In keeping with the non-stop-writing-about-the-house thing today. As it looks more and more probable that we’ll be staying in the Rhinebeck area, the more and more I’m getting these nesting tendancies (and NO I’m most certain NOT pregnant, the hell you say!). I love looking at catalogs and websites and found one for lovelyhome furniture that has free delivery. In addition to having a good selection of furniture (including baby furniture), I love that the site has a room planner. It’s really fun to play with and it gives you a good idea of how everything will (or won’t) fit in your room. Our living room has the fireplace in an odd corner so it can be difficult to place furniture. Maybe I’ll play around with this instead of whipping out the old graph paper.
Month: July 2007
Do NOT Attempt This
I don’t often use my dishwasher. Generally I find it faster and easier to handwash everything. However, it had been a while since I ran the dishwasher and I was super tired so last night I 
figured I would put some dishes through. I turned it on before I went to bed and this is what I woke up to. In addition to sediments all over the dishes (which honestly didn’t surprise me much – we have a well and when we don’t run a tap for a while, sediment builds up – we will have to get a filter/water softener if we stay – but this was way worse), it was a weird red/burgundy color and it was REALLY sticking to the dishes. After running them through again, there was no improvement. I removed everything, washed it all by hand, and ran about a half-gallon of vinegar through the dishwasher which helped. And then as I was scrubbing, I saw it: a crayon wrapper. One of my lovely angels had put a red crayon in the dishwasher.
Do NOT try this at home.
Sliding Glass Door Woes
Perhaps “woes” is being a bit dramatic, but the sliding glass door in our kitchen is a real problem. Noah loves to open it (and the tricky monkey knows how to unlock it), so I have to be very careful anytime I even think he’s running over there. Plus, honestly, it could be a bit more attractive. Right now we have vertical blinds which look fairly nice, but I’m wondering if there’s another way to dress it up. I’d love to replace the sliding glass doors with a set of French doors and maybe down the road we’ll do that. But in the meantime, maybe something to dress up the blinds? (What do you call that piece that goes along top a window… a cornice?) I probably shouldn’t obsess over something so trivial, but it’s a big part of the kitchen (obviously) and I just want the room to look nice.
Street Justice
Oh yeah. That’s what Drew should be calling his mini-epic. Goodness, who thought that he could stretch a day in traffic court to last through a week’s worth of blog entries? Well, I guess if you’ve ever heard him recount a story it’s no surprise. But still, it’s some funny shit. Yeah, I’m partial because I did marry him and all, but let me just assure you that he wouldn’t tell me anything that happened in Part III. He made me wait, just like you, and read it on his blog. And maybe I’m tired… maybe it’s the wine… maybe our children have finally made me completely loopy but as I read the end of Part IV, there were tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. So, dear reader, I urge you to read it if you haven’t already. If nothing else, you’ll learn a little bit about speeding tickets in Westchester County, New York.
One of those days
Oh yes. Today is one of those days where I really would like to just escape from it all. The naps are officially a thing of the past. (Let us pause for a moment of silence… ) It’s hot as Hell. I have a headache. And another fish died. It could be worse, sure, but it could be better. The store next door to where I work is a dry cleaners and I’m pretty friendly with the owner. He and his wife go on a lot of cruises and he’s been trying to “convince” me to go on one as well. I don’t need any convincing — I’d go in a second (like, right now would be nice)! If only…
Brew Your Own
I ‘ve only recently come to terms with the fact that I’ve become snobby about wine but I’ve long been snobby about beer and readily admitted that. My brother makes awesome homebrew and I love going to his house because I can just pull a pint from his kegerator. One year for his birthday, I bought Drew a Mr Beer (they still sell them!) and it actually came out pretty good! And it was fun, too. Nothing like making it yourself.
Hendricks Gin Blind Tasting
Little known fact (perhaps): gin is my favorite form of hard liquor. The gin & tonic has been my drink of choice since I was 21. It’s refreshing, easy on the pallet, and I don’t feel silly ordering it. (I cannot bring myself to order “girly” drinks — heck, even a Cosmopolitan is too fru-fru for me.) I’m not particularly fond of vodka and I can’t get into scotch. I do like bourbon, but I’d still pick gin over it any day. My friend Will also happens to be fond of gin. A few months ago I introduced him to Citadelle gin, and more recently he suggested that Drew and I try Hendrick’s. Yesterday I picked up a bottle and excitedly hurried home to taste it.
I couldn’t wait. The packaging really appealed to me, as did the fact that it’s made with cucumbers and rose petals. Yes. Rose petals. Of course, there’s the requisite juniper berries and some citrus as well. But rose petals, people. The bottle was difficult to pour from due to its odd shape, but after the first few glugs it got easier. First we tried it straight — no ice, no tonic, just pure gin. I got a lot of alcohol on the nose and after my first taste I thought it was rather burny. It was smooth, no doubt, but… I felt a bit disappointed. Perhaps my expectations were too high? I added a few ice cubes, swirled my glass a bit and laughed at myself because I didn’t think a gin should have to open up like a wine. It helped, though, and I began to pick up on the citrus and a very subtle hint of rose. Quite lovely, really. On we went to our gin & tonics. I garnished mine with a cucumber, as suggested. My husband, the purist, refused and chose lime. Perhaps it was all in my head, but I do feel that the cucumber added something. However, we couldn’t help but think that the Hendrick’s reminded us a lot of Gordon’s (which is a much less expensive gin, though still respectable).
How else to prove this but with a blind tasting? Luckily we have a set of multi-colored shot glasses, making it easy to keep track of who had poured what. I left the room as Drew poured mine, and then he left as I poured his. And then the tasting began. Now, we both are rather seasoned wine tasters. I’ve been at events where I have tasted probably close to 100 different wines. (And anyone who is serious about wine tasting spits, I hate to tell you.) Tasting hard liquor, however, is much more difficult, obviously due to the high alcohol content. Nevertheless, we had a mission and we were determined. First, we wanted to see if we could pick out each of the gins we had in our liquor cabinet. Second, we were curious what our favorite would be if we couldn’t see the labels.
The verdict? Well, first allow me to brag for a minute: I nailed all three gins. I thought the Tanqueray was pretty obvious, but interestingly enough, it was trickier figuring out which glass was Gordon’s and which glass was Hendricks. After another taste it was pretty clear that one (the Hendrick’s) was smoother than the other. Drew didn’t quite do as well, but I’ll let him decide if he wants to own up to that. We both ended up chosing Tanqueray as our favorite. No real surprise to me. Tanq was my gin of choice for years. As for the similarities between Hendrick’s and Gordon’s? When you taste them side by side, there is no comparison. The Hendick’s is so much nicer. Of course, you pay a premium for that, too.
Once we finish off the Gordon’s and the Tanqueray we plan on doing another blind tasting, but we’re going to put the Hendrick’s up against Citadelle (Drew’s favorite) and D.H. Krahn (my new favorite) and see what happens. That should be interesting!
Digital Photo Frames
The other day when we were out shopping I saw some of those digital frames. I think they’re a pretty neat idea, especially for lazy people like me who aren’t quite on top of getting prints made from the bazillions of digital photos you take. It’s also great if you have a lot of photos you love, but don’t want to clutter up your house with dozens of frames. A digital photo frame showcases all your favorite pictures, but keeps your desk (or mantle, or coffeetable, etc.) clear. Basically you stick a memory card in the digital picture frame and you have your own personal slideshow on your desk. There are several different sizes and when you consider the cost of getting many photos framed, it’s pretty reasonable. With these frames you can play those movies that you take on your camera, too. My brother bought one for his finacee last year and I she loved it!
Geekgasm!!!
I just got my invitation to Ravelry!!! I can’t wait to play around!!!
Just who is watching Noggin these days?
I’m starting to wonder a little bit about the genres of children’s music and programming. It actually started with all those videos on Noggin. These bands make my husband crazy because clearly many of these performers are just failed indie pop musicians. I say – hey, good for you for finding a niche and making some mad moniez. Drew gets annoyed because it seems many of the songs are just repackaged goofy songs that might have been played on any college tour. (Drew has several of his own songs that would qualify for this. I think he should send them on and maybe he can perform with The Dirty Sock Funtime Band. Mmm. Preschool ska.) They’re not children’s songs, they’re simple songs that work as kids’ music.
And now I find that this for-kids-but-really-grown-ups-thing is extending into children’s programming. A couple weeks ago I started seeing these short promos for a new show that will be airing on Noggin and Nick Jr. in August. I think all four of us were in the living room together, actually when we saw these super crazy monsters start singing along while a DJ in a fantastic orange get-up spins. I believe I joked that they must be scouting out NYC clubs for new children’s acts now.
At any rate, the show is called Yo Gabba Gabba! It might be what happens if you take the Banana Splits out for the night and get them drunk. Now, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I don’t want to give that impression! (Because how fun would drunk puppets be?) It’s just all a little strange. You should have seen the confused looks on the faces of my children as we watched the monsters shake their groove things. I’m incredibly compelled by these little songs and I think the monsters are super cute. But come on — give a listen to Party In My Tummy (MP3) and tell me you don’t see yourself blasting that in your dorm room as you dance on the desk after sucking down a couple tumblers of vodka and cran (ahem… because that wasn’t just me, right?) I love how cool this looks, but honestly I think it’s out there to appeal to the parents just as much as the kids. (This, from the woman who has Wubbzy listed as one of her MySpace friends.) I don’t know where I’m going with this train of thought, really. I think maybe I’m too tired to be trying to compose.
I guess I just find it all a little strange. I think about the shows I watched as a kid and as far as “educational” TV it was Sesame St., Mr. Rogers, The Electric Company, and 3-2-1 Contact. Electric Company would possibly qualify as entertaining for adults, but not at this level. Man, we were deprived! Or, perhaps it is really our parents who suffered?