The other night, as Matt and I were just settling down to sleep, he said, "Do you hear that?"
I lifted my head from the pillow a bit and heard... nothing out of the ordinary. "No," I said, and relaxed back into the cool fluff.
"It sounds like someone's playing a radio."
I strained to catch even a hint of bass rhythm wafting through the air. "I don't hear anything."
Matt sat up. Oh, for petesake, I thought. It's obviously not the kids, and what are you going to do about it if it's the neighbors?
He got out of bed, and headed for the bedroom door. He paused as he went by my nightstand, and stopped. "I think it's your alarm."
I still couldn't hear anything. I sighed and turned over to face him, the nightstand, and the radio alarm clock. "No, I haven't had the alarm set since-" With my face three inches from the clock, I heard it. Faintly. Barely. The radio.
Someone (likely Penny) had turned on the radio, turned the volume almost entirely all the way down, and then wandered off. I turned the volume back to something normal and then turned off the radio.
How long had it been like that? Would I have ever noticed?
We all know my hearing sucks, but seriously, I felt like a LOLCat: "LISNIN: UR DOIN IT RONG."
There was condensation on the cars this morning. Penny stopped at the first window she came do -- my front passenger window -- and drew a large oval with her finger. Inside one end of the oval, she drew a circle, and filled it in. At the other end, just outside the oval, she drew two more, smaller ovals.
"Look, Mommy! I drew you a picture!"
Having seen this picture before, I knew what to say. "What a beautiful whale, sweetie! Thank you!"
Today is brief anecdote day because Alex woke up last night at 2:15, and then after Matt put him back to bed, he laid there and talked to himself for a while, so I couldn't get to sleep because I was braced for him to get fussy. That lasted until probably about 3 or so. And then he was up this morning at 5:15.
Today is not a day to split my morning coffee half-decaf, is what I'm saying.
I made salmon for dinner last night.
And I mean real salmon, not canned stuff. I actually bought a 12oz salmon fillet and cooked it.
I don't eat fish. I've never been big into seafood. Fishsticks, which hardly count, and canned tuna or salmon, but not real fish, much. I used to love shrimp when I was little, but somewhere around middle school or so I developed an aversion to their kind of poppy texture that I'm only just beginning to get around now.
But about 90% of my friends are going to Weight Watchers or on some other diet right now. (No, really. K.T., Kevin, Elizabeth, Dave, Karen, Sam, John, my parents, most of the women and a couple of the men at work...) And even though I'm not really ready to join them, it's making me think about how to not-diet in a healthier way, if that makes any sense. And I've been hearing for years how fish is one of those really super foods -- nutritionally dense, low in bad fats and high in good ones, etc. One of the things that everyone should eat at least once a week.
And then I was watching one of my cooking shows (I don't even remember which one) and they had a slab of tuna that they just barely seared and served still rare and it actually looked really good. Maybe it's time to try fish again, I thought. I decided I would try real, fresh fish -- the last time I tried it, I went with a pre-seasoned, frozen thing, and Matt liked it but it had this nasty, back-of-the-throat freezer burn taste to me. And I'd try salmon and tuna, which my palate has at least a nodding acquaintance with, via the canned stuff. (I know, I know, it's like comparing fresh, sun-ripened tomatoes with ketchup, but there's a similarity.)
So this week was the first experiment, and it was salmon. I found a recipe that sounded both tasty and simple (a glaze, and then broil the fish) and I cut my fillet into three pieces and charged onward. The smoke alarm went off because the bits of glaze that pooled away from the fish burnt and smoked, but what was on the fish did what glazes are supposed to do.
I took the fish out of the oven when the timer went off and regarded it dubiously. "...or until it flakes with a fork," said the recipe. I did this once before, with another kind of fish, and never did figure out what "flakes with a fork" meant. I tentatively prodded at one piece with the spoon I was using for the couscous, and three big flakes fell off. Well, that answered that.
I brushed the last of the glaze over the salmon, and put couscous on the plates, and served it.
Penny was extremely reluctant to try the fish until Matt pointed out that it was pink, which is her favorite color. She wound up eating about half her piece -- maybe about 2 ounces of salmon, altogether, but at least she didn't take one bite and then stop completely. Mostly, I suspect, she was just full from the couscous.
Holy crap, I made a fish dish, and liked it! Matt was enthusiastic, and Penny didn't hate it... I'm going to make this again!
Here's the recipe:
Line a baking pan with foil, coat it with nonstick spray, and on it put:
12oz salmon, cut into 4-6oz servings, skin-side down (Next time, I might go with a bigger piece.)
In a bowl, mix:
2 Tbsp maple syrup (I used the real thing, but I don't know if that's important.)
2 Tbsp soy sauce (the original recipe called for low-sodium, but I like salt.)
Brush about half of it over the fish, being sure to coat all visible flesh.
Broil for 7 minutes, then take it out and brush about half the remaining glaze over the fish.
Broil another 6-8 minutes ("or until it flakes easily with a fork"), and brush on the last of the glaze.
Serve with rice or couscous.
Speaking of Penny trying new things... At John and Sam's for Mother's Day dinner, John grilled up a bunch of fresh asparagus. I had a couple of stalks, I don't know if Matt had any (we were swapping out because of Alex), but Penny ate like... four or five of them. She preferred it to the chicken or any of the other vegetables I gave her.
It never would have occurred to me to try her on asparagus -- it's such a strong flavor, and it's traditionally one of those foods kids hate -- but she scarfed it right down.
Mind you, if I buy a bundle next week and serve it, she won't touch it.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Overflow
I'm the first one into the office this morning, so while my computer was booting up, I wandered down to the kitchen to make the coffee.
I turned on the plate, filled the pot with water, and left it in the sink while I got out the filter and coffee-pack. Filter into its box, open up the pack and dump the coffee in, put the box on its rack.
I picked up the pot and was just about to open the water-intake when the coffee machine... sputtered. And hissed.
As if it was heating up some water.
I looked at the pot in my hand, and then, out of curiosity, stuck the empty decaf pot on the plate.
It's a good thing, too, because a few seconds later, coffee started to come out of the drip. Someone had pre-filled the machine with water before turning it off, on Friday. And if I hadn't happened to turn on the plate before doing the rest of the prep-work, it wouldn't have sputtered until I'd already poured in a second pot's worth of water. Which would then have overflowed the pot and made a huge mess in the kitchen.
I could be annoyed about whoever prefilled the machine. It's a dumb thing to do unless you are 100% certain you're going to be the next one to turn the machine on.
But I'm in a good mood this morning, so instead, I'm choosing to feel good about having averted a mess. (We've had this happen before. This is exactly why I turn on the plate before I do everything else.)
Mother's Day was... okay, I guess. I had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and Matt got me a couple of DVDs that I was excited about.
But Alex spent the day kind of fussy, so I didn't get to sleep in as much as I wanted to, and we spent the day trading him back and forth and trying to lull him into a nap. And Penny had more energy than she knew what to do with, which translated to her being loud and not terribly well-behaved at the grocery store, and then into all kinds of attitude in the afternoon. Combine that with our frustration with Alex, and we wound up yelling way too much.
The dinner with my family was nice -- grilled chicken stuffed with goat cheese and herbs, and grilled marinated vegetables, and salad and rolls. Except for Alex being fussy, which meant Matt and I couldn't be at the table at the same time, and we pretty much had to run as soon as we were done eating.
We did linger long enough for a picture, though. I'd wanted several pictures, but Alex was just too cranky -- but he's coming up on five months old, and I still didn't have a picture of the whole family together. So we did that.
You can tell Alex is tired, and I think John's tripod was crooked, but at least we're all together.
When we got home, Alex was so exhausted and overwrought that it took him half an hour of screaming to get to sleep, and then Penny got in trouble again for attitude and went to bed sobbing. It wasn't the best end to the day I could have imagined.
But despite that, I'm in a decent mood this morning. I feel like I could accomplish something this week. You never know - it could happen!
I turned on the plate, filled the pot with water, and left it in the sink while I got out the filter and coffee-pack. Filter into its box, open up the pack and dump the coffee in, put the box on its rack.
I picked up the pot and was just about to open the water-intake when the coffee machine... sputtered. And hissed.
As if it was heating up some water.
I looked at the pot in my hand, and then, out of curiosity, stuck the empty decaf pot on the plate.
It's a good thing, too, because a few seconds later, coffee started to come out of the drip. Someone had pre-filled the machine with water before turning it off, on Friday. And if I hadn't happened to turn on the plate before doing the rest of the prep-work, it wouldn't have sputtered until I'd already poured in a second pot's worth of water. Which would then have overflowed the pot and made a huge mess in the kitchen.
I could be annoyed about whoever prefilled the machine. It's a dumb thing to do unless you are 100% certain you're going to be the next one to turn the machine on.
But I'm in a good mood this morning, so instead, I'm choosing to feel good about having averted a mess. (We've had this happen before. This is exactly why I turn on the plate before I do everything else.)
Mother's Day was... okay, I guess. I had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and Matt got me a couple of DVDs that I was excited about.
But Alex spent the day kind of fussy, so I didn't get to sleep in as much as I wanted to, and we spent the day trading him back and forth and trying to lull him into a nap. And Penny had more energy than she knew what to do with, which translated to her being loud and not terribly well-behaved at the grocery store, and then into all kinds of attitude in the afternoon. Combine that with our frustration with Alex, and we wound up yelling way too much.
The dinner with my family was nice -- grilled chicken stuffed with goat cheese and herbs, and grilled marinated vegetables, and salad and rolls. Except for Alex being fussy, which meant Matt and I couldn't be at the table at the same time, and we pretty much had to run as soon as we were done eating.
We did linger long enough for a picture, though. I'd wanted several pictures, but Alex was just too cranky -- but he's coming up on five months old, and I still didn't have a picture of the whole family together. So we did that.
You can tell Alex is tired, and I think John's tripod was crooked, but at least we're all together.
When we got home, Alex was so exhausted and overwrought that it took him half an hour of screaming to get to sleep, and then Penny got in trouble again for attitude and went to bed sobbing. It wasn't the best end to the day I could have imagined.
But despite that, I'm in a decent mood this morning. I feel like I could accomplish something this week. You never know - it could happen!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
What It Feels Like
Last night, Penny and I were snuggling before she went to bed, and she was being unusually quiet.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
She shook her head. "No."
"What's wrong?"
"High." We'd tested her blood sugar a few moments earlier, and she was running quite high. It was too early to correct, though, since she'd had her shot from dinner only an hour and a half earlier.
"I know you're running high right now, sweetie, but we can't do a correction now. If you're still high when I get ready for bed, we'll give you some more medicine then." She nodded. "What does it feel like when you're high?"
She paused, thinking. I didn't expect her to be able to answer; I'd asked the question mostly just to make her think about it so she could learn to recognize her own symptoms.
But then she said, "It feels... like I'm going to get lost."
"Are you okay?" I asked.
She shook her head. "No."
"What's wrong?"
"High." We'd tested her blood sugar a few moments earlier, and she was running quite high. It was too early to correct, though, since she'd had her shot from dinner only an hour and a half earlier.
"I know you're running high right now, sweetie, but we can't do a correction now. If you're still high when I get ready for bed, we'll give you some more medicine then." She nodded. "What does it feel like when you're high?"
She paused, thinking. I didn't expect her to be able to answer; I'd asked the question mostly just to make her think about it so she could learn to recognize her own symptoms.
But then she said, "It feels... like I'm going to get lost."
Friday, May 9, 2008
Oh god, I have to think up titles now?
After observing to someone a day or so ago that Alex hardly ever seemed to feel like "talking" anymore, this morning he was Mr. Chatterbox. He sucked his lower lip in and made little "mmm!" noises, and he pursed his lips and made slightly different "mmm!" noises, and he grinned hugely whenever I made eye contact with him.
He's such a happy little kid. Penny was happy, but I don't remember if she was this happy. If he's not actively upset about something, he's usually good for a smile or two. He loves any kind of personal interaction -- even eye contact, but especially being touched, and skin contact is the best. Getting his diaper or his clothes changed is the biggest joke in the world, especially if we pause to zerbert or num on his tummy.
It should be a nice day and a good weekend.
The daycare is doing a Mother's Day social this afternoon, with ice cream for the moms and kids who show up. I've done this in the past, and it's a nice treat for the kids. Matt is taking them to school this morning so I can do the social and then bring them home tonight. (Otherwise, it'd be my turn to take them in and his to pick them up.)
(Note to self: Look up carb info on ice cream and chocolate sauce before I go, so I have a general idea how much of a shot to give Penny, in case they don't have it.)
Nothing much is happening Saturday -- errands and maybe we'll take Penny to the park or Busch Gardens or something.
Sunday, of course, is Mother's Day. We're having dinner with the family at John and Sam's, which I'm looking forward to. I always like visiting with my family, Sam is a great cook, and the kids will get all the attention their little hearts crave.
Whether I'll post over the weekend, I don't know. I want to keep up my commitment to posting at least once every work day, but whether this format will morph into additional postings... we'll just have to wait and see.
He's such a happy little kid. Penny was happy, but I don't remember if she was this happy. If he's not actively upset about something, he's usually good for a smile or two. He loves any kind of personal interaction -- even eye contact, but especially being touched, and skin contact is the best. Getting his diaper or his clothes changed is the biggest joke in the world, especially if we pause to zerbert or num on his tummy.
It should be a nice day and a good weekend.
The daycare is doing a Mother's Day social this afternoon, with ice cream for the moms and kids who show up. I've done this in the past, and it's a nice treat for the kids. Matt is taking them to school this morning so I can do the social and then bring them home tonight. (Otherwise, it'd be my turn to take them in and his to pick them up.)
(Note to self: Look up carb info on ice cream and chocolate sauce before I go, so I have a general idea how much of a shot to give Penny, in case they don't have it.)
Nothing much is happening Saturday -- errands and maybe we'll take Penny to the park or Busch Gardens or something.
Sunday, of course, is Mother's Day. We're having dinner with the family at John and Sam's, which I'm looking forward to. I always like visiting with my family, Sam is a great cook, and the kids will get all the attention their little hearts crave.
Whether I'll post over the weekend, I don't know. I want to keep up my commitment to posting at least once every work day, but whether this format will morph into additional postings... we'll just have to wait and see.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Book: Little Brother
Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow
This is an easy read (it's written at the YA level) but not an easy read. It involves some tough topics and inspires some pretty heavy thinking. Shortest summary possible: Near-future sci-fi in which a 17-year-old high school kid gets on the bad side of the Department of Homeland Securities.
What's really in it?
That about sums it up. Maybe not so much the fencing or the giants. Replace those with hacking and massive political machines. Everything else... check. Also, pirates, video games, and LARPing.
It's well-written. The kid is exceptionally clever and well-educated for a 17-year-old, but not unbelievably so. It's terrifying in its plausibility. It makes you really think about where you think the boundary should be that divides safety from freedom, and what could change the location of that boundary.
It's well-researched. The history, the social science, the technology, the methodologies, all ring true, even the ones that are extrapolated into the future.
And it's free; just download it off the website and you're good to go.
Two thumbs up, five out of five stars, a must-read for anyone over the age of about thirteen who plans to live or do business in the U.S. for the next decade.
This is an easy read (it's written at the YA level) but not an easy read. It involves some tough topics and inspires some pretty heavy thinking. Shortest summary possible: Near-future sci-fi in which a 17-year-old high school kid gets on the bad side of the Department of Homeland Securities.
What's really in it?
Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles...
That about sums it up. Maybe not so much the fencing or the giants. Replace those with hacking and massive political machines. Everything else... check. Also, pirates, video games, and LARPing.
It's well-written. The kid is exceptionally clever and well-educated for a 17-year-old, but not unbelievably so. It's terrifying in its plausibility. It makes you really think about where you think the boundary should be that divides safety from freedom, and what could change the location of that boundary.
It's well-researched. The history, the social science, the technology, the methodologies, all ring true, even the ones that are extrapolated into the future.
And it's free; just download it off the website and you're good to go.
Two thumbs up, five out of five stars, a must-read for anyone over the age of about thirteen who plans to live or do business in the U.S. for the next decade.
Naturally!
Naturally, I got everything set up to move over here, and wrote my last, forwarding journal entry for the old address, and out of sheer habit, I logged into the FTP client to upload it, and... it worked. The block that was in place yesterday is not there today, for whatever reason.
Much ado about nothing. But I still think this move is for the best, in the long run, so here we are, for better or worse.
Not that I have much to talk about today, anyway. Alex is starting to get over his cold, so he's sleeping better. He woke up around 3 last night, coughing, but managed to fall asleep again on his own. Whoo!
I think I've managed to convince Penny to trade out Yo Gabba Gabba for Dora the Explorer for her morning TV. I feel better about it; Yo was aimed slightly younger than Penny, say 2 or 3. (Sesame Street is still the only show I've found that works as well for 6-year-olds as it does for toddlers.)
Much ado about nothing. But I still think this move is for the best, in the long run, so here we are, for better or worse.
Not that I have much to talk about today, anyway. Alex is starting to get over his cold, so he's sleeping better. He woke up around 3 last night, coughing, but managed to fall asleep again on his own. Whoo!
I think I've managed to convince Penny to trade out Yo Gabba Gabba for Dora the Explorer for her morning TV. I feel better about it; Yo was aimed slightly younger than Penny, say 2 or 3. (Sesame Street is still the only show I've found that works as well for 6-year-olds as it does for toddlers.)
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