Here is why I do not post:
1: During the work week, I wake up and work or drive from about 4 a.m. until about 6 or 7 p.m.
2: When I get home, I banter with the family until 8:30. Then I watch TV until 10. Then I go to bed.
3: On the weekend, I run around doing really boring errands (water softener salt! groceries! a new rug for the kitchen!), or I sit like a slug on the couch watching TV and crocheting. The crocheting is only partly to make myself useful. Mostly, it is to keep me warm, because I hate-hate-hate February and I hate-hate-hate being cold. So every winter brings another blanket project.
Greater minds than mine can turn this into blog fodder, but I bet they live where it is warmer.
This weekend, however, we had a bit of fun. The kid's Scout troop did the pinewood derby/blue and gold dinner thing, and much noise was made by all.
I am sorry to report the kid's car (as made entirely by our mucho more macho neighbor) did not win anything. However, it did not lose any heats, either. It was a solidly average outing, coming in 26th of 38, and we learned stuff to apply to next year's effort. Assuming there is a next year's effort.
Another thing I learned: Pot-lucks are still fraught with peril for picky eaters such as myself. Someone made a perfectly gorgeous lasagna, which I unhappily discovered upon my first mouthful had been augmented with cucumbers. I suppose it might have been zucchini, as I am not particularly up on the baked manifestations of fleshy pulpy squashy veggies, but I don't think the seeds were zucchini-esque. It was quite yuck for a vegetable rights advocate such as myself. Another offering quite yuck to my texturally sensitive sensibilities was some kind of enchilada casserole that was 75 percent slimy onions and 20 percent chicken, with a little bit of sauce and peppers and cheese added as afterthought. Sigh.
I was tasked with bringing an appetizer/salad. I freely confess that I cheated. As you might guess from the above, salads ain't really my thing, and I wasn't all that fired up to make an appetizer that would feed 20 people. So we bought a mess of "mesquite chicken" bits from Costco, nuked them for 15 minutes right before getting in the car, and tossed them in the buffet line with the other stuff. I am pleased to report that the plate was empty when I headed back to the tables to clean up. Corporate is clearly the way to go when trying to appeal to a broad spectrum.
Anyway, the kid seemed to have a great time, though he was scowly at not winning anything and a bit bewildered at getting a medal for participation ("I didn't win anything, but I got a medal. Weird.") We know how to fix that next year, too -- though he will have to forgo his slavish devotion to movies and create a car that focuses on the novelty award categories.
I don't think not wanting cucumbers in your (hot) pasta dishes makes you picky. That just makes you normal.
Glad you're back, though.
How is the kid's noggin?
Posted by: Gayle | February 23, 2010 at 07:48 AM