Audience Pandering vs. Artistic Irrelevancy

Dear Friends and Family,

Google Analytics is a horrible thing. It weighs you down with data. And, once you have the data you need to come to grips with yourself. Do you write about what people care to read about? Or do you write about what you want to write about? If it's the former, isn't it just pandering to an audience? Lurking on lurkers, so to speak? Two mirrors facing off to create infinitely smaller copies of each other? And, if it's the latter, then, why do you care? You're writing just for you. But, why publish, then?

So, it comes down to this question. Who do I write for? Do I write for the unknown masses? Do I write for my friends and family (obstensibly who my posts are addressed to each and every day)? Or, ultimately, do I write for me (it is a journal after all)?

Not sure if I know the answers. Perhaps if I did, I could purposely choose a path and filter my content accordingly. Sushi come when sushi ready.


Cheers!
mouse

07.30.08: Another Day, Another Test

Dear Friends and Family,

Day 32. Time for another pregnancy test.

We got up this morning and took the test. It said "Not Pregnant." Guess that means my cycle will start soon and Mr. mouse and I will be summoned into the doctor's office for another volley of tests and options discussions.


Cheers!
mouse

May Baby Posts

Dear Friends and Family,

Another month, another packet of information to upload. Wow, May seems like forever and a day ago. Happy reading.

(Note: under baby... maybe, for any newbies.)


Cheers!
mouse

07.29.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 121

Whoopee! Back to 121. And, again looking at three pounds to goal. This time, more motivated than even three weeks ago when I was 121. Tee, a friend in Seattle, wrote me to tell me she was considering Weight Watchers after seeing the success I had with it. And, I realized/remembered I have had success with it. It does work. I was so dedicated. And, there's no reason that dedication should be any less now than it was, say, six months ago.

And, even more motivating, Tee is interested in going to Canyon Ranch with me. I can't wait.

Which brings me to an interesting conversation Tee and I had about Mindless Eating. I read a book about it that was excellent. I'll use the next 10 weeks or so to summarize it, bit by bit.

Mindless Eating, Why We Eat More Than We Think
by Brian Wansink

Introduction: The Science of Snacking

We may think we eat based on our level of hunger, how much we like the food, and how we feel. But, in addition to that, we eat based on a host of other criteria (e.g. "family and friends, packages and plates, names and numbers, labels and lights, colors and candles, shapes and smells, distractions and distances, cupboards and containers.") In other words, we may not have a clue as to why we eat.

Want to guess how many food decisions we make in a day? If you guessed more than 200, you'd be right. I'm awake 18 hours, meaning, on average, I make a food decision every 5.4 minutes. Really? Seems like a lot. And, it's tempting to say I must be below average and someone other poor soul is out there making a decision every 2 minutes to make up for my numbers. But, I'm okay with 200. It's manageable. Not sure I can make 200 good decisions, but, clearly, I'm making enough good decisions to be within three pounds of my goal weight.

And, that's the intro and my take on it.


Cheers!
mouse

07.28.08: Fire Flies and House Flies

Dear Friends and Family,

It was a mix of good and bad this weekend. On the positive, we spent a lot of much needed time cleaning the house and some random time listening to live music at one of the many summer street festivals Chicago has to offer. On the negative, we had major blow ups Fri, Sat, and Sun. We had fire flies (and a bunny) at the park and a most annoying flare up of house flies at home. Literally, house flies, it was disgusting.

Saturday, we got up super early. We spent some time cleaning and napping. Then, we roasted a chicken on the grill. We headed to the gym before heading over to the park with a blanket to listen to some music.

Sunday, we slept in. I had a marvelous weigh in. Then, we finished the house cleaning and split for the afternoon. I needed some down time so I read and cooked while Mr. mouse headed out to wander the streets. We got together for dinner (bison burgers) before heading out to the park again. Somehow, between bands, we decided to head over to Harold's Chicken Shack for fried chicken. And, there went my ephemeral weigh in. Sigh.

And, now, it's Monday. Part of me is feeling clean house refreshed. Part of me is feeling fried chicken bloated. Sigh. Guess it was a weekend of good and bad.


Cheers!
mouse

07.26.08: LH Surge, Three Days Running?

Dear Friends and Family,

Day 29 of my cycle, and I got my third, consecutive LH surge. Before everyone assumes we're pregnant, we also took a pregnancy test this morning. And, it was negative. All Mr. mouse and I were able to conclude is, there's something going on in there. What? Not sure. Something.


Cheers!
mouse

Anything Tastes Better When It's Cooked on the Grill

Dear Friends and Family,

Last night, one of my friends from work and her boyfriend came over for dinner. I wasn't sure what to cook. Ultimately, we decided on pasta with grilled vegetables, and I've since concluded anything tastes good once you stick it on the grill.

We boiled up come perciatelli, spaghetti shaped but hollow pasta, and dressed it with olive oil. Then we added fresh tomatoes and fresh basil (homegrown). On went grilled mushrooms, grilled eggplant, grilled fennel (crop share), grilled zucchini (crop share), grilled garlic scapes (crop share), grilled asparagus and grilled sausages. Mix it up. E voilà!

Mr. mouse made some garlic bread to go with it and our friends brought over a bottle of Italian red wine. For dessert, we grilled a couple of peaches and a pineapple and served it with the last of the caramel ice cream.


Cheers!
mouse

07.25.08: LH Surge, Again

Dear Friends and Family,

Well, there's nothing like being an overachiever. We had another LH surge today, on Day 28. I have no idea what any of this means anymore. Guess we'll continue as if this is normal and see what the rest of the month brings.


Cheers!
mouse

Electricity Tracking: July 2008

Dear Friends and Family,

We got the next electricity bill. And, at 536 kWh, it's definitely up from last month's 336 kWh. That's 200 kWh of A/C, my friends. I'm not complaining, it's still down a whopping 55% from last year's 1,187 kWh.

I have more good news on the green front. I found a potential option for our roof. The key search terms were vertical axis wind turbine residential. The vertical axis is key for roof mounted applications which would be the case in our situation.

Mariah Power has a unit, the Windspire, that generates 2,000 kWh a year. By my math, we'd need two to meet our general needs, three if we wanted a some of our A/C covered. It's got potential. Will have to mull it over and keep an eye out for alternatives.


Cheers!
mouse

07.24.08: LH Surge

Dear Friends and Family,

Perhaps we found the root cause of our problems. I got my LH surge today, on day 27 of my 28-32 day cycle. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, I say. Guess we'll give it a go tonight, seems like a low risk proposition.


Cheers!
mouse

First Harvest

Dear Friends and Family,

We had our first harvest of rooftop vegetables. We had picked one banana pepper and one unfertilized, half grown zucchini before. So, I guess, technically, that was our first harvest. But, yesterday, we decided to pick several (four) peppers from our banana pepper plant. And, walking down with the four peppers, it felt like a harvest.

We stir fried one pepper last night with some chicken thighs and some basil from our basil plant. It felt good and tasted delicious.

Status on the other plants? There are three zucchini growing on the zucchini plants. I attempted to pollinate all three of them. We'll see if they continue to grow green or if they shrivel and turn yellow like the prior ones. There's one gorgeous tomato on the tomato plants. I may pick it soon and enjoy the first tomato of the season. There's several additional ones ripening. We may have a tomato "harvest" in the near future. And, on the cantaloupe front, there's a cantaloupe forming on one of the vines. I'm so excited. It would be beyond cool if I got a cantaloupe.

The peppers are doing well. We still have several banana peppers growing. And, a handful of jalapeños are growing. And, we have a couple of cayenne peppers. Our basil is still huge. I've become a little more courageous about pruning to keep it from getting out of control. The cilantro never recovered from the weekend we were out in the Twin Cities. It really needs to be removed. We have more seeds we can plant. And, the rosemary. Well, I guess there's no harm in leaving it on the roof, but it's all brown and there's really no signs of life on it. Maybe it was too far gone by the time we did the transplant from B's deck to ours.


Cheers!
mouse

07.23.08: LH Surge?

Dear Friends and Family,

In a cruel twist of fate, it looks like we have an LH surge coming up in our near future, maybe. The line was darker today. Guess we'll bust into the next kit tomorrow and start afresh. Whoopee. This is so much fun. I can hardly contain my joy.


Cheers!
mouse

07.22.08: No LH Surge?

Dear Friends and Family,

We used the ovulation test kit for the month and detected not much of anything. Last month was similar. The month before was fine. I wonder if there's something going on hormonally now that I'm getting older. Wow. Talk about things that make you feel old.

Guess we'll see what the next couple of weeks bring. But, I'm not expecting to have much news to report.


Cheers!
mouse

07.22.08: Weekly Weigh In - One Year Anniversary

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 121.5

It's my one year goal weight anniversary. And, while not a perfect success, in the grand scheme of things still something to be very happy about. I'm 3.5 pounds over my "last declared" goal weight and 1.5 pounds over my weight 52 weeks ago. All psychological since I'm sure the doctor isn't stressing over the four pounds and its impact on my overall health.

Still, I'll be working the summer to get back to goal. And, when I hit the 118, I am going to something I didn't do last time. I am going to celebrate. Top on my list is a trip to Canyon Ranch Spa. I didn't do it last time, and I really should have. This time I will.


Cheers!
mouse

07.21.08: Summer in the City

Dear Friends and Family,

July is breezing by at a record pace. Stop the madness.

Friday, we had a team barbecue. I had a delicious garden burger, a bottle of real root beer, a handful of chips (potato and tortilla), salsa and guacamole and a delicious cupcake. I walked over and jogged back, so it didn't seem criminal to enjoy the food. On the way back, with about a mile left to go, it started pouring. I was soaked to the skin, glistening, shiny, rivulets of water, wet by the time I got home. I peeled everything off and jumped into the shower. We played mah jong Friday night with a couple of friends. We made grilled pizza and had leftover ice cream.

Saturday, we met with three friends from my first work project for pizza. It's so good to catch up with them. What's not to like about a hot Saturday afternoon spent in a cool bar with pizza and beer? Well, I had salad and Diet Coke, but still. Then, we dropped off my shoes (see prior post) and picked up some library books before tackling the big project of the day - the gate and the intercom. I think the intercom is done, and the gate is one BIG step closer to done, but still has a fair bit to go. (We were able to remove a broken bolt from the assembly, but the latching mechanism isn't a perfect fit.)

Sunday, we headed over to our favorite bar to watch the F1 race. Something magical happened during the race, because when we entered the bar it was hot and humid and hazy and when we exited it was a perfect summer day. There's a rule in the mouse household - perfect summer days must be spent enjoying the summer. So, while Mr. mouse ran errands, I spent the day on the roof, reading and working on a bead bracelet. We had dinner on the roof, grilled asparagus, grilled garlic scapes, grilled peppers, grilled chicken sausage, fried green tomatoes, and a ciabatta roll. A nice breeze accompanied the sunset and we watched the stars come out one at a time.


Cheers!
mouse

Nagging Unfinished Tasks #2 & 3

Dear Friends and Family,

Just a quick note. We dropped off my shoes at the cobbler for new soles. And, we paid off our remaining spring credit card debt. Two more nagging, unfinished tasks crossed off the list. Yeah!


Cheers!
mouse

Vice President Mouse

Dear Friends and Family,

I've garnered my first Vice President title. Vice President of what? Well, our home owner's association. We had our annual association meeting on Tuesday. And, I was elected.

You have to start somewhere ;)


Cheers!
mouse

Parents Retiring, Maybe

Dear Friends and Family,

I thought my parents were retiring at the end of July. They've had a dry cleaning store for the past twenty years and the rents have been rising in their neighborhood. Their building was sold a couple of years to a large corporation, and when the lease expired, the corporation renewed it at a decent rate, but with some harsh terms. They can't sell the lease. And, with six months notice the corporation can cancel the lease.

We thought that day was in July. As it turns out, it's not. I'm not clear on how long it's been extended for. It may be that the downturn in the economy has changed things up some. On the one hand, I feel a sense of relief because I don't think my mom was ready to retire; she was doing it because she had no other options. On the other hand, I hope it's not too much of an emotional roller coaster for her.

Sometimes I wish I was more entrepreneurial, but other times I'm glad I work in cubicle land and don't have to worry about some of the things she has to worry about.


Cheers!
mouse

CSA Box Contents

Dear Friends and Family,

Wow. Box #3. We didn't do a good job on the last box. So our plan over the next two weeks will need to be particularly aggressive.

According to the newsletter, we can expect:

• romaine lettuce
• cucumbers
• baby onions, leeks, or scallions
• raspberries
• snap peas, snow peas, or green beans
• fennel
• zucchini
• cabbage
• potatoes

And, we get an egg share (a dozen eggs).

And, leftover from our last box:

• kale or collards
• garlic scapes
• zucchini (one)
• grape leaves
• cucumbers

And, we get an egg share (ten left).

My plan of attack (in order of preference):

Raspberries. I love berries. Salad with the lettuce and the cucumbers. Cucumbers and depending upon which peas, as munchable snacks. Green beans, snap peas, zucchini can all be stir fried. Potatoes can be made into a hash with garlic, onion and a little olive oil. Mr. mouse uses the fennel with fish. Garlic scapes, grilled with a little olive oil. Kale or collards, hardy green and bean soup. Grape leaves, stuff them with rice and make dolmades from them. Cabbage, stuff with rice and ground beef. And, last but not least, baby onions, leeks or scallions, seems like something we can use fairly quickly and easily.

And the garden, lots of banana and jalapeño peppers, three pollinated zucchini, and lots of tomatoes. The peppers are growing nicely. I hope of harvest a couple more soon. The zucchini is now officially a science experiment. I pollinated another one yesterday. Tons of blossoms on the cantaloupe, but no signs of fruit yet. And, lots of green tomatoes, but no red ones yet. The rosemary is still looking mostly brown with some signs of green. And, our basil is officially out of control. And that covers the food update for the next couple of weeks.


Cheers!
mouse

07.15.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 122.5

I survived the weekend without too much harm, all things considered. And, I suspect (or at least hope) the extra pound and half is a pound and half of water. I've got a couple of bumps in the road this week - dinner with a colleague on Thursday and a team barbecue on Friday.

To be honest, if I really wanted it badly, I would be a lot more dedicated to getting the last couple of pounds off. I'm still being a little (or very) laissez faire about it all. If I look back to my original weight loss journey, I was a lot more serious and stringent.

It is what it is. I will get there eventually.


Cheers!
mouse

Yaz at The Chicago Theatre - Set List

Dear Friends and Family,

OMG! I had so much fun. It was almost as much fun as the Erasure concert in Scotland. I couldn't resist getting up and dancing. If Vince had just left the synthesizer on loop at the end, I think we would all have danced the night away.

Here's the set list:

1. Nobody's Diary
2. Bad Connection
3. Mr. Blue
4. Good Times
5. Tuesday
6. Ode to Boy
7. Goodbye Seventies
8. Too Pieces
9. In My Room
10. Anyone
11. Walk Away From Love
12. I Before E Except After C
13. Bring Your Love Down (Didn't I)
14. Sweet Thing
15. Winter Kills
16. Midnight
17. Unmarked
18. State Farm
19. Don't Go

The encore:

1. Only You
2. Situation

Cheers!
mouse

07.14.08: Overindulgent Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

Trixie came out to visit for the weekend, and I had a blast.

Friday, we had our Q2 update with our financial planner over a glass of wine on the roof. Then, Mr. mouse, Trixie and I went to Francesca's Forno for dinner before heading over to Violet Hour for cocktails. We split an appetizer of prosciutto with figs, Parmesan and olive oil. And, I had the rigatoni with sausage and peppers. Cocktails? Delicious as always, but I can't recall the name of the one I got - Secaucus Sling? I could be totally making that up.

Saturday, we slept in. And, since the threat of rain was hanging over our heads, we opted to spend the day shopping. We hit a bunch of stores all having their end of summer sales. And, I found the cutest dress. Unfortunately, it'll mean packing lunch and no coffee for the rest of the month. But, it was worth it. I think I'll be able to manage the budget.

We came home and had some time to unwind, show Trixie a couple of hands of mah jong, and enjoy some wine and crackers. We met up with Chef M to do a rosemary rescue transfer (the rosemary wasn't doing well on his deck and he suspected it was due to a lack of adequate sunshine) before heading out to dinner. We went back to Lao Shanghai for dinner and had the soupy dumplings, the braised pork belly, the short ribs in special sauce, the seafood casserole and stir fried vegetables. And, then, for dessert we had pie and cupcakes and banana pudding and flourless chocolate decadence from Sweet Mandy B's. A couple more hands of mah jong, and we were out for the night.

Sunday dawned bright and sunny with a cool breeze and no humidity - a perfect day for a walk. And, walk we did, for about seven miles before taking the train home. We hung out on the deck and I even got in a little hammock nap before we all got a little sun drunk and a little crispy and started searching for some shade. We repotted the rosemary (I have hope, there are some green spots) and started looking at dinner options. We decided on Mado - a place focusing on local, fresh, organic food. Trixie's friend from the Twin Cities joined us. I had the country pate, a coddled egg with peas, and pasta with pesto. And, then we snuck into Spring for a cocktail (Spring Sling) and dessert (chocolate mousse) before calling it a night. Actually, Mr. mouse and I called it a night. Trixie and the friend went back to Violet Hour for cocktails.

And, now it's Monday. And, while the weekend was fantastic, I have a sneaking suspicion the scale isn't going to be as happy tomorrow. I'll have to be good this week. And, since my ankle held up on Sunday, I'm okay with hitting the gym on Tuesday. Yeah!


Cheers!
mouse

PS: The New Plan

Dear Friends and Family,

It's sunny out! And, we have a plan!

We're going to hold off on pouring more money into our retirement portfolio for now. Instead, we're going to spend the same money on reducing our mortgage, which has a guaranteed return rate.

Two consecutive months of portfolio growth will be the trigger to begin investing again. There's nothing I like more than having a plan, except maybe executing against the plan. Either way. I'm better now.


Cheers!
mouse

07.11.08: Thumbs Up

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse got the thumbs up on his plumbing. Guess, we'll continue trying and assume sooner or later it should all work out.


Cheers!
mouse

Financial Plan Update

Dear Friends and Family,

When we met with our financial adviser in Q1, I had high hopes of retiring in 2013. I know that's a far way off and I'm still young. But, it wasn't really retiring, but it was the fiscal ability to go after "my true calling" and "follow my passion" and "make my mark."

But, with the stock market the way it is, I'm sure we'll hear a very different story when we meet with him today. And, it's been rough on me, the past month, watching the numbers go up and down. It's like one step forward forty steps back. I know I'm in it for the long haul, but I'm not sure if my short game doesn't need a little revising.

The whole thing has left me feeling a little bummed. Coupled with a couple of blah days at work, it makes me wonder if life doesn't need a course adjustment. Perhaps we'll get good news and find out we're still on track for 2013. Somehow, it's hard to be optimistic about this one.

Perhaps I'm just bummed I need to go in on a Friday, in the rain.


Cheers!
mouse

Zucchini and Cantaloupe Troubleshooting

Dear Friends and Family,

We harvested our first garden piece this Monday! A banana pepper appeared to be ready. It seemed like it was the right color and form factor with no noticeable changes in over a week, so we clipped it with a pair of scissors.

The tomatoes continue to do nicely. By nicely, I mean there are several green globes at various stages of size and color from light green to dark green. I need to tie the tops of the plants to the stake so they'll continue to grow straight.

But, our cantaloupe and zucchini were acting weird. The cantaloupe had flowered profusely. Then, most of the flowers had fallen off. And, the plant was mostly green with no signs of fruit. And, the zucchini continued to grow little zucchini, but instead of growing, the zucchini would shrivel, turn yellow, and atrophy.

With a little research, I learned that cantaloupe had two stages of flowering. The first, apparently, is all male flowers. Then, the second flowering is a combination of male flowers and female flowers. And, when I went up yesterday, I noticed a couple of new flowers coming in. Seemed like it was headed in the right direction.

With the zucchini, I learned that there are male flower and female flowers. And, if nothing pollinates the female flowers, the fruit begins to grow, but then turns yellows, shrivels up and dies. Bingo! Nothing really flies high enough to pollinate the zucchini. I guess it's something we'll have to add to the plant care regimen. I tried pollinating two flowers this week - we'll see if I have two zucchini fruit to show for my efforts.

The cilantro never really recovered from our weekend away. It's still got a couple of green stalks, but we bought some cilantro this weekend to supplement. The basil has grown into a bush. Guess we can continue to enjoy its bounty for the summer. And, B has a rosemary plant. It's not doing well. So, we agreed to try moving it to our roof this weekend to see if a little additional sunshine can remedy it.


Cheers!
mouse

Nagging, Unfinished Tasks Pledge

Dear Friends and Family,

I read a term yesterday which ties into a new "thing" I've been pondering for the latter half of this year. There was CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) and now there is NUTS (Nagging, Undone Tasks). Both weigh heavily on me because they're emotional and mental baggage that needs to be schlepped throughout the day. Who needs that?

I remember a time when I had cleaning service. And, I loved it. The feeling of clean was so nice. But, I also remember that while I had cleaning service, I had to "clean" the day before. I know that seems counter-productive. But, it makes total sense. Noah couldn't vacuum if I didn't pick everything up off the floor. He couldn't clean the sink and the counter tops if I didn't put everything away first. He couldn't dust the coffee table if I didn't go through all of the papers.

He came every other week. So, every other Tuesday I would have to clean to prepare. I've decided, even if we don't have cleaning service anymore, there's no reason I can't spend every other Tuesday organizing and every other Wednesday cleaning. That way, we have our weekends free to enjoy and to tackle unfinished tasks (like Mr. mouse's car this past weekend, that felt so good to have it fixed). Not sure how long this will last or how it'll go, but I'm going to give it a try. It certainly can't hurt.


Cheers!
mouse

07.08.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 121

On the surface, two weeks have passed since my last weigh in post and you might think I was disappointed in not showing a loss. But, I'm not. Since last week, I had a weigh in of 125.5! And, I needed the week to slowly work off two Punch pizzas and a mysterious amount of water weight. So, 121 is fine with me for this week's weigh in. Three pounds from goal.

This week should have been a tough week with multiple dinners out, but several of them got canceled. I've got one dinner out tomorrow night for fajitas which I can manage. Then, Trixie is over for the weekend. And, given her current eating experiment, I'm sure I won't be indulging in pizza and wings and beer. And, we'll be going for a nice long walk one day. Which means, I have a realistic chance of not blowing it this week.


Cheers!
mouse

07.07.08: Independence Day Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

Yawn. It's Monday after a long weekend.

The weekend started Thursday night with dinner at Lao Shanghai and xiao long bao (aka Shanghai "soupy" dumplings) and fireworks viewed from the South Side of Chicago.

Then, Friday, we reveled in the long weekend and slept until noon. Sigh. When we did get up, we made quesadillas for lunch and then hit Target and the supermarket for some errands. Hot dogs and tortilla chips for dinner, followed by getting whooped in Scrabble and then a bike ride out to the lake for more fireworks.

Saturday, we were busy bees. We got the car washed, picked up mail, picked up a cleaning kit for the Camelbak (and a new bike lock and a new bag), picked up my bridesmaid's dress and then... the car wouldn't start. We called AAA. And, fortunately, it just needed a jump start. But, it was a hard start. And, recognizing we don't drive the car often anymore, and when I would need the car, I would really NEED it, we decided to get the battery replaced and an oil change which added $172 of unplanned expenses to our weekend. It could have been much worse, so I'm not complaining.

We dropped off the car and caught the bus to lunch. Then, Mr. mouse took the train home while I went back to pick up the car. Picked up some library books on the way home, helped Mr. mouse change out his ignition cylinder, and made some pesto for dinner. Our basil plant is doing fabulous. And, the evening was spent organizing the house and doing some late Saturday night sheet shopping.

Sunday, we got up early to spend some more time on the house and to meet up with Frenchie for brunch. Her parents were in town last weekend (from France) while we were in the Twin Cities, but, fortunately, her work brought her here this weekend. We had brunch together before dropping her off at her hotel for a nap and a swim. We went sheet shopping again. And, then came back to the house to watch the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the next stop on the F1 circuit. It was a rainy race with really sub-optimal camera coverage. But, it was on network television, so who's complaining?

Dinner was with Frenchie on the deck - bulgur with chicken, roast chicken, and roast vegetables (zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus and kohlrabi). The kohlrabi was the mystery vegetable from the box, and I have to say I liked it. It's like the stalk of the broccoli plant which is my favorite part of the plant. We took Frenchie for cocktails after dinner before dropping her off at the hotel and turning in for the night.

And, now, it's Monday and my week looks hectic. Sigh.


Cheers!
mouse

07.06.08: Thumbs Up on the HSG

Dear Friends and Family,

I went in Thursday afternoon for my HSG. And, it went swimmingly. Looks like the tubes are good and clean and clear. Four down, one to go (semen analysis results, for anyone trying to keep track of all this craziness.)


Cheers!
mouse

Cute Shoes!

Dear Friends and Family,

You must all be wondering who that comment applies to because 99 out of 100 times, it ain't me. I buy shoes for comfort and I wear them until they die.

I bought a pair of blue clogs in Minnesota in April. And, I've gotten lots of compliments on them at work. I assumed it's because I always wear boring black so my colleagues were simply trying to encourage more shoe variance.

But, last night, on our way back from the fireworks on the south side, a person stopped me and asked me where I bought them. She thought they were cute. That totally made my evening!


Cheers!
mouse

Escarole Bean Soup

Dear Friends and Family,

I love this soup. I'm so glad we tried it.

2 tbs olive oil (30 grams)
2 garlic cloves
1 pound escarole chopped
salt
4 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)
1 15 oz can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
black pepper
2 tbs olive oil (30 grams) (optional)
Italian sausage (optional)

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Sauté garlic 15 seconds.
2. Add escarole and salt. Sauté 2 minutes.
3. Add stock and beans. Cover. Simmer 5 minutes.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Garnish with drizzle of olive oil or sprinkle of sausage (optional).

Serves 4. (3 Weight Watchers points)

Obviously, the chicken stock and sausage aren't vegetarian. It all depends upon how you make it.

Key words: Italian, core, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, anti-inflammatory, protein


Cheers!
mouse

Rhubarb Crisp

Dear Friends and Family,

Normally, I don't care for rhubarb. It's too tart in most recipes. But, it's true. If you add enough butter and sugar, it all tastes good.

1 pound fresh rhubarb, cut into 3/4-inch pieces, about 4 cups
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup old-fashion rolled oats
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted but not hot

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Combine rhubarb, sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and cinnamon.
3. Transfer to individual baking dishes. I like sixteen.
4. Combine flour, brown sugar, oats, butter. Mix well.
5. Sprinkle over rhubarb mixture.
6. Bake until golden brown. About 20-30 minutes.

Serves 16. (4 Weight Watchers points)

You can garnish with ice cream. I liked it plain.

Key words: vegetarian, dessert


Cheers!
mouse

07.03.08: More Tests

Dear Friends and Family,

I've got my hysterosalpingogram (HSG) this afternoon. To be honest, I'm finding it pretty stressful to have to do all of this. Who has the time? Mr. mouse has it easy, he's in an office and works downtown. That means phone calls are easy. And, ducking out during lunch is easy. Me? I'm in a cubicle which means having to grab a meeting room to make the call. Then, I'm rushing around to get downtown for the appointment - working from home, blocking out time. Not fun. Not easy.

It only reinforces what I already know. Baby will mean bigger sacrifices on my time and my career and my life. I'm the one who has to make sure I get my vitamins in daily. And, I'm the one who can only drink wine half the month now. And, I'm the one who might have to put my weight loss efforts on the shelf at the drop of a hat.

I'm not having fun with this anymore. Frankly, I'd be surprised if this all lasts beyond 2008. I'm okay with just the two of us. I really am. I'm not enjoying the stress right now.


Cheers!
mouse

CSA Box Contents

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Wednesday which means we get to pick up another box. We've made good progress on the last box. The mint, radishes, and pea tendrils are left from it. We'll use the radishes and pea tendrils in the salad this week (forgot to add them the last time) and the mint is becoming mint ice cream.

According to the newsletter, we can expect:

• lettuce
• radishes or turnips
• strawberries
• kale or collards
• garlic scapes
• sugar peas or snap peas
• frisee or arugula
• zucchini
• grape leaves
• cucumbers
• kohlrabi

And, we get an egg share (a dozen eggs).

My plan of attack (in order of preference):

Mint, must make ice cream this week. Strawberries, five ounces a day until they're consumed. Garlic scapes and zucchini, grilled with a little olive oil. Kale or collards, hardy green and bean soup. We made it with the escarole last night and it was delicious. Salad with the lettuce, radishes (both this week's and last week's), pea tendrils, cucumbers and arugula or frisee. Sugar peas or snap peas, I'll munch on one or stir fry the other. Grape leaves, stuff them with rice and make dolmades from them. And, last but not least, kohlrabi, not a clue on what to do with that one.

And the garden, have one banana pepper growing, several zucchini and several tomatoes. Tons of blossoms on the cantaloupe, but no signs of fruit yet. And that covers the food update for the next couple of weeks.


Cheers!
mouse

07.01.08: Baby Costs

Dear Friends and Family,

I learned an important lesson last night. Don't ask your spouse important questions when they're fresh home from happy hour and you've spent the last half hour fixing a curtain rod plaster piece with bad glue cause the answer you get may blow you away.

mouse: How much are you willing to spend on having Baby?
Mr. mouse: $25,000?

mouse: Remind me not to ask you important questions when you've been drinking and I've been sniffing glue.
Mr. mouse: okay


Cheers!
mouse

07.01.08: Twin Cities Time

Dear Friends and Family,

And, just like that, we're into the latter half of 2008.

We spent the weekend in the Twin Cities - attending a baby shower, seeing friends, watching golf, playing Guitar Hero, eating peanut brittle, buying Nordicware and walking the streets of Stillwater. We flew out Friday night and stayed until Monday morning. It was nice, not to be rushed Saturday morning or Sunday night (even if it means I'm a day behind on posts now), but it was rough schlepping to the airport for a crack of dawn flight. I learned

• Punch still puts crack in their crust
• Guitar Hero is fun, at the easy level
• G and her husband play Scrabble
• G's husband plays the ukulele
• Breyers has REALLY shrunk their carton size
• Stillwater is the birthplace of Minnesota

And, now it's Tuesday.


Cheers!
mouse