Weird

I've written before about going to new places within my own town, and how going out of my typical comfort zone can be jarring.

My two oldest girls went on a high school weekend, and left this morning. Having only a few kids home, I decided it'd be nice to go out for pizza, something we haven't done in a long time (not that we don't eat pizza, just that we haven't gone out to eat at a pizza place in awhile. Once I asked one of the kids -she was about four at the time-if she wanted frozen pizza for lunch. Her response? "well could you heat it up?").

So we got in the car, and started to drive. There's a pizza place about 3/4 of a mile from my house, but the kids started discussing that they didn't want to go there. I said fine, where should we go? I should have figured that a) they'd pick the place furthest away and b)a place we hadn't been to in YEARS.

Not that it was THAT far away, but definitely the furthest. First, this pizza place is in the same strip mall as a grocery store, with a very small parking lot and this being Thursday night.... we ended parking towards the back near the bakery. No big deal, and we walked around to the front and into the pizza store.

There were probably four or five tables occupied by adults with kids, some were a few tables of people who were together, and some were just alone. My kids sat down, and as I looked around, I couldn't help but say to the twelve year old: "Not one person looks happy here."

I was not kidding. The place was quiet, really quiet, and almost all the adults were just sitting with their arms folded across their chests, and watching their kids eat. If you're going to spend the time and money to go out, why not enjoy it? Many years ago one of my sisters told me that adults tend not to look happy in repose, unless they make themselves smile, otherwise they just look dour (years later, another sister explained that that is why one should not take candid pictures of adults, they tend not to come out good). Well, this certainly proved that. I really was so uncomfortable, like this was such an odd place to be, but I went and ordered the pizza anyway.

The guy at the counter didn't like my order, and told me that 5 slices costs the same as one pie, and I wanted a pie. I thought about it, and decided I could always as I heard learned a few years ago, reheat the pizza at home if it was leftover. It was good pizza, and there was none left. Maybe because the guy cut it in 16ths instead of eighths? That was one kids' theory. Or maybe, because the fries took FOREVER to be ready, and I only bought one order for all of us to share...either way, they scarfed that pizza (I helped...a lot), and after about ten minutes all the unhappy people left, and it was just us.

Until the next strange thing happened. A woman walked in with her two boys. Not odd in itself, EXCEPT that this is someone I haven't seen in probably eight months or so, and I just met her somewhere THIS MORNING!!!! Of all the gin joints.....though in this case, even though I was there first, I walked into hers, because as we were shmoozing she told me she comes here every Thursday night.

Today was just a wacky day.

Is That Really a Job?

I was driving along today, a route I take often, and I knew there was construction afoot, because it's been ongoing for the past week or so. However, today, I would say my flabbers were gasted.

As I descended a hill, I saw that half of my lane and half the lane of oncoming traffic was cut off by red traffic cones. So all traffic needed to move to the right of their respective lanes. No problem. Except there was nothing happening other than those cones creating a new third lane that no one was driving on, and only went about 20 feet. Well, that's not entirely true.

On each side of the road was a guy holding a double sided sign. One side says slow, and one says stop. In normal situations, when there is only one lane and traffic must take turns using it, the two guys with the signs are placed on opposite ends of the one lane and turn their signs to keep traffic flowing safely. When one guy's sign says STOP, the other, facing opposite traffic, says SLOW.

But not today. Today, there was room for two lanes of dual directional traffic, just each was squeezed over a bit. These guys were literally standing there, each holding his sign saying SLOW to face his oncoming traffic. There was not a truck, shovel, or other person working or even drinking coffee in sight.

Granted it was a nice day, but when they go home at night and think back on their day, what do they think about what they accomplished today?

The whole thing was just bizarre.

Heavy is the Head...

There's a new rallying cry for the GOP. Once again they choose to focus on petty things that really just inflame the one-toothed-gun-hoarding-Obama-born -in Kenya-believing- Rush Limbaugh -worshiping crowd. At the end of the nuclear summit President Obama said:

"It is a vital national security interest of the United States to reduce these conflicts because whether we like it or not, we remain a dominant military superpower, and when conflicts break out, one way or another we get pulled into them," Obama said. "And that ends up costing us significantly in terms of both blood and treasure."

Why would anyone argue that "like it or not" is in anyway anything but the truth? Don't you want to live in a country where we know and understand our obligation, but also understand the cost, as he says, both in lives and taxes? Do we want to live in a cowboy-Rambo society where we rush into conflict because we like the sounds of bombs, or the posturing that comes with it?

There are plenty of real issues with this administration's policies and viewpoints, both foreign and domestic, economic, social and military. This need not be one of them. The GOP deserves what it gets (though the country does not)for mindless pandering to the ridiculous (Sarah Palin, when will you go away?), instead of spending the time to find actual candidates and issues the whole country will want to rally around.

Why don't they trust their agenda and policies enough?

The Girl Who Cried, What????

There are few things in this world I dislike as much as public bathrooms. Well, that's not always the case. The Lord and Taylor/Nordstrom ladies lounges are nicer than some bathrooms in private homes.

Well, we're toilet training here, and as much as I'd love to just stay home for a week, it's not 100% possible. So yesterday we went to the grocery store, and as much as I hate it, when she said "I need to..." off we went. Into the stock room, to the farthest dankest corner, through the supply closet with the floor waxer and other cleaning supplies, to the dimly lit pink (once upon a time) bathroom with two stalls. I avoided really looking at anything, lest I see what I really did not want to see, and let her do her thing. At least they had good soap and paper towels.

There are certain things they say are better not seeing how they are made. I believe it's sausages and laws. I would add to that anything associated with the way your food gets from wherever it comes from to the store shelves (or even in a restaurant, your plate). Blissful ignorance!! I'm all for it!

Poor planning on my part (I know, what a shock!!!)sent me back to the store today. At a certain point she again said "I need to...." This being day two of no diaper, I chose not to argue with her about how she went just before we left, and I took her back to the store bathroom.

Of course I was right, nothing doing. I just hope this doesn't become a habit every time we go to that store. I really would prefer not to take that little detour, into one of my least favorite places.

Unless she really needs to go.

She Drove...I Survived

The sixteen year old got her permit a few weeks ago, but I haven't had any time to let her get behind the wheel. Tonight, I apparently had time, and thus ran out of excuses. We started in our driveway, just gas and brake, forward and reverse. Then we switched places and I drove down to a quiet block where she could do more accelerating and stopping, and moving away from the curb, straightening out, and even a few turns..

The funny thing is, this is the same street we use to teach the kids how to ride bikes. So when I told her a few weeks ago that I think we should start on that block, she told me a few days later that she had visions of herself in the driver's seat, and me holding onto the back bumper as she accelerated down the street.

Needless to say that did not occur.

But it sure felt like it!

I Really CAN Make Other Things....

...and pretty well too.

In my family, and by family I mean extended family, which BH means lots and lots of people, I seem to be known for one dish. It's very delicious and all that, but I really not only CAN make other things, but I do make other things, both very well and better than this said dish.

The real kick in the head is that my mother, from whom I learned this dish makes it better than me, but do my cousins call her regularly with questions? I doubt it.

Does anyone care that I mad the most delicious ginger-onion short rib filled non gebrokts ravioli, without a recipe? Is anyone calling me for the apple-cranberry cobbler I made (from a recipe)? No. I get no calls for innovation or different recipes. I do on occasion get requests when people come to eat here, but generally the calls are all the same.

So if you come to Chez BlogBerg, we would love to have you, just understand if choose not to serve that potato salad.