I'm posting on an iPad, in the Apple store. Days after Apple announced that the iPhone 4 kinda doesn't work right. But. There must be 50+ people here, including children. Very tech-savvy children who are turning iPads upside down, tapping on iPod Touches, and navigating giant monitors. Elvis Costello is playing but I can only tell from the bass line. It is loud in here.
Everyone seems happy and productive.
We are in training to learn to use iMovie better. And i won't lie - the minute I find a "genius" who isn't closing on a multiple-thousand dollar sale (it could be a while), I'm going to ask if they can get my iPhone case off for me. The new case protects the big crack in my year-old iPhone.
If this place isn't a church, I'm not sure what is.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
I made a decision recently. Why? I'm not sure. I did finish the profane, sometimes funny, and ultimately unsuccessful book "Julie & Julia". Maybe Julie Powell's book influenced me? Maybe Nansch and her cooking experiments at Remlerville helped? Maybe being in my 40s? My decision is to embrace the cooking. The cooking that must be done all the time for not only my family, but for the bereaved and the celebrating within my social circle. So what if my stove only has two working burners! So what if my oven was built circa 1959? I can take my time, go to the store without the children (a new and wonderful development!), watch a little Bravo, and enjoy the cooking.
I tried last night with fish tacos.
Fish Tacos a la Whilst
Marinate two large fillets, cut into chunks, in:
olive oil, the sauce from peppers in adobo, a chopped jalepeño slice, cilantro, cumin, and oregano, whisked together
Dredge the filets in meal or flour
Pan fry in a bit of oil
Serve with:
whole wheat tortillas
chopped tomatoes
chopped cilantro
sour cream with lime juice whisked in
guacamole or chopped avacado
And don't forget the cheeps and salsa.
I made that last night whilst everyone was outside rip sticking or whatever, and drinking a vodka martini (because OH MY GOD they had Russian Standard in Atlanta!! Will it come here? Has it come here??? Well, I imported my own from Georgia.) We sat down with candles and some vihno verde - thanks for turning me onto that tasty summer treat, Carole!
It was a good summer night. I did NOT do the dishes.
I tried last night with fish tacos.
Fish Tacos a la Whilst
Marinate two large fillets, cut into chunks, in:
olive oil, the sauce from peppers in adobo, a chopped jalepeño slice, cilantro, cumin, and oregano, whisked together
Dredge the filets in meal or flour
Pan fry in a bit of oil
Serve with:
whole wheat tortillas
chopped tomatoes
chopped cilantro
sour cream with lime juice whisked in
guacamole or chopped avacado
And don't forget the cheeps and salsa.
I made that last night whilst everyone was outside rip sticking or whatever, and drinking a vodka martini (because OH MY GOD they had Russian Standard in Atlanta!! Will it come here? Has it come here??? Well, I imported my own from Georgia.) We sat down with candles and some vihno verde - thanks for turning me onto that tasty summer treat, Carole!
It was a good summer night. I did NOT do the dishes.
Friday, July 09, 2010
Why I Love Twitter
Most people dismiss Twitter by saying, "I don't have time for that." Well, I'll tell you what I don't have time for -- reading all of the news, or watching CNN, or actually turning on ESPN to see where LeBron goes on a book club Thursday night. Instead, I open up twitter.com and read CNN Breaking News, @cnnbrk. Or I get a Haiti update from musician Richard Morse, @RAMHaiti. @SarahKSilverman and @ruthbourdain (an amalgam of Anthony Bourdain and Ruth Reichl that pokes fun at foodie culture) never fail to make me gasp at their obscenities. (And then I laugh my head off.) I love my Raleigh tweeps - @jetmars, @pinkpodster, @jrr4 among them, and I keep up with the Triangle culture and music scene almost solely through Twitter since I work Sundays (thus too sleepy to go out on Saturday nights) and raise children (thus too sleepy to go out on Friday nights). @_CCDs is my beloved Carolina Chocolate Drops' chronicle of their climb to fame and fortune, @BUSYBEECAFE always sounds so hip, young and fun, and @AmerDanceFest is enlightening.
I can even keep up with friends who live far away and have world-tripping, fabulous careers!
My own Twitter missives (you can read them in the sidebar) are mostly relevant to me and me alone. I love to "re-tweet" stuff I find interesting and I especially love when someone replies to me. I like to think of myself as a local Raleigh promoter/observer of culture/mommy Tweeter.
And yes, since you asked, writing 140 characters is a hell of a lot easier than writing a blog post!
I can even keep up with friends who live far away and have world-tripping, fabulous careers!
My own Twitter missives (you can read them in the sidebar) are mostly relevant to me and me alone. I love to "re-tweet" stuff I find interesting and I especially love when someone replies to me. I like to think of myself as a local Raleigh promoter/observer of culture/mommy Tweeter.
And yes, since you asked, writing 140 characters is a hell of a lot easier than writing a blog post!
Thursday, July 01, 2010
July
Ooops, didn't make it under the wire to enter in another "nice thing" post in June. Suffice to say, I'm looking forward to a quieter few weeks than the past ones. I'm currently in my nightsuit (a family word), drinking cuppa coffee #3, done with the paper, done with the dishes and doing laundry, and planning our next....
CAR PURCHASE.
Alas.
So we lost a car in the great ice storm of ought-two, then the replacement car we got for that was faulty and has died this week (or, rather, could be resusciatated to the tune of four grand), at some point our beloved 13 y.old Mazda went South, and now we have a used car with 60K and the aforementioned illin' minivan.
Bad car luck.
Shopping has been quick and dirty. Test driving with opinionated children is somewhat hilarious. "Mom, is this the V-6? I think the headroom is not that great, look at Daddy's hair sticking to the roof! Mommy, you want a black car, just like your first car after college!" Finding a car that has great MPG and is affordable is just plain dirty. But I will say car shopping has meant some soul-searching, and I've discovered some truths about our little clan.
First, my daughter will be driving in four years!! FOUR! That's not that far away! Secondly, we do have serious environmental concerns. I actually walked away from a car that would have suited us yesterday due to fuel economy. Third, my husband is a tightwad. Love you honey! Fourthly, we are social people. The car we all liked the best is probably not going to work - because it cannot do the jobs of: carting around my parents when they are in town, carrying our baby cousins + the big kids, carpooling to school and sports, or carrying our bikes if we want to ride the greenway.
We carpool enough that I think it warrants the bigger vehicle, and we also feel like for four years (until daughter is driving) we can justify another minivan/crossover or SUV (as long as it gets decent MPG). Our 2nd car is small and very fuel-efficient, and we will take it on long trips just as frequently as the new car.
Our latest idea is a car that is not a minvan but actually gets better gas mileage than "ole Bessy", and will be a great people hauler for me during the week and a great sports-activity transporter on the weekends. It's not a hybrid - we couldn't afford it - but I'm going to strive to drive as little as possible whilst raising these crazy kiddos and do what I can elsewhere to offset my carbon shoe size.
There, have I justified myself? I'm a suburban mom...it's time I admitted it. And that's a title I'm glad to have. Thoughts/comments welcome!
CAR PURCHASE.
Alas.
So we lost a car in the great ice storm of ought-two, then the replacement car we got for that was faulty and has died this week (or, rather, could be resusciatated to the tune of four grand), at some point our beloved 13 y.old Mazda went South, and now we have a used car with 60K and the aforementioned illin' minivan.
Bad car luck.
Shopping has been quick and dirty. Test driving with opinionated children is somewhat hilarious. "Mom, is this the V-6? I think the headroom is not that great, look at Daddy's hair sticking to the roof! Mommy, you want a black car, just like your first car after college!" Finding a car that has great MPG and is affordable is just plain dirty. But I will say car shopping has meant some soul-searching, and I've discovered some truths about our little clan.
First, my daughter will be driving in four years!! FOUR! That's not that far away! Secondly, we do have serious environmental concerns. I actually walked away from a car that would have suited us yesterday due to fuel economy. Third, my husband is a tightwad. Love you honey! Fourthly, we are social people. The car we all liked the best is probably not going to work - because it cannot do the jobs of: carting around my parents when they are in town, carrying our baby cousins + the big kids, carpooling to school and sports, or carrying our bikes if we want to ride the greenway.
We carpool enough that I think it warrants the bigger vehicle, and we also feel like for four years (until daughter is driving) we can justify another minivan/crossover or SUV (as long as it gets decent MPG). Our 2nd car is small and very fuel-efficient, and we will take it on long trips just as frequently as the new car.
Our latest idea is a car that is not a minvan but actually gets better gas mileage than "ole Bessy", and will be a great people hauler for me during the week and a great sports-activity transporter on the weekends. It's not a hybrid - we couldn't afford it - but I'm going to strive to drive as little as possible whilst raising these crazy kiddos and do what I can elsewhere to offset my carbon shoe size.
There, have I justified myself? I'm a suburban mom...it's time I admitted it. And that's a title I'm glad to have. Thoughts/comments welcome!
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