Happy Birthday Sis-in-Law!

(and beautiful mom-to-be). And, reader of these pages.

Solidarity! Tina Fey, Tim Robbins, Kristin Davis, John Edwards (??), And The Creepy Guy From "Lost" Rally For Striking Writers - Media on The Huffington Post Kinda cool. I'm on the writer's side, though I've read that the money is already spoken for, and I'm having fear and trembling about January and a lack of "24" and "Lost".

Play the video. The creepy guy from "Lost" is really well spoken! And Jack MacBrayer ("30 Rock") of Macon, GA and a friend of my in-laws, is funny.

15 Years Ago

I finished off the rest of the relish today. Mmmmm. In addition, we had my husband's delicious wine/garlic/lemon/rosemary basted turkey, stuffing a la the go-to cookbook, Greek green beans, the brussels sprouts I talked about earlier (I found the recipe!), mashed potatoes (also Greek style - no butter), pickles, olives, whole wheat rolls, and a starter of my friend Brooke's butternut squash soup with ginger....oh, it is tasty dear reader.

The Gerwurtzihengtraimer (I just cannot bring myself to spell it correctly) was PERFECTION with the bird. Ah.

And the Gruet was fun as hell! For the price, one cannot beat it. Seek it out, you who like bubbles: New Mexico Champagne: who woulda thunk it?

The pumpkin pie was prepared exclusively by the children and was so nice, and so good-looking! I was proud.

Another holiday come and gone. Aunt J. has gone back to her midwestern 20s bungalow, Mazda has gone home to his lovely, well-appointed home in the nice neighborhood, and my husband and I have gone back to work and the children to school. These times, they flee, but they are more appreciated with age.

No time, no time. But here is the tasty relish we relished this past Turkey Day. It was a Cranberry and Pear Chutney Recipe at Epicurious.com, and I can ASSURE you it is divine with pickles, lettuce, and turkey on whole wheat.

I'm thankful for so much today. Aren't you?

Because I am unable to post today's picture of Mazda, I'll share an article about two artists who clearly were meant to somehow get together somewhere, and they have, and did so notably in "Spin":The Feeling's Mutual

Also, I would like to give a shout-out to my friend's sister and her London 2007 blog, that has made me both insanely jealous and overly educated about that Queen of Cities and its Highly Superior People. Go read it and vote for your fave historical plaque.

Turkey Day update: we have our guests (Mazda and my husband's aunt), we have cranberries, and we have the wine. Two Gruets (one a demi-sec? or something?) and a Gershueweirtizzenmeinkampfer. That last one was described to me as having notes of lychee, so, you know, SOLD.

Now to get the bird.

OH MY FREAKING GOD WE LURVE THE BUNNY!!!

I want to grow tougher skin when it comes to soccer parents. I never cease to be amazed at the behavior or by the words. I understand the impulse - it is exciting, you want your child to do well, things seem unfair, so you decide to blow off steam. But I don't understand not containing the impulse. They are children, you are an adult.

I understand that its going to happen, time and again, and I have to find a way to deal with it.

I know, I'll blog about it and get it off my chest! Like today, when scary big man with a red face and black Miami hat, upset that one of our players was shoving (she was, there's no doubt...but everyone shoves a bit), screamed at the young referee for not calling a foul. Then, when the referee appeared nonplussed, he screamed at our player! Uh, DUDE! She's not your daughter, she's a kid, she's sorry. After the game, two of our moms mixed it up with the guy, which is stupid, but again, I can't say a word because I've done it in my past (though not at soccer games). I fled, and tried to find my happy place and to focus on my tired girl.

This stuff has been rehashed, discussed, and debated to death. It won't stop, and horror stories will continue to come my way and I'll continue to hear it/see it/experience it. But I'm not going to do it and I won't let anyone in my family take part either.

Damn this is a self-righteous, boring post!!!

Favorite Kanye lyrics:

Life is a, uh, depending how you dress her
So if the devil wear Prada, Adam Eve wear nada,
I'm in between, but way more fresher

Stop dancing with your girlfriend and come dance with me
Stop talking about your boyfriend since he is not me
Stop running up my tab cause these drinks is not free
You drunk and hot girl

For me givin' up's way harder than tryin'
Lauryn Hill say her heart was in Zion
I wish her heart still was in rhymin'

Let's get lost tonight
You could be my black Kate Moss tonight
Play secretary, I'm the boss tonight.

I never rock a mink coat ina winter time like Killa Cam
Or rock some mink boots in the summertime like will.i.am
Let me know if you feel it man
Cause everything I'm not, made me everything I am

How many ladies in the house?
How many ladies in the house without a spouse?
Something in your blouse got me feeling so aroused!
What you about?
On that independent shit
Trade it all for a husband and some kids
You ever wonder what it all really means?
You wonder if you'll ever find your dreams?

We're hosting my son's teacher's pet rabbit for Thanksgiving!

Yes! That is about the most exciting thing in my life right now!

Oh, well, sure - I got my period five days earlier than expected. But I'm sure you all saw THAT coming a mile away!

Mazda is his name! He is gray.

And white, I think.

And large. And poops, when scared.

And I want to keep him forever, but my husband does not. So I am making a much bigger deal out of all this than necessary, as is my way when I am pitching a fit!

Thanksgiving planning has gotten a bit out of control, with the exception of Mazda's confirmed arrival and departure date. We're not sure who else is coming, I'm at a soccer tourney all weekend so no grocery shopping, and we've decided to paint a room before Thursday. That said, we did find a new brussels sprouts recipe to try! (This isn't it, but this is the mag where we found it. I'll post it prior to the holiday. This one looks good, though, no?)

Big Announcement Coming Tomorrow!

moar funny pictures

I've enjoyed reading about bento lunches and of course gazing at the many creations of my fellow moms around the world at the Kid Eats Pool. But let's be honest. I will not be forming tofu nor free-hand carving bread to create fun anime shapes in my children's lunchboxes. It's not me, it's not them, and I would much rather pick the strange, viscous skin off the bottoms of my feet (wha....? why? Is there a doctor in the house?).

However, I do enjoy packing my children's lunchboxes, and even enjoy their help (not always the case, see: cooking and crafts and iTunes playlist making). My daughter and son are fairly adventurous eaters, but they are different (he's more sweet, she's more savory) and have freaky caveats (no yogurt for him, no fruit for her) but because I feel like their lunches are downright Mollie Katzenesque in this age of Lunchables, I am willing to make some compromises.

This week's lunches included:

Girl:

Leftover whole wheat baked ziti in a ground turkey meat and tomato sauce with fresh basil and parm sprinkled on top (in the thermos), naturally sweetened blueberry applesauce, Stoneyfield farm banilla yogurt, small tossed salad with a tiny container of light ranch, Horizon organic vanilla milk

Boy:

Ham and muenster cheese sandwich on whole wheat, carrots and dip, raisins (snack), pear, cottage cheese, water in a reuseable bottle, Butterfinger (he thinks I don't know he's sneaking his Halloween candy in there, but I know. I know.)

Other things we like to put in lunchboxes include: organic mac and cheese and Progresso or homemade soup in the thermos, apples, cuke slices, bananas, Morningstar Farms "chicken" sandwich with whole wheat bun and PICKLES (my God the pickles this family eats! Two jars a week!), a small bag of Greek olives, whole wheat mini bagel with peanut butter and banana, hummous, or cream cheese, leftover pizza (causes fights; is delish), Amy's whole wheat frozen burrito, chips and salsa (only the kind with black beans and corn in it), Pirate Booty, and of course, Lorna Doones.

And that Buffalo Wing-flavor Goldfish, if any are left after Mommy and Daddy enjoy.

Here are some other lunchbox sites:

Tips from Family Fun

From the dearly departed Kiddley

The funny and honest Melissa Summers at Work It, Mom

Today I had a Lean Cuisine but that felt a bit light so I doused a bunch of blue cheese dressing on a huge mound of cherry tomatoes. My mouth is still too sore to eat lettuce. I wanted a beer to help wash it all down and soothe the pain, but I opted instead for a Reece's cup. Just in case you were wondering.

Tech Tuesday (some stuff you can check out on the Internet)

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas. Check out J. Crew's opening montage my fellow Anglophiles. It's like the anti-SI swimsuit issue!

Bob Mould is running a poll on how people would best like to receive his music. See, and vote, here.

I've been having all kinds of weird experiences with LinkedIn, including technical difficulties. Is this a good thing for anyone out there? (FYI, I've found at least two old boyfriends on there! They were both in some sort of strange financial sector.)

I've always enjoyed? Post Secret and from those peoples come To Do List. Here's one from someone I'm pretty sure I'm related to. KIDDING! I HOPE!

My friend Melz is blogging again! Her acidic reviews of New York culture are fun and sometimes slightly terrifying. Check out her fall schedule here.

In a Times article about the word, "Va-jay-jay", apparently popularized on "Oprah" and "Grey's Anatomy" (neither of which I watch):

"Technically speaking, the vagina is the canal that leads from the uterus to the outside of the body, a fact that has led both Ms. Ensler [Eve Ensler, of Vagina Monologues fame] and Ms. Steinem [you really ought to know who that is ] to write that vagina — while not a word that should be stigmatized — is inadequate because it is not inclusive enough. It does not, they have pointed out, include the labia and clitoris, the nerve-rich locus of a woman’s sexual pleasure. 'I’m hoping that the use of this new word is part of the objection to only saying vagina since it doesn’t include all of women’s genitalia, for instance the clitoris, in the way that vulva does,' Ms. Steinem said."

This has been my point all along, people! The area that is usually being referred to is NOT (just) a vagina! And I for one didn't really want my 3 year old saying vulva all the time. So we have a nickname for the area. But my daughter knows she has a vagina. She knows she has a clitoris, a urethra, labia, etc. etc. We just opt to call the whole area something kind of cute and funny.

Which brings me to "balls". My son knows there is a scrotal sac with testicles, etc. etc. But they LOOK like balls! I think "dick" is probably inappropriate slang, but is balls bad? I got in trouble with a neighbor over this one. So we've switched to "marbles" for the interim. Equally funny, but won't have lasting power as he grows.

Perhaps an iPhone costume would have been more current.

We went with the Rapper, and the Movie Star. Or, as my husband called them, "Age 15 on first date". I think that is what all Halloween costumes eventually come to: some visualization of your future.

So what does it say about me that my last costume was a K & W worker?