Monday, January 30, 2012

Sweetie Pie

Mr. is a dear.

Really.

Just yesterday he was urging me to get out the door,
so I would make it to the post office
before it closed.

I was dressed, 
 wearing slippers...
sans socks.

And...
my freshly painted nails were still wet.

So, Mr. kindly offered to put my feet into socks
and save the day
by preserving my manicure.

Yay!

This is what it sounds like:

Mrs: Here are my socks. 


Mr: Give me your hoof.

Mrs:  I love you too, Sweetie Pie.

And that, my friends, 
is everyday romance
in the vibrant household.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Mr.'s family is full of stories.
Here's one:

One day Grandma made a pineapple upside down cake.
It was greatly anticipated*
as she had several children
and all were raised with a proper sweet tooth.

*This was in the olden days 
when children 
did not eat
sugar
all day.

A lady friend stopped to visit
and admired the cake,
mentioning that it is 
her favorite 
in all the world.

Having the grace of a lady,
"Take this one," says Grandma.

"Oh no, I couldn't!" exclaimed the lady friend.

"No, really, you must," insists Grandma.
"My children don't LIKE 
pineapple upside down cake."

And so, lady friend skips home,

cake in hand.


Grandma waves goodbye from the porch,
with several sets of teary eyed children,
clinging to her skirt,
and no pineapple upside down cake.



I saw this video, 
and thought I might make one. 



pineapple upside-down cake from rachelchew on Vimeo.


Now you want to make one too,
don't you.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Other people's medicine

I have a few candy jars
around the house.

Mr. was enticed by some 
prettily wrapped chocolates.

He popped one in his mouth 
and then made an ugly face.

"Gross!"

"What's wrong with these chocolates?"

Short answer:
those are MOMMY's MEDICINE.

Not for the faint of heart.

Grand Mariner 
enrobed in dark chocolate.

Don't take other people's medicine.

Friday, January 27, 2012

FIRE!

I picked Mr. up from the train.
He kissed me,
and then began to tell me all about his day.

Suddenly, 
in the middle of his story,
he began to say,
"My lips are on FIRE!"

"No, really!  My lips are burning up!"

Now, again, slightly louder,
more panic in his voice,

"My lips are on FIRE!"

"What do you have on your lips?"

I was laughing hysterically by this time.  
Pee your pants kind of laughing.

As calmly as I can, 
I say,
"Burt's Beeswax."

"What's in it?" he yells.

Ironically
I say,
"Cool and refreshing mint."

Honestly, it was so funny!
You'd think I was trying to poison him,
by using lip balm

ON MY LIPS!

As the sisters say
"Overreact much?"


Thursday, January 26, 2012

Pittsburgh...where you feel old

Yesterday I learned there is a
BIG difference
between 28 and 38.

While getting my hair cut,
I overheard a conversation
between two women, 
both age 28.

"I mean, I'm not, like, trying to find someone.
I'm happy, like, being single and everything.
I mean, I have fun and everything"

Between the two of them,
 three words couldn't be 
strung together 
without "like" or "everything".

Oh, they were delightful.
I didn't envy the single girl,
having so much fun.

I'd rather be home with Mr.
drinking tea
and knitting.


But I did suddenly feel my age.

Poor Mr.
He is the oldest person in his office.
The people he works with are young.
I didn't understand until I drove 
him and some other guys around one afternoon. 


Bet you didn't know I sometimes drive a taxi.
Okay, you probably knew.
I do have two kids.

Anyway, the guys wanted to be let out
to pick up some lunch.
After spending about an hour with them,
I also thought they were young.
I had to bite my tongue
and not offer them lunch money.

So, as Mr. says,
"Welcome to Pittsburgh,
where you FEEL old."



Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Kinfolk

Kinfolk Volume Two from Kinfolk on Vimeo.


This video is lovely.
It makes me glad for winter.
And...
it makes me want 
a subscription to Kinfolk.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Who's Carmen?

Sister was talking at dinner tonight
 about her bad day.


"Karma is out to get me," she declared.


"Who's Carmen?" Mr. asked.

Peels of laughter.

Sister Too says 
"I think someone is getting old."

And reminds us a little of grandpa.

Happy Chinese New Year!

We served broccoli and beef, firecracker shrimp, rice, 
and chocolate dessert bites.

Ambitiously, I planned to make paper lanterns for decorations.

*chirp...chirp*

Um, yeah.

On the bright side, there is nothing to take down.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Dinner

Tonight school is hosting 
International Night.

Sister is playing her trombone.
(The Can-can...once it gets in your head it stays...)

Sister Too is one of the MC's.

Sister Too really wants us to go.
"Mom, you don't have to make dinner,"
she persuades.

"Hmmm, sounds good," I think.

Sister Too says,
 "And, I told my teacher 
how great you are
at making
 homemade French bread.
So I volunteered you

 to make

 a dozen loaves."

I'm not sure 
but I think making dinner 

*might* 

have been easier.

Once again, the easy way
is not the right way.

Even my hair smells like bread.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Update, and advice

When I dropped my broken camera off
(on Saturday last),
the camera guy said,
"We'll look at it and give you a call this week."

I called Friday.
Just to check.
Because they hadn't called me.
Hmm...

The guy said,
"Our technician has been out all week,
we'll give you a call next week."

Do you think he's stalling?
Should I pick up my camera?

Should I take a chance 
and call the credit card company 
to get a refund on the charges?

Help!

This is making me really crazy!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Surprise...and not the happy kind

A few nights ago I decided to bake Mr.'s favorite cookies
with a twist.

Oatmeal chocolate chip coconut and walnut cookies.

Yum.

One must have fallen on the floor,
for the next morning Mr. picked it up.

But it looked suspiciously...
nibbled.

Cue the panic attack.
Mrs. does NOT like rodents
of ANY kind.
Not even hamsters.

Just to be on the safe side,
I put out some traps.  

And I mean business.

Did you know Ortho has some new rodent control?
Me neither.
But I bought the Home Defense MAX
because that was how I feel.
I want to defend my home to the MAX.

I baited it with peanut butter
(original, I know).

And to my absolute horror...
I caught a mouse!

The design of the new trap is to give you a handle
so you don't have to get too close 
to dispose of the enemy.

I designed my life to have Mr.
and he thoughtfully did it for me.

The mystery is
I have cleaned this house like crazy
because I am having 12 ladies over tonight.

I have not found ANY evidence at all of a mouse.
I even mopped under and behind the fridge.

Let's hope he's a loner.
But he's probably not.

I told the sisters this morning at breakfast.



Exactly what I was thinking.
HA!

Monday, January 9, 2012

Camera Repair SVC. Inc. in Market Square


Here's the story:
Needing cleaning, Mr. took my camera to 
downtown Pittsburgh.

He was charged $40 for "diagnostics".
They called and said the lens needed "recalibrating".

After two weeks, it was picked up.
The bill was $200.
They lost the lens cap,
but replaced it.

I took 6 photos.
It locked up, and didn't work 
AT ALL.
I called.
They said it was a battery issue.
When I changed the battery out, 
I noticed they replaced the
 PERFECTLY FUNCTIONING
Canon Battery
with a generic one.
Hmm.
No lens cap.
Generic battery.
Doesn't sound like a reputable place.
Neither battery made the camera work.


We left for our Christmas holiday.
I was NOT happy to have no camera.
You know I like my pictures.
I called and left messages.
NO RESPONSE.

I went back to the camera shop.
I shared my problem.
I told them I wanted a repair 
AND A REFUND.
The man behind the counter told me he doesn't do that.
Because they do good work.

I pointed out that when my camera was dropped off,
it WORKED.
And, after they "fixed" it, it doesn't.

Too bad for me, he said.
He took it back for repair.
He will call me later in the week.

I am NOT a HAPPY CAMPER.

I DO NOT want you to take your camera there.


Of course, 
I chose them on convenience.

And friends, 
I have been inconveniently paying for that convenience 
for a month.
And, I have no Christmas photos to boot.

The easy way is NEVER the right way.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Young Adult the movie

Mr. and I like to see movies at Christmastime.
He selected Sherlock Holmes.
Good for our family.
3 out of 4 really liked it.
For me, lots of ACTION
not too much story. 

It made me wish we could pay the amount the movie was worth to us.
I paid $7 to get in.
I wished I could have paid about $4.

Then I picked Young Adult.
I liked it.
Reminds me that we are all at least 
a little "crazy". 
I know I've had my moments.
And watching Charlize Theron
reminded me of too many women I already know.

Mr. hated it.

Some comments he made:

The best thing about this movie was the popcorn.

The only men in the audience are here because their wives made them come.

This is like watching how a woman's mind works on a BIG SCREEN!

This movie is terrible!


My favorite was this one:

What's the rating on this movie?  It should be rated P-U!

I was really laughing at him.

I wish I could had recorded them for you.

Honestly, we have talked about it since,
and he agrees that it isn't really a BAD movie,
but it didn't make him FEEL GOOD at the end.
It was smart,
well-written,
realistic,
and not afraid to tie everything up neatly at the end.
Just like real life.


On the camera:
The repair shop refuses to respond to my e-mails
or phone messages.
Or Mr.'s for that matter.
We are calm and civil.

This might get ugly.