Something interesting happened on Saturday. It was my fourteenth day in a row of working out at The Dailey Method (Go, me!) and I was looking forward to taking the basic class (they call it “Principles”) because on Friday I took the advanced class (they call it “Dailey Deeper”). When I was on the computer setting up my class reservations, my thought was that after not having a day off in so long AND taking the advanced class on Friday, I would dial it back a notch on Saturday. When I walked into the studio I stopped at the desk to sign in for my Principles class and noticed that…
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Plate Prop Demo, Or “Evidence of My Crazy”: You Pick.
I learned this week that Fiestaware knives, when combined with dinner plates that are completely flat (rather than having a deeper part in the middle), don’t cut it (see what I did there?) when it comes to propping my Thanksgiving plate adequately enough so that the gravy stays on the turkey where it belongs. I had to use a spoon instead, bottom-side-up. Backstory here.
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We See The Finish Line!
Even though we had planned on renovating our master bathroom at some point this year, we ended up starting in July because the pipes behind our tub suddenly sprang a leak that dripped into the downstairs bathroom. Nothing like a kick in the pants administered by old plumbing. After getting the tub replaced by a professional, we put the rest of the room on hold for a while due to a busy summer, and then we got back into gear at the beginning of October. I have been to Home Depot more times in the last six weeks than I can count, and Jim and I don’t take free time…
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How Overnight Camp Is Two Degrees From Bacon
Back in the spring of 1979, I was a fifth grader seeking redemption. The temple to which my family belonged was holding its annual contest through which three lucky Sunday School students would win a two-week scholarship to Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI), the Oconomowoc, Wisconsin overnight camp for Reform Jewish youngsters. The contest consisted of an essay written during religious school from a pre-selected prompt and then, if advanced to the final round, an interview with members of the temple Board of Directors to determine the winners. The prior year I was a much less mature fourth grader who wrote in freeflow. That’s why, when given the prompt…
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(It’s Not) Hard To Say I’m Sorry
Today is Yom Kippur, the most sacred day of the year in the Jewish religion. It’s our “Day of Atonement”, meaning that we are apologizing for the sins of the past year and seeking forgiveness. A big part of Yom Kippur is saying “I’m sorry”. Saying those two words is very easy for me. Although I have perfectionist tendencies (ya think?), I have absolutely no problem admitting that I have made a mistake. In fact, usually when I discover I’ve made an error I completely overcompensate in the apology department because I feel so terrible about it. (That’s an issue for another day. Or for a therapist.) I consider myself…
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Making A Fun Meal Plan Takes Talent & A Lazy Eye For Editing
For the entire time (minus a couple of lazy weeks here and there) since my sister moved in with us, she and I have made a monthly meal plan so we can keep track of who is cooking what and on which day. (Jim and J get dinner duty here and there, too.) At first we started with a straight-up paper calendar that we hung on the refrigerator, but once I finally entered the 21st century and started using Google Calendar for my own scheduling purposes after Julesie had been suggesting it to me for eons, I realized that being able to see the meal plan on my phone–say, if…
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It’s The Most Wonderful Night Of The Year…
Maybe it’s not the MOST wonderful, really, but it’s pretty high on my list. Tonight is Curriculum Night at J’s high school. I adore Curriculum Night. In our school district, Curriculum Night in the high schools means that you follow your kid’s schedule (with each period shortened so the whole schedule fits into a two-hour time block) for the evening, taking in presentations from each teacher about what’s in store for the year. Because I loved high school so much, Curriculum Night is like a trip back in time. It’s probably mostly in my mind because a trip back in time to my high school days would be a really,…
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Go Ahead Punk, Make My Day.
Jim is watching “The Enforcer”, and after watching a scene which contained some very unexpected dialogue (I’ve never seen the movie before), I sat here for five whole minutes doing my best “Dirty Harry” impression in J’s face, finger-pointing and all. “There’s a lot of shooting in this movie, PUNK.” “Hey, he just shot a nun, PUNK. A NUN.” “That wasn’t very nice of him, was it, PUNK?” “Hey, that woman was in a very popular television show in the 80s called ‘Cagney & Lacey’, PUNK.” “As a matter of fact, that was a show about two lady cops, and it was awesome, PUNK.” “Hey PUNK, you’re not even listening…
- Confessions, Do I Really Want My Readers To Know This?, How To, I've Got Mad Skillz, Too Funny To Ignore
The Best AND Creepiest Way To Discourage A Door-To-Door Salesperson. Maybe.
We have lived in our current home for nearly twelve years. Our neighborhood is on the smallish side, and our elementary school is smack-dab in the middle. Both of my boys attended that school from Kindergarten through fifth grade (D started Kindergarten there when we were living in a rental home in another subdivision nearby). One of the things I love about this neighborhood is that it feels a lot like Mayberry: it’s quaint, neighbors know neighbors (for the most part), and until the last couple of years it was not very transient compared to other areas in my town. I have seen lots of kids grow up here alongside…
- Friends, I've Got Mad Skillz, My Friends Have Mad Skillz, Spreading the Bloggie Love, Too Funny To Ignore, Travels, We Are An Awesome Couple
Flat Sue Goes To #BlogHer12!
I have attended the BlogHer conference four times now: Chicago ’09, New York ’10, San Diego ’11, and, just this past weekend, New York ’12. When I tell non-blogging friends about these weekends away, I get a goofy grin on my face and say things like, “These have been some of the best weekends of my adult life.” It’s totally true. Say what you want about any online presence you might have; it’s when you connect IN PERSON with friends–old and new–that really solidifies relationships. Sue from As Cape Cod Turns was my roommate for the first three years, and was unable to make it to New York this year…