Category Archives: Everyday Life

Unknown's avatar

Goodbye to the Band!

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Experian Says Goodbye to Freecreditreport.com Band (www.brandweek.com / May 19, 2010 / – Elena Malykhina)

I saw an announcement on the TV regarding the search for a new FreeCreditReport.com band.  Oh, my oldest daughter is going to be sad!  She’d rather watch the commercials than TV shows.  We keep telling her that she needs to seriously consider marketing/advertising for a college major – she has that quirky kind of mind.  She definitely gets that quirky sense of humor from her dad.

She loves the E*Trade babies, Old Navy Modelqins, Old Spice ‘I’m a Man’, . . . . you get the idea.

Back to the FCR Band, you have to admit that the songs are catchy. This is Rachel’s  favorite Free Credit Report Band commercial:

So Long, Fellas!
Unknown's avatar

Lemons into Lemonade? Whatever!

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Yesterday (Monday, of course) was literally one of those days. 

There were no subtle hints – it just started out like any other day:

Showered & dressed for work

Folded a load of laundry

Started a new load of laundry

Got the kids on the bus

Made coffee (gotta have it!)

Ate breakfast

Made my lunch

Unloaded and loaded the dishwasher

Dropped Jasper at the groomers (this doesn’t happen every morning!)

Drove to work in the lemon . . . .

I parked my car in the usual spot in the parking lot, walked in the office, said “Good Morning”  to some co-workers, put my lunch in the refrigerator, and headed toward my cube (this is pretty much the morning routine) – UGH! That is when I discovered my wardrobe malfunction!  The girls were on display – the button on my blouse had failed me!  “How long had I been sporting this look?  Did the ladies at the groomers get a peek? If so, why didn’t they say anything?! Women are supposed to stick together! What about my co-workers?”  Oh, great! 

It did remind me why I don’t buy a lot of button-down blouses (maybe never again) – they’re usually made for flat-chested, pencil-thin women.  That would not be me – I’ve got boobs, damn it!  If I pick a blouse that can contain the girls, it’s too big everywhere else and visa versa!  I want to point out  that I’m NOT in the ranks with Pamela Anderson or Dolly Parton – I’m not!  I’m just a normal-sized woman – that’s my irritation!!  The only store where I’ve had a modicum of success is Ann Taylor Loft – they seem to understand (or sympathize) with women with curves.  However, this ATL button-down blouse let me down today.  😦

 I survived my day at work without any further malfunctions (wardrobe or otherwise) and now it’s time to go! I get into the lemon  –  the air conditioner starts acting wonky.  It was running, but the air wasn’t getting cold (it was hotter than Hades yesterday, too – 90 degrees).  “Really??!! Now, what?!  I just spent $800 on you 3 weeks ago!  What is wrong with you?” 

Aaahhhhh! I’m so sick of this car!  After getting a grip, I call the garage (they know who I am by the sound of my voice) and set up a lemon appointment for Wednesday.  The nice person on the other end of the phone said that it sounds like the freon needs charged – that better be it!  If they call me tomorrow and tell me that  it’s going to be another $800, you will see me on the evening news.  I will the be crazed, wild-eyed woman going postal on my van and turning it into freakin’ lemonade! 

Bottoms up!

BTW, the rest of the day was frantic, but incident-free:  picked up Jasper from the groomers (in hot, oven-like car), cooked and ate dinner with the kids, and then ran off to painting class for some Jenni-time.

Wednesday better be “Good News” day!

Unknown's avatar

An Ode to Weekly Therapy

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“An old friend will help you move. A good friend will help you move a dead body.” — Jim Hayes

“Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you say. Best friends listen to what you don’t say.” — Source Unknown

“A friend is someone who will bail you out of jail. A best friend is the one sitting next to you saying “boy was that fun.” — The Maugles

“A friend is someone with whom you dare to be yourself.”  — Frank Crane

 

My friends and I have started a Friday morning breakfast club of sorts – “the Real Housewives of Suburbia, Midwest”.  However, these four housewives are actually real friends and support each other.  It would not make for good television – it would be similar to this “TV” Show as described in The Onion: New David Simon Project To Investigate Happy, Upper-Middle-Class Streets Of Wilmette, IL May 15, 2010 | ISSUE 46•19 (gotta love The Onion!).

Two of the breakfast buddies have been friends of mine since my freshman year in college (27 years!) and the third breakfast buddy is a neighbor that we’ve known since about 2000-ish.  Our usual means of getting together was going out for an evening of eating, drinking and marathon-talking.  But, since all of us have 3 (or more) offspring with growing time-sucking demands, the chances that all of us are free on the same evening has become as likely as seeing a pig fly.  So, now it’s french toast with a side of bacon and coffee on Fridays (my usual). YUM!

I refer to this weekly get-together as my Therapy Group – I really need it!  I recommend it for everyone – it’s better than prozac (no side effects) and cheaper than traditional group therapy.

These aren’t just ANY friends, these are the people who:

Know all of your junk and still want to hang out with you

Call you to the carpet when you are being a complete b!tch, nimrod, wackadoo, etc.

Humor you and listen to your rants (even when they are non-sensical)

Support you through all of life’s trials and tribulations (major and minor)

Force you to expand your horizons

Push you to consider alternate views

Do the Dr. Phil and tell you to “Get Real”

Make you laugh to the point of tears

The group is not only for me, but for my husband as well!  Noooo,  he’s not invited to the actual therapy sessions, but he receives residual benefits from the group.  Since some of you don’t really know me, ummm, I’ll admit it and just say it, “I can be an handful”. 

Harry Burns (or Mike):   “There are two kinds of women: high maintenance and low maintenance.”
Sally Albright (or Jenni):   “Which one am I? “
Harry Burns (or Mike):  “You’re the worst kind. You’re high maintenance but you think you’re low maintenance.”

When Harry Met Sally is my favorite movie of ALL time.  One of the multitude of reasons is that I can relate (a lot) to Sally in this movie (the way she orders food, puts letters  in the mailbox, etc.) – she is a kindred spirit.

This Group saves lives (not like an EMT, but you know what I mean), keeps me sane and keeps my hubby sane – it’s all good!

Here’s to Friday Morning Therapy!

 

 

 

Unknown's avatar

Who? Me? I was the crazy one?!

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Okay, I think I will probably be the “crazy” person in someone else’s post tonight.  I will admit it – I had an adult tantrum today.  Ugh!  I really hate it when I do that!

My day started out like any other day except maybe even better – I got to have breakfast with my husband (we hardly ever get to have meals alone).  We were on our way to our daughter’s Fashion Show at the high school (the fashion show is where all of the girls from the sewing classes model their class projects – it’s a very cool event).

Okay, we were told that the fashion show started at 9:30am, so we get there at 9:00am – we wanted front row seats!  Well, the show didn’t start until 10:00am!  (Have you done the math?  We were there for an HOUR before the show started).  My husband was sleeping sitting upright (which is an art, by the way) and parents were furiously checking voicemail and emails because some do have jobs!  However, it eventually got underway and it was fun.

Not a bad day so far, right?

Today I’m working from home, but now with 1/2 a day gone.  As I’ve mentioned before, my job has manageable stress attached to it.  But, not today.  My boss has two key presentations – 1 tomorrow at 10am (just found out about this one Wednesday afternoon) and 1 on Monday at 9:00am – he needs both done today in order to review prior to the meetings.  But, I thought that I could pull it together fairly quickly……not so.  Tick, Tock! Eventually, one down, one to go and time is running out.  I have about an hour before my daughter gets home.  I know I can do it!

She had an appointment at 4pm and we have to leave the minute she gets home (usually 3:35pm).  She gets home and I’m about two minutes from being able to hit the “send” button!  I’m done, hit the send button, grab my purse, yell at my daughter to get in the car AND we’re off!  We have 15 minutes to drive a 25-minute drive – I’m driving like a mad soccer mom hyped up on red bull (or adrenaline – I hate to be late!). 

Halfway there, I realize that I left my phone on the charging stand!  @%#^!  @&%*$!  (Oops, my daughter is in the car!)  As I’ve mentioned before, I have a real phone obsession (what if my kids or my hubby tries to call me?).  Okay, we pull in the parking lot (4:05pm), rush into the waiting room breathless only to be told that our appointment is at 5:00pm, NOT 4:00pm!  Huh?  What? 

This is when I had my tantrum – I wasn’t too loud, but I just stood there, let out a few huffy breaths and stared at the receptionist like I didn’t really hear her correctly.  She repeated that my appointment was at 5pm.   “Do I want to come back in an hour or reschedule?”  Dazed and confused – what should I do?  Well, I should call home to let the other kids know that we were going to be late, but oh, wait, I don’t have my phone!  After I slowly snap out of it, I borrow their phone, call home  and no one answers (I’ve told the kids not to answer the phone unless they recognize the number – when did  they start listening to me?).   We have nothing better to do, but drive home and get my phone, so that’s what we do (oh, and I spill my drink on me along the way) – 25 minutes home, 25 minutes back (Bright Side:  1.25 hours of uninterrupted talk-time with my 13-yr old).

 

By the time we get back to the appointment, Maddie and I are laughing.  I’m ready to just sit in the waiting room, do some deep breathing, check a few emails, check my weekend calendar and then read my book (Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel).  I read a chapter and then turned to my iPhone – it had been a while since I’d powered-down my phone (similar to a computer). (nooo, don’t do it!) What was I thinking?!  It locked up on me like an old computer (my phone is about 2 yrs old)!  I had the “apple of death” screen showing.  UGGGHHH!  Now, I’m having my second tantrum of the day, but it’s inner pandemonium.  You can’t make two scenes in the same place on the same day an hour apart, right?  That would be a little over the top.

Now, I can’t focus on my book because my identity (or phone) is imploding in my hands (crying noises).  While waiting for Maddie, I’m pressing the power button (Paddles!!  Clear!) every 3-5 seconds trying to get it to acknowledge me in some manner – it eventually has to respond, right?

Maddie is done, I show her my “apple of  death” screen and she feels my pain (God love her!).  Is it the magic of youth?  She flipped the same button I had been frantically pressing on the entire time and my phone comes alive!

That’s my girl!

Unknown's avatar

The L Word

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The L-Word (No, I do not mean lesbian!) – LAUNDRY.  This is the bane of my existence. 

bane

/[beyn]

–noun 1. a person or thing that ruins or spoils: Gambling was the bane of his existence.

 
I realize that this is whiny, self-centered and borders a little on the ridiculous.  As “banes” go, laundry doesn’t compare to let’s say, cancer, homelessness, animal/child abuse, etc.  But, I’m going to digress to a childlike egocentricity and whine about laundry. 
 
What can I say? I HATE laundry.  I guess I’ve never really met anyone that likes it, but I don’t go around asking people about it either.  I would rather go to the grocery store (remember, I hate grocery shopping) for 48-hours straight than do laundry.  There are 5 people in my family, but you would think that we have a family of 10-15.  We generate dirty clothes like rabbits spawn kits (official name of a baby rabbit – you learned something new today!).  I do at least TWO loads of laundry EVERY day (see Deja Vu (again!) post).   I suppose,  as The Mom, being the  laundress of the family is an assumed responsibility listed under The Official Mom Job Description (it leaves out laundry specifically but I’ll assume it would be lumped in with Janitorial Work). 
 
Why do I hate thee? Let me count the ways:
 
  • I really hate the accolades I constantly receive for doing this chore (it’s really just embarrassing, I mean I’m just doin’ my job) –  “Mom, where are my favorite jean shorts?!  I put them in the laundry a week ago!  They’re not clean?!  What am I going to wear?! [daughter stomps off with huffy breath].

 

  • When I get the bins cleared out and pat myself on the back for a job well done, something God-Aweful happens!  I turn my back for one second and the bins are overflowing with dirty, smelly clothes again!!!!  I think the kids hoard their clothes in their rooms on purpose and then BAM! refill the bins to overflowing just to make me crazy.

 

  • I can NEVER check this chore off of my list.  I am a list-maker of the highest order and obtain an instant high when I can cross something off the list – laundry is a buzz-kill.

 

  • Who likes touching dirty, smelly, mystery-stained items (personal and otherwise) every day?  “Ooh, ooh!  Pick me! Pick me! (yeah, right!)

 

  • I hate gym uniforms.  The Sunday night 10pm gym uniform emergency is getting really old.  “But, mommy, I’ll get a demerit if I don’t have my uniform!!” [huffy breath from daughter also verging on tears].  I know what you’re thinking, let her suffer the consequences, blah, blah, blah.  Who will really suffer here? Moi.  Trust me, there will be other skirmishes worthy of mortal combat. 

 

Right now, I’m sure all of you are thinking, “She has two teenage daughters so why aren’t they doing the laundry?”.  Okay, this is a quandary for me because as a confirmed control-freak, it has been hard to give up the this drudgery. I’m my own worst enemy.  Why?
 
  • I would like my clothes cleaned properly without shrinkage or bleeding.

 

  • I would like my clothes done in a timely manner.  If I waited on my daughters (who are hardly ever home) to do the laundry, we would all be naked.  And, I’m pretty sure that violates all school and workplace dress codes.

 

  • They will have a lifetime of their own dirty laundry to deal with (now, I’m being altruistic.  Okay, maybe not, the control freak in me is being an enabler – wow, I think I need some serious therapy).

 

Now that I got that off of my chest, I will stop whining about it and move on to something else!

Unknown's avatar

Losing Your Identity (i mean, your phone)

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It is Day Three of phone watch.  Let me explain, my poor husband has misplaced his phone.  On Sunday, he came to the realization that his phone was really missing.  Sometimes it is only “kind of” missing – that means that he usually finds it right away in his briefcase, gym bag or Jack’s baseball bag.

Searching for his phone has become a family mission which was in full force up until today – we’re exhausted.  However, we do know that the phone has to be near our house, in our house, or in one of the other vehicles.  How do we know this?  Mike has bluetooth in his car and when he pulls away from the house, the car no longer acknowledges the phone.  As soon as he pulls in the driveway – Shazam! – the phone is available.  He can even call from the car!

All of you are thinking to yourselves, “Why don’t those idiots call the freakin’ phone?”.  Well, we aren’t complete imbeciles! Of course, we did that! If that had been the solution, I wouldn’t be writing about it.  This common method of phone-finding is not effective because Mike almost always has his phone set on vibrate (“Why?” IDK!!).

We have started looking in places that the phone shouldn’t be – the dog food bin, front yard, refrigerator, freezer, pantry, under the bathroom sink, under the beds, laundry bins, recycling bin, etc.  I still have NOT done the dumpster-dive – I’m assuming Mike will cover that if he deems it necessary.  My husband has a history of putting his belongings in unusual places – however this strange behavior hasn’t happened in a long, long while! 

Here are a just a few examples:

Mike came home from work, got a snack from the fridge and then we needed to run somewhere.  Where were the car keys?  He just HAD them!!  An hour or two later, we found them in the fridge!

One morning, I had just arrived at the office (on time, as usual!) and I get a call (this was before cell phones) from my husband.  He can’t find his keys – he thinks he threw them under the driver’s seat of MY car.  Huh?  I check under the driver’s seat – yep, there are the keys.  I had to drive home to hand deliver his keys so he could get to work.  Now, I’m late for work.

He has driven around downtown with his uber-nice camera sitting on top of his car – thank goodness for the luggage rack! 

Okay, you get the idea!  The absent-minded professor syndrome runs in the family on his father’s side – he comes by it honestly.  But I thought this was mostly behind us (esp when it came to the keys and phone!).   I have to ask myself, “But, why the relapse?”  Well, he did just get out of the car with Rachel driving (she is working toward her license in June) – that was the last confirmed phone-sighting.  Maybe that did it.  Whatever the reason – the phone is still missing and he may just have to come to terms with the fact that he will have to buy a new phone.

All of this hubbub has me thinking – “What if I lost my smartphone?”  I think the family would find me sitting  in the corner rocking while sucking my thumb.  Too dramatic?  But, who would I pick up, when and where?   What if someone needed to get a hold of me in case of emergency?  What if I received that all important email?  How would I update my Facebook status & Twitter status on the run (doesn’t everyone want to know what I’m doing every minute?)?

This event has driven me to look deep within.  Okay, I’m just going to say it, “My name is Jenni and I am a PDA-aholic.”  Do they have a 12-step program for this?  Someone help me!

UPDATE:

BTW, as I was typing this post, Rachel did something amazing!  SHE FOUND THE PHONE!  She revisited the coat closet (she said she couldn’t sleep until Daddy found his phone – I’m telling you, it was maddening knowing we were near it and couldn’t find it!).  Mike said that he checked all of his coat pockets, but Rachel said that he really just opened up the coat closet, called his phone and listened for the buzzing noise.  What!?  I’ve been pulling couches apart, lying on the floor of my van, feeling up trash bags, walking the front yard, etc!  Men!

Unknown's avatar

They Love Me, They Really Love Me!

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Mother’s Day 2010 is here!  
First, the Breakfast

Mother’s Day has been great so far.  Maddie (13 yr old) made me breakfast this morning with Mike as sous-chef. 

The menu had all of my favorites –

  • French Toast using fancy bread – My favorite breakfast food on the planet
  • Bacon (again a big fan!)
  • Homemade chocolate-covered strawberries (is Maddie great or what?!  chocolate for breakfast!)
  • Coffee (an absolute must!)
Second, the Cards

This was my favorite card of the day today:

Outside:

MOM SPIT

100% Organic

Amazing Cleaning Powers

Completely Germ-Free

May contain traces of TLC

Removes unwanted smears and smudges

The inside of the card is irrelevant – I love this card because I have given my multiple children multiple spit bathes much to their dismay!  It has slowed down now that 2 out of 3 are taller than I am.  Hey, if they want to walk around with stuff on their faces, then so be it!  I’m not going to tackle these people now just to keep’em clean.

 

Next, the gifts

Do you remember my post on March 19th – “My Cooking Mojo is Slipping Away”?  In it, I described the day of kitchen woe when  I set my Wolfgang Puck 3-quart sauce pan on fire.  I have missed that pan!  I didn’t realize how much I used it until it was gone :(.   Since the demise of my pan, I have been scouring the internet looking for another pan to replace it.  Well, I have discovered that in order to replace my pan with an exact WP original, I would have to buy a whole brand new set of Wolfgang Puck pans!  What?!  I can’t buy just one pan?  What a racket!! 

I had resigned myself to a cooking life without a 3-quart sauce pan – I would just have to put on my big girl panties and deal!  BUT. . . .. . .

Guess what I got for Mother’s Day today?  A 3-quart sauce pan!  They (I know it was my Rachie’s idea!) found one that could be purchased separately without putting us in the poor house!  Emeril is my new “go-to” guy!

Now, for the Mother’s Day Book – my husband started this really great thing for me.  He bought a blank journal and has had each of the kids write something in it each year for Mother’s Day.  He started this tradition on Mother’s Day 2004 when Rachel was 10, Maddie was 7 and Jack was 4.  It is a time capsule of my kids and I LOVE it.  

Jack’s entry into the book this year

Roses are Red,

Violets are Blue,

Nobody here dislikes you!

It’s true, [even, Jasper!]

Hmmmmm …… that’s sweet, right?!? 

Here is Jack’s other poem to commemorate my special day (he was very TS Eliot for this Mother’s Day!):

If You Give My Mom Some Coffee

by Jack Engledow

If you give my mom some coffee, she’ll want a peanut butter bagel to go with it.

When she eats the bagel, it’ll remind her she needs to make pancakes for everyone this morning because she’s thinking about breakfast.

When she is getting all of the stuff ready, she realizes she needs pancake mix, so she goes to the store.

When she’s at the store, it’ll remind her she needs food for Monday’s lunches, so she gets the food because she’s thinking about food.

While getting the food, she remembers she ate the last bagel so she gets some bagels for breakfast tomorrow.

Getting the bagels, it makes her really want some coffee, so when she’s done buying everything, she’ll go home and get a cup of coffee.

Chances are …

Drinking the cup of coffee, she’ll want a peanut butter bagel. 

The End.

I do like coffee and peanut butter bagels!  Again, sweet, right?! (However, I do seem to be preoccupied with food in this poem).

I know some mom’s don’t always quite get what they think they want out of Mother’s Day, but I have to say that I feel really lucky to have a husband and kids that pay attention and know what brings me joy on this special day.

In this post, I have to give a shout out to my baby girl who is 16 years old today and has to share this day with her MOM!  Happy 16th birthday, Rachel!! 

 

 

To all of the hardworking moms,
Happy Mother’s Day!!
Unknown's avatar

The Crow-Eater, The 16 Year Old, & The New Car

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Well, one of the things that I had ALWAYS  said as a parent that I would NEVER do is buy my kids a car.  Why did I feel the need to make this declaration to my children? 

Well, we live in a fairly affluent suburb (that’s putting it mildly) of a major metropolitan area and we live in an older part of this burb that I lovingly refer to as the “slums.”  Our house is 30 +/- years old and does not resemble a small hotel like a lot of the houses in our area.  I think it is safe to say that quite a few kids in our burb expect cars on their 16th birthdays so I wanted to make sure and squash that dream completely and swiftly before the poor things had a chance to fantasize about their new rides (remember, my kids are under a dictatorship right now).  However, my early edicts about birthday cars have gone unheeded and they still say things like, “When I turn 16, my first car is going to be [insert name of car here].”  It’s hard to suppress the dreams of little munchkins, isn’t it?  When they would utter those ridiculous words, I had to remind them that neither their father nor I got a car on our 16th birthday and they weren’t either!  What was good for us was certainly good for them!  Right!?

When I was growing up (I also grew up in this burb, but we were not of the affluent nature), I shared cars with my parents and sister.  We were a two-car family and there was always one available to drive on the weekends.  Also, I had friends with cars (that they purchased themselves!), so there was abundant transportation available.  It worked out and I didn’t waste too much time wishing for a car of my own.

So, what changed my mind about the additional car? (I was probably more adamant than my husband on the birthday car thing.)  A few things:

1.  We are, in a sense, a one-car family.  My husband’s car is a company car and the kids will not be covered drivers (I was just added last year for emergency purposes!).  The one car, as you all know, is the Lemon/ Minivan/Taxi (pick your poison).   You’re saying, “So, what?!”  Okay, let’s say we just had the minivan available (see pic),  am I going to let her take it out on weekends and turn it into a party wagon? (Can you even turn a Town & Country into a “party wagon”?  I guess that is debatable.)  Not that my daughter is of the Party Girl variety (she really isn’t), but I don’t want her (& her friends) to be tempted.

 

 

 

2. I spend more time in my minivan –  more than anywhere else it seems (it is not voluntarily getting a spa day like the Toyota Sienna Mom – see below).  When would Rachel have a chance to hone her driving skills?  Even after she gets her license (in June), she still can’t help me with carpooling (new drivers can’t have anyone under the age of 18 in the vehicle for 6 months).  We would be constantly vying for the van and I, of course, would win (I mean, I am the Mom!).

 

 

In the environment in which we are raising our kids, it can be difficult to hinder a sense of entitlement (they are surrounded by it).  We really want to raise our children with the sense of the value of  money, with the awareness that the world does NOT revolve around them and with the thought that they should pay it forward.  I felt like I was giving in on the birthday car and I hate giving in!  I mean, I’ve been brainwashing them since Rachel was 10 (Maddie was 7 & Jack was 4) that this was not in their futures.

I discussed my back tracking/crow eating ponderings with the hubby and we both agreed that buying another car made sense for us as a family with three kids, but we made some guidelines to make us (me) feel better regarding the about-face we were making.

1.  It is a 3rd family vehicle and NOT Rachel’s car.  It is a car that we have available for her to borrow.

2.  She will buy her own gas.  We will do regular maintenance on it and pay the insurance on it because it is NOT hers.

3.  She will respect the car and the owners (her parental units) by not trashing it (not that she would, but we need to lay down the rules, man!).

Here is the car that we bought yesterday and picked up today:  

 After driving it around today, I may give her the Party Wagon and take the CRV!  I’m not “rockin’ mom jeans” as the Sienna Mom says.

Unknown's avatar

Deja Vu (Again!!)

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dé·jà vu   

[dey-zhah voo, vyoo; Fr. dey-zha vy]

Noun
  1. Psychology The illusion of having already experienced something actually being experienced for the first time.
  2. An impression of having seen or experienced something before: Old-timers watched the stock-market crash with a distinct sense of déjà vu. 

 

 

What day is it today?  Tuesday? Wednesday?  I am a little confused.  I feel like I’m in the movie Groundhog’s Day (you know, the movie with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell? Love that movie!). 

Yesterday (May 4th):   
  • Woke up vanless (so couldn’t run errands)
  • Took Shower
  • Folded load that came out of dryer yesterday
  • Moved load to dryer and put new load in washer
  • Kissed Jack and sent him to bus stop
  • Cleaned kitchen
  • Worked on laptop while watching Today Show and Ellen
  • Son got home at 2:55pm
  • Daughters got home at 3:35pm (officially stop working)
  • Uploaded new post to blog
  • Made dinner – chatted with family
  • Watched Idol with the family
  • Went to bed
Today (May 5th): 
  • Woke up vanless (so couldn’t run errands again)
  • Took Shower
  • Folded load that came out of dryer yesterday
  • Moved load to dryer and put new load in washer
  • Kissed Jack and sent him to bus stop (I did make him a lunch today)
  • Cleaned kitchen
  • Worked on laptop while watching Today Show and Ellen
  • Upload new post to blog
  • Son will get home at 2:55pm
  • Daughters will get home at 3:35pm (officially stop working)
  • Will make dinner and chat with family
  • Will watch Idol
  • And, eventually, I will go to bed

Okay, the garage just called about the Van/Taxi – some other part is leaking and it will be another $300 for a total of $800!       

The Van is 7 years old and I guess Chrysler Towne & Country’s weren’t meant to last.  At least it is paid off (isn’t that what everyone says about “lemons”?)  I suppose that one of these days the hubby and I will have to make a decision on whether or not to euthanize the Van and move on to newer transportation.  I hate spending money (I’m a super-saver), especially on cars.  Right now, I see them as a means to an end (getting me to work and getting kids to soccer practice, piano, hair cuts, baseball practice, ortho appointments, etc) and not the end (like guys do!).     

At least I will have a perfectly functioning (yeah, right!) vehicle by the end of day today so I can get into the office tomorrow.  That will be a nice change of pace, huh?  Don’t get me wrong –  I do like working from home, but I also need to be around actual people once in a while!  Talking to yourself can get really old really fast.     

Hopefully, by tomorrow, the Deja Vu spell will be lifted!

Unknown's avatar

Adieu Investment Friends -or- The Night I Almost Killed Carrie

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Up until this January 2010, I was a partner in an investment club – the Shared Interest Investment Club (SIIC).  The club was started in May of 2001 and was for women only (sorry, guys!).  In January after 9 years, we decided to disband the club due to various reasons.  Over the years, our club gained and lost members, saw births of babies, adoptions of children, job changes, etc.  I think at our peak we had 11 ladies and we closed the club with 7.  Of the 7 remaining members, 4 of us were charter members.   This club has been really great – it has allowed me to learn about the stock market (why anyone would want to do that for a living is beyond me!), meet really smart women, and gain a little confidence.

I remember that our first purchase was around 9/11 and the market was in turmoil.  It was really a crazy time to start a club when no one really had any stock market experience.  Our first couple of purchases weren’t that great, but we started to get the hang of it.  Our portfolio did suffer with the ups and downs of the last 9 years, but no more than the market overall.  I was really proud of our gang – I thought we did really well!

To commemorate our club, we decided to have a farewell dinner.  I volunteered to host our “Good Bye” dinner because it gave me a chance to try a new dish!  I picked a recipe from my Julie Child cookbook – Filets de Poisson Bercy aux Champignons (Fish Filets Poached in White Wine with Mushrooms pg 210).  I was also going to make artichokes a la Julia, but I thought that be too much to take on (and, they were $5 a piece!).  We’ll do them another time.

If you are unfamiliar with the Julia Child cookbook, each recipe has at least 14 steps and requires you to dirty multiple pans. So, if you make a whole meal (main dish and sides) from the JC cookbook, you will need to go across the street and borrow all of your neighbor’s pans first!  So, my side dish was something I had made before and is very easy and tasty – roasted potatoes and fennel with parmesan cheese (it also only requires ONE baking sheet).

We do have one member, Carrie, that is allergic to shellfish.  I did verify that halibut was okay (I was SO on top of it!) so the menu was approved!

The fish is supposed to be poached in homemade fish stock and white wine.  Well, that would have required me to buy 2 lbs of fish heads, bones and trimmings  along with 5 other ingredients.  Hmmmm, I don’t think I will make my own fish stock since I don’t normally see these items in the seafood case and I really didn’t feel like dumpster-diving.  Other alternatives for the poaching liquid were (A) 3/4 cup of white wine plus 2/3 cup of dry vermouth plus 1/4 cup of clam juice and water OR (B) 1 1/2 cups of white wine plus water.  Well, the second option sounded BORING so I picked Option A (wine + vermouth + clam juice + water).

Everyone arrived and began noshing on wine and hors d’oeuvres while I was preparing the fish (the potatoes and fennel were roasting away in the oven).  Here is where I have a confession – I did not follow the Julia Child recipe EXACTLY.  Julia wanted me to poach the fish in the oven and then do some awkward pouring and draining etc. (you have to read the recipe).  So, I improvised and I poached my fish on the stove.  As I was placing the fish in the pan and covering  it with the Champignons along with the poaching liquid, one of the gals inquired about the ingredients.  I explained what was included in the poaching liquid (see above) and what I was doing.  I have to say that  in looking back, Carrie’s concerned look over the ingredient list now makes a ton of sense!  But, she was WAY TOO nice in NOT saying anything at that point!

Does anyone notice anything about this picture?  Maybe the shell??

The fish were poached – next step is to move the fish to a baking dish.  I also took this time to turn on the broiler (I have two ovens and one was already taken with my potatoes/fennel!).  I then poured the poaching liquid into a sauce pan along with a roux, boiled it down and then added cream.  When the sauce was done, it was to be poured over the fish.  The fish were to be sprinkled with swiss cheese and broiled for a bit.  Well, as I was pouring the sauce over the fish, Carrie (very nicely) says, “Can you make one without sauce?”  I was a little confused.  And, then she said something about the poaching liquid containing clam juice.  I FELT SO HORRIBLE!!  I had been all over it (or so I thought)!  Putting Carrie into anaphylactic shock would have made for an interesting dinner!  (Have you seen the movie, Hitch? – click on this Hitch Scenes and then pick one of the “Clip 5: Food Allergies” options.)

It’s a good thing my kids don’t have food allergies because they would apparently be in the emergency room all of the time!

Now, ALL of the fish are ready for the broiler (Carrie’s fish, un-sauced and in a separate pan).  But, wait, I smell a little burnt-food smell.  OMG!! I had turned the dial to BROIL on the oven which contained the potatoes and fennel!!!!!!  Meanwhile, the other oven was cold.  Okay, now I had almost killed my friend, I burned my potato dish and my fish are getting cold.  I immediately removed the potatoes and fennel (with everyone very generously telling me that they liked burnt potatoes and fennel – xoxo to my friends), and put the fish under the broiler.

The meal was served and everyone ate their food without incident. Whew!  Not quite how I like to entertain (serving burnt food and almost sending my friend to the ER), but we had a great time with good friends, good food (sorta), good dessert, good bread, good wine and funny stories!

Here’s to you, Shared Interest Investment Club!