So this post is because I wanted you all to know that Wifey is an absolute sissy. It comes time to change her bandage on her 5 (not 6) stitches - not that she'd know because she's afraid to look - and she is bawling like a baby. Tears in her eyes and everything! So we get the original bandage off and out come the waterworks - "I don't want to look!", "I'm scared!", etc. So long story short, I have to do the whole thing myself - clean off the area, apply the Neosporin-stuff, and put on the new band-aid. All the while, she is standing there crying like a little girl while I work on her hand.
Wimp.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Six stitches!
That's right.. six stitches have taken up temporary residence in my left hand. This morning I dropped a bottle of Torani syrup right onto my shotglass full of espresso, breaking the shotglass and causing me to drop my hand right onto the broken glass.
I screamed bloody murder for DH. Unfortunately he had just gotten into the shower, and while he did hear me, he thought my muffled screams were simply me saying goodbye, as I do every morning. I ran upstairs, clutching a paper towel to my bleeding wound, and banged on the bathroom door while yelling. Poor thing only got 1/4 of a shower this morning.
We spent nearly 3 hours in the Germantown Emergency Room waiting for someone to look at my hand. I guess the good thing to come of all this is that I now know that there is an emergency room (outpatient only) right around the corner from us. Wish I had known that before I cut my hand.
At least it was my left hand that was injured. No pain to report as of yet, but I've just bought a big bottle of ibuprofen in preparation. DH has some left over hydrocodone (I believe it is the generic version of Percoset) if I can't sleep for the pain tonight.
First time I've ever had injury-related stitches. That's cool.
I screamed bloody murder for DH. Unfortunately he had just gotten into the shower, and while he did hear me, he thought my muffled screams were simply me saying goodbye, as I do every morning. I ran upstairs, clutching a paper towel to my bleeding wound, and banged on the bathroom door while yelling. Poor thing only got 1/4 of a shower this morning.
We spent nearly 3 hours in the Germantown Emergency Room waiting for someone to look at my hand. I guess the good thing to come of all this is that I now know that there is an emergency room (outpatient only) right around the corner from us. Wish I had known that before I cut my hand.
At least it was my left hand that was injured. No pain to report as of yet, but I've just bought a big bottle of ibuprofen in preparation. DH has some left over hydrocodone (I believe it is the generic version of Percoset) if I can't sleep for the pain tonight.
First time I've ever had injury-related stitches. That's cool.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Stuff, stuff, and more stuff
What a fun-filled weekend. Yesterday I accomplished grocery shopping (bought lots and lots of veggies at WF)! I've been watching WAY too much BBC America, including "How Clean is your House" (hmm, not very) and "You are what you eat" (hence lots of new veggie friends in our life!). I've bought rutabagas, bok choy, some weird Odwalla-like green drink that has spirulina and broccoli in it (along with mango, banana, and apple juices), red and green cabbages, and beans and lentils. I've tried to incorporate two vegetarian dinners (well, at least no meat as the main protein, I'm not diligent about checking the ingredients I'm using) into my weekly menus. I've even bought tofu!
Last week I tried a roasted red pepper pasta sauce with roasted red pepper and silken tofu. It wasn't all that great; the blandness of the tofu overroad the taste of the red peppers. Maybe it needed more garlic or a higher red pepper to tofu ratio. It wasn't bad, just bland. Last night I made mushroom quesadillas, with mushrooms, diced jalapeno peppers, onions, and cheese (Tillamook, which is vegetarian cheese), guacamole and sour cream, and whole wheat tortillas. They were excellent; mostly because I didn't follow the recipe too closely (I have a new vegetarian cookbook that's 5 ingredient easy vegetarian meals - sometimes the recipes need more than 5 ingredients to sing). I spiced the filling up with some cumin and chili powder! Major yums!
I really need some easy non-soup bean and lentil recipes. I am going to try a Spanish lentil rice recipe later this week. We'll see how it goes. I also bought an immersion blender for homemade smoothies. I'm not sure how often I'll use it, but maybe I'll get lots of ideas now that I have it.
On the topic of food, this morning I made crepes for breakfast with chocolate and banana filling. It reminded me of the crepes I had when I was in Paris - except the crepe was a little crispier than I remembered my Parisian crepe to be. C'est la vie. They were still so yummy - I swear I was having foodgasms. Tonight I am making stuffed peppers with a black bean and corn stuffing. This recipe is from my new America's Test Kitchen cookbook. That's the cookbook that's given me my new fantastic pan-fried salmon cakes recipe which I am desperately in love with. We'll see how this one goes.
In other interesting news... I've also fallen in love with the UK version of "Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares." I just find the stories very compelling, and the insights very interesting.
Today I washed my car! Yes... it's only 45 degrees outside, but my poor car was so, so dirty I couldn't stand it. I was almost in tears every time I looked at it. Now it's all shiny and new looking, and I'm very happy. The cleanliness should last another 2 days, I figure.
And in still more news... just when we thought it was safe to clean out the room DH's father was staying in, DH's brother (yes, the one with the new baby and wife who hates me and didn't invite me to the baby shower or have DH as one of his brother's groomsmen in her 6 bridesmaid/5 groomsmen wedding) called to ask if he could stay with us for 4 weeks while doing some work in Rockville for his company. "No" is of course not an option. He's a smoker, though, so I am going to require him not to smoke anywhere near the house (I don't want nasty cigarette butts in my flower beds or lawn). Nevertheless, I acknowledge that the house is going to smell like cigarettes when he's here. I'll have to find a good solution to that. So that's something to be annoyed about.
Finally, the job posting for the office in which I desperately want to work closed on Thursday. So we'll see if I can clear the technical hurdle (which I think that I can) and then on to the true test: does that deputy director want to hire me? Argh. So frustrating.
Tonight I am going to settle down and watch the third and final part of the BBC/A&E version of "Pride and Prejudice," so that should be a nice way to close out the day.
It was a truly remarkable weekend!
Last week I tried a roasted red pepper pasta sauce with roasted red pepper and silken tofu. It wasn't all that great; the blandness of the tofu overroad the taste of the red peppers. Maybe it needed more garlic or a higher red pepper to tofu ratio. It wasn't bad, just bland. Last night I made mushroom quesadillas, with mushrooms, diced jalapeno peppers, onions, and cheese (Tillamook, which is vegetarian cheese), guacamole and sour cream, and whole wheat tortillas. They were excellent; mostly because I didn't follow the recipe too closely (I have a new vegetarian cookbook that's 5 ingredient easy vegetarian meals - sometimes the recipes need more than 5 ingredients to sing). I spiced the filling up with some cumin and chili powder! Major yums!
I really need some easy non-soup bean and lentil recipes. I am going to try a Spanish lentil rice recipe later this week. We'll see how it goes. I also bought an immersion blender for homemade smoothies. I'm not sure how often I'll use it, but maybe I'll get lots of ideas now that I have it.
On the topic of food, this morning I made crepes for breakfast with chocolate and banana filling. It reminded me of the crepes I had when I was in Paris - except the crepe was a little crispier than I remembered my Parisian crepe to be. C'est la vie. They were still so yummy - I swear I was having foodgasms. Tonight I am making stuffed peppers with a black bean and corn stuffing. This recipe is from my new America's Test Kitchen cookbook. That's the cookbook that's given me my new fantastic pan-fried salmon cakes recipe which I am desperately in love with. We'll see how this one goes.
In other interesting news... I've also fallen in love with the UK version of "Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares." I just find the stories very compelling, and the insights very interesting.
Today I washed my car! Yes... it's only 45 degrees outside, but my poor car was so, so dirty I couldn't stand it. I was almost in tears every time I looked at it. Now it's all shiny and new looking, and I'm very happy. The cleanliness should last another 2 days, I figure.
And in still more news... just when we thought it was safe to clean out the room DH's father was staying in, DH's brother (yes, the one with the new baby and wife who hates me and didn't invite me to the baby shower or have DH as one of his brother's groomsmen in her 6 bridesmaid/5 groomsmen wedding) called to ask if he could stay with us for 4 weeks while doing some work in Rockville for his company. "No" is of course not an option. He's a smoker, though, so I am going to require him not to smoke anywhere near the house (I don't want nasty cigarette butts in my flower beds or lawn). Nevertheless, I acknowledge that the house is going to smell like cigarettes when he's here. I'll have to find a good solution to that. So that's something to be annoyed about.
Finally, the job posting for the office in which I desperately want to work closed on Thursday. So we'll see if I can clear the technical hurdle (which I think that I can) and then on to the true test: does that deputy director want to hire me? Argh. So frustrating.
Tonight I am going to settle down and watch the third and final part of the BBC/A&E version of "Pride and Prejudice," so that should be a nice way to close out the day.
It was a truly remarkable weekend!
Monday, February 18, 2008
New member of the Jane Austen Club
The past two Sundays I have been watching the 1995 joint A&E/BBC production of "Pride and Prejudice" and I am completely in love with it. I had heard about it online, where people raved about Colin Firth's "Mr Darcy," and while I don't find myself completely bowled over by any of the actors in their parts, I'm completely sucked in to the story.
Now, some of you might have read that instead of watching the Super Bowl, I was watching Sense and Sensibility (Kate Winslet/Emma Thompson version), another Austen movie I adore. I also realized that I have watched the 1940s version of Pride and Prejudice with Greer Garson.
This 1995 version of P&P has completely captured me, though, and I'm not sure how. The final part of the series (it has been shown in three parts on PBS's Masterpiece Classics) airs next Sunday. I'm just not sure I can wait that long, despite knowing exactly how the story ends.
I should probably put those books on my "to read" list ASAP!
Now, some of you might have read that instead of watching the Super Bowl, I was watching Sense and Sensibility (Kate Winslet/Emma Thompson version), another Austen movie I adore. I also realized that I have watched the 1940s version of Pride and Prejudice with Greer Garson.
This 1995 version of P&P has completely captured me, though, and I'm not sure how. The final part of the series (it has been shown in three parts on PBS's Masterpiece Classics) airs next Sunday. I'm just not sure I can wait that long, despite knowing exactly how the story ends.
I should probably put those books on my "to read" list ASAP!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Happy Valentine's Day
For Valentine's Day, I made a Shrimp and Scallop Fra Diavolo, baked Valentine's day colored M&M chocolate chip cookies for DH to enjoy during "Lost," and planted a garden with 7 different herbs.
That's right, I said planted a garden.
DH got me an Aerogarden for Valentine's Day. It was a total surprise, a nice one. I joked that the message that it sent me though was "get in the kitchen and cook me something!"
Too funny.
Now in 4-6 weeks I'll have fresh herbs, just in time to plant my real garden outside!
That's right, I said planted a garden.
DH got me an Aerogarden for Valentine's Day. It was a total surprise, a nice one. I joked that the message that it sent me though was "get in the kitchen and cook me something!"
Too funny.
Now in 4-6 weeks I'll have fresh herbs, just in time to plant my real garden outside!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
D'ja vote?
So today is the "Potomac Primary," the "Chesapeake Primary," the "Chesapeake Challenge," or whatever catchy little alliterative phrase one wants to use to describe the fact that MD, VA, and DC happen to be holding their Presidential primaries on the same day. Amazingly enough, the people who, quite frankly, are most affected by changes in administration (Feds, military folk, etc) who dominate this area are actually going to be a little bit relevant in the national political process. Whodathunkit?
Hope you voted today DC metropolitan area residents! Unless, like me, you are a registered Libertarian (or Green, or independent like DH, no open primary in MD!)
To all you voters - I laughed at the little sticker that you wore to work today.
Hope you voted today DC metropolitan area residents! Unless, like me, you are a registered Libertarian (or Green, or independent like DH, no open primary in MD!)
To all you voters - I laughed at the little sticker that you wore to work today.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Money money money
So I finished my fed and state taxes this weekend. It's not unusual that I get Feds done early; I generally file using TurboTax online and voila.. it's done. However, I always wait until the last minute (literally!) to do state taxes. This year I pulled myself together and filed both on the same day. In 12 days I should have an extra $4400 in my savings account.
That should be just enough to cover the railings for the deck and some of the bathroom upgrades.
Now that we've filed our 2007 taxes, we now know how much we're eligible for Bushy-boy's last minute payoff to the American people. We didn't hit their income limit for married couples, so in May we'll get another $1200! Woohoo! We're rolling in it!
That will cover maybe another 1/5 of the bathroom reno, provided we get it started sometime in the next few months. We might actually be one of the 10% of Americans who actually plow their "rebate" (i.e. mafia-like payoff) back into the economy. Of course we would have done it anyway, so...
We're rolling in something 'round here... now that the Chesapeake primaries are next Tuesday. :)
That should be just enough to cover the railings for the deck and some of the bathroom upgrades.
Now that we've filed our 2007 taxes, we now know how much we're eligible for Bushy-boy's last minute payoff to the American people. We didn't hit their income limit for married couples, so in May we'll get another $1200! Woohoo! We're rolling in it!
That will cover maybe another 1/5 of the bathroom reno, provided we get it started sometime in the next few months. We might actually be one of the 10% of Americans who actually plow their "rebate" (i.e. mafia-like payoff) back into the economy. Of course we would have done it anyway, so...
We're rolling in something 'round here... now that the Chesapeake primaries are next Tuesday. :)
Friday, February 08, 2008
If I had only been paying attention to the time...
It's been a crazy couple of days commuting by MARC train. The past couple of mornings my normal train has been pretty severely delayed, and then there was last night.
I typically leave my desk at 5:15 to catch the 5:24 out of Silver Spring. This is calibrated to my computer display time, and typically means that I am getting to the station right as the train is entering it.
Last night the trains were delayed in and out of Union Station because of an accident affecting another line. No big deal, really. Unfortunately I was working on another job application and missed my 5:15 departure time. I can leave as late as 5:17, but then I have to run to catch the light that makes the difference between missing and catching my train. It was 5:22. Poop. I checked the MARC website and saw that the train two trains before mine was running 35-45 minutes late, which means that it is actually running 45-55 minutes late. I decided to go ahead and try and make it.
Just as I was crossing Colesville Rd, I saw a train pull away from the station. Rats! I had just missed it. If I had left at my normal time, I am certain I would have caught it. No worries, though, I thought. If they are at least running, it's unlikely that my train was too far behind.
I made it to the platform and saw people waiting for the express train to WV. I can't ride that particular train because it doesn't stop at my station. It only makes one stop before the "outer stations" (beyond Germantown). It comes about 5-10 minutes after the train I "missed" and leaves.
Shortly after the express train leaves Silver Spring (again, maybe 5-10 minutes) my "normal" train comes through. It's running only 15 minutes behind schedule, which is nice. I jump on and sit back for the ride home.
We get to Gaithersburg station, the stop immediately preceeding my own, and minutes after pulling out of the station we come to a halt. Hmmmm. The conductor comes on the loudspeaker and tells us "They think that there may have been an incident, and the police are on the way to check it out." This is not good news. About 15-10 minutes later we get an update "There has been a serious injury incident and we're going to be here for a while." In the meantime, those of us in the first car see a police car drive up with lights flashing, shining a spotlight in the general direction of our wheels/the tracks. You get the idea, as we all did. Ick.
Another 20 minutes goes by, we see fire engines and ambulances and whatnot all pass by. I go to pull out my cell to call DH and let him know I'm going to be really late and crap, the battery is dead. Luckily, there is an awesome camraderie on the train when stuff like this happens and the woman sitting next to me lets me use her phone to call home. Anyway, we get to chatting, and it's perhaps another 20 minutes (we've been sitting in the same spot for over an hour at this point - I could have walked to my car by now!) before they let us know that they are going to move the train back to Gaithersburg station to allow us to get off.
To make a long story short, I borrow another cell phone once we get off the train (this time from the woman who has a lime green Beetle at my train station!) and call DH to ask him to pick me up. I finally get home around 8:00, and I can hear the trains running again very shortly thereafter.
The moral of the story is that I need to try and leave on time and I need to make sure that my cell phone is alawys charged!. The train I missed made it through no problem, and it was the express train that hit the person in Gaithersburg (talked with a coworker who was on the train, apparently the conductor announced what had happened in a very shaky voice to the folks on that train).
Still... it's better than driving the Beltway.
I typically leave my desk at 5:15 to catch the 5:24 out of Silver Spring. This is calibrated to my computer display time, and typically means that I am getting to the station right as the train is entering it.
Last night the trains were delayed in and out of Union Station because of an accident affecting another line. No big deal, really. Unfortunately I was working on another job application and missed my 5:15 departure time. I can leave as late as 5:17, but then I have to run to catch the light that makes the difference between missing and catching my train. It was 5:22. Poop. I checked the MARC website and saw that the train two trains before mine was running 35-45 minutes late, which means that it is actually running 45-55 minutes late. I decided to go ahead and try and make it.
Just as I was crossing Colesville Rd, I saw a train pull away from the station. Rats! I had just missed it. If I had left at my normal time, I am certain I would have caught it. No worries, though, I thought. If they are at least running, it's unlikely that my train was too far behind.
I made it to the platform and saw people waiting for the express train to WV. I can't ride that particular train because it doesn't stop at my station. It only makes one stop before the "outer stations" (beyond Germantown). It comes about 5-10 minutes after the train I "missed" and leaves.
Shortly after the express train leaves Silver Spring (again, maybe 5-10 minutes) my "normal" train comes through. It's running only 15 minutes behind schedule, which is nice. I jump on and sit back for the ride home.
We get to Gaithersburg station, the stop immediately preceeding my own, and minutes after pulling out of the station we come to a halt. Hmmmm. The conductor comes on the loudspeaker and tells us "They think that there may have been an incident, and the police are on the way to check it out." This is not good news. About 15-10 minutes later we get an update "There has been a serious injury incident and we're going to be here for a while." In the meantime, those of us in the first car see a police car drive up with lights flashing, shining a spotlight in the general direction of our wheels/the tracks. You get the idea, as we all did. Ick.
Another 20 minutes goes by, we see fire engines and ambulances and whatnot all pass by. I go to pull out my cell to call DH and let him know I'm going to be really late and crap, the battery is dead. Luckily, there is an awesome camraderie on the train when stuff like this happens and the woman sitting next to me lets me use her phone to call home. Anyway, we get to chatting, and it's perhaps another 20 minutes (we've been sitting in the same spot for over an hour at this point - I could have walked to my car by now!) before they let us know that they are going to move the train back to Gaithersburg station to allow us to get off.
To make a long story short, I borrow another cell phone once we get off the train (this time from the woman who has a lime green Beetle at my train station!) and call DH to ask him to pick me up. I finally get home around 8:00, and I can hear the trains running again very shortly thereafter.
The moral of the story is that I need to try and leave on time and I need to make sure that my cell phone is alawys charged!. The train I missed made it through no problem, and it was the express train that hit the person in Gaithersburg (talked with a coworker who was on the train, apparently the conductor announced what had happened in a very shaky voice to the folks on that train).
Still... it's better than driving the Beltway.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Thank you New York!
Just a couple of months ago I was begging the Giants to beat the New England Patriots for the sake of the last thing Dolphin-related that gives me any happiness - their unmatched record of going through the entire season and post-season undefeated. Needless to say they failed to live up to my prayers, and I berated them.
Tonight, I'm thanking them. I don't care that the sportscasters and journalists and all those jokers are saying that this New England team is miles away better than the 1972 Dolphins ever were. I don't care that New England has technically won more games this season (18) than the 1972 Dolphins did in theirs (17).
The recordbooks only show one thing:
2007 New England Patriots: 18-1
1972 Miami Dolphins: 17-0
Wooohooo! Giants. Thank you!
Tonight, I'm thanking them. I don't care that the sportscasters and journalists and all those jokers are saying that this New England team is miles away better than the 1972 Dolphins ever were. I don't care that New England has technically won more games this season (18) than the 1972 Dolphins did in theirs (17).
The recordbooks only show one thing:
2007 New England Patriots: 18-1
1972 Miami Dolphins: 17-0
Wooohooo! Giants. Thank you!
Friday, February 01, 2008
Mixed emotions - and lots of them
Well, there's no need to restate what I've been saying for years now; my current job is shot and I'm desperate for a job in my dream office.
That door appears to have opened oh, so slightly today.
I got an email from one of my colleagues in my dream office today that they just posted a job announcement for a new position in that office. I was stupefied on several levels: I had been reviewing job postings practically hourly and hadn't seen anything advertised for that office, I thought that one of the division chiefs or indeed the deputy in that office would have notified me directly (to be fair, the div. chief I thought would have been in touch is traditionally off on Fridays), and I hadn't heard about the posting before it actually got put out there (I thought I would have gotten a "heads up - we're going to be posting something!"). The job position itself gives absolutely no hint that it's in the office it's in - it's very cryptic in that regard. Is that intentional? Is that an oversight? Am I overanalyzing this to death?
All that aside, when I read the posting I was even more puzzled. The position, as described, is highly administrative. Managing budget submissions, planning documents, grants and contract administration, etc. It was also posted at a grade level one step above where I am currently. That ordinarily wouldn't have been a problem, except that it's a bit strange technically. They advertise that they are looking for someone that has a year's experience at a GS*12 level, for this Band-IV position. I have been in Band*III (which is supposed to be a GS*11/12 equivalent) since October 2006, when my office moved to the payband system. However, I was in the PMF program, and technically converted in July to a GS*12 equivalent. Will HR consider 1+ years at Band*III enough for a Band*IV job? I know this is getting into the weeds, but it's a very real question for me. After July'08 this is a total non-issue, but before then I wonder whether it will come up.
So - will I have the opportunity to do foreign affairs work alongside the duties of the position? Will I even qualify technically for the position (I should actually know that answer soon enough, as I've got the same problem for the other job I recently applied for)? Big questions, no idea what the answers are.
The nice thing is that the person who sent me the post was completely convinced that I was perfect for the position and said that he had no doubt that I would be running the office in no time. Which is nice. I don't actually want to run the office - I like the staff level work and that's what I want to do.
So I guess I throw my hat into the ring and wait and see whether it gets tap-danced all over. It's been a total roller-coaster of emotions today, though, I gotta tell you.
That door appears to have opened oh, so slightly today.
I got an email from one of my colleagues in my dream office today that they just posted a job announcement for a new position in that office. I was stupefied on several levels: I had been reviewing job postings practically hourly and hadn't seen anything advertised for that office, I thought that one of the division chiefs or indeed the deputy in that office would have notified me directly (to be fair, the div. chief I thought would have been in touch is traditionally off on Fridays), and I hadn't heard about the posting before it actually got put out there (I thought I would have gotten a "heads up - we're going to be posting something!"). The job position itself gives absolutely no hint that it's in the office it's in - it's very cryptic in that regard. Is that intentional? Is that an oversight? Am I overanalyzing this to death?
All that aside, when I read the posting I was even more puzzled. The position, as described, is highly administrative. Managing budget submissions, planning documents, grants and contract administration, etc. It was also posted at a grade level one step above where I am currently. That ordinarily wouldn't have been a problem, except that it's a bit strange technically. They advertise that they are looking for someone that has a year's experience at a GS*12 level, for this Band-IV position. I have been in Band*III (which is supposed to be a GS*11/12 equivalent) since October 2006, when my office moved to the payband system. However, I was in the PMF program, and technically converted in July to a GS*12 equivalent. Will HR consider 1+ years at Band*III enough for a Band*IV job? I know this is getting into the weeds, but it's a very real question for me. After July'08 this is a total non-issue, but before then I wonder whether it will come up.
So - will I have the opportunity to do foreign affairs work alongside the duties of the position? Will I even qualify technically for the position (I should actually know that answer soon enough, as I've got the same problem for the other job I recently applied for)? Big questions, no idea what the answers are.
The nice thing is that the person who sent me the post was completely convinced that I was perfect for the position and said that he had no doubt that I would be running the office in no time. Which is nice. I don't actually want to run the office - I like the staff level work and that's what I want to do.
So I guess I throw my hat into the ring and wait and see whether it gets tap-danced all over. It's been a total roller-coaster of emotions today, though, I gotta tell you.
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