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Monday, June 5, 2017

First time hosting in a while.

Thanks QWP for refreshing my hosting info! Whine away, everyone!

83 comments:

kathy a. said...

Thanks, Liz!

It's my son's 30th birthday! He's been too busy to plan dinner or anything, but guess we'll make up by celebrating extra next weekend...

Queen of West Procrastination said...

I'm sure he's feeling very celebrated right now, Kathy! I understand not being able to take the time for a milestone birthday, because of happy life events: I spent my 35th birthday with home inspectors and a structural engineer, and then going through a series of counter offers for this house (and then we spent Mr. Q's 35th signing closing papers with our lawyer). A family dinner eventually happened, I think, but the biggest present of all was buying a house. I'm sure your son feels that way about getting married.

And happy 30th anniversary of parenting, Kathy!

kathy a. said...

By this time 30 years ago, my friend had persuaded the judge to call my case already, unless he wanted to experience the miracle of life right there in his courtroom. (Seriously good friend.)

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Ha! That's amazing, Kathy.

kathy a. said...

The really funny part was that she was heavily pregnant herself. Many judges were quite startled, seeing such abundant lawyers in court. Anyway, that man had never before shown so much concern for people like me or our clients. Boom, that case got done; and in a satisfactory manner. :)

Another day, another c0stc0 run. And when I got home, the power was out! But AW, now it has returned, the perishables will make it, all is good.

Liz said...

Maybe a run for bags and bags and bags of ice, and extra ice chests, just in case?

kathy a. said...

Oh, the power outage. Temp glitch, maybe an hour; don't expect that again.

Ice shopping is for the day of, with maybe some the night before to hold any excess food in ice chests. I think we'll have enough ice chests! I'm borrowing my cousin's fridge space, too, for stuff that doesn't need prep -- and *then* his ice chest. All beverages needing a chill are going into ice tubs once they arrive on location; and we have 2 large insulated dispensers for ice water.

There is basically no news but wedding news. The MotB brought by their cooler and an ice tub, plus a bunch of wedding decor and party favors that they wanted to stash here because we're close to the wedding venue. My house is starting to resemble a warehouse, and that will probably only become more so, since we remain light on bulky beverages...

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Exciting times, Kathy! I'm glad that your power didn't stay out for long.

Confession: I just noticed that the instructions for tonight's school barbecue and AGM says "bring salad or dessert." I'm too tired to do much, but I had more than half of the salad from yesterday's church picnic in the fridge. I put it in a slightly smaller bowl, added a couple of avocados, peppers, and tomatoes, added an extra squeeze of lime juice (it's sort of a southwestern salad, but with quinoa), and I'll pretend that I made it today. I WAS just worrying about how we were going to eat all that salad (I made way too much, for a picnic for 18 people, where everyone brought a ridiculous amount of food); we've already eaten leftovers for supper last night and lunch today!

kathy a. said...

QWP -- It is perfect! And the salad is probably (as these things are) even better the second day. ;)

I totally forgot about avocado! Think I will put some in a bowl near the green salad, whole, and let the masses use them as they will.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

AW: they ate the whole salad! I'm free from salad leftovers, at last. There was SO MUCH leftover from the church picnic, that I had visions of it being our lunches and suppers for the foreseeable future. (Why did I make so much?)

Good idea to have a bowl of avocado near the salad, Kathy.

kathy a. said...

I guess the Giant Load of Leftovers is one fear about the picnic. At least with that one, I can cure with ziplocs and imploring guests to take some home, please. The other fear is not having enough, so there is some excess planning on that end of it.

p_k said...

I guess the overabundance of salad was a happy accident. And now I'm craving curried quinoa apple salad. I'll have to pick up the ingredients in my next shopping trip.

Still waiting on the GAL here.

p_k said...

I'm of the opinion that too much food is always better than not enough. One group we were in when I was a teenager would have put lucks and most people wouldn't even bring enough for for their own family to eat. Going to a pot luck where nobody gets enough to eat isn't much fun. So my mom started bringing even bigger quantities of food than the normally generous amount she takes to pot lucks.

Liz said...

More = better for parties. Send 'em home with take-out plates if necessary. You can get 'em at Costco.

kathy a. said...

My plan is a large assortment of ziplocs, for takeaways. Which are currently residing in one of the piles-o-stuff.

Today -- got that haircut, got more stuff, plan to do my baking. It won't be that much baking, just some brownies and jam bar cookies. And I may make another shopping run; the beverage count is low at present. Think I will avoid c0stc0 for the soda and bubble water part of the program, to spare my back from sizes requiring a small forklift or a personal lumberjack.

Really hoping I can take a bunch of stuff to my cousin's fridge tonight, because it's gettin' tight in there and I haven't started the cooking / marinating yet. (If not, I may go for ice in a cooler tomorrow.)

kathy a. said...

I am really hoping the brownies cool enough to cut and hide before anybody comes home and starts trying to snarf them up. Probably, one batch is not enough...

Sue said...

Thanks for hosting, Liz!

The wedding plans sound busy but exciting, kathy!

I agree - lots of food is good. Take home containers for leftovers.

AW: I'm going to see our son who lives out West! I'll be there for four days later this month. Then I'll be in the Big City to see our other son and his partner (and see the magic doc with all the magic needles for my head) in July.

AW: I haven't felt this rested in years. My natural rhythm for sleep is to sleep from 2:00 am to 10:00 am. When I can do that I am much more balanced, less jumpy, less cranky, and just basically easier to live with. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I have no work stress at all, and lots of good books to read. Hubby and I have been catching up on odd jobs around here and watching netfl*x on rainy days. It's all good.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

I'm so glad that you can get proper rest and back on track, Sue! This is such a much-needed sabbatical.

PK: I need to try this curried quinoa apple salad. That sounds like exactly my sort of thing. (And I really hope the GAL gets back to you soon. Hugs.)

AW: child is asleep.
W: But first, she tried (for the first time) turning on her bedroom light and playing in her room after bedtime. She then forgot that she was supposed to be asleep and called for her daddy to bring more toys. So very busted. I told her, since the turning on light thing confused her understanding of time of day so much, that she's not allowed to turn on her light before we get her in the morning anymore (I'm really worried she's going to do this in the middle of the night, one of these days. The sun gets up EARLY in June, this far north). She was then heartbroken and I had to soothe a sobbing child and get her to finally go to sleep. I really hope she doesn't try that again.

p_k said...

QOWP, it's M@rtha Stew@rt's recipe. Very yummy. Quin and apple salad with curry dressing.

Liz said...

QWP, you may get one or two more instances of this, but it generally fades because it really isn't fun.

Liz said...

If it doesn't fade, there are some good visual aids to help her know when it's time to get up. Clocks that change color, etc.

kathy a. said...

Yay for rest, Sue! And great about your travel plans.

((( PK ))) Hope the report comes soon. xoxo

Know you are dying for another report -- my beloved, the FotG, is taking tomorrow off work in honor of the festivities. He must find the right meat for his skewers, prepare it just as his grandmother did, yadda. Normally, once that's done before a festivity, he decides he must change the oil in the car or something, but not this time, no sirree. Mama's got a list, and she is delegating.

Liz said...

Good for you, Mama! The car can wait until after the wedding. No changing doorknobs, either.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Good job, having a list and delegating! (Make sure he also hasn't been eyeing up any last-minute renos, either. No new bathroom vanities this week!)

esperanza said...

Mr. E would find it a good time to organize his home office, or detail the car.

kathy a. said...

OMG, I had my first pedicure. And it was heaven, that's what it was. She tried to talk me into a color, but that's not me. Anyway, I should definitely do that again; it was almost as good as a shoulder massage, plus my toes are presentable.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

So jealous, Kathy! I'm glad that you had a good and relaxing time.

Whiiiiiiine: I either have a summer cold, or pollen has taken me down completely, and antihistamines are doing nothing. I actually hope it's allergies, because I really don't want E coming down with a cold right before her big end-of-school outdoor party (sprinklers! water guns!). I slept terribly last night; I woke up every time my nose started running, which happened frequently.

p_k said...

I went on a school field trip with my eldest yesterday, who is 16 and in 10th Grade now, can you believe it? We went to nearby large city on a train and then hiked all over creation over six and a half miles at a fast pace with stops for sightseeing in between, and it was quite grueling but fun. And I kept up the entire day. There was never a time when the group had to stop for me or slow down for me. I got a nice note from the teacher leading the trip documenting that I was there and participated fully. I am tired and sore today, and taking it easy, but I am functional. Hopefully this sort of thing is solid documentation that, in fact, my health issues do not render me "unable to parent" as certain people have suggested.

kathy a. said...

Afrin nasal spray dries things up. Have you tried it?

Think I need to start on the stuffed grape leaves soon. They are soooo time consuming! My beloved kinda wanted to do them, but he lacks patience for that kind of tedious work, might not approve of my recipe until he tastes it, and he'll already be hogging the kitchen for part of tomorrow.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Pk, well done, and I'm so glad that your body cooperated for that nice experience! And I'm glad that the teacher is documenting for you.

Kathy, I believe we don't have that brand in Canada (although we have something similar). I've taken a decongestant, which has helped, and I'll take a half dose of a nighttime med tonight (if I take more than that, I'll be too drowsy to drive all morning: have I mentioned that I'm a lightweight with cold medicine?)

kathy a. said...

Yay, PK! Sounds like a wonderful field trip, and yes indeed. You are a superstar.

QWP, this is a nasal decongestant and it works fast. The generic is: oxymetazoline. I really dislike stuff like nightime meds that might make me drowsy; and this is not that.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Oh, that's what it is! I've looked it up, and Cl@ritin now makes it in Canada, but it's hard to find @frin around here. I'll have to try it someone (I tend to avoid nasal sprays, because of how easily I get nosebleeds when I'm sick).

kathy a. said...

I am not even halfway through rolling the first large jar of grape leaves, and it's killin' me. Not a hard task; the filling is done; but trimming, stuffing, rolling takes time and is boring as all get out, plus it hurts my back to stand there for long. Must Buck Up.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

How many do you need to do? That kind of work kills my back, too.

kathy a. said...

I made a double batch of filling and have 200 leaves. Not every leaf is worthy, so there will be fewer. But still a lot. My sweetheart is working the rest of this jar, and thinks we should cook these, see if they turn out (how could they not?), and do more tomorrow. And I'm hoping they all get done tonight, because tomorrow is already full.

Sue said...

Well done, pk!!! I'm glad the field trip went so well.

Yay for a good pedicure, kathy! Keep up the lists and delegating.

kathy a. said...

We need more something something around here. My beloved rolled up all the rest of the filling, cooked everything -- and now is bereft because he thinks he did not roll the grape leaves tightly enough. I contend that all is not lost, and maybe he should let them cool down, and besides, who cares if they aren't pretty?

It is pretty clearly time to wind the heck down for the night, because tomorrow will be even more fun!

Anonymous said...

Kathy a.-- my mouth is watering just hearing about those grape leaves. Nobody will care if they are tightly rolled.... I know they will be delicious!!

Yay, pk, on a successful field trip!

QWP, hope the congestion clears quickly!

:) Neighbor Lady

kathy a. said...

Most of the grape leaves were salvaged -- whew!

About to start on the pasta salad. Then there will be tabouli salad, after we pick up the giant order of produce.

p_k said...

Sounds yummy.

p_k said...

I'm beginning to think this GAL report will never come.

kathy a. said...

She has left you waiting, PK. I hope that is because she is really trying to be careful. xoxo

Pasta salad complete. Just picked up an entire car-full of produce. Resting up for the dreaded c0stc0 run for remaining beverages on the list. I've mentioned approximately 95 times today that we need ice so we can move some stuff to coolers, and my beloved just said, "is it OK if I get the ice tomorrow?" Pretty sure he heard the message this time.

kathy a. said...

The refrigerator, she overfloweth. And the living room, and spare space in the garage. There is lettuce in the family room; sodas rest under the power saw; a wine corner exists in the dining room; coolers have begun their duty in the hall.

Everything has been obtained except enough ice to get us through the night. But my beloved also came home with *another* small grill -- meaning that in addition to the large BBQ at the picnic place, we will have 3 small grills *and* a propane burner that he plans to use for pilaf. Two (2) small grills and the propane burner have been bought especially for this occasion, such is the excitement of the FotG.

esperanza said...

AW: for whatever reason (definitely *not* increased quality or quantity of sleep), I'm returning from this vacation energized and more easily focused on the crapton of things I need to get done between now and Sunday. Baboos and I leave Sunday for a week at church camp; I'm the chaplain, and they are attending day camp.

W: aforementioned crapton of things I need to get done.

esperanza said...

Hm. Maybe "whatever reason" = not following the news very closely. I didn't realize how draining it is, the constant stream of lies.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

That would do it, esperanza! You also started on your vitamin D supplements, didn't you?

AW: E passed her level of swimming lessons this time! She's so proud of herself: she showed us her report card, said, "AND THE CROWD GOES WILD" and made us clap for her.

Whiiiiiiiiine: still sick; still exhausted. Tomorrow, Mr. Q leaves on the grad camping trip and doesn't come back until Sunday, and E has allergy testing at the hospital (but at the allergist's office) tomorrow. I really hope I have more energy to deal with a poked-by-needles child alone.

esperanza said...

No, they still have not come. Investigating that is on my "be a grownup" list for tomorrow. They ended up going to the mail order pharmacy, who requested a "prior authorization" (you may not have to deal with this: it's where the prescription insurance company requires the doctor to "authorize" the drug she has already prescribed. No, this does not make any sense).

LOL at E's "and the crowd..." Good for her!

Crossing fingers for allergy testing to go smoothly.

esperanza said...

The status is "finished" but no shipping info is showing. I detest the online pharmacy.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

I wasn't nervous about the testing (E has been through a couple of rounds before, and this is just for seasonal allergies), but then the appointment was booked for the hospital (and so we had to go through general admitting, which is a hassle) instead of the regular office (which is near my house), because the pediatrician put a rush on the testing (so that E would get tested during THIS spring, since there's a year wait with this allergist, right now). And then I found out that Mr. Q is camping this weekend, and so if she's cranky afterwards, I'm dealing with her on my own. And so now I'm more nervous.

I am trying to wrap my mind around the mail order pharmacy, and your doctor having to authorize...their own prescription...for vitamins. None of this makes sense (but I know things work differently there).

Liz said...

QWP, if you have an ipad, I highly recommend using that for the pokey part, and then maybe a movie? Ice cream? FAVORITE FOOD EVER?

esperanza said...

Really, QWP, don't waste brain power trying to figure it out. It's absurd.

Liz said...

Ugh, the pre-authorization of the thing they're prescribing. I HATE THAT. They required that for one of the inhalers I'm using. Which, BTW, even with insurance and a COUPON is $309.00/month. And it causes foot cramps.

Glad you feel rested though, Esperanza!!!

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Liz, ice cream is exactly my plan! There's a lovely candy and ice cream shop between the hospital and our house, and I've promised E that she'll have her first trip there after her testing. I'm not so worried about the actual needle experience -- while the kid is scared of nail clippers, she's really proud of herself about being okay with needles, and the allergist has a really fast and non-painful way of testing -- I'm more worried about mild after-effects making her cranky and sore. But that's what antihistamines and painkillers are for.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

I just read Liz's last comment, and, dear goodness! Here I have been complaining about allergy testing at the hospital, which will cost me nothing, and involves one specialist putting in a rush order with another specialist.

kathy a. said...

And ice cream. Chocolate mint chip in particular is a noted agent of healing (but ymmv). Good luck, QWP!

It is raining again, second time today. We'd better not see that behavior tomorrow, universe!

Anonymous said...

kathy a.: best wishes for a wonderful fun filled picnic and wedding weekend!!! Looking forward to hearing about it!
:) Neighbor Lady

esperanza said...

Yes, kathy a, happy wedding weekend!

esperanza said...

Online pharmacy fun: so apparently, my doctor sending them a new prescription does not mean that my doctor wants them to *fill* the prescription and send me the drug. I have to call them to follow up and request that it get filled. Because that makes a lot of sense. (Actually, I'm cynical enough to think that they didn't fill it because it is a $0 copay. Somehow I think that if I was supposed to pay for it, it would have already been filled).

Liz said...

HAPPY WEDDING WEEKEND!!!!

And that is a big WOW, Esperanza. Sheesh.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Sending good-weather pixie dust your way, Kathy! Exciting times!

Esperanza, that is hot nonsense. So many cluesticks sent the way of the insurance company and pharmacy.

AW: my sister just called to ask if I'd like a second set of hands with me at E's appointment today. (She isn't working today, and knows that I've been exhausted with this cold.) E, who has been droopy all morning since Beloved Daddy left for hours camping trip, has really perked up since she found out that Auntie is coming over, and that we're going to the candy store this afternoon.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

"His," not "hours."

kathy a. said...

Thanks! Started fruit + veg prep at 6 a.m. My cousin's coming soon to pick up the first carload of stuff to take to the picnic spot, and then to stake our claim for the first shift. (Someone must be there after 10 a.m. to hold the reservation.)

My back's already in rebellion. We have 4 coolers entirely stuffed. There's still more prep to do, but a manageable amount. There was a small drizzle, but blue skies are headed this way. Yay!

Liz said...

Spent the day setting up my dining room for a job interview via Skype. Good lighting, perfect camera settings, the whole bit. Got showered, dressed, make-up and jewelry on. Fifteen minutes to go, went on email and found that the interviewer needs to postpone. Email sent while I was in the shower.

SO BUMMED.

kathy a. said...

Oh, NO! That stinks, Liz.

p_k said...

Still waiting. But I met two women at the lake who like outdoorsy things and seem like they might be a good fit as friends, and toddler and I caught 7 fish this morning.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

You caught seven fish with a toddler?! You amaze me, PK.

Liz, I hope you found a good occasion for your hair/makeup/jewelry.

Happy rehearsal dinner/picnic day to Kathy and family! And happy son's wedding day tomorrow, too!

AW: no allergies! But it's likely that she has very mild asthma, and so irritants in the air are causing the seasonal chronic cough, etc. Getting inhalers again on Monday. I gather that many of the pixies have dealt with asthma: any advice? (The only things I know are humidity, and how to get my kid to use her puffer when she needs it. That's all I know.) (Also, E was very happy because she got a new teddy bear at the hospital! There's a charity that provides teddy bears for all kids who are admitted to hospital here, and I guess they count outpatient admitting as well. Such a kindness, and it really helped to hug a new lovey when she was feeling scared of getting poked. I need to remember to donate to that charity.)

Anonymous said...

Ask if the inhaler works better with a spacer.

Liz on iPhone

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Oh, I forgot to mention that! We do use a spacer. (I had to google that, because I know a different name for it.)

p_k said...

Toddler caught more than half of them. Little bluegill sunfish are very easy to catch off the edge of the dock.

p_k said...

And toddler is 3 and a half now. So maybe I should start referring to her as preschooler pretty soon.

Liz said...

YAY FISHING!!

YAY new friends!

Liz said...

Tonight's posting brought to you by the summer class MM is taking for Health & Physical Education (10th Grade) with Driver's Ed (the driver's ed portion is textbook work required in VA for teens before you can get your learner's permit).

Which he was supposed to log into and start on Monday, June 5, but didn't, and now the first week's work is due in 11 minutes. He's frustrated because it was difficult to get it all working, and I ended up paying extra because they had made an error, which I will sort out Monday, but it all would have been FINE if he had done this earlier in the week.

He's taking it on line over the summer so he can take extra electives next year.

kathy a. said...

QWP, mild asthma is generally very manageable (except just sometimes -- for my kid, the groom of tomorrow, things went in a worse direction when we weren't paying enough attention to something like a cold, or allergens, and forgot the preventive measures).

PK, great about the fishing success, and also new friends!

Big fat AW: The picnic went really well! There were a lot of people we had not met before -- but everybody seemed to enjoy themselves. The son of my husband's cousin showed up (unexpectedly) and it turns out he lives not far away, is glad to have family nearby! There was way too much food, but many compliments about it. My son kept saying how grateful he was, and telling me to sit down, stop doing things!

Off to bed, then on to tomorrow. xoxo

Liz Miller said...

Yay, Kathy!!! Happy wedding!!!!!

esperanza said...

So glad it went well! I hope you can get a little rest before wedding day!

Sue said...

Happy wedding day, kathy!!! I'm so glad the picnic went well.

Sorry about the job interview postponement, Liz. That's rough. :(

Yay for fishing and friends, pk!!!

Liz said...

Adventures in clothes shopping: Black suit and shirt for an average-height, slender, long-limbed fifteen-year-old edition.

Why the black suit and shirt? He and four other ASL students are signing while the school choir sings the National Anthem at his high school's graduation ceremony on Monday. He's one of two boys (and the only freshman) signing.

The suit he wore to Homecoming doesn't fit anymore (he's grown two inches since then)

"No sweat!", I thought. "We'll dash over to JC Penney, grab a cheap-o $50 suit in a size 16, be out of there in 20 minutes, tops!"

JC Penney didn't have a single suit in his size. Not. One. Not at any price.

"No sweat!", I thought. "We'll go down the hall to Sears! Grab a cheap-o $50 suit in a size 16!"

Sears didn't have a single suit in his size. Not. One. Not at any price.

"Gulp." I thought. "I really don't want to spend a whole bunch of money on a suit he's going to wear only once, because he'll have outgrown it by Homecoming. Maybe Macy's?"

Macy's didn't have a single suit in his size. Not. One. Not at any price.

That left Nordstrom's (all the way back by Sears) and Lord & Taylor (next door to Macy's).

"Gulp, again." I thought. "I REALLY don't want to spend a whole bunch of money on a suit he's going to wear only ONCE!"

But I was getting desperate, so into Lord & Taylor we went, trepidatiously.

We were greeted in the children's department by a very nice lady named Lynda, who is shorter than I am.

They had exactly ONE black suit in his size. Also exactly ONE black shirt in his size. And one and only one belt that fit.

ONE.

$214.00

"But!" says Lynda, "If you sign up for our store card, you'll get 35% off all in-store purchases today, plus an additional 15% off when your bill comes."

So I signed up for the card.

All-in it was $144. Which is a lot for a suit he's going to wear ONCE.

But he looks SO GOOD in it. So grown-up.

And Lynda introduced us to Rebecca who does in-store alterations, and she pressed the suit and shirt to get them looking perfect.

Then I took him for a hair cut, and texted the whole story to my mom who asked if she could pay for the suit.

Which I accepted. Because, people, he's going to wear it ONCE.

When he stops growing, I am going to buy him the best suit ever. Because he made that suit look GOOD.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

I'm glad that you could find a suit at last, and that your mom offered to pay for it, Liz! But I'd also be tempted to create other reasons for him to get at least one more wear out of the suit. (Family dinner out? Magic show?)

Did I ever tell you that my mom had most set aside for one really nice pair of shoes for each of us, once our feet finally stopped growing? Upon reflection, I think it was a treat for herself, to celebrate being able to see us wear something nice without being sad about how quickly we were going to outgrow them. (I got a pair of Doc Martens that I still wear, 23 years later.)

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Money, not most. I am on my phone, with autocorrect turned on.

kathy a. said...

The wedding happened, it was glorious! And funny. And, good food, lots of hugs, everybody was nice, some good talks were had, my son and his sweetie were over the moon with happiness! Plus, they had 12 years to consider this already, so ...

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Hooray, Kathy! In so glad that everything went well, and your son and his sweetie are so happy.

p_k said...

I'm glad the wedding was wonderful!

Anonymous said...

Yay Kathy!!!!!!!!
So glad the wedding was wonderful!

And yay for a new suit, Liz!

W: last soccer game of the season, and in pregame warmups Neighbor Boy (who is now taller than all the rest of us, by the way!) really hurt his right wrist playing goalie. He played the game (not as goalie) and then asked to go to the ER. (We had offered earlier, but he had said no, but later changed his mind). Not broken, they don't think, but bad sprain or maybe a tendon thing. He has jazz band tryouts tomorrow....I will be sending an email, but he is tenacious, and I think will try it anyway.
Also, so very very very much stuff to do before the end of the school year on the 20th! SO. MUCH.
Plus, this Friday we have a full day field day, outside all day long. bleh.

:) Neighbor Lady