Reading list

As I have mentioned, I don't often buy NEW books to read. Thus, I'm generally about 2-7 years behind the rest of the readers. Right now I have the following to read:

Look me in the Eye by John Elder Robinson
http://www.amazon.com/Look-Me-Eye-Life-Aspergers/dp/0307396185/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277401217&sr=1-1

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
http://www.amazon.com/Bean-Trees-Novel-P-S/dp/0061765228/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277401263&sr=1-1

Caucasia by Danzy Senna
http://www.amazon.com/Caucasia-Novel-Danzy-Senna/dp/1573227161/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277401291&sr=1-1

and a few others I can't think of off the top of my head.

I just started Look Me in the Eye...it's written by a man who grew up with Asperger's and about his experiences growing up with Asperger's. He's the brother of writer Augusten Burroughs (wrote Running with Scissors). I read Running with Scissors a few years ago and enjoyed it, though it was quite gritty. Anyway, in the first three chapters I'm already seeing so much in common with my nephew. Anyone with friends or relatives with Asperger's should read this to gain a little insight, while enjoying a well-writen story.

Oh, and I just read Shopgirl by Steve Martin. Yes, that Steve Martin. It was a quick, fluffy read, but enjoyable.

Great weekend, so tired

We had a great time at the Zane Lamprey show on Saturday (pic is courtesy of a Facebook update by Zane).

We stayed two blocks from the venue at an Aloft hotel. It was certainly a different hotel experience than usual. It's kind of a young, hip club atmosphere. They had Bliss shower/bath products, which I appreciated.

On our way to Milwaukee, we stopped at a bar that's on our Cannon Run route (the one were we hit 74 bars in a summer...a poker run kind of thing with prizes at the end of the season). We were having lunch and couldn't decide what to get, so we took the tip on our Cannon Run card and shared a basket of chicken tenders. They were GIANT. They cut approximately two hunks of chicken right from the breast and batter them in a light, crispy fish-fry like batter. They were so yummy.

When in Milwaukee, we went to our favorite brewery, hit a new distillery, and then went back to the room for a nap before heading out for the evening. Oh, on the way we took pics of me and Zane's tour buses. I'll have to post when we download from the camera phone.

A bar was having a pre-show party, and we've been wanting to try that bar (see my previous post). Well, we decided to scrap it since we'd have to again pay $10 to leave the parking ramp and return. Our hotel was in a great part of town with plenty to do, so we hit the bars there. Well, come to find out, had we hit that bar earlier in the day, Zane & Co. were there filming for their tv show. Booooo! I did get a cool moment though, we saw them pull up to their tour buses and get out as we were heading to dinner. I had a restrained fan girl moment and just stared.

At the show, we were right in the front, at a two person table on the side. We had a semi-blocked view of a screen that was part of the show, but it was worth it not to be cramed into rows with everyone else. Before they started, I hit the merchandise table to buy his book. Turns out, if you bought a book there, you got it signed for free after the show AND a photo op with the guys. Trick is, it's their photographer, so I'll have to buy the pic when it's posted later today. It was fun to meet the guys in person, particularly because we were all drunk (including them), but not sloppy drunk.

Now, let me tell you about Steve McKenna.

This is Steve and a fan at Milwaukee's Bomb Shelter Bar. The beard is a new thing for the tour. Nobody can explain it.

Steve and Zane met in acting school in New York. They became drinking buddies. Zane went on to make tv shows, Steve bought a successful mini-mart. LOL! Steve would often make guest appearances on Three Sheets, as he is a drinking fool. Nobody out-drinks Steve McKenna. So Zane brings Steve McKenna on tour with them. It's a comedy tour, but they are also filming a series for HD Net about drinking across America. Steve's purpose really seems to drink a lot of beer and partake in local eating customs. In Madison, he and a crew member had a fried cheese curd eating contest. Steve won. Steve is on stage during the comedy show for about 15 minutes, where his main activity is slaming a giant mug of five beers.

I have decided Steve McKenna is the smartest man alive. He gets a buddy to take him across America, for the sole purpose of drinking and eating. Rock on, Steve McKenna.

Two for Wednesday?

Ok, so there's no clever rhyme.

1. I'm soooo excited to see Zane Lamprey this weekend! http://www.zanelamprey.com/
Turns out a Milwaukee bar I've been wanting to visit is having a pre-show bbq. It's a real working mans bar in the wrong part of town, but has the best beer selection in Milwaukee, plus a lot of cheapie beers and pickled products. Should be eventful.

2. I have to go to a retirement party tonight for one of Chris's coworkers. Probably more time than I want to spend with Chris's coworkers, but I like the guy and well, I love my husband, so I need to go. Unfortunately Chris has planned the party, so he'll need to stay for the whole thing. It's going to be a long night.

Good Things

I prefer to think of the Bodean's song, not Martha Stewart when I say "Good Things." There have been some crappy things lately (nothing earth-shattering, just the crappy stuff that makes you grumble), so I thought I'd remind myself of the good.

1. It's been a warm spring, with a lot of rain. This is good because everything is growing like crazy. Plants that normally don't bloom until late June are gorgeous right now. I also love my lettuce pots. I just sprinkled seeds in the pot (1/3 of a package per pot) of soil, covered for a few days with a plastic bag, and voila! Two weeks later I had a filled pot!

2. The hammock was finally hung. This was the hammock we brought back from Guatemala two years ago. It was a PITA to get back, so it's a shame it took so long to enjoy it. We should've moved the pole out another foot. Ooops. Oh well, it's nice to read it since you are folded up a big more instead of stretched out flat.

3. We are going "convertible camping" this Saturday night on the Mississippi River. This means everything we need must fit in 2'x3' "trunk" and small compartments behind the two seats. A small tent and the air mattress will take up most of the "trunk." Flashlights, clothes and blankets will hopefully fit behind our seats. Eeek. We aren't cooking at the campsite, just sleeping there.

4. I'm off work today to focus on homework. I'm very thankful I have a job with just over four weeks of paid time off per year beyond holidays. Even if I also have 8 days of furlough each year for two years. I don't think I could do school and work without at least a few weeks of vacation each year.

I went out to take pictures of flowers and the hammock to add to this post, and I found a mess on the deck. I accidentally forgot to bring the foil pan in from my smoked beer can chicken on Tuesday night. There was a pool of beer, chicken juice and wood chips on the bottom. Some animal was hungry. The cats must have been freaked, as they love to sit in the room that has a clear view of the deck.

I remembered that Boo was curious about my rock stealing. Here are two of the bigger rocks we nabbed. I still need the orange one to be bigger to hide the downspout adequately. If you are just above eye level with the rock, it hides it, but as you can see, not from above.

Only my husband...

I took the day off last Thursday to do homework before our long camping weekend. That's the thing about many online courses...the coursework is pretty dependent on an internet connection.

Chris called me around noon. He was at the courthouse in Madison for work and had gone through the x-ray scanner, as required. He was rushing to get into the elevator with a group of people and shoving items back in his pocket. Including the convertible key (the convertible was back at his office...top and windows down). You see where this is going, right? The key tumbled to the ground, just as he was crossing the elevator opening. He went to grab it, but there were too many people in the way and it fell in the crack, down the elevator shaft.

It's our only key (guy we bought it from only had one). We'd been talking about needing to get one made just a few weeks ago.

He found a maintenance worker, and they found the basement door to the elevator shaft. But nobody had the key. Only the supervisor who was off for vacation for a week and the elevator company out of Minnesota.

So Chris goes to the Toyota dealership two blocks from his office. We can't simply get a second key cut that matches the first. We need to have the whole thing reprogrammed and get a new key (of course we'd get two). Cost? About $300. They could at least get the windows up for us without the key.

Instead of waiting around to see if somebody could retrieve the key the following week from the elevator, Chris decided we needed the second key anyway, so had the two keys cut. It took four hours because they kept running into snags. And yeah, Toyota dealership shop rates? $110/hour. Luckily, they only charged us as quoted, because I was ready to make a big ol stink.

So between the key and some cosmetic work on the bumper Chris had done in May, the convertible cost us almost $1000 last month.

The courthouse called him yesterday and has his key ready to pick up. You know, the one that no longer works in the car.

Rhubarb Recipe

Made a new rhubarb recipe this weekend and it was VERY good. Thought my bloggy friends might like it:

http://sweetmary.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/04/rhubarb-oatmeal-bars.html

Furlough Friday & weekend

Another Furlough Friday is upon us. Tomorrow I'll be riding into Madison with Chris (who has to work), taking the car in for an oil change, then studying at the library. In the afternoon, Chris is taking off work and we are meeting friends to hang out downtown. Should be fun!

Saturday I think we are doing a river cleanup in the morning (the bar across the road is organizing it), then planting the garden in the afternoon.

More studying Sunday, while Chris is going to be an extra in a local beer commercial!

To do lists

Work
Edit manuscript and resubmit because the first author is a P.O.S. and won't do it.
Massively revise a training program
Develop a reference manual for group homes from scratch
Write committee annual report

Home
Clean floors
Plant garden
Pull weeds

School
Read 1 chapter and two articles
Write short paper

TV
Watch LOST
Watch Modern Family
Watch Flash Forward

Now that a lot of shows are wrapping up for the season, I think I'll feel better about getting that time back. Because having a TV to-do list sucks.

Diet starting

I've gained far too much weight over the last 18 months. Pants are getting too tight. So, it's time. I'm on a work trip now, so the timing is horrible. I'm actually iritated that we keep going out to eat and I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere. I've at least been mostly good at meals. No booze, no apps or dessert, red sauces, whole wheat, etc. I even avoided french onion soup at lunch today, which is my favorite.

Wish me luck. If I can slowly lose 10 lbs over the next few months, I'll be happy.

MIL visit play-by-play

MIL called yesterday to say she'd be at our place around 5 pm, on the way home from her vacation out west. Surprise! We had plans last night to watch niece play softball last night and go out with her family for pizza. So, we only chatted for about 45 minutes her whole visit, as we didn't get home until 9 p.m. I think Chris only said about five sentences to her. He just cannot tolerate her visits anymore. Let's do a play-by-play to understand why:

We pull in to garage, exit car with hands full of misc. items. She's on our heels, as is the dog.

MIL: Oh, you're home safe. Yeah, I had a real good trip. The tents are out drying. I'll pack them up tomorrow. I took Levi for a walk. Sure is lovely out! You have so many remotes so I just read a book and was about ready to go to bed. You are so late getting home!
Me: Ack, the doors are open! The cats didn't get out did they?
MIL: I got your mail, it's on the table. Levi has plenty of food and water so he's fine.

I notice the house smells like LP. Notice the stove knob is ajar. Turn on fan and vent windows.

MIL: I had a cold salad for dinner and didn't use the stove. I left a California orange for you in the fruit basket and some dried fruit in your cupboard. I have some other food in the fridge from my cooler. I ate hard boiled egg and ham sandwiches in the Motel 6 room every day on the road. I brought you some wine. I know you don't like Oakey wines, so the man said this would be good. He wants me to write to him and let him know if you like it. I met such wonderful people along the way. People were real happy to see me and just loved Levi. And I got my oil changed in California. That was more expensive than I thought.
Chris: How much was it?
MIL: $230
Chris: Whaaaat?
MIL: Yeah, they had to replace the oil filter. It was the original.
Chris: I guarantee that wasn't the original oil filter.
MIL: They said it. Smith's never replaced it (the place she usually gets it done). They said it could do real damage to my car. Yeah, they're just real expensive in California.
Chris: Do you have the bill? I'd like to see it?
MIL: Yes, here it is. California is just much more expensive than here.
Chris: They replaced the fuel filter, mom, not just the oil filter. You would've been fine waiting on that.

I tried to explain the fuel filter and oil filter are different. I think she's ignoring me.

MIL: Oh well. They took real good care of me.
Chris: Mom, they took advantage of you.
MIL: Let's open the wine-I really want to try it.
Me: Um, ok. That's really light.
MIL: That IS really good, isn't it? Delicious! I'll be sure to tell him you really liked it.

I know I never said I liked it. Chris plays Mafia Wars and ignores her.

MIL: Oh, and the latern you gave me (we bought an LED lantern for her for her birthday so she could use it camping on her trip) didn't work. I put four batteries in it, two new and two used. It wouldn't work, so you can have it back. I can't use it.

Can we use this line when she gives us crap?

MIL: And yes, all the tornados in the south! Did you hear about the one man that went under a communion table and God saved him?
Me and Chris: Surely is wasn't that it's a heavy object and that's what you are supposed to go under.

At that point, we went to bed.

I feel like I should write something

I really don't have much interesting to say right now, but it's time for an update.

1. I'm in the home stretch of classes for the semester. Undergoing a few more revisions to my thesis/grant proposal and starting my last "regular" class the first week of May. I have another "portfolio" class this summer, but it's kind of an oddball. Then I'll be done! Just three more months!


2. The weather is pretty good in WI for this time of year. We've had a few days in the 80s this month. We could use a little bit of rain this week, but none is in sight. Temps seem to be settling in around the low 60s right now.


3. I'm starting to pack away my winter clothes and haul out the summer. It's that odd time of year where you still need some of both seasons.


4. I have a piece of furniture from FIL to bring in the house today and find a spot for it. I'm not even entirely sure what it is. Part cabinet, part display case..I have only seen it in the back of the Jeep in the dark, as Chris and FIL loaded it yesterday. Added pic:


5. We finally bought a GPS unit. I know, just when everyone is using cell plans with GPS type services, we dive into a Garmin. That's us, about five years behind the technology curve.


6. My favorite TV host, Zane Lamprey of Three Sheets (a drinking/travel show) is on tour. We have seats to his Milwaukee show this summer. I read about it when I was in Milwaukee for work last week, and didn't check the whole tour schedule before I bought tickets to his Milwaukee show. Turns out, he's in Madison the day before. Doh!


7. I moved offices at work voluntarily. I'm giving up the 25% of my job that's in the research admin office and just focusing on my boss's research. Thus, I decided to move my office out of our research admin area, which meant giving up my window. I found a coworker that was a nice "fit" with research admin, even though she's under a different area (kind of a "partner" unit), who really wanted a window. She has a great carpeted office with really nice, expansive wood cabinets and desk. Thus, we switched last week and everyone is happy.

That's all I've got.

Rewards programs

I would just like to share how much I hate rewards programs that have no "membership" card, and rather track your points by having you register credit cards/debit cards with them. JC Penny and Skymiles Dining are the two I've used. In the last few years, we have gone to usually using cash for most of our dining and clothing purchases, so there's no way (maybe there is, but I don' t have the desire to jump through the hoops of finding out) to continue to earn points unless I use a credit/debit card. Grrr.

Sure, I could use the card, then immediately put the cash back into the bank, but jeepers, that's a PITA.

Italy

I'm so excited to be in the process of planning our trip to Italy in October. I have a two day conference in Prato, which is the Tuscany region. Then it's off to Rome for a three day conference. We are going a week early to stay in a different area of Tuscany, then heading to Prato for the first conference, then to Rome for the remainder of the trip.

The thing about Europe is that getting there is the most expensive part. I'm finding some wonderful accomodations and day tours that are reasonably priced.

Here is where we'll be staying for our few days in Prato:
http://www.accademiaresidence.it/apartment6.html

I came out of the closet

Or rather, Chris outed me. As an atheist. To his uber-religious, retired pastor MIL. On Easter weekend.

*rubs temples*

Well now I feel bad.

I may have grumbled about a committee I'm on before. I'm the chair this year (after last year's chair did nada), and there are four members. I can count on only one other member to regularly show up at meetings and help out. Another member, we'll call her Wilma, is semi-reliable. She'll take on a project, but is constantly in "exasperated" and "hurried" mode, so is present only at about 75% of meeting and is kind of spacy on communication. Other than Ms. Reliable, the other members are clinical instructors, so spend most of their time off campus and I rarely see them.

So a few weeks ago, Ms. Reliable was having surgery, but we were having a meeting. I was the only one that showed up for the meeting, despite me sending out the agenda with questions a few days beforehand. Nobody responded.

I sent out a message a few days after the meeting, saying we had an event coming up and I needed their input on the attached agenda. Nobody reponded but Ms. Reliable. Kind of strange "Wilma" hadn't responded to any of the messages. At least she responds to half of my messages usually.Today I found out "Wilma" was in a terrible car accident and broke her pelvis a few weeks ago. Now I feel bad that I was grumbling about her, as it may have even happened on the way to our meeting where nobody showed up. Can you even imagine having a broken pelvis?!

Haircut

I think I'm getting a haircut today. It's about a billion months past due. I hate going to get my haircut. Hate.it. I can't even explain why. Fancy salon, cheap salon, it doesn't matter. I still hate it.

In other news, it's spring break on campus, so it's quiet around work. Students are gone, professors are still on contract, but many of them take off anyway. My boss is in Australia, my coworker across the hall is off with her son who is on spring break from elementary school. My coworker next door called in sick. How this will impact my day:

• I'm having tea rather than coffee. Didn't want to make a pot when it's just me here.
• I might take off early for my haircut.
• I might go out to lunch with Nolay.

Food centric post

I'm going to make a grocery list in a few minutes to purchase stuff for OTCC. I'll be making the stuffed peppers and the chicken saltimbucca this weekend. Both seemed a bit complex to throw together when I get home weeknights at 6 pm.

I was out of town for a few days for work, and ate at a restaurant owned by a Top Chef Master's-Season 2 contender. He co-owns and is the head chef of Spiaggia in Chicago, where the Obama's dined on a November date-night (their first date since post-election in 2009). Well, I did not dine at Spiaggia, but at their Kenosha restaurant called Mangia. It is less high-end than Spiaggia, but still very nice. And very delicious. I have leftovers for lunch today of the Oricchiette con salsiccia (pasta with lamb sausage, broccolini, goat cheese and chilies). *slurp*

I also indulged in a little Kringle. If you've only tried the stuff from the grocery store, you are missing out. The real stuff from the skilled Danish pastry makers is so much flakier and buttery. Yummmmmmm.

Girls weekend/Man weekend

Four days of basketball and scratchy, tabacco chewing, beer swilling boys. Would you:
1) Find something else to do
or,
2) Find something else to do ?


I knew if I stuck around the whole weekend, I'd spend most of my time cleaning and serving up food. Thus, I planned to make Saturday and Sunday a.m. my annual "girls weekend" with old high school friends. Two evenings with constant basketball and messy boys was enough for me.

I met the girls at Starbucks, then went out to lunch, then went for a marathon five hours of shopping at the outlet mall. I tried to hang out with them in the children's clothing stores, but after store #1, I couldn't do it anymore.

We ate too much for lunch, so skipped dinner. Swell idea, eh? We proceeded to drink two bottles of wine at the hotel between three of us and a non-alcoholic one for my preggo friend. Then it was time to go out on the town. One of our friends got a lot of immediate attention from boys (and one sad, Jack Sparrowish middle aged man). One boy thought we were in our mid twenties. I loved him.

We hung out at a karyoke bar. It was fun, and we had lots of great pictures (I had no camera, so don't ask for pics). All the bachelorettes that came in looked so, so young.

We partied like rock stars until 2 a.m. Yikes!

Chris and I are both drank out. His birthday is tomorrow and I don't think we're doing anything. We'll probably delay celebration.

I'm a dumbass

I'm enrolled for only four credits this semester (two 2 credit classes). That is less than my usual 5-7 credits per semester (which is also two classes, it's just how the credit load worked out this time). Stupid me didn't realize this would drop me below the "part time" credit load required for my undergrad student loans to be in forebearance. Argh. In May, I'm back to above 5 credits. Sigh. There's $258 a month we hadn't planned for this spring.

New bed

I mentioned about a month ago that we purchased a new mattress and bed. We scaled up and went king sized. The bed is not in yet, but the mattresses are. We have a lot of guests coming for the NCAA tournament, so we want as many beds as possible. Thus, we asked for the mattresses to be delivered, even if our bed wasn't in. We'll put them on the floor for now.

So, yesterday it was to be delivered between 11-2. That's smack in the middle of the day, and since we live an hour from work, it necessitated me taking more than half the day off. I had a meeting that morning I couldn't miss and Chris had two guys being released from prison, so I was the one elected to be home for the delivery. So, between having to drive separate (we usually commute together) and me having to rearrange a few things and take vacation time, the delivery was kind of a PITA.

So I get home at 10:57 a.m. yesterday. I open the garage door, and there were the mattresses. Turns out they were early, and saw a sign I put out for the winter that said, "Leave packages in the garage, as the steps can get slippery." The delivery guys even "took photo of sign."

ARGH! So, we had to move the giant mattress in by ourselves and I ended up home for no reason. So, I took the time to do a little rearranging of the office bedroom and clean out some file cabinets. Whatever.

Good news, though. The mattress is DIVINE! It has the top 1/2 of the top mattress in visco foam (same basis as Tempurpedic). No cat movement nor tossing and turning from Chris to wake me up. And his snoring in the king bed I can tolerate (still with ear plugs, though). Yay!!!!! And it was very breathable. I was worried it would get hot, but they say with the newer generation of visco and latex, they are both more breathable.