ON MY LAST NERVE.....

I recently read an article in the Washington Post about relationships and pet peeves. Those things that your "darling husband"/"dear wife" do that drive you up the wall. I found it very interesting to read about each contributors irritations and, in many instances, how that has influenced their relationships.>>>>>>>It got me thinking of what "bugs"me and what similarly is an irritation to others. Oftentimes, these little irritations that drive one up the wall...are nothing to someone else. Let me give you some examples that will illustrate this better than i have been thus far.>>>>>>>I know someone who cannot tolerate word "moist". It just drives him up the wall....and he won't eat anything described as "moist" (chocolate cake, banana bread, lightly sauteed chicken, etc). Another person is bothered by drawers that are left a little open. Or time left on the microwave after someone else has used it. Or dishes or veg peelings left in the sink for any length of time (overnight i can see but even five minutes). The sound of a knife cutting on a plate. The feel of lotion on the body, especially the hands (making going to the beach/pool and the need for SPF a challenge/bother). The way the partner arranges dishes in the dishwasher or dish drainer. The tag in the back of a tshirt or pants. Anything not lined up exactly perpendicular or parallel on a table/desk. Returning the mayo/mustard/cheese to the refrigerator before the partner is done with it (to "help him/her"). The feel of lipgloss/lip balm. Any light perceivable when said person is trying to fall asleep (needs _total midnight darkness_). A tile or picture or door frame askew at all. Having feet touched for any reason (partner tried a foot massage...did not go over well). Background noise ever, especially when trying to read/work. Silence when trying to read/work (this person would take her laptop to Starbucks to get the ambient noise that allowed her to focus). Stopping a game or reading a book or doing a worksheet mid-cycle...(must finish before can do next task). The noise of an airplane motor when flying (must wear noise-cancellation earplugs the entire flight). Anything left out on the counter that is not being currently used ("clutter"). The smell/odor/stench of the Instapot rubber seal when not hermetically sealed. Shirt collars that touch the neck all the way around (must have V-necks or camp collars, not button-up or crew neck and _certainly_ never turtlenecks).?>>>>>>>What are your "on my last nerve" aggravations? Are they "sane" or are you, like everyone else, "functionally crazy"? I can kill two birds with one stone if i heat water in the microwave and leave 5 seconds on the time and the door slightly ajar or the food cover on the counter. Irritates both the men in my life.>>>>>>>

CHA CHA CHA!!

I used to say that raising my son, Christian, was like dancing the ChaCha...two steps forward...one step back. He was a busy, active, strong-willed child (infant, child, teen, adult...). This serves one well in many instances but was a challenge when he was a toddler/child. He was a "find a way, make a way" kid and could do anything that he set his mind to. Trenches in the backyard to act out Army...no problem. We had trenches reinforced with wood from pallets that he "rescued" from building sites elesewhere in the neighborhood. Archery to be like Robin Hood or Ted Nugent? No problem. Christian started archery lessons and got a compound bow with a tension that i could barely (and often not) pull back. When he couldn't find a book that was "accurate and right" on hunting, spying, and foraging, he wrote one....500 pages and more...and typed it on a typewriter that he got at a garage sale........See? He was very creative and industrious and focused. But.....when he didn't want to do something, there was (is!) no getting him to do so. When i thought that things were going well...that maybe life would be calm and all would work out....a downturn. I'd come home to see a knife sticking out of a wall ("i was throwing knives and that one just stuck"). Or he and his sister would be spatting and he would push her down (one time, she rolled down some stairs...). So...two steps forward...one step back........ This, however, has primed me for living in Costa Rica. Hubster will tell you, nothing works until the third time. Do you want to open a bank account? The first two times you go to the bank, the paperwork that you bring will be lacking something. It's only the third time that you go, maybe with the same paperwork but a different clerk, that you are able to put your own money in an account at the bank. We have been trying for THREE YEARS to get a new refrigerator and a new freezer. Yesterday, Hubster was able to coordinate the arrival, delivery, and installation of the two units in our kitchen. With the concommitent wood framing enlargement, moving on the cabinets by 5" (then replacing them to only a 1" enlargement), hooking up water/ice production, and getting everything back in the refrigerator and freezer. It "only" took seven (7!) guys and seven (7!) hours but it was accomplished. MAJOR COUP!!!....... But, what is the headline of this posting? What is the theme here? Cha-cha-cha. The refrigerator is working. Fantastic. It's a thing of beauty and taller (but shallower) than the unit that we had before. It is certainly prettier and cleaner and newer. The overhead lights in the kitchen were shorted out by the installation but repaired before the guys left......then shorted out again and have been out all night......But wait......it gets better......the freezer has also shorted out and has been off since, essentially, the guys pulled out of the driveway. So...we have a freezer full of things that are not frozen (while the chicken and shrimp were in a cooler of ice yesterday, the rest of the contents of the freezer sat on the counter for 7 hours yesterday so were mushy, at best, when placed in the freezer to "firm up")........CHA-CHA-CHA!! We have no freezer and the installers (just guys, not professionals of the Frigidaire company) are in San José, a "quick" 55 minute drive on a good day, one way. So...i don't know what Hubster is going to do. I am the "weak and wary female" in this scenario. I don't speak Spanish. I don't have rapport with Victor (the salesman who was here to oversee the installation and speaks English...with Hubster). I don't have WhatsApp on my mobile, the platform on which everyone communicates here in Costa Rica. I am female...which is a thing in this male-dominated, Latin machismo culture. So, i try to keep the rest of things calm or at least inoffensive and pray a lot that this will pass quickly and relatively painlessly. At $10,000 we should be able to have ice pops and frozen chicken........We had a patient who told us something that has become a mantra in our family...if money can fix it, it's not a problem. The patient had inoperable, incurable badness and would have paid anything for health and time. We have our health, our marriage, our family, a roof over our heads......life really is good(Pura Vida!) but this bump in the road is all the more jarring b/c we thought that things were resolving with this long-time frustration. Cha-cha-cha.

FRENCH ONION SOUP PASTA

FRENCH ONION SOUP PASTA....... 2 tablespoons unsalted butter....... 2 medium yellow onions (1 pound), thinly sliced....... 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste....... 1/4 cup tawny port (may substitute madeira, sherry, dry vermouth, red wine, or additional stock or broth)....... 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth....... 8 ounces short dry pasta, such as rigatoni, fusilli or orecchiette....... 5 sprigs fresh thyme, tied together with twine, plus more for serving....... 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste....... 2 ounces (1/2 cup) finely shredded Gruyère cheese, plus more for serving....... DIRECTIONS....... In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and salt, stir, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are nicely browned in spots and the bottom of the pot is covered with stuck-on bits, 20 to 25 minutes........ Add the port to deglaze by scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot........ Add the stock or broth, pasta, thyme, and pepper, cover partially and increase the heat to bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed to keep the mixture at a gentle, not rolling, boil, until the pasta is al dente and the liquid has reduced to coat the pasta, 15 to 20 minutes (see NOTE). Remove from the heat, discard the thyme, and stir in the cheese until melted. Taste, and season with more salt and/or pepper, if needed........ Divide among bowls, sprinkle with more cheese and fresh thyme leaves, if desired, and serve........ NOTE: The pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it sits, so it’s okay if it is still saucy........

BOULE BREAD

BOULE BREAD>>>>>>>Lisa Gallo-Horner is here to visit this week and it's been sososososo much fun having her here. We have gone on "adventures", gotten _totally hooked_ on Great British Baking Show, and cooked a lot. This is one of the bestest things that we made. I had my doubts(!!!!) that we would succeed and it turned out better than i could have anticipated. I _love_ it when that happens (*so very rarely!)>>>>>>>BOULE BREAD>>>>>>>3C flour.......1-1/2t salt........1t fast-acting yeast........1-1/2C warm (bath temperature, not boiling) water.......mix all (will look shaggy)......cover with plastic wrap and let sit at warm room temp for 2-4 hours (can do for 2 hours then put in fridge for up to 3 days...more on that later).....when ready to bake, take Dutch oven (cast iron is best!) and put in oven........turn oven to 450 and let preheat for THIRTY MINUTES with pot in oven.......take dough,sprinkle with ~2T flour and fold in half 4x, then shape into a ball (rough ball) on parchment paper.......after the pot is SCREAMING HOT, carefully take off lid, put entire parchment paper-boule in pot, cover and put back in 450 oven for 30 minutes.......uncover (careful, it's HOT!) and bake uncovered for 10 minutes more.......remove from oven, let cool for ~10 minutes then remove from pot...let cool more before slicing so that the bread isn't gummy on the inside....lather...rinse...repeat! .......[if you put the dough in the fridge overnight or up to 3 days, which we did, let "thaw"/temper at room temp for ~30 minutes before making the boule/ball on the parchment paper and baking as indicated earlier....easier to commit to 2 hours of rising one day...and another hour to preheat/bake when you want the bread).......let me know when you make it what you think!! we are already planning on the next loaf and playing a game to bet on who gets the last two slices tonight at dinner!!.......:-D

STOOPING

STOOPING...it's a thing!!>>>>>>>https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/what-is-stooping-the-money-saving-practice-is-taking-social-media-by-storm/ar-AA11W5KM>>>>>>>I owned a place in Washington DC and used to visit there a couple times a year. When we were there, i would take daily morning walks to the Woodley Park area (National Zoo). Along the way, was a long block of brownstone houses (which are sometimes broken into apartments) with a long stone barrier along the sidewalk. The custom in the area was for people to leave "stuff" out on the "stoop" that they wanted to dispose of. Free. I called it the "second hand stoop sale"...but no money ever exchanged hands. I left things there too as our condo didn't have a stoop outside and wasn't in a "walk friendly" block.>>>>>>>What kind of things did people leave (that i recovered)? A full-size Igloo cooler (which i gave to my mom when we moved). A writing desk (that i had to get a guy to help me carry to our condo and up the 36 stairs). The suit (dress and jacket) that i wore to my niece Brandi's wedding. Many books and magazines (which i read then re-donated). Four unopened bottles of SPF 45 sunscreen (still in the plastic wrapper). A big spaghetti/stew pot (which i gave to my mother when we moved). A 18" Calphalon skillet, undamaged (which i moved to NM then to Costa Rica, on which i "crisp" pizza still). Eight wooden dining chairs (which i cleaned up and re-donated). Four place settings (plate, saucer, bowl, coffee cup) of lovely dishes (which i re-donated). 36 bottles of IPA beer, still in cartons (in front of a liquor store that was closing). A wall plaque of a French saying...and a pillow with a black cat (Chat Noir) in front of the Eiffel Tower.....and a three-hook hanger with decorations of fleur-de-lys (French)...same house/same time. A $20 bill (on the sidewalk...at 0400....mine!). A "Hello Fresh" shipment...still cool...with insulation....a complete meal for four! A duffel bag with an iPhone 10 and clothes (left that!). Stooping was very welcomed. People could get rid of "stuff" and not have to haul it away. We got to benefit from their bounty. And then, "regift" things as desired and able. When we sold the place in Washington, i left A LOT of stuff for the "stoopers" and, as i said, gave a fair amount of it to others (my mom, my sister, neighbors).>>>>>>>I would do the same thing here in Costa Rica but the culture here is very different. Things here are used until they are "dead". There is absolutely no life or use remaining. When i have things that i don't want, need, or use, i give them to the animal rescue thrift store in town or, more likely, to our housekeeper who is hap-hap-happy with anything that we give her (t-shirts, extra bananas/plantains from our grove, tea/beans that i've bought too much of). There is no reason to throw away anything that has a use or purpose to someone. We don't keep much...and use what we have. I've bought some things at the animal rescue thrift store (mostly when i was working there)in an effort to "recycle". A t-shirt from someone else that i'll wear to exercise in the morning works just as well as the $28 tee that i saw at the La Paz WaterFall Gardens yesterday. And, when i get sick of it, i know what to do with it! Stooping is like FreeCycle....but more immediate and random. It certainly made my morning walks more interesting!

meeting the neighbors?

When we were trying to decide on which of the "top two" houses to buy here in Atenas, Joe and i met with each of the houses' neighbors to help us decide. We figured that these were the best indicators of who and what we would be experiencing in living in each locale. The #1 house was/is new, new, new and perfect in every way. The neighbor house to the left was a five bedroom house that the builder/developer had built to rent out. The neighbor house to the right was the developer's and he intended to live there half the year while running his business in the United States the rest of the year at which time the house would be empty. He was nice enough but it made us a bit nervous that the left/rental house would be loud with partiers and the empty house wouldn't be much company. We were a bit uncomfortable that we'd be isolated. We met the next day with the neighbors from house #2. This house was twelve years old and not perfect. It did have a bigger lot but the house wasn't as elegant (or sparkling new). The neighbors, Bucky and Linda, were very charismatic. Lunch went ok ("can't go to that restaurant....there's not enough meat") and we thought that we would get along well with this couple next door. And the house #2 was closer to town so it would be less isolated and perhaps safer from theft (?). We ended up buying house #2. And, have never socialized with Bucky and Linda again besides one short cocktail/beer bash at their house. We wave on passing and aren't hostile...they just were friendly until they could get what they wanted (us to cut some trees on our shared border, permission to chop down their tree which meant that our power would be out for 12 hours while the power lines were down), then they retreated to their enclave and have never been open to our social advances. You live, you learn.>>>>>>>Last month, we were able to meet another "neighbor". We woke to broken egg shells and egg remnants on our counters and open screen in the kitchen. I thought originally that it was naughtiness from our kitties but we were proved wrong. Joe woke to a noise to find a racoon in our kitchen...which he and the kitties chased out. He had been eating the cat food too (we saw hit paw/hand prints) so Mash had a vested interest in shooing him out. With our taking a week away and the house being all locked up, the raccoon moved on.>>>>>>>Then, we last night got to meet another "neighbor". We heard a deep growling in our bedroom and, while our kitties growl and spat overnight, this sounded even deeper. Joe flipped on the light and yelled at me to open the sliding door in the kitchen. Was it our raccoon friend? nope. Was it the kitties? nope. OCELOT!!! Yikers! In our bedroom!! Welcome to the jungle!! The ocelot was quick to run out the door and Mash ran back onto our bed. Libby, our smaller kitty, was gone. And has been for the past 36 hours...only to just show up ten minutes ago, sauntering through the kitchen like there was nothing new under the sun, nibbling two or three kibbles then off to lounge on the bed. Where she hid for the past day and half? Anyone's guess. >>>>>>> So, meeting the neighbors has been interesting and informative. We have yet to meet any that we want to have an enduring relationship with! That said, i might rather have a raccoon or ocelot in the house than the armed stranger that i risked having "visit" in the US. But that's just me.....

a more traditional cake

ok, so Hubster and our friend James are both celebrating a birthday this month. in honor of this, and because we have guests coming over today, i made this cake. i hope that if you try it, you like it as much as we did.>>>>>>>CHEATER'S CARROT CAKE>>>>>>>1/2 pkg spice cake mix.......1 egg.......1/2C apple juice (or iced tea).......1C shredded/chopped carrot.......1/2t pumpkin spice mix(cinnamon/nutmeg/cloves).......mix all and pour into 9" cake pan (or 7" Springform pan, which is what i did)....bake 350 for 35 minutes....drizzle icing or sweetened condensed milk over the top on serving.....good for breakfast too (healthy!! full of carrots!).......nuts optional (i don't like nuts but Hubster does)

balloons and birthday and best of times

I was taking my walk this morning and saw a balloon, tied to a bush and was transported back in my mind to another day that i saw balloons in trees. It was the middle of summer and Paul took me to Stansbury Park to go for a hike. We started at the front of the park, behind the swings and went down the hill and back towards the end of the park. We were about at the part where we would be looking to go up the hill, towards the rotunda, near the picnic area when Paul pointed out a red balloon, tied to a tree."Let's take that path", he said. As we went up the hill, there were more and more balloons in trees. We kept going up the hill and chatting about this and that,following the balloon path. Paul said that it was probably from a Boy Scout event that had been there the day before. At the top of the hill, i went first into the clearing when i heard a rustle.....and out jumped my sister, my mother, my best friends Beth and Amy Snider and my Grandma Ama. "Happy Birthday!!!", they yelled. Woo hoo!! It was then that i noticed the picnic on the tables and the BIG watermelon "birthday cake"-- with candles. What a fun party! Hot dogs, chips, cole slaw and lots and lots of watermelon (which i love!) after i blew out the candles.......Was it an extravagant, over-the-top party with entertainers, decorations,and party favors? No. But that made it all the better. Then we all went back to the swings to play (and roll down the big hill) while the adults carried the picnic basket and left-overs to the car........What a fun memory for today.