Random Notes from the Sandwich Life
1. There was great celebration in the land when the boys heard there would be no school today because of the cold. Poor Ernie was probably looking forward to more than one day without anyone in the house but there you go. I assume they won't have it tomorrow either as I believe the forecast gets worse but we shall see. I find myself terribly jealous....oh for the want of a snow day....
2. I spent a lot of time over break reading books online----some I bought, some were free. Reading a ton of free books just made me realize the sanctity of the editing process. GET AN EDITOR PEOPLE! Good GOD. I'm sure I could take my own advice, but EDIT, EDIT, EDIT!
3. The first day I managed to make it downstairs to the couch with the flu I wasn't even up for reading. Instead I watched hours of HGTV, including part of a Property Brothers marathon. I was fascinated with how exactly the same every finished room looked. Not completely of course....but DAMN close. Lots of HUGE marble islands in the kitchen, God forbid there should be a wall to inhibit the open floor plan, and of course the mid-century-esque couch...and maybe some whimsical touches of color. Every single one. It's not that the rooms didn't look good...I just couldn't get over how cooky cutter. I guess my torn wallpaper and small rooms make me special. I'll look at it that way.
4. The other day Leo popped his head in my room and told me that Owen was reorganizing his desk and shelves (Owen's on a kick...he's really good at it too). Then Leo gave me one of those sweet smiles of his and said, "I found a card from Aunt Judi. It said, "I love you, and Wally loves you too." I almost felt tears but I held them back. He confided, "I put the card on my shelf. I'm so glad I found it." Sometimes I've got no words. I adore that boy.
5. Sometimes, when you want to kill them, you just have to remind yourself.
6. I played this for video for somebody yesterday and it tickles me that I always get the same response. OH MY GOD THIS IS AMAZING! Of course the most fun ever was watching it with my beloved Sergio.
7. The stove person came out and said the board shorted out but that he didn't think it had anything to do with us, that things looked fine on our end. Ernie has to call today and talk to someone to figure out what they're going to do. Sigh.
8. Our stove burners still work so I made a random chicken stew kind of thing that turned out to be fantastic. I had three chicken leg quarters---halved them, browned them, threw in three leftover Italian sausages and browned them, removed them from the pan and then browned a couple of chopped onions and a pound of button quartered button mushrooms. I added in a tablespoon or so of thyme, salt and pepper, some red pepper flakes and a teaspoon or two of smoked paprika. Then I loaded the chicken and sausage back in, threw in the chopped kale I hadn't used the night before during the stove debacle, some turkey stock I found in the freezer and a large can of crushed tomatoes. We simmered that all together for an hour or so and then added a cup or so of rice and cooked it until that was done. It turned into a wonderful jambalaya-but-not kind of thing. Perfect for a cold night!
9. And on that cheery note I will leave you and drag myself out into the cold to go to work. At least I have good leftovers for lunch, huh? Lord I'm dull these days.