Family

Whole Foods Diversion

With the nice cool weather, came a bit of boredom.  The great outdoors which is a typical playground for my kids (more so my younger kids, but mostly all of them) failed miserably in providing some of the entertainment they needed.  So, around dinner time with limited prospects for excitement before bedtime.  (This is discounting the viewing of the troubled and uneducated southerners found on “Honey Boo Boo”.) we went on a very limited adventure with the simple goal of getting Chinese food.  To make sure no one would be bored while waiting for our food, we all grabbed our books.

After wandering through a couple of speed traps, we made a right at the light as we neared our most tastebud-tested Texas Chinese restaurant.  (My Ohio Chinese restaurant has still had quite a few more visits.  While in Ohio, we had not yet discovered texmex or guac.)  But, just north of the restaurant (the insides of which are “dive-like”, so our meal was to go), we realized the Whole Foods we had watched transform the old strip mall was finally open.  And, since distraction was the purpose of our adventure, we promptly found a parking space with our name on it.  As we walked in, the girls are getting excited.  The produce greets us as we enter the door.  The purple pepper (my oldest daughter claims she had a dream about one the other night) found its way into the cart, as well as a couple of pluots.  As we wondered the bulk foods bins, they started to drool and throw their previous favorite bulk food store under the bus.  (Whole Foods did strike us as a cross between Trader Joes and Sprouts.) They liked the variety available, the in-house bakery, and the quirkiness of some of the stocked items.  They made a few comparisons to Sprouts, but I think they were able to realize both stores had their strengths.  The wood burning stove with pizzas on display at the front of the store/restaurant also left a very positive feeling.  After finding out during checkout the store had opened the previous week, we paid our bill.  I am sure the girls will lure me back for another visit.  And, when we go, they will have  a list and not just impulse shopping.

As we piled back into the car and stowed our bag of groceries, I took full advantage of the rather lengthy strip mall.  I wondered through the hole parking lot to get to our dinner.  I took a quick jog on a side street and avoided the main road as I went into the back entrance of the purveyors of General Tso’s Chicken. (RiceKing)  The parking lot was sparse, empty in fact.  And, the locked door confirmed what we feared:  if we did Chinese tonight, it would be trying out the wok skills of someone new.  We less enthusiastically took our seats as we resumed our dinner adventure.  I thought of another Chinese place that was too far away.  The girls seemed okay with whatever–they had trail mix and some funky whole grain graham crackers to focus their minds on.  As we neared Dad’s favorite “default” restaurant of choice, we look to the left in a different strip mall and saw what “could” be out previously dismissed producers of wok-wonders.  The ONE car in the parking lot did not bode well, but the pangs of hunger drove us to the front door.  After a few seconds, we were greeted by an Asian gentlemen who immediately apologized for his inability to serve us.  It went something like this…(to properly picture, be wearing no glasses and squint to the point where you cannot see.  When repeating his statements, be very animated around the mouth-overly accentuating the corners of the mouth.)

“I so sorry we cannot serve you food.  Many people miss our food very much.  We be open very soon.  Two weeks we be open. (holding up two fingers)  Please come back then.  We very happy make food for you.”

We likely will be back.  His command of the wok is better than his command of English.  And, his command of English is far better than my command of Chinese (if that is his native tongue–definitely Asian)  The girls and I again found our seats.  Before we pulled out and headed to Chick-Fil-A, I had to do a poor impression of our would be restaurant host.  I love that the girls will laugh at my efforts.

We “settled” for chicken sandwiches and a shared large waffle fry.  My girls are easy to please.  They drink water, and do their best to keep the bill down.  I will miss them the next few days as my wife works her 80 hours of birthday for her dad.  (She took bells in her checked in bag to play happy birthday on.)  I like a new adventure, but I like it especially when I can share it with a couple of young ladies I can affectionately call “my girls”.

Easy Salmonella?

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What started out as a simple day where the only real plan was making fajitas on the grill, did have a few complications!

With both boys off at 5:00, it looked like we could have one of those rare meals together.  (We do very well eating together IF the kids are at the house.  The “Chik-fil-A wrinkle” is whether they will be off when dinner time arrives OR if they will be far enough removed from their break to make dinner something they will consider.)  We had a partial package of chicken breast in the frig, so I put on my marinading hat.  (Of course, this can be understood to mean tenderizing hammer/mallet and my fat-removal knife.) I grab a convenient cutting board, and I start trimming and pounding.  A few pauses for coating the chicken in the marinade, and 5 breast later, we know the chicken will be our best all tex-mexed for dinner.  I clean up my mess (put away the marinade ingredients, clean off the cutting board, & put the covered chicken into the frig) before going to get the girls.

Knowing the boys can eat a bit of fajitas, we stop at Sam’s on the way home to get another package chicken.  Once we get home prepping the chicken is on my mind, but the fresh hummus we had been planning means lunch, and lunch is our priority.  After some tweaking to our first hummus venture and the introduction of the roasted red pepper (roasted a couple of days before and refrigerated in anticipation of this blessed blending in my new food processor), I praised the girls for reaching the pinnacle of hummus perfection in only two tries.  They took the praise, and prepared the veggies for the hummus dipping.  After arranging the celery, carrots and thin pretzels nicely on a plate, we sat down to eat.  There was no double-dipping as we all dipped into the hummus container.  All 3 of enjoyed it very much.  And, the container was greatly depleted of its marvelous hummus-ness before we hung up our taste buds.

And, no, I haven’t forgotten the salmonella in the title.  As we were cleaning up the kitchen, I noticed the cutting board I had cut chicken on earlier.  It was sitting in the exact spot I would have expected the veggies to be cut on.  Her quick “yes” answered the question I had hesitated to ask, “Did you use this cutting board for the veggies?” (I had scraped the board and the board was made of plastic, but yet it just was not “good” to reuse the board after the previous food that had been playing on its knife etched surface was a protein known to carry “bad” things.)

After running through a quick lecture on “if it is in the sink do NOT use it without asking first”, I did the obligatory Google search on salmonella.  As it turns out, the site I went to informed me we would know in 12 – 72 hours if we were sick.  And, as I write this, we are sitting on 56 hours.  I am VERY hopeful it will just turn out to be a great life lesson for my daughter, but if not, I will still love her.  I am guessing my stomach will ultimately forgive her.  (She did make homemade granola bars today, so I am guessing my stomach has already warmed up to the idea.)  Maybe further research will prove hummus has salmonella killing qualities….  If I am “clean” in 16 hours, I am willing to swear on a can of garbanzo beans that it does!

 

 

Grunting By Degrees

My daughter was sitting in the backseat reading this morning on the way to her summer workout for cross country.  I, trying to be a good father although teenagers make you sometimes wonder if you have anything worth salvaging, asked her how her book was going.  (This was a book we had reserved online at the library.  We had made a special trip to pick it up.  An earlier inquiry received a simple, “Okay.”)

Due to my love of reading, I was looking for some response with a little passion.  When I received a grunt, I took it as a sign the book was going the right direction.  However, it was my next question where clarity arose.

“What has happened in the book to make you like it more now?”, I ask.

She replied, “It is not really getting better.  I just want something to read.”

It is then I determined the lack of clarity a grunt offers.  A grunt starting with a “N” sound, would certainly be on the negative side of the spectrum–at least as well as can be offered by grunts.  If the grunt started with a “Y” or in my case, anything other than a “N” sound, it is categorized as being more positive.

Due to the failure at my first attempt interpreting the grunt, I may need to give additional attention to any additional syllables–if they are available.  Until then, I will treat most grunts in the affirmative.  And, if done with enough enthusiasm, the grunter may decide to refrain from the grunting and even speak English.  Fathers can be SO demanding!

New Ninja Move

On Father’s Day my family (actually it was me acting with the encouragement of my family) got me a Ninja food-processor/blender.  Of course, I was VERY grateful for their generosity.  Since the boxe has been opened, they have made me a smoothie, peanut butter, hummus, and a couple of things made for breakfast-they didn’t offer me any of the breakfast drink, but since they used it early morning, it did affect my sleep a bit!

So, when my daughter came to me saying, “You want to see my new Ninja move?”  I fully expected her move to have something to do with spinning and sticking arms and legs out in an attempt to simulate the blades on my Ninja.  However, this was not her intention at all!  She just did a “karate” style move and wanted my admiration.  Once I explained to her what I expected, she wished she would have thought of my interpretation first!

Even as my daughters move into  and through the teen age years, I hope I can continue to have an active mind and an appreciative set of eyes to admire the ladies they are becoming!

The Annoying Man Who Drives Us Places….

As the girls and I hopped into the car this morning to get them to school, my youngest daughter mentioned some of her friends would not be at school today because they would be attending a “Pink” event at a local church.

Being the observant father, I said, “I bet Freida (not her real name) won’t be there.”

My daughter somewhat surprised said, “How did you know that?  I didn’t know you knew they went to that church.”

I then went on a rant that put me in the annoying category. “I know I usually just read at your track meets and different activities, but if I am poked with a cattle prod long enough I can be forced to talk to people.  And, despite my rapidly fleeing youth, I do have the capacity to remember and connect dots….as long as they aren’t too small…..”

Somewhere during this rant, my oldest daughter with slightly elevated voice uttered, “Stop!”

In a slightly frustrated voice, “Please don’t tell me to “Stop” like that.  I was just trying to have fun with it.”

She did apologize.  I don’t think either of them understands the challenges a parent faces.  Although I may be changing in subtle ways, the more likely change is coming from them.  As they are crawling their way into adulthood, they attempt to figure out how to navigate the new boundaries of the parent-kid relationship.

I am left feeling like the “annoying guy who drives them places”.  As they continue to grow, I continue to wonder where my “little girls went”.  When I get past the self-pity, I realize they are young ladies who are going to have to assemble a life with rules I am not able to provide for them.  Despite the bouts with my pride, I need to realize these girls are really not mine for much longer.  As I fight back the feelings of being annoying, they are developing a template for the possible order they will have in their adult life.  As I come to grips with this, I do have to face the fact I can be annoying….

Finally Finished Watching Chuck

My wife, second son and myself finally finished watching all 91 episodes of Chuck last night. It was one of 3 or 4 shows that we alternated back and forth with.  The Walking Dead, Amazing Race and other shows have been in the rotation over the past few months.  We attempted to screen new shows for life “after-Chuck”, but as of yet, we haven’t found one.  (We have tried The Following [too graphic] and a couple of shows with aliens or dystopian themes, but nothing else has risen to the top.)

When Chuck started, it was goofy and entertaining.  I enjoyed how they handled Chuck evolving into a “spy”.  Or, more appropriately stated, Chuck’s version of a spy with different versions of the Intersect and the inability to pull a “real” trigger.  The tension between Chuck and Sarah was part of the fun.  He was crazy about her, and she couldn’t (wouldn’t) admit she liked him.  The emotional sparring was what made the show really “fun”.  But, as their relationship evolved and became more permanent (i.e. marriage) the lack of tension became more passion.  And, the story lines became more “gal” friendly than previous “guy” friendly.  I still was able to enjoy the show, but as we watched the last episode last night, I felt no regret.  It was relief and satisfaction of a task completed.  I am looking forward to the next show we can enjoy as a family.

Just A Walk In The Neighborhood….

It was just a normal walk in the neighborhood.  I had already walked 3 or 4 miles earlier in the day, but I always save a post-dinner walk for my wife.  A few of the highlights…

  • Due to my previous walk, my tachometer was set a little faster than my wife’s speed.  It is a normal occurrence.  I eventually back off or she speeds up, but it all works out.
  • A mother was sitting on the front porch with a baby on her lap.  Her phone was extended and likely in “selfie” mode.
  • I got bit my one of the neighbors dogs.  As we walked up on the neighbor, she was being pulled 3 different directions by all 3 of the dogs.  I commented, “You better watch it, or your arms are going to get longer.” (A reference to her getting stretched.)  As my wife and I continued to walk, I either smelled like chicken or the largest dog in the group was defended his owners honor.  I ended up with a little bite that barely broke the skin. Did I mention it was a bite?  I give the owner credit for asking the question where she really only wanted one answer.  “Are you okay?”  I did not give her full satisfaction.  I responded, “Yes, but it did break the skin.”  We quickly walked on.  My wife had to listen to my rantings for the rest of our walk–she is a saint.
  • We saw another neighbor walking her dog.  She chose to cross the street and walk on the sidewalk on the other side of the street rather than allow her well-behaved dog to even consider tasting me for my resemblance to chicken.
  • We danced through a couple of sprinklers as they seemed to be bored with merely wetting the grass.  They needed the challenge of seeing if they might encourage grass to grow on the concrete.  You think they would have learned last year.  Certainly, sprinklers have to have a very low IQ.
  • When I wasn’t ranting about the dog, we discussed our VERY interesting days.  We discussed how we are so much skinnier than we were in high school. 😉  And, how we only love to eat foods that are good for us.  And, oh yeah, how we want to do the same jobs we are doing now until we keel over.  And, when we got through all of the chit-chat, we ended the walk realizing we are pretty lucky to have ALL we have.

When Neighbors Become Accidentally Nasty

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Tree producing the seedsCIMG4701Lots of Elm Seeds

We live in a very nice neighborhood.  The neighbors on both sides of us also have pools.  However, our elm tree strongly favors one side of our yard.  And, this is the source of the occasional friction with the those on the other side of the fence…..

The elm seeds are annoying in almost all areas of their life cycle.  The seeds that don’t make it into the pool, usually make it into the flower beds.  And, they are not content to just end their days there.  They insist on germinating and growing into “weeds” with LOTS more below-the-surface-gripping-ability than the standard weed.

Those that find the pool as a landing place, may float for awhile before being caught in the skimmer.  Or, if they are floating-adverse, they will hopefully find a resting place on the pool floor where the “auto-vac” can easily suck them up.  The second picture is the fruit of the skimmers efforts after a windy night.  Once the skimmer gets to full, the pump may shut down because no water is able to penetrate the thick mass of tree “wannabees”.

Please realize this is our tree.  It also gives us shade and a way for squirrels to get handy access to the roof of our house.  Our neighbors have no such affection.  They have to deal with the spring fruit of our trees labor without having to fake any real affection.  Although we have never seen them vent their frustration with all of the seeds that visit their pool, we have seen possible actions on their part to “subtlety” let us know they are wishing for a selective case of dutch elm disease to visit the neighborhood.  At least twice, we have found the contents of a skimmer basket dumped into our yard. (please reference the above picture to get some idea what this might look like.)  Both times there were nice piles of seeds that were just waiting to dry out before being carried into the deep recesses of our garage.  (i.e. Under shelving or into some corner that is not easily accessed.)

I am hopeful the trees pruning of a couple of months ago has negated the trees impact on their pool.  If not, see if he mentions it the next time I see them out.  If he raises the issue, I may mention that dog of theirs that insists on “yapping” at me even though he has known me almost 4 years…. (I guess I am not perfect neighbor either)