Why Aren't I In Charge?

Menu Planning Complete

2012-05-27T11:26:55Z

Oddly enough, when I started eating meat this year, I got away from the whole cooking thing. All I did each week was stick a couple of chicken breasts into the oven to bake, steam some vegetables, open a can of lentils and call it a meal.

Now that I'm vegetarian again, I'm enjoying getting back not only to cooking but to menu planning. There's something satisfying about sitting down in front of a spread of cookbooks and magazines and getting to pick and chose what yummy delicacies or hearty dishes I'll make for the week.

I spent some time this morning sipping hot green tea and looking at menus. I've got a bunch of swiss chard in the fridge that needs to be used so that's the focus of a couple of meals for early in the week. So far, our week is looking like this:

Sunday: Garlicky Roasted Shrimp and Swiss Chard

Monday: Crustless Leek Greens & Herb Quiche

Tuesday: On our own

Wednesday: Sloppy Lentils (on sprouted hamburger buns for Blair, plain for me) and Spicy Coleslaw

Thursday: I'm out with girls which probably means cereal for Blair.

Friday: Carbo-loading night so some form of pizza or pasta. I found a recipe for cauliflower pizza crust which I may make for me. I thought of trying to slip it by Blair but that could have ugly repurcussions.

I still have a damn whole chicken in my freezer. Unknown what to do with that. Again, maybe I'll just make it and send it over to my mom.

Oh! And yesterday's clothes shopping excursion for Blair yielded a really fun new kitchen tool for me from my favorite kitchen store, The Extra Ingredient. Details soon.

Cheers,

Dena

Caffeine & The Early Morning Workout

2012-05-25T16:07:24Z

I count my blessings I've never been one of those people who has to rely on caffeine to get going in the morning. Although I drink my weight in coffee each day, it's all decaf. When (highly caffeinated) friends blink in astonishment and ask, "Why bother?" I don't have a good answer other than I find the smell comforting and I like sipping from a piping hot mug of coffee while I work. One too many "Special Tasters Choice Moments" commercials in my childhood, I'm sure.

Typically, I drink one cup of caffeine coffee a week. That would be on Saturday morning before my long run. My hope is the unexpected caffeine powers me through my run and I think for the most part it works.

What's happening lately, however...

Smug Marrieds: Fun Fridays

2012-05-22T13:10:57Z

It's almost time for summer hours for Blair. This means longer work hours Monday - Thursday but the entire company takes Fridays off for the summer. We love summer hours. Blair already works the "longer" hours schedule anyway, so it's like a free Friday bonus.

The last couple of years, we haven't done a lot with free Fridays. For the most part, they were spent doing normal life stuff - yard work, home repairs, maybe a lunch out but nothing major. This year, Blair--and by proxy, me--are determined to do better.

Blair was typing away on his laptop the other morning when I sat down next to him. "Watcha doing?" I asked.

"Planning our Fridays," said Blair. "I'm not going to waste them this year. I've got a whole list of things lined up for us to do. Want to hear them or would you rather be surprised?"

Guess My Algorithm

2012-05-20T23:51:01Z

Blair and I were out to dinner with friends on Saturday and the conversation turned (as it will when two of the four people present are wanna-be-well-known-billionaire-authors) to book sales on Amazon. I asked my friend how a book he'd edited and contributed to was doing which launched a conversation about how, only days earlier, Amazon had changed their algorithms with the unfortunate effect of making sales appear less then they would have otherwise.

This led to a brief discussion of how Amazon periodically changes its algorithms so that people (probably wanna-be-well-known-billionaire-authors) can't learn how to game the system.

Later in the night, the two men were whining complaining moaning discussing how every time a man thinks he has a particular woman figured out, the woman changes her mind and messes with him.

"That's called 'changing our algorithms,'" I volunteered. "Fear it."

"I change my algorithm every 30 days," offered my friend, sipping her drink. "It's marked on my calendar."

The guys were all, "That's not fair, blah, blah, blah," so I pretty much stopped listening. If anything, shouldn't all the men out there be thanking us ladies for keeping the world interesting? If any of you guys are looking for gift ideas to express your gratitude, here are a few hints: We like fine wine, dark chocolate, flowers just because, and you'll never go wrong surprising us by cleaning the house.

At least, that's what all women want THIS week. I can't speak for next week when we're all due for an algorithm change.

Cheers,

Dena

Eating Meat Has Been Fun But...

2012-05-16T15:08:46Z

You may remember the national uproar when I announced in February that, after 20+ years of being a vegetarian and being almost vegan for 3 years, I had started eating meat. While there's no denying I've enjoyed exercising my canine teeth, I believe I'm ready to return to my roots and a plant-based diet.

Why go back? For the same reasons I decided to start eating meat again. My diet just isn't working for me. I feel like I'm betraying my values every time I sit down to a plate of chicken. I do believe we can get all the nutrients we need from plants. And, honestly, meat has stopped tasting good to me.

Smug Marrieds: Eggs & Wine

2012-05-13T21:54:49Z

Blair and I went grocery shopping today (pause to give a "Wass up!" shout-out to the Super Wal-Mart that is the hub of our little town) and as we walked outside I smiled and said, "Did you see what the older woman behind us had in her cart?"

The woman in question looked to be in her late 60's/early 70's, with the carefully curled hair of those who visit the beauty parlor every Saturday to have it set and do not take comb nor brush to it in between visits. A rouged and powdered face, dowdy clothes, and the withered puckering of the lips indicated a lifelong smoker.

"She had a sixteen-pack egg carton and two bottles of wine," I said, answering my own question. I winked at Blair. "Looks like a sleep over to me."

"Funny," said Blair. "I was thinking she reminded me of you."

I burst out laughing. I've been doing the Tim Ferriss Slow Carb Diet on and off for months now. Eggs and red wine are staples of the diet and I buy each in copious amounts.

"Oh my God, that was cruel," I said, wiping tears from my eyes. "I feel like I should run back in there, find her, and say, 'Are you doing the Tim Ferriss diet too!? Oh my God! We should be diet buddies!'"

"I keep telling you that diet doesn't look pretty from this end but you won't listen," said Blair.

Maybe she is on the diet. Or maybe she really likes eggs and was restocking on wine. Or maybe, just maybe--and let's all send her some positive thoughts in this direction--she was gettin' her some. ;)

Cheers,

Dena

Decorating Diaries: The Big Orange Wall

2012-05-10T11:53:03Z

My friend asked me to do my best "Vanna" impersonationCheck out my beautiful piece of art!

Ever since March of 2010 when I painted our hallway orange , Blair and I have faced daily the big, blank orange wall that is directly outside our bedroom. We have trucked in thousands of dollars of art, holding each piece up to the wall, looking for that perfect fit.

Nothing worked. The problem is that it's a BIG wall, but we can't hang anything with big images because there's no way to back up enough to get an overall view. I don't like fussy, little busy art so we just left the wall blank, resolving each January that this would be the year we finally got serious and put up the collage of family photographs we kept saying we would.

Ask Yourself, "How Do People Experience Me?"

2012-05-08T09:37:24Z

I'm reading the Wall Street Journal yesterday and almost the entire MarketPlace section is devoted to an article on "The XX Factor: What's Holding Women Back?"

It's an interesting read, broken into numerous subsections. One of the subsections offers a Tool Kit for society and individuals on how to encourage more/better participation by women in the economy. Under the header Personal Strategies: Tools for the Individual, one of the recommendations is that women do Self-Assessments.

"Regularly consider, 'How do people experience me? Am I a game changer and value creator who builds trusting relationships?'"

Why I Never Get Anything Done

2012-05-07T10:33:53Z

I woke up this morning ready to hit the ground running (not actually running, but writing) and then looked at today's schedule:

5:30 am - Go over to Mom's house and water cats and feed plants. No wait, reverse that. It's still early.

7 am - Leave for Greensboro

8 am - doctor's appointment

10:45 am - chiropractic appointment

12:15 pm - Bodypump

1:45 - pick Mom up from airport and return her to Mayodan and two cats that will be out of their minds happy to see her

2:45 pm - Bank and errands

3:15 pm - Hopefully driving back into Greensboro to pick up Lucy and bring her home.

As I tell my writing students, there is always time to write in each day, you just have to claim it. I'm dragging my laptop to every locale and will spend the day working in 10 minute splurts in waiting rooms, airport lounges, and cat clinics.

It sounds like I'm whining, but actually I love it. Happy Monday!

Merle Norman To The Rescue: A Sole Sister Makeover?

2012-05-01T18:50:27Z

A scene from the winning cheer: We Be Cruisin' In The 'Boro!" This past Sunday I teamed up with 7 of the Sole Sisters to run the ALS Amazing Race sponsored through The Club of Greensboro. We divided into two teams of four and--along with 11 other teams--used clues to race around Greensboro and complete tasks.

My friend Christie summed the day up best in her FB post:

We have dove in pools, rode tricycles, pushed wheelchairs blindfolded playing hockey, answered 10 hard travel questions, we were blindfolded and had to guess flavors of gelato, recited "proper names" of English desserts, surveyed a boutique for red belts, struck a pose at photo studio, ran on treadmills and jumped rope, bowled underhanded backwards for a strike, and fished around in a pool of noodles, oatmeal and sardines -we chanted a cheer that led us to victory (thanks to Cindy Barbour). For what?? To WIN the Amazing Race and raise awareness for ALS-one of the most memorable days we've ever had. We did it girls !

Although the day was filled with laughter--maybe even mocking while Christie and I cursed the tricycles--one moment stands out.