Monday, November 30, 2009

Health Update

Lola may or may not have the swine. I talked to her last night and it sure sounds like it.

Austin has strep and an ear infection that perforated his eardrum. He's absolutely miserable, and the discharge would put you off your lunch.  Blech!

Caro had many unexpected guests at Thanksgiving that she never explained to you guys and the title of her blog post was obscene and will likely bring lots of "interesting" people to our little blog.  Anyone googling euphemisms for spanking the monkey, for example.

Pengu misses Caro and Biko.

Anyone needing gift ideas for Jim and/or Mom, let me know. 

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Someone's Gotta Strangle the Chicken

Hot Tamales in the Red Hot


Mom is constantly wringing her hands over passing down the tamale-making legacy.  She once told me that she felt Gaby was her greatest hope in keeping the recipe alive - ouch!  I've helped her make them several times....I've lugged 10 pounds of frozen masa from Texas to Boston....Shawn and I have made them by ourselves in Guam (although they weighed about 2 lbs each and you could only eat 1 per meal).  Anyway, my efforts go unnoticed, yet I continue to volunteer my services!  Whatever, they are delicious and as long as you stay 1 step ahead of the dishes (and are willing to sacrifice your blender and strainer) they are worth it!





Mom and the dogs quickly found their groove!
So, I guess I'll be needing a new smoothie blender

Not as messy as it could be 

There was a nice sheen of lard covering most surfaces of the kitchen.  Why won't Biko lose weight? 

This is the best part - one scoop of meat/chile for the tamale, one scoop for my mouth! 




Bagheera's interest is purely for posterity.














Anyway, too bad you weren't here to taste them fresh out of the pot!  They are the best we have made together.  I'm going to walk a few steps to my fridge and help myself to a few!

Turkey Day update

Hey! Our Thanksgiving was great at Caro’s house. Adam loved playing with Bronnie! Yesterday morning I heard Adam ask Bronnie if he could lay down with her to watch TV and she said, “Only if I can hug you.” So, they cuddled up and watched TV.


We had a fabulous dinner of the usual items, including probably the best dressing I’ve ever had. It was delicious! Everything else was great, but I could have had just dressing and been happy.

I see my camera is still acting up. It adds 30 pounds and an extra chin to all of the pictures of me. I was more cheerful than I appear--we were playing a game that required reading through a clear red de-coder and I could barely see.  Old age is heck, and you're all right behind me.


Sophie was so cute in the Nutcracker. I was crying through it, but she was great. She was the cutest little mouse, with her glasses! I could never have done what she did. She was doing cartwheels and spinning around in front of probably 200 people. It was awesome! When she was getting ready, she looked so grown up and so much like a real ballerina.

Austin was with Marc, which cuts both ways. I miss him every minute of every day, but he’s so much work, that I guiltily rest from the drama. Of course, we were home 20 minutes when Marc delivered him to us at home, a day early and riddled with disease. He probably has the flu again, in spite of having been vaccinated for seasonal and H1N1, but he’s having a strep test in the morning to be sure. 102.4 degree fever this morning! Being sick makes him very sweet and affectionate. I guess I know how to tell when he’s feeling better.

It was good to talk to Gaby yesterday. She’s not her usual bubbly self, but it’s nice to talk to her since her visit.

I understand Lola is sick. Probably from too many informational sessions and strenuous meetings at work.

I talked to Caro and Gaby and since the birth order posting idea isn't working, whomever feels like posting, at whatever time, should feel free to do so. 

Friday, November 20, 2009

don't be ridicurous--- im not asian!

as long as i can remember, people have thought i was asian.  rob's granny is convinced that i'm chinese and not admitting this.  she whispers loudly, suspicious over my failure to 'fess up.  i've considered visiting with her in some traditional chinese garb, just to mess with her.  so i have chinky eyes(no offense to the ching-chongs, i have the eyes too!-- and i didn't get the naturally slender physique, so suck it if you're offended)
my vietnamese manicurist has asked me if i was thai.  i walk in to a salon and everyone nods at me in solidarity.  everyone seems a little disappointed when i tell them i'm not.  i've considered running with it, and have invented a history i may start using.  im a vietnamese boat person.  it may need some work.
another thing i hear all of the time is, "you look like the chick from the bride of chucky".  not familiar with this cinematic gem, i looked it up. this is what i found:



i admit, there are worse people to look like, but on ugly days, im convinced that i look like frederick douglass: (with chinky eyes)



i've learned to adapt. whenever anyone is around with a camera, i try to do my best marty feldman impersonation so i won't look quiet so pat norita-ish in pics.  so i look a little crazed.  i can live with that.
it's just that people expect me to be so friggin' smart...good at math... and like i can be their hook-up on a great knock off handbag, or like they need to clutch their dogs in case i get hungry. What? it's true!

Memphis

I was in Memphis last week, right before Gaby came to visit. I told Gaby and Caro this already, but Lola hasn't heard.

After an annoying delay in Atlanta, I made it to Memphis. I worked with the nicest people, who took me to Corky's for dinner. Delicious, but if I lived in Memphis I'd be as big as a house.The hotel itself was really something. Here was the marquee:
I guess they needed something to brag about. I did try the shower, and it was excellent. I was in room 311, so I walked past 309, past an unmarked door, then the next door was 313. So I backed up to the unmarked door. That was mine!

Fancy!
I didn't leave the room at all because a friend told me that the particular part of Memphis near the airport is full of drug dealers and prostitutes. The next day at the airport, I went to empty my bladder. In addition to listening to a woman who was multi-tasking by pooping and talking on her phone, I saw this reminder scrawled on the stall door:
I really hope the woman in the next stall is off the toilet and phone by then.
Lety