hiatus

It is possible that I will figure out how to blog from my phone, but I wouldn't hold my breath.  check in again the first week of August.   And thank you for reading.

A CRB (Cool Refreshing Beverage)

I worked in my college admissions office one summer.  We used to nag and pester the office manager for breaks, "Pat, it's so hot out. Can we please go get a CRB?"  We thought this was a very clever way to refer to a big gulp.  "No," Pat would snap.  "You'll get nothing and like it!"  I found this phrase to be satisfying and used it in many situations for years, especially when I taught third grade.  I never realized that Pat had plagiarized the line from Caddy Shack until quite recently.  The Man Who Lives in My House and I watched that movie--which has aged really well, by the way.  Watch it sometime after your kids are in bed.

In celebration of the sultry summer weather, I present you with a recipe for a CRB.  Enjoy.

-Fill a pint glass 2/3rds full of crushed ice.
-squeeze a lime wedge
-1/3 C white wine--pinot gris, sauvignon blanc anything dry/citrus-y
-1/3 C Trader Joe's antioxidant triple berry juice or other not-very-sweet reddish purple juice.
-fill the rest with sparkling water.
-a sprig of mint will make it fancy.

I was bashing the 80s in the last post--and here I am providing you with a recipe that has it's roots in ubiquitous California Cooler.  Remember those?  We used to drive across town to this one mini mart that didn't card us to buy them.  Hopefully you will find this adapted for the adult palate.  We drank it with ceviche.

Street Style

A while ago now--(sorry, I've been gardening since the sun came out.  Gardening trumps blogging, but not by much)--I was in the Bay Area for a bachelorette weekend (I've got a post about that, actually, I just have to add pictures).  The contrast between street style in San Francisco and Eugene is starkly entertaining.  So much so that I made a note in my i-phone while riding BART.  I just found the note--all the wine and fabulousness made me forget I had written it.  Here it is:

Trends I get (which is to say things I was wearing anyway):
*clogs
*wedge heels
*platform shoes
(Clearly I wish to be taller.)
*scarves--they make ugly Americans look a soupcon plus francaise.  Bien.
*Big cuffs on straight leg jeans.  I hate hemming.

Trends I do not get:
*gladiator sandals
*shoe-tees/booties Awkward!  Ugly!
*mohawk or faux-hawk--mo is worse than faux
*clothes with shreds or holes on purpose. (I am old.)
*tattoos
*piercings (I told you, I am old. And I have mid-western roots.)
*camouflage on civilians who are not trying to kill Bambi
*neon
*the eighties in general.  I was there.  Remember mall-bangs?  We looked awful.  Let it go. Especially the music!  If I hear Banana-rama (I'm your venus...) on the PA in the grocery store one more time, I may do something drastic. Please bail me out.
*Energy drinks other than coffee.

Vote for my Dog

Every evening, we let the chickens out for a little romp.  They skitter around, talking amongst themselves,  ignoring our 80 pound love beast, Otto.  He is like the clowns that scoop up the horse poop during parades, only more disgusting.  He follows the flock around, devouring what they leave behind.  It's very helpful--none of us wants to step in that--yet so revolting.  Why do I feel it's important to have a dog?  or chickens, for that matter?  We won't even talk about the turtles.

Every year, our town has a very local parade and celebration of its' idiosyncrasies.   Our Congressman, Peter DeFazio (D)  follows the horse contingent, with a dustpan and broom.  He collects the manure with patience and good humor.  Hooray for Peter.  Please keep helping us keep Oregon blue.

Maybe this is representative of the best of what government can do--manage shit.  We produce so much and no one else wants to deal with it.