Meal Planning

Monday- Nanny's

Tuesday- Mediterranean Quinoa (quinoa with , onions, garlic, summer squash, artichoke hearts, kale, tomatoes, capers, lemon zest, and feta cheese. We didn't end up having this a couple of weeks ago.)

Wednesday- Something with corn on the cob. I am currently housing about 5 ears in my fridge. Any ideas for corn dishes? And don't say corn chowder. I love corn but I hate corn chowder. Go figure.

Thursday/Friday- In Maine

PS22 Chorus Class

I heard an interview on NPR with this chorus teacher. I can't stop watching these kids. Fantastic!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0FPZolbYns

P.S. Speaking of great teachers, Happy Birthday Jess!

Boa Noite, Titia Georgina

Last night I attended the wake of my Titia (aunt) Georgina. She was my grandmother's sister. She was 93, dying just shy of her 94th birthday on September 11th (poor thing had that birthday for almost 90 years before that date took on a whole new meaning.) My great-aunt was a wonderful woman.

A couple of years ago, she started to crochet blankets for all of her great nieces and nephews getting married. I don't even know how many she crocheted...a lot. She even crocheted one in advance for my cousin Mark, in case she wasn't around for his wedding (she won't be... he's still unmarried.) I admire a woman who plans ahead.

My mom would talk to my aunt periodically, updating her about all of us. My aunt would tell my mother how nice it was that I spoke such good Portuguese. I don't speak much Portuguese at all but every time I would see her, I'd engage in active 'Portuguese listening', saying "Ah" and "Aww" with the correct intonation and head nod. Portuguese old ladies love to talk, they don't necessarily need you to participate, as long as you are there listening that's good enough.

My grandmother was one of 10 siblings (8 girls and 2 boys.) They all emigrated, at different times, from the Azorean island of San Miguel, Portugal. They were all really close their entire lives. There are now 2 sisters and one brother left.

Every time I see my grandmother's siblings, I hug them tightly, not wanting to let go. By holding them close, it's as if a little piece of me is touching my grandmother and grandfather again. I miss them.

Last night, I was talking to my Titia Georgina's grand-daughter, my second cousin. She told me about her grandmother's last hours. While in her bed, eyes closed, she whispered, Minha mãe está chamando (English translation: My mother is calling me.) I can't stop thinking about that phrase and repeating it. (It is much more melodic in Portuguese.)

No matter how old you are, you are always someone's daughter. You might be separated by death but you will always return to your mother's embrace.

** My uncle, sister, and I shared a funny moment while waiting to pay our respects. We were talking about the fine line between a Portuguese wake and wedding. (You can really insert any ethnicity there.) Nowadays wakes are the only event where you you see extended family members so there's often lots of hugging, laughing, opening up of wallets to show off the latest kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. We concluded that the major difference between the wake and the wedding (save for the obvious casket) is that you don't bring your camera to the wake.**

Funny It Forward

I think most of you probably received this email forward this week (Thanks, Ryan.) Just in case you haven't, enjoy. It's damn funny.

Random Thoughts of the Day:
1. More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.
2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
3. I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?
4. Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.
5. That's enough, Nickelback.
6. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
7. The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.
8. Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.
9. There is a great need for sarcasm font.
10. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the f&*% was going on when I first saw it.
11. I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.
12. The other night I hit a new low at an open bar. I had already hopped on highway blackout when, inevitably I had to find a bathroom. Eventually I decided it was probably on the other side of the bar so I tried to walk over there, but ran into a guy coming the other way. We played that, Both go left, Both go right game to no avail, so I finally put out my hand to guide myself past and that's is when I realized, yup, that's a mirror I just tried to walk through. And the guy on the other side is me. Even cats can recognize their own image.
13. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
14. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
15. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
16. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.
17. A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.
18. Was learning cursive really necessary?
19. Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".
20. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
21. Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.
22. My brother's Municipal League baseball team is named the Stepdads. Seeing as none of the guys on the team are actual stepdads, I inquired about the name. He explained, "Cuz we beat you, and you hate us." Classy, bro.
23. Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".
24. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?
25. I love the sense of camaraderie when a n entire line of cars teams up to prevent a dick from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!
26. Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"
27. What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?
28. While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.
29. MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
30. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
31. I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.
32. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
33. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
34. Bad decisions make good stories.
35. Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!
36. Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?
37. If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.
38. Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....
39. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.
40. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.
41. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
42. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
43. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.
44. I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'
45. While watching the Olympics, I find myself cheering equally for China and USA. No, I am not of Chinese descent, but I am fairly certain that when Chinese athletes don't win, they are executed.
46. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damnit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
47. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
48. When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.
49. I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.
50. Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...
51. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.
52. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
53. It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.
54. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
55. I think that if, years down the road when I'm trying to have a kid, I find out that I'm sterile, most of my disappointment will stem from the fact that I was not aware of my condition in college.
56. Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.
57. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...
58. My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?
59. It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.
60. I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.
61. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
62. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.
63. The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimate d that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat bastard before dinner.

Spotted at the Deli Counter

This story bears no literary significance (like most other items on this blog) but it must be shared.

Recently Cory and I were waiting at the deli counter when we simultaneously spied a gentleman ahead of us. Allow me to elaborate.

1. Pony tail: I could probably leave it at that but I must mention that this scraggly pony was fastened with a thick, black scrunchy. Not allowed on anyone post 1992, most certainly not allowed on men post '92.
2. Fanny pack:* That is offensive enough, except the fanny pack was loosened so it sat just below the nut sack. The nut sack that was barely covered by an unzipped fly.
3. Black, acid wash jeans. See point #1.

Oh, the horror.

* I know fanny packs are lame. And there's certainly no excuse for them at the supermarket. Or on a man. However, I do think there is a place for them. I myself would never wear one for fear of being ostracized. In fact, by merely typing the above statements I am inviting the wrath of you 'judgers.' But I do really wish they were socially acceptable. How annoying it is to reach into the far recesses of your purse or diaper bag and not be able to find your wallet or cell phone. I know there are pockets in bags for these items but my shit never ends up in them. It ends up buried deep below diapers, daily planners, tissues, chapstick, random books, toys, etc. And there's nothing worse than desperately trying to find your wallet or cell phone in your bag with a line of impatient people behind you and a child doing everything she can to propel herself out of a shopping cart. How easy would it be to just reach down to your fanny** and grab what you need. Convenient, yes.

** Fanny. What a word. Don't get caught calling your tush a fanny in England. I knew a girl in kindergarten named Fanny. Sick.

Whatever, take back every you said about fanny packs. If Ian Ziering rocked one, then it's cool. So what if this photo was taken in 1992...

How to Blow Your 1 & 1/2 Year Old's Mind

On Sunday, we took the little lady to the Boston Children's Museum . If you've never been, it's worth it. There's tons to do for the little ones and it's really clean and well organized. Shortly after getting to the museum we wandered up to the Arthur and Friends exhibit.

As we rounded the corner, Beatrice let out a gasp upon spotting the figurines of Arthur and the rest of the crew. She posed next to the mural of the Reed clan for about 10 minutes, even kissing the dog, Pal. She was out of her mind bonkers.

She pretended to eat in the Reed kitchen, sat at Arthur's desk in the classroom, played in the tent in the outdoor scene, and starred in her own episode of Arthur. She was pretty jazzed. We had a great time too. There's nothing better than seeing something for the first time through a child's eyes.

Meal Planning

Monday- Nanny's
Tuesday- Fish tacos (we didn't end up having these last week)
Wednesday- Leftovers or something out of the Freezer
Thursday- Asian veggie and noodle stir-fry
Friday- Chopped BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad* (thanks for reminding me about this one, Bri!)

* Based on the ridonculously fatty and caloric salad at the Cheesecake Factory.

Ingredients
Grilled or rotisserie chicken
Lettuce
Corn
Black Beans
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Dressing- mix BBQ sauce w/fat free Ranch dressing
--Chop, chop, chop, mix and you're good to go

Takin' a Trip on a Plane...

A trip on a plane, a car, and a ferry. Cory just booked our tickets for 10 days in St. John, USVI, baby girl in tow. I can't wait. Luckily we plan things last minute, so I only need to wait about a month.

The photo above is of Trunk Bay.

Born Round

Yesterday I listened to this piece on NPR about newly retired food critic and author, Frank Bruni. I couldn't find the transcript of the interview but I did find an article in Time Out New York that contained the blurb I was looking for.*

"I think part of weight management is making sure the things that tempt you are not around all the time. You will never, ever find peanut butter in my cupboard, because for some bizarre reason, it’s my kryptonite. I am powerless around peanut butter. If I have a jar of really good—especially natural crunchy, not like Jiff crunchy—peanut butter, if I have it in the cabinet and allow myself to take one spoonful, it’s gone."

I am looking forward to reading his book, Born Round.

*I laughed aloud at this part in the interview because the night before I had just been describing to the girls my obsession with peanut butter and the fact that I can't keep it in the house. I spoke of it so passionately... I think Bri was blushing.

Look Deep Into My Crystal Ball

Kristen sent me this cool blurb she saw on DailyCandy today.

SEND An E-mail to Your Future Self

What: Compose a little note to the person you know best (yourself) and the website will send it back to you as late as 2037.

Why: Don’t let the past haunt you.

Where: Online at futureme.org.

Off to start my letter. Let me know if you wrote yourself a letter.

Youngest Member of Al-Qaeda

Earlier this week I took Beatrice to get her passport photo taken. Check out that mug shot. This photo is pretty much guarantees a stop by Customs. And maybe I shouldn't have taken her on the hottest, most humid day of the year. That 'fro is unstoppable.

The Monthly Give- July/August 2009

Thanks to everyone who donated goods this month's Monthly Give. We collected over 10 boxes of non-perishable food items for the Worcester County Food Bank and the Greater Boston Food Bank. Both organizations were more than appreciative of the drop offs. They report that it's been a tough summer with lots of demand and not enough donations.

I am constantly in awe of the generosity of my friends and family. Shortly after I hit 'send' on my Monthly Give emails, my inbox is flooded with people wanting to participate. It warms my heart.

Getting the Creative Juices Flowing

I had the pleasure of spending Saturday night at Jess and Alex's house. We all got together to work on a mural that Jess is making for Julian's room. It's a sea-inspired painting based on Charley Harper's art. Jess did the major parts and then we all filled in the detail. I can't remember the last time I painted. It was really enjoyable to do something creative. I wish I could spend every Saturday night this way.

Here's where we started:


Here's us hard at work:


Here's where we ended:


Closeup:


Jess still needs to add some detail and sprinkle it with her artsy fairy dust. I'll post a photo of it once it's up in Julian's room.

It's What's For Dinner

Got a shipment this week so lots o' veggies for dinner. We got a new item I've never tried before, callaloo greens.* They are delicious. Like other greens but not bitter at all.
Monday- Nanny's
Tuesday- Ground turkey meat, sauteed zucchini, onions, tomatoes, and callaloo greens
Wednesday- Dinner at Bri's
Thursday- Mediterranean Quinoa (quinoa with summer squash, onions, garlic, artichoke hearts, capers, lemon zest, feta cheese)
Friday- Steaks on the grill & tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad

* I just read this online description. Doh, I wasn't aware I was supposed to cook them for 45 minutes. I'm going to pretend I didn't read that. I cooked them for 5 minutes and I lived to tell the tale.

Randomata

I cannot deliver a cohesive post today so here's a mishmash of what's on my mind.

• This morning at the gym, I was watching some footage of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver funeral. I saw some of the eulogy that her son delivered. We should all be so lucky to have our children speak as highly of us when we pass. He talked about how she taught him to to serve others, share love, and be a good person. Really, if that's all you impart in your children, you've succeeded. And poor Teddy. The showed footage of him being driven around Hyannis in that SUV, looking all Weekend at Bernie's.
• I chopped my hair off today. Well, I didn't do it myself. I paid someone a lot of money to do it.

• This afternoon I participated in one of those conversations where you're asking yourself, "Did I just hear her say that?" I was making small talk with a 20 something woman. She points to her leopard stilletto and comments that her puppy ate the heel off. At this point I should probably mention that she is dressed from head to toe like she's ready to hit the club. And god bless her little heart but she really had no business wearing anything that tight day or night. To be polite, I ask her what kind of puppy she has. She kind of grimaces and goes, "The bad kind... a pit bull." But don't you worry, she reports that he's really good with her 3 year old. Except he's frisky. Just last night he drank her full cup of Bacardi and Juice and then was up all night wanting to play. I'm struggling with which call to make first... the MSPCA or Child Protective Services?
• Cory's cousin's wife had a baby this week. I can't wait to visit him. I'm a little alarmed at how I've become one of those women that screeches at the sight of a newborn. This latest baby is his grandmother's 9th great-grandchild! I can only hope for that one day.
• We're struggling through Season 3 of The Wire. Not loving Season 3. Hoping for better with Season 4.
• My back is moist.

Hope you all have great weekends.

Wet Rag

I am writing to you with a moist back. Not the usual "just got back from the gym and sweat through my sports bra and t-shirt" thing (I'm a back sweater...don't judge). Nope, just the daily case of leaning back in my home office chair onto a nasty, damp towel.

Why is there a wet towel on your office chair, you ask?

Maybe because no matter how many times I plead with the Mr. to puh-lease hang his towel behind the door, he insists on putting it on the back of my office chair.

In the interest of full disclosure I will note that the husband's closet is in my office/guestroom. It's not as if he prances into our bedroom all wet, dries off, gets dressed, then goes into my office to drop off his wet towel. We have a bit of a closet situation here, not unlike every other place we've lived. The closet in our bedroom is only big enough for one set of clothes (really, I'm not even being all bitchy wife about it, it's true. But I don't know why I got the privilege of keeping my clothes in the bedroom... anywho, its not about me, its about him.) So Cory was forced into the closet in what used to be the office. Then baby came along so the office was turned into a nursery and he had to move his shit into the guestroom turned office/guestroom closet. Which reminds me of when we lived in our apartment in the city and he had one of those depressing portable closets. Poor guy. Wait, no sympathy for the devil, my back is still moist.

My next plan of attack is to set my alarm for 6 a.m., sneak out of the house, break into his office, and place a used, wet towel on his office chair. Let's see how he likes it.

Finger Foods

My precious girl, you love to eat. You've had a voracious appetite since the moment you entered this world. You are currently in a phase where you like to eat foods you can hold onto with both hands. You don't like when I cut the corn off the cob or slice up watermelon. You prefer to get your hands dirty.

A couple of nights ago at Nanny's house, I cut up some chicken and put it on your plate. Then I sat down and dug into my chicken leg. You kept reaching for my plate and motioning to my chicken until I finally gave it to you. You went to town on that leg like you were the reigning Lil Miss Chicken at the County Fair.

You have this habit (which Daddy and I hope you'll outgrow as you get older) of hovering over someone if they have food, kind of like a seagull at the beach. You would befriend the devil himself if he was wielding a Hostess cupcake.

Let's hope this appetite for food translates into an appetite for fun and adventure.

I'm a Barbie Girl, In a Barbie World

I was thinking of what to write about today when this nugget appeared in my in-box.

http://bostonist.com/2007/02/12/limited_edition_barbie_massachusetts_edition.php

(Thanks, Ryan!)

A Hero Among Us

We had a very special dinner guest last week, my brother Alejandro. I won't do too much in the way of an intro as the video below pretty much covers it. I offer you "From a Hero's Lips."*

An odd epilogue (or really prologue) that I didn't get on video is my brother re-telling a story from a couple of years ago. He used to work security at a television station out in Arizona. He became buddies with one of the helicopter pilots. My brother befriends everyone-- he's the most friendly and personable of the Perez clan. And the most talkative... he makes me seem quiet and reserved. I could dedicate one whole year of posts to his stories. There was the one involving time in the L.A. County Jail and the one where he (shirtless) carried his 300 lb. friend down a flight of stairs after the friend nearly fell completely through a glass roof. Or the one about driving cross country with a guy from Craigslist who had a trunk of duffel bags and only wanted my brother to drive... hmm, I wonder why.

Anyhow, where was I... OK so he's friends with the Chopper 5 Eye in The Sky guy and the guy keeps telling Alejandro that he'll take him up for a ride one day. They finally settle on a day but just before they're about to go up, Alejandro gets bumped because there's some breaking news that needs coverage. My brother dodged a bullet.

* Though I tried my best to mirror the style of the Frost/Nixon interviews, I must admit I fell short in a couple of areas. Please excuse the crappy quality of the video, the shaky hand, and my incessant cackling and interrupting.

It's What's For Dinner

We have a shipment coming in this week. Nothing fun, just vegetables and fruits. Here's the menu this week.

Monday- Nanny's

Tuesday- Shrimp ceviche, grilled bread

Wednesday- Dinner at Alli's

Thursday-Roasted chicken, peas and beans from the garden, salad

Friday- Fish and veggies

What's in Your Oven?

This isn't a euphemism for a bun in the oven. Just wondering if you all have some recipes. I am in a cooking rut lately but not for a lack of ingredients. I currently have a glut of green beans, summer squash, zucchini, basil, and about 50 tomatoes all about to ripen in a week's time. Any ideas?

I'm also looking for tips from a canning expert. Wow, just by typing that I've aged aged about 30 years and gone back in time about 100 years.

Honey, Pack Up the House and Kids...

.... we're moving to Masdar City.

Earlier this week, I heard this story on NPR's Morning Edition.

Here's an excerpt:

Over the next decade, a city of 50,000 residents will be built from scratch. And unlike any other city in the world, Masdar City will have no carbon footprint. Once it's built, the city will be powered entirely by renewable energy.

This is an intriguing prospect. Let's see if they can pull it off.

Meal Planning- Week Whatever

I can't keep track of what week we're on anymore so I'll just post the meals for this week.

Monday- Nanny's

Tuesday- Steak tips, green beans, and sweet potatoes

Wednesday- Girls over for dinner. Grilled chicken, veggies, and salad.

Thursday-Chicken sausage and collard greens

Friday- Some kind of fish