tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138259252024-03-12T17:15:35.732-07:00Disaster Kitchen<a href="http://disasterkitchen.blogspot.com/2005/06/wiping-cookie-dough-off-walls.html">Wiping the cookie dough off the walls</a>CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.comBlogger777125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-38163649273834715892013-11-07T20:45:00.000-08:002013-11-07T20:45:02.505-08:00Personal MapSo, this is cool. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #ffb1b1;"><span style="color: black;">"</span>Red</span> means I've just passed through, maybe seen a
thing or two.<br />
<span style="color: #ffc272;">Amber</span> means I've at least slept there and seen
a few things. I have a first-hand idea of what the state is like.<br />
<span style="color: #b1b1ff;">Blue</span> means I've spent a good amount of time in
that state.<br />
<span style="color: #b1ffb1;">Green</span> means I've spent a <em>lot</em> of time
in that state, weeks at at time on multiple visits – or lived there."</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<img alt="http://vsm.defocus.net/img/vsm-fb2bb309917606c14b805cb3082e30d1.png" class="decoded" src="http://vsm.defocus.net/img/vsm-fb2bb309917606c14b805cb3082e30d1.png" /></blockquote>
My map suggests I definitely need to spend more time in the southeast. Making it revealed that I either have trouble making decisions, committing, or distinguishing between "a good amount of time" and "a <i>lot</i> of time." I'm still not sure it's perfect (should Idaho be green? Kansas should probably be orange...), but here it is.<br />
<br />
Make your own at <a href="http://www.defocus.net/visitedstates/">http://www.defocus.net/visitedstates/</a>CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-14942927413477739782013-07-31T14:15:00.000-07:002013-07-31T14:17:45.895-07:00FoodsTonight I consulted my blog because I remembered writing about <a href="http://disasterkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/11/public-service-announcement.html" target="_blank">burning my hands on hot peppers</a> years ago. Since then, I've been good about wearing gloves when I cut chilies, but tonight David used the knife I'd used on the jalapenos to cut tomatoes--and then apparently touched his temple near his eye, as suggested by the burning he noticed moments later. It turns out the blog post wasn't that helpful; I'd already had David smear sour cream on the spot, and I don't think he was too inclined to add more condiments!<br />
<br />
We're back in the height of CSA season. Friends here in HR are farmers, and we got in on their first attempt at a CSA. Because they're new to it, they're calling it the "Black Market CSA" and it's limited to only a few people. It started a bit slow, but has been great fun--and the past few weeks, has provided a TON of veggies. New (or at least newish) to me discoveries this year have included collard greens, bok choy, fresh fennel, fava beans, and rainbow chard. We've been eating the greens in two primary forms: earlier in the spring, cooked in homemade peanut sauce and served over brown rice; and recently, whizzed into green drinks with fresh and frozen fruit. David is a good sport about the latter; I haven't really relished them yet but choke them down because they're good for me.<br />
<br />
I do, however, relish meals like the ones I made Monday and Tuesday nights:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BXG6CVM01-bRgEvrSiOkwIf5srJZq2SPZ8XUi7lmhjWJyDDtsjIkZPNB9zSB_ZxI4bKPcCe_47lL86WYVDln9DpdLaqNMOkdPwC0VXwtEkcTizbZseBFiPpkyIPpa6XyC2EK/s1600/IMG_4276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BXG6CVM01-bRgEvrSiOkwIf5srJZq2SPZ8XUi7lmhjWJyDDtsjIkZPNB9zSB_ZxI4bKPcCe_47lL86WYVDln9DpdLaqNMOkdPwC0VXwtEkcTizbZseBFiPpkyIPpa6XyC2EK/s400/IMG_4276.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
Monday: Salad with roasted beets, spicy candied pecans, sweet onions, and chevre; fava beans with caramelized onions and fennel; baba ganoush; and a whole roasted clove of garlic, served with French bread, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and kalamata olives. For dessert (not pictured), baklava! I'd never made baba ganoush, and wish I hadn't put in as much garlic; we got more eggplants yesterday, so I'll probably roast them and throw them in with the existing dip to tone it down a bit. I also screwed up the baklava by pouring the syrup over it before it had cooled; thankfully, 35 minutes in the oven the next day at 275<span class="st">°</span> crisped it up.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQ81sLRfFIGOap0q8twINRKayMFA6lEoM15WG5ROyH4L2N_kz6FJ4EP6GbF74L-lFjLZgJ6GTn46tJQdumsXovLXiKPdtjPDdBt6rMvTjpjhwN6AXrH2oGbX77RVtz2yybiRu/s1600/IMG_4285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQ81sLRfFIGOap0q8twINRKayMFA6lEoM15WG5ROyH4L2N_kz6FJ4EP6GbF74L-lFjLZgJ6GTn46tJQdumsXovLXiKPdtjPDdBt6rMvTjpjhwN6AXrH2oGbX77RVtz2yybiRu/s400/IMG_4285.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
Tuesday was more familiar territory: Zucchini and pattypan squash patties (with the aforementioned jalapenos), steamed string beans, and Greek salad. Patties like these (which I've <a href="http://disasterkitchen.blogspot.com/2006/04/from-weird-food-desk.html" target="_blank">mentioned here before</a>) are one of my summer standbys, especially when we have a CSA. They're great for using up everything from squashes to sunchokes--I just grate/process the vegetables (squeezing out the excess liquid), and throw in a chopped onion, a binder of some sort (eggs, flax seed gel, and/or--as I had to last night--sour cream), something starchy (crumbs of crackers, bread, cereal, chips, etc.), cheese if I have it, and seasonings (including herbs). It's good fried or baked like a casserole.<br />
<br />
I have more beets, heirloom tomatoes, and chilies to use. The first two will be easy; anyone have a good recipe for Anaheim peppers?<br />
<br />CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-45229956069459018882013-01-24T17:44:00.001-08:002013-01-24T17:44:07.558-08:00Christmas CardsFor a while there it seemed doubtful, but I do finally have most of our* (very late) Christmas cards mailed out. There are two or three yet unclaimed, so if you'd like one, send me your address and I'll make it happen! If I sent you a card last year, you're on this year's list.<br />
<br />
As is traditional, here is last year's card, with which I was particularly pleased (click to see the larger version):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJ8hKdDdVds9AH0eERDac67sPuvJVRx7SdD33Q-OukvjAPS9i41bne1PadE1vzcVfotnY9Erf4eAxk1XJV1K-uMqLqpwzviYHEmtbeU8YIXpU4eBwXmOi1_PIZJF1ECLkVBYZ/s1600/Christmas+Card+2011b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJ8hKdDdVds9AH0eERDac67sPuvJVRx7SdD33Q-OukvjAPS9i41bne1PadE1vzcVfotnY9Erf4eAxk1XJV1K-uMqLqpwzviYHEmtbeU8YIXpU4eBwXmOi1_PIZJF1ECLkVBYZ/s400/Christmas+Card+2011b.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLYdNYEz_tgey_dwHBO3sckwwqDy78yTjIVGcMUObPWt3mKm_eVG0GBBXHcexOjg0yikHnOAQbFf5aA0sd3S6psa3o-qyUFDC75ErfuZaMQIauEX2YZjvBVl-FwFUiLDGXRr7D/s1600/Ceri+&+Hyacinth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<br />
In the great trajectory of my cards getting weirder and more obscure, this one marked a new high point. I found the image below as I was searching for the card to post; the reference is Mucha's Princess Hyacinth:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLYdNYEz_tgey_dwHBO3sckwwqDy78yTjIVGcMUObPWt3mKm_eVG0GBBXHcexOjg0yikHnOAQbFf5aA0sd3S6psa3o-qyUFDC75ErfuZaMQIauEX2YZjvBVl-FwFUiLDGXRr7D/s1600/Ceri+&+Hyacinth.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLYdNYEz_tgey_dwHBO3sckwwqDy78yTjIVGcMUObPWt3mKm_eVG0GBBXHcexOjg0yikHnOAQbFf5aA0sd3S6psa3o-qyUFDC75ErfuZaMQIauEX2YZjvBVl-FwFUiLDGXRr7D/s400/Ceri+&+Hyacinth.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
Here are cards from:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.disasterkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-cards.html" target="_blank">2010</a></li>
<li><a href="http://disasterkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-cards.html">2009</a></li>
<li><a href="http://disasterkitchen.blogspot.com/2009/12/cards.html">2008</a></li>
<li><a href="http://disasterkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-cards.html">2007</a> </li>
</ul>
<br />
*Yes, our! My bicycle only makes an appearance in the postage stamps, but David and the kitties are in this one. Eeps!CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-8125969301726768142012-11-22T22:40:00.001-08:002012-11-22T22:40:37.387-08:00ThanksgivingThis year, I'm thankful for:<br />
<br />
-David's family, who hosted Thanksgiving here today and invited my family<br />
-My family, including my mom and P&T,who were here; my talented and beautiful siblings, who were here only in spirit; and my dad, who's in Indiana with his parents<br />
-My SIX living grandparents<br />
-Living within easy driving distance of both of our families<br />
-My wonky, charming house and mushroom-filled yard<br />
-My sweet kittens, even Pobbes, who destroyed another (silk, a gift transported from India) scarf this week<br />
-Scarves, Capilene longies, and SmartWool socks<br />
-My two online classes and the technology that lets me teach remotely<br />
-My phone, on which I'm tapping this<br />
-My few, but tenacious, readers here<br />
<br />
Happy Thanksgiving! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-toBQHXJH2ThFmCcVTwivuZyXCieTPQIiRYAZOCAVyuD9D0ef9wxhhWPOvKc8kr49TzHxilskceGsxOn1PuR4mW1xCBBhVQfmeFtJBllAF3IodiAy673zQe3fTG0WSzh1Sap/s640/blogger-image--1832094431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-toBQHXJH2ThFmCcVTwivuZyXCieTPQIiRYAZOCAVyuD9D0ef9wxhhWPOvKc8kr49TzHxilskceGsxOn1PuR4mW1xCBBhVQfmeFtJBllAF3IodiAy673zQe3fTG0WSzh1Sap/s640/blogger-image--1832094431.jpg" /></a></div>CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-5611065969231614552012-11-20T23:56:00.000-08:002012-11-20T23:56:11.269-08:00ModelI heard the following blurb <a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/11/20/165549580/chinese-grandfather-models-teen-girls-clothes?ft=1&f=3">on NPR this morning</a>:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST: <br />
Good morning. I'm
Linda Wertheimer. Leading with a great pair of legs helps to make it as
a model. And apparently, being a 72-year-old granddad doesn't hurt. Liu
Xianping advised his granddaughter on her fashion business and thoughts
on mix and match, then he modeled the look. The photos went viral.
Sales skyrocketed. Here's how to get the look. Pile on the layers and
lace and his signature thigh-high red stockings. It's MORNING EDITION.</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr02/2012/11/20/11/enhanced-buzz-16053-1353428278-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="bf_dom" height="232" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr02/2012/11/20/11/enhanced-buzz-16053-1353428278-5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/meet-the-72-year-old-chinese-man-who-models-teen-g">Buzzfeed provides some excellent images from the online boutique</a> and the following quotes: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h4>
Liu's granddaughter on how the whole thing began:</h4>
<blockquote>
He picked up one piece and tried to give some advice on how to mix and match. We thought it was fun so we started shooting.</blockquote>
<div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution">
Via: <a class="" href="http://offbeatchina.com/modeling-for-teen-girl-clothes-on-tmall-72-year-old-grandpa-from-becomes-internet-sensation" rel="nofollow">offbeatchina.com</a></div>
<div class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_text buzz_superlist_item_wide" id="superlist_1879875_705502">
<h4>
Liu's awesome quote about his modeling:</h4>
<blockquote>
Why [is it] unacceptable for someone like me to wear
women’s clothes? Modelling for the store is helping my granddaughter and
I have nothing to lose. We were very happy on the day of the shooting.
I’m very old and all that I care about is to be happy.</blockquote>
</div>
</blockquote>
This definitely makes me to be happy.CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-70608742008931604202012-11-18T23:13:00.002-08:002012-11-18T23:13:35.487-08:00Rainbow<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtwH_9jupMEg_zY8q4PsdyIG90y1YMhPKGiZakuRQn2NhEuhGQMap0zQK2CCNkzwZ6VCjPftQIt1df9LWEQ01SsZaH4PMiQ8x70agrKErdx5KOARtcUE54ha7jDlsg17z3zLt/s1600/Rainbow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtwH_9jupMEg_zY8q4PsdyIG90y1YMhPKGiZakuRQn2NhEuhGQMap0zQK2CCNkzwZ6VCjPftQIt1df9LWEQ01SsZaH4PMiQ8x70agrKErdx5KOARtcUE54ha7jDlsg17z3zLt/s320/Rainbow.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guess who posed this picture?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Today we went for a hike in the rain! We made it most of the way to Tamanawas Falls, but had to turn back before it got too dark. We also found quite a lot of mushrooms, including the elusive and highly prized matsutake (two of them! They smell like cinnamon when cut--or, in my opinion, radishes).<br />
<br />
Then I made Thai pizza and we played <i>Bang!</i>--a relaxing and restorative Sunday afternoon.CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-9339275944024490692012-11-17T23:55:00.000-08:002012-11-18T00:12:56.609-08:00TwilitTonight a whole crew of us--four girls and three guys--went to see the new <i>Twilight</i> movie. It wasn't awful; their highest budget to date (I can only assume) didn't hurt at all, and neither did my movie theater nachos. I only discovered movie theater nachos a year or two ago, and they're now one of my favorite guilty pleasures.<br />
<br />
Also: David's home!CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-61835028240340605072012-11-16T23:29:00.000-08:002012-11-16T23:29:02.530-08:00Runway<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlsL6Flt2C22ckxxrw9Fstwkra-uWskd5jxHoZzAfES-jTlz_OwAxMlu2jFxie8vifs6Don2vtaabHoHx7a8Iu_Pb-Z8t7LSArcWyxW-6vHOCvEwydsZ4BMSdlV5Kfh9gss1a/s1600/models2.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlsL6Flt2C22ckxxrw9Fstwkra-uWskd5jxHoZzAfES-jTlz_OwAxMlu2jFxie8vifs6Don2vtaabHoHx7a8Iu_Pb-Z8t7LSArcWyxW-6vHOCvEwydsZ4BMSdlV5Kfh9gss1a/s320/models2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I stole these pictures off Instagram</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Tonight I helped with--and walked in!--my first fashion show! I've mentioned before that my beautiful sister-in-love is the designer behind <a href="http://bunnyandpear.com/" target="_blank">Bunny & Pear</a>, and tonight she showed her line at the 2012 Hood River Gala Fashion Show. <br />
<br />
Ten of us (including Becca's little cousin Bella) modeled, and it was a blast. I ended up doing everyone's makeup except Becca's (who was my template!), <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7Yk6haoF4fr7Swajum25AITBiBuiha8YwG8Uhbqwh_d1yFd1b0-lQ8XIhBWJrJw20l_9EHPPMM6WXZxhhJfZxyPBGqIe2tI5tnW28YN9s-1YiFWzWjH3tyoUQSRtYKvgTvFD/s1600/models.jpg" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7Yk6haoF4fr7Swajum25AITBiBuiha8YwG8Uhbqwh_d1yFd1b0-lQ8XIhBWJrJw20l_9EHPPMM6WXZxhhJfZxyPBGqIe2tI5tnW28YN9s-1YiFWzWjH3tyoUQSRtYKvgTvFD/s320/models.jpg" width="320" /></a>while she made everyone's hair huge and curly (except mine, which does that on its own). Her models were all gorgeous, though, and I had a ton of fun working in a medium I hadn't played with in years. By the time I got to my own face, at the end, I was thoroughly exhausted--too tired to worry too much about walking down the runway.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOFpfw75UISfaIHLJ-SsQTp2sNw5ax5PCsRwZRdyqq1uY9jSWBiJOKo-3Q9n6kdoQsNeX8bJeUC-GLxWQl_Xsx-TK8nAk1AmXMPsBHO3WjrXs8T620SrYxFC3n3rBKz9YbEVT/s1600/models3.jpg" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOFpfw75UISfaIHLJ-SsQTp2sNw5ax5PCsRwZRdyqq1uY9jSWBiJOKo-3Q9n6kdoQsNeX8bJeUC-GLxWQl_Xsx-TK8nAk1AmXMPsBHO3WjrXs8T620SrYxFC3n3rBKz9YbEVT/s320/models3.jpg" width="320" /></a>I can't really tell you how that part went, because I have no idea. I hope I kept my chin up and my face neutral and that my mid-runway poses didn't look too uncoordinated, but I really don't know. Mostly I hope I walked slowly enough so that people could get a good look at Becca's beautiful clothes (<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/bunnyandpear" target="_blank">soon to be available here</a>). I look forward to seeing more pictures and video, though--especially since we got to see so little of the show ourselves!CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-67935888333310699592012-11-15T23:30:00.001-08:002012-11-15T23:30:08.307-08:00BatAlert Readers know I'm very blind: -7 at last count. Sometimes, I remove my contacts before locating my glasses,which I'm then (naturally) unable to find. If there's no one around to help me, I'll pop a contact or two back in to locate them. If I'm feeling especially tired or lazy, I just go with it and end up completing my last few pre-bed tasks with one eye closed and the other 4-6" from the object of interest--as I'm doing now. I'll put my contacts back in first thing in the morning and find my glasses then. <br />
<br />
Alert Readers will notice that I forgot to post yesterday (my mom texted me this afternoon to make sure I was okay!). I am okay--just forgetful and, at the moment, blind. CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-75111546856285244182012-11-13T23:50:00.000-08:002012-11-14T11:12:35.726-08:00Manly<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVcp640JYU3L7bUiG-DrAoBVIMX5ub5hCPEAbTL-YFoImcF7bIq-eH9HiepW2FRx9_YE-IaUmC16wIPwu9cJdhIh1pP4v7KazoaS4OKpOX8oNZSuBQVDdO_umqGK_dEq3unXl/s1600/photo(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVcp640JYU3L7bUiG-DrAoBVIMX5ub5hCPEAbTL-YFoImcF7bIq-eH9HiepW2FRx9_YE-IaUmC16wIPwu9cJdhIh1pP4v7KazoaS4OKpOX8oNZSuBQVDdO_umqGK_dEq3unXl/s1600/photo(5).JPG" /></a>Today I raked and bagged leaves <i>and</i> hung the last living room mini-blinds (which required installing a hand-cut shim--and wrestling with my cordless drill). It left me feeling quite accomplished--although I'm pretty sure I'll be sore tomorrow.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pobbes kept a careful eye on us.</td></tr>
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This morning as I was hauling the trash out to the curb (another manly task!), I noticed several crops of mushrooms in the yard. Becca came over later and helped me identify them: a bunch of (edible) fat jacks,* and some other generic lawn shrooms that she did identify, but whose name I can't recall. We have a giant oak and a giant Doug Fir in our front yard, so the lawn is a veritable fungus farm. Very exciting, of course.<br />
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*Which she took home; I'm still working on cultivating a taste for mushrooms, let alone cooking them myself.CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-65706834433537492072012-11-12T23:39:00.001-08:002012-11-14T11:09:26.273-08:00Birthday EveTomorrow is the kittens' first birthday. Here they are snuggling together on the couch this afternoon. Thank goodness for kittens on a rainy day home alone. <br />
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CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-57344051160929403172012-11-11T23:22:00.001-08:002012-11-11T23:22:01.669-08:00AloneTonight, after spending time with friends in Portland following dropping David at the airport, I'm home all alone. Not even the kitties are here; since I only just got back and it's late, they're still at their kitty cousins' until tomorrow. The house feels pretty lonely... but the thermostat did reset itself to 70 while I was gone, so at least it's warm!CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-64428165314266867772012-11-10T23:44:00.001-08:002012-11-12T11:48:10.981-08:00Movin'I'm on the road, tapping this out on my smartphone, which I've now had for about a month, and which has been invaluable for NaBloPoMo. It's the fancy phone of the moment (for those not in the Android camp, anyway) and is shiny, lovely, and almost certainly habit-forming. It's quite the upgrade from my 3.5-year old dumbphone--though I'm pretty sure it wouldn't survive a fall off a bridge into a semi-frozen puddle, like the latter. <br />
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David and I are heading to Hermiston from Walla Walla, where we were celebrating my grandma's 80th birthday (with more than a few Alert Readers!). It seems that we may be hosting the next gathering at the Blueplex; we shall see. <br />
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In any case, it was wonderful to see tons of family, and I was sad to have to head out a bit early so that we can get David prepped, packed, and ready to head to Mpls tomorrow for a week of work out there. At least we were able to fit in a rousing round of sibling and cousin Scrabble; it was the first game of my life in which I (with teammate David) had not one, but TWO bonus words. We'll ride that momentum the whole way back to Oregon. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonus words: reechoed and gaiters</td></tr>
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CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-27389488815377909842012-11-09T23:31:00.001-08:002012-11-09T23:31:49.218-08:00QuotingJoel: "I smelled like an Everything bagel, so I sprayed some of that coconut spray in my general direction. Now I smell like an Everything coconut."<br />
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Fun times this weekend with the fam for Grandma's 80th birthday!CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-81083174907380602012012-11-08T23:46:00.002-08:002012-11-08T23:46:56.936-08:00KaraokeTonight, for Becca's birthday, we did karaoke at Thirteen-0-One, and it was awesome.<br />
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Pictures:<br />
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<br />CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-77666642612539205752012-11-07T23:29:00.000-08:002012-11-07T23:33:08.024-08:00ConciliatoryUndergrads love to begin their essays with dictionary definitions--if I'm lucky (read: never) they'll be from the OED or Merriam-Webster. Usually they're from dictionary.com. Sigh.<br />
<br />
In any case, the word "conciliatory"--a word I used in last night's post, actually--has been in my head all day. I just looked it up, and in the spirit of the papers I've been grading already today (and still should be), here is Merriam-Webster's definition:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h4 class="def-header">
Definition of <i>CONCILIATE*</i></h4>
<div class="vt">
<i>transitive verb</i></div>
<div class="sblk">
<div class="scnt">
1<span class="ssens"><b> :</b> to gain (as goodwill) by pleasing acts </span></div>
</div>
<div class="sblk">
<div class="scnt">
2<span class="ssens"><b> :</b> to make compatible <b>:</b> <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconcile">reconcile</a> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="sblk">
<div class="scnt">
3<span class="ssens"><b> :</b> <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appease">appease</a> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="vt">
<i>intransitive verb</i></div>
<div class="scnt">
<span class="ssens"> <b>:</b> to become friendly or agreeable </span></div>
</blockquote>
The thing is, most of my friends are pretty liberal. The ones I've hung out with most over the past decade or so, the ones I met after college and in graduate school, tend to be <i>really</i> liberal. I get most of my news from NPR and Time Magazine, and consider it balanced not least because I do hear conservative opinions with which I disagree; my most liberal friends find those media outlets far too right-leaning.<br />
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In any case, because of the circles in which I move, I don't meet a lot of Romney supporters. Academics are a liberal bunch, and Minneapolis is a liberal city.*** Hood River is, too. Plus, I think I'm also still in a demographic young enough to favor Obama for his own relatively youthful persona and ideas. The few Romney supporters I do know tend to be friends from high school or even earlier.<br />
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There are a handful of them on Facebook, though: nine professed "like"rs of Romney/Ryan, and a few more who run Republican. I've been thinking a lot about them today, partly because, although FB has been surprisingly rather silent on topics political (after a brief outpouring of joy last night), I have seen a few posts of sadness, disappointment, and, yes, some bitterness. There were premature cries that Obama had lost the popular vote--and an identification with how Gore supporters must have felt in 2000.<br />
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In embarrassing truth, I didn't vote in that election; I was out of state and hadn't filed for an absentee ballot. I also bought into the sentiment around me that there wasn't even a substantive difference between the two candidates, though the subsequent debacle of the election, with the failure of our voting system on global display as a Floridian court handed W. the victory, appalled and horrified me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I may have had this sticker on my car</td></tr>
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But I do remember how it felt in 2004 to have Bush actually, legitimately, elected, by popular and electoral vote. I couldn't believe that after seeing the mess he'd made at home and abroad over the past four years (and listening to <a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/276/swing-set" target="_blank">this <i>This American Life</i> episode</a>!), Americans would vote to retain him. I believed then, as I do now, that there were nefarious things at play, not least the manipulation into a constant state of fear.<br />
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When he won, I was crushed. I was enraged. I was in a state of disbelief. No one had <i>loved</i> Kerry or anything, but we were ABBA voters--Anyone But Bush Again. <i>Anyone</i>. That election was to have been a referendum on Bush's failed policies, a chance to regain some face in the world--to begin to erase the embarrassment so eloquently summarized by "freedom fries."<br />
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I thought Bush was ruining our country. I still believe he did it a dire disservice, mostly by entering unnecessary and unaffordable wars--not just one (largely supported by the international community), but an ill-advised, if not illicit, unrelated attack premised on false evidence.<br />
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So I think I can identify a little bit with the friends who thought this election was <i>their</i> chance to oust a President they believed was leading the country down a path to ruin. By the end of his two terms, I think most people agreed that Bush had been an epic failure. It remains to be seen how people judge Obama at the end of his second. Obviously I think he's by far the better option to continue digging us out of the mess Bush left behind. But the truth takes its time to emerge, and whatever happens, right now a lot of the country is feeling sad and angry.<br />
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How, then, to conciliate? I began, and erased, many FB statuses last night. I wanted to celebrate, but I didn't want to gloat or provoke. I went on a "liking" spree of friends' euphoric posts, but couldn't bring myself to post my own, although I'd posted several politically-themed links over the past several weeks and wasn't exactly in the closet about supporting Obama. I settled on a quote from Jon Stewart's live coverage: <span class="userContent">"Perhaps the fever has broken." </span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent">This morning I changed my profile picture from the "I Voted" sticker I'd had up since submitting my ballot by mail, replacing it with a picture of me grinning hugely as I hold my tiny new niece, whose eyes are wild and mouth agape as she seems to throw a miniature gang sign. I figured it was just absurd enough to pass my personal only-me-in-my-profile-pic rule, and might--as I think of it in light of the earlier definition--be a pleasing act to gain me some goodwill.</span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent">Because I've been feeling kind of like a bad guy! I haven't been nearly as strident as some of my friends, in fora virtual or otherwise. But I did (and, okay, do; I'm still working on that) think Romney supporters were making the wrong, wrong, wrong choice. I was terribly relieved that Obama was re-elected. I'm proud to be an American, and want to celebrate! But it hurts to be on the losing side, especially when you believe passionately, as it seems so many of us did.</span><br />
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So, friend who posted about the impending destruction of all small business (though he appears to have subsequently removed it), I'm sorry. Friend who requested time and space to "lick our wounds," I'm sorry. I know how it feels to believe the apocalypse is upon you.<br />
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I can only hope that the fever has broken. I hope that Washington will be able to actually get necessary work done. I hope that we can all still be friends. Really.<br />
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*Apparently "in the top 10% of lookups"** at their website<br />
**Firefox's spellchecker doesn't accept "lookups" as a valid word<br />
***The day after the Vice-Presidential debate, a little old lady struck up a conversation with me in line at the post office, in a thick accent criticizing the arrogant young Ryan and his rude behavior. When I asked where she was originally from, she told me she was from Poland--and as a young teenager had smuggled explosives across enemy lines during the Soviet occupation! CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-73778497794515766832012-11-06T23:50:00.000-08:002012-11-07T10:10:27.463-08:00Patriotic<img height="200" id="il_fi" src="http://6.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/obama-hug-600.jpg" style="float: left; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" />Tonight, for the third time in as many presidential elections, I found myself weeping. In Ohio, in 2004, I cried by myself at midnight, in shock, grief, and anger, as, continuously refreshing my browser, I saw my state called for Bush.
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Four years later, in Minnesota, I cried tears of joy and pride in my country, watching the acceptance speech of the first candidate for whom I'd ever volunteered.<br />
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Tonight, in Oregon, I cried again, watching that same candidate--worn down, but not beaten, by his past four years in office--give the most gracious, genuinely conciliatory, generous and moving speech I can remember seeing. It made me really, truly, proud to be an American--a feeling badly needed after an epically bruising campaign year (and which I, as a non-TV viewer, was largely spared) and a slower-than-hoped economic recovery. <br />
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It's no particular surprise that if the rest of the world had voted for U.S. president, Obama would have won in a landslide. I don't think they're smarter than U.S. Americans, but I do think they tend to be less U.S.-centric than us, and to justifiably care a lot about who leads their most powerful neighbor--a neighbor in increasingly close quarters in this global community. Obama has made us a better (though certainly imperfect) neighbor, and that matters a lot to me. <br />
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He also espouses beliefs, and is working toward policies, that are already widely accepted by the vast majority of the so-called first world: that climate change is real and caused by humans; that people should be granted equal rights and protections under the law; and that access to health care should be available to all, to name just a few. <br />
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Again, I don't think he's perfect, but I'm so glad we (the people) have chosen him to lead this country for another four years, and feel hopeful for what they will bring. CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-47045248004094771472012-11-05T23:07:00.001-08:002012-11-06T14:07:02.251-08:00PobbesIt's possible that it's just because he's my first kitty, but Pobbes is the most curious creature I've met. <br />
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Also: so handsome!<br />
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CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-18971682794545179632012-11-04T23:07:00.001-08:002012-11-06T14:07:30.182-08:00Hood River MountainToday the sun came out for the first time in what felt like ages, and we went hiking. Here are some pictures. <br />
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CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-6675328076303993512012-11-03T23:52:00.000-07:002012-11-03T23:52:43.554-07:00Shroomin'We spent last Sunday in the woods, hunting mushrooms. In the rain. It doesn't get much more Pacific Northwestern than that!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My prize chanterelle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scientists, identifying</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fall foliage</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree slide</td></tr>
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<br />CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-43367943761165335252012-11-02T23:24:00.000-07:002012-11-02T23:24:46.534-07:00Halloween<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So this was my Halloween costume this year! Hopefully I'll come across a full-length shot that includes my black and white checked pants, striped socks, and boots, but for now this will have to suffice.<br />
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I made the hat from a cereal box, covered in upside-down pleather from from <a href="http://disasterkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/11/royal-we.html" target="_blank">last year's costume</a> and decorated with, among other things, feathers from <a href="http://disasterkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/11/halloween-finally.html" target="_blank">2008's flapper costume</a>. The shirt was also from the Prince costume, and worked perfectly.<br />
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David told me he'd overheard someone who didn't know me well ask, "Who's the Hatter?" I was indignant that someone wouldn't recognize my character--until David pointed out that the person recognized the character easily, but didn't know <i>me</i>. After the past few years' <a href="http://disasterkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/11/halloween.html" target="_blank">somewhat obscure costumes</a>, it was fun to be such an easily recognized character.<br />
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David was Captain Awesome. His costume was primarily the result of all the flattened packing boxes currently littering our new place (another story for another time) and was a master of cardboard engineering. <br />
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Cheers.<br />
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<br />CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-29734991479037715832012-11-01T22:11:00.000-07:002012-11-01T22:11:21.740-07:00NaBloPo(One)Mo!One.<br />
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That's how many clicks on "older entries" it currently takes to get from the front page of this blog to my last NaBloPoMo entry (2011). A full nine posts--briefly touching upon adventures including Mouse Wars (redux); foot surgery (hallux); and the acquisition of a tautology of felines (deluxe). Clearly, I've been a less-than-consistent poster.<br />
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But what's better for consistency than <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCEQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.homestarrunner.com%2F20x6vs1936.html&ei=cFGTUOGuKonKiwLVwoCICw&usg=AFQjCNFr8NzqBOHjnQlnt_unpYH_8Bv2zg&sig2=Bux5KmAKKQPT9doNC3P0hw&cad=rja" target="_blank" title="Lame Homestar Runner joke"><i>a challenge</i></a>? That's right: it's NaBloPoMo again, and another chance to fail (or, you know, succeed!) at posting every day for a month. I'm grateful to <a href="http://perfectyellowyolk.wordpress.com/2012/10/29/calling-all-bloggers/" target="_blank">Mari for reminding me</a>, and hope that lots of you join in, too. (Or at very least comment; it's seriously the comments that keep me going.)<br />
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So, one mo' NaBloPoMo? Here goes.CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-43779965715589944512012-07-12T14:20:00.000-07:002012-07-13T19:28:22.810-07:00Democrat<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I was returning to my third-floor library study room from
a water bottle-filling and M&M-fetching basement run, I paused briefly to
hold the door open for a janitor pushing a trashcan behind me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Aww, that’s so nice! You didn’t have to wait and get the
door for me!” he enthused. “That was so compassionate! You must be a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Democrat</i>!” I laughed and, rather
embarrassed by his effusiveness, admitted, “Yes, I am a Democrat.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“’Cause you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">know</i> a
Republican wouldn’a did!” he laughed. “You have a nice afternoon!”</div>
<br />
I wasn’t at all sure that a “Republican
wouldn’a did,” nor that my holding the door open was a mark either
of moral superiority or of liberal political leanings, but I still giggled the whole way upstairs.CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-61715144346344757972012-07-10T20:26:00.000-07:002012-07-10T20:26:51.050-07:00HeatIs this going to become a Crazy Cat Blog? Perhaps. The kittens are awfully easy targets.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxd46CX2REZ4_M3ygvObVP_umMC6AyaUxhvziA-QH1qfIX7DIrydRQMsLddOKCQbF02is6kDR2oNWEZja5C_e7giEGE9fR-5J33SyJULzm5GsrP7xQ_NFXqutoXoub_IR4Tv00/s1600/IMAG1705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxd46CX2REZ4_M3ygvObVP_umMC6AyaUxhvziA-QH1qfIX7DIrydRQMsLddOKCQbF02is6kDR2oNWEZja5C_e7giEGE9fR-5J33SyJULzm5GsrP7xQ_NFXqutoXoub_IR4Tv00/s400/IMAG1705.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitty thermometer: they start lolling on the hardwood at around 85<span class="nobr">°</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So you may have heard that it's been <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/08/us-usa-weather-idUSBRE8660AF20120708" target="_blank">hot here in the Midwest</a>! It's been hot approximately everywhere, though, so you may not have cared. Anyway, on the Fourth, Mpls cleared <span class="nobr"><span class="b">101</span>°, setting a record (and feeling super-tropical with a </span><span class="nobr"><span class="b">72</span>° dew point). </span><span class="nobr">David and I were both at home for the holiday, trying to stay cool in front of our portable A/C unit (which was struggling to keep it to an almost-comfortable 87</span><span class="nobr">°), when we lost power.* </span><br />
<span class="nobr"><br /></span><br />
<span class="nobr">We lasted about 10 minutes upstairs before picking up the kitties and heading down to the basement, where it was nice and cool--probably in the 70s. Pobbes and Icy were very excited to explore; they'd had baths that morning in an effort to cool them down (panting kitties are a terribly pathetic sight!), but soon had cobwebs in their whiskers (and everywhere else). David and I were somewhat less excited, but with a book for me, his smartphone for him, and cold drinks for both of us, we were able to outlast the hour-long outage. Actually, it was much hotter when we returned upstairs--but the views and furniture were better and the space much cleaner!</span><br />
<span class="nobr"><br /></span><br />
<span class="nobr">Thankfully, it has cooled and dried off over the past few days; we've had highs in the upper eighties and lower nineties, but more importantly it's dipped to around 70 and below at night, meaning it's completely bearable. Actually, it's been beautiful. Nothing makes you appreciate a nice dry 87 quite like a muggy 100.</span><br />
<span class="nobr"><br /></span><br />
<span class="nobr">Later, I'll write about the epic fireworks display(s) we caught later on the Fourth!</span><br />
<span class="nobr"><br /></span><br />
<span class="nobr">*</span><span class="nobr">I was going to put that in all caps, but then I remembered that there are people in the South/East who were <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/01/us-usa-weather-storm-idUSBRE85T02U20120701" target="_blank">out of power for days</a>. Now I feel like a pansy.</span>CëRïSëhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133935575651973096noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13825925.post-74242398584835666912012-07-09T07:54:00.000-07:002012-07-09T07:54:54.089-07:00KittensAs you may know, in November David and I acquired a cat problem to deal with our mouse problem. We no longer have any mice, and the cats are among the sweetest, best-looking, affectionate, and chillest that I've ever encountered.<br />
Which is a good thing, because left to their own devices, they would destroy everything in sight.<br />
<br />
That's not quite true. Their favorite objects of destruction are toilet paper, plants, textiles, sewing/crocheting supplies, and cardboard boxes. If we're careful about limiting their access to those objects, they may still scratch a bit on the furniture (Icy) or steal David's razor (Pobbes), but wreak far less havoc.<br />
<br />
Before we realized we had to keep them away from most clothing, however, we did have a few casualties. They chewed a hole in the back of a silky new camisole with the tags still on it, and multiple holes in another top I'd only worn once. Worst, though, they got a hold of the cashmere sweater my sister and I got David for Christmas last year. Pobbes first got to it when it was on the top of David's (tall) dresser, chewing a hole that rendered it unwearable but still left plenty of material for recycling. I put it in my closet to protect it, but yesterday discovered that Pobbes had pulled it out from under the closet doors and was again mauling it. In fact, he had Swiss cheesed the whole thing, leaving hardly any material suitable for crafting. Upon this discovery, we decided to let him keep his furry quarry, in the hopes of dissuading his destruction of other prized clothing. <br />
<br />
David captured the following video when Pobbes had dragged his trophy to one of his other favorite things, the big sleeping bag you can see on the red chair. Also visible in the video is Fernie the Palm, who is tattered but hanging on after suffering greatly as one of the kittens' earliest targets. Try to ignore my maniacal cackling, and enjoy our kittens doing what they appear to do best:<br />
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