Wine and arguments

I've eaten a lot of kale today. Kale with scrambled eggs and then kale with rice. My favourite way to eat it is with soy sauce and lemon juice.

***

Ryan is making croissants. We had a fight earlier because I feel like his enthusiasm on the search for a second dog has waned. Among his claims after I snarkily said, "Should I just stop looking? Because you don't seem to really want a second dog." was that it was hard to get excited about a dog on the internet. I'm not sure how he expects to find a dog. To me, the beauty of the internet is that we find a few dogs that fit our requirements and then go and look at them. I don't want to go to the SPCA once a week and feel miserable for hours afterwards. Among his other claims was that it was hard to walk two dogs on a leash.

I found both of those arguments thin.

He said, "How can I get excited about a picture of a dog on the internet?"

I replied, "I'm not asking you to get excited, I'm asking you to participate in the process of finding a second dog."

And it made me feel like one of those baby crazy women. It made me sympathise with those baby crazy women (shit!). I took a bath while I was still angry. I thought, if I ever decide that I absolutely want children, I'm going to have to have the same damn argument. This sort of thing is always going to be up to me.

***

Which drives me nuts!

***

As such, I'm still a bit angry. Maybe I'll have some wine. Maybe I'll buy a horse.

***

We bought wine on our trip around lake Cayuga. We only ever buy wine when we go wine tasting because of New York's inexplicable liquor laws: One cannot buy wine in a grocery store, only beer (as far as alcoholic beverages are concerned).

***

Jeeves is learning a new trick: turning the floor lamp on. He's not quite there yet, but he's getting it.

***

Email to my husband.

from: Alice
to: Ryan
date: Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 10:54 AM
subject: You can't have a poodle.

I had a dream last night that we (including Jeeves) were wandering around in some big city. There were lots of stray dogs. There was a little brown dog that started following us around. You found a piece of twine and tied it to the dog and we brought it home - we were living in the big, nameless city in a 3 room apartment. All 3 rooms were living rooms and over filled with old, 70's-80's ish furniture. Things like dusty old futons with Indian wood cut print cover sheets loosely draped over them. There were lots of wood, lot of rugs and a large, old desktop computer. We were getting ready for a party. I was trying to find the new dog to show to some people only to discover another, different dog. This one was a gray miniature poodle cross. I found you and asked you where the brown dog was and you said you'd taken it back and found this one instead. I was furious with you. For one thing, I thought it was awful to bring the dog home and then just let it go and for another I did not want a poodle. I told you these things and you told me I didn't have any good reasons for not wanting a poodle, implying that it was just my snobbery. I started listing all the reasons I didn't want one - their hair doesn't stop growing, so you must cut it or have it cut, which costs money, they get really filthy and gross and need a lot of bathing, I didn't want small dogs...etc. You said that you would take charge of all the grooming and bathing. When you said that, I looked at the dog and it was wearing its hair in a little top knot held in place by a bow - which you had done to prove to me that you were going to do all the grooming necessary. I couldn't stop feeling awfully for the little brown dog and couldn't make you understand how reprehensible I thought 'replacing' it was.

The dream ended with me watching you play with the poodle on the floor and telling me I would grow to love it. At that point I could see that it wasn't all poodle, it had a bit of spaniel in it. And the more I looked at it, the more it looked like a black spaniel.

Sorrel Soup

From my mother:

The sorrel I have is perennial and has grown into a huge plant. I don't know how it stands up to snow and frost but it definitely grows in England. Though I never had it there, it was probably regarded as a poor persons food.

Ingredients:

A big bunch of sorrel leaves, stems trimmed off. Wash well.
Potato scrubbed but leave skin on. Chop into cubes and parboil or put in microwave for 4-5 minutes.
Bunch of spring onions chopped fine including greens
3 Cups of vegetable stock
2 tablespoons Olive oil
Nutmeg, salt & pepper

Heat oil, medium, add onions and sorrel leaves, stir and cook for three minutes till leaves turn bright green.

Add potato, vegetable stock, cook for about 6 minutes or until potato is fully cooked.

Grate in nutmeg

Leave to cool a bit and blend til smooth, return to pan to heat through if necessary.

Taste, add salt & pepper to liking.

It has it's own flavor and doesn't taste like anything else.
(The original recipe called for thickening with corn flour but I find potato does just as good a job.)

Oh I also added a large pinch of dry mint with the potato & veg stock.

How many uterus related arts and crafts projects can there be?

I've spent a lot of time on Etsy because I can find reasonably priced unique clothes that (most importantly!) fit me. I think the fitting me part is because when I buy vintage, it was usually made in a time when my size was closer to the average as opposed to the tiny people side of things.

I have, though, come across some really hideous items for sale and I'm very glad to say, someone finds them as hideous as I do.

My ex roommate Shawn passed this along:

www.regretsy.com

Enjoy!

Nonsense is good for you.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/health/06mind.html?em

Of course. If something was a little weird, and it turned out to be a
lion shoulder blade above the tall grass, one would have needed to
figure it out, right soon. We still need to be able to spot
unsettling things. "That's odd, I saw movement in the car. There
isn't supposed to be movement in the car. Aha! There is a man laying
in ambush in the backseat."

That's a neat article. Thanks for sending it to me. I hear the devil
calling, "Back on your heads!"
-Ryan

Dreams: David Mitchell Lookalikes

Last night I had a dream I walked into a pub that was having a David Mitchell lookalike contest. Everyone in the pub looked exactly like David Mitchell, even the kind publican that sold me a pint.

I was the only one not competing.