I have a sickness and I don’t even care November 29, 2006

Went camera shopping at Costco today and got myself a fine little Nikon Coolpix S6. It’s still charging, so I can’t say much about it yet, but I’m very happy that it’s even in the house. The old camera broke (ahem, can anyone say 12 year old budding filmmaker and concrete floor in basement? yeah – anyway….) on Saturday and it was as bad for me as when I have to go a few days without the internet. Really, I think that I have a wired problem, because I would better handle the death of one of my children (well, you know, maybe not) than the death of any of my digital/wired/connected products. In those 5 non-camera days I thought of endless things that I needed to photograph. I worried about what I would do if a good opportunity came up to take a picture of something, and there I was with no ability to take advantage. It’s almost like having ice cream in the house. I don’t necessarily need to eat it, I just feel relaxed knowing that it’s there.

In any case, I’m back on-line again, in a digital-photograph sense, and I will be sure to pose my children in many adorable and extremely interesting ways once they get home. And the camera gets charged.

Okay, yum. November 27, 2006

I’ve been eating this salad (wait, stay with me here) every day for lunch, and I just had to share it, because it’s that good. I have never been a salad lover, but I most certainly am a lover of garlic, balsamic vinegar, and gorgonzola cheese. I feel so virtuous eating this, it’s actually getting a vegetable into me, and I love, love, love it. I’m tellin ya, every day.

Cranberries, Walnuts and Crumbled Cheese Over Greens

Dressing Ingredients

1 T olive oil

1T balsamic vinegar

1/2 t dijon mustard (I’ve been using stone ground – it’s what I’ve got)

1 clove minced or crushed garlic

1/4 t soy sauce

salt and pepper (optional)

Salad Ingredients

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup walnuts, raw or (yum) pan-toasted

1/2 cup crumbled feta or gorgonzola (my favorite)

I mix up the dressing and the salad and keep both in the fridge, then when I’m ready for lunch I fill a huge bowl with bagged salad mix of any kind on hand, add 1/2 of the dressing and 1/2 of the cheese mix, and eat! This will get you a no-brainer lunch for two days. I follow mine up with soup. Trust me, you’re gonna love this. It’s like green fudge.

Enjoy!

Walker November 26, 2006

Walker

Originally uploaded by StevieKam.

This is a flickr test post. Miles learned to walk last sumer using the keyboard stand as his walker.

Musings on being a working woman November 26, 2006

On a whim a few weeks ago, I filled out an online application for the corporate-owned bookstore in town. I was feeling a little mommy-claustrophobic, and have often thought that said bookstore would be a great place to work, if one did have to work, so I went for it before I could chicken out. I really loved getting all dressed up and interviewing with the two very cool managers there, and was proud and excited when they called to offer me the job. Actually, I was a little annoyed that it took the guy so long to call me back because, come on, we all know that you’re going to hire me. Who wouldn’t?

 

So here I am three (or something) weeks later, having finished my three days of paid training, 4 (count ‘em – four!) all day shifts, with a check for $100 burning a hole in my pocket, and I have some thoughts.

 

 

First and foremost: low wage work sucks. Yes, there are good things about the job: some of the people that I work with are very cool and I’m glad to have met them, I love encouraging and enabling book lust in the customers, and it’s surprisingly satisfying to help someone find just the thing that they were looking for. On the whole, however, my experience of working has been that I go to work excited and ready, but I come home dead tired, with a sore body, and frustrated.

 

 

I’ve been extremely spoiled in the fact that I haven’t had to work to bring in money for over 12 years now. I’ve been insulated from the realities of the low wage working world (LWWW – of which I was a card carrying member from the day I turned sixteen until 12 years ago), and getting back into it now, as a 36 year old woman, has been educational. I want to impress upon my kids that the LWWW is frustrating, a little bit demeaning, and very tiring. These are all problems, for sure, but the biggest problem is that there’s not any creativity required to work an entry level job. I don’t come home from work invigorated or excited. My job is to bring my hands and feet to work, and then head on home. I want to engage my mind. I know that the shelves need to be straightened, and the cd’s need to be put away again (haven’t you people ever heard of itunes?)but really, it just numbs the hell out of me. I told my husband this morning that I don’t want a job, I just want to be a blogger.

 

 

I know, I’m spoiled, I’m lucky. Maybe the worst part of this working woman experience so far has been the knowledge that I’m such a weenie!

What will you give me if I go potty? November 26, 2006

We went up to Grandma’s house yesterday for Thanksgiving, and did a little sledding and a little eating (oh, shut up about how much eating). Brianne (my blonde, leggy sister-in-law whom I hate love) was grilled asked by me about her potty-training success with 25 month-old Ben, and I came home inspired. I told Bri that one of my favorite bloggers, Chris, had mentioned using candy as a little pee-pee motivator, and Bri said ‘yes, jelly bellies are what we use.’ Hmm…

 

I have gotten two little fellas onto the potty successfully without using candy. In fact, I didn’t even know it was an option. (I never said I was smart, just always willing to steal a good idea when I finally hear it.) But I am a little bit older now, (read: my parenting standards are lower and I am no longer averse to using bribes) and I would like it very much f I didn’t have to go to Costco for any more diapers, and I am willing to do whatever will thrill this little boy into becoming a potty pro. So… we are scrounging the house for candy this morning, and Miles is running around naked, and thanks to Ben’s inspiration we just might have a big boy on the potty in a few days! Merry Christmas!

Nice…. November 26, 2006

Said by my toddler as he watches me grab a feminine product in the bathroom:  eeewwww.