laurushka.org/blog

Wow, today is November 29th. I really lost count of days this month– I have had to count back on my fingers to the last date I can remember– Monday November 16th, my grandmother’s birthday.

Since November 2nd, I actually did post every day this month, didn’t I? I haven’t necessarily had a lot of substance, but something short everyday- links to pictures, recipes, etc. I don’t really know what else I want this blog to be. I have another blog for sporadic complaining, and I have facebook for keeping in touch with people. I think not posting between May and November was a mistake, but I don’t think I need to keep posting every day. Maybe just once a week? Should I be more personal here? I don’t really want to go into things like job hunting, etc. I stopped using laurushka on my resume, but I’m sure resourceful folks could find this by googling my name, if they wanted. I’ve been meaning to update my website (which this blog is part of) to include some papers I wrote for school. If I did that, it would make it even easier for a resourceful folk to see this blog. Is this site a plus or a minus to a potential employer? I’m just typing as a I think here… I still have one more day to the NaBloPoMo Challenge. Any requests for a final blog posting topic?

If I could, I would turn back the date on this post from November 2nd to November 1st, in order to join NaBloPoMo 2009– National Blog Posting Month, where I pledge to make 30 posts in 30 days.*  I haven’t posted since May, and have been in a bit of a funk, so maybe this will jolt me into posting more frequently than ever. I have a backlog of topics to cover, such as “How We Survived the Swine Flu of Summer 2009″, “What We Did On Our Summer Vacation”, “How I Kicked My Zyrtec Habit”, and “Holy Hannah, I Have a Three and a Half Year Old”. I also have a draft post I started last year about learning to play the ukulele– something else I have not been keeping up with, so maybe, just maybe I will make November 2009 the month I post every day AND start playing the ukulele every day. If my faithful readers (ha! the almost 6 month lapse in my posting probably scared off the 2 or 3 faithful readers I had!) have any requests for post topics, please let me know. 30 posts is a lot of posting, especially since I have had this blog since when… January 2008?… and have only made 68 posts to this point!

Apparently this happens every month, but in November there are prizes… which I am ineligible for since I’m starting Nov. 2nd, but that won’t dissuade me! Thanks to Laura for the idea.

*If I could really turn back the clock, I would also like to change the results of Game 4 of the World Series. How do I get that power?

I was listening to Weekend Edition Saturday, hosted by my publicly-declared (on this blog) crush Scott Simon, and I heard this funny story about “Friend” Etiquette on the Internets. I held off signing up for Facebook for a few years– I have had MySpace for a while, and HATE IT– all the ads, all the blinkies, all the stuff slowing my already slow computer down. But I finally submitted to Facebook in January– all because I heard there might be pictures of my friend Becky in a pregnant state– and have been obsessed ever since. Scrabulous, Scramble, Pieces of Flair! Fun stuff!

I decided that I wouldn’t “stalk” anyone on Facebook. You know, “stalk” as in like when you find out that someone you know has a MySpace page or a blog, and you read it or and never comment and they have no idea you know they have a MySpace page? I decided that I would come out of the woodwork and “friend” people– but only those I actually know in Real Life (or have known online for a while, so it feels like “real life”!). So, I’m NOT friending Scott Simon. Or asking him to play Scrabulous with me. But if he decides he would like to play Scrabulous, or wants to send me some flair, I’m totally open to that.

No, I’m not referring to Peeps, that awful Easter treat that everyone seems to love. I’m just peeping to say Hello, I am still alive on this planet, but I am struggling with balancing schoolwork and mothering and life and maintaining a blog.  Remind me that I have a post in my head about “maternal competence”… someday, maybe after I make some more progress on the schoolwork, this post will come out.

But now, let me talk about food again.  It’s funny how someone who loves food so much is still afraid of the kitchen. But I am working on overcoming my fear! If I could learn how to drive a stick-shift after five years of being a passenger, I can learn how to cook, right?

And I will make mistakes in both cases… for example… I double-parked to unload the car the other week, and turned off the engine and left the gear in neutral. I kept a remarkably level-head when the car started rolling down the hill towards me while I was pulling things out of the trunk, and was able to quickly hop in the driver’s seat and put it in first-gear.

Recent debacles in the kitchen include: burning my arm on the inside of the oven while heating up frozen burritos; slicing my index finger while trying to halve a bagel; and then there was the chicken broth incident. I figured I had broth-making down-pat after making two batches, but oops, I must have had the temperature too high, because the whole pot turned to a congealed fatty mess. Blech. I haven’t made a chicken since!

But let’s talk about kitchen success!  Last week, I was inspired to go through my  two-year’s worth of Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazines. I picked out two recipes: Ginger Carrot Soup and Roast Beef with Peppers, Onions, and Potatoes, and we tackled them this weekend. I handled the Roast Beef myself, but made Joe slice the carrots and puree the soup.  I liked both meals very much. We hardly ever cook red meat, so it was a bit nerve-racking to take the temperature and wait for it to hit the magic safety number. And then the next day, we ate the rest of the roast beef with a mango and black bean sauce, loosely following this recipe for Beef and Mango Wraps (we didn’t have any wraps). I think it was the first time I ever sliced a mango– what an interesting pit!  And today, I am enjoying Ginger Carrot Soup for lunch.  Unfortunately, Lilia doesn’t believe me that this is soup. I think her definition of soup requires NOODLES. Ah, well, she can enjoy a hard-boiled egg instead.

Well, I may disappear back into the ether now, as I have class this weekend, and quite a lot of schoolwork to do in the next few weeks (and into MAY!). But I will leave you with the wise words of Mr. Roger Miller:

Ya can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to

Ya can’t take a shower in a parakeet cage
Ya can’t take a shower in a parakeet cage
Ya can’t take a shower in a parakeet cage
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to

All ya gotta do is put your mind to it
Knuckle down, buckle down, do it, do it, do it

Well, ya can’t go a-swimmin’ in a baseball pool
Ya can’t go swimmin’ in a baseball pool
Ya can’t go swimmin’ in a baseball pool
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to

Ya can’t change film with a kid on your back
Ya can’t change film with a kid on your back
Ya can’t change film with a kid on your back
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to

Ya can’t drive around with a tiger in your car
Ya can’t drive around with a tiger in your car
Ya can’t drive around with a tiger in your car
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to

All ya gotta do is put your mind to it
Knuckle down, buckle down do it, do it, do it

Well, ya can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to

Ya can’t go fishin’ in a watermelon patch
Ya can’t go fishin’ in a watermelon patch
Ya can’t go fishin’ in a watermelon patch
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to!

My friend Christy of The Daily Dish has called me IT in a game of tag! I’m supposed to answer the 10 questions below, and I’m not sure if I need to tag anyone in return… I only have about 3 readers, so hey, go ahead and fill this out if you want to! The questions and my answers….

1) You are going to be stranded, Survivor style, on a tropical island. You will have only the clothes on your back. Basic food & water will be provided. Name 3 things you would bring (and they cannot be PEOPLE).

ohhhhhh, I hate questions like this!! Does this mean I don’t need to worry about starting a fire too? So, this would be like my Desert Island Disc list?? I don’t watch Survivor, so I have no idea what I would need to actually survive! Wait, what did Tom Hanks have in Castaway? Ice Skates to crack coconuts. A Soccer Ball to talk to. And a pretty present to look at and dream about. Okay, okay, if this were a Desert Island Disc (or book or movie) list… I would bring…
Sloop John B by the Beach Boys
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Rushmore
(This is of course assuming there is also some kind of electricity, or at least a hand cranked projector where I could watch a movie.)

2) Name one person (famous or not) you have a *secret crush* on and WHY.

Hmm, I already confessed my crush for NPR’s Scott Simon a few posts ago, so it’s not secret anymore… let’s see… well, actually I’ll have to go with that, because there hasn’t been anyone else floating my boat recently… And WHY? Well, I like his weekly essays. Is that too nerdy? Okay, I confess, I think Scott Simon is HOT!

3) What was the last thing you did before getting on the computer?

Watched Jeopardy!

4) Name one thing you are ashamed of about yourself.

Just one thing? I’m a procrastinator and never send out thank-you notes.

5) How long does it take you to get dressed in the morning? Outline your routine on a typical day. Feel free to mention name brand items you use – shampoos, soap, toothpaste, etc. for interest and character development.

Oh, I have not had a routine lately… but let’s see… I take an almost 20 minute shower every day. That could actually be an answer for the last question! What a water hog! But I have a hard time waking up– achy and allergies– so a long hot shower really helps! Currently, I’m using Nature’s Gate shampoo and conditioner, Jason Body Wash, Dove sensitive skin soap, St. Ives Apricot Scrub (but they changed its scent, blech). I have to use a comb that I got from Crabtree and Evelyn to get the knots out of my hair, and I use MOP Pear Detangler. If anyone has any suggestions for hair products that make your hair thicker, I’m game! At some point I brush my teeth. Then I throw on some clothes. Boring!

6) Since you all know I am food-obsessed, humor me by describing your last meal – if you could plan it.

Hmm, well, as it is normally made on New Year’s Day, this would be an ironic choice, but I guess I would like Pennsylvania Dutch Pork and Sauerkraut. With Real Mashed Potatoes, please.

7) What is your middle name? Does it have any significance?

Jane. I was named after a cat, who was named after Jane Fonda. I don’t think my mom expected to have any more kids.

8) Name one thing you have always wanted but HAVE NEVER HAD.

Ooo, a REAL vacation. You know, where you fly somewhere, and you go to a resort (or not), and you hang out on the beach for a few days or even a whole week!

9) How did you meet your spouse or s/o?
The short answer: at work.
Maybe the long answer could be another post…
;-)

10) Tell me a joke. Pictures are acceptable.x
I don’t tell jokes! But here’s a cat joke I found on the Internets for ya:
Q: What do cats read in the morning?
A: Mewspapers!

Also, since you mentioned pictures… this isn’t quite a joke, but because my internet “handle” is Laurushka, I get emails in Lithuanian for someone else named Laurushka. One time, I had this picture in my email box… along with some Lithuanian I didn’t understand. I saved the picture, but trashed the email. What do you think the joke is that goes with this picture? (Click to see the gory details!)