sunny side up

hello kitties!

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. This house just isn't meant to be cat-less.  I know that doesn't mean I had to go and acquire two kitties, but they had been rescued together in Huntington Beach and are mother and son.  How could I split them up?

The smaller one is the mom, a little over a year old.  She was sold into child prostitution and then abandoned by a fat cat pimp (I'm thinking an orange tabby in a three piece suit, long fur coat, smoking a cigar). She roamed the streets and alleys with her baby boy until rescued by a fine churchgoing woman. At least that's what I glean from my interviews with the two felines.

The gray "baby" looks a lot like Hamlet, only at 7-8 months he's already far larger than Hammy at his top fighting weight.  He's a brute, but the most aggressive thing he's said so far is "myew?"  He's a gentle giant with a beautiful thick and shiny charcoal coat.  He likes smooth jazz, embroidery, and the sound of waves crashing on rocks. 

We had trouble coming up with names at first. Nothing really stood out except that the gray one looks like a chunky version of Hamlet. Actually, he sort of looks like he ate Hamlet.  Whole. The kids were calling him "Chubbs," but I thought that too undignified and oafish. So we all agreed that his official name is Lord Chubblesworth of Huntington South, Successor to the Throne of Hamlet.  The kids call him Chubbs.

Lord Chubblesworth of Huntington South, Successor to the Throne of Hamlet: "Myew?"

The mommy cat has a stunningly dark dark black coat, very shiny and soft.  She's a Pisces (and she likes to eat pisceses as well).  She found herself knocked up when she was but four months old, and her owners moved away, leaving her and her puppies to roam the mean streets of Surf City.  She is little and skittish  and her bright eyes look like candy.  Ladies and Gentlemen, give it up for . . .

Lady Skittles of Huntington South

So far everyone is adjusting nicely to the new arrangement.  The kitties are quite sweet and affectionate, perhaps grateful that someone else is catching food for them so they don't have to.  Please join me in welcoming these furry additions.  Keep your fingers crossed that, as they say, two is better than one.

long ago, and oh so far away

Although they haven't seen the movie "Juno," my kids love the soundtrack for its plethora of audio-tatooable songs.  In the right mood I like many of the songs, too, but I still cannot listen to Sonic Youth's cover of that Carpenter classic, "Superstar."  Each time the track comes up I tell myself to give it a full hearing, to not think of the original.  But every time they begin, "Lonnnng ago, and oh so far away . . ." with that whispery dirgelike tone I always picture a bunch of black-t-shirted zombies walking the streets at night in search of braaaaaaains!  You think I'm kidding but I'm totally for reals.

Go here and here for the two versions and then pray tell do you see zombies when you watch Sonic Youth? Is it just me that finds something more haunting and lovely in The Carpenters' version?  I'm not saying Karen was lovely (although when I was a kid I adored her).  I'll grant that she looks like her brother Richard in a wig. Poor Karen had issues, but she could pour her heart into a song.

Discuss.

_________

Incidentally, although most people believe "Superstar" was written by Karen & Richard Carpenter, it was not.  The writers, Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett, got the idea for the song came from Rita Coolidge, who suggested a song about a groupie in love with a rock star.  The rock star she had in mind was none other than Eric Clapton.  Oh god, not Eric Clapton!

god is great god is good let us thank him for our food amen

This is probably one of the best soups I've ever had. A friend of mine copied it out of the (excellent) Simple Suppers cookbook by The Moosewood Collective. I make it a lot during the harsh winter months, when temperatures drop to the low 50s and I have to wear a sweatshirt and  my flip flops go unworn.  I insist that you try this soup even if you think you are turned off by the idea of peanut butter, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and cabbage in the same pot.  Trust me, Indonesian Sweet Potato soup is nothing short of amaaaaazing. 

Sometimes I think that simply performing the first step--heating the garlic, ginger, and cayenne in olive oil--is all I need to feel satisfied because it smells incredible.  But then I get lusty and want more, want to actually ingest it, so I end up making a big pot of the soup.  Ohhh, peanut butter--isn't there anything you can't do?

***

Relatedly, here's one of my favorite recipes from a book called Gross Me Out: 50 Nasty Projects to Disgust Your Friends and Repulse Your Family. Kai got it from the library a few weeks ago, and he and Bell take great delight in reading it together.  It's their thing.  I usually read him silly poetry or wacky adventures (like the wonderful works of Margaret Mahy, but not her YA stuff), but one night we had nothing to read so he asked me to gross him out.  Most of the recipes are silly attempts at being disgusting, but I have to admit this one for Curdled Milk Pancreas with Salsa Green Bile actually did manage to kind of gross me out.  At the same time, there's a part of me that can't wait to try it.  If you happen to get to it first, please send pictures. 

Bon Appetit, now you may eat.

love unfolds

You know, I'm pretty much a low maintenance woman.  I do not demand (much less want) jewelry, flower or an expensive dinner for Valentine's Day (but I'll take the dark chocolate).  Still, I love the fact that my man makes me a homemade card every year.  Those that know him probably think of him as an analytical guy, and that he is.  But he is also, in fact, quite creative and artistically talented.  This year, he outdid himself with an original piece of origami that folds into a heart and unfolds to reveal a sweet message inside. 

This is our little family tradition, the homemade cards. It takes thought, and time, to come up with something (indeed, Bell apparently spent the greater part of Thursday working through the folds) and execute it. That is why it is far more meaningful to me than a store-bought anything.

A few years back, Jade began take up her own card-making, and this year Kai got in on it without prompting from anyone.  A few days before Valentine's Day I saw him running back and forth to the table where the kids do their crafts, calling out for me not to come in the room. He was so proud of himself that he told Bell that he had made me a card.   Apparently Kai also told him that he had made a card for him (Bell) as well, "since I had a piece of paper left over."  Isn't that sweet (sort of)?

Every year I make Bell a card that includes a poem entitled, "10 Things I Love About You," and it differs from year to year.  I like that it makes me reflect on the little things he does (like how he stirs the peanut butter because he now knows I detest that task) as well as the big things (like tolerating my clutter despite his highly organized sensitivities or like how he's still HAWT) and then force myself to rhyme them.  We also make a "10 Things" card for each of the kids: when you think of it, kids get bossed around a hell of a lot on a daily basis.  It's nice to be able to say to them, "Don't think that we haven't noticed how you draw funny cartoons or make your classmates laugh, and how you are so sweet for sharing with your little brother and singing songs to yourself all alone in your room. We love these things about  you.  Now please go pick up that wet towel off the bathroom floor!" 

***

And finally, here's a cute little story about My Honey that appeared in the OC Register last week. When he was on sabbatical last semester I'd come home from work sometimes and see his wetsuit dripping in the garage and wonder how on earth one manages to write a book when there's a swell. Because the ocean, she is a tempting seductress. Now we know.

keepin' my heart on

Ah, beef: it's what's for dinner.  Is anyone else surprised to learn a cow's heart is shaped like this?

As every year, this year Jade made all the Valentines for the girls in her class and opted for store-bought ones for the boys. But this time she decided she wanted these really cheesy Hannah Montana valentines specifically for that reason. 

Well hello, Pop Princess!

Hannah Montana says, "Live Your Dreams, Valentine."  Live. Your. Dreams.

"Find Yourself in YOU!" Because you're good enough, and you're thmart enough, and darn it--people like you!

Jade realizes how much 11 and 12 year old boys are going to appreciate these.  The answer is, not at all.  So, snaps to her for getting their goats.

Here is one of my favorite valentines, mostly because it came from an excellent episode of the Simpsons entitled "I Love Lisa" (Season 4).  Why, I was so amused by this ep that at our wedding, when the time came for Bell to recite the part of our vows (which we wrote) that went, "I choose you, above all others," I began laughing uncontrollably because all I could think of was Ralph Wiggum saying, "I choo-choo-choose you, and there's a picture of a train!"  There stood Bell, all serious and looking like a male model and committing his life to me, and I laughed so hard my stomach hurt and tears filled my eyes. Right in his face! But hey!  He still cho-cho-chose me.

Speaking of Ralph Wiggum, this Valentine is kinda lonely and pathetic:

"Whoosh you'd love me." It calls to mind those conversation hearts, specifically that one that used to say "Sad Sack."  It  has been discontinued.

And speaking of sad sacks, I think I can finally admit this without feeling like a total shit, but once when I was in college I broke up with a guy on Valentine's Day.  After dinner.  I know!  But it's not entirely my fault because I had been planning to break up and then my friends were all, "No! You can't break up before Valentine's Day, that's so mean!" and I'm all, "But, .... But..." and they're all, "Noooooo!  Just wait until after Valentine's Day. Don't be mean!" and I'm all, "Okay, I guess you're right. I don't want to hurt him." 

So we had a nice dinner, not romantic or anything (at least for me, because I had already checked out of the relationship) and then we got in the car to drive back to his place when I realize he would want to be kissin' on me at some point.  Now, I don't know 'bout you, but once I know I don't like someone "in that way", the very idea of having them touch me gives me the worst case of the ickies imaginable and I want to throw up.  I have a verrrrry low threshold for things I don't like if they require my involvement or participation in any way (like, obviously, a lame duck boyfriend, or a job I don't want).  I'm inclined to exit stage left immediately.

The long and short of it is that right there in the Celica, driving back to his place, I decided I had to break up so as to put the kibosh on him kissin' on me.  Midnight, and therefore non-Valentine's Day, was another two hours away.  I couldn't wait. I mean, I still wanted to be friends and all; it wasn't him, it was me. Needless to say, it didn't go over well.  I think he whooshed I loved him.  Alas, I could not. The End.

"Need a little spooning?"  Or perhaps you'd be more satisfied with a good fork.

Go out there and Live your dreams, Valentines!

 

you do the math

How come every time I fill out a form at a medical, dental, optometrist, or other healing arts office I get these two questions right next to each other:  "Date of Birth" and "Age"?

what are we--chopped liver?

Kai's classroom did a Valentine's Day-related project for which they drew a picture and wrote about who they love.  Pretty much everyone else in the class wrote things like, "I love my family" or "I love my parents" or "I love my baby sister."  Kai wrote, "I love my stuffed animals."

It wouldn't make me feel so unloved as a parent if Jade had not also expressed utter disregard for her family when asked what she was thankful for at Thanksgiving one year.  In second grade, while all the other kids wrote of gratitude for their loving families, Jade wrote: "I am thankful that the octopus has jet propulsion."