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About Wednesday Whining
Wednesday Whining is a weekly blog with rotating hosts. Whines and Anti-Whines, both big and small, are welcome! Our purposes are mutual support and sharing a few laughs along the way.
The Wednesday Whining Community is diverse, and strives to be safe, welcoming, and supportive. To this end, comments that are personally abusive or otherwise disparaging [regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation] will be deleted by moderators, along with spam and self-promotion.
The Wednesday Whining Community is diverse, and strives to be safe, welcoming, and supportive. To this end, comments that are personally abusive or otherwise disparaging [regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation] will be deleted by moderators, along with spam and self-promotion.
FAQ
Q: When does Wednesday Whining appear?
A: The Whiner's Ball commences no later than Tuesday, and ends when Awards are given (usually Thursday in theory, but definitely before Monday).
Q: Awards? Really?
A: Yes, really. Traditional awards include Style [music, poetry, etc.], Old Skool [piddly little whines], and Elevated Risk of Mullet [funniest line in a whine], but other hand-crafted awards may be granted at the host's discretion, and nominations from commenters are encouraged.
Q: Can I whine about someone who just does not "get it"?
A: The Cluestick Posse is on hand for persons in need.
Q: Is there a mascot?
A: Ralph is the mascot.
Q: Are there other traditions I should know about?
A: The passing of virtual refreshments is appreciated.
Q: How did this all get started anyhow?
A: Phantom Scribbler was our muse and host for two years.
Q: What was the first prize ever awarded?
A: The Playdough Violin
A: The Whiner's Ball commences no later than Tuesday, and ends when Awards are given (usually Thursday in theory, but definitely before Monday).
Q: Awards? Really?
A: Yes, really. Traditional awards include Style [music, poetry, etc.], Old Skool [piddly little whines], and Elevated Risk of Mullet [funniest line in a whine], but other hand-crafted awards may be granted at the host's discretion, and nominations from commenters are encouraged.
Q: Can I whine about someone who just does not "get it"?
A: The Cluestick Posse is on hand for persons in need.
Q: Is there a mascot?
A: Ralph is the mascot.
Q: Are there other traditions I should know about?
A: The passing of virtual refreshments is appreciated.
Q: How did this all get started anyhow?
A: Phantom Scribbler was our muse and host for two years.
Q: What was the first prize ever awarded?
A: The Playdough Violin
116 comments:
I'm in survival mode. We've made index cards with approved activities. It's coooolllldd outside, so we're staying in today. (It's 23 F, windchill of 15, and I don't own a winter coat). Since Mr. E has gone to work, my efforts to limit screen time are proceeding smoothly so far (he is the pushover).
AW: Sweet is feeling "much better" this morning. Headache gone. Snot better. Sore throat not gone but better.
Esperanza, that is COLD. Amazon sells winter coats, btw, and it might be a good investment for you what with climate change and all. For the kiddos, hats and gloves, and several sweaters to layer on?
Good job limiting screen time. And glad Sweet is feeling better.
Baboos have winter coats! None of us needed them at all last winter--fleeces served us just fine. It didn't get this cold, obviously. I have a nice wool dress coat that is warm, but it is at my brother's house. My sister-in-law borrowed it when she was pregnant (it's an A line shape) and intended to bring it to me at Thanksgiving. "Don't worry about it," I said, "when will I need to be dressed up in cold weather?" Um, that would have been yesterday.
Mini is currently drawing dinosaurs from a "How to Draw Dinosaurs" book from the library. Sweet is happily playing on her own in her room. Bliss.
Esperanza, that's so cold! Glad Sweet's better and both are playing nicely!
Call for ideas: I need to figure out a vegetarian main dish for Christmas. Last year I did lasagne, and maybe I'll do that again (it was a hit). Or, maybe quiche? And also, I'm up in the air about side dishes.... W: As you can see, things are not exactly proceeding swiftly over here.
W: Also, just found out the local office supply place closed, with no consideration whatsoever for those of us who need such supplies. There is currently not one place in my town that sells legal pads.
AW: Sunshine! But kinda chilly.
AW: Date night with my sweetie last night. And you want to know something really cute about him? He loves seeing little kids, doing their little kid stuff. His favorite local restaurant is very kid-friendly; even has a play area. He is dying to be promoted to Grandpa, one day.
Veggie main dish...lasagna is probably where I would go, too. Or Mexican (because that's always where I go): veggie enchiladas would be good, beans and rice. Is there a gluten issue? Corn tortillas (check labels) address that.
So sorry about the lack of legal pads. Office supply stores are one of my happy places.
Yup, that's cold, esperanza. Glad the Baboos are having a good quiet day.
Sorry about the office supply store closing, kathy. That's genuinely sad. I love those stores.
Veggie lasagna is always a good choice. The enchiladas sound good too!
W: Life at the in-laws is difficult. MIL refuses to cooperate with the care workers who are just trying to do their job. She's just lucid enough to clearly refuse the care being offered, so the workers have to concede to her wishes. FIL came to church yesterday and he looks awful.
AW: I am not leaving this house today for anything. I haven't had a "barely out of my jammies" day for close to a month. BOOMJ days are those days in which I switch from my pjs into flannel pants which cannot be worn anywhere but at home. They have union jacks and doctor wh@ symbols all over them. When I put on these babies, I mean to do some serious slothing about.
No gluten or other issues! Just "I know you said you like ham and shrimp even though you're Jewish, but you read prayers even at Thanksgiving, so we're not doing that during a high holiday" issues. Seeing how Hanukah begins on Christmas Eve.
I had not considered enchiladas, thanks!
Sue! Dressing for success! LOL
I am so sorry about your MIL. Hoping that if the caregivers stick around, maybe do some things she *does* want -- and if your FIL gets out of the house, does some things he likes instead of the full-time worrying -- she will settle down and let them do their jobs. xoxo
Enchiladas..you could go a couple of directions: spinach and maybe mushrooms with a sour cream sauce (the kind that is frequently served on chicken enchiladas). Or a more traditional chili sauce over...hm...black beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers and onions. That would be good. I like hominy, but some people have strong negative opinions about that.
So sorry about the inlaw situation, Sue. How tough for your FIL.
I am also having a not-get-out-of-pjs day. I am doing some work and cooking supper in the crockpot. I'm crockpot challenged, so wish me luck.
Esperanza: I think you don't need an actual winter jacket, if you wear layers strategically. You said you have a fleece, right? And it's a long-sleeved fleece jacket, right? First: long-sleeved shirt (possibly also a sweater). Then, fleece. Then, any sort of wind-resistant spring coat you may have around. (I've had plenty of winter coats that were just a combination of a fleece and a spring coat that zipped together.) Bonus points if you have a scarf (I frequently use a dress scarf for this purpose). (It would help to have something to cover your head and hands as well. But get your core covered in multiple layers and it'll make a huge difference.) I lived on the Canadian side of the PNW for seven years, and left my proper winter coat back home on the prairies that whole time, because on the rare occasion when it actually froze, I could get away with layers. (My favourite combination was hooded sweatshirt + my going-to-conferences blazer. It worked well for its purpose.)
I'm a little jealous of all those having a pj day, but I recognize that it's all the clergical pixies, and it is Monday, and we are days away from Christmas.
W: the fireplacing Science Centre is not open when you need it to be. We thought it was open on Mondays in the winter, because we've been there on a Monday recently. It turns out it's only open on Mondays when there's a school holiday, and is closed on Mondays otherwise. It's also closed in the morning on weekends. They're killing me. We had to take E and her buddies to the museum, and while ended up having a blast, she had a few minutes of utter heartbreak, because she had her heart set on the science centre.
AW: we still had a lovely time at the museum, which is always open. (Well, other than Christmas Day. But that's it. Always open. 9-5:30, every day.)
QWP, that just means you will do the science center another time. Now that you know its quirky hours. A museum substitution is perfectly wonderful! (I remember an elementary school field trip that got re-directed at the last minute because -- the reason escapes me now, but everybody was fine with another local educational attraction.)
Excess books cleared from front room. Some donated to a Little Library. Delayed visit to the local gift shop, done. Stockings located. Mail got sent. Dusting and polishing to happen soon. Dishes, too. Laundry, also.
Esperanza, excellent suggestions! If I go that way, may mix it up with beans, spinach and mushrooms, lots of cheese, probably a canned sauce, and artful cream sauce over the top. With thin-sliced green onion.
Kathy: this is the third time we've been thrown by the quirky hours! At least this time I checked their hours at the last minute, and discovered it was closed (last year, also for E's birthday, we drove all the way there to discover it was closed). We need to get there again before our membership expires! I just wish that I'd checked the hours again (since I'd only checked that on weekdays they were open in the morning) before we had our jackets on, because then I was dealing with a sobbing child when her friends arrived to pick us up.
Thanks for the layers help, QWP. If I'd had to go somewhere today, that's probably what I would have done. It was yesterday, when I needed to look like a professional grownup, that I had problems. PJ day is working out quite well.
W: It took the 3 of us an hour to wrap 6 gifts.
AW for Esperanza: But you have some wrapped gifts in your house now! And we don't!
Kathy, if the inlaws are bringing latkes, may I suggest going full breakfast and making a spinach and artichoke frittata?
Liz on iPhone
Liz, don't put a frittata on me! Quiche, I can do. Maybe they are really the same thing? I even do crustless quiche! But think a quality crust will help me stay calm and carry on, yaknowwhatimean?
Unless I do enchiladas. The jury's out, but I think I can mostly-bake either the day before, let 'em sit in a warm-up oven the day of. Quiche just seems more forgiving than a frittata!
Fritatta is WAY EASIER than a quiche.
Hang on. Let me get the recipe.
6 artichokes preserved in oil, thinly sliced.
3 (or more) cloves of garlic, unpeeled
3 Tablespoons frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
3 Tablespoons of oil from the artichokes, or olive oil
9 extra large eggs
3 Tablespoons creme fraiche or heavy cream
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
about 1/2 cup (2oz/50g) grated gruyere cheese for sprinkling (optional, NOT).
Preheat broiler. Spread artichokes slices and garlic on a baking sheet and cook under broiler until evenly lightly charred. Remove skin from garlic, crush cloves, and chop finely. In a 12 inch skillet, heat the oil. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the creme fraiche or cream, and salt and pepper. Add artichokes, garlic, spinach, and parsley.
Pour the egg mixture into the pan and cook very slowly for about 15 minutes until the body of the eggs is just set and the top is liquid. Sprinkle the cheese over, if using (which YOU ARE). Put the pan under the broiler for 2 minutes or until the top is set or cheese has melted. Let cool, if you like. Run a palette knife or spatula around the edge of the frittata to loosen it and slide it from the pan. Cut into wedges or small diamond shapes.
DELICIOUS.
Best part, YOU CAN SERVE IT COLD. With the latkes and maybe a salad, you have a perfect festive dinner.
That sounds perfectly delicious, Liz. I'll pass along the recipe to my chef/hubby!
It's been a good, quiet day. I needed that!
Oh, no. There will be many more dishes, and my main objective is to not have everything in the oven last minute. But that does look really delish! xoxo
BTW, I do a 375 oven instead of a broiler with my frittata, because I find it's easier to get an even cook in my eggs that way. I use my cast iron skillet, and sautee whatever things I want in there (chopped mushrooms and bits of onion, usually, and then throw in chopped spinach near the end -- but I've mixed almost anything into a frittata). I whisk together a mess of eggs and milk with shredded cheese (6-8 eggs are best in my skillet), throw them in the skillet, mix a bit, and let it cook on the stovetop until it's starting to set along the edges. Then, I throw it in the 375 oven until it's cooked through. (I think this is adapted from Simply Recipes. I've also done this with chorizo and goat cheese.)
No cast iron skillet. This is not the week to get one, season it, and learn fritatta. But -- all good innards for a quiche! LOL xoxo
I just remembered that last time I did it without the cast iron! Any oven-safe frying pan is fine! (But I understand not wanting to have an extra thing in the oven. I just had to chime in with my own recipe!)
I've never made a frittata.
I did successfully cook supper in the crockpot today, which makes me feel like I deserve a reward. (Pork loin roast when then got shredded and turned into green chile pork tacos. Told ya I always go to Mexican food).
Go, Esperanza! Love the crockpot. Works really well for a dish like that! (I'll sometimes do pork roast, salsa verde, and some hominy; maybe a few extras. Num!)
W: I am a "rude, mean bully" and "the meanest mom ever." And it's only Monday. 18 more days of winter break to go.
I think you're doing pretty well! "Meanest mom ever" is ever so unoriginal...
But SOMEbody'd better give you some backup over those 18 days, is all I'm sayin'. xoxo
You're already in winter break, esperanza? I'm so sorry. (Last day of school is Wednesday here, this year.)
Bad thing happened with the spousal unit. Out of the fireplacing blue. The loud part seems to be over, although everybody is laying low. (No danger! Just, um, unseasonal ugly. Or, perhaps, seasonal...) Fa la la la.
Anon, so sorry. FWIW, it's likely seasonal. Extras, extra $$, expectations, perhaps bad memories. It's a lot.
QWP, yes! Who makes this schedule? December 19-January 5.
So sorry, Anon. I hope things have cooled down this morning.
That's a long school break, esperanza!
I'm so sorry, Anon. Hugs.
Esperanza: your school break is three days longer than ours! Ours is always two weeks, unless some weekend weirdness happens.
W: I don't know what was up last night. I was getting into fights with loved ones because I've made small changes to this year's Christmas plans. I've technically won all the fights (in that I'm getting my way with all the scheduling) but I'm still all agitated from it.
Busy few days ahead, everyone! Preschool concert today (two performances: afternoon and evening, but very short performances, which are technically just the opening act for the elementary school musical), and at some point I also need to buy a present for E's teacher and learning assistant, do up a fruit tray for E's preschool Christmas party tomorrow, and make a shortbread cookie base for the fruit pizza which Mr. Q requested for his birthday cake tomorrow. Then, tomorrow is preschool Christmas party, possibly attending the Christmas chapel with the school's older kids, and Mr. Q's birthday party in the evening. Thursday is final present shopping, making special Norwegian desserts and other party prep, and then on Friday we are hosting a big party! Then Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas Day with Mr. Q's.
Oh goodness, my house is so messy. So many parties this week.
AW: Both parcels (one sent East, one West) have arrived at their destinations, so there will be Christmas stockings for the boyz on Sunday morning. Whew! Really, once those have arrived, I sleep a bit easier... I wish they were coming home, but it didn't work out for them this year.
W: I didn't realize how fragile I'm feeling right now, though it makes some sense. We received a donation cheque from an elderly woman who lives in long-term care. It was written by her granddaughter, as she is nearly blind. Along with the cheque was a note from said granddaughter saying, "It would be nice if someone visited once in awhile!" Ugh. Of course, I can't stop thinking about it.
The woman is on our visiting list - we have a team of pastoral care visitors who are dedicated to visiting at least every month, sometimes more. So, this is directed at me. This is "we don't want lay people, we want the minister." Seriously, I do the best I can. Apparently for some, that's not enough.
The granddaughter is a Christmas/Easter-only person, so I don't know her well. It really bugs me when people who can't be bothered to show up and see what the church is actually doing, decide the minister is their personal chaplain, available at all times.
The irony factor is that this woman is already on my list to see this week.
"Dear grand-daughter of woman in care, Thank you so much for sending in her donation and the lovely note. Our pastoral care team assures me that we have been visiting your grandmother often and, as it happens, she was on my own schedule for this week. Please feel free to come by and talk to me during my office hours [times], or after services on any Sunday (holidays may not be the best time as attendance goes way up on those days).
All my very best,
Rev. Sue"
Brilliant, Liz. I'm on it....
What is it with all the festive tension?
Sue, wow about the granddaughter! A gracious note seems like the way to go.
Still crossing things off the list -- and thankfully there are a few more days! -- but haven't managed the computer repair store or the post office yet.... Also, not one wrapped present anywhere in the house.
I decided on some quality ricotta ravioli with pesto sauce for the veg main dish. Made by a local deli. Delicious, and easy peasy.
That is a winner, kathy a. Good plan.
Sue, that is so disgustingly typical. Barf. And of course you're fragile--'tis the overworked minister season, plus all of the emotionally heavy things going on with your inlaws. Take care of yourself, too.
W: each dentist visit is getting progressively worse for Sweet. She's been doing so incredibly well that this caught me by surprise this morning. Hygienist and dentist were both great, but it was sensory overload like she hasn't had in a long time. She's fine at the orthodontist, just to deepen the mystery.
AW: at least that's done for 6 months
Excellent plan, Kathy.
(((Sweet)))
Liz, love the letter!!!!!!
And esperanza, sorry the days stretch so long! but also........
my whine: wish our break was longer. We go full week this week, and then we are off next week and the following Monday, but back on the 3rd. I am tired.
--Neighbor Lady
p.s. old skool non-earth shaking whine... i have a bump on the side of my face that I *think* suddenly appeared last evening.... thought it was a single hive.... now wondering if it's a spider bite???? but I think it appeared while at my computer??? a weird zit? so annoying, especially because I can't identify it! sometimes itches, sometimes stings a bit. ugh.
Poor Sweet! But I can identify with dental anxiety...
NL -- maybe a little calamine lotion (later) to see if that helps the mystery bump?
NL, sorry for the too-short break. I think our teachers go back on the 2nd or 3rd for inservice/training/something.
Sweet *loved* the eye doctor appointment, and passed with flying colors. Her brain is making the adjustment to seeing clearly, so that is good.
Yay!!!! Go sweet!
:) NL
I turn 40 this week. Also, I got the paperwork for the GAL turned in on time, though I wasn't able to run it by my lawyer since she is on vacation.
Hooray for Sweet's eye doctor appointment going well, and her brain making the right adjustments! I'm so sorry that the dentist appointment was so hard on her.
Liz, that was a great note for Sue's situation. And Sue, so many hugs. That's the last thing you need right now.
NL: you know, one time Mr. Q woke up with a mystery bump on his face, and he went to show it to his doctor. The doctor told him it was a spider bite, drew a marker circle around it, and said, "If it grows outside the marker, come straight back." He then went and taught, and had such rapt attendance from his students! (Or at least they were all looking at his face, trying to see if the bump would grow past the marker circle.)
I was guessing it could be a spider bite-- Yikes about Mr. Q! But, perhaps
i will use the marker circle as a classroom management strategy! ;)
--
NL
Happy Birthday PK!!!!!!!!
-NL
Good for Sweet for doing so well at the eye doctor! And the dentist is done for 6 months, so that's good. I think part of what stresses people of all ages out about the dentist is that you feel a bit trapped (for lack of a better term). While they're working on your mouth, you can't move much because they have sharp instruments, and you can't speak to tell them what's going on with you. It's all very limiting.
Happy Birthday, PK!
NL, I hope the mystery bump resolves quickly.
W:I had a great plan this morning: The Baboos have been wanting to go to the donut shop for breakfast. I don't like donuts (one of the few sweet items I can pass by easily), but I had recently found out that they also made delicious pigs-in-a-blanket. So we planned to go get donuts and then go swimming at the indoor pool at the Y. (The swimming has to be accomplished before 11:00, when the pool is occupied with classes). So we did. I intended to wear down some of Mini's energy, which worked. But I am exhausted. So tired. And my back hurts (not related to swimming; in fact, that helped a little). So tired.
(((Esperanza))), sounds like the plan really worked, but I'm sorry you're exhausted. My mom used to have me play "beauty parlor" with her when she was just. done. I'd sit on the back of the couch and play with her hair, putting barrettes and whatnot into it while she "rested her eyes". Would your cuties be into that? Alternatively, is there a Christmas-related craft thing they can do relatively unsupervised while you lie on the couch?
Oh boy, esperanza, I'm with you with the exhaustion and sore back. Christmas break solidarity.
Happy birthday, PK! And today is Mr. Q's birthday as well (he's 36 today).
AW: we're all done preschool until January, and I successfully hauled a fruit tray, teacher presents, and a billion other bags to the school (walking) this morning. And then I addressed some of the Christmas cards (finally), and got them into the mail. It counts if they were sent before Christmas, right?
W: one of those cards is apparently going to a random location in Missouri, and I'll have to send out another one. I texted my dad to ask him for my aunt's address, and my mom texted me back right away, just as I was about to go out the door to pick up E (and drop off cards on my way). After I got home, I found I'd received a message from my dad, with a different address: apparently, my mom only casually glanced in her address book (and didn't have the updated address in the first place), and accidentally gave me my aunt's brother-in-law's old address from the 1990s. Lesson learned: my mom's address book is not necessarily up to date. (Also: I asked my DAD for the address! She didn't need to rush in and send it before he had a chance to look it up.)
Do you know of any helper elves, who can come over this afternoon, fold my piles of laundry, clean my kitchen, and assemble a fruit pizza, and get things ready for a birthday party? Because I'm wiped.
Happy Birthdays, PK and Mr. Q!!
Yay, PK, for getting the paperwork done!
Esperanza -- quite the successful morning! Except the ouchy and exhausted part.
QWP -- sometimes cards just get misdirected. Now you know; your mom has no system... The one for my husband's best friend just came back, because apparently I don't have a current address for him. Oh.Well....
My helper elves are apparently on strike, so you can have 'em. But the christmas dishware that my MIL gave me [all I could think was, where are we going to put this?] is about to go in the dishwasher, so it seems the festivity prep is happening anyway. I'm gonna declare the tree decorated sometime today, also. And dust/polish. ;)
Happy birthday, PK!!! And Mr. Q
Happy birthday Mr. Q!!!
Today so far: I did laundry; washed the holiday plates and such that my MIL gave us; settled on a holiday menu; wrapped and mailed a present to SIL; returned something that didn't fit; sent a package to a client; ***scored*** good parking and short waits at the post office AND the giant grocery store from hell; secured more holiday necessaries; talked daughter through some last tweaks on her law school application essays; received my Christmas dress to self in the mail, and it works!; also received actual cloth napkins; secured dinner items for tonight; and I plan to finish the tree decorating and get beloved to stash the boxes. Also, possibly, further dusting and fluffing in the front room will occur in the near future. I think I have a plan for keeping the holiday plates clean and handy, but due to lack of space, it involves the garage...
Happy Birthday to those celebrating!
W: Sweet had another headache/tummyache/earache/sore throat complaint this afternoon, much worse than the other day. I gave her ibuprofen. She took a nap (extremely unusual) for about an hour and a half. Then felt better, ate supper, pooped, and went to bed just a little later than usual. So...constipation? exhaustion? both?
Oh, no, about Sweet! At least she perked up, that's a good sign.
I placed a number more ornaments, declared the tree finished, and put everything else back in the boxes, to be banished for the duration. The tree looks good, though, despite the off/on efforts.
W: It appears the laptop I use at home has died a horrible death. Last evening it started making this awful knocking sound in the top left side of the keyboard. It stopped for awhile, then started up worse than before, so I thought (as people do) "I'll restart the computer."
Hmmm... knocking stopped, but the reboot message that appeared on the black screen means the computer no longer recognizes its own hard drive.
Crap.
Another whine: It was a year ago today that our old girl kitty died. We still miss her.
Oh, no, Sue! I hope the laptop can make a speedy recovery. Very sorry about the anniversary of losing your sweet girl.
AW: I did an early run to TJ's, got most of the rest of the food plus a wreath, and was back home before 9 a.m. Yay!
Crap for sure, Sue. This is not a good time for this to happen, eh?
AW: playdate at the park with some church/neighborhood friends. My children were, comparatively speaking, well behaved and not whiny.
W: That would be Mini, who ended up with both feet and her bottom wet in the creek.
The Aquatic Grace Award (Creek Division) for Mini!
My computer genius has gone out of business, so I'm trying to line up another one -- who has good reviews, but according to his auto-response, is pretty busy right now....
If there is a body of water to be fallen into, and an inopportune moment, and Mini is within a mile of it, it will happen.
(((Sue)))
I second the award for Mini.
A person (a friendly acquaintance) on the Book of Visages made comments on two different posts that I have chosen to take...poorly. I don't know if the way I took either of the comments was the right one. I just know that I'm done. DONE. with white men telling me I need to do their fireplacing work for them.
In other news, my physical therapist dry needled my neck again (different spot) and it felt like the contractions I had on pitocin (worse than last time, and last time was pretty painful). I breathed through it, and the whole staff were very impressed that I handled it so well. Still fireplacing hurts, tho. But I've got better range of motion, so it was worth it. And I'll probably do it again if he thinks it'll help.
But this may be why I did not accept the comments with patience or grace.
Cat bark -- in my office, in the kitchen, and training into the dining room. All fresh kibble that Junior Cat scarfed down, too much and too fast. She might be a tad freaked by the holiday stuff, and mama's reaction to some excess clawing that resulted in the urgent need for band-aids the past coupla nights. And / or the dog coming in -- the bark happened a little while after that. (Senior cat has gotten all lovey on the dog, go figure...)
This is my life now. Psychologist and concierge to the pets. House elf. Santa's elf. Person whose presents aren't wrapped. Chef! I'm pretty sure we'll get everything into order in time, and I did buy a box of 100 bandages just in case.
Liz -- you don't need to accept jerk comments at all. You can ignore or delete them, or unfriend, or whatever.
But yeah, pain does make a person less gracious. xoxoxoxo
Ouchie, Liz. Is this akin to Sue's magic needle treatment?
W: My brother's family has hand-foot-mouth virus, aka coxsackie virus. It is contagious for 7-10 days, according to Dr Google and to my friend who has had it in her household before. Brother & family were planning on going to grandparents' house on Sunday afternoon, and we were planning on arriving Monday. Much anguish ensues. My dad just had surgery on Monday, and he certainly doesn't need that sort of complication. Neither do the rest of us, of course.
Oh, holy cow, Esperanza! None of you can be in contact with your brother until he is out of the zone. Y'all can do something else a better time. xooxo
W: I know, I know. The challenge is, if I may whine further, that three of us are pastors, so Sundays are taken. We're coordinating schedules with the grandparents, us, them, AND college-aged niece, who is far, far away in the land of expensive plane tickets. So if we don't do it now, we likely won't be able to include her at all. And, to add another whine, Mr E is scheduled for sinus surgery on january 5, and certainly doesn't need to catch anything before then. It's all very whiny and whine-worthy.
Well, then. Brother stays home. Easter will come along in a few months, and the day after Easter. Also, your brother gets some kind of award for Virus Least Welcome At Family Festivities.
Indeed, that can be their award (3 of the 5 of them have it right now).
Virus Least Welcome At Family Festivities, With Multiple Vectors, Award.
3 out of 5 with HFM! For goodness sake, they'd better stay home. I know it's crummy to miss family Christmas (as I remember from when my father missed Christmas a couple of years ago, when we both got influenza), but it's far worse to spread disease to your loved ones!
(This reminds me that I need to plan a nice tray of goodies to leave on the doorstep of my cousin, who is quarantined through Christmas thanks to staph.)
Liz, you don't have to take any crap from anyone. Ever.
I had dry-needling done once on my head and neck by a local physio. It hurts!! It wasn't very effective for me, unfortunately. By comparison my treatments are a cake-walk. I think the point of both kinds of treatment is to free up those tight little trigger points that cause pain. With my treatments, the bot@x is injected into the trigger point and instantly numbs it, so less pain.
Sorry about the bark and psychology, kathy. Not a great way to start the day.
esperanza, I agree with the others. The virus-carrying family stays home. Period. End of sentence. Especially with your dad just out of surgery.
W: Well, my computer is perfectly dead. Techie guy said give it a good burial. I'm using hubby's and the one at work. *sigh*
AW: I'm pretty much ready for Christmas Eve. Sermon done, gifts wrapped and hidden in closet away from cats, no more trips to the grocery store needed. Yay!
I'm with team "sick people stay home". Sorry it means missing college niece, but better that than being vectors to vulnerable people.
I really like the idea of bringing food and presents to their doorstep tho.
YAY for being done, Sue! Sorry about your dead computer.
One more grocery run. Finish the dusting / polishing. Wrap presents. Sort stocking items. And if I'm short something, tomorrow is another day. :)
Oy, Sue, about the dead laptop....
AW: have been promised pizza from my favorite shop! (Which isn't nearby, but isn't too far from beloved's work.) It has the most fabulous sourdough crust; and each day one can choose between cheese pizza and the specialty of the day -- all the specialties are inventive and delish. (Plus, other baked items, coffee, etc.) It's a Berkeley-style employee owned co-op. The yumminess easily makes up for the limited choices.
It woulda been better to do the grocery run earlier, but I scored essentially everything -- including watermelon radishes, which I wanted because my future DIL loves radishes and these are gorgeous, but hard to find. Bread that was still warm, to be made into garlic bread on The Big Day. Pom seeds and nice pears for the fruit and nut garnished salad. Red tulips, not yet open. Veg broth, so everything but the roast will be vegetarian. The person who nudged a bottle of syrup onto the floor was not me. The person behind me in line complimented my salt/pepper hair, noting also that my black and white dress goes well on people like us. Thinks are nice at the hippie natural food grocery store, even on a day this busy.
I'm continuing to procrastinate a grocery store run until tomorrow morning. That is a good idea, right? Right?
I'm unaccustomed to cooking on Christmas, as for all the years we lived in Small Town, we had a standing invitation to someone else's house. No invitation has been forthcoming in the Big City, so I guess we'll have to cook.
Oh, like a 2 preacher, 2 kid house needs to also worry about Christmas dinner!
It's nuts out there, so I'd recommend going to the grocery either really early or really late. Without baboos. xoxo
My plan is early early, without Baboos. And Christmas dinner ain't going to be anything fancy. I'm going to grill chicken tomorrow, and we'll have fajitas. Beans are already cooked (I always have some "refried" beans in the freezer). It has the bonus of being something we all four will eat.
Red napkins, if they have any left. It's all about food everyone wants, and a tad of special so it's not just a regular dinner.
Just learned that anti-semitic graffiti was found in a bathroom at my son's school earlier this week.
It was not in his grade's hallway, and so the principal didn't send an email to parents of students in his grade, but he came home telling me they talked about it at school today. Would be nice to have heard what is being done, etc. Things like this do affect everyone in the school. (and Jewish kids in other grades would be rightly concerned about what was written!).
Sigh. Not a good way to kick off Hanukk@h tomorrow.
--Neighbor Lady
Oh, NL -- how awful. xoxoxo
That's terrible, NL! I think they should have sent the same information to all parents, to stop rumors and bad information. I'm so sorry :(
For NL, NB, and all the parental units around here: No.Bullying. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2016/12/23/you-are-all-our-kids-no-matter-what-award-winning-teachers-ban-together-speak-out-to-protect-students/?hpid=hp_hp-cards_hp-card-national%3Ahomepage%2Fcard&utm_term=.da4fa980bf4b
I'm so sorry NL. How horrifying.
Oh no, NL. That is so awful.
NL, that is horrible. I am so sorry.
Kathy-- thank you so much for that link! Love it!
Thanks everyone! Wrote to the principal asking her to send me the letter that went out to the other grades, and she did, and then I replied respectfully suggesting that parents in the upper grades might also appreciate knowing what the response was.....
Got a "thanks" back.
She's a good principal, so hopefully they'll get to the bottom of this.
In other news, my daughter is walking around the house alternating between Hannukah and Christmas songs. Have wrapped some presents and am soon heading out to the grocery (ugh) to get some frozen latkes from Tr@d3r J03's. Theirs are yummy and so much easier than making our own, especially since the kids like them better! sigh.
Happy Hannukah to everyone celebrating Hannukah, and Merry Christmas to all the pixies celebrating Christmas, and Happy New Year to everyone!!!!
Love you guys!!!
:) Neighbor Lady
W: My level of irritation at fellow clergy is pretty high right now (present company and Mr E excepted). We are not the only people in the world who have to work on Christmas. We are not the only people in the world whose work interferes with holiday/family preparations and celebrations. We are not the only people in the world who have more to do than they have time in which to do it. Get a grip, people. Yes, it's a big deal and a busy time. This is what you signed up for.
I hope they get to the bottom of it, NL.
Wishing everyone in Pixie world a wonderful, joy-filled Holiday season, and all the best for 2017. xoxoxo
Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas Eve to you all. XOXOXO
Latkes at my house are waiting until Jan. 30
Happy Hanukkah (I totally copied the spelling from Liz) and Merry Christmas to all of you. I love you all.
I've never had a latke, but it's potatoes, and it's fried, so I'm pretty sure I would like them.
Happy Everything! xoxo
Am pacing the advance cooking of dishes through the day. Still have one more errand. Still have to wrap things, but on review, I think there is reasonable equity in the distribution. Not one ornament yet knocked off the tree! Hoping the roast thaws by tomorrow (in the fridge)...
W: I went to the grocery store this morning. It was...um...a little nuts.
Just drove way out of my way to get to a grocery store when the fastest way would have taken me past a mall. It was a lovely drive, 5 minutes in and out of the store, and a lovely drive back..... no traffic on my route. Lovely.
:)NL
I think I can get the last couple of things at the stupid chain drug store with bad selection but tons of parking, instead of risking my sanity at an actual grocery store.
Esperanza, is it possible you are witnessing some letting off of steam, kind of a WW for pastors? It's not like they can unload cluesticks on the most annoying parishioners, and I imagine an unenviable part of the job is that -- in addition to an already busy schedule -- a lot of folks are stressed and messed up, seeking a pastoral miracle, this time of year. Add basically anything else (personal or family crisis, health problems, leaky roof, etc.), and bam.
AW: Daughter's law school applications are officially complete!! all but one letter of rec that was promised but is not yet sent. (Deadline isn't for over a month.) 2 schools already responded that they had gotten the application!
Kathya, yes I'm sure that's some of it. I'm annoyed because they are (a) blaming it on male clergy; (b) not asking for help from family members; (c) setting up excessive expectations for themselves and then whining about their burdens.
With that, I think I'll go sweep and mop.
Good points, about excess expectations of self, in combo with not asking for help / not delegating tasks. I've been guilty of those things, myself, but [a] it's OK to lower the bar to what can reasonably be accomplished, and [b] also OK to delegate, to ask, to not accept extras that someone wants to pile on. IMO.
agreed, on a and b.
If nothing else, I feel like I'm raising the Baboos with totally manageably low expectations for Christmas! ha! That's putting a positive spin on things.
AW: floors are clean. The Baboos "mopped" the living room and bedroom.
W: It is so hot and sticky today that I am sweating from sweeping and mopping. 76 F on December 24. It's not a record, but the humidity is nasty.
Mopping! In the humidity! That sounds like an accomplishment worthy of kudos, especially since the Baboos did some of it. :)
I might be the only person ever to need a rest break halfway through the stuffing / dressing process, but my reason is that I'm mixing up 2 recipes, and one calls for an egg as a binder, and the veg mixture needs to cool. (Which it could have, if I'd made the veg/spices/butter/chestnut part earlier, but I'm just considering it progress.)
Goodnight, my friends. May you all have sweet dreams.
Night, Liz. And everybody. Love all around!
Presents wrapped, and stockings stuffed. Ho ho ho!
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah! xoxo
We have no small people, guests don't arrive for over 5 hours, so things are reasonably quiet here. Just doing a few last-minutes at a leisurely pace.
So full. Very tired. Guests still in the house. Haven't had dessert yet.
This is not a whine, just an update.
Restivus! The unspoken holiday break during holiday overload! My dad usually celebrated by pretending he was watching a football game, and snoring. But I usually celebrate by hiding for a little bit, just for the quiet.
xoxo
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, dear pixies. We've survived all our celebrations here, and everything has gone pretty well. But now I'm ready for a lot of quiet. I'm glad that we have an extra holiday here -- Boxing Day is a public holiday here in Canada. (It's basically our Black Friday, in terms of massive sales, but we're going to avoid all shopping tomorrow and recover.)
Since Christmas fell on Sunday this year, and people usually get an extra day off after Christmas, we effectively have Boxing Day in the US tomorrow, too. Not for everybody, but for many.
The dinner and celebration was nice! I'm both dead on my feet and a little wired. And my back hurts. But everybody seemed to have a good time. Also, my future DIL's mom brought me a big box of cat-related wonderful items, despite my no present rule! xoxo
I hope everyone had a good day yesterday and will have a chance to rest up today. Our Christmas was quiet, but very good. We sk&ped with both of the boys and spoke with them again later in the day (turkey coaching was needed).
My in-laws were here for supper and it went very well. MIL was in good spirits once she got here. She's not accustomed to me picking them up to come here for dinner, so she was a bit thrown by that at first. She ate a good meal, contributed to the conversation voluntarily, spoke with the boys...she was exhausted by the time I dropped them off. But all in all, a good day.
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