Well it is always challenging when you have a guest and your sink decides to clog up. Ronnie came for a visit and all teeth brushing had to be moved to the kitchen. You know how many times I have run water in that sink even though I know it is clogged? It is so automatic, I just do it without thinking. Always my fathers child, I decided to unscrew the pipes in the bathroom. This time I was prepared with a bucket to catch the draining water. Yes, that means that last time I did forget about this small detail. Still didn't win, instead of draining nicely, it sprayed out all over. Sadly, I could unscrew only one side of the S trap, drats. So after borrowing a wretch I screwed it back together and belatedly remembered to try the Draino I had been "saving", as only a teacher could save.
Guess what? It really worked this time! That is it, I am going to become a plumber.
I recently asked my friend John, who is a union plumber about the whole plumber pants thing. He confidencially shared a trade secret. When you join the union, you are issued a special pair of swoop backed union plumber pants. That is why plumbers can be so uniform in this little crack problem. It is a real issue of pride for card carrying plumbers. Wear 'em, Share 'em. That is the theme.
More funny is the person who has invented a belt to help people who suffer from pants that slip. The inventor must not realize this is intentional for our plumber friends. If you suffer from buying pants that fit in the hips and thighs but not the waist this product, "Isabelt" might be for you. http://www.isabelt.com/
Ok, I must be taking this a bit far, but in Florida an Amendment was proposed to ban loose fitting pants, the exception was made for plumbing students however. The Amendment was withdrawn. You read about it, http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2008/03/12/Amendment_would_have_saved_plumber_pants/UPI-76031205360072/
You may enjoy this story of a woman who tried to pull off the plumber pants number without being a plumber. It just doesn't work. http://www.jackiepapandrew.com/plumberspants.html
Ok, enough of this nonsence. Just wear pants that fit and enjoy your day.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Fun on a Monday
Thanks to Martin Luther King, Jr. we had Monday off. Lauren suggested a bring your own picnic. She is so good at coming up with ideas and pulling them off. We all brought our own lunches and met at a lovely park with a fabulous view.
Spending time with family in Christ is the sweetest time you can have. We laughed and chatted and ate. Cheryl never ceases to amaze me with her "I just whipped up this amazing recipe, or that thing." I mean, like really, who makes their own hummus, I ask you? yep, she does. And it was good! Or a cheeseball, and not for a party? yep, she does.
Sosi was such fun. Lauren gave her a blueberry and her tiny face just skrunched up into a ball. It was really funny with amazing involuntary contortions and disgust. These blueberries did not hit her top fav list for sure.
Steve just adores Sosi. He can't wait to have his own baby, though he is a touch disappointed it is not a girl this time.
Speaking of girls, on Sunday we watched Samantha. She came into nursery with a monkey roughly about the same size as herself. Periodically she would put down the monkey and play with something else. One little boy, named Eli, picked up the monkey and started carrying/lugging/dragging the monkey around. Samantha went up to him and looked into his eyes trying to convey that that monkey belonged to her. He did not seem to get it. He just kept dragging. Next she went to me. I promise, without even a word she tattled on Eli just using her eyes. I was laughing so hard, I obviously was not seeing the importance of this crisis. She went to the next adult to trying her eye magic again. Rick fixed the crisis by giving the monkey back. Nursery duty is so fun!
Spending time with family in Christ is the sweetest time you can have. We laughed and chatted and ate. Cheryl never ceases to amaze me with her "I just whipped up this amazing recipe, or that thing." I mean, like really, who makes their own hummus, I ask you? yep, she does. And it was good! Or a cheeseball, and not for a party? yep, she does.
Sosi was such fun. Lauren gave her a blueberry and her tiny face just skrunched up into a ball. It was really funny with amazing involuntary contortions and disgust. These blueberries did not hit her top fav list for sure.
Steve just adores Sosi. He can't wait to have his own baby, though he is a touch disappointed it is not a girl this time.
Speaking of girls, on Sunday we watched Samantha. She came into nursery with a monkey roughly about the same size as herself. Periodically she would put down the monkey and play with something else. One little boy, named Eli, picked up the monkey and started carrying/lugging/dragging the monkey around. Samantha went up to him and looked into his eyes trying to convey that that monkey belonged to her. He did not seem to get it. He just kept dragging. Next she went to me. I promise, without even a word she tattled on Eli just using her eyes. I was laughing so hard, I obviously was not seeing the importance of this crisis. She went to the next adult to trying her eye magic again. Rick fixed the crisis by giving the monkey back. Nursery duty is so fun!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Eggplant
Ok, I must admit to a certain fasination with eggplant. I like the color, the shape, the fact that I never ate this vege before Steve took me for Chinese eggplant with brown sauce. It is one of my favorites. When I was newly wed I would buy an eggplant, excited about what I would do with it...only to have it rot in my fridge.
Well I now have a yummy eggplant, super easy, mega delish recipe... Do you have an eggplant recipe to share with me?
Light Eggplant Parmesan
Use light and low-fat cheeses to make this eggplant Parmesan recipe low in fat and calories.
Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, cut in 1/4-inch slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
dash of garlic powder (optional)
1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano, crumbled
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce (I used chopped canned tomatoes)
4 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (I used shredded combo cheese)
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
Preparation:Bring large kettle of water to a boil; remove from heat. Drop in eggplant slices; let stand 5 minutes. Drain eggplant slices; blot dry with paper toweling. Heat oil in nonstick skillet; brown eggplant on both sides. In a bowl, combine Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and tomato sauce. Spread a little tomato sauce mixture over the bottom of a 9-inch square shallow baking dish. Arrange eggplant sliced in layers with mozzarella cheese. Pour remaining sauce mixture over the eggplant and cheese; top with bread crumbs.Bake eggplant Parmesan at 350° for 50 minutes, or until bubbly. (I cooked for 30 minutes at 450°)
Even Steve liked it!
Well I now have a yummy eggplant, super easy, mega delish recipe... Do you have an eggplant recipe to share with me?
Light Eggplant Parmesan
Use light and low-fat cheeses to make this eggplant Parmesan recipe low in fat and calories.
Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, cut in 1/4-inch slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
dash of garlic powder (optional)
1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano, crumbled
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce (I used chopped canned tomatoes)
4 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (I used shredded combo cheese)
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
Preparation:Bring large kettle of water to a boil; remove from heat. Drop in eggplant slices; let stand 5 minutes. Drain eggplant slices; blot dry with paper toweling. Heat oil in nonstick skillet; brown eggplant on both sides. In a bowl, combine Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and tomato sauce. Spread a little tomato sauce mixture over the bottom of a 9-inch square shallow baking dish. Arrange eggplant sliced in layers with mozzarella cheese. Pour remaining sauce mixture over the eggplant and cheese; top with bread crumbs.Bake eggplant Parmesan at 350° for 50 minutes, or until bubbly. (I cooked for 30 minutes at 450°)
Even Steve liked it!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Ghetto Activity
For 2009 New Year Celebration, Steve and I spent a couple of days at the Casa de Rios. It was fun, relaxing, and spiritually uplifting. But the most interesting thing we did by far was to be invited to experience a "Ghetto Activity."
So we got into our cars, went out for breakfast, then headed to the nearest mountains, searching for a patch of snow. Now a little background. . . I grew up in snow. I ate it (not the yellow stuff), slept in it, played in it, fought in it, built amazing forts, sled in it, had sleigh rides, snowmobile rides, ski trips, made snow angels, iceskated, blah-blah-blah. But this was interesting...hundreds of cityfolk, desperate for a "snow day" drove 50+ miles to find a patch of dirty snow to play on.
It took us 45 minutes to drive half a mile, bumper to bumper on a two-lane twisting road to find the perfect spot of snow. Finally, we just stopped and got out. Fernando had sub-zero gloves and four layers to protect him from the cold. I just had on a turtle neck sweater and my decorative scarf that I always feel a little silly wearing if the temp is not below zero. I was surprised the snow had not all melted it was so warm. We walked in the melted, compacted snow, pretending to slip and slide. Steve and Fernando had something of a snowball fight. Liz asked in a wondering voice, "What does fresh snow feel like?" I think this place is sort of like an island. People who live here don't know about the rest of the US. Oh, yeah, this is such a foreign world.
People had tub lids, trash can lids, and trash bags dragged behind them to slide down a patch of snow on the mountain. They would slide right toward the road. Evidently their mother never told them to never slide toward the road or rivers. People were tailgating with thermoses of coffee, and cocoa with picnics, pretending it was really cold. The temp. was like going to a fall football game in highschool.
Yep, I live in Los Angeles!
So we got into our cars, went out for breakfast, then headed to the nearest mountains, searching for a patch of snow. Now a little background. . . I grew up in snow. I ate it (not the yellow stuff), slept in it, played in it, fought in it, built amazing forts, sled in it, had sleigh rides, snowmobile rides, ski trips, made snow angels, iceskated, blah-blah-blah. But this was interesting...hundreds of cityfolk, desperate for a "snow day" drove 50+ miles to find a patch of dirty snow to play on.
It took us 45 minutes to drive half a mile, bumper to bumper on a two-lane twisting road to find the perfect spot of snow. Finally, we just stopped and got out. Fernando had sub-zero gloves and four layers to protect him from the cold. I just had on a turtle neck sweater and my decorative scarf that I always feel a little silly wearing if the temp is not below zero. I was surprised the snow had not all melted it was so warm. We walked in the melted, compacted snow, pretending to slip and slide. Steve and Fernando had something of a snowball fight. Liz asked in a wondering voice, "What does fresh snow feel like?" I think this place is sort of like an island. People who live here don't know about the rest of the US. Oh, yeah, this is such a foreign world.
People had tub lids, trash can lids, and trash bags dragged behind them to slide down a patch of snow on the mountain. They would slide right toward the road. Evidently their mother never told them to never slide toward the road or rivers. People were tailgating with thermoses of coffee, and cocoa with picnics, pretending it was really cold. The temp. was like going to a fall football game in highschool.
Yep, I live in Los Angeles!
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