10,950 + 1

Yesterday was a special day.

Yesterday, September 6th, was the anniversary of the day I was born......thirty years ago.
*sigh*

It wasn't so bad, really. It's not like everyone around me wore black all day, or my hair spontaneously turned gray, or Jason made jokes about making sure my life insurance policy was up-to-date -- all of which would've sent me running to my room to sob pathetic, I'm-in-denial-of-being-a-thirty-year-old tears.

Instead, I woke up early to get the coffee started and make asparagus frittatas for Jason and me. Breakfast was followed by smiley/giggly-time with Everett, which was awesome! And then the hustle and bustle of the day commenced...

I've known for months that I had some house guests arriving this week, but as most things tend to go these days, the house cleaning got pushed to the last minute. So I spent most of my birthday tidying stuff up, dusting, doing laundry, cleaning bathrooms, washing dishes......oh, and of course taking care of Everett. Fortunately, he was pretty well behaved, and I was able to get a lot done during his naps. And then before I even realized it was nearing 3:00 in the afternoon, I heard a knock on the door.

Enter Tracy and Ann.

Tracy and Ann are two of my absolute best friends. I've known these girls for somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 years (which is a lot, especially since I'm 30). I feel like it's kind of rare these days for people to maintain life-long friendships that started in grade school. Whether that's actually the case or not, I definitely feel truly blessed to have these ladies in my life. And since I married into the military four years ago, it's been a little tough to be as close as we once were, but we're still such important parts of each others' lives. :)  Anyway...

As soon as they got here, the house chores pretty much ceased -- even though I wasn't really finished with all the cleaning -- oh well. Of course they were happy to see me, and they wished me a happy birthday, but they really just couldn't wait to get their hands on my little Everett! It's ok. I understand.

Jason got home shortly thereafter and surprised me with a birthday cake from Layers (a wonderful little bakery in Monterey that a friend introduced me to back when I was pregnant). We all shared a couple pieces of cake for an afternoon snack, and then we got ready to go out to dinner. Jason surprised me again with reservations at a great seafood place down on Fisherman's Wharf -- The Old Fisherman's Grotto. Apparently, they have the best clam chowder, but who really cares about clam chowder, anyway? I stuffed myself with some kind of parmesan-crusted fish, and the complimentary piece of cheesecake they brought to our table. (Yes, that makes two desserts in one day. Don't judge.)

We got home and spent some time talking and reminiscing and playing with Everett. And then I went to bed......not really feeling older, not really feeling wiser, but definitely feeling well-loved and very, very full. All-in-all, not such a bad way to spend my 10,950th day on this earth.

Torsion vs. Flexion

For some unknown reason, I am WIDE awake at 4:24 on a Sunday morning.

Actually, I've been awake for more than an hour. Everett woke up for his middle-of-the-night feeding some time before 2:50 -- the exact time remains a mystery, because strangely the baby monitor on my nightstand was turned off...which means, when I rolled over to reposition myself at 2:50, I just happened to hear Everett down the hall sounding the alarm. Stupid baby monitor. (Or maybe I accidentally turned it off in my sleep. Stupid me.)

Anyway, I fed Everett. He got a clean diaper. Then Jason put him back to bed. And I've been awake ever since.

I was debating for a while whether or not to get up, but I thought for sure I would eventually drift back to sleep. So there I am, tossing and turning, trying to find a different, more comfortable position, and I realize that the way Jason and I happen to be cuddling is actually quite uncomfortable. And that's when I say something along the lines of "ow, my back's in some sort of weird torsion." Which leads to the question, "wait, what's the difference between torsion and flexion?"

(Seriously?! This is what comes to me at 4:00 in the morning?!)

And that's when I realized it was impossible to quiet my mind. My never-shrinking to-do list is thundering through my brain. And now I'm up, sitting in front of my computer, ironically not even halfway paying attention to anything on my ginormous to-do list.... *sigh*

I guess I should start with something simple this morning. First, coffee. Then, the dishes. Gotta start somewhere.

Oh, and for those of you who are still wondering by this point, here are the Merriam-Webster definitions of what was keeping me awake at 4:24 on a Sunday morning...

torsion:

1: the twisting or wrenching of a body by the exertion of forces tending to turn one end or part about a longitudinal axis while the other is held fast or turned in the opposite direction; also : the state of being twisted

2: the twisting of a bodily organ or part on its own axis

3: the reactive torque that an elastic solid exerts by reason of being under torsion

flexion:

1: the act of flexing or bending

2: a part bent : bend

3: inflection

4a : a bending movement around a joint in a limb (as the knee or elbow) that decreases the angle between the bones of the limb at the joint — compare extension; b : a forward raising of the arm or leg by a movement at the shoulder or hip joint

To Each His Own

These may look like normal, run-of-the-mill chocolate crinkle cookies, but don't be fooled...

...They're VEGAN!!!

Yes, they're vegan. And they're friggin' delicious!!! 

As an avid baker, I have always felt that certain ingredients are just not negotiable -- specifically, butter and eggs. If a recipe calls for 'butter', please don't substitute hydrogenated vegetable shortening -- it's not the same thing. And if a recipe calls for 'eggs', please don't try to convince me that using applesauce or something called 'egg substitute' is just as good -- I won't believe you. I will admit that there are times when using shortening and/or applesauce in a baking recipe makes sense, but I don't generally approve of these ingredients' use solely as non-animal substitutions. But hey, that's just me.

Honest, I have nothing against vegetarians/vegans. I've been friends with several vegetarians/vegans in my life. It's not necessarily what defines them; it's just a choice they made. In fact, I currently live right smack-dab between two very nice military families that just so happen to be of the vegan persuasion. That's right -- my little family is the medium-rare hunk of animal flesh sandwiched between two "granola" buns! I sometimes wonder if our frequent Weber-grilling ever grosses them out......but I never lose sleep over it. What can I say? I love meat! So I guess we'll just agree to disagree and go on being friendly neighbors.

Anyway, back to the cookies...

The website that I got them from calls them "Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles". I don't know if there's anything snickerdoodle-y about them, except that they're rolled in cinnamon-sugar before they're baked, but whatever. And as far as I'm concerned, the fact that they're vegan is just a coincidence. First and foremost, they are really, really yummy! There are no strange vegetarian ingredient substitutions (except for the non-dairy milk, but that's not so bad really -- I used coconut milk, by the way), so I didn't mind testing out the recipe. And once they're baked and cooled, and you feel the tingly spice of cayenne on the back of your tongue, you really don't care what they're called or how animal-friendly they are. Like I said, they're delicious! 

So go, try them, be "vegan" for a change. And after you get done baking and eating these cookies, go outside and grill a big, huge steak. :)

"BEEF -- it's what's for dinner"

Something to Blog About

I recently reminded Jason that this is a blog about The Coles -- that means all of us, not just me and Everett. Sure, every once in a while, I include a random Jason-themed anecdote. But for the most part, my stories are about my experiences and from my perspective. And so I encouraged Jason to post something. And his reply: "I guess first I have to have something to blog about."

For those of you that don't know, this is Jason:

He's tall, he's blond, and he's kinda pasty-white. He was raised by "Yankee" parents (sorry Gary and Sandy, but just because you lived in Florida and Texas doesn't mean you're really Southern). He loves old country, classic rock, and 80s music. His standard casual wear involves worn-in jeans and a pair of Redwing boots. And every workday, Jason goes to school.........to speak Korean.

Can you imagine?! Whitey McWhiterson standing around (well, really, sitting in a classroom) all day conversing with little Asian ladies (his instructors, actually) in KOREAN...! If that's not fodder for blog entertainment, then I don't know what is.

I mean, surely something even remotely amusing must happen during the course of his daily life. And I just want him to have an outlet. So, Jason......ready, set, blog!

"What is that......that ping?"

(It's a quote from an old show called Northern Exposure -- from the "Spring Break" episode. It's a little out-of-context here, but it's the most appropriate quote I can come up with for this post.)


I don't know why, but for some reason, that's the quote that goes through my head at 4:00 every afternoon. Which is precisely the time that my phone alarm is going off.

The alarm note: "Birth Control Pill".

That's right, I'm back on it. It's been almost a year since the last time I had to worry about getting pregnant...because I was already pregnant. And don't think it hasn't crossed my mind that it could happen again at any minute. (Well, not really. These things don't just spontaneously materialize. But you know what I mean.) I, myself, am the product of an "uh oh, I didn't think you could get pregnant this soon after having a baby" pregnancy, so I know it happens. I am definitely taking all precautions.

Honestly though, if it wasn't for that little alarm dinging every afternoon, these stupid little pills definitely would not be effective. I sometimes have trouble remembering what I ate for breakfast. How can I possibly be expected to remember something like popping my "no thank you, I have my hands pretty full right now, so I would really appreciate NOT getting pregnant anytime soon" pill?! Thankfully, modern technology being what it is, I don't have to remember.

I just have to remember to be near my cell phone.