Hi, March.

So I see I have not blogged since November.

Well.

This happened to me last year, too - it seems to be an occupational hazard. Once the school year gets in swing, I don't have as much time to while away on the interwebs. Or, I do, but this year I've been spending it starting a masters degree and making another record, and having a brief romance with someone I had known for 20 years end poorly.

The good news is, N. has been rocking the early bedtimes in the big-girl bed. Also, I have a new record and almost 1/10th of a masters degree.

Christmas was lovely, New Years' was quiet, Valentine's day was...also quiet. School's going pretty well, thanks. And you?

Oops, that was the dryer. Right back...

Post-Thanksgiving Brunch for Two:

Potato Pancakes with Hot Sauce Gravy


2 1/2 - 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
2 eggs
salt to taste
dash chili powder
butter or non-hydrogenated margarine

For the gravy:

1 cup leftover gravy
dash hot sauce

Heat a stainless steel or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Season the potatoes to taste with the salt and the chili powder. Mix in the eggs. Drop the mixture by spoonfuls into the preheated skillet. You will need to flip the pancakes several times, starting when the bottoms start to hold together. Flip and reshape until you have nicely golden brown cohesive pancakes. Remove to a plate. Warm the gravy however you choose and throw in a dash of hot sauce.

Makes about 8 crispy, delicious pancakes, with enough gravy left over to secretly guzzle.

Thankful.

I am thankful for:


my beautiful home

my amazing daughter

being a teacher

my piano, my guitars

my giving mom

the blessing of my immediate and extended family

delicious and nourishing food to eat

my professional successes

my incredible support network

kisses and hugs


N. is thankful for:


princesses

my momma

my nan

my dada


happy Thanksgiving, everyone...

LOVE that top.

I love the appeal to ignorance! Now that's hot. Like the air in the Shenzhen sweatshop that cute top came from.

There are quite a many known nasty facts about high-fructose corn syrup, but the main reason I avoid it is because it is a hallmark of foods that have been processed to within an inch of the definition of "food." Picture the little pulverized "whole-grain" cereal puffs, rolling down the factory belt, getting sprayed with flavor coating, tumbling in the blast dryer...

My Acceptance Speech

Radar Online has a Mad Libs game where you can make your own acceptance speech for your party's presidential nomination.

Here's mine.

My Darling Babies, it is with profound humility and great mild appreciation that I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States. [Pause for applause.]

Growing up as a young boy in Greenwich Village, where I spent my days studying boxing so that I could one day go to college, and my nights doing needlepoint so that I could put some food on the table for my 5 brothers and sisters, I never thought I'd be standing here today. I never thought I'd be standing here after facing no toilet paper in the Upper East Side while serving my country as a proud member of the Chess Club, or when standing up against delayed mail while a United States senator, either. But my fellow Americans, I am standing before you today, and for that, I am eternally grateful. [Pause for applause.]

I didn't get here alone, of course. Far from it. Where would I be without my beautiful wife, Chicken Head, who is the smartest person I know? Or my 6 lovely daughters? You mean the world to me. I'm so proud of you.

But tonight isn't about what I've accomplished in the past. It's about what we're going to accomplish going forward. Together. You see, we stand here today at a crossroads. The issues we face—an iffy war abroad, a flabby economy at home, and an uphill battle against sustainable bamboo harvesting—aren't Yellow or Red issues. They're America's issues. Dealing with them is going to take a united front.

It's also going to take hard work. Being willing to answer the phone at 3 a.m. Dedication to the task at hand. Which is why, my fellow Americans, I've enlisted the help of the wonderful, talented, Governor Binky Townhouse to be my vice president—your vice president—to help get this country back on track. Her years of legislative experience, willingness to confront the complacent Washington elite head on, and an upstanding reputation for being a damn fool are of vital importance to this ticket. I could not be happier.

America, we still have a lot of work to do, but I'm confident that we'll make it through these turbulent times and turn back the Screamies. God bless! And God save America.

Bedtime for Momma.

I have 62 great ideas for intelligent essays about parenting and early childhood development and politics and other stuff too, and not one iota of energy with which to string the words together.

One of them is going to be about how I really hate it when random strangers in the grocery store tell my daughter she is beautiful, "just like a little doll!"

One of them is going to be about how to praise people's work, no matter what age they are.

One of them is going to be a how-to about moving overseas, possibly set to music. ("Hello...Scandinavia! Your healthcare sure is keen!" (jazz hands)).

This post is going to be about how it's the beginning of the first full week of teaching and I'm already tired, but my record is live on amazon.com. You can listen to some tracks for free on each of my websites, and you can preview little snippets, and of course buy songs, by clicking on that big ol' picture.



"Amalfi" is my favorite song, if you're only going to buy one.

That is all.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Since I have just noticed that it now gets dark before N.'s bedtime (which makes things much easier), I thought now would be a good time to do some kind of Summer Wrap-Up. As all three of you may remember, at the begininng of this summer I was feeling "plateau-y;" for the less erudite reader, that implies a blockage of creativity. Thankfully, I got over it. And so, without futher wordbutchery, I offer you Our Concrete Accomplishments of Summer '08:

1. We turned this garden

into these (and other) tasty vegetables:

2. We turned this

and this:


into this record, which will be out in a minute, but forget I told you, because I'm not doing any advance:

3. We made this dress for Giselle. And a matching one for N., who makes me wear the dress I wore to my mom's wedding (also purple) and dance around with her - this is called "Going to the Ball."


Sheesh. What else did we do? Made lots of pizzas,


went on the boat ride I vowed to go on when we moved here (and LOVED it),

went to like thirty-two beaches and playgrounds, and made next to no progress on the quilt. Ah well. Anycomplishment, this was one of the best summers ever. Seriously. Outranking several awesome summers I remember from my own childhood. Sigh. Thank you, summer. Love you.