and 7, respectively) informed him that it was a flat, decorative marble. Greg reached into Andrew's mouth just as Andrew opened his mouth to show Greg...his tongue. Only. Aparently the marble had..dissapeared? So we think he swallowed it. However, several "poops" later, and no marble. He's eating fine and drinking fine, peeing tons, as well as the other (as noted), so I'm not too concerned. So the real questions is, will he enter his 20's and 30's with the marble? Only time will tell.
Monday, August 08, 2005
dinner
I was throwing this together this afternoon and realized -- that looks amazing! (Well of course, look who's making it?) =) This is dinner in progress: Pasta With Easy Summer Sauce (Moosewood Classics). The vegitables and olives are tossed with an extra virgin olive oil/balsamic combo. I let it sit out on the counter to marinate for a few hours, then when we were ready to eat, cooked and drained the pasta and stirred that into the vegitables with feta. Mmmmmm. I'm telling you, Moosewood cookbooks are the way to go.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Rochester!
Our 2-day trip to Rochester went really well. We left Monday morning and came back home Wednesday morning. It was the first time that I've traveled with my little guys by myself, and it was a challenge, but well worth it.
Andrew's trip highlights were picking beans in the garden with Mike ("pick-a-beans?"), throwing weeds down a hole with Sarah ("frow!"), and "riding" on Mike's motorcycle ("more-siko?").
Thank you so much to Sarah, Ruth Ann and Mike for being such great hosts.
Andrew's trip highlights were picking beans in the garden with Mike ("pick-a-beans?"), throwing weeds down a hole with Sarah ("frow!"), and "riding" on Mike's motorcycle ("more-siko?").
Thank you so much to Sarah, Ruth Ann and Mike for being such great hosts.
This Part is for Music Lovers Only...Thanks for Reading
Thumbscrew: All is Quiet (Really good technical metal-core from the awesome Texas metal scene. The drummer is awesome. Crazy time signatures; for fans of The Dillinger Escape Plan, Evelynn, Ed Gein, Ion Dissonsnce, The End, Between the Buried and Me, The Red Chord, The Daughters, The number Twelve Looks Like You, etc)
The Cassettes: O’er The Mountain [Shelby Cinca’s (Frodus / Decahedron) self proclaimed rock n' roll-vaudeville-inter-galactic-western music. Just what it says. Good stuff. For any of the Northeasterners out there, The Cassettes will be playing in NYC on August 12th and 14th, and Wilkes-Barre, PA on August 21st.)
Vulgar Pigeons: Burning Episode (Decent grind-core featuring Jeff Lenormand of Tortured Conscience.)
Sympathy: Abyssal Throne (A very good one-man death-metal band from Saskatchewan, Canada, although I like his previous album Arcane Path much better. Obviously he can’t play any live shows, since he plays all of the instruments. He covers Suffocation’s "Torn Into Enthrallment" if that means anything to anybody.)
Denison Witmer: Are You a Dreamer? (Denison’s seventh record of beautiful, peaceful folk sty lings. This one features help from Don and Karen Peris of The Innocence Mission, Sufjan Stevens, James McAlister of Ester Drang, and Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond. If you know anything about the aforementioned bands, their cameos on Denison’s album are definitely a good thing!)
DJ Micro: Tech-Mix 5 (Micro’s obviously 5th installment of the Tech-Mix series, and his 11th full-length mix CD. Hands down, the best epic-trance DJ in the world.)
Over the Rhine: Drunkard’s Prayer (Faith and I were listening to this the other night, while enjoying glasses of Hypnotic on the rocks. I commented to her that it is probably one of the most peaceful albums I own. A beautiful tale of the love between a man and wife, and one of their best works to date. Very unfortunately, whenever I have this playing in my office, people guess that it’s Sheryl Crow. I’m not especially familiar with Ms. Crow, but I assure people that OTR has got to be like 100 times better than her. Highly recommended.)
Hillsong: United – More Than Life (The second-to-most-recent installment of anointed worship music from down under. I’m learning a couple of the songs to teach to our worship team.)
Old Crow Medicine Show: O.C.M.S. (To the uninitiated, these guys would be pigeonholed as ‘Bluegrass’, but actually they are just good, red-neck, American roots music. I think one of their videos is now being played on CMT.)
Jet: Get Born (Raw, sweaty, classic rock ‘n roll from down under. These four guys play a variety akin to MC5, Bombs-era Squad Five-O, The Rolling Stones, etc. They are on tour this summer with Oasis. I don’t know anything about Oasis, but apparently they’re pretty big. I would go just to see Jet play, and then leave.)
Gerg
The Cassettes: O’er The Mountain [Shelby Cinca’s (Frodus / Decahedron) self proclaimed rock n' roll-vaudeville-inter-galactic-western music. Just what it says. Good stuff. For any of the Northeasterners out there, The Cassettes will be playing in NYC on August 12th and 14th, and Wilkes-Barre, PA on August 21st.)
Vulgar Pigeons: Burning Episode (Decent grind-core featuring Jeff Lenormand of Tortured Conscience.)
Sympathy: Abyssal Throne (A very good one-man death-metal band from Saskatchewan, Canada, although I like his previous album Arcane Path much better. Obviously he can’t play any live shows, since he plays all of the instruments. He covers Suffocation’s "Torn Into Enthrallment" if that means anything to anybody.)
Denison Witmer: Are You a Dreamer? (Denison’s seventh record of beautiful, peaceful folk sty lings. This one features help from Don and Karen Peris of The Innocence Mission, Sufjan Stevens, James McAlister of Ester Drang, and Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond. If you know anything about the aforementioned bands, their cameos on Denison’s album are definitely a good thing!)
DJ Micro: Tech-Mix 5 (Micro’s obviously 5th installment of the Tech-Mix series, and his 11th full-length mix CD. Hands down, the best epic-trance DJ in the world.)
Over the Rhine: Drunkard’s Prayer (Faith and I were listening to this the other night, while enjoying glasses of Hypnotic on the rocks. I commented to her that it is probably one of the most peaceful albums I own. A beautiful tale of the love between a man and wife, and one of their best works to date. Very unfortunately, whenever I have this playing in my office, people guess that it’s Sheryl Crow. I’m not especially familiar with Ms. Crow, but I assure people that OTR has got to be like 100 times better than her. Highly recommended.)
Hillsong: United – More Than Life (The second-to-most-recent installment of anointed worship music from down under. I’m learning a couple of the songs to teach to our worship team.)
Old Crow Medicine Show: O.C.M.S. (To the uninitiated, these guys would be pigeonholed as ‘Bluegrass’, but actually they are just good, red-neck, American roots music. I think one of their videos is now being played on CMT.)
Jet: Get Born (Raw, sweaty, classic rock ‘n roll from down under. These four guys play a variety akin to MC5, Bombs-era Squad Five-O, The Rolling Stones, etc. They are on tour this summer with Oasis. I don’t know anything about Oasis, but apparently they’re pretty big. I would go just to see Jet play, and then leave.)
Gerg
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Anniversary!
Four years ago I married the hottest, most amazing guy I'd ever met. Today, I am not in love with him as much as I was back then -- I love him more. Does this sound possible? Well it is! I can tell you that it gets better with time. It does require work and commitment, but what a payoff! God is first, but as far as humans go, Greg is my rock. He makes my world a brighter place; he gave me Andrew and Elijah! He makes things possible for me to do; he's one of the most generous people I know. It always comes back to this one fact: he loves me unconditionally, and that's amazing to me.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
ICE
Hey everyone, I just found this, and it sounds like a good idea:
Paramedics will turn to a victim's cell phone for clues to that person's
identity. You can make their job much easier with a simple idea that
they are trying to get everyone to adopt: ICE.
ICE stands for In Case of Emergency.
If you add an entry in the contacts list in your cell phone under ICE,
with the name and phone no. of the person that the emergency services
should call on your behalf, you can save them a lot of time and have
your loved ones contacted quickly.
It only takes a few moments of your time to do.
Paramedics know what ICE means and they look for it immediately.
ICE your cell phone NOW!
Slinger
Andrew sees me carry Elijah around all day in the sling, so the other day he decided he'd try it out. After looping it around him and making "baby fussing noises" for a little while, I took pity on him, and loaded him in it in the "toddler hip carry". (There's all kinds of ways to carry your baby in this thing.) This was so amazing to him that he wanted to stay in it forever. Of course I had to unload him after a little while, which was a very sad moment for him. To make things All Better, I put the sling on HIM with his stuffed horse in the pouch. After I'd cinched it all up, he was thrilled beyond all telling, and this cheesy grin was frozen on his face for a good while.
Today Andrew, Elijah and I went for our First Walk. I was pulling my stomach in to excercise the transverse muscle for the whole 40 minutes, which will eventually lead to a flat stomach.
I never quite got my stomach back after Andrew, but I am determined to do it this time! I'm sick of not being able to wear any nice shirts on account of the bulge.
I've bought this book called Loose Your Mummy Tummy, and the techniques in there are solid. I also bought a tummy splint, which holds the muscles together when I do things like lift either baby, stand up from sitting, or whatever. It also reminds me to pull my stomach in on my own anytime that I think of it.
I will get back in shape again if it kills me. Here's to (middle of the year) resoloutions!
Today Andrew, Elijah and I went for our First Walk. I was pulling my stomach in to excercise the transverse muscle for the whole 40 minutes, which will eventually lead to a flat stomach.
I never quite got my stomach back after Andrew, but I am determined to do it this time! I'm sick of not being able to wear any nice shirts on account of the bulge.
I've bought this book called Loose Your Mummy Tummy, and the techniques in there are solid. I also bought a tummy splint, which holds the muscles together when I do things like lift either baby, stand up from sitting, or whatever. It also reminds me to pull my stomach in on my own anytime that I think of it.
I will get back in shape again if it kills me. Here's to (middle of the year) resoloutions!
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Where have all the music lovers gone?
Vomitorial Corpulence: Skin Stripper (Heaviest band I've ever heard.)
Commit Suicide: Synthetics (One of the best drumers in death metal. And, no, despite the name, they don't encourage or condone killing one's self.)
Michael Hedges: Oracle (Greatest steel-string, finger-style guitarist ever.)
Madison Greene: Nowhere Near Nashville (Really good folk-percussion band. They put on a very good live show too.)
Tortured Conscience: Every Knee Shall Bow (Well done death-grind, fronted by Jeff Lenormand of Vulgar Pigeons fame.)
Frost Like Ashes: Tophet (Good black metal from Kansas City.)
Mike Knott: Strip Cycle (I don't think Mike Knott needs an introduction.)
Calibretto 13: From the Secret Files of the Danger Brigade (Although not around anymore, these guys played a unique blend of hyped-up acoustic-rock that will be greatly missed.)
Raft of Dead Monkeys: Joey… (Half of Ninety Pound Wuss and half of Roadside Monument formed to make this cult classic of a band.)
Earl Scruggs: The Essential Earl Scruggs (The greatest banjo player ever and the originator of the three finger picking style, or "Scruggs-Style Picking".)
Decahedron: 2005 (Shelby Cinca of Frodus / The Cassettes; Jason Hamacher of Frodus; and Joe Lally of Fugazi, later Jonathan Ford of Roadside Monument / Unwed Sailor, formed to make this great, unique band. Although I completely disagree with their lyrical approach and beliefs--anti Bush, anti-War-on-Terror--I respect their music and their passion.)
Stretch Arm Strong: Engage (Great hardcore from South Carolina.)
Necrophagist: Epitaph (The best death metal I've ever heard. These guys are not just your average metal heads, they are absolute virtuosos on their prospective instruments. Some of the most technical stuff I've ever heard. And all four of the band members live quite a distance apart from each other. So when they write, they'll e-mail the different parts they've written back and forth, and then, during the few times they get together to practice, they can all play these ridiculously technical songs. The lead guitarist taught himself how to play guitar, in secret, even though his parents forbade him to learn the instrument in their house. I would put him right up there with some of the best guitar players in the world. Amazing!)
Alethian: Dying Vine (Decent metal from Lebanon, PA.)
G.
Commit Suicide: Synthetics (One of the best drumers in death metal. And, no, despite the name, they don't encourage or condone killing one's self.)
Michael Hedges: Oracle (Greatest steel-string, finger-style guitarist ever.)
Madison Greene: Nowhere Near Nashville (Really good folk-percussion band. They put on a very good live show too.)
Tortured Conscience: Every Knee Shall Bow (Well done death-grind, fronted by Jeff Lenormand of Vulgar Pigeons fame.)
Frost Like Ashes: Tophet (Good black metal from Kansas City.)
Mike Knott: Strip Cycle (I don't think Mike Knott needs an introduction.)
Calibretto 13: From the Secret Files of the Danger Brigade (Although not around anymore, these guys played a unique blend of hyped-up acoustic-rock that will be greatly missed.)
Raft of Dead Monkeys: Joey… (Half of Ninety Pound Wuss and half of Roadside Monument formed to make this cult classic of a band.)
Earl Scruggs: The Essential Earl Scruggs (The greatest banjo player ever and the originator of the three finger picking style, or "Scruggs-Style Picking".)
Decahedron: 2005 (Shelby Cinca of Frodus / The Cassettes; Jason Hamacher of Frodus; and Joe Lally of Fugazi, later Jonathan Ford of Roadside Monument / Unwed Sailor, formed to make this great, unique band. Although I completely disagree with their lyrical approach and beliefs--anti Bush, anti-War-on-Terror--I respect their music and their passion.)
Stretch Arm Strong: Engage (Great hardcore from South Carolina.)
Necrophagist: Epitaph (The best death metal I've ever heard. These guys are not just your average metal heads, they are absolute virtuosos on their prospective instruments. Some of the most technical stuff I've ever heard. And all four of the band members live quite a distance apart from each other. So when they write, they'll e-mail the different parts they've written back and forth, and then, during the few times they get together to practice, they can all play these ridiculously technical songs. The lead guitarist taught himself how to play guitar, in secret, even though his parents forbade him to learn the instrument in their house. I would put him right up there with some of the best guitar players in the world. Amazing!)
Alethian: Dying Vine (Decent metal from Lebanon, PA.)
G.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Elijah the happy guy
Here is the first picture of Elijah being happy. I couldn't believe I actually captured the moment! He has proved to be a fussy little guy, quite unlike Andrew -- I think Elijah has some digestion issues, which makes it hard for him to stay content.
Today he smiled at me a bunch of times. He was lying on his back after I changed him, and he just started grinning this huge, crooked grin and gurgling at me. He just gets cuter every day!
This sling has been invaluable to me. Sometimes it's the only way Elijah will fall asleep. Also, whenever we go out anywhere, this is a pretty sure-fire way to mame sure eveyrone has a good time. Much better than strolling along with a wailing baby!
I feel so self satisfied today: this morning I made up the dinner list for the next two weeks, wrote up the grocery list, and then went food shopping -- all before nap time! (Don't worry, I am giving myself a pat on the back.)
Well, both of my little men are sleeping, so I'm going to go knit. Been looking forward to this all day!
Today he smiled at me a bunch of times. He was lying on his back after I changed him, and he just started grinning this huge, crooked grin and gurgling at me. He just gets cuter every day!
This sling has been invaluable to me. Sometimes it's the only way Elijah will fall asleep. Also, whenever we go out anywhere, this is a pretty sure-fire way to mame sure eveyrone has a good time. Much better than strolling along with a wailing baby!
I feel so self satisfied today: this morning I made up the dinner list for the next two weeks, wrote up the grocery list, and then went food shopping -- all before nap time! (Don't worry, I am giving myself a pat on the back.)Well, both of my little men are sleeping, so I'm going to go knit. Been looking forward to this all day!
Saturday, July 16, 2005
It's official...
Ok, I was caught between two names that I really liked. My judging panel (Greg) went over the entries, and decided that The Needle And The Damage Done was super cool, but that Flash Bang Fibers was fun, flashy, and easy to rember as a link -- also, much shorter to type. So the final decision is that there are two winners: Sarah and Sarah. The main title of the blog is Sarah K's, and the sub-title and url are Sarah S's. Soooo.... Sarah K, you have a choice between a Burgundy wristband with a black "+", a white "+" (sort of like the first aid sign), or a combination of those colors in a word with up to five letters. Sarah S, the same to you except I was thinking, since you knit too, would you rather have stitch markers? I was just about to make a beaded set for myself, and I can send you some if you think you'd like them instead. They're blue beads, not pink (shocking, isn't it?) =)
I finally got my Photoshop up and running, but then I forgot to post the picture of Elijah this morning, and also forgot to put it on my thumb drive that's always with me, so I can't post it from here either. Oops! Look for that on Monday.
For all of you who check this blog to get your Daily Dose Of Darling, I've just added a button to this site that allows you to sign up and recieve updates whenever we post! I'm learning more about HTML all the time, and I feel so cool. (My secret to understanding all things HTML has to do with the fact that I know Sarah S and Jesse D -- thanks guys, you make me look like I know what I'm doing! ...Sort of) =)
I finally got my Photoshop up and running, but then I forgot to post the picture of Elijah this morning, and also forgot to put it on my thumb drive that's always with me, so I can't post it from here either. Oops! Look for that on Monday.
For all of you who check this blog to get your Daily Dose Of Darling, I've just added a button to this site that allows you to sign up and recieve updates whenever we post! I'm learning more about HTML all the time, and I feel so cool. (My secret to understanding all things HTML has to do with the fact that I know Sarah S and Jesse D -- thanks guys, you make me look like I know what I'm doing! ...Sort of) =)
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Dinner, create!
Today is the 14th. What does that mean to me? It means that it's the day before payday, which equals Bottom Of The Pantry Dinner for tonight. So I was pondering, should I make pancakes? (Greg dislikes those) Crepes? (No leftovers for Starving Greg's lunch) Fried eggs over rice? (Ditto) Aha! I have the perfect soloution! It is my very favorite "nothing to eat" meal: Sundried Tomatoes and Peas with Carmelized Onions over pasta. This is my "famous" improv dish, which relies entirely upon grocery staples with a long shelf life. I ALWAYS try to keep on hand: Onions, sun-dried tomatoes, frozen peas, frozen corn, and pasta.
After carmelizing the thinly sliced onions (sprinkle generously with salt, saute over med/high heat until golden, then turn down the heat and cook the hell out of 'em = 20 min to an hour-and-a-half) and soaking the tomatoes in boiling hot water (only needs to be done if they're not packed in oil), I chop the softened tomatoes up, throw them and some sliced garlic into the large saucepan with the onions, add some spices (whatever's on hand and looks good -- today it'll be dried oregano, marjoram red pepper flakes and thyme, and then I just happen to have some "fresh" herbs in the freezer: basil and finely chopped rosemary, possibly some scallions.)
The dried herbs are added a little before the tomatoes to soften and release their flavor, the fresh at the very end so they're still, well, fresh. Then just before I'm ready to serve, I throw in about a cup or so of the peas, corn (if I have any), and toss them with the freshlt cooked pasta. maybe I'll even throw in a lightly beaten egg or two, for protein. (It cooks right in the hot pasta/etc., and helps the "etc." to adhere better to the pasta, making every bite sure to be full of sweet and savory goodness).
If it were not for my two little men, I might even throw together a batch of rolls, since I've got plenty of yeast and flour, but I'm not feeling QUITE that domestic today.
So now, perhaps we weren't at the bottom of the pantry after all.
NOTE: This meal marks the first Real Meal that I've cooked since Elijah was born. Horay for me as I step back up to the stove!
After carmelizing the thinly sliced onions (sprinkle generously with salt, saute over med/high heat until golden, then turn down the heat and cook the hell out of 'em = 20 min to an hour-and-a-half) and soaking the tomatoes in boiling hot water (only needs to be done if they're not packed in oil), I chop the softened tomatoes up, throw them and some sliced garlic into the large saucepan with the onions, add some spices (whatever's on hand and looks good -- today it'll be dried oregano, marjoram red pepper flakes and thyme, and then I just happen to have some "fresh" herbs in the freezer: basil and finely chopped rosemary, possibly some scallions.)
The dried herbs are added a little before the tomatoes to soften and release their flavor, the fresh at the very end so they're still, well, fresh. Then just before I'm ready to serve, I throw in about a cup or so of the peas, corn (if I have any), and toss them with the freshlt cooked pasta. maybe I'll even throw in a lightly beaten egg or two, for protein. (It cooks right in the hot pasta/etc., and helps the "etc." to adhere better to the pasta, making every bite sure to be full of sweet and savory goodness).
If it were not for my two little men, I might even throw together a batch of rolls, since I've got plenty of yeast and flour, but I'm not feeling QUITE that domestic today.
So now, perhaps we weren't at the bottom of the pantry after all.
NOTE: This meal marks the first Real Meal that I've cooked since Elijah was born. Horay for me as I step back up to the stove!
Rock!!!
This week's listening list:
Saviour Machine: Behold the Mask
The Ws: Trouble With X
Embodyment: Corrosion of the Flesh
Sanctifica: Spirit of Purity
Vaakevandring: Demo 98/99
MxPx: Panic
Vroom x2: Things Not To Do
Speedy Delivery: Vestige of Glory
Spudgun: Spudgun
The Soul’s Unrest / Orcrist: Demo
Lengsel: Solace
Detrimental / Fetal Decay: Split (I'm only a fan of Detrimental, not Fetal Decay. What a horrible band name.)
gerg
Saviour Machine: Behold the Mask
The Ws: Trouble With X
Embodyment: Corrosion of the Flesh
Sanctifica: Spirit of Purity
Vaakevandring: Demo 98/99
MxPx: Panic
Vroom x2: Things Not To Do
Speedy Delivery: Vestige of Glory
Spudgun: Spudgun
The Soul’s Unrest / Orcrist: Demo
Lengsel: Solace
Detrimental / Fetal Decay: Split (I'm only a fan of Detrimental, not Fetal Decay. What a horrible band name.)
gerg
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Name Game ending soon!
Alright Ladies and Gents, the "contest" for the Name Faith's Knitting Blog is ending soon. Last date for submissions is this Friday, July 15th. The "winner" will get one custom made wristband (aren't I so generous?), created with you in mind, with a simple design of your choice. So (in my mom's words) "put your thinking cap on" and let me know what you come up with!
In other news, Elijah smiled at me for the first time yesterday. He was looking right into my face for a while with this quizical expression, and then just broke in to a huge grin. Adorable! I've got a great picture of him with a plesant face on (the first one!) but my Photo Shop is being a poopy head and I can't use it at the moment, so you'll just have to wait to see it. Another post for another day.
In other news, Elijah smiled at me for the first time yesterday. He was looking right into my face for a while with this quizical expression, and then just broke in to a huge grin. Adorable! I've got a great picture of him with a plesant face on (the first one!) but my Photo Shop is being a poopy head and I can't use it at the moment, so you'll just have to wait to see it. Another post for another day.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Traffic "Violations"
So I have this endless frustration with our nation's road ways. Hypothetically, I'll be driving along a stretch of secondary highway, where the speed is marked "State Speed Limit 55". I'll then drive through a section marked "Speed Limit 35", and continue to drive that speed until I see the next speed limit sign. The problem is that I never see the next speed limit sign. It's not there. Quite obviously, since I'm now being passed by the angry line up behind me, the speed has changed back to 55, but there was never a sign to tell me that. At what point do I default back to the state speed limit? As we all know, unmarked roads can be assumed to be driven at the state speed limit, but when does the road I'm traveling on become an unmarked road? Two miles after the last speed limit sign? Three, four? This is an endless frustration for me.
Also, last night, as we were driving home from Binghamton, we drove through four road work areas. All four areas had the usual speed reduction signs and the warnings that fines are doubled in work areas. The frustration was that, there was no designated ending for any of the work areas. I was driving the designated 55 miles per hour in the work area, waiting for the "End Work Area" sign, followed by the "Speed Limit 65" sign. These signs were never there. But the thing that really made me see red was when, upon entering each subsequent work zone, I saw the same signs, telling me to slow down to the work zone speed limit. How could I slow down if I was already slowed down and had never left the previous work zone????!!!!!!! This happened four times, and I pretty much gave up all hope for New York State's highways.
Gerg
Also, last night, as we were driving home from Binghamton, we drove through four road work areas. All four areas had the usual speed reduction signs and the warnings that fines are doubled in work areas. The frustration was that, there was no designated ending for any of the work areas. I was driving the designated 55 miles per hour in the work area, waiting for the "End Work Area" sign, followed by the "Speed Limit 65" sign. These signs were never there. But the thing that really made me see red was when, upon entering each subsequent work zone, I saw the same signs, telling me to slow down to the work zone speed limit. How could I slow down if I was already slowed down and had never left the previous work zone????!!!!!!! This happened four times, and I pretty much gave up all hope for New York State's highways.
Gerg
Sunday, July 10, 2005
of names
In Andrew's vocabulary, my mom finally has a name. He had decided to call both his grandpas "Poppy", so the other day he dubbed my mom "Pappy". The unfortunate thing is that, while "Poppy" is a perfectly fine name to call your grandfathers for the rest of your life, "Pappy" just won't stand the test of time. Toddlers are funny creatures, I tell you!
In other news, I've become disenchanted with the name of my knitting blog "a stitch in line", and am going to change it. The problem is, I'm fresh out of ideas, and need your help. The name doesn't have to be knitting or craft related, it just has to be catchy and fun. The current name sounds as though it was dreamed up by a stodgy 60-year-old trying to be clever. Please help!!
In other news, I've become disenchanted with the name of my knitting blog "a stitch in line", and am going to change it. The problem is, I'm fresh out of ideas, and need your help. The name doesn't have to be knitting or craft related, it just has to be catchy and fun. The current name sounds as though it was dreamed up by a stodgy 60-year-old trying to be clever. Please help!!
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Podcasting
Just today I have discovered Podcasting. It's like radio on the internet, except that the broadcasts (or "podcasts", I guess) are stored online and then downloaded to your computer as MP3's. The coolest part is that it's all free! I, of course, have subscribed to "knit cast", but you can do a search for any topic under the sun and comeup with some pretty interestibg results. OR, you can even broadcast your own! You can read more about this here to learn more about it. Happy listening!
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
A bloggin fiend
I've succumbed to the cyber pressure and have created my very own knitting blog...or crochet...or whatever else I'm working on at the moment. Everyone else is doing it. If you're even remotely interested, you can click here to check it out.
The "firsts" of today:
1) My first day home alone with my babies. Grace or Joy has been with me since Elijah was born, so it's been a day of challenges. We went grocery shopping, and then I nursed Elijah while putting away the perishables and made and ate lunch with Andrew. Multi tasking at it's best!
2) While I was preparing lunch, Andrew let himself out the front door. Not a good first, but I'm glad that I saw it happen! The front door is always dead bolted now, because that's a bit trickier to undo, and a few inches higher. Should hold him off another day or so.
Normally at this time I'd be taking a nap, since it's Andrew's naptime, but there's no one to handle Elijah, and he's decided to be Mr. Ultimate Fussy Guy, so I've got him in the sling and am bouncing on my exercise ball while I type. This seems to have finally calmed down him down a bit. I shall go now and see if he'll sleep so I can too.
Once naptime is over, I have to make carrot cupcakes (my Aunt Terry's recipe with the cream cheese/coconut frosting!) and get myself and the little guys ready for a dinner tonight that Greg's batallion is having. That's in two-and-a-half hours, so I have no idea how I'm going to get it all done, but I will make an effort.
The "firsts" of today:
1) My first day home alone with my babies. Grace or Joy has been with me since Elijah was born, so it's been a day of challenges. We went grocery shopping, and then I nursed Elijah while putting away the perishables and made and ate lunch with Andrew. Multi tasking at it's best!
2) While I was preparing lunch, Andrew let himself out the front door. Not a good first, but I'm glad that I saw it happen! The front door is always dead bolted now, because that's a bit trickier to undo, and a few inches higher. Should hold him off another day or so.
Normally at this time I'd be taking a nap, since it's Andrew's naptime, but there's no one to handle Elijah, and he's decided to be Mr. Ultimate Fussy Guy, so I've got him in the sling and am bouncing on my exercise ball while I type. This seems to have finally calmed down him down a bit. I shall go now and see if he'll sleep so I can too.
Once naptime is over, I have to make carrot cupcakes (my Aunt Terry's recipe with the cream cheese/coconut frosting!) and get myself and the little guys ready for a dinner tonight that Greg's batallion is having. That's in two-and-a-half hours, so I have no idea how I'm going to get it all done, but I will make an effort.
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Back
The long weekend has begun, and we're back in Binghamton! I say "long weekend" not in a bad way -- Greg has Monday and Tuesday off as well as the usual weekend, so it literally is a long weekend for us (as I hope it is for many of you!)
We are staying at my parents house, and will be spending the day (along with my family, Peisch grandparents and my Uncle Henry) at the Darling's (Pete and Jill's) for the 4th of July. We're going to have a BBQ (or "a cook-out on the grill", for those of you who consider BBQ to be shredded, saucy meat on a bun), swim, boat and maybe fish in the pond, and end the day by setting off several hundred $'s worth of fireworks.
Today, Greg and Caleb set off to fish and swim at the Darlings and then purchase the fireworks stash. I've had a very satisfying day of eating, nursing a tiny guy (which accounts for my possibly sloppy typing at the moment), and napping. My sibling are supposedly cleaning the house, and my Peisch grandparents just arrived from NJ with my Uncle Henry.
So that's my day.
Oh, as a side note, my parents computer is severely screwed up. Something happened to the system manager (I think that's what it was), so their color is wierd and the date is stuck at June 2nd. Pretty much they need a new computer and have needed one for some time, but now it's getting really rough. This is pretty much a dinosaur...if anyone knows of a stray computer that needs a home, it will be very loved and cared for if adopted by this home. (Well at least loved and well used) =)
We are staying at my parents house, and will be spending the day (along with my family, Peisch grandparents and my Uncle Henry) at the Darling's (Pete and Jill's) for the 4th of July. We're going to have a BBQ (or "a cook-out on the grill", for those of you who consider BBQ to be shredded, saucy meat on a bun), swim, boat and maybe fish in the pond, and end the day by setting off several hundred $'s worth of fireworks.
Today, Greg and Caleb set off to fish and swim at the Darlings and then purchase the fireworks stash. I've had a very satisfying day of eating, nursing a tiny guy (which accounts for my possibly sloppy typing at the moment), and napping. My sibling are supposedly cleaning the house, and my Peisch grandparents just arrived from NJ with my Uncle Henry.
So that's my day.
Oh, as a side note, my parents computer is severely screwed up. Something happened to the system manager (I think that's what it was), so their color is wierd and the date is stuck at June 2nd. Pretty much they need a new computer and have needed one for some time, but now it's getting really rough. This is pretty much a dinosaur...if anyone knows of a stray computer that needs a home, it will be very loved and cared for if adopted by this home. (Well at least loved and well used) =)
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Mmmmm, chapstick
On Tuesday, I woke up with Elijah for his 7am meal. As I was feeding him, I could hear Andrew talking to himself. When I got up to go downstairs, I noticed the door to Andrew's room was shut, so I figured he was in there with Joy, talking to her and stuff.
I went downstairs with Elijah. When I reached the living room, I heard this little voice "hi!". Andrew was crouched by the couch -- no idea why he was crouched, but aparently he'd decided that waking Joy was like trying to wake the dead, and for some reason didn't come to me (like he always does), but instead went downstairs to amuse himself. Thankfully, I couldn't find any trouble he might have gotten himself into, so I think that he just was down here talking. (!) Starting that night though, we began putting up the baby gate at the top of the stairs when we went to bed.
Also that day, Elijah was lying on his tummy crying, and then rolled right over! That's early, I think, and it was kind of startling!
In other news, yesterday, in a moment of desparation to quell a rising fit, Joy gave Andrew her cherry chapstick, which he promptly ate. The photo above shows the little fellow in action. Greg claimed to be grossed out, but it seems to me that Greg may have done something just like that when little...(or maybe older?) =0
I went downstairs with Elijah. When I reached the living room, I heard this little voice "hi!". Andrew was crouched by the couch -- no idea why he was crouched, but aparently he'd decided that waking Joy was like trying to wake the dead, and for some reason didn't come to me (like he always does), but instead went downstairs to amuse himself. Thankfully, I couldn't find any trouble he might have gotten himself into, so I think that he just was down here talking. (!) Starting that night though, we began putting up the baby gate at the top of the stairs when we went to bed.
Also that day, Elijah was lying on his tummy crying, and then rolled right over! That's early, I think, and it was kind of startling!
In other news, yesterday, in a moment of desparation to quell a rising fit, Joy gave Andrew her cherry chapstick, which he promptly ate. The photo above shows the little fellow in action. Greg claimed to be grossed out, but it seems to me that Greg may have done something just like that when little...(or maybe older?) =0
Monday, June 27, 2005
say my name, say my name
Sorry, couldn't help doing a little play on that annoying song (apologies if I offended anyone!) (well I suppose I don't really need to apologize if YOU are the one reading MY blog!) =)
Some people have been wondering how we plan to pronounce Elijah's name. To clear things up:
The "E" is pronounced like the "I" in "it", and the "J" is pronounced like the soft "j" in "Ja-ja Gabor" (not sure if I spelled that name right). If you're still confused, try saying "shhhh", and then adding "voice" to it, and there! You just said a soft J! (This is similar to saying "ssssss" and adding voice to it to make a "z" sound.)
Some people have been wondering how we plan to pronounce Elijah's name. To clear things up:
The "E" is pronounced like the "I" in "it", and the "J" is pronounced like the soft "j" in "Ja-ja Gabor" (not sure if I spelled that name right). If you're still confused, try saying "shhhh", and then adding "voice" to it, and there! You just said a soft J! (This is similar to saying "ssssss" and adding voice to it to make a "z" sound.)
Shows I've Been to Lately
-The Dillinger Escape Plan / Red Yellow / The End / I Am Idaho / Trivium: Feb 7th, Syracuse, NY: This was the first time in a long time that Dillinger were playing a smaller club. Definitely a treat. I didn't see any of the other bands, so no further comments.
-Psyopus / The Red Death / Trivium: Mar, Binghamton, NY: Pretty much everyone needs to witness Psyopus live or recorded. The musicianship of guitarist, Christopher Arp, and drummer, Lee Fisher (formerly of Commit Suicide), is nearly without compare in the metal world. They are both extremely talented musicians. All the other bands that everning sucked.
-Ed Gein / Circle Takes the Square / From a Second Story Window: April 10th, Syracuse, NY: I don't like CTTS, but FASSW, and EG are always good.
-Monster Jam—Monster Truck Competition: June 4th, Syracuse, NY: This was Andrew's first monster truck rally. We met my Dad and Keith there, and got really good seats. Andrew wasn't sure what to think at first, because the trucks are absolutely deafening. They also had motocross racing, and small truck racing in between the monster truck runs. One of the small truck racers was from Little Meadows, and Dad said that he knew who he was. I can't remember his name. Andrew's favorite monster truck, Grave Digger was there, as well as Maximum Destruction, Bounty Hunter and a lot of other big names. Sometime I'll have to take he and Elijah to the world finals in Las Vegas.
-Blindside / Showbread / The Showdown / Symphony In Peril: June 25th, Syracuse, NY: Although I didn't really like The Showdown, it was funny to hear them talk. Not because I'm not used to hearing southern accents. I spent four years of college in North Carolina, and two-and-a-half of those were with a South Carolina room mate, with one of the thickest accents ever. It was just funny to see the reactions of all the upstate New York, hardcore kids when vocalist, Davey Bunton asked, in his thick drawl, if anyone there had never tasted sweet tea before. Probably half the people in the place raised their hands. He went on to explain that this was his first time ever in New York State, and that he already missed the heat and the food, south of the Mason Dixon (As an interesting tangent, I have actually driven down Mason Dixon road. That experience is right up there with driving down Sleater-Kinney road, in Olympia, WA, home of the band Sleater-Kinney, and driving through Bremerton, WA, home of the band MxPx). Showbread was great, as usual, and Blindside was also very good. It was nice to see them play a club, rather than the much larger crowds that I'm sure they get at the festivals.
So anyway, thank's for reading all of this. Not a lot of people care about this stuff, but it's what I like to do.
Gerg
-Psyopus / The Red Death / Trivium: Mar, Binghamton, NY: Pretty much everyone needs to witness Psyopus live or recorded. The musicianship of guitarist, Christopher Arp, and drummer, Lee Fisher (formerly of Commit Suicide), is nearly without compare in the metal world. They are both extremely talented musicians. All the other bands that everning sucked.
-Ed Gein / Circle Takes the Square / From a Second Story Window: April 10th, Syracuse, NY: I don't like CTTS, but FASSW, and EG are always good.
-Monster Jam—Monster Truck Competition: June 4th, Syracuse, NY: This was Andrew's first monster truck rally. We met my Dad and Keith there, and got really good seats. Andrew wasn't sure what to think at first, because the trucks are absolutely deafening. They also had motocross racing, and small truck racing in between the monster truck runs. One of the small truck racers was from Little Meadows, and Dad said that he knew who he was. I can't remember his name. Andrew's favorite monster truck, Grave Digger was there, as well as Maximum Destruction, Bounty Hunter and a lot of other big names. Sometime I'll have to take he and Elijah to the world finals in Las Vegas.
-Blindside / Showbread / The Showdown / Symphony In Peril: June 25th, Syracuse, NY: Although I didn't really like The Showdown, it was funny to hear them talk. Not because I'm not used to hearing southern accents. I spent four years of college in North Carolina, and two-and-a-half of those were with a South Carolina room mate, with one of the thickest accents ever. It was just funny to see the reactions of all the upstate New York, hardcore kids when vocalist, Davey Bunton asked, in his thick drawl, if anyone there had never tasted sweet tea before. Probably half the people in the place raised their hands. He went on to explain that this was his first time ever in New York State, and that he already missed the heat and the food, south of the Mason Dixon (As an interesting tangent, I have actually driven down Mason Dixon road. That experience is right up there with driving down Sleater-Kinney road, in Olympia, WA, home of the band Sleater-Kinney, and driving through Bremerton, WA, home of the band MxPx). Showbread was great, as usual, and Blindside was also very good. It was nice to see them play a club, rather than the much larger crowds that I'm sure they get at the festivals.
So anyway, thank's for reading all of this. Not a lot of people care about this stuff, but it's what I like to do.
Gerg
Elijah's Listening List....
So here's Elijah's listening prefrences for the past week:
Andy Hunter: Life
Stitchie: Kingdom Ambassador
Alteza: Alteza
Pedro the Lion: Achilles Heel
The Aquabats: Charge!!!
Norma Jean: O’God the Aftermath
Woven Hand: Consider the Birds
Underoath: Cries of the Past
Waheed Qassemi: Vol 6.
Plumb: Candy Coated Water Drops
Mexico and Mariachis
Brainchild: Mindwarp
Good call on the new Aquabats CD, Elijah, "look at you, you're a winner!"
Andy Hunter: Life
Stitchie: Kingdom Ambassador
Alteza: Alteza
Pedro the Lion: Achilles Heel
The Aquabats: Charge!!!
Norma Jean: O’God the Aftermath
Woven Hand: Consider the Birds
Underoath: Cries of the Past
Waheed Qassemi: Vol 6.
Plumb: Candy Coated Water Drops
Mexico and Mariachis
Brainchild: Mindwarp
Good call on the new Aquabats CD, Elijah, "look at you, you're a winner!"
Friday, June 24, 2005
RED FRIDAY
You will soon see a lot of people wearing Red on Fridays.
Here's why..... The Americans, who support our troops, are the silent majority. They are not "organized" to reflect who they are, or to reflect what their opinions are.
Here's why..... The Americans, who support our troops, are the silent majority. They are not "organized" to reflect who they are, or to reflect what their opinions are.
Many Americans, like yourself, and their friends, simply want to recognize that Americans support our troops. The idea of showing Americans solidarity and support for our troops is starting Friday and continuing on each and every Friday, until this is over, that every red -blooded American who supports our young men and women, WEAR SOMETHING RED.
Word of mouth, press, TV -- let's see if we all can make the United States, on any given Friday, a sea of red much like a home football game at a University. If every one of who supports our American Troops share this with other acquaintances, fellow workers, friends, and neighbors, One can guarantee, that it will not be long before the USA will be covered in RED - and make our American Troops know there are many people thinking of their well-being.
You will feel better all day Friday when you wear Red! So let all Americans get the word out and lead by example; wear RED on Fridays
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS! WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE. FOR US, THEIR BLOOD RUNS RED!! GOD BLESS AMERICA.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
You Might be a Military Wife if...
Interestingly enough, most of this is actually true for me personally, or else I can see it being true in an few years. (!) Not sure if this will ammuse anyone, but I thought it was pretty funny.
..you can unpack a house and have everything in place in 48 hours
..you string concertina wire to keep the neighbor's kids out of your
flower beds
..your husband's work and dress clothes cost more than yours do
..you've changed more oil and mowed more lawns than your husband
because he's never there to do it himself
..your children say "hooah" or "roger that" instead of "ok"
..your husband does a route recon and takes a GPS for a trip to the
mall
..you only write in pencil because EVERYTHING is subject to change
..you need a translator to talk to your civilian friends, only!
because they have no idea what DFAS,AER, TDY, ACS, NPD, PCS, and ETS
mean
..you have a larger selection of curtains than Wal-Mart does
..you can remember where you kept the Scotch tape in your last
house, but unfortunately, not in this one
..you mark time in duty stations, not years
..you refer to friends not only by name but by the state that they
live in
..you know that "back home" doesn't mean at the house you live in now
..you tear up when you hear "Proud to Be An American," even though
you've heard it 50 times by now
..you know that a 2 month separation IS short, no matter what your
civilian friends say
..you ALWAYS know when payday is and get ticked off if there are
more than 2 weekends during that pay period
..you know better than to go to the PX or commissary between 11:30
and 1:30 unless it's a life or death emergency
..you show your military ID to the greeter at Wal-Mart
..you know that any reference to "sand" or a "box" describes NTC at
Ft. Irwin, not your kid's backyard toys
..you find yourself explaining your husband's LES to him
..you have enough camouflage in your house to wallpaper the White
House
..you don't have to think about what time 21:30 is
..you've ever been referred to as "Household 6"
..you start ripping open MREs and looking for the M&Ms when you run
out of Halloween candy
..you can't remember the last time you saw a doctor who wasn't
wearing BDUs
..you've ever had a pet named Scout, Ranger or Sergeant
..the local dry cleaner knows you by your first name
..it only cost you $25 to have a child
..you find that a large number of your clothes and household items
are olive drab or loam, even though you never planned it that way
..you pick apart uniforms on TV and in the movies, even though you
used to yell at! your husband for doing the same thing
..you know what "pogey bait" is and which kinds everyone in your
husband's platoon prefers
..you wish you could go to CIF to DX your old stuff like your
husband can
..you've learned to sleep through the sounds of tanks, planes,
helicopters and artillery simulators
.you give your kids a hand receipt when they take your Tupperware to
school
..you can hate military life but be terrified to leave it all in the
same breath
..you defend your lifestyle no matter how bad things get because you
know there's no other life for you!
..you can unpack a house and have everything in place in 48 hours
..you string concertina wire to keep the neighbor's kids out of your
flower beds
..your husband's work and dress clothes cost more than yours do
..you've changed more oil and mowed more lawns than your husband
because he's never there to do it himself
..your children say "hooah" or "roger that" instead of "ok"
..your husband does a route recon and takes a GPS for a trip to the
mall
..you only write in pencil because EVERYTHING is subject to change
..you need a translator to talk to your civilian friends, only!
because they have no idea what DFAS,AER, TDY, ACS, NPD, PCS, and ETS
mean
..you have a larger selection of curtains than Wal-Mart does
..you can remember where you kept the Scotch tape in your last
house, but unfortunately, not in this one
..you mark time in duty stations, not years
..you refer to friends not only by name but by the state that they
live in
..you know that "back home" doesn't mean at the house you live in now
..you tear up when you hear "Proud to Be An American," even though
you've heard it 50 times by now
..you know that a 2 month separation IS short, no matter what your
civilian friends say
..you ALWAYS know when payday is and get ticked off if there are
more than 2 weekends during that pay period
..you know better than to go to the PX or commissary between 11:30
and 1:30 unless it's a life or death emergency
..you show your military ID to the greeter at Wal-Mart
..you know that any reference to "sand" or a "box" describes NTC at
Ft. Irwin, not your kid's backyard toys
..you find yourself explaining your husband's LES to him
..you have enough camouflage in your house to wallpaper the White
House
..you don't have to think about what time 21:30 is
..you've ever been referred to as "Household 6"
..you start ripping open MREs and looking for the M&Ms when you run
out of Halloween candy
..you can't remember the last time you saw a doctor who wasn't
wearing BDUs
..you've ever had a pet named Scout, Ranger or Sergeant
..the local dry cleaner knows you by your first name
..it only cost you $25 to have a child
..you find that a large number of your clothes and household items
are olive drab or loam, even though you never planned it that way
..you pick apart uniforms on TV and in the movies, even though you
used to yell at! your husband for doing the same thing
..you know what "pogey bait" is and which kinds everyone in your
husband's platoon prefers
..you wish you could go to CIF to DX your old stuff like your
husband can
..you've learned to sleep through the sounds of tanks, planes,
helicopters and artillery simulators
.you give your kids a hand receipt when they take your Tupperware to
school
..you can hate military life but be terrified to leave it all in the
same breath
..you defend your lifestyle no matter how bad things get because you
know there's no other life for you!
Strawberry picking
Today Joy, Andrew, Elijah and I went strawberry picking. The berries were completely perfect. When we got there you could smell their perfume on the air, and once we got to the fields we couldn't help but eat at least a quart each. (I say at least, because Andrew probably ate 2 or 3 quarts -- thankfully they don't weigh you before and after!) =)
Part way through picking, Elijah got jealous that everyone else was eating, so I sat down right in the middle of the strawberry field to nurse him. First time nursing him in the baby sling, but it worked out quite well, and he was a happy camper.
For those of you who have never gone berry picking before, I urge you to try it. The extra work of picking totally pays off in the end because you have perfect, sun-ripened produce to bring home rather than whitish, tart, perhaps somewhat bruised fruit you can buy at the store.
We had to stop and get some heavy cream on the way home -- strawberry shortcake tonight!!
Part way through picking, Elijah got jealous that everyone else was eating, so I sat down right in the middle of the strawberry field to nurse him. First time nursing him in the baby sling, but it worked out quite well, and he was a happy camper.
For those of you who have never gone berry picking before, I urge you to try it. The extra work of picking totally pays off in the end because you have perfect, sun-ripened produce to bring home rather than whitish, tart, perhaps somewhat bruised fruit you can buy at the store.
We had to stop and get some heavy cream on the way home -- strawberry shortcake tonight!!
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