My Week In Pictures 1.15.12 - 1.21.12

Sunday 1/15: After watching CBS Sunday morning I went back into the bedroom to find a dog and its master snuggling in bed.

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Monday 1/16: Brenden and I played several rounds of Dominion (a card game) online.  No shuffling required.

Tuesday 1/17: My dinner turned out bright and pretty. Those are Trader Joe's Masala Vegetable Patties.

 

Wednesday 1/18: Neighborhood association meeting night. Someone forgot the key that lets us into the church.  I waited in the car and listened to NPR.

Thursday 1/19: Came home from work to find Brenden and Dad playing a game in the living room.

Friday 1/20: Brenden invited several people over to play the board game Arkham Horror. It is a very long game; I think they took 6 hours to play it. I chose to hang out with the kids instead. This is Zoe, Wendy's #1 fan!

Saturday 1/21: I mercilessly decluttered the spare bedroom closet, also known as "the junk room". I had tons of craft and art supplies which hadn't been touched in over a decade. Some were trashed and many items, everything in cardboard boxes, are destined for a garage sale.

My Week In Pictures 1.8.12 - 1.14.12

It got colder. I didn't sleep well. And, then, it snowed. Welcome to January!

Sunday 1/8: When I slipped on these socks I realized I bought them at Nordstrom 11 years ago, when I worked at Circle Centre. When you dislike wearing socks as much as I do, you can make a pair last over a decade.

Monday 1/9: Wendy's dog friend, Emmitt, no longer cared for a few of his toys, so she got some hand-me-downs.

Tuesday 1/10: I felt broke down and we ordered pizza and wings. I don't recommend Papa Johns' wings. The skin is too wobbly.

Wednesday 1/11: Prepping "overnight oats" for tomorrow's breakfast.  Did you know if you soak dry oats in milk and/or yogurt, in the morning they are all puffed up and you don't need to cook them? It makes a nice cold cereal. I add a banana when it is time to eat.

Thursday 1/12: It was our first real snow of the winter. I lucked out as it was Lauren's day to drive in our car pool. Here she is, getting ready to head home.

Friday 1/13: It snowed some more. Wendy rolled all around in it.

Saturday 1/14: I went to a recycling event at Broad Ripple Park. Since I was in the neighborhood I stopped in at Rusted Moon outfitters. There were so many fabulous coats and pullovers. I want them all!

My Week In Pictures 1.1.12 - 1.7.12

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. - John Lennnon

My day-to-day isn't a circus, but I'm documenting it nonetheless!

Sunday 1/1: My morning routine now includes inhalers.

 

Monday 1/2: Wendy pre-washes the dishes.

 Tuesday 1/3: An avocado with Red Hot makes the perfect lunch.

Wednesday 1/4: Had post-holiday lunch with my teammates and our photo stylist. She gave me an adorable handmade card.

Thursday 1/5: Cramming for book club at the end of the month. They are reading the sequel to Zippy, so I am behind!

Friday 1/6: Bought some beautiful Anaheim peppers.  And, I discovered how to use the feature on my camera that makes one color pop.

Saturday 1/7: It was an unusually warm and sunny January day. Wendy and I took a nice long walk.

My Year in Cities

Cities I slept in during 2011, other than my own.

Orlando, FL
Seattle, WA
Bethesda, MD
Memphis, TN
Carlsbad, CA
Cleveland, OH

Summer Sandwich

I've been taking pictures all year long with the unrealized intention of featuring them in a blog post.  For example, I documented how to make one of my favorite sandwiches ever, when my garden was exploding with basil and tomatoes. Now, this sandwich is but a memory and the garden is shriveled except for some lingering thyme and parsley.

I'll still tell you how to make it though!  Get excited for summer, it's only 7 months away!

This is really all to taste, so here is a general list of ingredients needed:
Bread (I used sourdough)
Roma tomatoes, sliced, juicy seeds poked out
Fresh mozzarella, the kind that comes in a ball, not a brick
Basil aioli

Preheat a cast iron skillet on medium low heat.

Build the sandwich by spreading a thin layer of aioli on each slice of bread. It is delicious, so there may be temptation to slather it on. But, when the sandwich heats up, aioli gets runny. So that's why dividing it among both slices of bread is best.  There is more surface area to absorb it.

Layer on the tomatoes and cheese. Marry up both sides of the sandwich and spray the exterior with olive oil.

Place the sandwiches in the skillet, weighing them down with a flat-bottomed pot. Fill the pot with heavy things, like jugs of oil or rum. There's no need to own a panini press, this method works just fine!

Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Some cheese may bubble out, but don't worry, that only makes them tastier.

There will be leftover aioli, which was never a problem for me. I just made another batch of sandwiches the next night, or tossed it into some pasta.

Francophile

Sometimes living a cliché is a really satisfying experience. For example, the time I was in France and ate a croissant and drank a cafe au lait for breakfast several mornings in a row. So French! So delicious!

This memory makes my heart yearn for a little pâtisserie to open around the corner so I could enjoy a fantastic pastry each morning.

Maybe it's time to try my hand at making my own croissants. Until I learn, I watch this video a every few months of a man making an absurd amount of pastries. The precision is zen like and soothing. Trust me. And don't blame me if you seek a buttery, flaky treat tomorrow!

A Few Notes

It's election day! Of course I voted, I always feel oddly proud about it. I wore my "I voted" sticker all day.

I have always disliked Muhammad Ali. Today, with the news of Joe Frazier's death, a reporter noted that Ali was especially insulting to Frazier! What a jerk!

Why do some people pronounce jaguar as "jag-WIRE"? Stop that.

My daylight lamp arrives tomorrow! I plan to sun it up all day long in my windowless office until spring!

News comes (via my cousin on Twitter) that my aunt has replaced a family portrait on her wall with a squirrel collage. It is unclear if this is a homemade or store bought item. It has to be homemade, right?  What retail outlet specializes in squirrel images?

Do you think you're computer savvy? Read Clients from Hell. If you can't tell why each entry is funny or maddening, find out from your local geek. You'll be better for it, and subsequently will lessen your chance of being a client from hell.

I Get Knocked Down (But I Get Up Again)

A week ago, I had some dental work done. My 24 year old dentist perfectly administered numbing agents, drilled my offending tooth down to a nub, and glued on a temporary crown. For the past few days, all of the teeth on the left side of my mouth have been throbbing and aching. It's especially bad tonight.

I have employed two remedies: Advil and this video of They Might Be Giants performing a cover of Tubthumping. It's magical and joyful and always makes me smile, no matter what. (P.S. Hurry up, Advil.)

Please note:

I would like to be a part of that group of dorks in the tiny, round room.
The faces the drummer makes are awesome.
If you have a chance to see TMBG live, you must, because they really rock.


They Might Be Giants covers Chumbawamba

Sunday Blues

I exercised more than usual this weekend, and coincidentally, I don't have the depression I normally feel on Sunday evenings. It's such a cliche to hate Mondays, but I do. But, I even looked at this picture of the view from my office chair, and it didn't feel awful. A shift has occurred.

So, all it takes to cure a decades-long bout of Sunday evening depression is plenty exercise? Now I've got to come to terms with the idea of jogging a total of 5 miles, walking Wendy 3 miles, and an hour long toning class...every weekend? Why couldn't the cure be more ice cream?!

Have You Seen My Horse?

Behold Wendy's second costume! She is a horse, I suppose, as she appears to be pulling a centurion on a chariot. (I can't think of centurions without being reminded of Michael Palin's lisping character in The Life of Brian and having a little giggle.)

 I tried to get her to smile for the picture, but she would only stand dutifully, staring straight ahead.