Zeno's Bar & Grill
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Marsanne: the New Rousanne, or Something Like That
Last week I tried a good wine from Qupe, called Marsanne. Apparently Marsanne is another Rhone-style grape increasing in popularity along with Viognier and Rousanne.It’s also supposedly such a yummy grape that birds love to eat them, leaving few for the winemakers! Hence the need to mix with my other favorite, the rare and lovely Rousanne.
So, impress your friends and relatives, pull out a bottle of Marsanne. It’s so 2007.
--Melanie
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Dissed by the Chem-Lawn Man
A few weeks ago a Chem-Lawn lawn man showed up on my doorstep hawking his greener grass wares. I explained to him that I already had an organic company taking care of my fertilizing needs. To which he replied with a smirk and a thumb jerk over his shoulder, “It doesn’t look like they’re doing a very good job.” I thanked him for his opinion and promptly threw away the literature before my husband could see it. The lawn was looking pretty patchy and my husband had been complaining and threatening to call the Chem-Lawn people. I had to take matters into my own (organic) hands. A new obsession was born. A bag of Scott grass seed and three weeks later my lawn is starting to look pretty good. I walk around with my trusty hoe, searching for bare spots, which I scrape away. Then I sprinkle the grass seeds and scrape again to slightly cover the seeds so they don’t get eaten by birds. Sometimes if you want something done right, you just have to do it yourself.
--Kelly
Monday, May 29, 2006
Antidepressants for the Newspaper Reader
Want to feel really, really depressed? Read the NY Times obituaries and wedding announcements. Especially the wedding announcements.There is nothing like reading about the gorgeous television host, former wife of SF mayor Gavin Newsom, marrying another TV host and president of a furniture chain to make you feel like your life is really just a little bit dull, isn’t it?
Then there are those expanded stories in the “Vows” section that tell tales of true love, which are guaranteed to make you feel like any relationship you’ve had is a failure.
And it’s not just the principal players who make you feel about two inches tall. The parents of these incredibly successful people have also done interesting things. They’re violinists who recorded with Elvis, songwriters whose work has been recorded by major stars, mixed-media artists whose work has been exhibited in New York galleries, and physicians and professors at ivy league schools.
I sincerely hope that these people do actually put their pants on one leg at a time like the rest of us. To read these articles, you’d never think they’re anything less than impossibly romantic, charming and exciting 24/7.
If you’ve ever suffered from post-Sunday-morning-wedding-page depression, try my simple remedy. Just imagine these people fighting over whether it’s time to paint the garage again or how to properly separate whites and colors so you don’t ruin my favorite damn pants again, you moron. You know it’s got to happen, and that’s a best case scenario, considering the divorce rate. It’s almost as good as Prozac.
--Melanie
Friday, May 26, 2006
Britney Spears: the New Poster Child for Imperfect Moms
In a sentence that we never thought we’d see ourselves write, we’re happy to see moms springing to the defense of Britney Spears, who is being savaged in the press and blogosphere for her parenting snafus.Sure, skipping the car seat was an unmitigated disaster, but the latest “scandal”—which has led to a whole new meaning for the phrase “oops, I did it again”—just doesn’t seem fair. Who hasn’t experienced an accidental spill involving their child? If not actually a near-drop, like Brit's, then maybe the dreaded bed roll-off, or other pitfalls.
And hence, we are of two minds about the Mamarazzi blog, which is fascinating in a guilty pleasure kind of way, and which covered the Brit scandal with their typically acerbic wit—no one can deny these ladies are funny. Their slogan is “because celebrity parenting is so easy to snark,” and it’s true. Snarking celeb parents is like shooting fish in a barrel.
On the other hand, isn’t all parenting easy to snark? And just because we can snark, does it mean we should snark?
--Melanie & Kelly
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Thirsty Thursday
Pull up a chair and pop open a Pacifico. It's time for Thirsty Thursday. Join us if you want, invite a friend, and/or come back next week when we'll have a new Special. Today’s theme…Morning, Noon and Night.Where were you and what were you doing at nine o’clock yesterday morning?
Kelly: Driving to Whole Foods to get food for the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend.
Melanie: Sitting at my desk at home, trying to write, until the phone rang and the dentist (who I jilted last week by completely forgetting my appointment) asked me if I could fill a slot left by a cancellation.
Twelve o’clock noon?
Kelly: Feeding the kids soup I bought for them at Whole Foods (Black Bean and Split Pea) which they didn’t like and so needing to figure out something else quickly because the bus was coming in twenty minutes.
Melanie: Back at the desk, feverishly writing, but with very clean teeth and the comforting feeling of knowing that I don’t have any new cavities, plus I have a new toothbrush.
Nine o’clock at night?
Kelly: Watching Inked. I’ve never seen it before, but it was pretty good. I might need to start Tivoing it.
Melanie: Frantically trying to bathe kids, so I could sneak out for a drink with friends.
Twelve o’clock midnight?
Kelly: Listening to the most amazing thunderstorm. (of course I had just watered my garden a mere five hours prior)
Melanie: Eating soup in a late night restaurant that offered neither nachos nor French fries, and which instead had a menu of entrees only (no appetizers) and a two page list of “rules” including a $3.00 cake serving charge and $15.00 plate sharing charge. It was just…wrong.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
All This and a Six-Pack of Mustard
Am I the only one who thinks it’s a little weird to see sample coffins at Costco? I’m not sure I’m ready to be struggling with my mortality while trying to pick up laundry detergent.Not that they actually have the entire coffin for you to look at. It’s just the front right hand corner. They have five or six of them on display. Some have roses, some have crosses, others are masculinely plain. Each one has its own name: The Kentucky Rose (pictured), The Mother, The Ryan, The Josephine…and on and on.
Actually, I’ve heard that the funeral industry can be corrupt, taking advantage of people’s grief to gouge them. Maybe that's an urban myth, or maybe it’s a good thing that it’s easy to get overnight shipping on a Silver Continental for $1349.99 plus tax.
Still, there’s something kind of strange about it. I mean, the girl in line behind me was buying a huge carton of baby formula. Costco’s got us from the cradle to the grave.
--Melanie
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
False Advertising
Picked up the latest People magazine this weekend. No, really, I read it for the book reviews.And saw this ad, which definitely taps into the whole Yummy Mummy thing. The ad copy reads: Hot mama. Even in my role as mom, I want to look great. So I drink milk. Studies suggest that people who drink milk regularly tend to weigh less and have less body fat than those who don't. So raise a glass and let milk play its part."
Yeah, right. Drink milk and we’ll look like Liz Hurley.
At least this time, the science is on our side. The Physician’s Committee for Respo
nsible Medicine has actually come out against the Hurley milk ads, which also include a swimsuit shot that ran in Sports Illustrated.Love this quote from one of their staff dieticians: “If Ms. Hurley drinks as much milk as the dairy industry advises, she may soon have trouble fitting into her bikini,” says Susan Levin, M.S., R.D.
--Melanie
The Results Are In
I have now sampled half of my Dinner by Design meals. The thing that has surprised me the most is that they were not all casseroles. I think I now have a better understanding of their appeal. For some reason cooking on the stovetop, as opposed to popping something from the freezer to the oven, seems more like cooking. Of the three meals I’ve sampled only one went into the oven in the same foil pan I brought it home in. But without further ado, here are the reviews:
Skillet Turkey Fajitas
This is the first and best meal that I’ve sampled. It also involved the most work. I sautéed the pre-chopped onions and peppers and then added the cooked, sliced turkey breast and pre-measured spices. I served it with refried beans, shredded cheese, and the only thing I needed to use a knife on, an avocado. The meal also came with flour tortillas to warm in the microwave. The meal was a far cry from La Super Rica (Santa Barbarans will know what I’m talking about), but it was quite edible and was on the table in about 15 minutes. Final Score 7/10.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
When preparing sweet and sour, there is a fine line to straddle between the two contrasting flavors and this recipe fell quite soundly onto the sour side of the spectrum. It was so bad that my husband attempted to rectify it by pouring maple syrup on the meatballs. It didn’t work. Luckily, I had made mixed vegetable stir fry and rice to serve with it because that is all anyone ate. Final Score 1/10
Chicken Pot Pie
This was what I had been expecting from the start. A traditional casserole complete with Bisquick and cream of chicken soup. It tasted exactly like what you would imagine. Final Score 5/10.
At an average score of 4.3, I would not use Dinners by Design again, however I still have Spanish Paella, Tortilla Casserole, and Wednesday’s dinner, Creamy Beef Stroganoff to go through, so we shall see.
--Kelly
Monday, May 22, 2006
Me Do Real Good
In an attempt to fill in the gaps in my grammar knowledge, I’ve signed up for a free on-line Grammar Fitness course at Barnes and Noble. It was worth the price of the class to finally have learned the proper use of “who” vs. “whom.” If you’re like me and want a quick and dirty way to decide which is correct without needing to figure out if you’re dealing with a subjective clause, or direct object, or (gasp) an appositive, then I have just the thing.
Simply rework the sentence to substitute “she” for “who” and “her” for “whom” in your sentence. For example:
The children were tossing spit balls until they noticed the principal, whom they saw walking in the hall.
They saw her.
This is the cook, who I said was nuts.
He is nuts.
To whom it may concern, (it concerns her) this is Kelly signing off.
Simply rework the sentence to substitute “she” for “who” and “her” for “whom” in your sentence. For example:
The children were tossing spit balls until they noticed the principal, whom they saw walking in the hall.
They saw her.
This is the cook, who I said was nuts.
He is nuts.
To whom it may concern, (it concerns her) this is Kelly signing off.
Friday, May 19, 2006
V-E-N-T That Spells Relief
Today I vented to one of my friends about how busy I am and how overwhelmed I’ve been feeling and how I wish I hadn’t taken on this PTA nutrition thing, etc. And you know what? It made both of us feel better. She got to hear that other people have the same feelings of stress and anxiety, and I got to unload myself (and save $100 on a therapist). This is part of what Melanie and I wanted to accomplish with our book and this blog. Be honest with other moms about what your life is really like and it helps to lower the bar for everyone and gives a much more realistic picture of what can be accomplished. I’m glad I was reminded of that today.
--Kelly
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Thirsty Thursday
Pull up a chair and pop open a Pacifico. It's time for Thirsty Thursday. Join us if you want, invite a friend, and/or come back next week when we'll have a new Special. Today’s theme…It’s All About Us.
What is your favorite quality about yourself?
Melanie: I always have a Plan B…and Plan C, D, E and F. I like to think of myself as being resourceful and able to think outside the box. Like if everyone is doing something one way and there’s a snafu, I can often quickly come up with an alternative solution. I don’t see myself as being limited by the “right way” to do things.
Kelly: My curiosity about life and willingness to try new things. I wouldn’t be doing this book/blog with Melanie otherwise!
What is your least favorite quality about yourself?
Melanie: Ah, there are so many to choose from. I think I’m a bit short on patience sometimes, and that’s the one that is bugging me most recently. I am really trying to work on it.
Kelly: Lack of patience for me too. I always feel like such a fraud when people tell me what a patient mother I am. Little do they know…
If you could have one super power, what would it be?
Melanie: I would like to be like ElastiGirl from the Incredibles, maybe not in a literal way, but sometimes I just wish I could stretch myself out and do more than I’m already doing. There are so many great opportunities in the world, and I always want to take every single one.
Kelly: The ability to transport myself anywhere I want in the blink of an eye. I have family and friends that are so spread out and I wish I could see more of them. Plus, it wouldn’t be a bad power to have for robbing banks either!
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
My Name is Melanie and I'm a Caffeine Addict
No, I haven’t completely fallen off the wagon, in fact after several weeks of flirting with disaster I’m safely caffeine-free again. It's good to know I’m not alone in my struggles: An article in the Dallas Morning News shows that caffeine is beginning to get the attention it deserves as a genuine vice.I particularly got a laugh at learning about the “Caffeine Awareness Alliance”, whose mission is to protect “the physical, mental and emotional wellness of the public whose lives have been affected by their misuse or dependency on caffeine”. Sounds serious. Let me think, has my mental wellness been affected by my caffeine addiction? Maybe on a few of those mornings when I had twenty cups of joe and then got the urge to clean out the grooves between our hardwood floorboards with a toothbrush.
Yours, in decaffeinated bliss,
Melanie
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Ten Women + Three Bottles of Wine + One Book = Great Conversation
Last night I hosted my book club. We discussed Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety by Judith Warner. It was the best conversation that we’ve ever had. Not everyone liked or agreed with the book, but that just added spice to the discussion, which included such snippets as:
“I felt depressed reading the book because I realized this was my life.”
“Reading this book made me realize that I have lost more of myself with each child.”
Most of the criticisms of the book had to do with Warner’s reporting on the history of parenting experts throughout the twentieth century. Some of the women in our group felt that Ms. Warner didn’t have the background to write this section (one person commented that she could imagine her in a library looking at microfiche) and another felt that it was oversimplified and too much of a generalization. One person made the point that mothers in the past would have had many different parenting styles as they do now.
I was surprised at the reaction because, for me, it was the most empowering section. It made me realize that one of the reasons I parent the way I do is because of a fear of messing my children up. I suspect I’m not alone. I mean, isn’t that what therapists and psych experts all tell us: that our lives could have been better if only our mothers had done X, Y or Z? As a mother now, I am trying to fill that XYZ need. Reading the history of “conventional wisdom of motherhood” made me realize that no matter what I do my children are going to have some complaint in twenty years that they will be paying someone 200 dollars an hour to analyze.
Of course now, fathers can also get in on this guilt act according to a new book, The Father Factor by Stephen Poulter. His thesis is that our fathers’ parenting styles affect the type of employees we become. He has a quiz to identify which of the five types of fathers you had and how to counter the bad effects of the style.
Somehow I doubt that this book will be followed by Pure Insanity: Fatherhood in the Age of Anxiety.
I’m looking forward to next month when my book group will discuss the book The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.
--Kelly
Monday, May 15, 2006
Chill Out
Just saw the most incredible trailer for the movie “An Inconvenient Truth”, opening May 24th. It’s about global warming, a story that we’re hearing more and more about in the mainstream press.I have never historically been the kind of person who’s an environment thumper, but everything I’ve read lately (plus this movie trailer) has me worried. I also recently heard about a Google Maps hack, called Flood Maps that shows you how much of your hometown will be under water given a certain rise in sea levels. Estimates by the EPA have sea levels rising in the range of half a meter by 2100 due to ice melt from global warming, but it could be more like three meters by the year 2200 (a 1 in 40 chance of this happening). I’ve heard higher estimates as well, and they show some scary flood maps in the movie trailer. Better unload that beachfront property now.
As parents, we owe it to our kids (and their kids...) to understand this issue and do anything we can to stop the worst from happening. Let’s go see this movie for starters.
--Melanie
Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay
That’s the title of a hilarious new book on parenting by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor. Well, duh. Of course they’re not. They’re for Viognier.This book is laugh-out-loud funny. Seriously, I was snorting and giggling in the middle of Borders. It debunks a lot of parenting myths and is a voice of sanity in the mayhem of new motherhood. I don’t agree with every single thing she says in this book—can you ever say that about any book anyway? But she earns my endorsement by basically making fun of all the rigid, judgmental and uber-competitive parenting tics that she can think of. In a really, really funny way. And did I mention it’s funny, too?
--Melanie
Sunday, May 14, 2006
How to Tell the Gift Came from the Heart
For Mother’s Day this morning, my five-year-old (second-oldest) daughter presented me with elaborately wrapped gift in paper towels and custom decorated with magic markers, tied up with lanyard string from her craft drawer, and completed with a melting jolly rancher and tootsie roll on top. The little package was about 3 x 5 inches. “What can if be?” I thought. Maybe something from school?Inside? A dried up old sponge from the sink! She was so thrilled with her “gift”, and I was actually very happy to get it.
To me, it means that she is learning to be her own person and to think of others, and that’s the best mother’s day gift ever. She gave me what to her mind is a thoughtful gift using the resources available to her. And that is why I love my new/old sponge even more than the dozen pink roses and Godiva chocolates… or even my new cat door.
--Melanie
It's Not Nice to Fight
An article in Thursday’s NY Times sings a familiar refrain: “Pressure’s on. In the fight for play-group spots, elbows are out.” It’s no surprise to us that parents are fighting tooth and nail to get their kids into the right classes—we see it every day. In fact, we’ve been guilty of it ourselves, although we have never stooped as low as offering to buy a grand piano for a music program or sending gourmet gift baskets in efforts to get our kids moved up the waiting lists (two real-life examples from the NY Times article.)Eventually, though, you just have to stop the insanity and realize that it’s not going to kill your child’s enthusiasm for music if you don’t start him or her on lessons at age 18 months. Aside from the extreme competitive spirit fostered by scarcity of positions, the classes can also get hideously expensive. In our communities at least, lessons will set you back some serious bucks (typical classes range from $20-60 per hour).
What’s next for today’s privileged youngsters? We predict (and fervently hope for) an eventual backlash that will have the preschool set saying “tune in, turn on and drop out” as they put on tie dyed tee shirts to finger paint at home.
--Melanie & Kelly
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Whatever Happened to PB & J?
Are we the only ones who think that the Vegan Lunchbox site is kinda crazy? Apparently we are, since Google and Technorati searches on “Vegan Lunchbox Insane” and “Vegan Lunchbox Nuts” didn’t really turn up many kindred spirits.Sure, the lunches are fabulous, but for heaven’s sake this kid’s mom must spend a tremendous amount of time tracking down ingredients, baking fresh chapatis and making her own string “cheese” and faux Go-Gurt (all real examples), not to mention taking the photos and writing a detailed post every day complete with recipes. It’s a full-time job in itself. We guess everyone finds their own passion, but good golly, putting this on the web is setting the bar awfully high for the rest of us poor moms out there. We’re afraid to let our husbands and kids see this site.
We hereby nominate Jennifer the Vegan Lunch Box lady as school lunch czar, charged with improving school lunches for the rest of us lazy slobs. Apparently, she has a cookbook coming out that will help other highly motivated moms brown bagging it, but we need more. It’s a big job, as illustrated by the new TLC show, Jamie’s School Lunch Project--about the Naked Chef Jamie Oliver’s attempts to take out the processed foods from British schools and put in fresh. Someone with the Vegan Lunch Box lady’s passion would be perfect to bring this job to America.
On the other hand, vegan meals often use processed substitutes for animal products like meat and cheese. Hmmm, maybe we need Nina Planck, the author of “Real Food” instead, who urges us to eat simply and naturally—butter not margarine, real eggs not egg whites. In the meantime, we’ll keep feeling guilty about the mysterious orange sauces on taco day. Actually, only one of us will. Kelly is actually starting a committee to improve lunches at her school.
--Melanie & Kelly
Friday, May 12, 2006
All of the Casserole None of the Work
Yesterday someone from Dinners by Design called. I thought they were confirming my appointment for today, but instead they were asking if I could reschedule because they had overbooked. Since this isn’t the airlines and they couldn’t bump me in exchange for a free Tortilla Casserole at a later date, and because I was really looking forward to going with my friend, I said no.
A few minutes later they called the friend I had planned to go with and made us an offer we couldn’t refuse. Apparently, they’ve scheduled a party for the same time we were supposed to go. As a gesture of good faith, they offered to prepare our meals for us, which is normally a service available for an additional fee. We accepted their offer and so we get to have lunch together and our Creamy Beef Stroganoff too! Stay tuned to see how it actually tastes!
--Kelly
I'm Too Smart to Title My Book Something Dull
We were all set to hate these books just based on the titles alone. The first is I’m Too Sexy for My Volvo, and the second is The Hot Mom’s Handbook: Moms Have More Fun. In one quote we read in another book review, the former even recommends buying fabulous bracelets before labor and delivery because “you’re going to have 7,000 photos of your forearms”. This sounds beyond shallow, and we were all set to take off the gloves.
However. It turns out that maybe these authors are just clever marketers, using flashy titles to draw attention to their more solid messages. The Volvo book was available at our local bookstores and is really pretty sane, aside from the title. It even has backbone-reinforcing tips such as the advice to working moms to stand up for their rights and demand change by refusing to conform to schedules that are difficult to accommodate with a baby at home (e.g., 7 A.M. meetings).
We’ll have to defer judgment on the Hot Mom’s Handbook, because we couldn’t find a copy. But it’s hard to argue with lines from the Amazon blurb like “A Hot Mom is a woman who meets the needs of her family but refuses to lose herself in the madness of motherhood.” Or the reviewer’s comment, “ditch the sweats, embrace your stretch marks and be proud of who you are.” We’ll keep you posted…
--Melanie & Kelly
Thursday, May 11, 2006
5K Update
Last night’s time was 26:15 or something like that. I was so shocked to see the “26” part, that I lost track of the seconds as I passed the finish line. My first thought was that their clock must be wrong. Guess that bag of Cracker Jacks for lunch must have counted as carbo loading?
--Melanie
--Melanie
Thirsty Thursday
Pull up a chair and pop open a Pacifico. It's time for Thirsty Thursday. Join us if you want, invite a friend, and/or come back next week when we'll have a new Special. Today’s theme…Mother’s Day.What are you doing for Mother’s Day?
Kelly: I’m not sure yet. I already got my present. A really cute Kelly Green Kelly Bag for me, Kelly! By the way, as a plug for Jenny – she picked it out!
Melanie: I started to say nothing, because we haven’t made any plans as a family. But then I remembered that I do have some plans: I am going to the movies with some girlfriends in the afternoon. As for the family celebration, we’ll see…
What was your favorite Mother’s Day celebration ever?
Kelly: One year Barry gave me a mini “What Not to Wear” makeover. We had just moved to Chicago from San Francisco and I had no warm weather clothes (you generally don’t need them in SF). So I got a gift certificate to Nordstrom and one to Bloomingdales. Then he gave me time to go shopping! It really was the gift that kept on giving.
Melanie: Any of the ones that were NOT the one where my breakfast in bed spilled everywhere and I ended up with eggs and orange-juice soaked bacon on my sheets.
What did you do on your very first Mother’s Day?
Kelly: I got an engraved silver plate and we went to this great Italian restaurant called Prego with my brother (it was when we were all living in San Francisco) Going to Prego became a mother’s day tradition and I still miss it!
Melanie: Geez, I feel like a fool, but I have no recollection. It must have been very near my daughter’s birth, which is in mid May. But I can’t even remember if it was before or after. After reading Kelly’s answers, I think I need to get a life and start enjoying these little celebrations a bit more. Kelly bag and champagne brunch, here I come!
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Sign Us Up--We Want the Paycheck
Check out this estimate of what a stay-at-home mom is worth. That’s a lot of coconuts.
--Melanie & Kelly
--Melanie & Kelly
Monday, May 08, 2006
Target Us if You Must, but Don't Dumb Us Down
Marketers are on to the whole moms online phenomenon. As detailed in an article in yesterday’s NY Times, a number of sites are specifically targeting mothers, who, as we all know, wield upwards of a trillion dollars in purchasing power each year.Even Amalah has started a self-described “selloutaceous” blog on the revamped ClubMom site. ClubMom apparently used to be some kind of rewards program, but is now creating an online community for moms. Former Melrose Place star Andrew Shue is a cofounder of ClubMom, but for some reason the NY Times used a photo of his business partner instead. Darn.
The zinger came at the end of the article, when Joe Kraus of JotSpot admitted that when his team built their mom-targeted FamilySite site-building tool, they did what sounded an awful lot like dumbing things down. They eliminated any use of the word wiki, although that’s what the service essentially is. According to Kraus, “We never mentioned the technology used to collaborate. Even using the word ‘collaborate’ was forbidden.” Well, golly, it had four whole syllables. Of course they did.
Guess they're the marketing geniuses, not us, but that comment didn't win any friends over here at Zeno's.
--Melanie & Kelly
I'm the Queen of the World
Last week, I just did my first 5K in eons, the first of about 20 I plan to do this summer. No, I’m not crazy. It’s just a good excuse to eat some tasty food, hang out with friends and listen to bands after the race every Wednesday night. It’s an annual summer tradition around here, but this is my first year participating.Can I just say 27:40, baby! I was very happy with this time, since I was expecting it to be slower. Yes, yes, I realize this is only a bit better than 9 minute miles, but hey, I’m getting old and fluffy.
--Melanie
We’re Getting Gypped!
Last week was teacher’s appreciation week for my daughter’s preschool, this week I have teacher’s appreciation week for my son’s school. Two weeks of cards, presents, and recognition. And what do we moms get? One lousy day, and a Sunday at that. Not to downplay what teachers do, but don’t moms deserve more than one day? A weekend at least, or better yet, our own week! I hereby propose a Mother’s Appreciation Week starting today and culminating in a Mommy Festival on Mother’s Day. All in favor? Aye! Opposed? I didn’t think so.
--Kelly
--Kelly
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Sunscreen Wishes and Caviar Dreams
A better sunscreen awaits those who can lay their hands on it…meaning practically everyone but people in the U.S.Numerous other countries have long ago approved Mexoryl, which provides broad protection, including against the nasty UVA that most U.S. sunscreens don’t protect against. That’s the stuff that causes the most damage, although not necessarily sunburns. Dermatologists agree this stuff is the best, but the FDA is dragging its heels. Millions of bottles of Mexoryl-containing lotion have been sold in countries from Japan to Europe to South America.
With the amount of sun our kids get, especially Mel’s in California, and with summer coming, we were desperate to lay our hands on some. At first we thought it might have to wait until the next time we were in a duty-free shop in another country, but with the magic of the internet it wasn’t so tricky. After just a few clicks, it was, as they say, in the mail.
--Melanie & Kelly
Beethoven Rocks
I still love my iPod full of pop music, but the 9th symphony with full choral accompaniment that we saw last night kicked some bootay. Incredibly, Beethoven was deaf when he wrote it. I kept wondering if he actually heard everything in his head. I guess he must have, but that’s kind of spooky.Best of all, I can tick off another item on my to-do list. Culture? Check. That should cover me for at least a year.
--Melanie
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Lighten Up Already
What’s all the ruckus about Nuestro Himno, the national anthem in Spanish? The Spanish version is largely a respectful tribute to the original song (click here for lyrics), but a lot of the kneejerk responses to it have been just...silly.First of all, to those people who say there’s no precedent for a Spanish version of the anthem…I say phooey. One article I read actually quoted someone as saying they couldn’t imagine the Marseillaise sung in English. Well, hello, there actually are several English translations of the Marseillaise. And in fact, the first verse of Nuestro Himno is the same as a Spanish language translation commissioned way back in the early nineteen hundreds by the US government.
Here's another example of anthems in two languages: I recently read that in New Zealand before rugby games of the All Blacks, they sing the national anthem in both Maori and English (ummm, yes, my parents subscribed to New Zealand magazine for me, why do you ask?) Want to know what that sounds like? You could ask my mom to sing it for you. She actually learned the entire Maori version in preparation for their upcoming move. Or just listen to the MP3 file here.
And as for the pop music edge in Nuestro Himno, that’s nothing new either. In the seventies, Serge Gainsbourg released a reggae version of the Marseillaise that resulted in his getting death threats. Hmmm, that makes the recent response to Nuestro Himno look like a love-fest.
Seems like the real problem with Nuestro Himno is the second verse, which doesn't correspond to the words written by Francis Scott Key. And as for the remix version with lyrics condemning immigration laws--what were they thinking?
--Melanie
Friday, May 05, 2006
Breaking Down or Cracking Up
After making fun of the made-to-freeze dinner phenomenon in a previous post, I’m actually breaking down and trying one of these places. The only thing I’m having trouble with is choosing which six dinner items to make. The fact is that the menu choices don’t sound very appetizing. Full Disclosure: I am a food snob. I’ve tried not to be, but I am finally just accepting it.
Some of my options included: Grilled Thai Pork Chop in a sauce made with hoisin (Chinese) and rice vinegar (Japanese). Hang on a minute, where’s the Thai? Think I’ll skip that one. Pepperoni Pasta that “kids of all ages line up” for. As Melanie said, pepperoni and pasta are two words that just shouldn’t go together. Next! Creamy Beef Stroganoff. It was developed with chefs at Kraft, so you know that screams quality. I was running out of options so I decided to try that. I also went with the Spanish Paella, (which sounded the best of all the options), Chicken Pot Pie, Tortilla Casserole (apparently my family will say “ole”), and Sweet and Sour Meatballs “kids, teens, and tweens, let alone Dad will gobble up this meal.”
I decided against the lone dessert offering, Black Forest Cobbler, an “easy and unique treat…you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of it.” It mixes sweetened pie cherries with brownie batter and the whole thing is topped with Oreo crumbs.
I’m going with two friends next week. I guess I’ll find out if Dinners by Design can force me to eat my words or even their Hawaiian Cordon Bleu.
--Kelly
All quotes are paraphrased from Dinner by Design menu descriptions.
Some of my options included: Grilled Thai Pork Chop in a sauce made with hoisin (Chinese) and rice vinegar (Japanese). Hang on a minute, where’s the Thai? Think I’ll skip that one. Pepperoni Pasta that “kids of all ages line up” for. As Melanie said, pepperoni and pasta are two words that just shouldn’t go together. Next! Creamy Beef Stroganoff. It was developed with chefs at Kraft, so you know that screams quality. I was running out of options so I decided to try that. I also went with the Spanish Paella, (which sounded the best of all the options), Chicken Pot Pie, Tortilla Casserole (apparently my family will say “ole”), and Sweet and Sour Meatballs “kids, teens, and tweens, let alone Dad will gobble up this meal.”
I decided against the lone dessert offering, Black Forest Cobbler, an “easy and unique treat…you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of it.” It mixes sweetened pie cherries with brownie batter and the whole thing is topped with Oreo crumbs.
I’m going with two friends next week. I guess I’ll find out if Dinners by Design can force me to eat my words or even their Hawaiian Cordon Bleu.
--Kelly
All quotes are paraphrased from Dinner by Design menu descriptions.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Happiness Is...
...a case of Laetitia champagne.My friend Daniel was driving to San Francisco and decided he wanted to stop in at the vineyard in Arroyo Grande and pick up a bottle of his favorite bubbly. He picked up his cell and gave them a call from the road to find out their hours since it was getting close to five o’clock.
Long story short, somehow he ended up getting his arm twisted (or not) and buying an entire case of champagne, which they left for him by the door after closing up for the day. He brought a bottle over to our house to share last night.
As Daniel points out, there is truly nothing more optimistic than buying a case of champagne. I mean, really, is there?
--Melanie
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Redshirting Kindergarteners
I read about an interesting trend where parents are holding back their five-year-olds (mostly sons) from starting Kindergarten, waiting instead until they are 6. The logic goes that the boys will be able to compete (there’s that word again, it pops up a lot with regard to our children doesn’t it?) better in academics and in the ever-important soccer leagues.
That seems good, except that it is turning into a vicious circle. As Kindergarten curricula get tougher more parents are holding their kids back. This puts children whose parents can’t afford another year of daycare/pre-school at a disadvantage.
Maybe age is too arbitrary a method. When I was a child, there was a particular National Geographic that my dad always talked about that said that in some cultures they would know if a child was ready for school if he could reach over the top of his head and touch the top of his ear. My six-year-old could almost reach his lobe, my four-year-old was a couple inches short. Seems like five is probably the magic age.
--Kelly
Big Brother Really is Watching, and Now So Can You
File this under thanks but no thanks: software that promises to invisibly sneak along with your e-mails and spy on your friends, colleagues and relatives by telling you when, where and for how long they read your message. Big Brother really is watching.--Melanie & Kelly
Monday, May 01, 2006
A Difficult Subject
Yesterday, I went with two centered, harmonious, issue-free friends to see the movie Friends with Money. We saw a matinee and it was quite decadent. The odd thing was that rainy Sunday afternoon matinees seem to attract the senior crowd. I think we were the only people there without AARP cards in our wallets.
The movie was good, the review in the San Francisco Chronicle really sums it up for me, so I won’t bother to repeat what they said. However, I think that the subject of the film was really interesting, that is having friends in different economic circumstances and how difficult it is to discuss money. It also got me thinking about the book I’m reading for book club, Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety. In it, the author Judith Warner talks about our inability to discuss money issues and how it becomes a private issue and so good affordable child care does not become a policy issue.
Why is money such a difficult thing to talk about? Do you have friends in radically different financial circumstances than you? (One of the friends in the movie had given two million dollars to her child’s pre-school, while another was a maid)
--Kelly
Artificial Inflation
I’m convinced somebody is trying to manipulate the laws of supply and demand when it comes to one popular summer camp in our town. According to local mommy-lore, the only way to get into this particular program is to show up early and stand in line before the sign-ups, which take place at a nearby junior high.That’s all fine and good, but for a while now, I’ve had a firm rule: I won’t stand in line for sign-ups any longer than half an hour. If it’s so cutthroat that the parents are forced to duke it out any earlier than that, I don’t even want to be a part of it. So, on Saturday morning, I rolled in as planned, at 7:30, feeling reasonably well-prepared. I had pre-written my check. Hey, I’d even had time to take a shower.
My first sign that I was perhaps a smidge on the late side was the parking lot jam-packed with mom-mobiles. The second tip-off was when I noticed that people were actually camped out in lawn chairs at the front of the line. May I remind you, this is for a day camp. A week long day camp. As in tee shirts, lanyards and sunburns. One friend told me she’d arrived at 6:45 A.M.
The irony of it all? In the end, my daughter got into the same session as my friend’s. And loads of people behind me also got in. Is this just a cruel joke on stressed-out moms? Lawn chairs. I still can’t believe it. This is no reason to bring out the lawn chairs. These people have lost all perspective. For this, there should be concert tickets or free money when the doors open.
--Melanie
