Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Halloween is here.

This is a busy day, Halloween today, Nanowrimo tonight. Every year the firemen in our community spend Halloween night at the fire station handing out candy and serving food to anyone who stops by and wants to eat. As the wife of a fireman I am making chicken and noodles and a large pot of chili for them to serve. My kitchen is usually fairly well stocked so I didn't bother to check and see if I needed anything from the store. Last night around 11:30 I realized I was out of beans, a basic ingredient for chili. The worst part is that I had just came back from Guymon. I'm sure I have mentioned this before, but I live in a town without a grocery store, so wheneverI find myself in a larger town I pick up a few things we need. Last night I honestly didn't think we needed anything except toilet paper and shaving cream, necessities for the holiday, so I didn't buy anything else. This morning we ran to the quick stop and I was surprised to find beans there. Now I can move on to other projects.

The Science fair is also today, of course Jason waited until this morning to mention he needed to rebuild the bridges he had used for his project. After that was done and I had ironed shirts for Lane and Jason to wear today I dropped them off at school. Back at home I started looking for a costume for Miss Universe, Fria Chica and myself to wear to the spook parade. This is the first year I haven't spent the whole month getting children's costumes ready. You would think I would have spent the extra time starting on my costume, but only if you didn't know me. Of course I put it off until the last minute. We have decided to go as the Blue man group, but have no bald caps. What will we do? I'm not sure yet. I'll figure that out in between going to the office to do a bit of work, making pooky a burrito costume, and peeling potatoes.

Potatoes. Before I moved to this area chicken and noodles was a soup you added crackers to and ate it like a soup. Here in this part of the country, and I am sure this can't be the only place, they are ladled over mashed potatoes and ate like a gravy. It sounded strange at first, but now I admit this is the best way to eat chicken noodles.

Last night Jason, Lane, and I went to the Goodwell haunted dorm. It wasn't as good this year as it always has been before. We decided to drive back through Guymon and go to their haunted house. It was very good, better than last year. We stopped for a milkshake and fries on the way home and arrived home two hours past their bedtime. It was worth it. Haunted houses are a tradition for the three of us. Lee never goes. He doesn't like to be scared. Dh goes with us occasionally depending on his mood. the three of us go every year. While in Guymon we stopped at the store for supplies. We ran into Lee's math teacher which doesn't surprise me at all. We always run into someone else from our town no matter where we are. She looked at the toilet paper, laughed and said that better not show up on her house. I assured her this was for friendly fire aimed at a friend. Now I am off to get things done. If you haven't signed up at Nanowrimo yet go do it now. You'll have fun, just do it.

HAVE A SPOOKY HALLOWEEN!!!

Monday, October 08, 2007

Sunday breakfast leads to late night movie

When my children were babies I had this idyllic picture of them sitting at the table doing homework;I helped them while I cooked. Many times over the years this dream has came true. Some days, like yesterday, there was almost too much of a good thing. A large Sunday breakfast is becoming a weekly staple for my family. My mom, sisters, and their families come over and we eat way to much. Then we play cards and eat more breakfast food in the afternoon.
Last night Lee was doing a book report and writing a movie. The movie is for his multi-media class, and is a real neat project. The book report was on The Slaughter House Five, which I haven't read but have had it on my to be read list. Jason was trying to find a project for the science fair. He decided on testing the strength of different bridge styles. We had to run to Guymon for supplies then come home and put them together. All in all it was a good day.
One of the supplies he needed was fishing line. Dh gave him a reel of it and we decided to take it off the reel and wind it on a dowel. In between these two stages we ended up with a large tangle of fishing line. It was already past Jason's bedtime so I sent him off and finished it myself. I popped Notting Hill into the vcr to watch while I worked. It was almost two in the morning before I finished. This morning Jason asked me if I could just bring up his materials around twelve thirty. I guess that long night could have been cut short. It was good I didn't put it off though. I am cooking for the rec. board today. The bread is rising, the chicken is boiling, and the pie crust is resting. Untangling fishing line is job for night time.
Notting Hill movie is one of my favorites. I couldn't even tell you how many times I have watched it. Some of the movies I watch over and over again have a certain part that makes the whole thing worth seeing again. This isn't one of those movies. I can't pick out the best part. Everything from this being one of the last movies Hugh Grant wore the floppy hair style in, to the witty banter endear it to me. I'm not sure I will get this next quote right, so forgive me. One of my favorite lines is "James Bond never has to put up with this sort of shit." This line isn't uttered by either of the leads, which makes it even better to me. It is said by Max. He and Bella have the best love story to me. The main story line is great, but the love between Max and Bella puts me in tears every time.
Enough about movies. I could go on all day, but that is surely getting tedious. I have a confession to make. I do judge books by their covers. I also judge wines by their name. It sounds like a dicey way to choose a new wine, but I have had just as much luck that way as I have had by doing research. I was with Fria Chica the other day and I said across the store, "hey I found one named after you, Sweet Bitch."
She replied "The one next to it is you." I looked and it was named Royal Bitch. I bought her namesake and we tried it that night. Since neither her nor my mom are drink much wine I still had half a bottle left this morning. I poured most of it into the chicken I am boiling for chicken and noodles, and am drinking the last glass right now. It is early for anyone but the serious drunks to be drinking, but it felt right to have one glass before I go in to have a nap.

Friday, October 05, 2007

Shop locally?

I went to the lumber yard today to see how hard it would be to buy a piece of butcher block to cover an island. Impossible, obviously, to buy anything pre-made except cutting boards. Their advice was to make my own, which I have no intention of doing no matter how easy it is. As they gave their instructions on how to make butcher block they finished with "season it with vegetable oil". Then they again offered me the option of butcher block formica, they added that I would not be able to actually cut on it. They offered this even though I had made it clear my intent was to use this table as a cutting board.
I hope this is one of the few lumber yards in the country where a person as clueless as myself can exit feeling like they could rule the place. People do buy butcher block occasionally, I am certain of it. Just now I found the perfect piece online. I will not finish it with vegetable oil though because it can go rancid quite easily.

This is the second time this week I have been shocked by a local business. By local I mean in my county, the only store we have in town is a convenience store, a really good one.
My sons needed minutes added to their phones. I went into the phone company my children get their phones from. A girl I went to school with was behind the counter looking at the computer, another girl was standing next to her watching. I hadn't realized my old school friend was working there so we had a friendly conversation on how long she had been doing that. She looked back at the computer and pushed a few buttons.
It was obvious they were working on a problem and were worried about making me wait. To put them at ease I offered that I was in no hurry and to go ahead and finish. I addressed these remarks to my friend in an offhand manner and waited. When they were finished she coldly told the girl it was fixed and she could wait on me now. The look she shot me as she turned and walked, more of a sashay really, into one of the back offices clearly explained to me that she did not run a register, she was much more important than that. How is that for a compensating attitude?

The tomatoes and onions I bought from a local farm today are delicious. Not only that but the owner is always very knowledgeable about his produce. I offer up this up only to say that we have some very good local businesses here, but the other ones can really shove you to the Internet.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Wow, it is already October

I'm listening to an electro mix of Smells Like Teen Spirit. Sitting here, it makes me want to listen to the original. However, I think if I were dancing it would be great. Who am I fooling, I haven't been out dancing in ages.
Last month, at the End Of Summer Bash, we had a dance on the outdoor basketball court. It was a beautiful night and we girls drank and danced all night. We completely embarrassed our children, and if we were to ponder on it too long maybe ourselves, that is why we are against examining the night in a completely sober temperament. Most of the music played that night was hip hop, new country, or rock. Lee and his friend kept requesting techno music and the d.j. kept putting them off and getting annoyed with them. This is more of a country and hip hop area so I doubt they had much else with them. They weren't the only two unsatisfied with the music.
A bus of senior citizens had come up for the dance. One older man, he looked about eighty-five, walked up to one of the rec. board members and said "Your music sucks". They were expecting a more classic style of country music. The board member noticed that they were all folding up their chairs, so he went to the d.j. and asked them to play five country songs in a row. The bus was loaded and they were gone by the third song.
One of the best parts about nights like this is that I can have fun with my sisters and friends while my boys hang out and have fun. Even if we don't say more than five words to each other the whole night we still drive home together. I look around and check on them periodically. What were they doing? Lane was dancing with his friends. Lee was sitting on playground equipment talking with his friends, and occasionally dancing. Jason was sitting on the steps of a small slide making out with a girl he had just met.
Sidenote: Having a teenage driver is great. He is the official d.d. on nights like this.
To mention something more current. My lack of exercise has really been showing up in the mirror lately. I used to walk five miles a day, but when the girls came to stay with us I suddenly couldn't find the time. They have been gone for several months now, but I just started back up two nights ago. I only walked two miles, not quite up to five yet. Last night I didn't walk. I played tennis with Fria chica. Before her baby was born we were playing almost every night. We haven't really started playing regularly yet and he is three months old. Today my muscle are sore. That is okay though, because I am all alone. I wonder if being alone will always be so great, or if it only is now because it is a novelty. I won't find out anytime soon. Miss Universe is bringing Huggy Bear over in a few minutes. M.U. has to take Ed to the dentist, so I am babysitting.