We're just coming back to our hotel after the big combined family wedding. Joe's mom remarried and _everyone_ was there. So, on the way back to the hotel, Alessandra asks "why am i so tired? we didn't do anything all day?" A whole day of socializing with the extended family and crowds of people from their church and social groups. Lots of stimulation and meals out (two receptions). Swimming at the hotel pool for all the cousins (kids, not adults). Now it's 9pm (1900 ABQ time!) and the kids are slumped on the bed, having only energy to watch bad TV. Not energetic enough for the game night at Aunt Suzi's that we'd originally planned to do.
I think that it's just a variation on the "green theme" that we'd been speaking of earlier.
Ohio is seriously green. Everything here is humid and lush and green and/or flowering. It's too much stimulation. NM is "green" too...it's just a different green. It's sage green....almost grey to the uninitiated eye. A more soothing, calming, simple terrain. Quieter and more relaxed. Ohio green is too much stimulation. And i think that the day of socializing with the extended family...the noise...the heated conversations....the mulit-course meals....it's all just too stimulating for us calm, secluded, isolated ABQ denizens. Like spending the day outside camping and hiking...at the end of the day, it hits you and you're drained.
So, rather than a night of drinking and screaming (have you played Pit any other way?!) and gaming, we'll be watching CashCab or Ghostbusters or the like, lying on fold out beds (kids) or spooned on the overly-soft Queen bed (bigger kids). And off to CrackerBarrel in the am (_NOT_my choice...) for brunch with "the whole famn damily" before hopping on a plane to pop on home. A whirlwind Midwest tour.
HOpe that they can sleep on the plane as we land at 9pm. Then it's back to work/school/real-life in the morning.
No rest for the weary (wicked?)!! :-S At least it will be (sage) green.....
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Skinflint? Big Spender? Both?
How do you waste money?
We all do.
It seems easy to recognize in others what is difficult to see in onself. I can only speak for myself, of course, but it's easy to see how others waste money that they should/could be spending more practically.
For example, do your kids really need to go to private school? Does a private high school education really result in future success? Is it enough to just pay tuition and trust that this will "give them the leg-up on the competition for college"? What if that means that you're working extra to pay for the tuition? And thus not home to help/supervise/encourage the homework? And not there for the "family dinners" that are shown to decrease teen drug/alcohol use and increase test scores? And the fact that private schools notoriously have _worse_ drug use with increased availability (and decreased exposure in the media)? Is it still a good use of your $$?
Or the "organic" food movement. Does anyone really need organic Twinkies? What about free-range eggs in a cake? Do you feel "healthier" or "better for the environment"? Even if it means driving across town (air quality! gas use!) and paying more $$ and increased packaging? Wouldn't you be better served whipping up a set of Rice Krispie treats with a mixture of all the leftover dregs of cereals and the marshmallows leftover from the winter stock of hot cocoa? And you're doing an activity with those kiddos. Just a thought...
That's not to say that i'm above reproach. Do we really need to take vacations with and without the kids just about every year? The kids have seen a play on Broadway and another one here in town with mucho expensive tickets. Was that absolutely necessary? No. Was it a lot of fun and something that they remember and talk about often? Yes.
So, where do you draw the line? What "splurges" do you deem "necessities" and what is excessive? Not sure. I just know that some of the expenses that others complain about having to pay for with extra hours at work and over-drawing their credit cards seem unnecessary to me. Let me know what you think? Groovy.
We all do.
It seems easy to recognize in others what is difficult to see in onself. I can only speak for myself, of course, but it's easy to see how others waste money that they should/could be spending more practically.
For example, do your kids really need to go to private school? Does a private high school education really result in future success? Is it enough to just pay tuition and trust that this will "give them the leg-up on the competition for college"? What if that means that you're working extra to pay for the tuition? And thus not home to help/supervise/encourage the homework? And not there for the "family dinners" that are shown to decrease teen drug/alcohol use and increase test scores? And the fact that private schools notoriously have _worse_ drug use with increased availability (and decreased exposure in the media)? Is it still a good use of your $$?
Or the "organic" food movement. Does anyone really need organic Twinkies? What about free-range eggs in a cake? Do you feel "healthier" or "better for the environment"? Even if it means driving across town (air quality! gas use!) and paying more $$ and increased packaging? Wouldn't you be better served whipping up a set of Rice Krispie treats with a mixture of all the leftover dregs of cereals and the marshmallows leftover from the winter stock of hot cocoa? And you're doing an activity with those kiddos. Just a thought...
That's not to say that i'm above reproach. Do we really need to take vacations with and without the kids just about every year? The kids have seen a play on Broadway and another one here in town with mucho expensive tickets. Was that absolutely necessary? No. Was it a lot of fun and something that they remember and talk about often? Yes.
So, where do you draw the line? What "splurges" do you deem "necessities" and what is excessive? Not sure. I just know that some of the expenses that others complain about having to pay for with extra hours at work and over-drawing their credit cards seem unnecessary to me. Let me know what you think? Groovy.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
MOJITOS FOR A CROWD
mojitos for a crowd
1C sugar
4oz fresh mint (this is about 1/2 of a large ziploc bag....lots!)
1 1/2C lime juice
place in pitcher, muddle (crush witih wooden spoon if you don't have a muddler), add 3C rum (don't skimp)
place pitcher in refrigerator for 30+ minutes (can prepare early in day and just leave in refrigerator until guests arrive)
to serve: fill glasses with ice, add ~1/3-1/2 C rum/sugar mixture, fill rest of glass with sparkling (bubbly) water
drink and get silly! like "adult limeade" :o)
1C sugar
4oz fresh mint (this is about 1/2 of a large ziploc bag....lots!)
1 1/2C lime juice
place in pitcher, muddle (crush witih wooden spoon if you don't have a muddler), add 3C rum (don't skimp)
place pitcher in refrigerator for 30+ minutes (can prepare early in day and just leave in refrigerator until guests arrive)
to serve: fill glasses with ice, add ~1/3-1/2 C rum/sugar mixture, fill rest of glass with sparkling (bubbly) water
drink and get silly! like "adult limeade" :o)
ten things
I went to a wedding, years ago, of a mutual friend of ours. In the ceremony, the minister was talking about a couple in their congregation. The couple was celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary and the minister had asked the wife if she had any advice for the newlyweds. She, of course, did.
She told him that when she and her husband were engaged, they were told by their minister to make a list of ten things. Ten things that each would tolerated in the other without complaining, without trying to change. Ten things that each would "let slide". Well, the woman didn't make the list. She was busy. She thought it was silly. She meant to but didn't get around to it. Whatever. She told the minister that, like many things in life, it all worked out. She said that throughout their fifty year marriage, whenever he did some little thing that got on her nerves, she would just think "that must be one of those ten things" and let it slide. There were apparently very few "big things" in a marriage that were distressing, lots of little passing habits and irks that didn't merit the effort to try to change or complain about.
I really liked this story and decided then and there to do the same. Joe and i really don't squabble. We figure that so few things are that important to either of us that if there is something that is of burning importance to the one, we just let that person decide. What color to paint the hall bathroom? Which hotel to book for the upcoming vacation? Which film to watch on Saturday night? Whoever seems to care more gets to decide.
There are, however, habits of Joe's that bug me. And i let them slide, all the while thinking that it's just not worth troubling the water to mention them. That's not the issue. He has often mentioned things that i do that he doesn't like-- leaving apple cores in the sink until i do dishes and rinse it all down the disposal, leaving cabinet doors open longer than necessary, not zeroing out the microwave. My question is.... how many things do i do that make him crazy that he doesn't mention? I know that i used to wear a yellow flowered sweatshirt a lot. It was from high school and had lots of good memories. When i donated it, he told me that he's always disliked it. For years. What else that i do or wear or am has he disliked for years and never mentioned? Yikes.
I try to redress the "bugs" that he points out but i never get it right. I'm good for three weeks then leave the oatmeal out (not sure if i need to add more...) and he puts it away for me. Then i take it out again and he just sighs....
Am i just a slob? Or have we become one of those crazy old couples? I take it out, he puts it away. I open the cabinets, he closes the doors. i guess that it's good that we're so well matched!
She told him that when she and her husband were engaged, they were told by their minister to make a list of ten things. Ten things that each would tolerated in the other without complaining, without trying to change. Ten things that each would "let slide". Well, the woman didn't make the list. She was busy. She thought it was silly. She meant to but didn't get around to it. Whatever. She told the minister that, like many things in life, it all worked out. She said that throughout their fifty year marriage, whenever he did some little thing that got on her nerves, she would just think "that must be one of those ten things" and let it slide. There were apparently very few "big things" in a marriage that were distressing, lots of little passing habits and irks that didn't merit the effort to try to change or complain about.
I really liked this story and decided then and there to do the same. Joe and i really don't squabble. We figure that so few things are that important to either of us that if there is something that is of burning importance to the one, we just let that person decide. What color to paint the hall bathroom? Which hotel to book for the upcoming vacation? Which film to watch on Saturday night? Whoever seems to care more gets to decide.
There are, however, habits of Joe's that bug me. And i let them slide, all the while thinking that it's just not worth troubling the water to mention them. That's not the issue. He has often mentioned things that i do that he doesn't like-- leaving apple cores in the sink until i do dishes and rinse it all down the disposal, leaving cabinet doors open longer than necessary, not zeroing out the microwave. My question is.... how many things do i do that make him crazy that he doesn't mention? I know that i used to wear a yellow flowered sweatshirt a lot. It was from high school and had lots of good memories. When i donated it, he told me that he's always disliked it. For years. What else that i do or wear or am has he disliked for years and never mentioned? Yikes.
I try to redress the "bugs" that he points out but i never get it right. I'm good for three weeks then leave the oatmeal out (not sure if i need to add more...) and he puts it away for me. Then i take it out again and he just sighs....
Am i just a slob? Or have we become one of those crazy old couples? I take it out, he puts it away. I open the cabinets, he closes the doors. i guess that it's good that we're so well matched!
Mojitos, munchies and Settlers....
oh my!
We had another of our "game nights" last night and wowie, was it fun. We invited our friends Carlos and Jen, frequent fliers in our party circle, and one of Joe's colleagues and her family. Her teens and our teens get along and her 7yo comes along for the ride. The "kids" played Wii and watched movies while the "big kids" played Settlers of Cataan (a board game) and drank mojitos (recipe to follow). The drinks greatly enhanced the game playing as the "big kids" got pretty silly. Each couple had a "designated driver" that cut off drinking early so that the other could continue to imbibe and get sillier.
Joe won the game (as often happens, he's really good) but it was pretty close. It's a lot more fun that way. When there is a blow-out game, it's not fun for the "losers' (as often happens, me). Settlers with six people is a very different game than with four (our more familiar number of players). We'll have to keep it in mind for the next time we need a six player game. Hardly any games work with odd numbers or with more than six.
The last game night was so well attended (over-invited?) that we had to split into two groups, in different rooms. That wasn't as much fun as one room was clearly having more fun....and i was in the other room. So, i could hear the fun but was involved in a game with one less-than-enthusiastic couple and the reluctant spouses of the "fun gamers". Ick. None of the couples from that room were on the guest list for last night's shindig. :o(
Every time that we have one of these get-togethers at the house, we swear ahead of time never to do it again. Too much work. Too expensive. Too much of a bother. Then, people arrive, settle in, we start socializing and having fun.....then they go home... and we turn to each other and start talking about "next time, we should do this... and have these people.... and serve this...And the cycle starts all over again. :o) We forget how fun it is before the next one and are again grousing about the guest list and the added bother of having everyone here (clean the house, stay home, cook/prepare drinks, etc, etc). Secretly, i think that Joe just goes along with it because he knows that the house will look "fantabulous" and decluttered the day of the event. It's not jus a social event-- it's an occasion to de-stuff our house (or at least the ground floor) and pitch crap wholesale. We should do that more often...
Off to enjoy our decluttered and quiet house (sleeting outside, see earlier post). It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....
We had another of our "game nights" last night and wowie, was it fun. We invited our friends Carlos and Jen, frequent fliers in our party circle, and one of Joe's colleagues and her family. Her teens and our teens get along and her 7yo comes along for the ride. The "kids" played Wii and watched movies while the "big kids" played Settlers of Cataan (a board game) and drank mojitos (recipe to follow). The drinks greatly enhanced the game playing as the "big kids" got pretty silly. Each couple had a "designated driver" that cut off drinking early so that the other could continue to imbibe and get sillier.
Joe won the game (as often happens, he's really good) but it was pretty close. It's a lot more fun that way. When there is a blow-out game, it's not fun for the "losers' (as often happens, me). Settlers with six people is a very different game than with four (our more familiar number of players). We'll have to keep it in mind for the next time we need a six player game. Hardly any games work with odd numbers or with more than six.
The last game night was so well attended (over-invited?) that we had to split into two groups, in different rooms. That wasn't as much fun as one room was clearly having more fun....and i was in the other room. So, i could hear the fun but was involved in a game with one less-than-enthusiastic couple and the reluctant spouses of the "fun gamers". Ick. None of the couples from that room were on the guest list for last night's shindig. :o(
Every time that we have one of these get-togethers at the house, we swear ahead of time never to do it again. Too much work. Too expensive. Too much of a bother. Then, people arrive, settle in, we start socializing and having fun.....then they go home... and we turn to each other and start talking about "next time, we should do this... and have these people.... and serve this...And the cycle starts all over again. :o) We forget how fun it is before the next one and are again grousing about the guest list and the added bother of having everyone here (clean the house, stay home, cook/prepare drinks, etc, etc). Secretly, i think that Joe just goes along with it because he knows that the house will look "fantabulous" and decluttered the day of the event. It's not jus a social event-- it's an occasion to de-stuff our house (or at least the ground floor) and pitch crap wholesale. We should do that more often...
Off to enjoy our decluttered and quiet house (sleeting outside, see earlier post). It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....
ick
So, one of the reasons that we love, love, love living in NM is the fantastic weather. Four seasons (rainy, winter, windy and summer). Moderate temperatures (not so-hot-that-small-animals-explode-in-your-front-yard hot like Phoenix, not cold-and-grey-for-months like the Midwest). Dry and clear days with blue skies. What's not to love.
Which brings us to today. Actually, the past week. It's 2 May. Look at your calendar and it will confirm. Do not look out our windows for confirmation. It's sleeting. Yes, snow and sleet and grey skies and ick. In May. And has been chillly and wet and blech for the past three days. It's 74 degrees in Ohio/Indiana (per reports that i've gotten) and we have this mess. We're to be in Ohio in a couple weeks and, no doubt, the good weather will have passed in the Midwest. We'll bring the grey, chilly, dampness with us and leave NM to be sunny and blue and clear.
I'm not usually so grumpy but polar fleece the last month of school? Who's great idea was that? Then again, the kids aren't wearing polar fleece. In fact, they're not wearing sleeves at all. They urge me to "go get the car and pick us up" so that they don't have to go out in the ick, being able to pass from the heated church/school to the heated car. It's nice that we can make life as comfortable as it is for them. It's good to be 12 and/or 15!
I'd hoped to take a walk this afternoon and look at all the pretty flowers coming out (it being spring and all) but the storm that blew in talked me out of it. Maybe i'll just light a fire, drink hot milk and read my book. Not a bad consolation. I'll just pretend that it's November....
Off to read and pretend to be countind down the days 'til Christmas. Hohoho
Which brings us to today. Actually, the past week. It's 2 May. Look at your calendar and it will confirm. Do not look out our windows for confirmation. It's sleeting. Yes, snow and sleet and grey skies and ick. In May. And has been chillly and wet and blech for the past three days. It's 74 degrees in Ohio/Indiana (per reports that i've gotten) and we have this mess. We're to be in Ohio in a couple weeks and, no doubt, the good weather will have passed in the Midwest. We'll bring the grey, chilly, dampness with us and leave NM to be sunny and blue and clear.
I'm not usually so grumpy but polar fleece the last month of school? Who's great idea was that? Then again, the kids aren't wearing polar fleece. In fact, they're not wearing sleeves at all. They urge me to "go get the car and pick us up" so that they don't have to go out in the ick, being able to pass from the heated church/school to the heated car. It's nice that we can make life as comfortable as it is for them. It's good to be 12 and/or 15!
I'd hoped to take a walk this afternoon and look at all the pretty flowers coming out (it being spring and all) but the storm that blew in talked me out of it. Maybe i'll just light a fire, drink hot milk and read my book. Not a bad consolation. I'll just pretend that it's November....
Off to read and pretend to be countind down the days 'til Christmas. Hohoho
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