It's all good in the neighborhood

My neighbors are fantastic. The houses on our left and across the street are filled with the most fantastic, warm, funny, smart people. I've taken care of their kids for years and all of us are sad to be parting ways. The kids make a lot of fun of me, but I make fun of them so it's all good. Here is the note they wrote to me on their goodbye card

 Trina--

You are an awesome neighbor, we are so glad to know and have you as our neighbor. we are so sad that you are leaving but we know that you have to do something with your life and not live with your mom forever! even though she would like that! we hope that you have fun in massachusetts and that you have a good life and you can add to your 4 friends. so have lots of fun in your new life in massachusetts!
you rock!
 from Meaghan, Kendall, Kate, Grace, ian and caitlin

I love them!

Snark

I love snarkiness.
It can be a potent weapon. It can be funny. It takes some thought and brains, therefore, it is not a tool available to just anyone. I also love calling people "snarkypants". Really cuts through tension but still says "you are annoying the shit out of me". That said, I sure do hate when people are snarky to me. Especially when they are 10 years old and I have to help them bake 4 dozen muffins. (Which is what I did last night.)

Anyway, what brought on this ode to snark was a fine example I read today in an article my brother alerted me to (which I alerted him to a year ago...aren't siblings handy?). Do you all know who Mark Bittman is? If not, he's....somewhat of a god. He writes for the New York Times food column, The Minimalist, and also wrote How to Cook Everything and a number of other cookbooks. The article in question is about how to best equip your kitchen for the least amount of money. And, since I'm moving across the country into my first apartment, that's a question that's been weighing heavily on my mind. This bit at the end of the article lightened the mood a little bit:

The Inessentials
You can live without these 10 kitchen items:
BREAD MACHINE You can buy mediocre bread easily enough, or make the real thing without much practice.
MICROWAVE If you do a lot of reheating or fast (and damaging) defrosting, you may want one. But essential? No. And think about that counter space!
STAND MIXER Unless you’re a baking fanatic, it takes up too much room to justify it. A good whisk or a crummy handheld mixer will do fine.
BONING/FILLETING KNIVES Really? You’re a butcher now? Or a fishmonger? If so, go ahead, by all means. But I haven’t used my boning knife in years. (It’s pretty, though.)
WOK Counterproductive without a good wok station equipped with a high-B.T.U. burner. (There’s a nice setup at Bowery Restaurant Supply for $1,400 if you have the cash and the space.)
STOCKPOT The pot you use for boiling pasta will suffice, until you start making gallons of stock at a time.
PRESSURE COOKER It’s useful, but do you need one? No.
ANYTHING MADE OF COPPER More trouble than it’s worth, unless you have a pine-paneled wall you want to decorate.
RICE COOKER Yes, if you eat rice twice daily. Otherwise, no.
COUNTERTOP CONVECTION OVEN, ROTISSERIE, OR “ROASTER” Only if you’re a sucker for late-night cooking infomercials.

heh, heh. I especially like the bit about knives.

 Find the entire article here.

What she said

In this series, I'd like to take quotes out of context. 

"I suggest selling yourself on Craigslist under the heading of 'Men seeking Men with butt chins.' "

I've been spending a lot of time on Craigslist lately, what with a job/apartment/furniture/household-good-search underway.  So this line from Glee felt written for me. Craigslist is actually quite humorous. The stupidity displayed there amuses me...I usually walk away smiling because I am so puzzled at how some people act.

Did anyone else think this was hilarious? Did you watch it?


ps, I hope you guys enjoy my blog. It's hard work! You have to be willing to google the phrase 'men seeking men with butt chins', for example. I mean, something real scary could have popped up...I steeled myself for the worst.

Crap!

I've sorta dropped off this blog for a while*, but I'm back. For a quick second at least, and because I have something to ask you all. I was going to disguise my plea for answers in a fun QOW (since I know you love those!) but really, I just need your help.

A few weeks ago my mom asked if I had any light delicates. I had a few, so I made a pile to add to her load. Sweaters, bras, etc. I also needed to wash my black sweatpants, which I've had forever and washed a million times. I didn't imagine it had any dye left to bleed in it, so I threw it in.

Mistake.

Of course, the only things damaged were a sweater and an office shirt of my mom's. They both have a few black blotches on them now. Oops. I feel terrible, but they went through the dryer and everything, so there's nothing I can do. I mean, it's a stain...but not the kind you can remove, right? I am flummoxed to think of anything that could separate the black dye out from the pink, and leave the pink, so I haven't tried anything yet. And, each day I don't do anything, my mom gets madder and madder because she thinks there must be something I can do and that I am just being lazy. Today she thew a guide called "How to Clean Practically Anything" at me.

So I ask you, to save my relationship with my mother (actually, truth be told, she told me she wouldn't get me any Christmas presents unless I fixed her shirts), is there anything I can do?

Sorry, Mom!




* I took a trip to Massachusetts for Thanksgiving!

What the hell is a drop of Jupiter?

You know what a good song is? Drops of Jupiter by Train. It's one of those ones that I've heard a million times, got sick of, and circled around to loving. But I didn't even like it at first, but now I really dig it. Still don't like to listen to it toooo much though, because hearing it kinda evokes a Pavlovian response and I feel irritable immediately. (Just gotta shake it off).

 

I'm actually not a crazy pet person, though

http://imgsrv.gocomics.com/dim/?fh=04e0f87e808e7c972450abe09c699f94

I got to see my favorite dog last week! She's my friend's puppy who is just officially 1 year. Shoutout to Katie! And my cat...name of Kitty. Those are my soft and huggy animals, since I can't have Hobbes.

Everyone, go hug an animal. It'll make you feel better, and I know you need it. But be responsible... you can't blame me if you get rabies. Make smart choices, people!



makes me think of....
Remember in elementary school they used to make you line up to go anywhere? At my school the gym teacher would get us all ready and before we were led out, we would have to shout
"Be Safe, Be Smart, and DON'T SMOKE!"
then on Fridays we would add "and have a gooooood weekend"

Free Radicals

I love science. I especially love the funny things people come up with to try to explain science. Ever been to the hospital and had a doctor try to tell you what's going on in your body? I've never personally been in the hospital, but I've had doctors make analogies to both plates of spaghetti and cars to try to help me understand (little do they know, I am a brilliant biology student). I always wonder where they come up with those things...is there a class in medical school where they say, "ok students, when a patient's family comes in, you can use this strange analogy to tell them what's going on for this case, and this strange analogy for this case"? or do doctors lay awake at night trying to think of how to explain things, and that's just what they come up with?

ANYway, what made me think of all this is a hilarious explanation my facebook friend shared from her textbook.

"think of paired electrons as a married couple. a free radical would be an extremely seductive outsider...in an attempt to stabilize itself, a free radical will "steal" from the neighboring couple in turn generating more unstable radicals."  

Like I said....I love science! and science writers.

Lolz

from here

Great Migrations

I want to watch this new nature series. Very Planet Earth-esque. I saw this teaser online, and the footage is so beautiful. Butterflies! Plus, I love this song.

National Geographic Channel's Great Migrations is a seven-part global television event that takes viewers around the world on the arduous journeys millions of animals undertake to ensure the survival of their species. Shot from land and air, in trees and cliff-blinds, on ice floes and underwater, Great Migrations tells the formidable, powerful stories of many of the planet's species and their movements, while revealing new scientific discoveries with breathtaking high-definition clarity. Coming Fall 2010.

Read more: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/great-migrations?source=banner_tmngc_151#ixzz14fiNdlGD

 

Too bad I don't get Discovery Channel! or National Geographic TV, whatever it is. I hope they let me watch it online.

Land's End

A friend and I strolled around Land's End a few days ago and had a great chat about life and love. We also stopped by the Legion of Honor, but just to use the bathroom. We decided we were having such a great talk that we'd rather continue it than see their exhibit of Japanese prints. I actually really want to go see that exhibit sometime, but that's how good our chat was!

It was a beautiful day, and you could actually see the Golden Gate and the Marin Headlands across the water. There were also 3 giant freight ships that passed underneath the bridge while we watched. Quite picturesque!

Looking out West, a ship was coming in

Baker Beach

The Golden Gate span

A piece of work!

Coming down the home stretch! I wonder what's in those boxes...

Land's End is awesome (let's be clear: I'm talking about the parks area, not the clothing catalog). It's a great place to go for a short little walk, and it's so conveniently located you don't even have to plan to go there. We went on a whim after lunch at Laurel Village (which has the best 5 + dime store ever!...but lunch was not so great).

It was really good to see the water. Something about the giant expanse of open ocean always feels like a deep breath and makes me feel at peace, at least for a little while. I hate to go too long without it!