Eternal sunshine of my spotless mind

Stockpiling ingredients for Christmas baking. The loot looks good so far. Have assorted bags of chips including a bag of Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chips, white chocolate, mini chips, and butterscotch chips. Not sure how I'm going to use the Ghirardelli yet, either for cookies or a dessert (probably a dessert). Also stocked my shelves with French butter, pecans, dried blueberries & cranberries, and macadamia nuts. As usual, I overbought and am overambitious. Most of the ingredients will keep until well after Christmas, so all is good.

Definitely on the agenda are my cranberry & blueberry fudge and my all-time favorite rice krispy cookies. Maybe the rocky road fudge. Maybe gingerbread boys. Maybe snickerdoodles. Maybe sugar cookies. Maybe some kind of mochi. Ooh, chocolate & peanut butter sounds good. Haven't made that since Sis was here. Did I make that? I'm pretty sure I did... Probably the fruit bars if I remember to buy dried figs. Ooh and definitely peppermint meringues.

No cookies this weekend. Christmas tree pickup and must clean house for UH game. Found a recipe for German Chocolate Pecan Pie. Need to buy coconut, but I think I'm baking pie. Have been craving pecans lately, I think it's because I neglected them on Thanksgiving. Hmmm, also thinking nachos (kalua pig?) and quesadillas. We haven't had those for a while too. Have no theme for the game, will leave that to Musson.

Found the cutest idea for gingerbread house cupcakes. For sure the kids would love that. Must keep up my reputation of the best baker ever (in my baby's eyes).

My mood: cold & hungry

Posted by Cora at 10:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Politicians and diapers need to be changed
Often for the same reason

My mood: good

Posted by Cora at 07:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So the final quarters of my turkey day went well. We did end up being late because I forgot that we still needed to make the gravy once the turkey was pau. It was okay, because Aunty J was later than we were. It was a nice day. We had rice and despite the lack of anyone actually speaking to one another about the menu (all done via email), we didn't have any duplicate items. C-Man managed to entertain everyone for the day. Food was good. Family is healthy and happy. May have dozed for a few minutes after eating. May have gained 7 lbs eating C-Man's leftovers.

Musson, the shopaholic, has convinced me (she didn't have to try hard) that we should go shopping at midnite. So I'll be off for another chapter in my seemingly endless day. It's like I'm living in a Harry Potter book.

My mood: exhausted, unable to sleep, looking forward to the distraction of retail therapy

Think I need a break from this, so I'll be gone for a while. Hopefully when I return I will be rested.

Posted by Cora at 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Current Stats

Me: Still no sleep. Got the kitchen under control. Lots of time. Took a walk with C-Man. Walked him in the stroller to the school and we played on the playground. My butt is dirty from the slide. Hard to run with that stroller, settled for brisk walk. Roads were pretty deserted, drivers were being nice and stopping to let us cross road. Could smell turkeys roasting and smoking all the way back. No smell of pie though. Need bath. Talked to Trini, UH football tomorrow nite at my house. Need to clean when I get home.

C-Man: Wide awake- dressed, eaten so far half a Krispy Kreme donut, 2 slices of apple, pork sausage, corn bread, and a handful of craisins (can you tell he's been with me while I made the stuffing?).

Food:
Turkey: in smoker, turned, browning nicely, minimal droppings for gravy
Asst. turkey parts: pau, liver in stuffing, rest for dogs, liquid for gravy
Stuffing: In oven- finally decided on a recipe of french bread, cornbread, pork sausage, turkey liver, onion, celery, fresh rosemary, basil, parsley, an apple, craisins, and chicken stock. Eat that Stovetop man.
Green bean casserole: on standby.
Yams: baking
Green salad: on standby. Still need to wash greens (easy from Costco), add tomatoes, pears, cranberries, mushrooms. Still undecided about toasted pecans.

Coming up: beginning of the 3rd quarter, with the 4th quarter at Grandma's house. Ooops, I need to call her and make sure there's rice. Hmmm. No one's answering the phone.

Won't get to the rest of the game until probably tonite. Or maybe I'll get lucky and fall asleep...

Happy Turkey Day!

Posted by Cora at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Still awake. Didn't watch movie yet. Didn't walk yet. Had a heart-to-heart with Sis. Hope her turkey is doing well.

C-Man: Still snoozing
Turkey: in smoker
Asst. turkey parts: bubbling for gravy
Herbs: picked from "garden" FRESH rosemary and basil
Stuffing: bread cubes toasting, onions & celery chopped; next step-- chop cornbread muffins, brown sausage, chop mushrooms
Green bean casserole: green beans cooked, realized that nothing else to do but bake. Oops, too early.
Yams: washed, put in oven after breadcrumbs done
Green salad: nothing yet. Need to wash greens (easy from Costco), add tomatoes, pears, cranberries, mushrooms. Still undecided about toasted pecans.

Oops, back downstairs before my bread cubes burn...

My mood: wired (on a cooking high) and ready to roll

Posted by Cora at 07:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What's an insomniac to do without the internet? I turned off the computer 3 hours ago. Having woken up twice since then, I have decided to give up on sleep. It is 3:46 a.m. What the hell is wrong with me?

Since I'm up anyway, I thought I'd watch one of my favorite movies "Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind." Afterwards, I will go for a walk, before C-Man wakes up and I attempt to make stuffing. But first, my annual list of things that I'm thankful for:

1. C-Man. He's becoming a fine young boy. He's smart, funny, and despite the fact that he drives me crazy sometimes, I love him more than life itself. Now that he's a little older and much more independent, I have more time to myself. I'm trying to remember what I used to do before I had him. It is like a lifetime ago.
2. My unwavering support of wonderful family and friends (who are just like family). They have helped me through the rough times in life. I am the fabulous person that I am because of them.
3. The internet-- which is my savior when I have insomnia and it allows me to stay in constant contact with my Sis. It's sort of like having her here, okay, it's not, but it's better than nothing. I'll also add in this category: Amazon.com, Allrecipes.com (and FoodTV.com), my iPod, and email. Oh, and my newest sort-of, but not really, addiction - Myspace. I love reconnecting with my old friends that are there. It's like a mini reunion party online.
4. I remember what it was like to have a full nite's sleep. Will have to remedy this somehow.
5. I get to spend Thanksgiving day with all of my family (okay, not with Sis, Bill & Billy -- but they're in my heart so that's almost as good, well okay, not really... )
6. I have Friday off-- so it's a 4-day weekend for me. Woohoo! It's good to be the boss, sometimes. Planning to do some Christmas shopping, pull out the Christmas decoratons, make room for the Christmas tree, get in some exercise time, and maybe I'll get to sleep for a few hours...
7. UH is having a fabulous football season and the Wahine are in post-season play! Am sad to see Sanders and Gregory go. And of course, will be sad to see CB go, but I'm sure he'll get drafted, so we'll see him again soon.
8. I've returned to the gym. I missed my gym friends -- Kathy, Dan, Annie, Aaron, Sandy, Al, etc. Only haven't seen Clyde yet and Cheri moved away. I'm making use of that membership fee again, yeah! I think I'll try to get back to my pre-baby, gym-6-days-a-week body. I was hot! Ambitious goal, but I've got time on my side (although the holiday season's working against me already, KK says that the average person gains 7 lbs during the holidays).
9. I have been able to do a lot of reading in my spare time. I just wish that the Alchemyst would hurry up and release the next book. It's my new Harry Potter series. Want to re-read HP from the beginning. Will start that after the holidays. Love the Mensa sudoku books-- thanks Sis! Need more brain stimulation. Little Einsteins just doesn't cut it for me.
10. I have 2 trips to look forward to next year. Vegas and Disneyland. It's not Spain or Japan, but I need to get away from here for a little while. It helps me to appreciate the good things here. I love to travel, I just always want to come back home when I'm done.
11. I'm not 40 yet. Although I think I've officially crept into the late-30's category. Yikes!
12. MO. Things with him haven't worked the way I wanted (his choice, not mine) and I somehow managed to send him running in the other direction (story of my life, but that's a whole nother entry that will never see the light of day), but I had a good time with him regardless. He made me feel good about myself, he's fun to be around, I could have an intelligent conversation that's not about bowel movements or tantrums, and something about his smile has always made me feel like the world is a good place to be in. I'm sad, but Tennyson was right, cliche as it was.
13. The Republican reign will be over soon!
14. My friends over in Iraq and other unstable places are safe. I wish them happy Thanksgiving. I know their families are just as thankful.
15. My new place. It's almost perfect. I just need to spend the time and money decorating and finishing the furnishing. Need to do closets, buy a refrigerator (hopefully before Christmas, cause friends are coming here this year again), stove (I want to start baking again), and purge out the crap that's been festering in the house for years. I have many bottles of wine to drink. Woohoo-- let the party begin!

Well, I think that's enough for now. It was a little longer than I expected, but once I got started things just came to me.

My mood: tired, but not sleepy; in the mood for a movie; waiting for sunshine

Posted by Cora at 03:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My throbbing thumb and I survived the day. You know when you bite your cheek and then keep biting the same spot? Well, the same theory works for the thumb. I managed to smash it in a book AND to somehow throw my book bag onto it. Not to mention the numerous times it's been grabbed by C-Man. Needless to say, I seem to bruise easily, so I expect my nail to turn black and then fall off any day now. That's always attractive.

My day did not start off well. I went to bed late last nite, as has been my usual lately. My insomnia wakes me somewhere between 3 and 4 in the morning and I no matter what I try, I can't fall back asleep. Of course, because I needed to get to Aiea by 8:30, I somehow managed to pass out and I suddenly jolted awake to the bright light of the morning. Shit. It was 7:00. Took the fastest shower ever, got ready, refilled the dog water bowl, fed them snackies, found foam coffee cups, green tea bags, cut a bunch of grapes into smaller bunches, woke the sleeping babe, changed him, made him pee and left the house by 7:35. No panic. I drove across town (it's not that big of a town) to drop him off at Auntie M's and was off. Fortunately, there were no missing hikers this morning and I did not encounter any accidents, large vehicles, or drivers adhering to the speed limit (I guess everyone was running late).

Made it to Aiea by 8:35. Managed to lug teaching materials, refreshments and my sorry ass up to the office. Musson is a dream. She had the coffee brewing, hot water hotting, and had a beautiful table for my Costco muffins and other assorted snacking devices.

Class went smoothly, I don't think anyone knew I was not really prepared. I can say, that I train well (or so I've been told and have been asked to do training on several software systems). I actually do enjoy it. I've been a little isolated in my rural library, so the requests don't come as often. I am in fear of losing my computer skills. I probably couldn't set up a network to save my life and I'm sure my HTML is antiquated. At least I still have my Hawaii & Pacific website to keep me busy. Tangent, I know...

Following the class, I had a nice lunch with Musson. I can breathe a sigh of relief for now. The next class will be in December on the Big Island. Not looking foward to the plane ride (actually it's the waiting for the plane ride that's a drag). Should be easier now that I have a better idea of the time frame of each exercise and the throbbing in my thumb should be pau.

Typing is proving to be quite difficult so I'll stop here.

My mood: enjoying the quiet before the holiday madness... need to find stuffing recipe...

Posted by Cora at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Is the number of grains of rice I have raised for the FreeRice website. Please try it. My vocabulary stinks, but I managed to make my way through. I am embarrased to say that my highest score for level was 40. Of course, I'm tired. Got home later than I wanted, but had a nice time with Trini. Am working on my class I have to teach tomorrow. Slammed my thumb in the car door, so I can't think straight. Yeah, that's my excuse...

Anyway, it's a good way to kill some time if you're bored.

Hot Link: FreeRice

My music: La vie en rose-Sophie Milman, Time to say goodbye- Andrea Bocelli

My mood: in pain and the rain isn't helping any

Posted by Cora at 11:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Spent a better part of the morning at the beach with the love of my life. We managed to miss the morning rain. I love it there before the deluge of wind surfers and non-locals taint its golden shores.

There is nothing in the world like sitting on the beach with your child playing nearby while you bathe in the sun's harmful, yet soothing rays. It's even better with a good book at hand. I am always reminded of the countless days spent lounging in the sun with Musson, Trini or Gayle. They were good times; when life was full of potential and wine coolers were aplenty. Well, life is still full of potential, I still feel like a teenager (with responsibilities and a child) with the rest of my life ahead of me, but I wouldn't be caught dead with a wine cooler.

Well, C-Man is happily bonding with Grandpa outside, so I best get back to my book.

My mood: peaceful and lazy, as all Sundays should be...

Posted by Cora at 01:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well I apparently missed the game of the season last nite. But in the end, UH prevailed. Woohoo. 10-0 baby. The gang and I were seated in the kiddie section of Borders while Bro gave us the play-by-play via cell phone with 3 minutes left on the clock. I realized last nite that one of the things I love about Hawaii is the camaraderie, especially when it comes to UH sports. We spent the evening at WWC for their Taste of Science program. C-Man was very into the preschool area and the box of sand and rocks (because we just don't have enough sand and rocks at home) and the Imaginarium. The imaginarium was very cool. He loved looking at the stars and the roller coaster ride at the end was pretty neat. Anyway, before I flew off on that tangent, let me get back. I would occassionally call home for the score and if someone heard me on the phone they would ask what the score was. And I would hear other people taking about the game and tell the score to anyone else who was interested. It would be heartwarming for the players to know that even though people were going about with their normal Friday nite activities their hearts were not far away from their team. Let's just hope that CB is up for Boise next week...

Watched the highlights this morning on ESPN.com. I love the internet.

See, what the world needs is not love, it's a team that everyone could root for.

My mood: Giving thanks for good things in life

Posted by Cora at 05:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Woke up early this morning with an epiphany about my life and current situation. I have been feeling off and decidedly ambivalent. But a jolt of clarity awoke me and now I feel free!

Holy crap, next week is Thanksgiving! Holy crap, I have to put my class together. Teaching on Tuesday.

My mood: back to my fabulous self again and sooo looking forward to my weekend!

Posted by Cora at 05:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I may delete my Myspace profile because of weirdos like this guy:

Hi Beauty,

Oh my God you are beauty, I love your picture and your profile babe, you are nice looking woman, and I don’t know that woman like you still exist babe. I am single man still looking for nice, caring, loving woman to get married with. I am XXXX XXX XXXX live alone, A native of Africa country, Nigeria, and also “Construction Engineer by profession. Hope to hear from you babe. Kiss.

I swear I get these lovely messages weekly. Maybe I'll change my status to married and include pictures of me with some hot, buff dude in uniform. You would think the BABY pictures would be a deterrent. I could just limit who can send me stuff, but that would take all the fun out of it, right? I've gotten some pretty hilarious ones. He probably sent the same message to 5,000 other hopefuls, so I'm sure he won't take offense if I don't respond.

Well, here's wishing you luck Mr. XXXX XXX XXXX of Nigeria. After all, we all deserve some lovin'.

Posted by Cora at 11:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I can't believe that the Yankees are going to sign A-Rod for $275 mil. A 10-year deal? Can he last that long? They better hope so.

I almost feel sorry for Barry Bonds. Almost.

Been following the story of Bloomberg and his possible bid for President. I think his strategy sounds good, maybe. And it's his own money anyway. Sort of like Ross Perot, but with more brains? Or balls... I have to say if it comes down to Clinton and Giuliani, I may go with Independent. Of course, I'm thinking he'll end up hurting Clinton and we may get screwed w/another Republican in the White House.

My mood: good Got to see Al today, he subbed for Kathy. I haven't seen him in ages!

Note to Phil: It's not that I have anything really against the Red Sox, like Sis has for the Patriots. They're just not my favorite team. Of course, they did rid themselves of the player I hated most. He became a Yankee and cut his hair. To make my argument even weaker, I can't even remember why I hated him so. Probably because he helped my Yankees lose the World Series... Of course, I can't hold it against them. They're still my team. Don't forget to send me your schedule for the Express!

Posted by Cora at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sometimes, I think I might be going crazy.
Sometimes, I think I might be the only sane person in the room.
Sometimes, I think too much.

Mostly, I think too little.
Or maybe not at all.

I thought I was the sane one.
But now I know I'm not.

My mood: Ambivalent, or so I'm told

Posted by Cora at 11:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today is the birthday of one of my very good friends, so Happy Birthday woman. Here's wishing you a clean house; a long and relaxing day; and lots of cake and ice cream with zero calories sticking to your waistline.

Hopefully we can get together this weekend.

My mood: sniffly and sneezy

Posted by Cora at 08:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Heard on the radio this morning that the city council voted to start islandwide curbside recycling again. Woohoo. Happy day. Of course, it will take about a year AND we know how well that worked the last time...

My mood: happy

Posted by Cora at 10:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yes he can! (sorry-- a little Bob the Builder just regurgitated out)

Was reading about Obama's "American Dream Agenda" and his call for the end of income inequity and credit for college. Raising opportunities for the middle class and reducing breaks for the wealthy. It is heartening to read about his dreams to make this country a better place for all people (even though it really is a dream, get those damn republicans out of the house and senate, then we'll see...). I am so sick of B**h and his BS (my blood pressure is now beginning to rise again-- think happy thoughts). It makes me just so sad that he probably won't be President YET.

Watched his brief appearance on SNL. I love him!

I didn't see the debate, but I hear that he did well and he was the only candidate that did not trash Clinton. Not that I like her-- I don't. But I like that he's keeping his options open as a possible running mate. I would settle for Vice-President. At least we know he won't be shooting anyone in the face... I'm just afraid with Hill in the running, she'll turn off everyone and the f*****g republicans will win with some lame person and we will have 4 more years of B**h again. I have come to realize that the American public is that stupid. They trashed Obama for taking off his American Flag pin. They say it was a bad idea. HELLO people! Why does the man need to wear a pin to prove that he's more American than any other candidate? Because of his name?! Because he's black?! I just don't get it. That's why I usually stay away from politics. It just infuriates me. That, and religion. But that's another rant for another day.

My mood: I started out hopeful, but am now grumpy. Need a shot of Billy giggles -- Sis? Or as previously mentioned, a nice mojito, though I'd take a margarita. I realize it's only 8:00 a.m., but I've been up for a while and I don't have to be at work for a few more hours. Hell, I'll just take the blood pressure down a few by consuming chocolate. I just bought the Costco truffles! C-Man slumbers nearby and I'm all alone with the truffles. Woohoo, chocolates for breakfast! I love being an adult.

Posted by Cora at 07:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Have had a headache for the last few days. Must be the weather. And the fact that my son is now 3. All of a sudden he's being such a pill and just not listening to anything I say. I guess that's not so different from before...

Booksale was hectic and just a mess. The good news is that we made $676. Not bad for 7 hours. It's over and I can rest until April. Not really. We need to work on our 30th anniversary celebration and our amitious ethnic cultural series for next year. They asked if we could do it. I'm fine with it as long as I'm not the one that has to do all the work. I did do the grant, we'll see what happens next. Packing up the booksale took forever (with only 3 people) and then I had to do my usual work. My office is a mess due to my absence for the last few weeks. I have a stack of mail that is literally a foot high and a few boxes of books to sort through, in addition to all the junk that was sitting there before I went to do those interviews. The weather didn't help any. Our phone lines have been either not working or are wet and have lots of static and our internet connection was mostly down yesterday and today. Oh, and I have to teach a Publisher class to a bunch of library people in 2 weeks. So I guess I better get started on it. Also on my plate, working more w/the future big boss. Sounds exciting, but tiring. Possibly more driving too, not looking forward to that.

Looking forward to my day off and the holiday weekend.

My mood: overwhelmed, drained, and in need of a massage.

Posted by Cora at 05:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Listening to the thunder outside. I like storms. Harmless ones are good. This one seems pretty intense though. Very loud. I can smell the wet earth and my feet stick to the wood panels on the floor. Can't sleep tonite. It's funny that when you get older you can't turn off your mind. Sometimes the strangest thoughts pop up at 12:30 a.m.

I remember taking a trip to the east coast with Sis and Bro many, many years ago. We were in D.C. and in the hotel room. It was the first time I ever saw lightning. Actual bolts coming out of the sky. I envisioned Zeus or some other mythical being shooting them down from the heavens.

Sis says that Melbourne is the lightning capital of the U.S. When I was there a few years ago in the summer (C-Man was only Fetus-Man at that point) there were lightning storms almost every afternoon. It was cool, unless you were Sumi, the-dog-who-got-stuck-under-the-bed-because-she-was-hiding-from-the-thunder.

The NWS Melbourne Lightning Information shows the following statistics (you know me... can't ask a question without looking for the answers):

-Deaths due to weather/weather related phenomena in Florida: 1959 - 1993 (from Storm Data): Deaths by lightning 53.1%
-Total number of people killed/injured by lightning in Florida between the years 1959 and 2004: Killed 428; Injured 1689
-Average number of people killed/injured nationwide between the years 1995 and 2004: Killed 49; Injured 313
-Top 10 States with most lightning casualties (deaths + injuries), 1959 - 2004: Ranked #1 Florida 2117
-Top 10 States with most fatalities, 1959 - 2004: Ranked #1 Florida 428
-Average number of people killed/injured in Florida between the years 1959 - 2004: Average Killed 9; Average Injured 37 (Based on the above numbers, the odds are about 1 in 5 that you will be killed if struck by lightning. )
-East Central Florida Lightning Casualty Statistics 1959 - 1996: Brevard County; Killed 23; Injured 69
-Number of thunderstorm days in the central Florida area: East coast (Melbourne/Vero Beach) 70-80
-Approximate number of lightning strikes in Brevard county, Florida per month: August was the highest month with 6676

Storm is getting closer. Thunder louder. Dogs must be freaking out w/Bro. Should check on them, but beginning to feel the sleep.

Hot Link: NWS Melbourne Lightning Information

My mood: brain is awake, but the rest of me is ready for bed

Posted by Cora at 12:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday, I left my last set of interviews (Woohoo!) early, so I decided to go get C-Man (formerly known as Little One) and start my weekend early.

I got to Auntie M's and first he didn't want to leave. I keep thinking to myself Do all the kids do this or just mine? I found the answer. One by one, the other kids went home with their parent eager and happy. My child complains, wants to be carried, starts to fuss. Then when I think it can't get any worse, he throws a full blown tantrum in front of the car. We're talking major screaming and stomping and waterworks.

The tantrum was because I wouldn't carry him from the house to the car. I had refused several times and according to those stupid parenting magazines, I'm supposed to stick to my guns otherwise the tantruming will become habit.

I did try to pick him up and stuff him into his carseat, but that didn't work very well. He does that stiff as a board thing and I can't get him into the seat. I tried to get him back into the yard so that I could just leave. Then I could call Grandpa to pick him up. Didn't work. Finally after about 15 minutes of tantrum, he finally succumbed to my second attempt and shoving him into his carseat.

I was drained, deflated and needless to say, my day was now shot.

When we got home. I got him out of his seat. He hugged me and said "I love you mommy"

Life is good after all...

My mood: hopeful

Posted by Cora at 05:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)