Dig it

We got a little further today, though we knocked off after a while for a combination of Jealous Mini Monster ((He wanted the attention on him, not dirt and grass.)) And just plain exhaustion, but we're really starting to get some where! I'm actually pretty pleased, although I still feel somewhat physically wimpy, stomping on my garden fork to dig it into the ground.

The sound of metal tines on rocks will also set your teeth on edge. There could be a lot more rocks but there's definitely enough. We've pulled up the ones we've found and we've made a little tower of rocks, to keep them out of the way. I'll probably reconstruct it out of the way once we're done, I just want them all accounted for and away from the mower.

Mini Monster also now fits a six month size pretty neatly. Still some roominess and a little extra length, but he's closing in fast. Sheesh!

How Does your Garden Go

Haven't gotten super far yet. My M.I.L came over late yesterday and we went out and worked on moving ground. To make it go faster I used the garden fork to tear up the ground in rows, back to back, and she came through and pulled them up and moved them out of the way. ((We'll shake as much earth back off the grass roots as we can later. The full border is finished and we've started working our way across.

I did try earlier that day but Mini Monster wanted NOTHING to do with the hotter, brighter afternoon weather. Apparently he subscribes to the theory that Mad Dogs and English Men go out in the Noonday Sun.

Who Stan Lee Wants to Be

Dear Stan Lee:
I hate to break it to you, but you're NOT Alfred Hitchcock. He was actually cool, and he didn't slam his roles up the nose of his viewers to desperately cling to the idea that he's actually contributing something to the world.
The only thing you've successfully contributed were the germs of ideas. I've seen your stories. They suck, even though the characters themselves have often been developed by others into fantastic creations.
Please do EVERYONE a favor and go enjoy your money quietly, because you really aren't as amazingly awesome as you think you are.

Oh and as far as Marvel goes: Stop Ret-conning things every chance you get. Readers actually DO hate Phoenix, we want to see ACTUAL character development AND new characters that don't get offed to make the old ones look cool. We know Wolverine is cool but you can do new stuff with him instead of rehashing the samurai shit again... and again....
I mean seriously: your own FAN base makes jokes at your expense. That's not a good sign.

Basically: Don't be George Lucas: the StarWars system was cool, it became COOLER in the hands of people who loved it, don't make us sit through your personal ego-bation and wreck the whole thing again. It's a big system now Lee. Cut the apron strings.


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That being said: I did mostly enjoy the new Iron Man, but there were a few stretches of my suspension of disbeleif that just made it less enjoyable. I mean aside from the fact I just can't accept Samual L(oudmouth) Jackson as Nick Fury, Whiplash, high point of the whole thing as he was, must have been wearing BRICK UNDERWEAR not to at least be hospitalized after being rammed with a car.

Tony was desperate, but not stupid: Why didn't he think of that lithium whatever?

And could you have BEEN any more obvious than placing his amazing cure in his fathers Diorama?
...Or for that matter any more desperate to make your token supposed bad-ass female who's character name I can't even be bothered to remember, look badass? Did she pull her weapons from the same mythic vagina of holding that Elizabeth Swan pulled that giant gun out of in the greatest fail moment of that Particular Pirates movie? ((Well, maybe not THE greatest failmoment but a pretty big one.))

You had good stuff going, don't force it.


....And for gods sake, if Thor says 'Verily', I will throw up on you idiots.

Big Diaper is out to Get you

So my mom keeps forwarding me articles on the Papers DryMax debate.

I'm sure you all know this one: "I know she means well... but."

So far Mini Monster hasn't had any problems with these diapers, and what I've heard about sounds as much like a diaper rash from leaving the diaper on too long as a 'chemical burn'.

Besides I'm a bit leery of a facebook crusade (which this has become) . I mean maybe if there were links of people actually confirming that it was a chemical burn I'd be less skeptical but I haven't seen one.

I'll definitely continue to monitor, but he finds these diapers comfortable, and no wonder since they don't feel so crinkly and plastic as most others we've tried, so I'm loathe to jump on a band wagon without knowing where it's going.

Especially when monitoring web forums shows people mostly seeing 'diaper rash' at best, if anything, and he loudest complaints were a group of people who rally exclusively to cloth diapers, to the extent where they've developed a 'Big Diaper is Out to Crush Us' mentality that fortunately seems to be limited. ((Yes folks, the booming diaper industry has nothing better to do than seek you out and destroy you for using cloth. Yes the studies that show that the impact of either is actually about the same are clearly fabricated to mock you. You're right, you're not paranoid they really are out to get you... yeah yeah.))

Extremists are just kinda scary. I mean really? It's a diaper. If you have an issue, please! Investigate it for yourself. Then tell me what it turns out to really be.

Fizzle

So I did screw up a little bit: I overcooked the BBQ and the taste came out a little too vinegar. X_X My bad.

Fortunately I did get the chance to catch up on my sleep. Tilmani took over with the Mini Monster around eight and I crawled into bed and stayed there. I had some pretty weird dreams, but I -really- needed the sleep.

No matter how much of a super mom you try and be, it comes down to the fact that people -need- a certain amount of sleep, and we react badly when we don't get it.

Fortunately I have super-dad to give me a hand. X_X

Kitchen Nightmares

Not the show.

Mothers day was kinda fun, we made brunch for 'The Grandmothers', and hung out. Then I made some not so fun Chicken in a BBQ sause from the store. ((Generic store brand chipotle something. It boiled over and got all over the bottom of the stove. X_X))

The next day I started to make meatloaf, only to find out from the smoke rising up through the burners that: YEP. I forgot to clean out the bottom of the stove. We aired out the house and reheated potato soup.

The next day: I tried to cook the meatloaf (Which we put in the fridge after smoke started coming out of the stove) and it didn't cook all the way through the first time around. Tilmani took over after that and we got it cooked the rest of the way through and kept the potatoes warm.

Needless to say the third day was largely spent (pre dinner time) cleaning out the inside of the stove.

That was a LOT of cleaning, and Mini Monster sadly wasn't all that interested in me doing the cleaning, since he REALLY wanted an audience for his increased mobility. He hasn't flipped over yet but he's damn good at lifting his rear end and shoving himself around. He seems thrilled with this ability, and DANG that kid has strong legs.

Tonight at least should go without disaster: I'm not using the stove. I'm using the crock pot.
It's a bastardized version of vinegar BBQ and I recomend it: Put your chicken ((I used breasts or strips)) in the crock pot. Pour apple cider vinegar until the chicken is fully covered ((You may also add some water, but you want more vinegar than water.))
Add a packet of dry italian dressing mix. ((Increase the packets per the amount of chicken, I'm only cooking a lb or two.)) Drizzle honey over the chicken in the crockpot. Add black and red pepper to your discression. Cook on low until the chicken can be broken apart with a fork.

This can be eaten as is: or you can make a sauce by combining drippings, ketchup, and your favorite hot sauce in a bowl to make a thin mixture the chicken can be stirred into after being chunked up.

Before you ask me for more specifics, my tiny handful of viewers, I'm sorry to say I don't really have any more specifics, my cooking tends to be 'by eye' or 'to taste'. Just remember that the more chicken you want to cook, the longer it will really need to cook, and alot yourself the according amount of time. The same recipie can also be made in a regular oven, but you'll want deep sides, and it won't become quite as easy to rip apart.
Both versions are delicious though.

Aquatica

So the Capricorn is mostly finished. I need to make horn nubs and a tail fin, but Mini Monster seems enormously taken with it as is. Congrats Knitpicks, he approves of your palate yarn! He and his unfinished capricorn are currently in his swing having a grand old time while I write. It's been a busy day, we went out shopping to get stuff for him at BJ's, and also to get mothers day goodies for his Grandmothers. We settled on earrings and Panera Gift Cards.

I know half of what I'm getting, but not the other half. Half of it is a new "Batman" babydoll t-shirt. My old one wore out, so I'm getting a Batman-Beyond one. I'm seriously looking forward to it getting here.

I also was loaned the DVD's for the A&E series for Horratio Hornblower.

This was classic geek time for me. My sister and I enjoyed listening to my parents read us the Hornblower Novels, and the series was also fun. I'm enjoying geeking to them all over again.