Ranting About Yesterday and Today

This week, my employer has been the "host organization" for our industry's largest annual professional conference.  While it's been great to actually get to attend one of these events (tickets are upwards of $700 for 3 days, plus travel, meals, etc., so it isn't something I'd be able to attend if it weren't happening in our city and if we weren't hosting), it's been a little stressful.

I spent the full day Wednesday at the conference site, walking around, checking out the vendors, making sure my intern was set up with our volunteer coordinator, etc.  Nothing too crazy.  Well, according to my pedometer, I walked over 3 miles inside.  That's kind of crazy.

Yesterday, though...  I needed to be there by 11am for a seminar.  Naturally, I received a panicky email from a coworker about needing to finalize some foreign transfers.  I was promised they'd be ready for review by 8am, 8:30 at the latest.  

So, stupid me, I arrive at the office for 8am and... wait... and... wait... and... wait.  

Naturally they weren't ready until 9:45am.  Yeah.  At least I was able to use the lag time in between to finalize a few reports for my boss, so I wasn't just sitting around.  Apparently the traffic gods were on my side because I managed to get over to the convention center (about 4 or 5 miles away) and find parking (not always a "given") in about 25 minutes.  Whoo-hoo!  I then spent the rest of the day attending seminars and getting to know people.

Then I get home, which is when I remembered that Friday (today) is the last day of school and that DD#4 probably needed a thank you gift and note for her teacher.  So, we ran out, bought a box of gourmet chocolates (her teacher is a HUGE choco-holic), treated ourselves to ice cream for dessert, went back home, made a card (and DD#4 included a very nice letter of appreciation), and I was ready to crash. 

About 8pm, I remembered DD#3 is supposed to attend a Science Olympiad team dinner Friday (today) and she promised to bring brownies.  Of course, I remembered that DH promised that he would make them with her after school and, well, that totally didn't happen.  So, last night, when I should have been preparing for the last day of conference today, I baked 2 batches of homemade brownies.  And made a pitcher of homemade lemonade because DD#4 asked for some.  (I mean, at this point, why not?  It's not like I was getting to do anything for myself, right?  lol)

Today, though... today was supposed to be the "easy" day.  I needed to be at conference (final day) at 8:45am.  But DD#2 needed to be dropped off for work on my way.  Okay, not too bad, as I wasn't running too late.  Hit a bit of traffic.  Not too bad, it gave me a chance to mentally prepare (today's seminar was totally about my field of work and promised to be good.)  I get into the convention center about 20 minutes early and the security guard wants to talk about how awesome this event has been and how much he loves my employer organization. Nice to hear but I need to get to session, dude, please wrap it up.  (My mom raised me to be too polite to just cut him off.)  Finally I manage to get to the conference room exactly on time.  Whoo-hoo!  Then I spent the next hour and a half, listening to the presented proceed to rip apart the major parts of my job.  I mean, she literally said that it's a no longer necessary part of finance for non-profits and that it's a waste of time and money.  WTF?!?  I didn't walk out because, well, I was hoping she was going to change her tone a bit.  But nope.  Just more talk about how it's a totally outdated model.  (Which it isn't, BTW.  In fact, it's pretty common at all levels of non-profit organizations.)

I finished up that seminar and came back to the office.  After filling in my boss with the update that our work is for nothing (and her having the same WTF reaction I did), I decided that today was not going to be my most productive day and that I should plan on just cleaning up my office, answering emails for the past week, and that's about it.

In the meantime, to the seminar presenter who so thoroughly crapped on my work for the past (almost) 5 years... bite me.  My particular area is something that is very much needed, it's not a waste of resources to allocate funds to this area, and we (actually accountants and finance personnel) probably know it better than a consultant who's never worked in our field. 

Oh, and her calling fundraising "sales just tarted up with cheap lipstick and perfume" generated a ton of laughs from our philanthropy department.  I think they dislike her almost as much as I do.

There... rant off.

Have a good rest of Friday, everyone!

Homemade Bacon & Egg Ramen

Here's a recipe that I'm sure is DH's idea of a perfect meal - homemade ramen with bacon and egg. It's kind of similar to one he tried at an Asian restaurant a couple of months ago. (I was a little more adventurous and went with a Bahn Mi sandwich with Srirachia sauce.)

1 quart homemade or low sodium chicken broth
1" inch fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
3 ounces smoky slab Bacon
1 piece about 2" from a stalk of lemongrass
1 package of ramen noodles (toss the soup packet)
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon black vinegar
2 eggs
1 handful chopped scallions
1 drop Srirachia or your favorite hot sauce
2 more cloves of garlic
1 handful julienned mustard greens, baby spinach leaves, or kale

Place bacon, ginger, garlic & lemongrass in a pot. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.

In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and cook ramen noodles according to directions. Drain and set aside.

Remove bacon, lemongrass, and ginger. Reserve the bacon for later. Add in greens (unless using baby spinach), soy sauce, and vinegar. Taste and check for salt, then add salt and pepper to taste. Slice the bacon.

Add sliced garlic cloves to a pan with the bacon, and fry both until crisp.

Drop eggs one at a time into the stock. (if you crack them in a bowl first, it is less likely that you will accidentally get a shell in your soup.)

Place ramen noodles (and baby spinach if using) in a bowl. Carefully remove the eggs before they are completely cooked (a slotted spoon works best). Ladle the hot broth over the eggs and noodles. Cover with Bacon, fried garlic, and scallions. Garnish with a squirt or two of hot sauce.

I'm BACK!

After forgoing my blog for a Facebook group, I've decided that I'd rather be here.  I may not get as many readers here but I don't really care.  I like the flexibility of a blog.

In the time since I last wrote, DD#1 decided to change majors... and moved back home.  DD#2 graduated high school and... decided to not go away for her freshman year of college.  So, yes, both of my college-age kids are back home.  :\  DD#3 joined her middle school's Science Olympiad team... and they went to Nationals (came in 23rd) this month.  And DD#4 may be ADHD... just like everyone else in our family.  (No big shock there.)  DH is still the same goofy, happy guy he's always been.

And me, well, I rejoined Weight Watchers and lost 50 lbs. in less than 10 months... and kept it off for almost a year.  *fingers crossed*

Actually I can't afford to gain the weight back.  I gave away all my old clothes and I've spent WAY too much money on my new, cute wardrobe.

Anyway, I'm back and am still cooking, cleaning, and trying to keep my sanity.  Well, whatever little bit of sanity I ever had but still, I'm not really ready to give it up.  lol

Look for lots of food posts.  Since I'm on Weight Watchers, I've become obsessed with finding healthier alternatives to my beloved fatty, highly caloric foods.

Oh well, gotta get some sleep.

M

Amazed

Holy Cow!  First off, let me say I’m amazed.  Two really awesome Facebook groups linked to posts of mine and, well, my Facebook page more than DOUBLED our followers/”likers” in less than 24 hours!  I’m still stunned.  J

I’m also amazed, in a different way, at how fast this summer is going by.  In a little over a week, DD#1 will be back home from her 3 weeks in FL with her bio-dad.  My other 3 DD’s are all back from their week at summer camp.  Oh, and DD#1 forwarded me an email discussing her college orientation (one month from yesterday.)  How did this happen?  Weren’t we just scheduling DD#1’s high school senior portraits?  And now we’re packing her up to move… and scheduling DD#2’s high school senior portrait session and finding time to buy all the back to school stuff needed before school starts again on August 21^st.  Is there a “slow motion” button I can hit, so these next 4 weeks slow down to an absolute crawl?  I want more time with my kids.  We haven’t even been to the beach (granted, it’s been raining and/or in the low 70s for an obscene amount of time this summer) or had one of our annual outdoor picnics yet this year.  DD’s #3 & 4 haven’t had a lemonade stand yet. 

I’m also amazed (in a bad way) at how much I’ve spent on my car this summer.  Without going into too much detail, what started off as needing new wheel bearings lead to needing a new (rebuilt) transmission which lead to needing a new (rebuilt) engine.  I’m so sick of feeling like we’re hemorrhaging cash. 

And now I’m amazed that tonight is the first night of DD#3’s cheerleading practices for the fall season.  Whoa!  There go my weeknights for the next month and my weekends until October.  I love that she loves doing it, and that DD#2 is her squad’s junior advisor, but it does take up a bit of time and it’s yet another reminder that school is starting in 3 weeks… and DD#1 moves away to college in 4 weeks… and that I’m getting older.

*sigh*

I should be happy, as I LOVE early fall.  It’s my favorite time of the year.  Seriously.  I love when it starts getting chilly enough to wear a sweater and I can pull tights and my favorite boots out of the closet.  When I can make a huge batch of beef stew or chili and it won’t cause the A/C to kick on in the house.  When I don’t have to shave my legs every damned day.  (Hey, just being honest!) 

Oh well, life goes on.  Gotta learn to relax and enjoy.  And now I’m off to cheerleading.  Catch you all later!

Too Much to Do and Not Enough Time

So yesterday DD#1 left for 3 weeks in Florida with her father… and even with 3 other kids still running around, the house felt empty.  What’s it going to be like when she moves on campus next month? 

Sunday, the remaining 3 DD’s head off to a week of sleep-away summer camp.   This will be the first time in 18 YEARS that I will be child-free for more than 48 hours (excluding my hospitalization 7 years ago but I don’t think that really counts.)  You’d think I’d be planning on a week of vacation days, spa days, and leisurely dinners out with the DH.  And you would be wrong.  I’m working 3 days (DH is working 4) and I plan on using my 2 days off to:

·         Clean the basement pantry (we have a ranch-style house and because of lack of space in the kitchen, I’ve carved a part of our basement into a second pantry)

·         Clean the lower-level family room/den (time to dispose of all those toys that no one has touched in 4 years but still refuse to dispose of on their own because “I might want it later!”)

·         Donate blood (seriously, folks, it takes half an hour and is so important – check out www.redcross.org)

Saturday will be a hellish nightmare of trips to Walmart, Target, the sporting goods store, etc., so I can finalize the stuff the kids need for camp.  Oh, and I need to find time to hit the mall because Sunday is DD#3’s 10^th birthday.  Naturally I haven’t started shopping yet (don’t judge!)  She got one of her presents earlier this week, when DH & I took her and her younger sister to see The Jonas Brothers in concert.  Nothing like seeing an aging boy band with an almost 10 year old and a 7 year old, I’ll tell you that.  Hopefully I can see another concert soon, so if I’m ever asked “What’s the last concert you saw?”, I can answer without feeling too embarrassed. 

Okay, let’s get back to today though.  I’m at work, trying to enjoy the last little bits of my lunch break, and an email comes across that there’s a going-away party for a departing employee in the canteen as we speak.  And it wouldn’t be my workplace if there wasn’t some sort of fattening goodies.  Today it’s punch and cake.  Enough with the food, coworkers!!!  Or maybe someone can help me find some will power, so I can resist the siren call of buttercream icing.  Seriously, the last thing I need is a huge piece of cake on top of the BLT I had for lunch and the pizza we're having for dinner.  Uggh!

Bye for now!

Rock Bottom (An extremely personal and hard post to write)

I was debating on ever actually writing this post but, well, I guess it's all pretty common knowledge (to those who know me in person, that is.)  Today is my 7 year "sober-versary."  For those who don't know, your "sober-versary" is the anniversary of the day you get clean and sober.  In my case, I'm a recovering binge alcoholic.  Actually, I'm a major depressive (and a whole bunch other things) who used alcohol (plus my prescription medications) to self-medicate.  Seven years ago tonight, I was at the absolute bottom in terms of my life.  I had to look up to see grass and dirt, I was that far down.  I was in the middle of a major depressive cycle and it came around fast.  In less than 4 weeks, I went from being my usual self to being someone I didn't recognize and, honestly, someone I didn't like.  I thought life really wasn't worth living and planned out yet another suicide attempt (I've lost count of how many times I had tried in the past.)  This time, though, I was hell-bent on not getting caught ahead of time.  I spent those last 4 weeks to plan and to make sure I appeared as "normal" as possible, so my loved ones wouldn't figure out something was wrong and interfere.

Well, June 29th arrived and I knew this was going to be it.  DH and I had plans to go out with a bunch of friends (we were celebrating the publishing of a friend of mine's book), my oldest 2 DD's were away at summer camp, and my oldest niece was babysitting the younger 2.  DH and I went out and I intentionally had way too much drink, went home after that lovely evening, and swallowed half a month's prescription of Oxycodone, left over from when I had my tubes tied after DD#4 was born 7 months before.  Long story short, DH realized something was wrong when I wouldn't answer his knock on our bathroom door and I ended up in the hospital, enduring 2 rounds of that nasty charcoal slushy stuff, and finding out I had a .42 BAC.  Because of my background and the fact it was a rather serious attempt, I spent a week (involuntarily at first) getting "help".  During that time, I realized that I came from a long line of depressive alcoholics (my father, in particular) and if I didn't want to end up like him (emotionally detached from loved ones and dead of a heart attack at 53), well, I had some work to do.  I used that week to detox from alcohol, accept the fact I am a binger, and that I needed a lot more psychiatric care than I ever thought possible.  With the help of an amazing therapist (and a psychiatrist who loved to write prescriptions - let's just say that I was more than happy to replace her) and an unbelievably loving husband, I was able to pull through.  I learned that, while I could say "no" to the first drink with no problem, being unable to say "no" to drinks #2, 3, 4, ... 10 was a problem.  I chose to get sober. I had to face my demons without my trusty vodka shots and Scotch on the rocks with a beer chaser.  But I faced them.  And they were scary.  And horrible.  And terrifying.  But I did it.  And you know what?  I survived.

If I had succeeded 7 years ago, I would never have seen so many wonderful things.  Like DD#1 graduating from high school and heading off to start her life as an amazing young adult, DD#2 being the ONLY girl in her PSEO construction management program (and seriously kicking butt, at that!), DD#3 going from being a toddler to being a tween-age carbon copy of my late mother, DD#4 growing from an infant to a really cool and amazing 7 year old, and DH being his usual wonderful self (and quitting smoking, which was HUGE for him!)  I would have missed out on so much good that it makes me feel guilty.  Then I remember that I have major depressive disorder and I really can't control how or when it's going to hit me, and that isn't my fault.  My brain is wired a little different than others and I have to work a little harder to be "normal" (or as close to normal as I'm willing to get.  lol)

While I would love to celebrate such a bittersweet day with a nice glass of pinot grigio, I know I'm not able to just enjoy one glass and it's just not worth it.  So I'll settle for a scoop of sea salt caramel gelato and a glass of Diet Pepsi and enjoy the fact that I'm here.  I may not be perfect and I may still have lots of issues to work though, but I'm here and I'm not alone.  I have DH, the girls, my friends and my family to keep me going.  And that's all I really need.  I need to believe that tomorrow's going to be better than the day before if only because I'm still here.  And despite what that nasty bitch "depression" tells me, I mean a whole lot to a lot of people and that I'm needed and loved.  Some days are better than others, naturally, but it's okay.  I'm going to get through it.

Here's to us survivors.  It gets better.

Mary

Update on My Not-So-Exciting Life

A quick update on life and stuff...

I’m depressed that the kids have completely wrecked the house… yet again.  I swear, I don’t know how they do it.  One day, the house is clean and completely organized (a/k/a “company ready”) and the next, I go back to work and it looks like a tornado has gone through.  WHY?!?

They’re filming the sequel to Captain America next door to my office, so we get to deal with tons of cranes, etc. to set up the “shoot” for the next week.  Actually, they’re only filming one day (Monday) but it looks like it’s going to take them 4 days to set up and 4 days to disassemble.  Oh well, could be worse.  When they were filming on the West Side of Cleveland, they shut down a major highway (and a bunch of roads downtown) for TWO WEEKS.

DD#1’s dorm has been reserved and the first payment made.  I’m still stunned at the cost, though - $14k for 9 months.  “Oh, but that’s for a double room (only one roommate) and includes telephone (local & long distance), TV and cable, WIFI, use of the fitness center, use of one of the communal kitchens on each floor, and a private bathroom. “  Yeah but that’s still more than the cost of my first car.  Holy shit!  Thankfully she has/had some awesome grandparents (my late mother left her and DD#2, because #3 & 4 weren’t around when she passed, money for college and my ex in-laws are paying the majority of the dorm) to help with this.  Oh, and this doesn’t include the $7k in tuition for the fall semester and the approx. $800 in books and materials.  *smh*

We spent Thursday and Friday of last week with DD#2 at the doctor’s.  She sprained her ankle three months ago and about a month ago we noticed some rash-like discoloration and swelling in her lower leg.  First our pediatrician sent us to a dermatologist because of the rash.  Apparently it’s not a real rash but just discoloration.  However, combined with the swelling, it could have been a sign of lupus.  Several blood tests later and, thankfully, it doesn’t appear to be lupus.  So, back to the pediatrician’s last Thursday.  She noticed the swelling and it must have really concerned her because she sent us to see two rheumatologists at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland on Friday.  Over two hours of examinations later, and no one seems to know exactly what’s going on.  It could still be lupus (they ordered additional blood work) or it could be the sprain damaged some still developing blood vessels and they need time to “repair” themselves.  Either way, the doctors ordered more blood work (done on Saturday), an MRI (being done this morning), and physical therapy & orthotic shoe inserts (to help fix her gait, which has been thrown off because of the sprain.)  Hopefully we’re going to get an answer soon.  The good news, though, is that she can still spend a week in July as a counselor at her former summer camp (and be “the boss” of DD#3 & #4 who will be campers there this summer.)

Does anyone else do this:  Spend a day on the weekend, cooking for the upcoming week?  I spent Sunday prepping and freezing meals for during the week.  This way, I can call on my way home, ask DD#1 or #2 to take one out of the freezer, plop it in the oven at 425 degrees, and by the time I get home, it’s reheated and ready to go.  All I have to do is put the oven down to “keep warm” status, make a side dish and some veggies, and we’re good to go.  It’s almost like having a housewife (albeit one that doesn’t do laundry or wash the dishes) and we don’t have to order takeout or live on pasta.  Sorry but I’m not cooking a full dinner every night after working all day.  Once in a while, fine.  But every night?  Nah, just not gonna happen.

For those who are interested, this week’s frozen meals included marinated pork roast, barbecued chicken breasts, meatloaf, steaks with a red wine reduction sauce (I’ll have to share that recipe here later, it’s absolutely amazing and pretty easy!), and a pound of ground beef (cooked and frozen, ready to be added to a casserole when I feel like assembling one.)  Add in one pizza night and pasta (with a jar of my own spaghetti sauce that I canned earlier), and we’re good for the week!  Oh, I also cooked a pound of bacon for use in sandwiches and salads later during the week (convenient and so much better than the precooked stuff sold in the store – mine is much leaner and crispier.)

I also prep some veggies and make my own bagged salads (Target has reusable produce bags for $1 each and they’re the perfect size for this.  The ones I bought from Crate & Barrel are better for buying fresh produce but are too large for salads IMHO.)  That way, I can control exactly what goes in, it’s better for the environment (no more “individual use” plastic bags to dispose of), and quite frankly, it’s cheaper to buy several heads of romaine lettuce at Sam’s Club and other veggies like carrots, celery, baby spinach, etc. and make my own.  I’ve also found that DH & the DD’s are more likely to make a salad to eat with their lunches than if I just left the stuff in the fridge, unprepared.  All they have to do is grab a bag, portion out what they want, add some dressing, and *voila* salad.

Today during lunch, I need to plan out some dinners for next week and start working on my shopping list.  Since the highway’s back open, I’m tempted to make a run to West Side Market for meats on Saturday morning.  I’ll buy produce there only if I’m planning on using it in the next 2 or 3 days.  For whatever reason, it never seems to last as long as the stuff from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.  Maybe I should just stop by the farmer’s market in town on Friday, after work.  (I still can’t believe they’re not open on the weekend… only Fridays.  WTF kind of farmer’s market is that, right?!?)

Bye for now.

I'm Back (and Didn't Require Bail Money to Survive This Weekend!)

Well, now that things have slowed down a bit, I thought I'd take a minute to update everything.  Saturday morning, DD#1 graduated high school (along with 652 other students.)  She's had a rough go the past 5 years (she has had to deal with a fellow student stalking and harassing her since 7th grade) but she finished and did it with a good GPA, to boot!  We're so proud!

And because DD#1 was graduating, it meant my ex-husband and his parents were in town to celebrate with us.  Normally my ex makes me want to get all stabby but he somewhat behaved himself (other than the "we're not screaming, we're just disagreeing with each other in loud voices" incident at the Japanese restaurant Friday night, which resulted in DD#1 walking out of the restaurant - LOOONNNNGGGG story that I just don't have the energy to discuss.)  For the first time in years, I was around him and not wanting to do something that would require DH or a good friend to provide bail money.  This was also the first time in the 14+ years DH & I have been together that DH's incredibly awesome brother got to meet my ex-husband.  I'm still not sure how they never met before.

As usual, I had a lovely time with his parents.  I really do like them.  The amount of love and concern they show DD's #1 & 2 is amazing (and the fact they love DD's #3 & #4 really speaks volumes about them.)

All in all, it was a very good weekend.  Here's hoping that, when we do this again in a year for DD#2, we have a similar experience.  *fingers crossed*

And... that was basically the gist of my entire weekend (Friday - Sunday.)  Just dealing with the conflicting emotions of being proud of DD#1 for graduating, being happy that she's going on to bigger and better things, being excited that her life is really starting to take flight, being sad that she won't be around every day, and being stunned wondering where all the time went, as she turns 18 on Thursday.  I swear she was just 5 years old and rolling her eyes at me when I attempted to kiss her goodbye on the first day of kindergarten.  Where did it all go?  I guess all I can do is sit back and hope we raised her well enough to be become a productive member of society.  Based on the poised and confident young woman I saw walk across the stage to accept her diploma, I think we did okay.

Now it's just time to sit back and rest up, for Thursday's going to be big.  DD#1 turns 18, it's the last day of school for DD's #2 - 4, DD#2 has a doctor's appointment later in the day (hopefully we get some answers about the mysterious reddish/purple blotches on her leg), and I get to make a red velvet cake.  Naturally, I'm taking a half day, so I can attempt to do everything.  Although if it does get hectic, I can always run over to White Flower Cake Shoppe in Beachwood and grab some red velvet cupcakes (seriously, if you're ever in Northeast Ohio and you want to try the best cakes ever, White Flower is a MUST SEE!)

Oh, one last thing... is it possible for my house to stay clean longer than a day or two?  The house was cleaned to "visitor" level on Friday and was completely trashed by Saturday evening, thanks to all the party stuff that came home from the park where we had the party.  Maybe if I stopped playing Candy Crush and reading Fark.com, I might have the energy to clean up more.... NAH.  lol

Gotta run.  Words With Friends is calling.  : )

My Better Half and Why I Will NEVER Leave Him

My Darling Husband (or DH, for short) is just like Mary Poppins - "Practically perfect in every way."  Seriously.  Don't believe me?  Check this out:

• He has a day off during the regular work week and has no problems taking any one of the girls (my 2 older daughters from my first marriage or my 2 younger daughters from our marriage) to the doctor.  

• He gets up with the 2 older girls in the morning at WTF-o'clock (a/k/a any time before 6:00am) so I can get an extra hour or so of sleep.

• He cooks dinner on his weekday off (sorry, but Sunday is his other usual day off and I really like making Sunday dinners.)  

• He makes me smile with stupid puns, quotes from "Monty Python" and "The Princess Bride", and Doctor Who references.

• He'll DVR "Game of Thrones" (his favorite show) so I can watch "Mad Men" (my favorite show) on Sunday nights.

• He is actually the first man I've been involved with romantically who's not threatened by the fact that I'm smart (it's so nice knowing that I don't have to hide the copies of The Wall St. Journal I bring home with me from work or that I don't have to pretend to not know what's going on, politically)

• He does dishes... manually, as we have no dishwasher!

• And, perhaps the biggest reason of all?  HE DOES LAUNDRY!  He even sorts it and stain treats better than I do.  Even more impressive is that he's not overwhelmed when he walks into the laundry room and sees what FlyLady lovingly calls "Mount Washmore."  He just makes sure he has hangers ready, grabs the nearest pile, starts sorting, then washes, dries, and hangs up/folds.  The only parts I need to do are (1) make sure he's sorted the kids' clothes properly so they end up in the right bedroom closets and (2) match up socks and underwear.

• Oh yeah, almost forgot the biggest reason:  He loves me AND my kids unconditionally.  When we met, I was recently divorced with 2 small kids (Darling Daughters - DD - #1 & #2.)  Most guys would have run away so fast, they would have left skid marks.  Not my DH!  I guess he liked the challenge because here we are, 14 years later and we added 2 more DD's to the mix.  Yes, he lives in a house with a wife and FOUR DAUGHTERS.  Brave soul, huh? 

Yes, folks, I have found the rarest of gems.  A man who isn't afraid of a little housework and who seems to have no problem living in a house full of females.  (Somehow I think someone may have misinterpreted a teenage wish of his to "live in a house full of adoring women" to mean a wife and 4 daughters.)

Ladies, jealous yet?  lol

*****Tonight's Dinner - I figured I'd share my quickly thrown together dinner from earlier tonight.  I took a pound of boneless/skinless chicken thighs, sliced them up, tossed with a bit of olive oil, a pound of mini fingerling potatoes (the ones in the little yellow mesh bag from Trader Joe's), a small chopped yellow onion, a sliced large-sized bell pepper, some garlic, red wine vinegar, a can of organic chick peas (I don't typically use commercially canned products but I hate reconstituting dried beans and peas), and a large fresh tomato, chopped up.  I tossed everything together in a deep skillet and cooked until chicken was done.  Just before serving, I adjusted the seasonings with a bit of basil, oregano, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.  You can also add black olives and a little grated Parmesan cheese, if you like.  I didn't this time because, well, I didn't feel like it.

One skillet, less than 30 minutes, and so much healthier than grabbing take-out.