LeendaDLL’s Neighborhood

Inaugural Bake

Mr. Guilt
Yesterday
1 comment

The appliances in my house were all installed about fourteen years before we moved in. Counting our eleven years here, they would be twenty-five years old. However, one by one, we've replaced them.

The oven was never what we regard in top shape. The clock showed "6:20" for eleven years. The self-cleaning function wouldn't work. However, it worked well enough, so we lived with it. As I learned to bake, I got pretty good at adapting my recipes for my oven--adding as much as twice the recommended bake time.

Then, last Sunday, I set out to make bagels. I had shaped the bagels and started the second rise, and went to start boiling some water. I turned on the burner, and heard the gas, but didn't hear the "tick tick tick" of the igniter, and there was no flame. At the same time, my wife was getting something out of the fridge. No light.

Twenty minutes of panicked troubleshooting and calls to parents later, and we determined that it was the oven. We knew we'd need to replace it, so we had a decent feel for what was out there. We kinda shrugged, and figured we'd get a fairly low-end one. We don't know how much longer we'll be in the house, and were shooting for fit-to-purpose.

DSC_0214

We did a bit more than that.

We looked around, and I fell in love with one that was about 50% more expensive than we were expecting. It has a center griddle, a convection oven, and at least one high-power burner. This is on top of things like "self cleaning works," "the clock is not stuck at the same minute" and "I might be able to cook something in the time the book says." However, it was a stainless finish, and all the other appliances in our kitchen are white.

We walked around the store, made a few more calls to parents, and talked. I started to lean towards going back to the original, fit-to-purpose plan. My wife could see my enthusiasm. She talked to the sales guy. A version of the stove was available in white, for about $100 cheaper.

We talked some more. We walked around the store.

Ultimately, we went ahead and got the upgraded stove.

So far, I've made a quesadilla on the griddle, and popcorn on the burner (it was not until a Friday night that I was able to do anything with it).

DSC_0208

Today, I'm making cupcakes for my daughter's birthday tomorrow. They came out in roughly what the recipe suggested. Clearly, I'm going to have to re-learn how to bake.

First inaugural cupcake tasted...yum!

A note on sensitivity.

RPM
Yesterday
1 comment

And before I begin let me qualify my thoughts as I am a Cancerian and emotionally-driven person who cries when she's happy, cries when she's said and many times feels first and thinks second.

Don't make sensitivity a weapon.

I'm all for explaining to people that you may potentially be thin-skinned and making requests to consider your heart before entering into a potentially combustible dialogue. At all times we should take into consideration how our thoughts and expressions of them may make others feel. A defensive maneuver will almost always beget a defensive maneuver. It's the fundamental rule to conflict. You hit me, it hurts. I hit back, you hurt and the dance escalates until two people are saying or doing regrettable things. Rather than using your sensitivity as a license to kill, use it as a means to find more productive ways to speak with love. Rather than letting your sensitivity give you an unrealistic sense of entitlement and petulant expectation, try and commit to the notion that it always takes two parties to create a disagreeable relationship conflict. You are hurt...in some ways big or small, they are likely hurting, too.

Don't make sensitivity a wall to constructive criticism.

There comes a time in every adult's life when you have to suck it up and face tough talk. Especially when the tough talk potentially saves you from a choice, an action or measure that could have long-term or especially painful consequences. While I am sensitive, I expect and almost demand that the people I love, give it to me straight, particularly when I screw something up. Because I am human. I am going to do that. And yes, you can give straight talk without pulling out the clubs and knives. So keep in mind that sometimes when people speak sternly to you, it is more important to identify the value in their statement...especially when you know behind the annoyance that statement is coming from a place of love. It's nice to hear only about the wonderful things we do; but it's better to hear about the ways we can grow and elevate to keep amazing ourselves and others. Never use your 'sensitivity' as a means to avoid owning your stuff.

And you know how I feel about owning your stuff.

the state of dental health in these here united states: rotting

mariser
Yesterday
2 comments

The American Way of Dentistry: The story of my teeth. - By June Thomas - Slate Magazine

http://www.slate.com/id/2229630/

If you were to run into me at one of the New York gatherings to which I am occasionally invited, you might think that I was born into the cocktail class. I'm reasonably well-educated and confident, I have an interesting job, and I know which fork to use.

at least that was my conclusion after reading the excellent series of articles on dental health by June Thomas of Slate
it is long, enlightening and I can't recommend it enough.
some key points:

- why ist dental care separated from health care? there is ample evidence that dental health (lack of) correlates to serious chronic conditions including heart disease, diabetes, digestive problems, etc,

- dentists are doctors but not "really doctor doctors". the significant differences between medical and dental practices

- dental insurance 'separate and unequal' from health insurance

- the prevention model has been very successful in dentistry yet not in medicine

- the appalling lack of dental care to large numbers of individuals

- dental care hasn't gotten barely any mention in the current health care reform debate

Oh, they're my favorite...

If you read my blog, I must insist you turn your speakers all the way up to 11 and rock one of these in your living room. I don't care who's watching.

Come On, Come On

Cheap Trick

She's tight

cheap trick

Auf Wiedersehen

cheap trick

Cheap Trick Collection

I've made lots of wild claims about music before... That Billy Squier's Don't Say No is the greatest R&R song ever. The only music I will ever listen to again is from the singing cowboys of the old west. That Scottish indie pop from the 1980s was the finest music ever produced. That Pink Floyd is my favorite band. That the Clash is my favorite band.

But you know what, when all is said and done - Cheap Trick will ALWAYS win out as my favorite band.

North Star Cove

Available now on eBay...

Brr, it's nippy out today...not at all like this wee painting:) At least the sun is shining!

I Was Going to Go Ride My Bike

Eddy felt I had to do something first.

I can haz pettins? I WILL haz pettins!

1 comment

Reply Some

It happens from time to time. A mass e-mail goes out to a distribution. Someone wants to comment on it (often "Please remove me from this distribution"). So they click, mostly out of habit, "Reply All." He may have meant for one person to see it; instead, score do. Several people have that idea. Then a wave of folks try to fix it by telling people to stop replying to all. This forks one group that decides to try to be funny; another group who tells everyone to ignore it. The problem gets worse and worse.

So, I'm proposing the "Reply Some." Similar to "Reply All," it will send a reply to many people on the original distribution. However, instead of everyone, a random subset will be alerted. How big a subset can be set either by the user, or the e-mail administrator. As people "Reply Some," the chain will go out to an ever-diminishing group, until it extinguishes on its own. This will help stop these issues, while still providing the cathartic effect of letting lots of people know you want off the list.