The Crab Chronicles

Friday Quick Update

I woke up this morning and was FREEZING. Last week we were running the air conditioners. This week, it's the heat. I just love fall.

I spend a lot of time at work sneezing.

This will have to be a quick update.

I got a haircut the other day, a radical one. I have very little hair left now but it's cute. It's not freaky looking. There was a young girl in the salon the other day getting whitewalls and the red hair atop her head was in a crew cut. Now that was bizarre. Mine's not that bad. I love that I only spedn 30 seconds on my hair each morning. Yay!

The pest control guy came yesterday and put out glue boards to catch the mice we keep seeing. They aren't paying rent, so they gotta go. We didn't dare use poison or old-fashioned traps, for fear Coco would get hurt.

You ever watch a movie and think Wow, why wasn't that better?! We watched a James L. Brooks movie [he wrote Terms of Endearment] called How Do You Know and it was awful. I kept waiting for it to get better and it never did. It was too talky and just, well, clunky. I don't mind talky if it's clever but this wasn't. Has a great cast - Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, Jack Nicholson. Just didn't work.

Mother did a new blog about my dad that I really liked.

I called AT&T the other day and they said they were sorry about all the dropped calls, the terrible service, the missed calls, etc. but there was NOTHING they could do, unless I wanted to "upgrade" to a much more expensive phone. I am switching phone companies as soon as my AT&T contract runs out in November. Yikes. Will either go with Verizon or Metro PCS, which is a local company I've heard good things about.

Gotta go fix the boy some breakfast. Happy Friday!

Quiz

Pop quiz. Are you ready?!

This guy was a Greek philosopher, and he was the 1^st person to propose the idea that matter was made up of tiny particles called atoms (atomos).  He also believed that atoms could not be created, destroyed or further divided.

Give up?

It was Democritus. He had it all figured out, until Aristotle came along and said Democritus was wrong. And guess whose name is more familiar today?!

Go figure.

Michael may not do well on his Science quiz tomorrow but I would ace it.

 

There's a very loud owl behind my house, hooting and freaking me out. At first I thought it was someone who was drinking beer, but now it's clearly an animal.

Wildlife is everywhere, even in suburban Atlanta.

We are finding little mice in the house and it's freaking us all out. A mouse ate one of my homegrown tomatoes recently. I hope it made him sick. Apparently, they also like Saltine crackers, but not Milk Bones. Coco has those all over the house.

I made a freaky weird frittata tonight but it was tasty.  I chopped up half a red onion and sautee'd it, threw in some chopped mushrooms, then started looking at what I could find in the fridge. We had some cauliflower with cheese last night and there was about 2 cups left over. I threw that in there. Also had maybe 3/4 of a cup of pasta from the other night, and I put that in there, along with some potatoes, eggs, and cheese. Yum. The frittata has become our quick easy meal. It's one dish, easy cleanup.

Yesterday's dinner was awesome. I took a rack of ribs and covered it in Sucklebuster's Hog Waller pork and rib rub. I added some extra salt, pepper, and onion powder. I put some water in the bottom of the pan and wrapped it tightly in foil, and put it in a 200 degree oven all day. Wow, those were wonderful. Fall off the bone tender.

We've had a totaly change in the weather today - cold snap. Wow. Fall is finally here. Now I want pumpkin pie, and potato soup, and muffins.... AND - I have to go to the doctor next week and get weighed. ACK....

Bad Day At Black Rock

Had a fight with my son Michael early this morning and it put a damper on the whole day. I lost my temper and yelled at him, and instantly regretted it. I sent him an apologetic text, then I thought, I don't want him to look at his phone in school and now I am texting him. Bad mommy all around.

He is having to learn all about atoms in science. I remember in 5tth grade making a model of an atom with bread dough and being so proud of it. Of course, Mike is in 8th grade and far too old for such things. [cough cough]. Of course, I lived very close to Oak Ridge and we went there on school field trips, to the museum, so atoms were pretty fascinating to me as a kid. Mike is not so enthralled.

He got his school photos back today and was not pleased at all. His face was all broken out the day the photo was made. I scanned it in and cleaned it up, though, and I think he looks very handsome.

IN OTHER NEWS

My friend Stephanie announced on her blog that she heard court went well in Bulgaria and she is now the proud mama of 10! I am SO thrilled for her. I've been praying for this last sibling group to make it home soon. They hoped to have them home last year [hence the blog title] but there were bumps in the road. There always are with international adoption. It's never a quick or easy process. Stephanie and her husband are amazing people, though, and I know the three new ones will fit in beautifully. They are very experienced parents and understand the needs of PI [post institutionalized] kids so well.

Congrats Steph and Warren!

Weird Monday

Why is it that today we had three seasons in one day? It was really chilly this morning and I turned on the heat in the car when I was taking Michael to school. Then in the middle of the day it was fine. I went out after work and it was HOT - about 84. It will be cold again later.

No wonder everyone I know has a cold or allergy problems.

I was driving down the road yesterday and I could see pollen motes dancing in the late afternoon sun.

If you are a man you will likely want to stop reading right now. Skip down to the recipe.

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The last couple of days have been miserable for me. I've been surfing the hormone highway. My redheaded cousin came to visit. I don't want to be too graphic but you get my drift. I tempted fate the other day when I was in the drug store and I looked at the feminine products and thought HAHA! I am so happy to be post-menopausal!

I had actually forgotten that yucky crampy/bloated feeling.

I almost think I am going to look in the mirror and see a big ol' zit right in the middle of my face, like I used to get. But no; I only see wrinkles.

Thank God for Motrin.

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A friend of mine was visiting the other day with her little boy, and he loved a casserole I made. The child asked his mother to make it! That tickles me no end. So I attempted to write down what I did, and the result is below.

Pork and Stuffing Casserole

Take a small pork roast and generously salt and pepper it, and cook it in a pan in the oven, with plenty of water in the bottom and tightly wrapped in foil, for 6-8 hours, depending on the size.

Shred the roast when it has cooled a bit.

Take a package of Stovetop Stuffing mix and fix it according to the directions, except use chicken broth instead of water.

Put the shredded pork on the bottom of a casserole dish. Take stuffing and mix it with the pork.

Mix 1 can cream of mushroom soup and 1 cup of sour cream. Add pepper, season salt, garlic powder, or whatever seasonings you like. Spread that over the top of the stuffing, and bake the dish uncovered for about 20-30 minutes at 350. If you have the energy and want to be fancy, take a sleeve of Ritz crackers and crumble it up and saute it in some butter and garlic, then spread that topping on the top.

The entire casserole takes all of about 20 minutes to make. Easy easy...

That's all the news on this weird day...

Playing in The Ritzy Part of Town

Wow, I kept expecting to get some email responses arguing with me about my last post but so far, nada. Obviously no politicians read The Crab Chronicles. LOL I posted the entire thing as my status just a minute ago, to see what would happen. Facebook seems to me to be a great place to start a revolution. Look what happened in all those Arab countries where they overthrew dictators recently.

C'mon everybody, let's overthrow the idiots and evildoers who are messing up our country!

I am actually not kidding.

If everyone in America would say ENOUGH, let's kick out the idiots in Congress and enact sweeping reforms, we'd be OK.

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Yesterday was just about perfect, weather-wise. 75 and sunny with a light breeze. It was delightful to sit and watch Michael's last tennis match of the season, especially since he and Colton both won their matches.Two players didn't show up and the other coach and I had to scramble to fix the lineup but otherwise it was fine.

The other team's tennis club is like something out of a Hollywood movie. The houses around it are mansions. Literally. I got lost and we drove around for 10 minutes ogling the ginormous houses. Wow. The other club put out a buffet too - not just snacks, Subway sandwishes, chips, drinks, cookies. We're lucky if can throw some chips and cookies on the table for visiting teams. Mike and Colton both ate sandwiches in the car going home.

Colton spent the night last night and they watched "300." What IS it about that movie that guys like so much?! All guys go nuts over that movie. I don't understand it. I will say this; as much as I adore Gerard Butler, the pointy beard and looking like he needs a shower? Not attractive. Nope. I was teasing the guys last night, too, about the costumes. All the warriors wear are little briefs and capes. Costume designer must've had a small budget.

Too bad we don't have warriors with ripped muscles in capes to get our country back in good shape...

Sweeping Change

I am going to break my rule and do a blog that's political, but in a general way. I'm in a feisty mood.

Reading about the special committee in Congress charged with cutting the deficit is depressing. It's the same old rhetoric, over and over, and it makes me want to hurl. Congress does not get it. They argue about the same old crap, the same tired "solutions" to the deficit problem, when what they really need to do is get radical.

We need HUGE changes, sweeping changes. If our country is ever going to get out of the mess it's in now we need to think WAY outside the box.

Oh, and we should NOT EVER cut social security. That makes me furious that any politician would ever go along with that idea. Older folks EARNED that money!

So- I put on my thinking cap and came up with MY big ideas of fixing the national budget, and here they are:

1. Cut off ALL foreign aid. I never gave anyone permission to send my tax dollars overseas, did you?! Nope. Stop sending our money overseas. Let's solve the problems here at home first. If individuals or private charities want to give aid, great, but don't use public money.

We've given billions in aid to Pakistan recently, and they were harboring Osama Bin Crazy! Thanks guys.

2. Bring every soldier and serviceman or woman home from Iraq. Enough is enough. Let them figure it out now. That would save billions right there.

I hesitate to say the same thing about Afghanistan, but only because the Taliban is so evil to women. We can't let them win. When I read articles like this one I shudder, because they are so mind-boggling. 85% of the women in Afghanistan cannot even READ. And we've been there 10 years.

3. Stop treating members of Congress like potentates. They are supposed to be civil SERVANTS, not lottery winners. This blogger sums it up nicely. Even disgraced scumbags like Anthony Weiner get to keep their perks after leaving office!

4. Grant amnesty to all illegal immigrants, but ONLY IF they have no criminal records, and IF they start paying taxes immediately. Instead of letting them drain the system, make them pay in. If they have a criminal record they need to go back to Mexico, or wherever. If they aren't willing to start paying taxes immediately, off they go. Period. No exceptions. Even "anchor babies" born here need to go back, too, if they won't work and behave. I believe in giving people a chance, but not a handout. No illegal alien should collect a penny of money from the government.

I also don't agree with making this country bilingual. The official language is ENGLISH. Every piece of paper Mike brings home from school is also in Spanish. It's everywhere. Learn OUR language if you want to live here. My ancestors had to learn it!

5. Tax EVERYONE the same. We waste tons of money and time arguing about taxes. Just stop differing tax rates. Adopt one tax for us all, at least anyone who makes over, say $30K a year. Before I became a mom, I paid over 35% of my check out in taxes. Flat tax will work. Read this and tell me it doesn't make sense.

Congress won't adopt it because big accounting firms would go bust. I say big damn deal. Let the  unemployed accountants go teach math, so our kids won't be disgraced by math whiz kids in other countries.

Countries that use a flat tax already benefit from it, so why can't we do it?!

6. Bring back American jobs to America. We can live without $5 tee shirts from Walmart that were made by slave labor in third world countries. We need jobs HERE. Go watch the movie The Company Man - a great example of what's wrong with American companies.

7. End ALL lobbying of Congress, by anyone. Companies spend billions of dollars lobbying, and politicians are in their pockets. That's why laws benefit big business a whole lot more than the little guy. I was always irritated when I was at Home Depo and it was strongly suggested that we give regularly to PACs so the company was treated more favorably by members of Congress. Lobbying is evil and it needs to stop.

I actually believe that the situation right now in Congress is the tail wagging the dog. Congress is incredibly corrupt and needs to be swept clean.

Well, I'm off my soapbox now...

Mad Passionate Love?

I always check out my friend Judy's blog every day, because she also has a child adopted from Kazakhstan, she's a friend, and she's funny. Every once in a while her blog is thought-provoking.

If you click on the link to her blog you will see a pithy quote about Love needing to be mad and passionate or don't bother. Interesting idea. I totally disagree with it.

I guess the first rebuttal that came to mind was that my grandfather loved me very much, but it was a quiet love, and he was so Victorian he couldn't even say the words "I love you." He would hug me and say "You know somethin'?" and I knew what he meant. I would always reply "I love you too, Papa." It wasn't until I was grown and Mother and I talked about it that I realized that even as a tiny child I knew he loved me deeply, and there was no need to tell me in words, but he tried.

There was a fair bit of chaos in my house from ages 1- 9, and Papa was my refuge during those years. My dad worked like a maniac, and he and Mother had a lot of social engagements in Augusta they were required to attend. They were each in and out of the hospital a couple of times. Money was tight. We moved twice. Dad had ulcers. You get the picture.

In the midst of all that, Papa's lap was my safe place. We read Swiss Family Robinson, Heidi, bible stories, et. - over and over. My love of stories probably came from there.

I am more like my dad, unfortunately. Hotheaded and judgmental at times. I love passionately a lot of times, but not well, Shakespeare might say. I haven't had a romantic love in many years and don't look for it to ever happen again. That's fine.

Michael has no trouble saying he loves me, but he more often shows it. I was helping him finish his Math project late yesterday afternoon, and feeling regretful about fussing at him so much about his Science grade, and he came over and put his arms around my neck as I was at the computer typing. I think there are times when he has had a tough day and he needs some mama-ing, even though he may not want to admit it. He is, after all, 15.

I told him the day I met him that I need at least two hugs a day, and I still hold him to that.

I do not believe in letting boys get away with being standoffish as they get older. If you let them get away with it, that's a shame. Boys need hugs.

There's plenty of room in the world for a quiet love.

Pythagorean Theorem

Yesterday was filled with computer issues, phone issues, etc. and there was never a  block of time to blog, unfortunately.

Michael is growing. For dinner, he ate a huge plate of pasta with cream sauce, chicken, and salad. An hour later he said he couldn't go to bed, he was so hungry. I told him to go make himself a sandwich.

Then we went over his Social Studies chapter because he has a test today. At 10:25 he informed he had forgotten, but he has a Science test today, too. I informed him he had to go to bed, and he would have to just study while he ate lunch or something. He has a 78 in Science so he really needs to pull that one up.He wants to pull it up.

Progress reports come out next week so the teachers are piling it on. He has a math project due Friday on the Pythagorean Theorem. That would be a good name for a band or a movie, right?

RANDOM STUFF

I am totally addicted to this song Moves Like Jagger - not the lyrics so much, but it's just infectious.

I am reading Born Round, which is a lot of fun. He is a restaurant critic and comes from a big Italian family. It's hard not to drool when I read the food descriptions.

I watched a movie yesterday on DVD called Country Strong, which is longer on melodrama than anything else, but still a good flick. Michael was on the computer; he's not into chick flicks. One of the stars of the movie is a guy named Garrett Hedlund, and he's an actor, not a singer, but he has an amazing voice. Listen to Timing Is Everything, which is a song I like very much, and tel me he couldn't have an amazing career as a singer. He has a bass voice, too, and I love that.

Remember last January there was a snow/ice storm here in metro Atlanta? Schools were closed for a week. People couldn't get out of their driveways to get to work. The whole city was paralyzed. Well, nine months later we have a local baby boom. I wonder if any of the babies will be named January?! I went to school with some kids whose last name was Blizzard. None of them were named for months, though.

Top Ten

It was Tuesday all day but it felt like Monday. A week with two Mondays, oy. Never knew Columbus Day was going to throw off my whole week so drastically.

Very little going on. We got a lot of rain today, hallelujah. It feels not only cold but chilly, which is worse than cold. I'm resisting putting the blanket on the bed, but that day is fast approaching.

Letterman did a funny Top Ten List yesterday:

Top Ten Things Columbus Said When He Arrived In America

10. "What should we do first — unpack or hit the bar?"
9. "Who wants smallpox?"
8. "What do you mean the Pinta lost my luggage?"
7. "One day they'll name the whole country after me — or, at least, a city in Ohio"
6. "Amerigo Vespucci can kiss my a**!"
5. "I can see, like, 15 Starbucks from here"
4. "Mama mia, that's a spicy new world!"
3. "Where my dawgs at?"
2. "I hope I'm not too late to pre-order the iPhone 4S"
1. "I wonder who Regis has on the show tomorrow?"

Winning and Losing

Michael came home from the mountains late this afternoon in an incredibly dour mood. He didn't want to answer questions about the weekend. He didn't want to eat, or do laundry. He was about as surly as I've ever seen him.

I came upstairs to work on my blog and eventually he wandered into my room and just watched me type, which is, of course, terribly exciting. Eventually I wormed out of him the reason for his foul humor. He had such a good time he didn't want the weekend to end. He had to return here, back to ordinary life.

I challenged him to a game of chess. I play a weird game of chess, because I don't care about strategy. I also don't always see obvious moves. In a short time, I was missing most of my key pieces and had only 1 bishop, the king, and a few pawns. Michael had nearly all his key pieces. It looked obvious that I was going to lose. I said "If you win, you get to finish your science homework. If I win, you can skip it." He readily agreed, sure he was winning. He smiled, for the first time since he had come home.

Then, quite improbably, I won. It was purely accidental. That made him laugh, big time. "Son, it's not every day I get to see you snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory."

He laughed some more."But I won, Mom. You said I don't have to finish my homework."

I should stop trying to be clever.

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Thought it would be fun to share some pithy quotes:

“The mother of three notoriously unruly youngsters was asked whether or not she'd have children if she had it to do over again. ‘Yes’, she replied ‘but not the same ones.’” - David Finkelstein

"It is amazing how quickly the kids learn the operation of the DVD, yet are unable to understand the vacuum cleaner." - Etienne Marchal

"My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first being hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint.” - Erma Bombeck

This is one that made me cry:

“Every mother is like Moses. She does not enter the promised land. She prepares a world she will not see.”- Pope Paul VI