cover art

I'm collecting potential album covers for Owen's future career as a
genre-bending recording artist.

First, he'll start with a teen-heartthrob album, just to get on the map.

But his sophomore album, an alt-country/bluegrass EP with loads of guest artists will prove he's no one-trick-pony.

The post-punk album will be next, a bit of anti-establishment, protest rage.

Then he'll bust out the long-awaited hip-hop album.

And, of course, a collection of holiday songs. One the whole family can enjoy.

a real resolution

My tendency toward self effacing humility and sarcasm, while acceptable in social situations, is entirely unproductive in my professional life. In 2012 I will cut this shit out.

i love a man in the kitchen

we know how to party

Thursday: 8 hours in the car.
Friday: 8 hours of crazy committee meeting prep, delivery & debrief.
Sat: 8 hours in the car.

Today: Post Successful Committee Meeting Hangover. (& not from celebrating-- unless you call a Wendy's hamburger from the drive-thru in central Illinois a celebration).  I opened my computer to make a few edits and send a few follow-up emails and my eyes crossed immediately.

Bright side: They said I'm on track to defend in the spring!
#grad2012 #longtimecomin'  #PhD

Owen was so excited for me that he did a little victory dance.

This trip back to STL was my first time away from Owen.  We both fared very well, thank you very much, although Owen seems to have grown 4 inches and put on 5 pounds while I was gone. He is enormous.

we're still here, it's just that here has moved.

In the interest of (practically abandoned) blog-as-(poorly updated)-journal, I suppose I should mention that  we're in Ann Arbor for the year.  Adam is spending the year doing this.  I'm spending the year doing this, this, and this. I'm also trying to not be too distracted by his thing, which is way more fun and involves interacting with fantastically interesting people, whereas my work involves dropping the kiddo at daycare so I can stare at my blank screen in peace.  Actually, I wish it were blank. [No, no, I don't.  Dear Lightning Bolt: I kid!] But it would be more serene that my two options right now: a) a screen full of three colors of Track Changes; b) screen full of source code and error messages (Serious Nerdery).

My other big plan for the this fall is to sample every cider donut in a 50 mile radius.
Go Big or Go Home.

vacay

NINE! Count 'em, 9 months.

I don't know how we managed to get this far along, but here we are.

Trite things people say, that are completely, 100% true:

• It Gets Better
• Babies are Awesome
• Don't be too excited for your kid to start being mobile
• My baby is brilliant

do not drink this.

The first thing that you need to know is that I do not like pink drinks.

When Adam & I got together he was spending the summer working as a bartender. I batted my eyelashes at him and he sent over a Stoli Razberry & soda, which I promptly returned, thank you very much, and asked him for a whiskey instead.

I guess that drink wasn't actually pink, but it tasted pink. I like my liquor brown.

One advantage to liking whiskey is that it does not require fancy drinks-mixs-ings skills. I don't even really like to mess with any ice, unless I'm trying to pace myself.

But I'm not drinking whiskey right now, as I am still breastfeeding. I feel comfortable with a little nightcap of beer or wine, but I feel a little shifty hitting the hard stuff too much when the beast could wake at any moment. The only thing is that the weather around here has been nearly PERFECT for three days straight. PERFECT! In the STL! It is positively unheard of. It is regal. It is epic. It calls for light refreshing cocktails. Plain old beer & wine will not cut it in weather such as this.

Meanwhile, these people have all been twittering it up about this new rhubarb flavored soda & and the ways in which they are mixing magic with it & various form of the hooch.

And so I started thinking...

I like rhubarb.

I like strawberries.

I like refreshing beverages.

And so it came to pass:

Ingredients:

-Vodka

-DRY Rhubarb soda

-Strawberries

-this really licorice-y basil from my garden

Slice strawberries and place in shaker with the basil. Keep one of each for garnish.

Muddle a bit.

( OK, so it turns out that it is kind of hard to muddle strawberries that aren't overly ripe. Hack at them as best you can)

Pour in some vodka. (make sure the lid is on tight or it will leak * ehem*)

Shake. (make sure you let it all drain back down before you pop the lid back off, or it will leak all over your counter *ehem*)

Strain into glass.

(So.... I don't know if it is my shaker or if the strawberry chunks were in the way or what, but the liquid wouldn't come out. So I had to pop the lid and pour it into a big strainer)

Add Rhubarb soda & garnish.

And there you have it.

And what you have, sir, is pink.

And not very good.

Not at all like the strawberry rhubarb pie that I'd imagined.

Some things that might perk it up:

-sugar. Eventhough I hate sweet drinks, I think this one could use a little more.

-limes. Because what cocktail doesn't benefit from limes?

-or, ideally, both. As well as some other kind of fancy liquor that I don't know about.

I never claimed to be a bartender.

first father's day (belated!)

Well done, sir.

Pops

Happy Father's Day Dad!
Happy Birthday Grandpa!