People. I have so much to say.
In our last episode, the new PC was packed up and ready to be shipped back from whence it came. It has since then been returned and credit has been received for that errant purchase. A few days later, I went to Best Buy and bought another Mac and can I just say how amazingly awesome it is? I can operate it. I can find things. I can back it up. It took me under two hours to transfer all my photos, music, and Firefox bookmarks. And dang, but that retina display is some kind of beautiful!
I also had to get MS Office for Mac and this newer version is much closer to what I have on my PC at work, so it's all going to work out and I don't have to complain about it any more. Aren't you glad?
I had a conversation with my brother about this whole evolution, and he asked how much more, percentage-wise, did it cost me to buy the Mac. The answer is 74% more. And it's worth every penny. I've drunk the Apple kool-aid and I'll never go back. They just make a vastly superior product.
In other news, I had two teeth prepped for crowns this week, and if that's not as bad as a root canal, I hope I never need one. Once you're numb you (obviously) don't feel anything, but the SOUND is horrific and I'm an anxious wreck the whole time. And once the novocaine wears off, your mouth feels like an army of tanks has plowed through. I'm still recovering. The one good thing about it is that you don't feel like eating much.
And speaking of eating, Ben and I are in a food rut. You know how you suddenly realize you hate everything you cook, nothing tastes good, and let's go out to eat? We are SO there. This morning I went to the commissary (which I do only once a month now since we have no kids at home), and what did they have on sale but huge, beautiful briskets! Have you ever cooked a brisket? Do it the way my Jewish grandmother did—easy, peasy and it will make a party in your mouth (better than an army of tanks).
Put the brisket in a 13x9 pan, fat side up (I trim some of the fat off, but leave enough to make it tender). Put uncovered in a preheated 500° oven for about 20 minutes to brown. Reduce oven heat to 300°. Mix half a bottle of chili sauce with half a bottle of water and pour that over the meat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, throw in a bay leaf and two quartered onions, cover tightly with foil, and put back in the oven. For a small brisket (or a half), bake it about 2.5–3 hours; for a big one, 4 hours. Cut in thin slices across the grain (that's important) and serve with mashed potatoes and fresh green beans. Amazing. I would show you a picture but I was too busy eating to take one.
Last weekend we went to New Jersey for my mother-in-law's 80th birthday party. In addition to the best pizza ever, we had more than our share of Wawa coffee and I made a startling discovery: New Jersey Wawa coffee is not as good as Virginia Wawa coffee. I was so surprised! We figured it must be the different water, but how sad is that? Those poor New Jerseyans!
Now I'm going to jump off here and go watch a movie with the hubs. Valentine's Day and all that.
Au revoir!
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Friday, February 6, 2015
Un-update!
Remember when I said I bought a PC? Remember how I was so excited at the PC version of Word and Excel?
I'm sending it back. It is at this very moment all packed up in its original container waiting to be taken to the FedEx store and shipped back to its maker. Two and a half weeks was all I could handle, and now I can't wait to get another Mac. I will never complain about Word for Mac again, ever. I promise.
I'm sending it back. It is at this very moment all packed up in its original container waiting to be taken to the FedEx store and shipped back to its maker. Two and a half weeks was all I could handle, and now I can't wait to get another Mac. I will never complain about Word for Mac again, ever. I promise.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Thursday thoughts.
Is that an okay title? I mean, it is an alliteration, but I think I called yesterday's post "Wednesday thoughts" or something. Or maybe not. It's been a long day.
Today I want to make a public admission.
If I were not married, I would run the heat and pay $400 electric bills every month. This wood stove thing is just so hard and I am not a pioneer at heart. I need someone who loves to burn wood and get up at 4:30 a.m. and put more fuel on the fire because I am not that girl and all this flame-coaxing is getting old. Ben was away for one night and it was a reality-check for me. I am spoiled and I like it.
Here's another thought I had today: my kids have pretty awesome friends who are kind enough to "friend" me on facebook or Instagram or Twitter and let me enjoy the fun, adventurous lives they lead. It's so neat to watch young people, and obviously I am my grandmother because I'm talking about watching young people.
Anyway, one young lady in particular who I am "friends" with on Instagram (who, incidentally, I have never met, @ohhhchelsea, also www.chelsealainefrancis.com) (isn't it amazing how everyone is known by their online identity? As if we're not really people, just megabytes in cyberspace.) reminds me every week that it's Thankfulness Thursday, and I always love to read what she's thankful for. It's not a put-on either. She really is a thankful person.
Today I am extra thankful for Wawa coffee and the block heater in the big diesel truck. I'm thankful for kids who listen to the Spirit of God and for the Spirit of God who speaks to them. I'm thankful for the ability to run (and take walk breaks if we're being honest) and I'm super thankful for frozen cookie dough blobs and hot-out-of-the-oven cookies after a longer-than-normal day at work.
I'm SO thankful the next day is Friday.
Today I want to make a public admission.
If I were not married, I would run the heat and pay $400 electric bills every month. This wood stove thing is just so hard and I am not a pioneer at heart. I need someone who loves to burn wood and get up at 4:30 a.m. and put more fuel on the fire because I am not that girl and all this flame-coaxing is getting old. Ben was away for one night and it was a reality-check for me. I am spoiled and I like it.
Here's another thought I had today: my kids have pretty awesome friends who are kind enough to "friend" me on facebook or Instagram or Twitter and let me enjoy the fun, adventurous lives they lead. It's so neat to watch young people, and obviously I am my grandmother because I'm talking about watching young people.
Anyway, one young lady in particular who I am "friends" with on Instagram (who, incidentally, I have never met, @ohhhchelsea, also www.chelsealainefrancis.com) (isn't it amazing how everyone is known by their online identity? As if we're not really people, just megabytes in cyberspace.) reminds me every week that it's Thankfulness Thursday, and I always love to read what she's thankful for. It's not a put-on either. She really is a thankful person.
Today I am extra thankful for Wawa coffee and the block heater in the big diesel truck. I'm thankful for kids who listen to the Spirit of God and for the Spirit of God who speaks to them. I'm thankful for the ability to run (and take walk breaks if we're being honest) and I'm super thankful for frozen cookie dough blobs and hot-out-of-the-oven cookies after a longer-than-normal day at work.
I'm SO thankful the next day is Friday.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Wednesday things.
Well this Wednesday turned out to be quite Monday-ish.
After Ben got up at 4:30 I never could go back to sleep, so I got out of bed at 5:30 and got the day going. Started some laundry, let the dog out, made coffee, read my Bible, let the dog back in (by this time he freezeth) and fed him, shifted laundry in the machines, and ate some breakfast. I had already decided to go to work an hour late since we were supposed to have a social media seminar at 3 and I knew I would be there late.
When I got to work at 8, both of my bosses were already there and let me tell you, that is unheard of. Sometimes Clarisse comes around 9, but JP NEVER gets there before 10 or 11. There seemed to be a good bit of tension when I came through the kitchen where they were talking quietly but I didn't stik around to find out the cause. Whatever. I went to my desk and finished formatting a 200-page book for translation, which I have been working on for over a week. When Maria came in at 9, I found out what all the early-to-work and stress was about.
Apparently we are submitting a proposal to a certain UN agency for a big translation project, only everyone forgot about putting the proposal together until late last night. Last time we submitted one, it took three weeks to compile. It is due Friday.
If there was a machine that could measure stress in the air, that sucker would have been pegged.
But we all lived through the day and tomorrow is a new one with no mistakes in it (thank you, L.M. Montgomery).
Oh, and here are two random pictures I took tonight.
I call this one "Applesauce Bokeh."
And this one is "Pete Wants My Dinner."
After Ben got up at 4:30 I never could go back to sleep, so I got out of bed at 5:30 and got the day going. Started some laundry, let the dog out, made coffee, read my Bible, let the dog back in (by this time he freezeth) and fed him, shifted laundry in the machines, and ate some breakfast. I had already decided to go to work an hour late since we were supposed to have a social media seminar at 3 and I knew I would be there late.
When I got to work at 8, both of my bosses were already there and let me tell you, that is unheard of. Sometimes Clarisse comes around 9, but JP NEVER gets there before 10 or 11. There seemed to be a good bit of tension when I came through the kitchen where they were talking quietly but I didn't stik around to find out the cause. Whatever. I went to my desk and finished formatting a 200-page book for translation, which I have been working on for over a week. When Maria came in at 9, I found out what all the early-to-work and stress was about.
Apparently we are submitting a proposal to a certain UN agency for a big translation project, only everyone forgot about putting the proposal together until late last night. Last time we submitted one, it took three weeks to compile. It is due Friday.
If there was a machine that could measure stress in the air, that sucker would have been pegged.
But we all lived through the day and tomorrow is a new one with no mistakes in it (thank you, L.M. Montgomery).
Oh, and here are two random pictures I took tonight.
I call this one "Applesauce Bokeh."
And this one is "Pete Wants My Dinner."
Saturday, January 24, 2015
And also the roast chicken recipe.
Mix together in a small bowl:
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Rinse two whole roasting chickens. (Fryers work, but roasters are better. I don't know why.) Rub them inside and out with the dry rub and put them in a roasting pan with sides. This is important because they'll make a lot of juice. Stuff half a peeled onion in each one.
Bake at 250° for 5 hours, uncovered. I know it sounds like a long time, but trust me. These are even better if you have foresight and rub them the night before. When I do this, I put them in the roasting pan, all ready to put in the oven, and cover tightly with plastic wrap, and put them in the fridge overnight.
If your family is like mine, they will stand around the bar in the kitchen and tear into the birds, thus saving yourself the trouble of setting the table and cleaning up a bunch of dishes. The leftovers (if there are any) make great enchiladas and all sorts of other casseroles. I always cook two at a time so I have some extra. Amen.
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Rinse two whole roasting chickens. (Fryers work, but roasters are better. I don't know why.) Rub them inside and out with the dry rub and put them in a roasting pan with sides. This is important because they'll make a lot of juice. Stuff half a peeled onion in each one.
Bake at 250° for 5 hours, uncovered. I know it sounds like a long time, but trust me. These are even better if you have foresight and rub them the night before. When I do this, I put them in the roasting pan, all ready to put in the oven, and cover tightly with plastic wrap, and put them in the fridge overnight.
If your family is like mine, they will stand around the bar in the kitchen and tear into the birds, thus saving yourself the trouble of setting the table and cleaning up a bunch of dishes. The leftovers (if there are any) make great enchiladas and all sorts of other casseroles. I always cook two at a time so I have some extra. Amen.
Just for you, Connie. :)
If there's one thing that is crucial in the world of blogs, it is faithful readers. At the height of my blog-writing career, I might have had twenty regular readers, those who were here every day, or at least every day I wrote, and left encouraging comments.
Then I walked away from the blog because of a full-time job and wrote fewer than ten times in a year and a half. And you know what? When there's nothing to read, readers leave. It's amazing how that works.
But there are those rare people in the world who stick by you, and—amazingly—still show up to read after an extremely long writing drought. Connie is one of them, and she even remembered about the pumpkin bread! And asked me to re-post the recipe. So here it is, Connie, just for you. Thanks for hanging around.
The famous pumpkin bread recipe:
Combine in a bowl:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
In the bowl of a mixer, beat 2 sticks softened butter with 1 3/4 cups sugar until fluffy. Add 2 eggs and beat. Add 2 more eggs and beat well. Now add the dry ingredients alternately with 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (I usually use a whole small can, which is a little more than that, but it works.) At the end, stir in a cup of chocolate chips.
Divide batter between two 9x5 loaf pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for about an hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Try not to eat it all in one sitting.
Also, newer computers scroll backwards. I just thought you should know.
Then I walked away from the blog because of a full-time job and wrote fewer than ten times in a year and a half. And you know what? When there's nothing to read, readers leave. It's amazing how that works.
But there are those rare people in the world who stick by you, and—amazingly—still show up to read after an extremely long writing drought. Connie is one of them, and she even remembered about the pumpkin bread! And asked me to re-post the recipe. So here it is, Connie, just for you. Thanks for hanging around.
The famous pumpkin bread recipe:
Combine in a bowl:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
In the bowl of a mixer, beat 2 sticks softened butter with 1 3/4 cups sugar until fluffy. Add 2 eggs and beat. Add 2 more eggs and beat well. Now add the dry ingredients alternately with 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (I usually use a whole small can, which is a little more than that, but it works.) At the end, stir in a cup of chocolate chips.
Divide batter between two 9x5 loaf pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for about an hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Try not to eat it all in one sitting.
Also, newer computers scroll backwards. I just thought you should know.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Update, update, update!
So I figured out (by accident) that my new computer includes a 30-day free trial of Office 365 which is what I use at work. So I downloaded it and *POOF* there's the Word I know and love! PowerPoint! Excel! Outlook! (What's OneNote? Clearly I still have learning to do.)
I'm so excited to be able to edit stuff at home and actually know where the line spacing and margin customizing and table inserting are! You just have no idea. I feel like I'm swooning over a long-lost friend!
Ahem. Sorry.
It's raining. It's going to rain all night and all day tomorrow and then snow on Monday, and that always makes me want to bake. What shall I make?
I'm so excited to be able to edit stuff at home and actually know where the line spacing and margin customizing and table inserting are! You just have no idea. I feel like I'm swooning over a long-lost friend!
Ahem. Sorry.
It's raining. It's going to rain all night and all day tomorrow and then snow on Monday, and that always makes me want to bake. What shall I make?
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