#33 Go without tv for one week--in season

It's National Turn off Your TV Week. We didn't watch tv yesterday because the contractor came to give the estimate, so today on the El I asked the dude if he wanted to turn off the tv this week. "Can I record things?" he asked. I don't think there are official rules about never seeing this week's World Poker Tour or CSI so I told him he could set the DVR. I think I should switch off the power strip that powers the tv. That seems like an appropriately Earth-y Day thing to do today too.

Counter Balance

We had a contractor come give us an estimate to replace the kitchen counters. My parents are buying that for us as a housewarming gift. We're so sad that it's two years in and we're finally getting around to it. We got a quote for replacing the backsplash at the same time but it sounds really.effing.high. I've got to call around, but the ball is rolling...

#15: Bonk

I loved this book: I am interested in science; I think everything should be seen through the most humorous lens; and I, like most people, am a voyeur at heart. The other day at an office gathering I regaled someone for 15 minutes with stories from this book about penises. Because we're fascinated by sex. All of us. Even the ones who pretend otherwise. Of course, you don't want anyone telling you about their sex life, but read about Kinsey's proclivities and what he did with toothbrushes, sure. (When I was reading this at the lunch counter of a Korean restaurant, this guy next to me started talking to his friend next to him about this hook up he had had over the weekend and how much he regretted it. I so wanted to say, "this book says she really regrets hooking up with you too." Because really, what kind of guy does that? And he wasn't even that good looking. But I digress.)

I read it in two days. Which just goes to show, there is something really wrong with that influenza book that I cannot get through it. And I have done research on what this college I work for did during the epidemic of 1918. Philadelphia was pretty hard hit because their public health organization (and the local government then as now) was totally corrupt. You'd think that book wouldn't be such a yawn.

I have to go back to the library and get Stiff.

non-fiction: 4.5

Neglect

I've been neglecting this little endeavor. I think it's because my time draws near, and I have no motivation.

Here's another wreath I made from silk forsythia, or, as I would have it fauxythia:


I watched Yankee Doodle Dandy which is on the AFI top 100 list that I am trying to complete. It was long, tedious, and predictable, but Cagney, godblesshim, was doing quite a job. Sometimes you could almost see his eyes pleading with the other actors to show a little more life. Unfortunately, he played a song and dance man but he could neither sing nor dance. I also started watching The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Sometimes I felt like I was out in the desert digging for treasure with them: bored, hot, tired. I'm not one who needs a snappy film. I love Chinatown. Do you know how slowly that movie goes? I enjoyed The Conversation. I don't need all kinds of action. But boy howdy, I've been disappointed in the AFI's 100 best that I've watched so far. (There were about 50 that I had seen before and quite enjoyed. Maybe I didn't see the others for a Very.Good.Reason.)

I still haven't finished The Great Influenza. I don't know what is wrong with that book. I really enjoy medical history; I work at a frickin' medical school. I think it's the organization. Anyway, I wish I could count it among my non-fiction finishes, but no such. I finally went and got something different to read: Bonk by Mary Roach. If sex doesn't interest me...oh yeah.

Taveling Woman

#64: Visit Four of the Following States Overnight

Our trip to eat barbecue in Kansas City was a success. We visited LC's, Gates, and Arthur Bryant's. Each had its attraction, pros and cons listed below.

LC's
Jacque assures us this is a neighborhood we shouldn't have visited, but we lived in South Central LA and I lived in Harlem so we're not scared! But we had heard the neighborhood was dodgy so we went for lunch. I had the burnt ends and an order of onion rings; the dude had short ends (ribs) and cole slaw. LC's turned out to produce our favorite sauce: more tomatoe-y and vinegar-y more hot than sweet than the others. The burnt ends were cut in large chunks and had a bit more fat on them than they should. The short ends were great--super tender--but toward the end they were a bit gristly. I could wax poetic about their onion rings. I know this wasn't the reason we went to Kansas City, but these are the second best onion rings I've ever eaten {the best are made by my uncle} LC's onion rings were not at all greasy and were deliciously salty. I was happy.

Gates
I ordered the burnt ends and potato salad; the dude had mutton and cole slaw (they were out of short ends). We also bought, but could not eat {until later}, a individual size sweet potatoe pie. The big surprise here was the sides came with a generous sprinkle of rub on them. YUM! We didn't buy the rub, but I may have to order some so I can throw it on side dishes this summer. Or every day when I eat. The burnt ends were chopped up very fine and were served (hooray!) on a bun not the nasty ubiquitous white bread. The grease soaked into the bread. I loved it. It was like Texas toast without the cheese. The dude thought this was overchopped, but I'm not a fan of chewing meat {it's true} so the closer I get to having someone regurgitate chewed food into my mouth, the better. No not really, but I did like the chop. The dude loved the flavor of the mutton but he really had to work at the bones to get past the fat. Is that how mutton is supposed to be? Probably not, but he dug it because the meat was tender and falling off the bone, of course. Gates had our second favorite sauce: thicker and spicier than LC's, really good. It was our first favorite price because we won $5 when our receipt came up with a red star on it.

We were pleased with the pie when we ate it the next day. Nice, crumbly pie crust but sturdy enough for the sweet potato mash. Not as good as Aunt Kizzy's {"so light it can float like a feather"} but it was quite tasty.

Arthur Bryant's
We finally got a clue and only ordered one thing and no sides. We split the burnt ends. This had the best chop size--not too fine, but the sauce was too sweet, very tasty but not to our tastes. The burnt ends were very good. Served, again, on white bread, which the dude ate. I steadfastedly refused. We bought this on the way to the airport, so we didn't actually eat it right away. I'm not sure this made that much difference. The meat was a good quality.

Other things we did besides eat:
Truman Library and Museum
The dude's a fan of presidential libraries--well of the Kennedy library--so we decided to visit this one. Obviously we're both too young to remember this period in American history, so this was quite educational. Many exhibits featured excerpts oral histories from various people. Most interesting, Truman left office with a 30% approval rating. History has shown that his policies and actions have become more popular--like when they had a boatload of presidents and vice-presidents from both parties quoting him in their speeches. I'm pretty sure we won't see similar changes in 40 years at the George W. Bush library (which will house, what? coloring books?).

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
A relatively new museum, this place is really about racism in American culture. A terrifically interesting narrative. Because there's so little space, there's more text crammed in each square foot than there probably should be, but I really learned a lot here.

Jazz Museum
How do you make a museum about sound? I think they did a pretty good job engaging us as listeners. There's probably a bit too much focus on the big names of jazz, but they did cover a wide variety of styles, instruments, and time periods. There was also a section that let you listen to particular sounds--rhythm, percussion, etc. Though the dude was disappointed that their reed section didn't include any clarinet (he plays). Too bad we didn't have an opportunity to go to the Blue Room.

Letters

Dear Kansas City,

Why the Wonder Bread? You use quality beef to make your barbecue. Your sauce is on the spicy side, which I enjoy—brought home four bottles, even. Yet you insist on using the crappiest bread you can find. I have this thing about bread dating back from when I was a child. I’m only picky about two things: no fat or gristle on my meat and no bread that deteriorates on contact with the slightest bit of liquid. It’s a little sad how much bread was wasted this past weekend. And I blame you.
###

Dear Mother Nature,

While I greatly appreciate that you held off with the snow until we were actually out of Chicago, couldn’t you have done a little better with Dallas? I know it doesn’t seem like it should matter since we flew MCI-> MDW -> PHL, but those winds in Dallas threw everything off and we spent 10 hours in transit, mostly in airports just sitting.
###

Dear Midway Baggage Handlers,

When they cancel a flight, say 440, and put all the passengers from 440 onto the same new flight, you should take the bags that you have stacked up to put on 440 and bring them to the new plane. You had over an hour; I really think you should have been able to handle this one.
###

Note to Self:
When checking bags, make a note of three things that are packed in each bag. That way when the lost baggage clerk in Philadelphia asks for three items in the bag, you can think of at least one thing that’s not birth control.
###

It was a fun trip. Full report later!

#50 Exercise three days/week for 3 months

I've been trying to decide whether I should make this public to keep myself on track or if I should wait until I've been a little successful, then announce how great I am. I am going for the former.

One prong of Weight Watchers' four pronged approach to weight loss is exercise, and that's what we talked about at last week's meeting. One of the recommended methods to keep yourself on track is to use a visual reminder. The leader, who is nice but rather unimaginative, suggested putting a photo of your fat self on the refrigerator. Honey, if that worked I never would have gone this far down the wrong road. My mother's had fat photos of herself on the fridge my whole life. But it did start me thinking: two of the skinniest people I know keep a calendar on their refrigerator and every day they write in what they did for exercise that day. I noticed in cramped hand there was "2 hours basketball" (his) and "45 minutes yoga" (hers); "45 minute run" and "60 minute aerobics video." I couldn't stand there staring at it all day committing it to memory, but you get the idea. I thought this was a much better visual reminder than a fat ass photo, so I told the story and ended with my own flourish, "And these are skinny people! They don't even need to be doing this!" To which the leader responded, "Maybe they do."

Oh.

Then it occurred to me that the her of the couple started out in that relationship with what my father likes to call a two axe handle ass. Maybe she did.

So I've been dutifully keeping track since Saturday. So far the calendar reads: "30 minute walk," "30 minute elliptical trainer," "55 minute yoga," and "35 minute aerobic video." My goal is to go the whole month, every day. I know I said three days a week, but maybe if I overshoot, I'll actually end up doing three days. I'll worry about the three months when I've gotten through the first. One day at a time, as Bill W. likes to say.

You've probably noticed that ticker hasn't moved since October. Something must be done.

#14: Read 16 Works of Fiction

The Friday Night Knitting Club
Kate Jacobs

I won this book in the Craft Magazine/baseball thingamajig. Yesterday, I picked it up when I was in the craft room sewing. I read about 60 pages, and was totally hooked. It's a nice cozy little book about people who hang around in a yarn shop. It's about women's lives and how they form friendships. It's a lot more warm than Whitney Otto's How to Make an American Quilt but less academic? literary? Something really sad happens, but I'm not going to tell you because you should read it.

The dude saw me put the book down and asked how many pages. 345. "I couldn't have read that book today if I had stayed home from work." But I didn't read it all today. And it was just a little cozy book with the big sad thing. But it made me all warm and fuzzy anyway.

Fiction: 14

KCMO

The dude and I are heading out of town in a couple of weeks to continue our journey to taste the great variety of barbecue in the U.S. Our next stop is Kansas City, Missouri. According to the research we have done, we are in for brisket and burnt ends with sauce that is thick and spicy and sweet. Burnt ends--I love burnt food so I am really excited to try this!

We began our BBQ quest on our cross-country drive in 2005. It all started in Memphis where I ate my first rib. (I'm picky about the meat I eat, and I thought I wouldn't like them.) We plan on visiting N.C. and possibly re-visiting Texas as well for this journey. Of course, it will be a lifelong adventure, but these are the four states we're starting with.

This visit will mark the second stop on #64 "Visit four of the following states overnight: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, or Wisconsin." (These are all the U.S. states I haven't yet visited; I've shopped in Delaware, flown through Minnesota, and driven through Arkansas, but I don't think that counts.)

Taking Stock for the New Year

Completed: 33
Begun: 20
Remaining: 48

Time: 433 days



So in 2/3 of the time I had, I managed to do 1/3 of the things I had hoped to do. That sounds like me.

#80 Install blind upstairs bath

That is a new blind in the newly painted bathroom. It replaces the craptastic burgundy metal miniblind that came with the house. So, yeah, two years later and we just fixed that. (Let's not talk about the toe-molding in the bedroom.)

#29 Host Open House each December

I added this item to the list because I thought it would force me to finally invite people to the house. (We still haven't had a house warming!) Last December, I had to pass, since I was still hobbling about on crutches; sometimes life just gets in the way. This year, I had my family and some outlaws over—fourteen in all. We enjoyed appetizers, bigos, pierogis, and cheesecake, and because it was the fourth day in row we were with all the relatives, plenty of alcohol. After dinner, we played a chaotic game of What Were You Thinking? The game is fun for small and large groups, and very easy. All you have to do is think alike! Then everyone had had enough, and I was left with tons of washing up. But it was fun, and I haven't yet tired of the complements on my cooking and decorating.

I started with a recipe for the bigos, but in an uncharacteristic move, I improvised it on my very first go.

2 lbs sauerkraut
1/2 lb bacon
1/2 lb veal
1/2 lb pork
1/2 lb ham
1 kielbasa--don't know which kind, but next time we're doing it with "hunter's kielbasa"
small head of cabbage
3 onions
1 lb mushrooms
butter
dry mushrooms
2 c boiling water
2 bay leaves
1 T caraway seed
1 beer, I used Sam Light since it was the only lager in the fridge (and I wasn't using the Skullsplitter)
3 tomatoes

Bring the sauerkraut (with juice) to a boil. Meanwhile, fry bacon. Throw the bacon in the pot with the sauerkraut once it is browned. In the bacon fat, brown the meats. Add to the pot. Slice the cabbage and add it to the stew. Chop the onions and brown in the butter. Slice the mushrooms and cook with the onions. Throw the cooked onions and mushrooms in the pot. Put a handful of dry mushrooms in the boiling water. Once they are reconstituted, chop the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms and their (strained) liquid to the pot. If the liquid level seems low, add a beer. Add bay leaves and caraway. Chop and add three tomatoes (you can used canned).

Bring it to a boil and simmer for a couple of hours. The stew is purportedly better after a day or so. Boil it every day. I made the stew on Sunday and the dude boiled it on Monday. We didn't get to it on Tuesday, but heated it up (to boiling) well in advance of the party on Wednesday. Everyone raved.

Notes: The original recipe called for 1/2 c red wine instead of beer. It also suggested a chopped apple to sweeten it (it's a little tart from the sauerkraut). It called for 1/2 lb game (rabbit, venison) which is a little difficult to procure at the last minute. (But my father had both moose and venison in the freezer, if I'd only known!) And it said you could throw in any other cooked meats you might have. Which is why I decided I could play fast and loose with the recipe.

#36 Finish 3 FUFOs as pillows

I have finished my third pillow—I still only have two photos of these, though. I’m feeling very confident in my pillow making skills these days. Everyone raved about Sissy's pillow. She was just happy that it was a finished gift! (Which is a sad comment on my gift-giving history.) I should definitely work on finishing more of my stitched pieces.

#74 Repaint brown bathroom

I finished four coats, just in time for Christmas and the visit from the relatives. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to put up the blind, but soon. Very soon. I’d show you a photo, but it’s a picture of a bathroom painted white. With pink and burgundy tile (which is why we wanted it to be brown. But with no bathroom fan, there was no way that paint wasn’t bubbling.)

#63 Visit England just before Christmas

I can’t believe we forgot to bring the camera. With any luck, my inlaws will send some photos of us soon.

It was a whirlwind tour! We spent two nights on the floor of a front room in Surrey before being transferred to Wimbledon for two nights on the lumpy fold-out couch in the front room. And then two nights in a proper bed in Durham (with “Cathedral views”—in America, we wouldn’t lie; it would be “Cathedral peeks.”) I fell in love over and over again with my nephews. My SIL has two boys nine months and three years. My BIL has two boys six and four and a half. Am I allowed to have favorites? Because I’d have to say the four-and-a half year old is it. But they all have their unique charms, and I do hope we will get to visit them more often. The happiest part was that we were able to share Christmas with them all. Usually, our parcels arrive in February or April. I reported on the trip here.

#40 Take a sewing class

Sweet, sad, neglected little blog. I haven’t been writing but I have been crossing items off my list.

My sewing class came to an end just before I left for England. Of course, then the Christmas hubbub was upon me. I did finish two projects and begin a third. I made these placemats. (photo to come) My goal is to make matching napkins—I bought plenty of fabric. The napkins will match the little yellow corners.

I also made this bag for my aunt. I’m pretty sure she likes it.


I started the Amy Butler overnight case, and I’ve decided to sign up for the class again so I can finish it with help from a more experienced person. This class has already born fruit: see number 36 above (to be added soon).

#8 Visit the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at Penn

Thanks to the FIL's visit, I have achieved No. 8, a visit to the Penn Museum. We only had time for a short visit, because my FIL had to see my husband's office (you know, four plain white walls, a window, basement office). We focused on the people of the Americas, since it's difficult to find stuff like that in Europe. There is an impressive amount of Tlingit materials--because a Tlingit man worked for the museum and collected widely in the area--or stole from his people, but isn't that the problem with anthropology and archaeology and much museum collecting in general? There was an impressive display concerning looting in Iraq, speaking of. I look forward to going back.

Also, I decided that I couldn't be a Hopi woman because I could never make piiki, a bread which is made by spreading a thin batter onto a hot stone with the hand. The bare hand. I can hardly use the oven without burning myself, and no one's telling me to touch anything in there!

Unfortunately, we didn't do anything else from the list. We did spend a few hours on Sunday learning about the battle of Gettysburg. If you ever find yourself there, you must do the rent-a-guide thing. The Park Services has a group of certified guides who will ride around in your car (or drive it!) with you and explain the battle. I so did not care about Gettysburg. (In fact when one of the tourism mongers (fake certified "Town Guides") asked what I was interested in seeing, I said, "Nothing!" This led the dude to be all pissy with me, until I said, "I want to do this because your father wants to do this." There aren't too many comebacks to that.) Anyway, this guide was so interested in it--but in a learny kind of way, not a reenactment dork kind of way--that I really tried to picture 12,000 Confederates coming up over a ridge. I'm pretty sure my FIL knows the exact movements of troops at 3:00 on the second day (they give you that kind of detail) but I am perfectly happy knowing that Gettysburg is Gettysburg because of the 11 roads that converge at that point, that and it was the beginning of the end of the war. That's all I need to know. I think we're going to go back with my dad. I'm sure he'd love it.

#53 Learn CPR

I have been certified to resuscitate adults, children, and infants. I can help choking victims. But don't be faking unconsciousness, because first I shake you then I rub my knuckles on your chest. Go ahead, try it on yourself. It hurts. So no faking.

But I would like everyone who has a child under the age of one to stay away from me until my certification runs out in a year. Because I was totally freaked by practicing on the infant dummy. I don't want any babies choking near me because I do not want to rap the baby on the back; I do not want to make the "baby sandwich" (a way of flipping the baby from the back to the front); I do not want to compress your baby's chest. No, no, no.

Non-fiction

I am still dragging myself through that flu book. It's not that I don't like history or thinking, but it is just taking me so long to read it. I'm about 2/3 of the way through.

I did manage to read Drunk, Divorced and Covered in Cat Hair in about a minute and a half. It was enjoyable like Laurie's website is.

I wanted to share with you Laurie's list for having better relationships, because I think everyone can learn from it.

Have more sex. Hire a cleaning service so you spend less time being resentful. Go out on dates at least once a week. Always be kind, even when you want to be mean. Listen more, talk less. Don't drink too much wine at a party and accuse him of ...anything. Wear sexier stuff to bed. Have your own life. Have your own goals, interests, and activities. Don't give up being whole. Don't pick someone who'd need you to be less than you are. Choose well. Don't criticize his driving.

I'm working on a few of these. The mean thing. The criticizing the driving thing. I think we need to work on the housekeeper thing too.

Nonfiction: 3.5