Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things. At the end, you choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. I drive a mini-van for which I traded my beautiful Dodge Ram Quad Cab 4x4 a few years ago. Lucky I did; I couldn't afford gas for the truck now.
2. I am a dog person with no dog.
3. My run ins with famous people have been few and far between. I met David Hyde Pierce ('Niles') after seeing 'Curtains' on Broadway, NY in July of 2007. And I met Kathy Mattea after working on a project related to her newish 'Coal' album this past November.
4. A tornado hit Brooklyn when I was last in NY and all the public transportation was totally messed up for the day.
5. A tornado hit Frostburg in 1998. My roomate called me from work to tell me to get in the basement. I informed him that we lived in the basement, but thanks.
6. I got snowed in at the Denver airport last time I was through. 12 hour delay. I learned how to use my new digital camera that day. And I rode the underground tram a bunch of times just for the heck of it.
7. I really like marshmellow Peeps best when they are stale.
8. A lady butted in front of me in line the other day at the store - totally clueless that us other line people were there - and then bought a 'SELF' magazine. Go figure.
9. "Follow the Germans" has been a motto of mine for about 10 years now. You'd have to have been there to get how funny this really is.
10. My three year old said, "I want to piss Dida off" the other day, and I had to think, did he get this from me?
11. I believe that there is no better pancake/waffle mix in the entire world beyond Dancing Deer Pumpkin Spice mix.
12. I was trained as a Community Emergency Response Team member, but have never been called.
14. I decided to leave 13 off, just like a hotel.
15. I finally saved up enough money for a new piano, and then I found out I was pregnant with Geo. Oh well.
16. I've probably drawn over 1,000 published maps at this point. I'm a cartographer, by the way.
17. I taught college Freshman Math for a while at the University. I mean, who saw that coming?!?
18. This is getting hard.
19. I married my husband on Valentine's Day, 2001. We ran off from work and got hitched at the courthouse. My friend Lt. Larry drove us there in his sqad, and even pulled over a mini-van that was in our way.
20. I read entirely too much, to a dangerous level, I am sure. Go check out my "Books" tab and you will see what I mean. The funny thing is, I only have recoreded maybe half of the books I've read yet.
21. Well, I didn't expect some kind of a Spanish Inquisition!
22. I once went drinking with a group of Olympic Gold medalists (gymnastics), and people at the bar kept asking me for my autograph thinking I was famous. Were you there, Jug? I can't remember.
23. Speaking of Jug, Jug once saved my life (I'm sure of it) by breaking my fall when I fell from a telephone pole.
24. He also took me out on his motorcycle one afternoon to see the bison. But he never slowed down as he pointed to a brownish blur and yelled, "Bison!". The odometer only went to 85 m.p.h., so I couldn't tell you how fast we were going.
25. Did I mention that I am pregnant with my second child? I am due in late August. I should probably make some kind of more formal announcement. Now aren't you glad you've read through this silly list?

 

I tag all of you....

So I was in Atlantic City this weekend for a conference, bum bum and all, and he's my stupid, yet telling story for all of you....

I was in the conference hotel gift shop buying some gum and mints for the drive home, waiting in line, when this young, blond woman walks right up to the counter in front of me and puts her things down to buy. I'm tired, and perhaps a little slow this weekend, so I let it go, figuring there is some karma for her floating just around the corner.

Punch line: When she is through being rung up, the linebreaker asks the woman behind the counter to get her a copy of "SELF" magazine! No joke.

The only thing that would have been better is if the magazine was called: "ME!!!!!!!!!!".

Anyway, thought I'd share.

So I slipped and fell all the way down my icy front steps on Monday. That sucked. I messed up my tailbone pretty well, and now I can't sit without being in pain. Lovely, eh? I am feeling better today than I did yesterday, and the doctor says there really isn't a lot to be done about it. Just one of those things, I guess.

Here's the good part:

1. I didn't fall on my head.

2. Um....

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 fennel bulbs, sliced
12-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 1/4 cups cream [NOTE: I use low-fat milk; not as delicious as cream]
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
13 oz. risoni (rice-shaped pasta) [I use alphabet pasta, too, for the younger taste; any smaller pasta will do]
2 cups shredded spinach

Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the fennel, and cook for 20 minutes or until carmelized. Add the artichoke hearts and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Stir in the cream, mustard, white wine, and grated Parmesan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the risoni in a large saucepan of boiling water until al dente, then drain well.

Add the risoni and spinach to the sauce and cook until the spinach has wilted. This is delicious served with toasted Italian bread.

Serves 4.

From, 'Veggie Food: From Veggies on the Side to the Main Event' by Kay Scarlett, 2004

4 tablespoons butter
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon very finely chopped lemon zest
14 oz. green asparagus, trimmed
1 1/2 tablespoons virgin olive oil

Melt the butter in a heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Add the bread crumbs, and using a wooden spoon, stir until the crumbs are golden and crisp. Remove to a plate to cool slightly.

Combine the parsley, garlic, and lemon zest in a bowl, add the bread crumbs, and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add the asparagus, and cook for 2 - 3 minutes or until just ender when pierced with a fine skewer. Drain well and arrange on a warmed serving plate. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle the gremolata over the top. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

 

From 'Veggie Food: From Veggies on the Side to the Main Event by Kay Scarlett, 2004

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 package (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3 1/2 cups)
2 medium Granny Smith apples, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (2 cups)
1 medium onion, chopped  (NOTE: I leave the onion out)
1/2 cup golden raisins  (NOTE: I use currants)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar  (NOTE: I also use pear vinegar if I have it)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped (optional)

1. Combine granulated sugar and water in heavy 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil gentley 3 minutes. Add cranberries, apples, onion, raisins, brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes or until mixture is very thick, stirring occasionally. Cool; stir in walnuts/pecans. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 weeks before serving.

Makes about 3 1/2 cups without walnuts/pecans or 4 cups with walnuts/pecans.

from, "Old-Fasioned Holidays" by LW Press, 2005

I was reminded recentley that I was on a local TV show called "WOW" with Captain 20 (airing on WDCA in Washington DC) when I was about 6 years old. I looked on YouTube for the episode and only found one episode from the whole show there. I thought EVERYTHING was on YouTube! Oh well. I hope my folks have a copy somewhere.

Does anyone remember this show?

The day of the taping, we drove to Bethesda to the studio and grabbed some lunch across the street at the Roy Rogers. I remember going in and seeing Captain 20 eating his lunch there. I thought it was fantastic that I was eating lunch in the same room as Fame.

Hah.

Yeah. I'm there.

So, how many of you think that 2009 will solve some of our economic woes, or at least allow us all lower food prices?

Know what I figured out just a moment ago as yet another friend has told me that she is pregnant? I have 7 friends who are pregnant right now. Crazy!

And we are in the 'Week of No Pre-School'. So far so good. The new train set seems to keep Geo occupied appropriately throughout the day, although he is not so addicted to it that we can't do anything else. I was able to pull him away to go [much needed!] grocery shopping this morning, for example. He has some new puzzles that he has been putting together, too. He's a whiz at puzzles.

Tomorrow I think we will head to the mall to check out the possibilities with our new gift cards: Sears, JC Penney, Christpher and Banks (and Blockbuster and Sheetz, but they aren't at the mall). Pretty cool.

Probably no more outdoor bicycle riding, though. Doesn't it suck to receive a new bicycle and then have crappy cold weather and not be able to ride it? Actually, all that happens so far is that I push Geo and remind him not to pedal backwards because that makes the bike stop. He has started to pedal forward on his own a little, but then he forgets to steer. I think he'll get this down as soon as we can spend some time practising. The training wheels will stay on for quite a while, I assume.

And I'd like to figure out my new Roomba. Yes, I got one! It's red, too. Very nice!

We are free and clear with our holiday visitation requirements. It's nice to be at home. My folks are coming up this weekend, however, because:

The Boy Turns Three On Saturday!

Can you believe this?

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Wait, I miscounted, forgetting about 2 of my far-away friends who are pregnant. That's NINE mama friends out there!