The morning after

Sort of how I felt the morning after all that eating.

But it sure was good.
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving; spent with family and friends.

Love,
M

Ubiquitous post about Thanksgiving meal prep

I thought I'd bore give you an enlightening post about my T-Day plans. Of which I have already started the prep for. Aren't I all proactive?

Things that have been chopped,

1. onions
2. peppers
3. green onions
4. garlic
5. olives (black and green)
6. bread (this is more cubed but who's quibbling)
7. celery
8. carrots

Things that are sort of done,

1. compound butter (I could live on this stuff)
2. herb cream cheese
3. cubed bread has been toasted

Things that will be done today,

1. Turkey drowning (soaking in brine)
2. dressing will be assembled
3. mushrooms will be prepped for stuffing with herb cream cheese listed above.
4. sweet potatoes will be cooked
5. eggs will be boiled
6. fresh sage picked and washed for gravy and dressing, some reserved for frying. 
7. all the rest of the veggies will be prepped.
8. lots of sauteing

Things we will be eating tomorrow,

Appetizers: 

• herb cream cheese stuffed mushrooms
• Greek style Deviled eggs
• roasted red pepper soup sniffers

Drinks:

• Blood orange sodatini (stopping at the liquor store on the way home for vanilla vodka per Be's suggestion. Not exactly sure how much I'll get done after that. There could possibly be some experimentation going on.) 
• wine

Dinner:

• Turkey (yes, I do a turkey for the family. Me? I've got my heart set on an amazing amount of carbs and Deviled eggs)
• cheesy garlic mashed potatoes with sage gravy
• spicy faux sausage dressing
• sweet potatoes (I'm thinking Jan's vanilla ones)
• green beans (not sure how fancy I'll get with these)
• asparagus (not sure how fancy I'll get with these either)

 Dessert:
Since we are not big dessert eaters I'm foregoing the pie and going with a fruit, nuts, cheese and dark chocolate plate. And, more wine.


Dr. Boy has to work at 4pm (health care workers rarely get time off for holidays) so we will be eating early. Say around 2pm. I plan for suspect that the carb coma and alcohol haze will set in around 4pm and last most of the evening hours.

There's the rundown. I think I've got all the basics covered. There are only 4 adults at our house this year hence the small menu and quantities of each menu item. We should enough for the best part of any huge meal...leftovers!

You all have a great holiday.
Love,
M

PS: for those wondering, everything is vegetarian with the exception of the turkey, of course. This blended family thing will promptly come to an end when Dr. Boy goes off to med school in the fall. JR will have to get his meat at restaurants from then on.

Whoops! I'm totally scattered these days.

I've been a less than fruitful blogger these days. I don't know why and I just don't seem to have the energy to dissect it. So I'll leave it at that.

I was in Austin last week for a couple of days. Austin seems to be my home away from from these days. I make the drive so often that it really only feels like an hour drive when it really it takes 3. This last trip was rather eventful. I got rear ended by a 30-something woman. No one was hurt but she was so emotional that I just felt that I had to hug her. I'm a hugger as any of you who have met me will attest to. The bumper of my car didn't fare quite as well. A quarter of it fell off. She must of hit it just right for that to happen. Anyone know of anyone that works for claims at Progressive (wink, wink) that can make this fix seamlessly?

Yesterday when I got into the office sitting on the floor was these 2 rather largish book boxes. I first panicked, thinking that I'd ordered some expensive books then forgot about it. Hey! it happens. I opened the packing slip to find that there were 16 free books in the 2 boxes. I was crazy surprised. You see, awhile back I helped out on a book that the Houston Chronicle did titled "Houston 175". (And, when I say helped out what I really mean is that I stuck my nose in, floundered around a bit and pretty much was useless.)These books were a gift to thank me, I guess. After passing them out to a few worthy people, i.e. my photo tech that worked as hard or harder than I did, my boss and a few others I'm left with quite a few books. I think I smell a give away. What about you?

I'm furthering my love affair with eggs. I even took some leftover fettuccine alfredo, made them into cakes, fried them then served poached eggs over top. Yeah, wasn't the best use of leftovers. Now, the leftover chili...that was a whole other topic.

With Thanksgiving coming up I will be making stuffed eggs. I love stuffed eggs and plan to mix it up somehow. Maybe, Greek style? A little feta cheese and some kalamata olives? It could work.

I think the signature cocktail this Thanksgiving will be a blood orange sodatini. JR picked up some of his favorite blood orange soda at Costco the other day. This is the only time of year they have it. Usually, he buys 3 cases but this year he refrained. Not exactly sure why but there you have it. Anyway, we've been known to mix this with some vodka and Grand Marnier in the past but we might have to try to mix it up. Any mixologists out there with ideas? Be?

The painting will be done this weekend. I worked on it this weekend. Faces! Bah! Never again. I'm dying here. I worry so much about getting everything right and if the owners will like it that I'm ready to chuck it. Even though JR says it is really good and that it looks like the little guys. yada yada yada. I'm not sure I believe him. Okay, I've said enough about my insecurities as a painter. I have plenty more about other things.

The last of the Halloween candy is gone. Thank heaven! I have no will power against the Almond Joy.

That is all I can think of at the moment. In fact, that pretty much drains my head. I still need to write up a story but that will have to wait a few days. My brain is in presentation mode. One from last week and two for next week. Because I'm not stressed enough.

I promise to stop into to visit ya'll as time permits.

Love,
M

Jimmy Fallon does Jim Morrison

This may be a little bit before some of your times but JR and I (old people) remember The Doors.





Reading Rainbow never saw this coming.

Love,
M

Wallpaper

I have a love/hate relationship with wallpaper.
I love the way it looks in pattern books and small swatches but
hate the way it looks on a wall.
More than anything I hate taking the stuff off the wall.

Years ago we moved into a 70s nightmare.

There was wallpaper on every wall of the house.

One bedroom had patriotic themed wallpaper, complete with eagles with arrows clutched in it's talons.

The bathroom in that bedroom had striped wallpaper, olive green, red, white and blue. It sort of matched the bedroom walls but not quite.

The shared bath had wallpaper with huge yellow and orange daisy type flowers with twining leaves on an avocado background. This must have been to compliment the bright yellow sink, toilet and tub. And, let's not forget the burnt orange background with yellow flower wall-to-wall carpet. I couldn't go in there. No really! I couldn't go period.

The living room had the least offensive wallpaper. It was a muted gold strip. Liveable.

The kitchen was something else all together. Picture if you will; avocado appliances and sink, lime green counters and back splash, maple country kitchen cabinets with hammered black iron hardware, tan wall-to-wall carpets (indoor/outdoor, mind you) and bright yellow flowered wallpaper (which came down immediately!). Yes, it was a site to behold.

These wallpapers have nothing to do with the ones found in our old house. These are from a German wallpaper pattern book from years gone by. They just sort of reminded me why I have developed this love/hate relationship. Plus, they are funky. And, graphic. And, I like me some funky and graphic. Don't you?

Love,
M

RTT - because I'm not scattered enough

So the whole premise of Random Tuesday Thoughts is to write a post that contains a bunch of random things that wouldn't make a whole post of their own but fill out a single post when combined. It was started by Keely, then it became a monster and her life sort of got in the way. Life and blogs sometimes do that. At least, that's what I've heard. So she graciously passed it onto Stacy, who has steadfastly continued even in the face of life getting all crazy-like.

I don't really have a whole lot of random going on right now but I'll try to come up with a couple of things.

Eggs.
Just eggs.
No, really I want a big round of applause for eggs. There is not a leftover in the world that isn't made better with an egg. Want proof? Sure you do. I wouldn't believe me either.

Leftover mozzarella, grape tomatoes and caper salad I had leftover from a party.  I baked them all together.

I started by broiling the tomatoes and capers. Added a little butter and cream. Heated that up. Added a couple of eggs and the little balls of mozzarella then baked until they were done. Served with sweet potato hash browns. Yummy!

Need more proof? Poached over stuffed red pepper. No photo. Ate too fast.




I've started a new painting. Mama Badger asked if I would paint her boys. She sent me a photo that scared the crap out of me. It was a full face picture of her little guys and it is adorable. BUT...full faced! I sat on it for quite awhile. Mostly, screwing up my courage to take on this...

I'm a little over half done. Trust me, once I get the boys' eye color they will look less like zombies and more like the sweeties they are. I've still got hands and faces to finish up. I never realized how hard hands are to get right. I'm not quite ready to say that I can do faces but this is not too bad. They are starting to look like the  photo. The shirts need a little work but otherwise it's coming along.  I can safely say...I rawk rocks. I may have to start doing painting of rocks. Of course, I suck at water so my paintings will have to consist of just rocks. Maybe a tree or two but no water. 



Our cherry tomato plant has 2 tiny tomatoes on it and lots and lots of flowers. I am thrilled! Our zucchini plant is loaded with flowers. I'm getting my hopes up that we'll see some fruit from those. The herbs are doing well, except the one basil plant that I think the squirrels dug up.


So that is it for me. I've got lamp black and phthalo blue on my hands. I must be the messiest painter ever.

Happy Tuesday.
Love,
M

I feel a story coming on

I feel like telling a story but have quite a few bubbling up to the top of my head. Right now I'm just not sure what story to tell. So I'll let you decide.

Pick a photo from the following 3 and I'll write a story about it sometime next week.

#1. Dog with pipe. Really? Who doesn't like to dress up their dog?

#2. Men in swimsuits. I have no idea why I picked this photo and no idea what story I can make out of it.

#3. A group of people dressed up in crazy costumes.This one has some potential. Potential for what I'm not sure.

I want to point out that I didn't pick photos that were easy. I consider easy one where I can tackle a social context. Comedy is so much harder than drama for me. Must be the academic writing mode I'm always in. That's why I'm leaving the choice up to you. Pick your favorite of these three photos and I'll write some sort of a story about it.

Oh and if anyone knows how to fix my site feed problem please let me know. I couldn't figure it out this morning but than again it is 5:47am. I haven't fully finished my cup of consciousness (aka coffee) yet.

Happy weekend everyone,
M

Listing a few things that I'm thinking about

Who doesn't like a list?


1. Some bloggers are vowing (maybe too strong a word but it is 5:57 am) to blog everyday this month. I applaud them for doing this because it gives me more to read while I sit at my dining table and drink my morning coffee. I will not be participating. I could never keep up that level of commitment. I'm just way too lazy.

2. I haven't lost the 5 pounds I gained on vacation. I should work on this. I should work out. They say exercise helps. I say it is a shortcut to the grave. *sign* time to get out the hand weights.

3. I had a few friends over on Saturday night. I put out a spread of small noshy sorts of food. Salads, bread, hummus, olives You know noshy. I've been using the leftovers of JR's breakfasts. First up was eggs baked with the leftover grape tomato mozzarella and caper salad. Truly yummy. The Greek barley salad will be wonderful wrapped in a tortilla with scrambled eggs. JR will love it. Creative use of leftovers is my specialty.

4. I have just got to get painting. I've started but haven't gotten past the sketch onto the canvas part. This is not good. This weekend will be a paint until I drop weekend.

foodnetwork.com

5. We took Doctor Boy (from now on known as DB. Not to be confused with DB Cooper. If you don't know who DB Cooper was/is I will cry because it verifies how truly old I am) out for dinner for his birthday. I had the fried pickle spears. Not good. Well, sort of good. The juice to breading ratio is off. The breading falls off. You must have that breading and pickle in the same bite. It is an imperative. My only recourse was to use a knife and fork. Fried pickles should never be a knife and fork type of food. And, don't even get me started with the whole double dipping thing.

seriouseats.com

6. Fried pickle chips (as opposed to spears) are some of the best bar food ever. Whoever came up with this idea is genius!!!

7. I burned my bottom lip on the fired pickles. Burned it bad enough to blister. I should sue. Or not. I could have shown some restraint. Maybe waited until they cooled a little but FRIED PICKLES!

8. The alumni association from my college finally caught up to me. Those people are insanely good at finding us. No matter where we move. Anyway, they want me to join. I've decided to write on the form that I tattooed the school logo on my hip (as a badge of honor don't ya know) so they should pay me.

9. This afternoon I teach my graduate course. We are walking down to the bar on campus. I can better teach preservation using beer as a metaphor.

10. I can just teach better with beer.


That's all for me. Have a great day everyone.

Love,
M

Something is just not right about this scenario

So, remember that little thing that happened to me back in August? 

That little thing that landed me in the hospital?

I've been paying for that little thing since the day I got out. No! Literally the day I left the hospital there was a bill from the hospital in the mail.

I think, though I'm not positive, that I have finally received and paid the last of the bills. As, I have been paying these bills I became very curious about who was billing what, who was paying what, and what were the balances to all this paper showing up in my mail. Okay, curious may not be the best word. Pissed off may be a better term. It seemed to me that the doctors were billing outrageous amounts, that the insurance company was adjusting that amount by a lot, and that the insurance company was either paying less out of pocket than I was or pretty close to the same. 

Turns out I was mostly right on all accounts. Instead of bludgeoning you with numbers let's look at a little visual I put together this morning, because I deal better in visuals.

 A 3.5 day stay at the hospital cost over $33 thousand dollars. Had I not had insurance I would have been responsible for ALL of this amount. No adjustments are granted to those that do not have insurance. You are on the hook for the entire amount. Unless you don't care about your credit rating, never want to buy a house, a car or anything else on credit for that matter.In that case you just skip out of the bill.

The insurance company decided that over $29K was just the doctors and hospital being silly. Which they probably were but if they didn't bill this high of an amount I suspect the insurance company would have still adjusted the total. Insurance companies love to take money, they are just not real good about paying that money out when they are supposed to. Funny how that is.

Now, let's get to the part that really pisses me off.( Besides the fact that most Americans are uninsured or under-insured because our legislators are pussies or corporate sell outs and the insurance executives are greedy assholes. Who obviously reduce me to swearing.) It's the $1483.19 that I had to pay out of pocket. While the insurance company paid $2185.83. I pay every single month for insurance. If you were to total those payments up for an entire year it would equal about $2400. That is just for me and does not include what I pay for JR. I have gone to the doctor a sum total of one time this year for a checkup. That's right folks. One time. I'm no mathematician but somehow I get the feeling that I'm getting the short end of this stick. What do I have to do to break even? Get sicker? Get sick more often?

It looks to me that I'm paying every single month to get that adjustment. Why don't they just give me the adjustment to start with and I'll stop paying my insurance premiums every month. I could put that money (looks like about 11%) into a credit union and earn a little interest. Maybe, get ahead? What a concept! 

And, don't give me that crap (not that I think any of you would) about you should put some of your money into the medical flex savings account. It's tax free! WhooHoo! I still have to have insurance and I rarely spend $1400 per year on out of pocket medical bills. As I understand it, according to the rules if you put money into a medical flex account you must spend all of it in a given year on medical bills, dental bills or stuff you pick up over the counter. Seriously, I can afford to buy aspirin when I have a headache. I can afford my prescriptions. I can afford my co-pay. And if I couldn't it was because I wasn't working so wouldn't be able to put into the flex savings account anyway. AND, If you don't spend it you lose it. What kind of a crazy ass system is that? I'm better off putting the money in a savings account every month. The interest may be not balance out what I pay in taxes but at least on Sept. 30th that money is still mine.

Whew!

Sorry about the rant. I think I just needed to get this off my chest. 

What are your thoughts on the medical insurance biz?

Love,
M