random Monday
1. Re: last weekend's Hi5 gaff. First of all, more than 600 invitations were sent out, because Hi5 sucked down ALL of my gmail contacts, not just the ones I've deliberately entered into my contacts list. So anyone I have ever emailed for any reason, including former professors, parents of my piano students, random singers who hired me to play for auditions, the director of Daniel's preschool...they all got that request. When I tried to email everyone en masse to explain the mistake, gmail thought I was spamming and locked me out, which took a little while to undo. I spent a good chunk of Saturday morning writing emails, cutting and pasting addresses, re-writing emails, and trying to figure out a way around looking like a creepy spammer. I think I've got it all taken care of, but I've had such an interesting mix of reactions. Some people wrote back in mock disappointment that I don't want to be their cyber-friend. Some people I haven't communicated with in a long while dropped me a line to say hi and catch up. Several people suggested that I join facebook (one friend wrote simply: "You do exist! You could do facebook, you know.") Stuart has been enjoying every opportunity he finds to raise his hand to give me an actual high five, just because he can.
2. Halloween stuff is already showing up in the grocery store and other places. Just about every day I ask the kids what they want to dress up as this year, and every day they give me a different answer. Today, Daniel said he wants to be a skeleton. I thought maybe he'd want to wear his new pajamas as a costume, since they have glow-in-the-dark bones on them, but no. No, he wants a real skeleton costume. And Anya...well...today I said, "Anya, what do you want to dress up as for Halloween?" and she answered simply, "Yellow." It is her favorite color, after all.
3. This past Saturday was Pesto Fest out at the farm we have our CSA subscription with. This is our third year at Pesto Fest, and it was grand, as usual: gorgeous weather, friendly people, a hungry goat to visit and feed bits of basil stems and grass... You drive out there, pick as much basil as you want (there is a seemingly endless supply), rinse it off in these huge tubs outside, then pick off the leaves and go into the barn with your food processor and other ingredients and make the pesto right there. It's fun to watch everyone. Some people have lots of fancy ingredients and they measure everything carefully, and make it so beautiful. Me, on the other hand - I'm sloppy and fast and I make it as quickly as I can with as few ingredients as I can get away with (I'm down to 5: basil, garlic, olive oil, walnuts, salt) and I never measure anything out. I just dump it all in and mix it up, then stick my finger in for a little taste until it's about right.
Here are just a few pictures from that event:
2. Halloween stuff is already showing up in the grocery store and other places. Just about every day I ask the kids what they want to dress up as this year, and every day they give me a different answer. Today, Daniel said he wants to be a skeleton. I thought maybe he'd want to wear his new pajamas as a costume, since they have glow-in-the-dark bones on them, but no. No, he wants a real skeleton costume. And Anya...well...today I said, "Anya, what do you want to dress up as for Halloween?" and she answered simply, "Yellow." It is her favorite color, after all.
3. This past Saturday was Pesto Fest out at the farm we have our CSA subscription with. This is our third year at Pesto Fest, and it was grand, as usual: gorgeous weather, friendly people, a hungry goat to visit and feed bits of basil stems and grass... You drive out there, pick as much basil as you want (there is a seemingly endless supply), rinse it off in these huge tubs outside, then pick off the leaves and go into the barn with your food processor and other ingredients and make the pesto right there. It's fun to watch everyone. Some people have lots of fancy ingredients and they measure everything carefully, and make it so beautiful. Me, on the other hand - I'm sloppy and fast and I make it as quickly as I can with as few ingredients as I can get away with (I'm down to 5: basil, garlic, olive oil, walnuts, salt) and I never measure anything out. I just dump it all in and mix it up, then stick my finger in for a little taste until it's about right.
Here are just a few pictures from that event:
Comments
I took one look at the H15 invite and knew it had to be a mistake. I know this kind of crap happens all the time because I'm on Facebook. Which, by the way, you are perfectly justified in avoiding.
On the other hand, I tend to use a little more black pepper then Mom likes.
Someday I will find my right place in life.
-Dad