Today, K and D were going to get their hair cut. Yes, unfortunately, we've neglected the hair cuts with the holiday ... and well, they both need them pretty badly (O still barely has any hair ...). So, since I was working from home due to my extensive dental work done earlier today, D was going to take K and get his hair cut so I could watch O.
Apparently, K wants to look like Ryder Robinson (Kate Hudson's son ... he of the super long locks.) He told us he could just comb his hair and didn't need a cut. We explained his hair was in his eyes and he did need a cut. He then disappeared and came back a few moments later with his hair wet and combed to the side to prove his point. D and I both burst out laughing ... seriously, where does this kid get this brilliance?
However, tomorrow, he will be getting it cut!
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
The World's Longest Dentist Appointment
As I sit here ... my head is still numb and tingly ... but the ibuprofen is definitely working. I had the world's longest dentist appoint today clocking in at almost three hours. Seriously, ridiculous. Major dental work is not my idea of a good time ... but the worst part is the Novocaine. Since the entire lower-half of my jaw was numb, I could hardly speak. Pronouncing my "L's" was an impossibility.
Of course, this dental work is a result of my clenching my jaw and grinding my teethe away ... apparently. Yes, my appointment was five hours ago ... but I'm still feeling it. I now know why people have sedation dentistry ... I wish I had had that option. Seriously, there were points where I didn't know if I'd ever be able to close my mouth again because it was going to permanently lock into open position.
The good news, I got to sit through two great Top Chef re-runs. So, that was enjoyable. It was the Las Vegas season, and you definitely can't go wrong there.
So, kids, remember to brush, floss and don't clench your jaw!
Of course, this dental work is a result of my clenching my jaw and grinding my teethe away ... apparently. Yes, my appointment was five hours ago ... but I'm still feeling it. I now know why people have sedation dentistry ... I wish I had had that option. Seriously, there were points where I didn't know if I'd ever be able to close my mouth again because it was going to permanently lock into open position.
The good news, I got to sit through two great Top Chef re-runs. So, that was enjoyable. It was the Las Vegas season, and you definitely can't go wrong there.
So, kids, remember to brush, floss and don't clench your jaw!
Saturday, January 01, 2011
What's Ahead for 2011
Well ... like many bloggers, I could use today to reflect on the past or look forward. So, I think I will just share some of the goals I have decided to give myself in 2011. Perhaps, by writing them down, it will allow me to stick to them better.
The first thing I want to focus on is continuing to gather quality family time. I was lucky I had enough vacation stored to be able to take most of the last two weeks off. It was lovely, and we all had so much time. I think Monday morning will be a little rough for everyone.
I will continue on my get healthy, get fit journey. I've lost 25 pounds so far, but I really do have another 40 to go if I want to be at my optimum health. So, here's my commitment to having taken the last month off to really getting in the zone. I'll stay inside for the next few months, but I will take my running shoes with me to Mexico, and I plan to run every day there as my kick-off to re-entering my running program. I loved it, but when you get off track ... it can be so easy to stay off track.
I want to cook at least one recipe from every issue of Food & Wine this year. I love the magazine, and dream about making the stuff, but now that I've announced it to D ... I will make at least one recipe from each issue. And I'll let you know how it goes. I've marked three contenders for January.
I will bake at least one scrumptious dessert a month. I purchased the new cookbook from the gents who own Baked ... and it was one of the most delicious cookbooks to just read. I've already knocked out one of the recipes (okay, it was probably the easiest one in the book ...) for no-bake cookies. And it was great. So here's to happy desserts once a month. Why the big cooking/baking goals. I realized I find them so completely therapeutic. Cooking and baking just help soothe my soul. So I need to do more of it. It was something I explored a lot when I was on leave last year and then when I returned to work, it just fell to the side due to time.
I will start to like my job ... or I will go out and find one that I do like. This might be easier than I initially think, as I will be working on this in full force already next week. It may mean relocating the family if that's what it would take, but D is on board. I need to feel valued and not taken for granted. I need to be more upfront about how I feel about how I'm being valued at work. I think it's hard when you've been at one place for so long not to feel like you are taken for granted. This needs to be corrected in 2011.
I will continue trying to chip away at the 1001 books I need to read before I die. I may take the list off the side of the blog and just post it each time I cross more books of my list (because editing the list on this site ... well, I haven't found an easy way to do it.) I've read some great books that I know I wouldn't have picked up on my own if it weren't for that list. Like Zadie Smith's On Beauty. A story about race in the modern day, perceptions of a multi-racial family, loyalty, faithfulness. It was brilliant. But I never would have read it on my own ... I'd never heard of it.
I will try to be better about blogging when I have a good story to tell. Because, heck, when you are the mother of two boys who keep you constantly on the go ... working in corporate America ... and contemplating everything life throws at you ... you know there's a good story at least once a week!
So, tell me ... what's ahead for you in 2011?
The first thing I want to focus on is continuing to gather quality family time. I was lucky I had enough vacation stored to be able to take most of the last two weeks off. It was lovely, and we all had so much time. I think Monday morning will be a little rough for everyone.
I will continue on my get healthy, get fit journey. I've lost 25 pounds so far, but I really do have another 40 to go if I want to be at my optimum health. So, here's my commitment to having taken the last month off to really getting in the zone. I'll stay inside for the next few months, but I will take my running shoes with me to Mexico, and I plan to run every day there as my kick-off to re-entering my running program. I loved it, but when you get off track ... it can be so easy to stay off track.
I want to cook at least one recipe from every issue of Food & Wine this year. I love the magazine, and dream about making the stuff, but now that I've announced it to D ... I will make at least one recipe from each issue. And I'll let you know how it goes. I've marked three contenders for January.
I will bake at least one scrumptious dessert a month. I purchased the new cookbook from the gents who own Baked ... and it was one of the most delicious cookbooks to just read. I've already knocked out one of the recipes (okay, it was probably the easiest one in the book ...) for no-bake cookies. And it was great. So here's to happy desserts once a month. Why the big cooking/baking goals. I realized I find them so completely therapeutic. Cooking and baking just help soothe my soul. So I need to do more of it. It was something I explored a lot when I was on leave last year and then when I returned to work, it just fell to the side due to time.
I will start to like my job ... or I will go out and find one that I do like. This might be easier than I initially think, as I will be working on this in full force already next week. It may mean relocating the family if that's what it would take, but D is on board. I need to feel valued and not taken for granted. I need to be more upfront about how I feel about how I'm being valued at work. I think it's hard when you've been at one place for so long not to feel like you are taken for granted. This needs to be corrected in 2011.
I will continue trying to chip away at the 1001 books I need to read before I die. I may take the list off the side of the blog and just post it each time I cross more books of my list (because editing the list on this site ... well, I haven't found an easy way to do it.) I've read some great books that I know I wouldn't have picked up on my own if it weren't for that list. Like Zadie Smith's On Beauty. A story about race in the modern day, perceptions of a multi-racial family, loyalty, faithfulness. It was brilliant. But I never would have read it on my own ... I'd never heard of it.
I will try to be better about blogging when I have a good story to tell. Because, heck, when you are the mother of two boys who keep you constantly on the go ... working in corporate America ... and contemplating everything life throws at you ... you know there's a good story at least once a week!
So, tell me ... what's ahead for you in 2011?
South African Safari
The last wine club of 2010 was exploring the wines of South Africa. Very excited, as I am a fan of Pinotage (you love it or you hate it ... and I am in the first camp.)
The evening began with a delicious salad with a pastry-crusted Camembert crouton and a delicious honey mustard dressing. This was paired with a Overgaauw 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was smoky with hints of cherries, and definitely had a bite and a long finish. I'm not a huge fan of Cabs, but it worked with the salad (which, really means it worked with the cheese.)
The evening began with a delicious salad with a pastry-crusted Camembert crouton and a delicious honey mustard dressing. This was paired with a Overgaauw 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was smoky with hints of cherries, and definitely had a bite and a long finish. I'm not a huge fan of Cabs, but it worked with the salad (which, really means it worked with the cheese.)
The next course was a plethora of roasted vegetables: onions, beets, carrots (which I am just starting to appreciate beets) and mini Caprese kabobs (anyone who knows me, knows that Caprese is my all-time-favorite thing in the world to eat. In the summer, we have Caprese salad practically every day.)
To drink, we had the Blue Cove 2007 Shiraz. Shiraz are often a little to much for me, but this was a very smooth, berry treat. I think that the robust flavor of the vegetables really helped mellow the flavors of the wine for me.
Our third wine was what I was really looking forward to: The Painted Wolf Pinotage. It was smokey, bright and fruity, with essence of plummy. The mild wine sparkled in my glass like an elegant ruby. This is one of those wines that I could open on a cool evening when I need to unwind and just savor the sips and let the day slip away. Like I mentioned before, a lot of folks don't enjoy this wine. They tend to think it is a rip-off of the Pinot Noir and only reflects the poorest qualities of that wine. I disagree.
To help enjoy this sip, we had a beef canape with mango and walnut and Gorgonzola on a polenta cake. I'm a fan of most of these ingredients, but was a little hesitant about the mango. Surprise, it tasted delicious and was an excellent pairing.
For dessert, we had a yummy, bready apple cobbler. I have to confess, I know I had more than I should, but my weakness is carbs, and perhaps for the new year, I'll figure out how to manage self-control, but buttery cobbler topping ... hard to resistance.
We had two different wines to try with dessert. The first was a Petit Stellenbosh Chenin Blanc 2008. It immediately hit my nose like a Chardonnay, but tasted much better. It was very light, crisp and apply. It's something you could serve and easily drink the whole bottle before you know it. Definitely something to put on my list for a hot summer evening. The second was The Sundowner Chenin Blanc 2009. This one smelled like a Riesling, but tasted like a Sauvignon Blanc, it had a nice crisp, grapefruity essence that played on your tongue.
Granted, we went down wine country in reverse, starting with robust reds and ending with crisp whites, but it was a nice journey that revealed a promising young wine country to continue to explore. Since it's January, we take this month to recuperate from our holiday festivities, but our next adventure will start with a Restaurant Tour in February.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
What a Wonderful Time of Year
You'd think with practically two weeks off, I'd have had a lot of time to blog ... alas, I have been so busy with O's first birthday, D's 40th birthday, Christmas, talking to recruiters and having fun with the in-laws (my hubby's sister and her family) that I haven't really had a moment to spare when it comes to blogging.
It's been a great holiday season, just the right amount of chaos to make it okay. Today we returned a few duplicate gifts we received and got some new things. I think in only one place, did we not actually spend more than the return. And at that place, I only had two dollars left on the gift card, so I offered it to a woman as we were leaving the store. She looked so surprised. I was like, eh, it's two dollars and I don't shop at this store very often, Happy New Year!
It made me think about the next time I'm at a coffee place drive-thru how I really want to pick up the tab ... as long as it's not a big one ... just a little bit of a nice gesture. This is also the last week before I have to kick it into gear again for my workout regime. Seriously, the last month has been a month off and I am starting to feel flabby again ... must meet my workout master and get into shape!
I am reading two books off the 1001 list right now. I started one, but it was moving to slow, so I began the next one I had from the library ... much better, moves faster and I think it's one I can just read a couple chapters before bed each night and will get through it quickly.
Alright, enough for my quick rambles. I still have the South African Wine adventure to write about, and am just waiting for the pictures, but if they don't come soon. I'll just blog and then update with photos later!
It's been a great holiday season, just the right amount of chaos to make it okay. Today we returned a few duplicate gifts we received and got some new things. I think in only one place, did we not actually spend more than the return. And at that place, I only had two dollars left on the gift card, so I offered it to a woman as we were leaving the store. She looked so surprised. I was like, eh, it's two dollars and I don't shop at this store very often, Happy New Year!
It made me think about the next time I'm at a coffee place drive-thru how I really want to pick up the tab ... as long as it's not a big one ... just a little bit of a nice gesture. This is also the last week before I have to kick it into gear again for my workout regime. Seriously, the last month has been a month off and I am starting to feel flabby again ... must meet my workout master and get into shape!
I am reading two books off the 1001 list right now. I started one, but it was moving to slow, so I began the next one I had from the library ... much better, moves faster and I think it's one I can just read a couple chapters before bed each night and will get through it quickly.
Alright, enough for my quick rambles. I still have the South African Wine adventure to write about, and am just waiting for the pictures, but if they don't come soon. I'll just blog and then update with photos later!
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