Bad Blogger!

I've been really bad! Funny how life just gets in the way sometimes. The last time I wrote anything was the day before my birthday! As I mentioned in that post, DH took me to a Caps game the weekend before for my birthday. On my real birthday we went to Timbuktu's for some famous Maryland Crab Cakes. He also gave me these:


Believe it or not, this was all I really wanted for my birthday! I mean, what do I need? For some reason, lately I've become really sensitive to onions, which I happen to cook with a lot! I only buy Vidalia onions, which in the past never bothered me. Now, my eyes burn and water and I end up looking like a raccoon with eye make up smudged all over my face. These suckers really work!

Friday of spring break, my friend Cat and I went to Annapolis where we walked around and browsed in all the neat little shops. We ate lunch at the 1747 Tavern on Church Circle. It is a tea room and it is quite lovely.


Easter weekend we ended up visiting the kids in the Burgh. Saturday evening we checked into the hotel then headed off to the Sharp Edge Creekhouse for dinner. Bird was working the bar and he waited on us. Unfortunately, we were missing the Caps game and we had to watch the Pens instead, relying on the updates during the intermissions. After dinner, we headed off to Sonny'swhere Ems was bar tending. She now has the Saturday night bar tending shift there. Sunday morning we went to mass at the Duquesne University Chapel with the kids and Joan. We met up at Bird's house where I was able to at least get a shot of Ems and Joan:


Note the college boy decor on the mantel! We then went to the Double Wide Grill in the Southside, one of our favorite places, for brunch. We headed home after spending a little more time with the kids.

Tuesday it was back to the old grind. I am totally burnt out this school year. The burnout comes earlier and earlier these days. There is so much pressure to improve test scores that nothing else matters. Kids are not getting a well rounded education anymore and when you teach poor kids, with limited life experiences to begin with, you really deprive them of some of the most valuable learning experiences. With the current economy, we have given up raises for next school year and we have been given a lot more work to do in the same amount of time. I've decided that I am going to more or less work to the rule next year. This means that I'm not staying late anymore. I will bring some things home, but I'm not working hours and hours of unpaid overtime. It galls me that that teachers are actually expected to do that.

Things are getting interesting around here. DH was laid off last week which is a major bummer. He will get 4 weeks of pay after which, we will find ourselves exhausting our savings. I'm just hoping that we won't have to go into our retirement accounts which have already lost about 40%. Needless to say, I didn't attend MD Sheep and Wool Festival this year!'

The high point for us has been the Caps! Not only are they in the playoffs, but they are now in Round 2! It is ironic that they are playing the Pens in round 2. They've never beat the Pens in any playoff round. Game 1 was yesterday and the Caps won! This series is really being hyped up. If you are a hockey fan, then you've read about the Ovechkin vs. Crosby rivalry. To that, I say this:


Kitty Cam: Mikey is on the Caps bandwagon!

Easter N'at

For the uninitiated--the title of this post is in a foreign language--Pittsburghese. Bird was home from Monday 3/17 until this past Monday. He's picking up the local vernacular--saying things like "N'at", "yins" and the ever popular "jagoff." So we are adjusting to the new language we are hearing at our house. I haven't blogged in over a week. Things have been really busy. Last week at school, I had to put together a weeks worth of sub plans for next week. I'm a little nervous about that as my sub is somewhat spacey. It will be testing week and the kids will be a little off. I'm afraid they will eat my sub alive! I'll have to straighten them out when I return. I've already decided to bribe them with a contest. I am having a cast signing contest as I will have a cast on my left hand/wrist when I return. I'm buying a box of sharpies in 15 colors and the best class of the week gets to sign my cast. Funny how little things like that mean so much to kids. I never fail to pick up on that quality in them and use it to my advantage (and theirs!)

Then we had Easter. I set a lovely Easter table:
Note the napkins folded like bunnies.  I found the best website on napkin folding and I have used it a number of times.  Who needs a book?  You can find it here.  Unfortunately Ems and KC ended up having to work an extra shift and they couldn't come over so it was just the three of us.  We have enough food for the week.  We had baked ham, baked pineapple casserole, baby carrots and sugar snap peas in lime ginger butter,  roasted asparagus with asiago cheese, rosemary fingerling potatoes and popovers.  I hadn't made popovers for years.  They are a throwback to my own childhood--one of the treats that my brother and I would beg my mom to make.  For dessert we had angel food cake with strawberries and mango sorbet.  Of course I had to pick up a pint of Ben & Jerry's Half Baked for Bird.  I must admit that it is my favorite B&J's flavor as well.  Before dinner, I fixed some Pamatinis.  I have finally perfected the recipe and it tastes just like the ones at the Rams Head. I had to make some changes from my original recipe and it's just right!  I can really suck those down at happy hour!

Here is the recipe:

Pamatini

1 1/2 oz. Pama Pomegranate Liqueur

1 oz. premium vodka

1 1/2 oz Peach Schnapps

3 oz. pineapple juice

Place in shaker with ice, shake vigorously and pour.   Seriously good stuff and it makes a pretty big drink.  I have big martini glasses.  It always blows my mind to go to a bar and pay 10 bucks for a premium martini in a small glass!

I have to do the crochet edging for one more sleeve flounce on Giselle--then I'm done!  I need to finish it today as I won't be able to crochet with a cast.  I also cast on Bella Paquita.  I'm a little disappointed in the yarn.  It is Elann Incense--a blend of 50% wool, 25% silk, 25% bamboo.  It sounds luscious doesn't it?  What threw me off is that I only use merino wool and this yarn just says "wool"  not "merino" and I should have paid attention to that.  It isn't terribly soft, but at least it doesn't feel scratchy.  You get what you pay for.  

I'm trying to get stuff done today that I won't be able to do with my bandage on my hand.  I'll check in tomorrow night once the Percocet kicks in.

Bushism of the day:

"[A]s you know, these are open forums, you're able to come and listen to what I have to say." —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Oct. 28, 2003

Kitty Cam:  Samantha enjoys the Easter flowers!

Ducks and bunnies and chicks! Oh My!

The snowmen are packed up and Easter is on it's way! A might bit early, if you ask me. It isn't even St. Patrick's Day and I've put out the ducks, bunnies and chicks! I typically keep my snowmen around and faithfully do my snow dance until March 21. That is Good Friday! This is way too early for Easter! Here's a sampling of my Easter goodies:







I have 4 more days of school until spring break! I have to get ready for my sub the week after break as I am having my hand surgery on March 27. I will take the following week off to recuperate. I have to record my chorus accompaniments so I have to practice them and get that done this week. My accompanist moved last summer and I haven't found another so I record the piano parts which enables me to conduct the choruses the way they should be. I'll have to search out a high school kid next year to play. It would be a good way for them to get community service hours.

I got a lovely little box from Webs yesterday.

The colorful skein on the left is Valley Yarns Franklin sock yarn. I am using that for a Baby Surprise Jacket. I'm taking a class with Pheelya next Saturday where we will begin the jacket. I've always wanted to do that one. The other two variegated skeins are TyDy by Knit One Crochet Too. They are for the Chameleon Scarf in the New IK. It looks like a nice portable project. The squares are knit separately then sewn together to they are small projects that can be put in the purse!

The other yarn is Louisa Harding Jasmine. It is Cotton, Bamboo and Silk with a metallic thread that adds some sparkle. It's hard to see it in the photo.

This is for Cecilia which I showed in a previous post.

I have finished knitting Giselle. Now I have to do the crochet trim and attach the flounces to the sleeves. I've wound the sea silk and I knit a small swatch so I can test the gauge of the crochet. Hopefully I will finish that in a week or so.

Bird comes home tomorrow. It will be good to have him here.

Bushism of the day:
"One year ago today, the time for excuse-making has come to an end." —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Jan. 8, 2003

Kitty cam:
Greg loves rolling around on his perch!