life the universe and everything
Hello again. I find myself home alone for a few hours, with just the cat and I say to myself, hey! I can use the computer, so I get ready to set up my computer scrabble and then I realize I could actually blog, so here I am! Today has been an intense day, egg day. To explain, we have dinner theatre here, which is a community event. I already put in my 5 or 6 hour shift of kitchen duty last weekend. I haven't done that for a few years. Every spring, I volunteer to make 144 devilled eggs. Every year I try to make them better, make the process faster, easier, neater. One of my few goals in life, hey? I start at 9 a.m.; they are wanted by 3 p.m. Today I had good peelers, I was actually done by 1:30 p.m. This time I checked the internet (much as I wish books were everything, I do really appreciate the instantaneousness of the internet) and found a way of cooking the eggs that was a bit different. They call for 9 min. I had to do a bit longer, because of the quantities, but it was quite accurate. I was amazed. It may have helped. I just think I had really good eggs today. One year I had desperately terrible ones, swore I would never ever do this again, but the lady who asks me said, "oh you will" and of course I do. Never let the eggs win!!! Over the years it gets easier, I acquired a lovely pampered chef tool that lets me dispense the filling in a very controlled and beautiful manner. I now know that the eggs will sit still on wax paper when I am filling them. I know that used croissant boxes are just the right size (this year I messed up, didn't eat any croissants until a couple weeks ago, and even then forgot that I needed the boxes, although I did keep it. I also used two clean cardboard boxes and a tupperware pie keeper. All my rectangular and flat tupperwares are currently busy in the freezer. I know which knives I prefer to cut with and that a damp paper towel is good for wiping out the interior shell of the egg in case you have that greenish stuff. I have somehow never managed to master eggs that don't oxidize. I think it is because there are so many and it takes so long. I think if you did them quickly, they would be fine. My new steamer also cooks eggs, but only half dozen or so. I suspect I will be making potato salad this weekend with the remains. I always make extra, for Bruce, as they are one of his favorites. Usually I cook 9 dozen, in order to get 6 doz that are perfect, but today for some reason I only cooked 7 or so. So there are about a dozen in the fridge for Bruce, and some chopped up ones that are either going into potato salad or egg salad. It really did go well today, Bron likes to peel and helped me when she got up at lunchtime, so she peeled a couple dozen for me. The only major problem today, and I look on it as a challenge, is that my sink is bunged up. I tried chemicals over the last couple weeks and finally Bruce bought a snake (thing to unplug drains) yesterday, but he wound up making it worse. Now the sinks won't drain at all and I suspect I won't be able to use the dishwasher for awhile either till it is fixed. The plumber was called last night, but of course, not home and not terrible reliable at calling back. It's good to be the only show in town. So today I did many dishpans of dishes where I dumped the dirty water into the toilet. I used to think that dishwashers wasted water, but I dumped a lot of full dishpans and didn't do that many dishes. AT least we have hot water and all the other drains are okay. Could be much much worse. Can't imagine what would have happened if the water had been shut off for instance. I guess the thing to do would be to go to the hall and do it there, but not the same as being in your own house with your own stuff. Today I did a bit different. I usually use miracle whip, yellow prepared mustard, sometimes sour cream or a bit of extra vinegar to give bite. Sometimes I make my own mayo, but I really think you need the tang of miracle whip. When I do my own mayo, I have to add something acidic for the tang. I don't think it is as good. And because you are making it for public, I feel you have to use pasteurized eggs if you are making a dressing from raw eggs and the boxed eggs cost as much as the miracle whip, so you may as well stick to that. Anyway this internet thing had a dash of worcestershire sauce in, so I tried that this year, plus I also added dry mustard. I think they were very nice this year. This time I did the filling in batches. Instead of one huge bowlful and trying to get it all smooth enough, etc. I did three batches in the mixer. I think that was less messy overall. Although the house reeks of egg now.
I went out around 2 to take these eggs, and to go to the lib and make posters. My assistant called the other day and quit, as of now, got another part time job in a correctional institution. Pay is way better. I must say I am dying of curiousity as to what he will do there. I can't say I blame him. He calls himself semi-retired. I am assuming that is what our generation will have to do, who will be able to just quit work and live on pension. Everyone at work who has retired from the rank and file in the past couple of years has gone on to find part time work. Can't live on their pensions. Makes me wonder what us part-timers will do. Work till we die, I figure. I think my pension at this point will pay for a loaf of bread, a stick of butter and a box of milk.
I was feeling quite downheartened at first.My assistant was just getting past the stage of making lots of mistakes, etc. Now I have to start over. And if it is as hard to get any applicants as last time....I live in fear. No one wants to work for three hours or so a week. I really liked when I had a retired lady, had her for two years. She was just fine, until her arthritis did her in and she had a hard time holding the books...My eyesight is getting worse, I am having a harder time reading the tags on the spines. Some are faded out, but I know I need stronger reading glasses. I find I can't even cook now without them. Can't read the backs of things for instructions, can't read the fine print recipe books. Blarg, middle age!
I find myself ignoring stuff when I can't read it easily. Have to be quite frustrated before I will go dig up the reading glasses. I think when they go on sale in Costco in April, I will buy lots and stash them all over. I already have one at my sewing table, one for the house and one in my purse and a weaker pair at my city work. I don't need them often there, must be the bright flourescents. I do find I need them at work when I am on the desk, for phone books and maps and such. So I plan to get a pair and stash them there, even though I am only on the desk so rarely.
Another Murphy's law thing. When I get extra shifts, work weekends, I complain that I am too busy. When I just work my normal shifts, seems like I don't have enough work. I notice the weekends just go though, even when I am not working. I had figured with weekends off, we could go visiting once the winter storms stopped. Could visit friends, could do stuff and what do I find myself doing on my weekends off? laundry, usually, housecleaning. This house is so dreadful. Year of neglect plus a kid who does not pick up after herself AT ALL. I got home at 5 today, after delivering posters, getting groceries, making sure everything was done. I come into the house for a well deserved rest. The kid had tickets to a home and garden show and wanted to go, so convinced her dad to take her and a friend. Strange outing for a 16 year old but she went last year and enjoyed it. Hmmm. Lots of people from work wanted to go. Might be nice if one had the cash to work on the home and garden....Anyway I come home and there are the pj pants, stepped out of in the middle of the living room, the laundry I folded for her last weekend, the dirty lunch dishes, the piles of other stuff she owns....EVERYWHERE! There is not a room in this house without her mark on it, except perhaps the room we use as a guest room/ office and i am pretty sure I could find stuff in there too if I looked.
I have this horrible desire to get my house in order and this horrible dread that tells me it will never happen. I am hoping with kids home this summer we could all work together, as I am never going to get it done on my own. As a matter of fact, right now I should be going through digital files, looking for photos to print as Costco has a coupon deal right now. And it is on my list of stuff to do soon. Trouble with digi cam is the photos are too easy to neglect. I want the instant gratification of seeing them on screen right away, but I also still want to have albums to page through later. Who knows what will happen to the ones in the computer. Even on the discs. A person needs to pick the best ones and put them on archival discs.
My uncle has 8 mm film of me as a baby and my parents (that was one thing my mother never got a chance to clip herself out of ) and I would love to have it. He did finally get it on videotape I believe, but won't send me a copy.....sigh. I know he wants us to visit in order to see it. I know we should go. Maybe later this spring....
I know that when they inter Grandma's ashes, there will be some kind of family thing. This is the other side of my family but the same area, so not far to go for a visit. Usually there isn't enough time to do both. Another rant of mine, the great "not enough time to spend with loved ones who live elsewhere" thing. We keep putting it off and next thing you know they are dead. I guess I feel so used up by my life. Seems all I can do to phone the oldest daughter once/week. Hadn't even called or seen Dad in a couple weeks here. Finally managed a call last night. Talked to the son one night, briefly. He is hard to get ahold of. I guess I should realize that if I have any energy at bedtime, that is when to get ahold of him. After ten. The daughter is two hours ahead, so early a.m. is best on weekends. By the time I get home during the week, she is often already in bed.....Don't know what I will do when the youngest goes. Or even if she starts dating. The house is already too quiet most of the time anymore. Two middle aged people and a barfing cat, that is who lives here most of the time.
okay well I could go on and on forever, as you well know. So I will wind this up. Today I am thankful for sunlight!!!!Yes, the sun!!!!!a Bit of springy weather and some light in this place. Seems to have been very dark lately. I am grateful for Harry Potter audio books and all the other good books that I have been reading lately. I am thankful that perhaps later I can have a lovely hot bubble bath!!! and the water will go down the drain on it's own. Truly a miracle. I can remember bathing in a galvanized metal tub, as a little kid, with my uncle and aunts, as they too were little kids. My grandparents didn't have any running water until a few months before they moved out of the house. That makes me feel ancient when I read what I have typed. My best friend's folks only had one cold water tap into their porch, so they also used the outhouse and such. They didn't move into a house with plumbing till after we graduated and left home .wow. The other day some of the ladies at the dinner theatre were talking about party lines. Now I remember that well. My friend and I always got told by the neighbours to get off the line. Just imagine today's cell phone toting teens coping with that???My daughter doesn't like using outhouses when camping even. Makes you think.
Yesss indeedy, thankful for indoor plumbing, toilet paper, kleenex, the internet, my cell phone and lovely direct lines. Not to mention movies you can see at home on your tv. Funny to think that it wasn't always like this. The oldest one keeps saying that on her birthday she will be closer to 30 than 20. I just laugh, but yeah, having a 25 year old, who was around when there was no VCR or any of that stuff, is also making me feel older.
However, I am still incredibly grateful for my three lovely and talented kids, who continue to amaze me. who knew it could be so much fun, shoulda had the fourth one as per the original plan. Probably could not have coped however. Three seemed to be just right. Funny coming from parents who only have one sibling between us.
Okay, going to play scrabble now and defeat the evil computer scrabble player. I am also grateful for that. My mother always wanted people to play with. I prefer people, but will take the computer as a poor substitute (after all, it can play four games in a row and not complain,even when I win!)
D.
I went out around 2 to take these eggs, and to go to the lib and make posters. My assistant called the other day and quit, as of now, got another part time job in a correctional institution. Pay is way better. I must say I am dying of curiousity as to what he will do there. I can't say I blame him. He calls himself semi-retired. I am assuming that is what our generation will have to do, who will be able to just quit work and live on pension. Everyone at work who has retired from the rank and file in the past couple of years has gone on to find part time work. Can't live on their pensions. Makes me wonder what us part-timers will do. Work till we die, I figure. I think my pension at this point will pay for a loaf of bread, a stick of butter and a box of milk.
I was feeling quite downheartened at first.My assistant was just getting past the stage of making lots of mistakes, etc. Now I have to start over. And if it is as hard to get any applicants as last time....I live in fear. No one wants to work for three hours or so a week. I really liked when I had a retired lady, had her for two years. She was just fine, until her arthritis did her in and she had a hard time holding the books...My eyesight is getting worse, I am having a harder time reading the tags on the spines. Some are faded out, but I know I need stronger reading glasses. I find I can't even cook now without them. Can't read the backs of things for instructions, can't read the fine print recipe books. Blarg, middle age!
I find myself ignoring stuff when I can't read it easily. Have to be quite frustrated before I will go dig up the reading glasses. I think when they go on sale in Costco in April, I will buy lots and stash them all over. I already have one at my sewing table, one for the house and one in my purse and a weaker pair at my city work. I don't need them often there, must be the bright flourescents. I do find I need them at work when I am on the desk, for phone books and maps and such. So I plan to get a pair and stash them there, even though I am only on the desk so rarely.
Another Murphy's law thing. When I get extra shifts, work weekends, I complain that I am too busy. When I just work my normal shifts, seems like I don't have enough work. I notice the weekends just go though, even when I am not working. I had figured with weekends off, we could go visiting once the winter storms stopped. Could visit friends, could do stuff and what do I find myself doing on my weekends off? laundry, usually, housecleaning. This house is so dreadful. Year of neglect plus a kid who does not pick up after herself AT ALL. I got home at 5 today, after delivering posters, getting groceries, making sure everything was done. I come into the house for a well deserved rest. The kid had tickets to a home and garden show and wanted to go, so convinced her dad to take her and a friend. Strange outing for a 16 year old but she went last year and enjoyed it. Hmmm. Lots of people from work wanted to go. Might be nice if one had the cash to work on the home and garden....Anyway I come home and there are the pj pants, stepped out of in the middle of the living room, the laundry I folded for her last weekend, the dirty lunch dishes, the piles of other stuff she owns....EVERYWHERE! There is not a room in this house without her mark on it, except perhaps the room we use as a guest room/ office and i am pretty sure I could find stuff in there too if I looked.
I have this horrible desire to get my house in order and this horrible dread that tells me it will never happen. I am hoping with kids home this summer we could all work together, as I am never going to get it done on my own. As a matter of fact, right now I should be going through digital files, looking for photos to print as Costco has a coupon deal right now. And it is on my list of stuff to do soon. Trouble with digi cam is the photos are too easy to neglect. I want the instant gratification of seeing them on screen right away, but I also still want to have albums to page through later. Who knows what will happen to the ones in the computer. Even on the discs. A person needs to pick the best ones and put them on archival discs.
My uncle has 8 mm film of me as a baby and my parents (that was one thing my mother never got a chance to clip herself out of ) and I would love to have it. He did finally get it on videotape I believe, but won't send me a copy.....sigh. I know he wants us to visit in order to see it. I know we should go. Maybe later this spring....
I know that when they inter Grandma's ashes, there will be some kind of family thing. This is the other side of my family but the same area, so not far to go for a visit. Usually there isn't enough time to do both. Another rant of mine, the great "not enough time to spend with loved ones who live elsewhere" thing. We keep putting it off and next thing you know they are dead. I guess I feel so used up by my life. Seems all I can do to phone the oldest daughter once/week. Hadn't even called or seen Dad in a couple weeks here. Finally managed a call last night. Talked to the son one night, briefly. He is hard to get ahold of. I guess I should realize that if I have any energy at bedtime, that is when to get ahold of him. After ten. The daughter is two hours ahead, so early a.m. is best on weekends. By the time I get home during the week, she is often already in bed.....Don't know what I will do when the youngest goes. Or even if she starts dating. The house is already too quiet most of the time anymore. Two middle aged people and a barfing cat, that is who lives here most of the time.
okay well I could go on and on forever, as you well know. So I will wind this up. Today I am thankful for sunlight!!!!Yes, the sun!!!!!a Bit of springy weather and some light in this place. Seems to have been very dark lately. I am grateful for Harry Potter audio books and all the other good books that I have been reading lately. I am thankful that perhaps later I can have a lovely hot bubble bath!!! and the water will go down the drain on it's own. Truly a miracle. I can remember bathing in a galvanized metal tub, as a little kid, with my uncle and aunts, as they too were little kids. My grandparents didn't have any running water until a few months before they moved out of the house. That makes me feel ancient when I read what I have typed. My best friend's folks only had one cold water tap into their porch, so they also used the outhouse and such. They didn't move into a house with plumbing till after we graduated and left home .wow. The other day some of the ladies at the dinner theatre were talking about party lines. Now I remember that well. My friend and I always got told by the neighbours to get off the line. Just imagine today's cell phone toting teens coping with that???My daughter doesn't like using outhouses when camping even. Makes you think.
Yesss indeedy, thankful for indoor plumbing, toilet paper, kleenex, the internet, my cell phone and lovely direct lines. Not to mention movies you can see at home on your tv. Funny to think that it wasn't always like this. The oldest one keeps saying that on her birthday she will be closer to 30 than 20. I just laugh, but yeah, having a 25 year old, who was around when there was no VCR or any of that stuff, is also making me feel older.
However, I am still incredibly grateful for my three lovely and talented kids, who continue to amaze me. who knew it could be so much fun, shoulda had the fourth one as per the original plan. Probably could not have coped however. Three seemed to be just right. Funny coming from parents who only have one sibling between us.
Okay, going to play scrabble now and defeat the evil computer scrabble player. I am also grateful for that. My mother always wanted people to play with. I prefer people, but will take the computer as a poor substitute (after all, it can play four games in a row and not complain,even when I win!)
D.
posted by Diana @ 5:25 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home