Can you tell I'm in a windowless cubicle? Sitting in front of 4 computer screens? When I'd rather be out RINGING THE FIREPLACING DOORBELLS!
Sheesh.
On the up side, I've got two packs to do after work today. Total about 80 doors. I'm going to enjoy myself, yes indeedy.
What's up with you?
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Glitter Gluestick Edition
It's been an action-packed week at Pixie Central!
JenR wins the Kids of Sibs Birthday Dilemma Award for her inquiry:
I have 6 nieces and nephews, and one child of my own. The parents of three of those nieces/nephews completely ignored my son's (1st!) birthday this year .... this isn't out of character for them, because I know they rarely, if ever, remember the birthdays of the other three kids. I'm sick of buying them and their children birthday gifts and not getting a thank you - and having my own birthday ignored as well.
Liz led the Glitter Gluestick Posse in response [thanks, Amy, for the name!], in which Pixies proposed that neices and nephews be gifted with: GLITTER! LOTS AND LOTS OF GLITTER!; toy drums; Drums, tamborines, maracas, glitter, and CONFETTI!; the biggest tub of Play-Doh; moon sand; Operation and/or Perfection and/or Taboo!
KLee wins the coveted Elevated Risk of Mullet Award for "All I can say is thank God phones are cordless these days, because I'm tempted to strangle either her or myself." Runner up is Sue, who states: "I vacuumed. I will do no more. Anyone who doesn't like my bathroom mirror can clean it themselves."
The Old Skool Award goes to Elizabeth, whose wonderful friend cared for the cats and held down the fort during her vacation, but also lost the gas cap on her car, effectively stranding her until a replacement can be found.
Baby Bottle Blues Award to Esperanza, who wants Sweet Baboo off the bottle pronto, but Baboo has other plans.
Liz brings the Bodily Fluids this week, in the form of her son's offering all over the back of the car. Peee-Ewww. Runner up is Amy, who received a visit from Aunt Flo for the first time since the baby. Bleah.
Madeleine wins the Cranberry Juice Addict Award, for overcoming the dreaded UTI.
Happy Birthday to Sue and her beloved, both celebrating the big five-oh! Our gift is a month's worth of virtual vacuuming, which gets you off the hook for cleaning up for the celebratory crowds.
Sibling Angst Award to Sarah at ratatat, for surviving a family weekend only to be faced with, "are we invited to XYZ?" Sarah also wins the Separation Anxiety Award, for soothing her daughter's meltdown at the summer enrichment class -- glad she is feeling better!
The Strange Sighting Award goes to Name Under Development, who spotted a decidedly non-glam family boarding a fireplacing limosine outside a Cracker Barrel, of all places.
Congratulations to Liz, for more superior canvassing and the No Cavity report; to Esperanza for no more VSB episodes, and the perfection of Mini-Baboo; to Amy, for fun times with an old friend; to Madeleine, for decluttering; and to Elizabeth, who enjoyed a nice vacation.
Condolences to all Pixies suffering this week from: queasiness; doctors bolting out the door; upcoming funerals; the horror of asking children to put a dish in the sink, or other outrageous abuses; husbands too buried to spend no-kid time wisely; overwork; crabbiness; involuntary celebration happy faces; basement and/or garage cleaning; challenging classes; potential orthodontia; long drives; and tiredness.
See you next week, when our host will be Ms. Doorbell-Ringing Superstar herself, Liz!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Sum-Sum-Sum-Summertime
Canada and the U.S. have had their patriotic celebrations and fireworks. There have not been Pixie reports of snow for several weeks, but several reports of "vacation" and "camp." It must be summer!
If you have favorite summer foods to share, please visit the Special Edition post below!
We visited our town's 4th of July fair and music festival, as usual, and were treated to an abundance of foods, music, booths featuring local organizations, arts and crafts, etc. The highlight for me was discovering that it was an amazing string quartet playing Coltrane, sounding for all the world like horns. That night, it was clear enough to see a couple of firework displays from our own home.
Today's another day. Daughter is about to set off for the first day of an intensive 6-week course at the local Big U. We had A Talk yesterday after a series of unfortunate events, in which I resigned from nagging and put her stuff on her, where it belongs. [The unfortunate events and the nagging are both big fat whines.] I'll be darned, she got herself up early, fixed a hearty breakfast, prepared for class, figured out where the class is, got some information she needs for something else, and is in good spirits. Yay!
What's the news from your corner of the universe?
If you have favorite summer foods to share, please visit the Special Edition post below!
We visited our town's 4th of July fair and music festival, as usual, and were treated to an abundance of foods, music, booths featuring local organizations, arts and crafts, etc. The highlight for me was discovering that it was an amazing string quartet playing Coltrane, sounding for all the world like horns. That night, it was clear enough to see a couple of firework displays from our own home.
Today's another day. Daughter is about to set off for the first day of an intensive 6-week course at the local Big U. We had A Talk yesterday after a series of unfortunate events, in which I resigned from nagging and put her stuff on her, where it belongs. [The unfortunate events and the nagging are both big fat whines.] I'll be darned, she got herself up early, fixed a hearty breakfast, prepared for class, figured out where the class is, got some information she needs for something else, and is in good spirits. Yay!
What's the news from your corner of the universe?
Friday, July 3, 2009
Special Edition: Summer Food!
In celebration of summertime and national holidays, why don't we share some of our favorite summer foods?
My contribution is modest, but a family favorite: pasta salad. We can live on this for days [unless my son comes home with friends, in which case it doesn't last], and it is the perfect picnic/potluck offering. My cooking tends toward "a little of this, a little of that," so this recipe is not exactly precise; however, it is great in many variations -- add or subtract what you choose!
PASTA SALAD
1 lb. dry pasta [rotini, penne, elbows, bowties, etc. -- I especially like rainbow rotini for its shape and colors]. Get a big pot of water boiling, and cook to al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water.
While the water is heating, toss the following into a big plastic container or bowl [I use a 1.6 gal. container, to allow room for mixing]:
* 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
* 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
* 1 can black olives [whole or sliced], drained and rinsed
* 1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained [no rinse] - slice to smaller pieces if desired
* some green onions, sliced thinly
* handful of frozen corn niblets
* handful of frozen shelled edamame, baby lima beans, whatever -- they'll thaw
* other fresh or cooked veggies as desired; chopped bell peppers are colorful and tasty
* some italian salad dressing [start with maybe 1/2 cup]
* a few dashes of sweet rice vinegar, to add a gentle tang and cut the oiliness of the dressing
* salt, pepper, some fresh or dried basil, garlic, dill, hot paprika, oregano -- be a little generous, because this will flavor all the pasta, too
When the pasta is cooked, rinsed, and drained, toss it in with the veggies/beans/dressing, and mix well. Add more dressing, tiny bit of vinegar, and/or spices as needed. For a little more zing, you can add a few dashes of hot sauce. You want enough dressing to flavor the pasta, but not so much that it is swimming. Chill for a couple of hours and let the flavors sink in.
Additional yummies can be added before chilling: small chunks of fresh mozzarella; sprinkle of blue cheese; cherry tomatoes; whatever you have around.
What does your family like in summer?
My contribution is modest, but a family favorite: pasta salad. We can live on this for days [unless my son comes home with friends, in which case it doesn't last], and it is the perfect picnic/potluck offering. My cooking tends toward "a little of this, a little of that," so this recipe is not exactly precise; however, it is great in many variations -- add or subtract what you choose!
PASTA SALAD
1 lb. dry pasta [rotini, penne, elbows, bowties, etc. -- I especially like rainbow rotini for its shape and colors]. Get a big pot of water boiling, and cook to al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water.
While the water is heating, toss the following into a big plastic container or bowl [I use a 1.6 gal. container, to allow room for mixing]:
* 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
* 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
* 1 can black olives [whole or sliced], drained and rinsed
* 1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained [no rinse] - slice to smaller pieces if desired
* some green onions, sliced thinly
* handful of frozen corn niblets
* handful of frozen shelled edamame, baby lima beans, whatever -- they'll thaw
* other fresh or cooked veggies as desired; chopped bell peppers are colorful and tasty
* some italian salad dressing [start with maybe 1/2 cup]
* a few dashes of sweet rice vinegar, to add a gentle tang and cut the oiliness of the dressing
* salt, pepper, some fresh or dried basil, garlic, dill, hot paprika, oregano -- be a little generous, because this will flavor all the pasta, too
When the pasta is cooked, rinsed, and drained, toss it in with the veggies/beans/dressing, and mix well. Add more dressing, tiny bit of vinegar, and/or spices as needed. For a little more zing, you can add a few dashes of hot sauce. You want enough dressing to flavor the pasta, but not so much that it is swimming. Chill for a couple of hours and let the flavors sink in.
Additional yummies can be added before chilling: small chunks of fresh mozzarella; sprinkle of blue cheese; cherry tomatoes; whatever you have around.
What does your family like in summer?
Happy ________ Day!
Happy Canada Day and Happy Independence Day, to the geographically relevant pixies. Happy Friday to the rest of you.
Happy Belated Birthday, JenR! Its sounds like the day itself may have disappointed, but we hope your next trip around the sun is a joyful one!
kathy a. remains a serious contender for the Elevated Risk of Mullet Award this week, as she is plagued with the “state budget rodeo . . . Too much work, not enough cash . . . and bizarre insurance hoops.”
esperanza is the lucky winner of the Overwhelming Life Award. Between the pregnancy and its tribulations, the move, the medical yuck, and the new church, it all sounds a bit much. Welcome back to teh Intarwebs , esperanza, and please pass many pixie pats-on-the-back to your mom.
KLee gets the much coveted Random Bullshit Award for reminding the Pixies that sometimes, that is what WW is all about. As kathy a. says, “this space is for whines big and small, so bring 'em on!” Once convinced, she shared her back-to-school woes, which deserve a Old Skool Award of their very own.
DevilMacDawg, whose spouse is one month away from taking the bar examination, deserves a flipping medal for sitting home with three children every night while he goes to class and waiting on any hint that he will land some sort of gainful employment before they run through the remainder of the cash on hand. Sadly, we here at Wednesday Whining are short on medals, but we hope you enjoy your crank-free vacation, DMD!
liz is now A! Celebrity! with a local newspaper following her on Twitter. How cool, liz, and how bizarre, all at the same time. I wonder what they would think if we showed up to cluestick their weather goons?
Sarah at ratatat, we hope your trip to the local waterpark capitol goes smoothly! Living in the Frigid North, I’m awfully jealous!
Sue sweeps Old Skool this week, with her bunion. We hear pre-teens can have bunions, Sue, so maybe it means you are really 11 again?
amy gets the Wallpaper Baby award to share with the little one who “needs to have every square inch of her body applied to mine like wallpaper.” We hope that need dials down a little soon, so you can make your way back to the keyboard.
We would like to award Mr. Purple_Kangaroo the Susan B. Anthony Award for suggesting his sister save her anti-suffrage opinions until his girls weren’t there to hear her shoot her mouth off. I am impressed by his assertiveness and diplomacy – what a great way to handle it!
And last but certainly not least, Name Under Development gets the Rational Mama Bear award for supporting her daughter through an unpleasant work situation. NUD, it sounds like ya’ll have everything under control, but do let us know if you need a Cluestick Posse.
I will wrap this post up with kathy a’s words: “here's a toast to the siblings we choose, and their humor and grace!” Thanks for being here, Pixies. See you next week, when kathy a will be hosting.
Happy Belated Birthday, JenR! Its sounds like the day itself may have disappointed, but we hope your next trip around the sun is a joyful one!
kathy a. remains a serious contender for the Elevated Risk of Mullet Award this week, as she is plagued with the “state budget rodeo . . . Too much work, not enough cash . . . and bizarre insurance hoops.”
esperanza is the lucky winner of the Overwhelming Life Award. Between the pregnancy and its tribulations, the move, the medical yuck, and the new church, it all sounds a bit much. Welcome back to teh Intarwebs , esperanza, and please pass many pixie pats-on-the-back to your mom.
KLee gets the much coveted Random Bullshit Award for reminding the Pixies that sometimes, that is what WW is all about. As kathy a. says, “this space is for whines big and small, so bring 'em on!” Once convinced, she shared her back-to-school woes, which deserve a Old Skool Award of their very own.
DevilMacDawg, whose spouse is one month away from taking the bar examination, deserves a flipping medal for sitting home with three children every night while he goes to class and waiting on any hint that he will land some sort of gainful employment before they run through the remainder of the cash on hand. Sadly, we here at Wednesday Whining are short on medals, but we hope you enjoy your crank-free vacation, DMD!
liz is now A! Celebrity! with a local newspaper following her on Twitter. How cool, liz, and how bizarre, all at the same time. I wonder what they would think if we showed up to cluestick their weather goons?
Sarah at ratatat, we hope your trip to the local waterpark capitol goes smoothly! Living in the Frigid North, I’m awfully jealous!
Sue sweeps Old Skool this week, with her bunion. We hear pre-teens can have bunions, Sue, so maybe it means you are really 11 again?
amy gets the Wallpaper Baby award to share with the little one who “needs to have every square inch of her body applied to mine like wallpaper.” We hope that need dials down a little soon, so you can make your way back to the keyboard.
We would like to award Mr. Purple_Kangaroo the Susan B. Anthony Award for suggesting his sister save her anti-suffrage opinions until his girls weren’t there to hear her shoot her mouth off. I am impressed by his assertiveness and diplomacy – what a great way to handle it!
And last but certainly not least, Name Under Development gets the Rational Mama Bear award for supporting her daughter through an unpleasant work situation. NUD, it sounds like ya’ll have everything under control, but do let us know if you need a Cluestick Posse.
I will wrap this post up with kathy a’s words: “here's a toast to the siblings we choose, and their humor and grace!” Thanks for being here, Pixies. See you next week, when kathy a will be hosting.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Turn, turn, turn.
June is coming to an end, and July beginning. What whines and anti-whines are on your mind as you flip the calendar page, Pixies?
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Awards!
Amy wins a Style Award for her tribute: "Speaking of Made Of Awesome, Liz - they should bow and declare they aren't worthy, but that would take up the time they need to be out ringing doorbells."
Liz earned the Mrs. Smug Campaigner, Queen of the Doorbells Award for her tireless campaign skillz! Ninety-five doors in one night, folks. SHE'S FIRED UP!!!!!!
Debangel wins the coveted Elevated Risk of Mullet Award for her pregnancy lament: "Back in a 34FF..is there a "Zoned for Dairy" award?" Runner up is Liz, who responds: "And speaking from the land of Ginormous, I understand how you're FFeeling."
Remembering What It's All About Awards to our nursing mamas, Amy and Sarah at ratatat. Best with gentle weanings, or not-weanings. And Sarah, crossing fingers that the perfect job comes your way.
Apply Head to Brick Wall Award to Sue, who bore the brunt of a family's anger and quittingness after they (the family) miscommunicated and then blamed the church. Sue also wins an Angel in a Time of Heartache Award, for being there when a family so badly needed her.
Purple Kangaroo wins the SPCA Award for excellent pet care in the face of adversity -- the specific adversity being her crazy neighbor, who is most likely the one who reported her to Animal Control on bogus claims. The Cluestick Posse is once again headed to the neighbor's house. And people, this was just after her father-in-law died! Much love and many hugs, PK.
Miranda shall henceforth be known as She Who Slays the Ants. She shared with us the trick of boiling water, to the awe of many other ant-infested Pixies.
Vacation, All I Ever Wanted Award to Elizabeth, who is in a packing / cleaning / organizing whirlwind while her beloved is in a funk for unrelated reasons. Hugs also to Elizabeth, who is understandably shaken after the horrible metro crash. We are glad you are safe, but a bit shaken ourselves.
Intrepid Traveler and Master Ironer Award to Madeleine, who first checked in from the airport before her red-eye, and later reported a major frenzy of ironing name tags into camp clothes, tossing stuff in duffles, locating things still to go in the washer, etc.
Ouchy Toofs Begone Award to JenR, whose sweetie-pie is refusing to eat because of a massive onslaught of new teeth. Poor guy! Passing the popsicles and milkshakes.
Wise Scholar Award to our own wonderful KLee, who is back in college this summer!
Condolences to all those suffering this week from sleeplessness, sleepiness, family relations issues, ants, Ball of Stress jobs, cleaning marathons, failures to communicate, dysfunctional work situations, financial stress, coughing, loss and worry, friends in distress, anxiety, behindness, cleaning other people's pet output and not even getting thanked, those contemplating ant massacres with dreamy expressions on their faces, and co-workers with attitude problems, among other things.
See you next week, when our host will be the talented Dr. Redzils!
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