1. Why is it that consulting different doctors never yields the same diagnosis? I'm of a mind that medical opinions (2nd, 3rd or 4th) are as unique as the person who gives them. I'm looking for consensus. Turns out all they give me are more avenues to explore.
2. What do you do when your child takes forever to use the toilet? I've made our potty place a comfortable area to spend time in, that's what I have done. Without realizing, I've amassed quite a stack of books and magazines and put in a comfortable floor cushion for the inevitable wait. The kid has his toys too. His favorite being the toilet roll. The child is into sculpting with Charming and still seems to care nothing about the true business at hand.
3. I'm a such a klutz you cannot imagine. I come, I slip, I fall, that's me. Is there a Latin veni version of this? Anyone? Anyway, old age has nothing to do with it because I've been this way since forever. The hubby has been trained to hang onto my elbow real good. In fact, my ungraceful propensity to hug floor is an inherited trait. Witness the following anecdote as evidence: One time, I was going down the metal steps into the lower level of a bateau mouche and of course, I slipped. At the bottom, two back-packing friends picked me up, dusted me off and sat me down to commiserate and chat. Do you live in Paris? they asked me. No, I'm a tourist just like you, I replied. Are you here by yourself? No, my family is still on the upper level. Not half a minute later, we hear another unfortunate soul bang their way down the same steps. Without missing a beat nor turning around I said: And that will be my mother, how nice, now I can introduce you to her. My father's distressed voice confirmed the truth of my guess. You should have seen their expressions, to say comical would not even have begun to describe it.
4. What brought on the klutz confession? Yesterday I slipped on a spill (I've got built-in GPS for those) and fell smack on my rump in the middle of the supermarket. No harm done but I think Krogers feared a lawsuit. If only they knew how much of a billionaire I'd be had I ever cashed in on any of those opportunities.
5. I cooked quails yesterday and I winged the recipe. You heard it. Is that sophisticated or what? I caramelized some onions, added chicken stock, white wine and some jarred flageolets. Then some fresh tomato chunks, a bit of tomato paste, about a teaspoon of turmeric, salt, pepper, chopped garlic and a bay leaf. Set it all in a dutch oven and while that simmered I browned the boneless quail and then added them to the pot. I left everything on low heat for a long time. When they were done, the quails were almost coming apart. The husband and I shared a bottle of Shiner Bock and tucked it all in with some crusty Ciabatta bread. A good meal if I do say so myself.
6. Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's day. My husband is taking the day off from work and we are spending it together like we've done for the past three years. Nothing major. We go to a movie, a nice lunch and some walking around while our hands remain super-glued together for the day. Muy romantico let me tell you.
7. My marriage and my kid spell b-l-i-s-s for me but sometimes, I like to temporarily change the wife cape for that of girlfriend without a kid. It's amazing what this kind of hooky playing does for my psyche. It feels like the Energizer bunny has come a-calling.
8. I've been noticing my son hums in tune. He likes to sing and loves to dance. When a favorite song plays, he starts gyrating and stomping and all sorts of un-choreographed moves just burst forth from him. Delightful to watch. Observing him enjoy himself is wonderful but things get even better when I too let go of my self-consciousness and join in on the fun.
9. I've become a great Banksy fan. Finally. It took me a while to wrap my polite self around his engaging but sometimes harsh irreverence. Ingenious and witty is how I see him first and foremost as well as on the vanguard of art that is different. Wish I could see some of his graffiti work with my own two eyes and not through a photograph.
Photo by Solarider
10. As traveling is on my mind since we'll be doing a fair bit of it during the next couple of months, I have a confession to make. I am NOT a light traveler. For lack of a better comparison, let's just say that I'm the Airbus A380 of luggage carriers. This quirk (and it is a quirk) drives my husband i.n.s.a.n.e. You would think that if I had to find myself a partner for life, I would have at least chosen one who did not take 3 days to research the kind of luggage he wants to buy. In his view, major pluses for buying are weight, lightness of material and how tiny the suitcase can be. Yes indeed. The husband is somewhat freaky about what he uses to transport his belongings when he travels, and major-ly freaky about what goes into the suitcase. For instance, he questions the sanity of my decision to include a full-sized Rowenta iron in my list of must take items or, he complains incessantly about the number of shoes I have to take with me. I need to start wearing him down for the upcoming trips. We are going to a wedding and then we will be traveling to see his relatives abroad. Can any two occasions demand the best in outfit changes (for kiddie and myself) as well as the necessity for a handy dandy 4lb iron? Not in my book and, that is how things will continue to be if you want to remain married to me.
11. I iron everything. From pillowcases to bedsheets. My son's clothes definitely. He always looks pressed and clean if I have anything to do with it. My clothes and my husband's clothes even the underwear (I won't tell you whose). Guess.
12. I feel jealous, TERRIBLY jealous of my husband getting the first ever unsolicited I love you from our son. You should have seen it. It played like a slow-mo movie moment.
INT. MUD ROOM - AFTERNOON
MAN twists key inside lock and opens door. LITTLE BOY stares intently from inside as door opens.
|
MAN Hello! hello! how's my R___ jan jan? |
LITTLE BOY
(yelling happily and launching himself at man)
Babi jan! I wuv you!
You see? I told you it played like something out of a movie.
I always look forward to stopping by your blog on Wednesdays for the Leaping Thoughts list! (I hope re: #1, everything is ok) You are simply a wonderfully talented writer.
ReplyDeleteAnd I really enjoy the links on your blogroll as well, they always lead me to new and interesting places!
(P.S. Can't wait to see what you've cooked up!)
Yes, it does read like a script.
ReplyDeleteAnd as to cashing in on the klutz factor - perhaps you could actually hire out to find lawsuits waiting to happen, finding dangerous areas before unsuspecting customers do. You could launch a new industry.
I would like to live in your house. At least when you are serving up quail that you've cleverly prepared sans menu. That is impressive and while I love to cook, I'm not quite ready for the big of a commitment. Ill-prepared quail would make me cry.
ReplyDeleteAnd I LOVE the story of you and your mother stumbling down the stairs, moments apart. I had to read it a couple of times to make sure I was really seeing what I thought I was. Two very elegant women making that sort of an entrance is very amusing.