Lots of talk about Halloween around here. Over the last couple of weeks my conversations with Felix have left me laughing and scratching my head. Me: “What do you want to dress up as for Halloween?” Felix: “Hmm. Maybe a crossing guard with a weasel on a life jacket.” Then later, “What do you want to be for Halloween?” “I want to be a friendly blue monster…like that car (points to a black Toyota 4 Runner).” A few days later, “What do you think you want to be for Halloween?” “Raggedy Ann’s dad.” And finally, “Have you decided what you want to be for Halloween?” “A spider with a balloon helmet.” I think I have finally convinced him to be Raggedy Andy. He’s kind of like Raggedy Ann’s dad, right? I found some terrifying inspirational images on the internet that I just had to share with all of you. Something about a grown man in this outfit is super scary to me.
Nothing says fun like a Friday night multiplication facts competition. Lola gleefully watched Robert and I take the test she took at school, 100 problems in 3 minutes. What were the results you ask? Well, I got 94/100 (the damn 12s, I don’t think I ever learned them, and no, I’m not planning to any time soon) and Robert got 97/100. Neither of us did better than Lola who got 99/100. In our defense, we had had a couple glasses of wine. But really, the shocking part of this whole thing is that we did this, by choice, on a Friday night. And laughed really hard doing it. What has happened to me?!
I hardly ever buy meat at Costco because it grosses me out. But the other day I was there and feeling particularly sound in constitution so I thought I check out what they had and I was heartily rewarded. They were selling ribeye cap steaks! Yeah, I know, crazy right? I’ve been looking for a source for those for years. For those unfamiliar with the delectableness that is the ribeye cap, imagine if a hanger steak and a tenderloin got together and had a perfectly marbled baby. When you get regular rib eye steaks, they sometimes have a strip of the cap along the top, notice and enjoy the next time you eat one. When the entire cap is removed it’s fairly thin, like a flank steak, but some of the best meat you will ever eat. I was introduced to this culinary delight back in 2007 when Robert and I ate at The French Laundry. We were told at the time that Thomas Keller uses almost exclusively this cut of beef in his restaurants, and for good reason. Why it’s so dang hard to find in stores I don’t know. But anyway, we had a lovely dinner with the steaks (when I say lovely, I mean the food was good, the atmosphere was the normal chaos that happens around here at dinnertime). I kept it simple and just seared the meat and made a little shallot and madeira pan sauce to go on top. We also had cauliflower gratin and sautéed carrots with thyme.If there are any photographers out there who can tell me how to take a picture of meat without it looking disgusting, please give me some tips. This meal was great but the pictures I took are pretty gross.
Anyone who has spent much time reading with the two to five year old set in the last 30 years is familiar with the phenomenon known around here as “All Berenstain Bears, All The Time.” Felix has recently discovered the joys of this book series that has well over a hundred books, but pretty much just one plot. These books are addictive, and some of them have questionable content in my opinion (we just hid ‘The Bully’ because all the talk about beating people up was having a bad effect on Felix, and don’t even get me started on the one called ‘The Birds, The Bees and the Berenstain Bears’. It basically tells kids not to ask questions about where babies come from.) But we read them, and read them, and read them some more; they’re like literary junk food. I’m starting to have a real attitude about these characters I spend so much time talking about. Like Mama Bear for instance. She’s such a self righteous bitch. I can’t stand her, and I can’t read any of her dialog without putting on a condescending voice, it’s just how she talks when I read. She and Papa Bear pretend that everything is just great in their relationship, and they preach about family values, but there is trouble under the surface. I know I shouldn’t gossip, but I think Mama is having an affair with Dr. Bearson, the family dentist. Check out this look she gives him while saying goodbye and tell me I’m wrong.
I wonder sometimes if my social anxiety is getting worse or if I’m just becoming less able to deal with fakeness, in myself and others. After a trip to the pumpkin patch I realized that it had been a good time in part because I hadn’t run into anyone that I had to make unexpected small talk with. That’s not a great sign. I like talking to people, some people, but I like to know ahead of time who I’m going to be talking with. The annual pumpkin patch visit always gives me a case of the nervous sweats. Everyone is dressed in their rugged, yet perfectly conceived fall garb, Carhartts and plaid for the men, Hunter rain boots (perfectly clean) and down vests for the women, kids in either a Halloween themed outfit or in a mini version of what their parents are wearing. Every year it seems I run into someone from high school whose name I can’t remember (but I’m pretty sure they were a jerk), or some overly smiley PTO mom who just ran a marathon, bought a condo in Whistler, and is trying to start a music program for highly gifted kids. And I’m there with my realness oozing out around the edges, wearing boots with actual mud on them and stuffing my face with Halloween candy. This year was a pleasant surprise for me as I got to mind my own business, which was taking pictures of the kids and trying not to get covered in rotten pumpkin.
Thank you to everyone that read my last post about my dad and gave me such wonderful feed back. I was really touched that so many of you shared it or felt inspired to reach out. This whole writing thing is a little nerve wracking for me but it was a real thrill and encouragement to get such a great response.
Sooooo many thoughts on the Berenstain Bears! Like I could write multiple page essays on reading them to kids, but I’ll just give these two tidbits for now. Ryan reads Papa in a Southern accent. I once had to pretend that I was Mama Bear pretending to be Percy the train (of Thomas fame). That is one hell of a tough role…and I’m pretty sure I did NOT nail it.
Julia, this made me laugh so hard. Felix met someone named Ben yesterday and said, “Ben! Like the prize pumpkin!” So I can totally understand how you could end up pretending to be Mama Bear pretending to be Percy. I too could write volumes on these books,and considered doing a whole post about them, but thought that might not be interesting for anyone but me (and maybe you).
If there are any photographers out there who can tell me how to take a picture of meat without it looking disgusting, please give me some tips. This meal was great but the pictures I took are pretty gross.
Sooooo many thoughts on the Berenstain Bears! Like I could write multiple page essays on reading them to kids, but I’ll just give these two tidbits for now. Ryan reads Papa in a Southern accent. I once had to pretend that I was Mama Bear pretending to be Percy the train (of Thomas fame). That is one hell of a tough role…and I’m pretty sure I did NOT nail it.
Julia, this made me laugh so hard. Felix met someone named Ben yesterday and said, “Ben! Like the prize pumpkin!” So I can totally understand how you could end up pretending to be Mama Bear pretending to be Percy. I too could write volumes on these books,and considered doing a whole post about them, but thought that might not be interesting for anyone but me (and maybe you).