Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!

Might I present to you Exhibit 3,432 of Why We Are All Doomed.  That's right - the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is about to decimate the world's population.  And, unfortunately, with its 9-12 day incubation period, it may gain its foothold in the US right here in my neighborhood.  Let's see...Bunko is being held at my house on the 10th, and my neighbor just returned from visiting her grandchildren in Jordan a few days ago.  If she shows up at my door with cold symptoms, I might just have to ban her from the game.  Or at least give her her own dice.

If you see something like this, call the CDC.  And don't breathe.

Overreacting, am I?  "The novel coronavirus is a threat to the entire world," says Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general at WHO.  Gosh, that sounds a tad alarming to me.  The rest of you can just go about your business, whistling past the graveyard, as it were, of certain catastrophic illness; but I feel I have a responsibility to warn people, Paul Revere-like, that the Big One (epidemiologically speaking) is coming.  Mostly because I have nothing better to do, being unemployed and all.  Also, because I tend to freak out about things like this.

You know, just because I am a hypochondriac doesn't mean that I WON'T die in a pandemic.  Think about it.

30 Years Ago? Really?

Blame Wendi Aarons for this post. Instead of sitting down and regaling you with the events of my day, I read her post first and ended up wasting my evening listening to this Hall and Oates retrospective and reminiscing about my youth. Okay, I won't lie - there was some singing along going on, also.  Everyone else here was asleep, so I felt free to belt it out.

Enjoy. Or not -- it's up to you.

The Ravages Of Time

Susie's birthday on Saturday proceeded just as she had planned: Belgian waffles for breakfast (made by David), the opening of the presents, a lunch date with Mommy, a trip to a nearby carousel with Daddy, and then pizza (made by David) and cake (baked and decorated somewhat haphazardly by moi, the resident cake-decorating genius).  Do note that Susie opted for David to make her meals, instead of myself.  She knows which side her bread is buttered on, apparently.

Oh, and then she insisted on staying up until nearly midnight to watch "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World."  Apparently, she has developed a precocious appreciation for vintage comedy.  Myself, I fell asleep by 9.  Cake-decorating is exhausting.  Also, my youngest - my baby - is now 8, and I am verklempt.

I think I'll listen to "The Circle Game." Again.  Feel free to join me, but bring your hanky.

Sunday was perfect weather for all of us to go see the local air show.  An hour out, an hour back, and 2 hours in between spent staring into the sun.  Again, I fell asleep early.  I don't seem to have the resilience I had when I was younger - you know, when I could do maybe 2 or even 3 things in a row without needing to recover in between each one?

This will be me, only without the hatchet.

Today! My healthy friend (the one who convinced me to sign up for a 30-mile bike-a-thon in June) held me to my promise of taking a 12-mile bike ride today.  I believe she is trying to kill me.  Then we kept all the kids up late for a neighborhood marshmallow roast (I know! It's like The Truman Show around here).  I would go to bed NOW, but I'm afraid that, if I stop moving, my entire body will stiffen up from post-bike-ride syndrome.  Larry will wake up tomorrow morning and find me lying in bed, mumbling the words "oil can" over and over.

In short, I cannot handle 3-day weekends. Because I am old.  The end.

[Tin man image: Babble]

Pinterest, You Harlot

They like me!

For some reason, this is my most-pinned pin EVER.  Apparently, the concept of crockpot beef stroganoff has real crowd appeal.  And, happily enough, it happens to be one of the few Pinterest recipes I've tried that has actually turned out all right (meaning, nobody cried).  So I'm proud to spread the crockpot stroganoff gospel.

We just won't talk about the many failed recipes I've tried involving Pillsbury crescent rolls.  People, these are NOT an all-purpose food stuff, as they are way too sweet for most savory dishes.  I can't take the lies anymore, Pinterest.  The deception, the false promises, the glittering vision of happy mealtimes...

One would think my disillusionment would make me a little less susceptible at this point to the siren call of Pinterest recipes, but no - this "Pan-Roasted Chicken With Lemon-Garlic Green Beans" still beckons to me seductively.  "Just toss it in the oven!" it claims.  "Easy weeknight meal!"

Tie me to the mast, someone, won't you?

Chicken Cordon Bleu in the crockpot, you say?  Hmmm....

[Ulysses image: Brick and Tree]

Like Mother, Like Daughter(s)

Korinthia Klein, in the comments yesterday, kindly offered some advice to relieve the doldrums of my coming week:  

What's something you've always wanted to do? I always feel excited to be tackling a project that's just my own. Sounds like you're in a perfect place to pick something.

Doesn't quite look like this yet...

Considering that I am the QUEEN of unfinished projects, Korinthia should think twice before encouraging that sort of behavior.  My house is replete with the relics of my creative pursuits - items I have begun making in lieu of attending to basic household responsibilities.  As of this moment, in fact, I have a pair of socks AND a lace shawl AND a winter hat on the needles (3 separate sets of needles, of course).  Also? A crocheted cotton hat is currently languishing on my couch, waiting for me to finish it.

Tell me, am I the only crafter who starts hating all her projects halfway through?

Oh, and just last week, instead of cooking dinner, I spent 2 hours cutting strips from fabric scraps so that the girls could make this rug for their room.


Of course, at this point, the rug is sitting around only partly done.  My daughters, alas, have obviously learned a thing or two from me.