The Sandwich Life

Apologies to My Mother, February, and Eric Brace, Peter Cooper and Thomm Jutz

Oh Lord life is so unexpected. I never expected to get emails and calls from teachers and Deans. I guess I'm naive. I was such a GOOD girl. Well, in my own way I suppose. All I can think of is how much I should apologize to my mother for the other ways that a teenage Cynthia tormented her. I AM SO SORRY MOM! SORRY, SORRY, SORRY.... I am REALLY, REALLY, REALLY sorry.

In other news? Well February continues. A deeply loved friend is in the thick of it with fucking cancer and my heart breaks for him and his family. Ernie saw his oncologist the other day. Oh, and I LOVE OUR CARLE ONCOLOGIST! I do not just complain about Carle....we dearly love and trust and respect our oncologist. Ernie's psa was up a hair which freaked me out, but the oncologist talked me down. He's good at that. He also made me feel completely vindicated with his reaction to my PA story and his comments about the PA. YES! In the scheme of things it is fine. February is just a rotten month. A fucking rotten month.

In other news:

Owen made a pick out of his High School ID. Yep, that pretty much sums it all up. It also struck me how much older he looks now.

I always find it rather sad when Annie retreats to her pillow and faces the wall. And yet, in some way, I'm totally with her. Yup, I'm with you Annie.

On a MUCH brighter note, Eric Brace, Peter Cooper and Thomm Jutz await. Friday, March 3, 2017. Potluck at 6, music to follow. These guys are the kings of house concerts. They will do my heart much, much good. Mark your calendar, tell your friends. If you've never been to a house concert this is a great one to start with!

 

 

 

Melancholia

I think I'm writing this post just so I can use the word melancholia. I like it. And I DO think, as I just said to my friends, that we are all in some kind of Trump induced melancholia. I started a discussion about kosher salt on Facebook yesterday and it was the highlight of my day....and it got some 50+ comments so I can't help but think that everyone is looking for something else to focus on too.

We shall all soldier on, that I know. I need to write a bunch of postcards this weekend...I'm better at that then phone calls.

No other news to report except that Owen came home from school and said, "One of my teachers sounds like George Clinton." Then he thought a moment and said, "No, wait, Bill Clinton." 

The mind reels. Math class would never be the same.

Leo and I sat together last night and went over his classes for next year. His SENIOR year. He's a stubborn little creature but damn I like him a lot. I also had a hour long text back and forth with Owen yesterday...all questions about college and tuition. I think my anti-college guy has realized that college is a way to get out of town. Ha! No shit baby. Oh, my sweet peas.

 

 

 

Random Notes from the Sandwich Life

1. Last night I got home tired, with just an hour before I had to go back out for a work dinner. Owen knew I'd been anxious about the whole project but he chose to not ask me how my day was but instead criticize my use of hashtags. These are the times you look at your teenager and think, "What the hell is wrong with you?" He managed to redeem himself, as he always does, because even if I think his teenage brain is sometimes incomprehensible....I adore that child. Damn good thing.

2. Later I got home from dinner and talked to Ernie for awhile. I sent him to bed because he was drooping and then Leo came down and curled up and sat and talked to me. He gave me a rundown of the ridiculousness of some of his class assignments. I sighed and told him in my next life I was going to homeschool him. He rolled his eyes and I protested, "We would have so much fun, think of all the train museums we could visit!" He countered with the comment that it would take a lot of money but I told him, "Remember? It's my next life, I'll have lots of money." Than I added, "But of course I also said I wanted to be a hydrangea in my next life, so don't count on anything." He smirked. 

3. Congratulations Clemson! I don't care about football but I have a soft spot for Clemson. Look, a sports reference in my blog!

4. Fascinating to watch the tatami craftsmen working at Japan House this week. There will a open house/presentation at 5:30 Wednesday night. I highly recommend it. Their story, and efforts to save and revitalize the tatami industry in Japan is really fascinating.

5. The ornaments are put away, the lights are half falling off, and yet still they stand...as do I.

 

Thanksgiving 2016

It was a true Thanksgiving. I am so very thankful for my family and my family of friends. Our kitchen is still a mess this morning but I feel such glow of happiness that I don't care at all. I also don't care because Ernie is the king of dishwashers. Heh.

Wednesday we prepped and made meat pie. I'm happy to see that I have taken a step forward in the pie crust department....not perfect....but pretty damn good this year. The filling turned out perfectly and yes, it smelled like the holidays. Here's a piece with some strangely runny cranberry sauce.

On Thanksgiving we got up and I was sitting poking at the laptop Ernie arrived with Morning Madeira, a tradition of my father's, in two of my Dad's early wineglasses. It was perfect.

We cooked and started to set the table...the kitchen kept looking like this, but Ernie kept doing dishes....

Sue arrived and promptly started working....first she ironed the napkins with Owen (YES, we had ironed napkins)....

then she started cooking and burned herself...I guess it's a Thanksgiving tradition as it's the second year she's done this at our house. Sorry Sue!

Oh, and then she gave us the tree topper that her mother had gotten for her once...it still has its price tag dangling which no doubt Owen will insist on keeping. I love my boys so much....and Sue!

I didn't get a picture of the phenomenal spread that Teri and Brian brought for appetizers but it was a thing of beauty. Heather arrived with a delivery of her potato rolls before going back to finish at her house. But later, she and Steve arrived for dessert. So we talked and drank and ate and laughed and it was all pretty much just what Thanksgiving is supposed to be. The Black Dog turkey was great but mine wasn't bad either...I loved my stuffing and well, I loved it all. Ernie played the hell out of Slim Gaillard and it was pretty damned good. Oh, and then there were Boo's pies.....crazy good.....

To my friends, both those that were there and those that couldn't be....I love you. To my sister Debbie....I missed you and I love you. And to my three boys....I love all of you with all my heart....phone calls from the Dean of Students notwithstanding....you all are my heart.

Happy Thanksgiving...and now let the Gilmore Girls commence!

For What You Will

Yesterday was one of those days in which the whole day feels like getting to the end of a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle and realizing you only have 997 of the pieces. All day. Ernie's osteonecrosis of the jaw is acting up again and he was in terrible pain. Fucking cancer. He saw the periodontist who decided this was beyond him and referred him to an oral surgeon at Carle. At least hopefully that means insurance will cover it. I don't know. Then I got into an argument with teen 1 over whether the PSAT and the SAT and a practice SAT are any different. I found myself yelling, "YOU KNOW, I ACTUALLY KNOW SOME THINGS...THERE ARE SOME THINGS I KNOW THAT YOU DON'T, OK?" That worked well of course. Then teen 2 was wounded that we were having chicken for dinner. I don't know what that was about. Ernie's pain got worse and I got a headache.

Yep. That was the day.

This morning, I can't get Ian Hunter's 'Is There Life After Death' out of my mind. Take that for what you will.

 

No News Is Good News

I have nothing of import to share, but share I will anyway.

1. I told the boys I'd set up parent teacher conferences for both of them. Owen groaned and said, "Why are you DOING that?" Leo raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh, is that still a thing?"

Yes Leo, it is still a thing.

He rolled his eyes and shrugged. 

Owen sighed when I told him some of the names of the teachers, but brightened when I mentioned the last one. "Oh, yeah...I'm doing GREAT in that class." "I know, that's why I chose it...a little treat for us," I replied. He smirked.

2. Last night I made a dinner I thought was sort of lousy. Ernie told me not to worry, that Owen seemed to not like what I was making of late, so perhaps he'd this...and sure enough, he was right. Eh, silver linings I guess.

3. After swearing off ever reserving a hotel room that you can't cancel (because we've eaten the cost of them too many times) I let my friend Nancy weaken me into using Priceline's express thingy in which you don't know the name of the hotel until after you book it. I found one that looked good, checked with Ernie, and then went back and booked it. Except after I got the confirmation I realized I had booked the wrong one. GRRRR. I'd had several tabs open and went to get my credit card info and came back and promptly typed it into the wrong tab. Oh well, it will still work AND is actually a bit cheaper but DAMN I should have listened to that little bit of me that was hesitant. Well, that or focus on what I was doing of course.

4. My friend Cheryl brought me a jar of her homemade chili sauce. I was tempted to use it yesterday but the idea of having it there, just waiting for me, for the right moment...was too tempting. So I wait.

5. The official 17th birthday picture of my sweet pea. I think it's time for a new Union Pacific shirt, huh?

4. A busy week coming up....Wednesday Ernie and I head off to see our beloved Ian Hunter at City Winery and then on Saturday Ernie and Leo will head to Elkhart, Indiana to visit the New York Central Museum. Any recommendations for other things to do while they're in the are are welcome!

5. We watched the Vice Presidential debate last night. I like Kaine well enough but do wish he hadn't interrupted so much. It's sort of a thankless task for both men. And I know I'm not the first to say it, but honest to God, they need a kindergarten teacher to moderate these debates.

And with that you have it. My No-News-Is-Good-News couple of days....

 

 

 

 

 

A Couple of Random Notes After a Long Monday

1. In the unexpected texts department:

"Uh, sorry if you got a call from the school. I kinda, accidentally skipped a class."

"Not a real class though, just advisory."

Later on, without comment, I played the automated message I received saying that my child had been marked absent and that if that continued they might receive social probation. I looked around and asked what social probation was. Leo snorted and Owen said, "it's when you can't go to football games or dances." With that the whole family laughed hysterically, which slightly weakened  our parental authoritative stance. 

It is moments like this that I miss my sister Judi so much. Oh good LORD she would have been amused. Judi always had a bit of the rebel about her...she would have been proud.

2. I can't believe my sweet baby turned seventeen freaking years old on Saturday. Truly shocking but he as sweet a pea as you could possibly imagine. His brother played Happy Birthday for him before moving on to Tom Petty and the Clash. I love those boys. Next week Ernie and Leo will take off for an overnight trip to the New York Central Museum in Indiana. Who knows what Owen and I will get up to.....

 

My Not-Terribly-Bad-Not-Terribly-Good Week

I spent much of the last week on the couch feeling wretched. I went back to work on Thursday and lasted over half the day before coming home in a haze of exhaustion. I came in the door and immediately went and laid on the couch. I had that feeling you get when you're really exhausted....that you can't move a muscle.....you feel the weight of your body and the stillness. My dress was twisted a bit but I couldn't move to adjust it. I laid there for an hour or so before I could even do that. Yesterday was much better and today I think I feel back to whatever percent is my optimum. I've still been a bit of a homebody but am starting to get itchy. All the pictures of AMA in Nashville and Nick Rudd and Robyn Hitchcock...good LORD....have me feeling wistful and that I need to get out of the house. I told myself we'd go to the Farmers' Market but here we sit, me on the computer, both boys asleep upstairs, and Ernie watching something political and acerbic on tv. I'm not sure what the day holds for any of us.

Owen has a project due for drama next week. He had to pick a star from the 20s-30s-40s. He picked Harold Lloyd. His teacher just looked at him and said, "In all my years of teaching, no one has ever picked Harold Lloyd." His assignment includes decorating a tissue box to illustrate the life of his star and making it attractive. I had high hopes for Owen and Drama. Sigh. I love that child. It's a damn good thing.

In other news, although outside it has been 90 degrees every day, I am pretending it is fall by staying inside and making things like braised short ribs and chicken cacciatore. I've decided short ribs aren't my favorite thing...or at least I have not mastered them. Even trying my best to defat them as much as possible, they end up feeling too, well, fatty for me. I will figure it out one of these days. I did make nice homemade beef stock though!

Oh, and remember that we stripped the wallpaper that the cats had damaged (and was ancient as well) from the living room wall? It involved moving a cupboard full of glass which, although a pain in the ass, always makes me happy as I get to see all my glass.

Patterns along the top shelf....all 1850/60s: Comet, Bull's Eye with Fleur De Lys, Bull's Eye and Diamond Point, New England Pineapple, Bellflower, Frosted Leaf and a blown and cut one at the end. Ahhhh.

And then there's Bob. He loves those little pompom things. We found his stash when we moved the cupboard. Later he had one stuck to his little butt and he looked like a little bunny rabbit with a blue tail.

Anyway....so the other morning I came downstairs, and even in my sickness, my eyes went straight to the bared drywall (our house has plaster walls but when they filled in the porch one of the living room walls that had been windows is now drywall) where some nameless beast had found a new canvas....

Sigh.

So there you have it, my not-terribly-bad-not-terribly-good week.

Random Notes from the Sandwich Life

I think I'm finally starting to recover from last weekend. Sleeping with the windows open last night helped..I almost got cold at one point. It was heavenly. We got home last night and I was so tired that I desperately wanted to order something but I couldn't think of anything I could get delivered that would be relatively healthy. We had a meal from Home Chef though. I was too tired to follow the directions so I did it my way...just sauteeing the chicken breasts on top of the stove and chunking up all the vegetables and tossing them in a pan with a bit of olive oil. It ended up being stupidly delicious. I somehow managed to order meals from two different services this week. Oops. I still think Blue Apron is the best, and most suited to our tastes, but I'm trying to eat less carbs and their meals are just too carb heavy for me in general. Sun Basket looked promising but I wasn't terribly impressed with the two meals we tried. The two Home Chef meals we had this week were pretty great. We shall see.

No other news really. Ernie and I are hoping to dip down to St. Louis to see an exhibition before it closes AND I'm hoping to take tomorrow morning off work if I can get enough done today. I don't work Friday afternoons so that would give me a four day weekend!

Other random note: Leo is supposed to be bused from Central to Centennial each morning for German. I believe the bus has shown up something like 5 out of the 10 days of school, so he's missed half the lessons. Ugh. 

Random pictures:

I'm not a big radish fan, but roasted? Not bad...

Last night's dinner, sauteed chicken breasts with balsamic glaze, squash, onions, peppers and tomatoes....

Sweet Autumn Clematis....I love it...

Random Pictures from the Sandwich Life

All I've got time for is a few pictures.

Owen seems ambivalent about High School.

Simple summer dinner. Pork, peaches, sugar snap peas, spinach and tomatillo guacamole.

Summer.

Friends. Happy Anniversary to our beloved Mark and Amy!