Fridge Friday Part I

Main RefrigeratorI jumped on the Fridge Friday bandwagon thanks to Amy. I actually took the pictures on Wednesday so I wouldn’t have time to clean and stage my fridges!! When I took the photos, I had to resist the complusion to turn all of the labels outward so it would be prettier.

I didn’t do a fridge post on last Friday, so let’s start with the main fridge. Top left is dairy/soy; top right is homebrew for cooking, cooking wine, and big pots of leftovers (no leftovers this week, though!). The two small open shelves on the left are cheeses and eggs; the larger open shelf on the right is tofu and leftovers that are ready to be taken to work for lunch. The left drawer is “mire poix” (carrots, celery, green onions/shallots/whatever) and the right drawer is other fresh fruits and vegetables, currently packed full of hand-picked apples. The huge bottom drawer is unopened dairy and soymilk. It’s extra cold, so the stuff stays fresh for a long time. I can buy lots on sale and it doesn’t spoil!

If you haven’t already stopped reading this very boring post, I’ll tell you what’s on the door by shelf, starting at the top: baking (e.g. yeast) and meds; butter; condiments; jellies; homemade hot sauces and jalapenos; and the bottom shelf is tall stuff and perishable, opened condiments.

Main FreezerStill with me?? How about the freezer? Top shelf is, left to right ice (duh), limeade (for delicious margaritas not from a box, Mymsie!), frozen bagged vegetables in the back row, and frozen homegrown produce in the front row. Most of the homegrown stuff is from other people’s garden. Homebrew is a powerful bartering tool!

The bottom shelf is soymeat (crumbles make a really yummy marinara additive), Extra frozen veggies, frozen fish, lots of frozen milk for Ainsley, an ice cream maker, and a big chunk of charred wood. Wha? What idiot puts charred wood in the freezer? Well, it’s my salmon grilling plank and although I rinse and scrub it after use, I just don’t think plain water can rinse off all of the bacteria that could fester before the next time I use the plank.

I guess I didn’t realize the large amount of insanity that goes into my fridge. It is a very small refrigerator, so I really have to be creative with the space. It is not very deep, which is really a big advantage; it’s much harder to lose a container of leftovers, only to find it six months later covered in fuzz. The biggest thing I noticed was that I am doing a pretty good job of keeping it neat. I used to throw away a lot of rotten food- what a waste of money and resources. Having everything organized has helped me use everything before it rots and also feels less cluttered.

I hope this post isn’t as boring as what I had for lunch.  Next week: different fridges from around the house! Stay tuned…

Woodworking with Doctor Sawbones

My dad and I were discussing making a very simple toy that wouldn’t require plans. Somehow, the discussion moved from the kitchen table to the wood shop and we were both working away!

I haven’t been in the shop in years. I haven’t worked with my dad in the shop in a decade. We used to work in his shop a lot, starting from when I was about six. It was a wondrous place full of dangerous stuff that was off-limits for years. But even when I was too little to work, my dad would suit me up in protective equipment and let me watch. It was so incredibly fun. I will have to find the picture of me in a girly-girl dress and safety glasses and ear protection.

I made lots of projects in high school and on through college. I spent many hours playing with different blades on the bandsaw and figuring out how to thread a jigsaw blade through a drilled hole.  But lately, I have been too busy and it’s a shame. We worked together as seamlessly as always, even using our nicknames from long ago. He was Dr. Sawbones; I was Nurse Sawdust. It was so cool how we just started working and the tasks divvied themselves as we worked. We both stayed busy and tried new things. Smelling the faint burning wood smell again was so relaxing!

I also learned to use a router table today, and made friends both chamfer and forstner. The forstner drilled through wood like it was butter and felt very smooth.

We finished the bandsaw, drill press, and router work; all is sanded and sanding sealer applied. Now, for paint and the toy will be finished! All from scrap wood in my dad’s shop. I saved about $40 and I spent a priceless afternoon with my dad. You can’t beat it with a stick.

Work plus Home plus Baby

I survived!

I’m back to work.  I thought I would ease into it, but I am going full speed ahead.  The first time I went to the office, I was pretty miserable and just wanted to go home and watch Ainsley take a nap.  After a couple of days, I started to really enjoy working again.

My new role means a new schedule.  I arise and feed her at 5AM, then put her back to bed until her normal wake time of 8AM.  I can scurry home early and still manage a full day’s work by working while she naps.  I only miss about 3 hours of waketime!  In the meantime, she’s receiving a great Montessori education.

I am reeely tired at the end of two days of this schedule.  However, I’m learning to power through it and I am actually functioning better than before Ainsley was born.  I know that my time for work or for housework is very limited, so I make the best of it by scurrying around like I’m on Supermarket Sweep.  I bet watching me clean is amusing.  It’s aerobic; I’m sweating and breathless by the time I’m finished.  My house is actually in better shape than it was a year ago!

Life has a different rhythm.  But it’s a fantastic challenge.

Saving Money and Gas and Time and the Planet: Carpooling

As usual, there’s a nerdy spreadsheet to visually aid! I was very conservative on my estimates for fuel economy (I usually am at 29-31mpg). The first column also includes the miles of the commute- first, the daily miles if I don’t carpool, then the daily miles if I do. My carpool means I actually backtrack about 7 miles, so I wanted to be sure to include that increased distance in the calculations.

I have a relatively short commute, but look at the savings for carpooling and Working From Home (WFH)! That’s $181 in my pocket, and a reduction of fossil fuel consumption by 58 gallons. This spreadsheet only accounts for my savings; my carpool partner, who does not WFH, saves $85 and 28 gallons of fossil fuel. On top of these savings is another benefit: I’ve met a new person and we have some great conversations during the commute.

Imagine if everyone tried this…fewer cars, less congestion; less stress for the driver due to decreased congestion, less stress for rider- no driving! I am using my extra cash as my annual contribution to the South Side Animal Shelter.

My company has a carpool message board, but there’s one for Indianapolis as well. Give it a try!

Seven Meme

I was tagged by Mymsie, so here it is! All Seven and we’ll watch them fall….
>>Share seven random and/or weird facts about yourself.

  1. I have a weird food disorder- I eat in my sleep. I don’t remember doing it until I see the remnants of my feasts the next day. I saw a 20/20 special on Sleep Eating and was horrified by the hidden camera shots of people eating- they were stuffing their faces. The interesting thing is that people never make healthful choices: 100% of people choose high fat and/or high calorie foods. “Choose” might be a misnomer. I have eaten some seriously random things: the worst was when I took out a stick of butter, dumped dry chocolate cake mix on it, and ate it with a fork. The next day, the butter was still stabbed with a fork and there was cake mix everywhere.
  2. I love Barbara Mandrell.
  3. When I was in first grade, I would walk to school. On the way home, I picked up litter I found on the sidewalk (I was already environmentally conscious!) and my mom would be horrified by the junk in my hands. First graders have no concept of germs!
  4. One of my favorite things to do is to be unexpected. I like to defy people’s expectations of who I am. For instance, I brew beer and I like to play nerdy D&D-style games. I think my paternal grandma started this. In her eulogy, they mentioned that she was so proper as to wear a hat and gloves to the grocery, but she was also an avid NFL fan.
  5. I’m in a Backstreet Boys video for about half a second…and yes, there is a story behind it.

  6. I am simply unable to eat baby food. From formula to milk to pureed peaches, I think it’s all disgusting and I can’t even try any of it.
  7. If I could rewind time, I wouldn’t. I used to think I would really like to take back some regrettable actions (see number 5 above), but I now I really feel like they helped make me better because I learned from them.

>>Tag seven random people and include links to their blogs. Let each person know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

  1. Amy was already tagged- no fair!
  2. Hey, Oz? Up for a meme?
  3. GBHII probably won’t do it.
  4. CGB has become too tech-focused for such tomfoolery.
  5. ChubbyChick might do it, if she’s not already tagged.
  6. Sherri might be busy tending sheep.
  7. I don’t have any other friends. I think this is a sign. Waahhhh 🙁

Weight Updates

I waited as long as I could to weigh Ainsley again.  She sure looked bigger and fatter, but hey.  I’m a scientist and I need data.

Her weight gain was great!  She’s been gaining almost at the ideal pace of one ounce per day.  Like I said, I was pretty sure she was on the right track, but data is what put my mind at ease.

The new bottle is what did it.  She now eats like a normal baby and she naps better too.  I hate to think how hard it must have been for her to be getting sugary milk instead of the high fat milk she needed.  I would never have made it this far without the support of the Clarian North Lactation Consultants.

Ainsley and Daddy at the Reef AquariumI wish I’d been carrying my real camera when I saw this shot.  She already loves to watch the aquariums in the house and her favorite book right now is The Biotope Aquarium.  I love that Ainsley’s first words might be “Zebrasoma flavescens.” Carlton has really been a great dad, too.  He doesn’t view her as a chore; he sent me to bed at 7:30PM the other night and took care of her.  I had a terrible migraine yesterday and he took care of both his girls all day with no complaints.  What a great guy.

Oh, and 26 to go for me.  The pounds aren’t melting off anymore, so the weight I’m carrying is that excessive amount because I was so hungry in the beginning of the pregnancy.  I can’t wait to be rid of this artery-clogging flabbbb!

Video Clip Attempt

Went back to work Monday. I feel pulled in too many directions: job, Ainsley, husband, diet, pets, cooking, laundry, cleaning, et cetera. I am sure things will become better, but for now I am ready for a nice hot bath and an afternoon to myself.

My mobile phone has a pretty good still camera, but the video is really pixellated. We’ll see if this works! Let me know if it’s too garble-y to be worth watching. Note that the suggested videos are of famous Ainsleys, both fiction and nonfiction. I think that sounds like a good band name: The Famous Ainsleys.

Here Come the Mummies!

Last time the Mummies were in town, I was carrying an extra human around with me, so I didn’t attend the show. I wasn’t going to miss this one! If you’ve never heard of the Mummies, they are a dynamic funk band with fantastic live shows. They are the height of kitsch: they not only sing every single song as a double entendre, they perform in full costume every time. I wouldn’t recognize them if they were out of their mummy garb! I never thought I’d like funk, but these musicians are great fun to watch and they are very talented as well.

So we dressed up, found a babysitter, and headed to the Vogue. Our usual ticket connection guy was MIA. We called him on our way, only to find he wasn’t able to attend the show…for the first time in years. As we arrived at the Vogue, I saw a sad little sign that read “Mummies- tonight- Sold Out :).” Oh no! We didn’t even think of that! So we hung around outside hoping someone would have tickets. We weren’t the only ones. This guy and his I Dream of Jeannie date had elaborate costumes but no tickets. Groups of us loitered, hoping for the best.

As we waited, some people in zombie costumes wandered past the Vogue. They were playing the zombie part very creepily. A minute later, a guy dressed as Michael Jackson (pre-plastic surgery and skin bleaching) wandered past. We joked he might break into Thriller. Then, about 20 yards past the Vogue, a car pulled up, opened its windows, and out blasted Thriller! The zombies and “Michael” broke into the Thriller dance. It was hilarious and well done. Even some of the Vogue staff stopped by to cheer and clap. After the dancing finished, “Michael” announced that he had extra tickets! We cheered, rushed over, and bought two.  A crowd clamored for the tickets and we all congratulated each other on our good fortune.

The Show OpensWe ran to the Vogue entrance as an entourage of ecstatic fans.  The drumbeats of Do You Believe had just begun.  We didn’t miss a thing!  The performance rocked as always.  The crowd sang every word, and fans who’d never met were singing to each other and the band.  The costumes were wild (Michael and gang were just the beginning) and everyone was having a great time.

It wasn’t their best show to date, but it delivered energetic funk in a great atmosphere.  I’m glad to see that this band that used to play at the tiny, now defunct Patio is now packing the Vogue full.  They announced that they’ll be rocking the Vogue on New Year’s too- a first- they usually play in Tennessee that night.  Oh, and TiVo Big Shots this week- they have a song on the soundtrack!

New Year’s Eve, here come the Mummies fans!