Good morning ... Mostly cuz we're up early and organizing!
Good morning. This is me and we’re at an early one. I’ve had a little distraction in that there was a download to the iPod. It went from a 2.1 to a 2.2 something. I just knew that it was important to the way it works and receives information to download. Now … we’re checking out downloads to stuff like Anderson Cooper. I forgot how nice it was to listen to him, but that only really works on days like now when I’m waking up early. Hmm, maybe though this is the progression we need to be listening to something current on the way to work. Only so many times you can listen to Obama and his books over and over again. It’s still something I’ll fall back on, but we need to keep current.Hmm, that’s almost over what next? I could turn on the TV?
Ok, ok … got that all set-up. We went to iTunes and downloaded on the iPod about 13 free news-type podcasts which are almost all videos. Can’t help but deny I like the pictures, but there’s so many video’s to be downloaded now days … it’s just very cool. I tried to download some outside CNN, but have to admit that’s where most of them come from. This is what we’re listening to.
Anderson Cooper 360
The CNN Daily
CNN In Case You Missed It
CNN late Edition with Wolf Blitzer
CNN marketplace Update
CNN=Politics Daily
Democracy Now!
Discovery news – ok this one is news on like spiders and caves and such, but still news!
Fareed Zakaria GPS
The Larry king Podcast
MSNBC Rachel Maddow
NBC Meet the Press
The Official Barack Obama Podcast
&
Washington Week Video
I know, I know … just ONE channel on caves and spiders and bears … uh huh … that’s about enough of that.
Let’s see how we do. It’s nice though to hear the broadcasts without commercials and in the order and time we have available. The other nice thing is that I’m getting the last issue that I have not listened to, so most of the broadcasts are just yesterdays … If I could wake up at 4 every morning maybe about the time I get to work and back I can listen too much of it. It’s a good skill to be able to think and write while hearing in the background some of this other stuff. Lately it seems we haven’t been able to catch up with news and part of that is because I let Rich choose which channel he would like to see when he gets home. I still turn it to CNN when I get in, but it’s not as much as I was hearing during the election. I’d like to think I’m better with my obsessions, but usually I find they just switch from one thing to another.
Yesterday I had a mostly good day. I still wrote too much, but at least the last 3 ½ - 4 hours I was able to do some work. I did the work for 2 ½ clients – Qnotes.
It really isn’t bad and is actually kind of fun while I’m doing it, but getting me there is very tough. Something that has worked the last few times is that Rich has walked in – it’s not that he’s necessarily found me not working, but more I want to be workers like him. We have a hard time reaching this point until we connect his reality. Not sure what’s happening there.
Ok, shhh… we’re all set-up except the silly cat walking back and forth in front of my screen. We pet her for a while, but she’s still a little crazed - hope that quiets down.
We’re at nowhere in general this morning other than paying attention to the news.
If we can keep the kitty population down, we can keep the coffee and iPod in front of us very close on the inside of both hands. I like looking down and seeing the news rather than in looking in back of me, so we’ve resolved one problem, but as soon as we feel caught up with the news; we might want to go back to watching the TV. I think mostly at this hour though, they are playing the tapes from last night on CNN.
Let’s see then … so we did our writing, then we did our Qnotes, and then we drove home- Anything there? Hmm, we stayed an hour late, but we’d talked to both boys there and on the way home which took some time. Pretty much we were trying to establish a time to meet her on Sunday between 12 and dinner at 1 pm. I think everyone is planning on coming, which left me worriedly talking to Rich last night and asking ourselves – if everyone is here … there will be 8 people and umm how we’re we going to sit all these? And, do we have enough plates even? We’re thinking even as to glasses we might need to get more unless people can drink out of cans and such. Shouldn’t we have some wine though - might still need something.
I’m thinking now that we might do better to sit 6 at the kitchen table and then place 2 at the peninsula thing. That won’t help in serving though and I don’t know if the girls can be left there, or if it would mean splitting up the adults. We’re looking at Rich and me, Maury and his two girls, Joe and his girl, and Alex. Not too hard, hmm?
One thing has been established already. Rich is planning on going for his boat early Saturday morning, and we are going to be left here to clean up and/or prepare some dishes. We just started going over the menu with Rich last night. We’ll have turkey, dressing, and potatoes, but not sure about sweet potatoes. He suggested green beans, and we suggested chicken nuggets for the girls if they are not interested in turkey as suggested by Maury. Joe suggested having milk, so we’ll be ok there. We need cranberries and Rich is going to make a pie – hopefully apple, which is my favorite at this time. We also need to have some kind of buns – that was Joe’s suggestion. I will ask Maury if he has any favorites. I was thinking of making potato salad, but then that’s more than one potato dish. I could try to make that raspberry Jell-O. I don’t think that the kids are so much for Jell-O, but it has a half gallon of ice cream in it, so I’m thinking we could make inroads with the girls. It seems that we should have something else there. I think we’re fine on desserts because Joe doesn’t eat them and there’s no guarantee on that all around.
I might take a few moments to look through my little red recipe book, hmm? Was there anything else in there? Mostly, I think its desserts. Ok, maybe that is about enough – hmm?
Ok, that’s done … there’s really nothing in there I guess, but a few hamburger dishes, some potato dishes and the one’s for desserts - hmm, just thinking of my Grandma’s wild rice recipe. That would be like the big deal Saturday thing to do that would add something special to the meal. We don’t really need the other dish, but if I could make it it would give the family another tradition passed down. My grandmother would say that it is too hard to make, but I wonder if I could get the wild rice, if it would be too hard for me to make if my mother explained it. She’d be tickled to if she thinks I could follow her directions. I’m fairly sure she knows how to do it. That was too major of a recipe for my grandmother not to have given to her. I wonder if there is any problem getting wild rice.
In that respect, I could clean on Saturday and make wild rice, potato salad, and Jell-O and then help Rich by getting the table ready. I think he’d do the stuffing the night before, we could skip the sweet potatoes, then he’d put the turkey together Sunday morning, and just have beans and rolls to heat up along with the girls nuggets. Oh yeah, somewhere Saturday night he’d have to do the pie. Is that all? Cranberries and milk, and or something to toast would happen as setting up the table. Hmm, leaves the question of potatoes. I’m thinking we don’t’ really need them, but there’s not much then to do with gravy. We could put it on the dressing and wild rice dish … Maybe we’ll forget the potatoes. Or, I could try to enlist Maury because he knows how to make them for real, but I don’t want to ask him because he’s done so well at putting meals together on his own.
Ok, so let’s do this clean:
Ann
Make grocery list and go shopping
Decorate
Do bills
Clean house including vacuum carpet
Keep kitchen clean as cooking including dishwasher
Make Wild rice hot dish
Make Jell-O
Make Potato Salad
Help Rich do laundry by folding clothes
Set table and chairs
Set videos for girls/Football
Place appetizers chips and dip, plus lemonades or make lemonade Margaritas – pudding for the girls
Place out cranberries, pickles and drinks
Place out all other dishes
Make Gravy
Entertain
Rich
Decorate
Get boat
Go shopping (including blender, ice, and x-mas lights)
Pick up dry-cleaners
Wash, dry and help fold laundry
Empty kitty litter
Make dressing
Make apple pie
Make turkey
Heat beans
Heat chicken nuggets
Heat rolls
Cut turkey
Entertain
Pshwoo, ok … this is a good start. I think we’re halving the list pretty evenly … we’ll have to talk to Rich about it. I think the most important part is to do all I can reasonably so that Rich is not overloaded, or that I do enough in the serving of my own family who I am responsible for inviting over. I think so far, so good. I will have to call my mother sooner than later to make sure if I can or cannot do the wild rice. I really hope it’s possible. I’m thinking I should be able to pick it up at the grocery store. Just I remember it at the time of childhood, being more rare than not. It was a big deal to get my grandmother the rice for her to cook it. To my credit, I was with her once while she was making it ... I think after we get over the part of treating the rice – maybe pre-boiling it and cooking the burger/sausage – then it’s more a matter of just mixing the right ingredients. I think if my mother has it … she’ll be proud to contribute to the dinner in this manner. If not there, I could be pretty sure CS has it, but I’d rather get it from my mother, because she’ll feel it as an important contribution. CS would look at it like nothing big. Ok, let’s not get into the politics of it.
Better get a to-do list printed out … also if we can keep things picked up, there is no reason, I can’t get some of the things to be heated like the beans, nuggets and rolls on Rich’s list prepared for heating so it’s just a matter of putting them in the oven. Well, maybe beans are still Rich because I think he’s got his own special recipe. This would if we can pull it off be a really big deal; because it would mix the recipes of both families … it would be a new introduction of holiday to the boys, grandchildren and also to Rich and me. It would be OUR first holiday dinner – it’s a pretty big deal. Hmm, that reminds me … we have some decorating to do?
Better put that on both our list. Ok, done.
I think we pretty much locked ourselves in last night. It wasn’t firm until that time. At this point, it is set that the boys come over about noon on Sunday, maybe Joe would get here a little later, because he and his girl would be coming from church, and then dinner would be at 1 pm and most likely everyone would be leaving at 3:30 pm to 4:00 pm, because the three guys are expected to be doing the karate.
Ok, this is going to be ok. The big deal for me is to make some goals. Maybe I could try and take care today of getting recipes and doing the shopping list. And, then we’ll have to take a look around and start doing some cleaning projects. Hmm, maybe we better put getting the bills out on the list. We’ll work on the gym maybe next week. Better get some cleaning projects done first. I wonder if Rich will be home tonight? I’m thinking it’s the first Wednesday of the month and most likely he’s going to have cards. Yeeks that’s going to be a late night then. Better count on tonight and tomorrow are going to be nights to adjust his sleep. Maybe then we can plan on doing the decorating on Friday night. Hmm, I wonder if he’ll have games. Have to check with him on that schedule. I think we’re going to need thinking through Christmas lights. Hmm, just put that on the list.
Good, good … the 3 big auto CEOs are saying they will take a salary this year of $1 each. That’s a good idea … unless we were to have them share $1. Hehehe that might be even better. I think they have plenty of money between them to split having no income this year. Now let’s get some of their big execs on-board.
Oh, we’re listening to CNN Marketplace radio. I guess this is an hour plus show.
That works fine with me. I need to listen to this part too. By now it’s about 5:30 am. I wonder if I should continue or take my shower early. Hmm, that might be a good idea … is there any precedent? What needs to be done this morning? Anything to do from that list? Hmm, maybe better start writing out some of the recipe ingredients. Hmm?
5 pounds of potatoes
1 ¼ qt salad dressing
1 cup cut celery
½ cup onion
1 tbls mustard
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
We have mustard, salt and sugar, right?
1 dozen eggs – check on this with boys and or Rich
Better check on this recipe with mother along with Jell-O and Wild Rice?
Let’s work on that master Grocery List … obviously on the “stuff for list” we need some help.
Stuff for Potato salad - 5 pound s of potatoes
1 ¼ salad dressing
Celery
1 dozen hard – boiled eggs
Stuff for raspberry/ice cream Jell-O
Stuff for Wild Rice hot dish
Stuff for Turkey
Stuff for stuffing/dressing
Stuff for gravy
Stuff for beans
Stuff for apple pie
Chicken nuggets
Rolls
Cranberries
Pickles
2 Lemonades (we have Margarita mix)
Chips – sour cream and tortilla?
Salsa
Pop (3 six packs – coke, diet coke & diet 7-up)
Wine
Milk
Ice cubes
Blender
Glasses
Wow pretty substantial so far … where is this money coming from? Yeeks! This list needs expanding, but it’s a good start, right?
Maybe we’re heated up pretty much now … it’s 5:54 am … maybe time for shower.
Feeling pretty heated up now. Wow … Over heating! Shower means getting medicine too. Good girl, maybe then a pudding?
Ok, pudding first … we can do this … we’re not going to get overwhelmed … rich is here to help right? Most likely he has the lion’s share … just we have to help, right?
Did I mention we’re done with the marketplace news? We’re listening to this really boring lady doing a show called Democracy. This will be test tube for that show. Seems pretty much so far a repeat of what’s on CNN, but ok so far if we got that kinda time. Hmm, think we have some Obama listening time too coming up with something else … What was that we got through the mail yesterday?
Hmm … back again. We did some stuff … like took our shower, got dressed, did the medicine and packed our bag AND we spent some time with lover-lips. He’s watching TV in the background and we’re getting settled for leaving. We’ve got about 15 minutes left. We got to talk to Rich about some of the little stuff that goes along with starting the morning. We clarified also that he’s going to be going to his poker night tonight. That means that I’ve got the evening to fill-up by myself. I think it’s going to be ok. I might fall asleep early because we were up so early this morning, but that turned out ok last night, because we woke up to playing with our baby. That was sweet! We then slept with him, until waking up. Nice. Nice.
Whoops be right back.
Ok, that’s better … we had to do a restroom stop. I think it’s about time to post now though. It’s 6:50 am. Rich is still here, but I think he’s going to close down in a minute to spend time on his computer before he leaves, but we should be heading out in a few moments. We would like to do some good work today. We’ve got some work to do for the Circles group today – we’ve got Group 1, but other than that we’ve got to be looking at the Qnotes some more. I would really like to get them caught up within the next 3 weeks. It’s possible, just gotta keep at it. We can do it, right? I know I know … don’t forget the annuals too, hmm? We’ve got to get through having a administration meeting on Friday without having made progress with CARF … Yeeks … there’s always something more, hmm?
But, we can do it … we’re all good!
posted by Ann Marie @ 12/03/2008 06:54:00 AM
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