Fish In A Bag-Explained For Ami

After the great ice fishing expedition and the pan fried fish with eyes, we were also given three smoked trout. I gifted one of them to the people from date night. I made one of them into dip to eat with crackers. And the STP wanted to send one back to guys he used to work with and originally ice fished with. The problem was deciding if a smoked trout was adequately preserved to survive a cross country trip through the mail. And how to answer the question, "Anything liquid, flamable or perishable?" So one of the church ladies had a vacuum sealer, and so the STP took the smoked trout over to her house and sealed it in a bag, put that bag into a box and mailed it off. He believes with the sub zero weather, the smoking, and the sealing that the fish was indeed NOT perishable.

The fish has yet to arrive.

I'm wondering if it ends up in the lost package department somewhere in the midwest, how long fish in a bag will remain imperishable.

Why Abi contemplates any of this? I can't explain that.

A Little More Cloy or Is This Getting Old?

From Joe Torre's book on the Yankees:

"Back in 2004, at first Rodriguez did his best to try and fit into the Yankee culture -- his cloying, B Grade actor best," the book says. "He slathered on the polish. People in the clubhouse, including teammates and support personnel, were calling him 'A-Fraud' behind his back."

Saw in the news that the Yankees are trying to include a clause in new player contracts that prohibits the use of the word cloy in any form. Good luck with that. I'm pretty sure cloy is back to stay.

Thank, Jimmy, for being my eyes out there.

I Used To Have Three Sisters

Alex visited the dentist shortly after his oldest sister left for college. The hygienist, in an attempt to make conversation (Why they do this when they have their hands in your mouth still eludes me), asked him if he had any brothers or sisters. He said,"I used to have three sisters, (and the hygienist braced herself for a sad story), but one of them went to college." I explained to him that even though your sisters don't live with you any longer, they are still your sisters.


Turns out I may have been mistaken.

I spent the past year getting to know my adult sisters better. A few delightful days in California, a week at the beach house in July. I thought we had bonded. Sent my baby sister a little gift that arrived on her birthday. Have all of their numbers in my cell phone. But after yesterday's edition of the Dodge City Gazette appeared on newstands and mailboxes throughout the region, I just have this to say: Sisters? What sisters?


Could they have used a baby picture, or even an awkward preteen picture? No. How about a recent, horrible, worse than real life picture! (And how did they photoshop those extra rolls on my stomach?)







Could they have cleverly disguised it so only those very close to me would be in on their little joke? No. How about my full name and my age just spelled right out!

On second thought, maybe I will keep my sisters. Now that I know how the game is played, I have 2, 3 and 10(!) years to exact my revenge. Years to gather inspiration and ammunition. I've only been thinking for one day and already I have this:

For the Cattauraggus Weekly:

NA: For your fiftieth an enormous surprise,

Finally your age is your bra size

(I have pictures...You know I do!)

For the Huntington Beach Press:

MK: Happy birthday to you,

Happy fiftieth to you,

You look like a crab,

and you smell like one too.

For the Clearfield Chronicle:

Remember I have 10 years for this one...

Oh, be afraid little sister, be very afraid....

Cloy Revisited

I have become a subscriber to Time magazine. Because it is difficult to get news here. Oddly the Feb. 2nd issue of Time arrived in my Dodge City mailbox on Jan. 26th. Is this because of the time zone changes? Or are we in Dodge City just ahead of our time? Anyway, on page 22 of this issue in a short article by Alex Altman regarding Super Bowl halftime shows there appears this sentence:
In 1976 the non-profit organization and performance group Up with People--lampooned on The Simpsons as Hooray for Everything--began a cloying stretch of dominance that included four performances in 11 years. (emphasis mine)
This may be the first sighting of a use of the word cloy outside of the hymbook.
Steelers in the Super Bowl? It never seems to cloy.

Birthday Week, Continued

Last night the STP and I, along with a couple from Dodge City Federal, went out to Trapper Creek Lodge for date night. Very good food, very good company (I invited them because they are OLDER than me) and a very good time. I wanted to take the STP there for his birthday, but decided it was what I wanted not him. So we went for my birthday. This is a place in Shell Canyon. Beautiful setting against the mountains, snow covered, log building, soft lighting against the dark sky of evening. Lovely.
Tonight I soaked in the tub by candlelight while the STP cleaned up after supper. And now I am going to watch Pirates of the Carribean (the first one!) with the STP and Goober.
I'll be sorry to see this week end.

Update on Healthy Breakfast Results

Just in case you forgot what the Goober looked like, and you've read the statistics about obese children, and you think maybe the marshmallow creme is a bit excessive, I just wanted to post this picture of my son. Maybe it's a little misleading, because he is standing sideways...

Let's Table That

Okay, maybe I have a table problem. On my way home from work at Dodge City Federal yesterday, I took a walking detour into the Dodge City used furniture store. And I bought a table. Not the table I was looking for. Another table that I just found out I needed when I saw it. Like my most favorite of things it is made of wood and will need painted. And I already have the less than coriander green paint, remember? So I had to buy it. And bring it home. And I already have a place for it. See?

Also, here are the pillows I made for the living room. The ones that have been crying out for their own table.

See how good they look with the table. And Dixie and her friend like it a lot. Oh, yeah, I'm going to hurry up and paint it green before the STP holds an intervention.
When did she start collecting and painting tables?

We can't really remember when it started, but it definately got worse when she turned 50.

Birthday week--Day 2

There was some discussion at Dodge City Federal the other day about being a year older, a decade older, a half century older. Inquired around to find out what the terminology is for half a century. Decided it is 'old'.

I started the day off by going to the doctor's office. Cross another thing off the to do list. Bad news: because I am old and have a family history I will have to schedule a colonoscopy. Add that to the to do list. Good news: because I am old and not sleeping around I do not have to have a pap smear this year. Almost makes turning 50 worth it. Then I watched the inauguration and then I went to Bible Study and then I took Alex to the dentist for a checkup and cleaning. So that is one more thing crossed off the list. More good news: I didn't get lost and no cavities. Then I came home and baked a pan of brownies. So it seems that I'm running about two-to-one in the good news/bad news and off the list/on the list categories.
Just noticing that there is no between as you age. Seems like there should be some time between your face breaking out and your hair turning gray. Or some time between having your last period and facial hair. The physician's assistant asked me about some symptoms and conditions that I don't have yet. Wonderful things that I have to look forward to.
My favorite daughter got me two worship CDs for my birthday. The STP got me a CD player for under my kitchen cabinets. My CD player in my car has worked 3 days in a row. Nobody got me black balloons.
It's all good.

Shredding

Today I am celebrating the first day of my 50th birthday week. Told the kids at church yesterday that when your age ends in a zero you should celebrate for a whole week. I celebrated by doing 5 loads of laundry and sorting through papers. And shredding things I don't think I need anymore. I was hopeful that the place would be less messy at the end of the day , but so far it's not working out that way. Maybe when I actually fold the 5 loads of laundry and clean up the shreddings it will be better.

I have more plans for tomorrow. Just went ahead and scheduled a pap smear for 8am tomorrow morning. Do I know how to celebrate or what? Guess you can be glad I didn't invite you to my party.

No Fishing

Yesterday was a great day for ice fishing. So the STP went. I never get invited to go along. I told him how dissappointed I am with this. I told him that the next time the guys ask him to go fishing he should ask if he can bring his wife. I don't think he even asked.
He brought home some beautiful trout. Most of them were in the form of fillets, but this lucky creature got to keep his head.

And his tail. So I just pan fried him just like that.

In some butter and my own mix of herbs. Alex thought he wouldn't want to eat fish every night, but he ate his share tonight. Dave feels the same about fish. I thought it was very good and it is the first thing I have ever cooked with it's eyeballs intact.

Maybe if the guys find out I can cook a trout they will invite me to go along.

Hey, Dave. Can your wife come along and clean the fish?

Nah, let's just bring 'em home and she can do it there.

GB Report

The cutest grandbaby on earth is spending a few days with us. So we don't have time to update and tell you about the STP's speeding ticket or his new HDTV or how sad we are that Amidala had to fly back to the 'East Coast'. We are too busy kissing this baby.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Brown paper packages tied up with strings...

(imagine Julie Andrews singing it)

The Church Lady was digging in her basement and found a box. Tied up with string. Mailed to the previous inhabitant of her house in 1954. (imagine again--something older than me) And in the box were 15 crystals that match the aformentioned chandelier. So now my chandelier is complete, and I have a few extra crystals, and I have a box (which I retied with the original string) tucked away in the bottom of the china cabinet. Just knowing its there makes me happy. And just having it out of her house makes the CL happy.

Snowflakes that stay....not so much.

A Healthy Breakfast

As part of my new year's resolution to eat healthier and feed my family healthier, I am starting with a healthy breakfast for the Goober.

Chocolate pancakes. Made with Nestle's Quik (less sugar than other brands). Chock full of the rich antioxidants of dark chocolate chips. Topped with marshmallow fluff, and rich chocolate syrup from our homeland.

Not sure about the health factor here? Let's have a closer look: See?

Calcium and 5 essential vitamins and minerals. Am I a good Mom or what?

Happy New Year

2009 was about half an hour old when the STP got pulled over by the police. Welcome to the new year.
Do you have any idea why I pulled you over, sir?
No, Officer, I don't.
Okay, it was a burned out headlight on the STP's suzukimobile, and he just got a warning. Good to know that Dodge City is safe. There's just something a little unnerving about having flashing lights in the rear view mirror.