Those poor, unattractive Canadians

I was listening to National Public Radio last week, and Barbara Budd was introducing a topic of study by our northern neighbors. I was a little startled to hear that the study was on "homeliness in Canadians," as all of the Canadians I've met have been reasonably attractive. As the taped portion came on, it was obvious that the topic was, in fact, homelessness in Canada.

Perhaps homeliness just seemed to hard a topic to study. If only they stopped wearing their socks to bed...

Keeping busy

I had all the items collected to make chili on Saturday. After we got back from the vet's (and sobbed in the doorway, really realizing she would not be trotting up to greet us), I folded 3 baskets of laundry and did the prep for the chili. It was a good thing to do, to keep busy. I plopped things into the crockpot (thanks to TGF!) as they were ready and started it off. I was pretty out of it that day, so I didn't open up the lid until late that day. It smelled fine--not terrific, just fine. Ladled it out into containers and pushed them into the fridge.

Pulled a container out the next day to heat up and try. It was actually really good. I loosely followed a recipe from the Crock Pot site, adding pinto beans (thanks Dharma!), diced London Broil (saw that in another chili recipe), and substituting beef boullion cubes for the granules (perhaps too many--it is a touch salty). I had left it cook all day and be on warm for a bit, as I went to hockey (boo, 4-0 loss; but thanks, Liz, for watching G!).

Then I tried another way: my sister had been served a combination at Trader Joe's on one visit: TJ's canned chili, heated up, and a TJ's frozen mac & cheese, heated up. A scoop of each, together. It really is very, very good. (TJ's M&C is awesome.)

Nice to have comfort food. Even better to make it myself and like it.

She really was the Best Dog Ever

Best Dog Ever
Originally uploaded by RenaissanceWomn

Maddy collapsed last night when I got up to go to the bathroom. She didn't seem to want to go out, so I encouraged her to go back to bed. She collapsed again this morning and didn't want to eat.

At the vet's, they found a mass on her spleen and that she was bleeding into her abdomen. Her color was bad and she clearly was in a lot of pain.

I miss her so much.

This is commitment

There are two parts to volunteering: the fingerprinting, which I've completed (and since I haven't heard, I'm thinking it's just fine and I haven't been confused with Lynette Squeaky Fromme), and the TB test.

Back in the day, a TB test was self-reading--they'd give you the pricks on the arm or inject the little bubble, and a postcard you'd send back after 3 days. Now, you actually have to come back for a nurse to read it (which I predict will take all of 15 seconds).

After trying to find a way to have a TB test at Kaiser in my home town and failing, I went into Oakland. Takes maybe 17 mins to get there from work. I go up to the Adult Injection clinic, and stagger a bit. It is swamped. So swamped, I'm thinking, What the heck is going on? Apparently, they are just very busy sometimes. There is a new computer system, but honestly, can it be that big of a deal?

I'd signed out at work for 1.5 hrs, thinking that should be enough time, and given luck, I could be back in an hour. Cue the Universe laughing. I returned nearly 2.5 hrs later (and hit no traffic on the way back).

Thank G-d I had taken my knitting, or I would have been nuts! waiting so long. Holy moly. It was actually amazing.

I asked the receptionist when would be a good time of day to come back on Monday (after confirming I can't get it read here either), and she said, 8:30AM is good.

Guess who's getting up extra early on Monday?

This post has a lot of cussing

Damn it, damn it, damn it! Two bras I really wanted on eBay and I'm not going to win them. And since I can paw through other folks' bidding/buying history, I have to say, They have enough bras already! Nice ones! So lay off, you two!

And Double Damn! Because I don't have Crazy Aunt Purl's green-shirted brother's phone number. How much of the cuteness does he have? And me thinking I was done with men. Hmph.

And dammit again! Because I didn't win anything from SpinOut! 2007, much less one of the fancy-pants spinning wheels! (And I did donate, lest y'all are thinking about that joke that ends, "And God says, 'Help me out--buy a lottery ticket.'")

And finally, feck. Because I did ask my latest random IMer where he got my IM ID and what was up with that. He says he picked me out of Yahoo!'s profiles (ew). Said he's a handsome 47 y.o. guy in Novato, none of which I could know for sure is true. And was miffed when I pointed out as much. Hey, I wouldn't mind meeting a handsome 47 y.o. guy from Novato. But random IMing, esp. from a guy whose ID, when Googled, only leads to a Swinger site in Ohio? Yeck.

Pass the hash brown casserole, please.

Book questions, fun!

Rabbitch wisely didn't tag me, as I might have molotov'd her, but I was intrigued by these questions, so I will answer anyway.


1. Hardcover or paperback, and why? Spiral bound. Lies flat while you're reading. Well, if I must choose, hm... honestly, I like them both. Paperback is more affordable, lighter, more compact, less guilt if you toss/donate it; hardcover is easier to read, as she says, with a stapler holding the pages open while you knit, and more substantial.

2. If I were to own a book shop, I would call it... I love rhyming sites: I came up with Chilly con Yarny.

Later: I'm so stupid! A bookshop, not a yarn store.

OK... By Hook or By Book. A book and yarn store.

3. My favorite quote from a book (mention the title) "Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something." (The Princess Bride, and yes, it is a book, as well as a movie. In fact, if you liked the movie, read the book! It is great fun and you'll see how very true to the book the movie is.)

4. The author (alive or deceased) I would love to have lunch with would be... Neil Gaiman. After Neverwhere, the guy can do no wrong. He also has a website and seems like a really normal, real guy, despite being a genius.

5. If I was going to a deserted island and could only bring one book, except for the SAS survival guide, it would be… A book of matches. A big one.

6. I would love someone to invent a bookish gadget that… was a really, really good booklight. One that didn't tweak the book, worked on hardcover and softcover books, lit all of the pages, and was lightweight. And rechargeable.

7. The smell of an old book reminds me of... History. Family. Intrigue.

8. If I could be the lead character in a book (mention the title), it would be… Westley. I'd love to be a great swordsman. And say things like, "Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning."

9. The most overestimated book of all times is… A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. Snorefest.

10. I hate it when a book… Yanks and drags you along to the point that you put/throw it aside because you're tired of being treated so badly.

It doesn't help to have stupid errors in a book, like there/their/they're or its/it's or, in a recent book, site/sight. I don't like being distracted by editorial/proofreading errors when I'm trying to follow a storyline.

That said, there is really a surfeit of good books out there, I'm finding. My book club is currently reading a great one, that is making me laugh out loud. And who doesn't need a good LOL these days?

Spent some time at the Police station today

Today, I got fingerprinted. A fascinating process, really, as these days, there is no ink for your hands. The tech smushes your hands on a piece of glass and the computer shows what it sees, occasionally prompting the tech to smush again. First, thumb, then all 4 fingers at once; then the fingers individually, the roll of the finger being smeared all together like the streaks in a slow-motion scene in a movie. As I said, fascinating. A clear void where my scar from Ralph the Mouse biting me 'way back when, and various tiny hairlike lines from less violent scarifications over the years. The tech says to me, "Do you recognize your prints?" Man, no--would you? So clearly unique and cool.

Once that gets through the Department of Justice, and I get a clear TB test, I am OK to volunteer in my son's classroom. Lots of thoughts ran through my head about privacy and openness and steps we take to keep our children safe. Interesting.

And worth it, all around.

Great camping weekend, with caterpillars

And more caterpillars, and more caterpillars. And then--Oops! Let me get that one off your shoulder--more caterpillars.

I swear, they must have been in mating season or something. Everything was sprinkled with these little bits, which we later determined was probably caterpillar poop, as G and I saw one fall out of a caterpillar's behind (amazing, since it was nearly as big as a caterpillar's behind!). And they fell out of the trees on everything--tents, table, clothes...

We had a terrific time. I had planned to share only the Friday night meal, but when I arrived, my friend said, "I thought we would just cook at one picnic table. Do you want to bring your stove up?" We shared every meal, and it was so much easier than cooking all the meals just for us two. We had quite a variety of food: instant mashed potatoes (surprisingly delicious), Kraft Deluxe M&C, even Indian food (those easy-heat Tasty Bite packages; had never occurred to me what a great camping meal they'd make!). Saturday morning, she even made pancakes, which I enjoyed with a fried egg. G created new taste sensations all weekend: bread with mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, and feta cheese; and marshmallows with syrup ("That's like sugar on sugar!" I said, to deaf ears); as well as other treats. He was quite pleased to be pronounced a chef by my friend.

We had thought of doing a hike but never managed it, but we did get to the Roaring Camp steam train--arrived at 10:45AM and just happened to be right on time for the one 11AM run. We all enjoyed it! The boys liked the train itself and I loved seeing all those woods, especially the redwoods, plus the running commentary, which was really interesting (even if the guy kept saying "blueberries" for "blackberries").

We packed up pretty close to on time and stopped in Felton for fast food. Well, there is no fast food in Felton (found out on the way to the high way that there's plenty in Scotts Valley), but we got tasty hot sandwiches at Cowboy Diner in Felton--highly recommended.

Came back too soon, but it was a fun trip anyway.

Trying not to tempt Fate (or Frank)

There are workmen in the building next door, setting up some new offices for our company, which is finally growing again. I glanced over as I went to the bathroom, and one of the guys is looking down at a crackberry or something. It was all I could do not to blurt out, "Are you texting your bff Jill?"

That would have made me a jerkle schmerkle, as my mom would say. Well, better than her saying, "I'll rip your arm off and beat you with the bloody stump!" Ah, good times.