Soup's on!

It's raining. It's cold. It's windy. It's a day for soup! Our sitter came today so Ray and I did the banking, had lunch, shopped for groceries and then sloshed our way home. For dinner, I simmered some sliced spicy kielbasa in chicken broth. The aroma! It was divine! Then I added more water and broth along with sliced leeks, carrots, and one lone potato. Since the kielbasa adds so much flavor, I only added ground pepper. After the veggies were done, I added some cheese-filled ravioli. I served this soup with grilled cheese on baguette. It was so good, I ate seconds! Then, Soph and I snuggled in bed and watched The Ten Commandments. Well, we *started* watching it. It's Intermission right now. We took a break to get some chocolate cake. Mmmmm. There are so many good moments in this film. I loved the way people acted then. It's almost like a play. The actors spoke so eloquently, concisely and with such gravity. It's fun to quote from the film and try to match their seriousness. And damn, was Yul Brenner sexy or what! Everyone looked so good. Anne Baxter practically smoldered. She purred. I must away! Second half of Ten Commandments awaits.

SnakeEagleCat Rice bowl

Last night, Ray and I watched Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (Se ying diu sau). It was directed by Yuen Woo-Ping and stars his father, Yuen Hsiao-Tien (Simon Yuen) in a mentor-type roll to Jackie Chan's Chien Fu. I could give a review but just follow that title link and you'll find it's all covered. Yeah, it's not the best movie ever but we enjoyed it. Yuen Hsiao-Tien does some cool stuff with his body and a rice bowl. Yes, a rice bowl. It's awesome to watch. There's a hilarious bit where Chien reaches for a book, detailing the Snake-Fist secrets, left by the old beggar. He finds it ripped to shreds and curses his pet cat. He discovers the cat out in the courtyard, putting the smackdown on a cobra. He holds up the kitty's paw and mulls this over so hard you almost see a cartoon thought bubble above his head. Thus is born the Cat's Claw. Every time Jackie would jump up and put his fingers out like claws, you'd hear this "Rrreeeeeooow." The dubbing is so horrible. A lot of Hong Kong movies dub the entire soundtrack later. And usually in Cantonese, even when the actor may speak Mandarin, as in Jet Li's case. But *this* movie was first dubbed in Mandarin and then back to its original Cantonese..who knows whose voices you're hearing. It's all so confusing.

Let them eat cake

Not a very exciting day in Casa Biscuit. I went to the grocery store this morning, made lunch, did some craft stuff with Little Biscuit, cleaned out the fridge, and did some laundry. The most important thing I did, however, was make a chocolate cake. Mr. Biscuit is practically drowning in drool, waiting to get a slice of that cake. For lunch, I chopped up some leftover chicken and heated it up with a jar of spaghetti sauce made from roquette and cherry tomatoes. I served this over some fresh noodles. On top, we sprinkled pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Simple and delish! Of course, Little Biscuit ate hers sans sauce and sprinkled with parmesan. With this, we munched on breadsticks which are "salted and fanciful." (see below) The only breadsticks worth eating, in my opinion. Who wants to eat breadsticks that are prosaic, real? This is what the Italians are telling us. Right? After lunch, I played Nurse Joy to some critically wounded Pokemon. Unlike Nurse Joy, I don't use medicine. My tool of healing? Super glue. While the Pokemon recuperated on the kitchen table, Sophia and I made this pyramid, using a kit: Also, in the kit: If you look through the little doors in the front, you can get an idea of how big the Sphinx is compared to the Great Pyramid. It's neat! Blah. It's nearly 6 and I haven't started cooking yet. Can I just tell them to eat cake for dinner?

A Dining We Will Go!

We ate up all the leftover lasagna for lunch. I didn't want to cook. Solution? Go to El Gaucho! ---------------------------------- The Pokemon Posse. They look menancing, don't they? I think we should feed them before they attack. ---------------------------------- Complimentary bread, herbed butter, and chimichurri sauce. ---------------------------------- Chicken schnitzel for Sophia... ---------------------------------- Chicken and pine nut empanada for me... ----------------------------------- Entrecote and homemade fries for Ray. ----------------------------------- Then we do some swapping. When we dine here, Sophia is first and foremost a carnivore. She eats part of Ray's steak and about half of her chicken. I eat the salad that came with her chicken. We like to share :) More pics from dinner: SpongeBob SquareShirt ---------------------------------- Sophia took this picture. I look horrible in pictures but she's the only one who can take a somewhat decent photo of me. ---------------------------------- Pokemon-Polly Pile-up

Tootsie Roll

This entry is so titled because I like to call Sophia, "my little Tootsie Roll." When we visited the States earlier this year, I bought a package of Tootsie Rolls at a gas station. Sophia had been curious about how they tasted. She licked one and declared it "gross." I ate another and agreed. Memories can be deceiving. Here are two pictures of me taken by Tootsie Roll. I don't like the second. It isn't a very flattering shot of my neck and jawline. Damn aging! However, Tootsie Roll says my hair is "pretty." Not one to shoot down a compliment from my sweetie, I told her I'd post it here despite it making me look like an eel in a wig. I'll exit with this lovely side shot of my little Tootsie Roll, who is pretending I'm not in her face with my camera.

Food buzz

Blogger was down yesterday so I couldn't post anything. I've grown accustomed to writing my daily entry. Weird how that happens. I'll start with the most recent events. Last night, the sitter stayed with Sophia so Ray and I could go to Korea House on our date. Finally. It was so delicious! We ordered a lot of food so we could try different dishes. The waiter also brought out complimentary kimchi! Four kinds: cabbage, cucumber, radish and one more which neither of us could recognize nor remember. Maybe it was seaweed? Green onion?They weren't very spicy, though. Not like the kimchi I remember eating. (I forgot I wanted to take pictures and we had already started eating when I finally brought out the camera.) We started with Korean sake. Of course! (We later drank another half-order. Hee! We were quite buzzed on food and sake when we left!) We also had some miso shiro, not pictured. Then the food started coming. Fast! The coveted bibimbap. Not prepared like dolsot(tolsot) bibimbap but still quite delicious. I wasn't sure how much chili paste to use so I added only about a third of what was given me. I think I'll add more next time. -------------------------------------- Kimchi with cabbage and pork surrounded by soft tofu slices. Well, not entirely surrounded in the picture because, as I said, we'd already started feasting! This dish was spicy. The way I like it! I've been craving spicy foods lately. -------------------------------------- Ray's choice: beef with spring onions. -------------------------------------- For some reason, I didn't get a picture of the mandu (gyoza). It could be because the waiter was giving me the indication that he didn't want me to take any photos inside the restaurant. I had to be sneaky to get the ones I've posted here. We weren't entirely sure we *wanted* to order dumplings, thanks to having just seen Fruit Chan's Dumplings. Great short and film (make sure you see both) but you may have a hard time stomaching gyoza afterwards. Especially if they crunch! Shudder. -------------------------------------- This is the only picture of the restaurant I could get. You can see the waiter in the back on the right. There were three Korean businessmen to my left and a Korean family behind them. I think it was the waitress' family because she sat down to eat with them after the businessmen paid for their meal. We had a great time and have planned to take Myles, Sophia and Hilary once Myles arrives. Yum!

Sampler

I'm messing around with posting pics. I found these of our cat, Katya, otherwise known as Chow yun-cat or Bratlips. "Is this my best side?" --------------------------- "...or is this?"

Pre-dinner party

Will it ever be this tidy again? The foyer There is a bathroom on the right side but it's where we keep the kitty's box. Didn't think you'd want to see *that!* -------------------------- A little further inside --------------------------- TV-viewing/Gaming area (I took this picture last night so it's a bit darker than the others. Also, I'm using the winter couch throws cuz I had to wash the lighter, summer ones.) --------------------------- The reading area ------------------------- Ennui? Already?!

Blah Blah Blah tired cakes

I feel ancient using the old TWOP "blah blah blah...cakes" phrase. Please excuse my antiquated ass. I just can't think of anything to use for a Title. I'm exhausted. Ray was gone when Sophia and I woke up this morning. He had his weekly appointment with the physical therapist. Well, she's *sort* of a physical therapist. She uses all sorts of techniques, including chiropraxy, to help him with his back. He's been having terrible back pains in the past few months. We decided he should go once a week and get massages as well. Neither of us like the idea of him using medicine for the pain. We're hoping these sessions will help him avoid that. She's giving him exercise "homework" and suggested he buy a special pillow that molds to his head when he rests. Soph and I woke up slowly, the *best* way to wake up, imo! We played with her My Little Pony Frilly Frocks Boutique before we decided to officially Get Up. I had promised to take her to lunch and then swimming. On the way, I dropped by Marks & Spencer to pick up the rain jacket I've been eyeing. The rain coat I've been using for a few years, which is two sizes too big now, looks like this but it's white. And it's from Zara. Confused yet? Hee. I was hoping they weren't sold out of my size. They weren't! I scored! Yah for me. I usually hate jackets with belts. Anything with a belt just cuts my body in such a way that is horribly unflattering. But for some reason, this jacket works for me. I think cuz it's a bit cropped but not *too* cropped. It's perfect! Again, yah! Soph and I had a blast swimming. We stayed three hours! That's why I'm exhausted. I'm a bit sore, too. We haven't been swimming lately due to my cold, then Ray's cold, then scheduling issues. I've sorely missed visiting the pool. I love that first moment when you let your body slip into the water (unless you're the type to jump in, which is how Sophia and Ray enter a pool). The water feels almost like a caress. I always let out a little sigh. I'm glad Sophia is a good swimmer. I don't feel worried about her if I want to swim a few laps around the pool. And the hot tub. Ahhhhh. It's heavenly. We sort of floated home after that. I have about ten minutes before I need to start assembling the lasagna. Yesterday, while out hunting for dinner, I passed by my favorite little Italian shop, Sapori. By the way, I have no idea why someone would use "sexybit" as a domain name for an Italian food shop. Do you? I bought all the lasagna supplies there, along with some yummy breadsticks. So when I am done spewing my thoughts here, I shall get up and make a delicious dinner. That's the plan, anyway. Oh and I have to wait til my current addiction is finished. I'm really getting into Pu Shu's music. It's pop, I realize. But I'm old. I can be dorky if I want to be. Speaking of old, my birthday is next week! I'll be 36. How's *that* for tired and ancient?

Scrambled II: The Quickening

I'm procrastinating. I was working on a project but I'm hiding here instead. I'm oh so scrambled today. I can't motivate myself to do much of anything. Soph and I finished our Japanese lesson earlier. We were learning new vocabulary and practicing hiragana. See that table on the page there? We're learning that. Soph and I sat at the kitchen table with our worksheets. I pointed to each syllable and corresponding hiragana, saying it out loud, with her repeating. Then we each copied the word, using hiragana. She would write hers really fast and slam her pencil down, shouting, "Done!" Where did she acquire this competitive spirit? Ray and I are practically allergic to competition. We're now listening to Yuki. Again. I love vids that have a defined beginning and ending. It appeals to my sense of symmetry, patterns and how things could fit together. When I first saw this video, I immediately thought of Michel Gondry. It wasn't just that Yuki reminds me of Bjork a bit. The video has a style which brings to mind Gondry's work. I can't remember which video I'm thinking of. I have a collection of his stuff, thanks to my stepson, Myles. I'll sort through it later and come back with a link. OK. I've got to get my ass in gear today.

Scrambled

My mind is so jumbled today! I can't seem to focus on anything. I'm all awhirl (I love that word). I woke up a bit later than I wanted this morning. Sophia was, and still is, in a wonderful mood. So sunny and sweet. I headed out to run a few errands before I even showered, which is unusual for me. I bought some eggs while I was out so Ray could make pancakes to go with lunch. We like breakfast-type food for lunch or dinner. I can't bring myself to eat eggs in the morning. I feel ill if I try. Today, I scrambed some eggs with freshly-ground pepper, a teensy bit of salt and marjoram. That's the secret ingredient: marjoram. Try it. You'll like it! We munched down on the eggs, pancakes and bacon. I love English bacon. It's so much yummier than American-style bacon, which I could never cook properly. Either it was so crunchy that it crumbled or undercooked and disgusting to chew. English bacon is really like a slice of pork. It's delicious. I order ours from an expat butcher, so it's all local meat. It's more expensive but we don't eat meat at home that often. And his stuff is worth it. Delish. I keep rereading my post here and it's so distracted and barely readable. I can't seem to communicate today. Yesterday, I spent some time organizing and tidying up the bedroom. I cleaned off the windowsills, which the maid seems to have ignored, and tied the curtains back. With the bed made and the curtains open, the room brightened immediately. It felt much better to be in there. Soph and Ray hung out on the bed, playing MarioKart on DS, while I dusted and re-arranged and decluttered. I still have more I want to do but it looks infinitely nicer. I have my minimalist look back. Yah! Last night, we didn't have time to go to dinner before Broken Flowers, so we ate here afterwards. It's conveniently located beside the entrance to the cinema. The food wasn't spectacular but it wasn't horrible. However, they have decent wines by the glass, which I like because the two of us don't want to drink a whole bottle by ourselves. Ray and I enjoyed the movie. We like Bill Murray as an actor. He does "world weary" well, doesn't he? However, it seemed as if he didn't put forth much effort in this film. I realize the film called for him to use "economy of movement" and perhaps to show that something was going on underneath. I don't think he pulled that off as wel as he could have. And Ray feels he's typecasting himself, playing too many similar characters. Meh. Doesn't matter. Because Bill Murray on his worst day is better than loads of other actors on their best. At dinner, we talked about the movie (God, how I love a post-mortem) while sipping Pinot Grigio, our favorite warm weather wine, and waiting for our food. We agreed that it doesn't matter who sent the letter because the movie ultimately isn't about that. Of course, speculation is fun. If it had to be any one of the characters presented, we would choose "Dora." I loved the relationships and the quiet and the music. We loved Jeffrey Wright in his role as Winston. We couldn't figure out where we'd seen Jeffrey Wright before. He seemed so familiar. I just looked it up and discovered he was Basquiat! We saw that film last year and were blown away. His work is definitely worth examining. When we returned home, we chatted with the sitter a bit before saying goodbye. We hung out with Sophia, because she always sleeps better when we do, before setting her up in her bed with toys and a movie. She has commandeered our travel-sized DVD player, which now has a scratched surface, rendering it unusable to me. I can't stand distracting marks on a screen when I'm watching a movie. Before I go, I must admit that I'm addicted to this pop song and I feel like I'm a teenager when I hear it. Thanks, BackDormBoys!

Midnight snack

Actually, it's one a.m. but "midnight snack" fits my theme. I can't sleep. Earlier this evening, after putting Soph to bed, Ray and I watched In the Mood for Love. This film is beautiful. The cinematography is superb, thanks to the efforts of Christopher Doyle. I've made a mental note to see every single one of the movies (that I've not seen yet) this man has worked on. I love the colors of this film, the soft yet clear focus, the contrasts. The screen seemed almost wet, like a canvas, and alive, with depth such that you could see around the characters. Some movies are so flat that you feel the people are paperdolls and they just slide around on the screen in front of you. I remarked to Ray that it seemed Wong Kar Wai didn't shoot much from a distance, to lend intimacy to his subjects, to add to the feeling of how interwoven and cramped the lives of his characters were. This changes as the film progresses and he has larger vistas (Cambodia scenes) and shoots his subjects from much further away. I have no idea if this is true, of course. It sounds good, though, doesn't it? :) Maggie Cheung is beautiful. Her hair, her skin, her eyes, her perfect dresses (cheongsams or qipao) and shoes and bags. Wow. And the music meshes with the film so flawlessly. I love the theme played over and over (Listen to it on the link for the movie above). I love the Nat King Cole, the "era" music. I simply must have this soundtrack. Magic. But it's left me melancholy. And it's raining now, adding to the mood. I'm not exactly "in the mood for love." More like, "in the mood to sit in the dark and listen to Portishead until I get tired enough for sleep." I finished the laundry, put it all away, watched the extras on the DVD, brushed the cat. Still, I can't sleep. Luckily, we don't have much planned tomorrow so I will be able to sleep late. I'd like to work on Sophia's room again, which is a never-ending task. I'm like Sisyphus and her room is my rock. I also want to make a menu and list for next week, do more laundry, tidy the living room and finish an editing project. The sitter, who is feeling much better, is supposed to come around 6. I don't know how Ray will be but he says he wants to go out. We may go to the cinema, although I don't think there is anything worth seeing. We've already seen everything that's any good.

Room service

We put the new linen on Soph's bed. Man, she's got it made! It's dreamy in there now. She said it was like a hotel room. I took that to mean she was pleased. If anyone was made for hotel living, it's this child. As we tidied up a bit, she babbled on about how the bathroom can be the salon, the kitchen can be the hotel restaurant, etc. I gave her a bath, washed and conditioned her hair in the salon. While drying her hair, I pretended to be a hairdresser and asked her how she liked our fine hotel service. I played valet next and brought in clean jammies for our honored guest. I set up her toys on a tray while her father, now bellhop, brought in a snack and a drink to be placed bedside for easy access. She giggled all the while and gave us an elaborate "thank you" bow with hands folded as she had witnessed in the kung fu movies we love so much. Nitey nite, hotel patron! Oh, I forgot to mention the game we played before Sophia's bedroom was converted into a hotelroom. Ray bought Fluxx on his most recent Amsterdam trip. It's a blast! It can get really confusing and crazy but we all are enjoying the game. Sophia has won four out of the five games we've played. Of course. The princess would have it no other way.

Kitchen Table productions

Ok, well, really Living Room productions. Sophia just filmed her own version of the Numa Numa (Dragostea Din Tei) vid. There's one point in the song where it sounds like the singer is saying "feta cheeeeeeyeah." So we always sing "feta cheese-yeah" cuz we're 12 that way. When Soph made her vid, I held up a plate of feta cheese at that point in the song and she cackled her head off. I love watching her come up with ideas for vids. She already has ideas about perspectives and angles. Our own little budding director.Soph has often said she wants to be a director, like her idol, Hayao Miyazaki. In other SophNews, it has been suggested to me that I should link some of her favorite songs. For about six months now, she has been rocking out to Yuki's Joy. I even printed out the words for her, which sparked more interest in learning Japanese. Already, she had expressed a desire to learn the language so she could watch Pokemon episodes/movies and Miyazki's films in the original language. She snuggles with me at night sometimes when I watch my kung fu flicks. One of our favorites is the Once Upon a Time in China series, about a sort of Chinese Robin Hood, Wong Fei Hung. She and I love the opening song, Naam Yi Dong Ji Keung and found it online. (For a cheesy, videogame-like version, click on the "Wong Fei Hung" link above.)We've been trying to learn the song but Chinese, for us, is infinitely harder to memorize than Japanese. So those are two songs she likes right now. Along with Garfield, Spongebob and Pokemon tunes, of course. I've been trying to teach myself tai chi, with the help of some DVDs but it's slow going. I've repeatedly looked for a private tutor here in the city but haven't had any success yet. Sophia likes to practice with me. I feel like an idiot, watching myself in the mirror. I can't get the graceful hand movements down. And no, I'm not doing this for exercise. I think it's just a beautiful martial art form. God, I love Saturdays. Here's what we have planned for today: grocery store to pick up some dairy products, finish up laundry, Ray to have dinner with Hilary at 6, and more lounging/web surfing/vid-making. Ray went out to Green Tomato earlier to pick up lunch for us: Greek salad, pepperoni pizza and some pasta. We've been going to this place since we first moved to Prague, over six years ago. Not much of a website, so you can't tell much, but if you're in town and want a solid meal, check this place out. I have no idea what to cook for dinner...I hate the whole process of planning meals and figuring out what everyone wants and will eat. And then it's gone in twenty minutes or less. I think this is why we dine out so often. Plus, we love different ethnic foods, made in the proper way which I could never mimic. Plus, I'm a lazy cook unless I get "into" it. I'm trying to redefine this whole "housewife" thing for myself. I'm playing around with allowing myself not to feel wholly responsible for feeding everyone. Ray is semi-retired, home as much or even more than I am, and therefore *as* responsible as I am for the food thing. And yet, I still feel, as "the woman," I need to be the one to plan, shop, cook, feed everyone. He says it's because I'm better at it. Hmmm...I'll chew on that one for a bit.

Like butter

I feel like I've been living under a rock. I've just now discovered Two Chinese Boys (or Back Dorm Boys) on youtube. Please, for the love of gravy, watch one of their vids. I'll start you off with my two favorites. For more of their work, look here.

Do(ug)h!

Uh, I'm an idiot. The Kimba/Lion King thing has been covered. I vaguely remembered some controversy but didn't connect it with the series we just received. To quote Homer, "Doh!"

Ketchup with Biscuitland

Ray is feeling worse, poor guy. Our sitter is coming on Sunday, instead of tonight, because she is recuperating from strep throat. Also, that gives Ray a few more days to get better. There is much rejoicing in Biscuitland today. Our Movie Mars order came in! Ray and I ordered Three Extremes (Saam gaang yi) and In the Mood for Love (Fa yeung nin wa). For Soph, we ordered Kimba the White Lion (Janguru taitei), the dubbed series in a box set. I know, I know. But dubbed is best for her right now, until her reading gets "better." It's cool cuz the box set came with a booklet and extra DVD with the original Japanese debut episode. Yah! Extra stuff! The booklet also explains the changes in plot NBC insisted upon. For example, they wouldn't allow Kimba to die in the last episode. They also didn't want him to grow up! Poor little American children. We musn't ask too much of them. Already, only having seen two episodes so far, I'm noticing many similarities in Disney's The Lion King. I'll wait until I've watched more episodes and come back here with a list. For lunch today, we went to Zorba's for some Greek food. We started with our favorite wine, Imiglykos. It's like sunshine in a glass, nectar of the gods. It's marvelous. For lunch, I had moussaka and Greek potatoes. Ray had kotopulo pilaf. Soph? Ate a hotdog from a street vendor. I can't believe we have a child who hates Greek food. How on earth did *that* happen? Actually, I prefer to think she doesn't like Greek food *yet.* That last word is crucial to my sanity. You see, we plan to go to Greece next year. Oh well...she can at least eat fish and spaghetti bolognese if nothing else. Those are her two restaurant staples when travelling. After lunch, Ray headed home because he was exhausted already. Soph and I had some shopping to do. We were on a mission: find new linen, including duvet and pillows, for her room for under 200 dollars. We failed. But she's happy with what she chose. She also got two throw pillows to match, in a teal blue, and oatmeal-colored sheets (x2). Did I mention she needed a new duvet because the cat peed on her bed while we were in America? And it was so hot it dried? And we didn't notice when we got home because we had jet lag and Soph slept with us for nearly two weeks? And when we finally noticed the smell in her room, the duvet was beyond cleaning? Yeah. So the kid's been sleeping with blankets and mismatched linen (awwww!) for months now. Hence, the big splurge. Ok. I hope I've rationalized my purchase. I've got to cut this short because Soph is tugging on my skirt, trying to get me to watch more Kimba. I see a lot of lounging around with her in my immediate future. I may emerge sometime next week!

Take a bite 2: Electric Bugaloo

Well, the Korean restaurant was "reservation only" so we stumbled around and finally ended up back at Hot . Ray had the miso-marinated salmon and soba noodles with a rocket salad for starters. I ordered Vietnamese springrolls for an appetizer and followed with the Yum Neu salad. Delish! I think we drank too much at the restaurant because Ray fell asleep while we were at the cinema watching Pirates 2. We had seen it before so I didn't wake him up until the very end. On our previous viewing, he had missed the little bit after the credits because he ran home to pay the sitter. I was wide awake when we got home. After Ray went to sleep, I stayed up to watch Just Like Heaven. Um, Mark and Reese, hon, not your best. (What the hell was up with Reese's hair in most of the film? Couldn't they have picked a better hairstyle for her to sport for the majority of the film?) And my copy kept screwing up. I had just gotten comfy in our bed, rubbing Ray's back, with Katya purring and sleeping between us, when the DVD started to pixelate. So I got out of the bed, which obviously displeased the cat, and stomped down the hall to the living room to use the DVD player there. I watched nearly all the movie and then the disc started screwing up again. I was pissed. Even though I wasn't enjoying the film, I *needed* to see how it ended. I'm just that way. I finally figured out that if I fast-forwarded the film on speed x2, I could read the subtitles but not sit in agonizing paralysis waiting for the film to sputter on by itself. Disgusted by all this effort for a lousy film, I went to bed in a bad mood. This morning, we slept late and went out to Noodles for lunch. The food wasn't that great. I think it's because both of us are sick (yes, Ray is ill now too!) so nothing seemed appetizing. I got a cold apple soup for a starter and it was nothing more than homemade applesauce. I don't know what I was expecting. Baby food wasn't it. It was tasty but not enough for a whole heaping bowl of it. In a brash move, against my better judgement, I ordered lasagna. I usually don't eat lasagna in restaurants because it can be too cheesy or creamy. And yep, this was no exception. I'm feeling quite nauseated now. Ray's mushroom soup and weiner schnitzel was good but he couldn't finish it. Poor guy. He's planning on taking a nap today in the hopes it will help him feel better. My darling girl has returned. Our home is complete again. She is lounging on the couch, munching on popcorn, watching Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster, which we rented for her last night on the way to the Korean restaurant. And I shall soon join her. As I said before, she is the *best* snuggler and I've missed my daily ration of SophSnuggle.

Take a bite

After Soph went to bed last night, Ray and I watched The Exorcism of Emily Rose. I don't believe in ghosts or demons or even God but movies like this scare me. I guess it's my religious upbringing . The acting was solid. As always, both Laura Linney and Tom Wilkinson were in top form. They both give emotionally credible performances in every single movie they are in. The actress playing Emily Rose, Jennifer Carpenter, was amazingly believable. Not your average cheese-filled demonic possession (Read: Exorcist: The Beginning. Not even Stellan Skarsgard could save that film). Jennifer Carpenter must have been a gymnast before pursuing acting because she twisted her body in a way that no average actress could...and it seemed believable! Anway, the movie spooked me and I couldn't sleep. I kept expecting to awaken at 3am to the smell of something burning. But sleep I did. I slept late, actually. I feel a lot better now. The cold from hell has moved south and now the nodes under my chin are swollen on both sides. This is a typical progression. I'll get a slight cough next and then I'll be Right as Rain. We have finished lunch now. We ate papardelle with a red sauce and lamb sausages with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Not a veggie in sight, I'm afraid. I'm sick and lazy. I made a quick sauce with a can of crushed tomatoes purchased from a little Italian shop on Perlova. I added in some red wine, red pepper flakes, ground pepper, and salt. Then I strained it while I heated up the lamb sausages, which I had sliced for easier/faster consumption. After I put the sauce back in the pan with the sliced sausages, I added some grated cheese. It turned out rather well. Two thumbs up, said the husband. Sophia, of course, had her usual lunch of baguette and cheeses. Ray and Soph are off to Sparky's now so I have time to write up this blog's entry. Soph is consumed with a lust for this, the Pollyworld Limo-Scene Vehicle. We decided that we'd offer to pay for the toy now and have her give us an I. O. U., to be repaid on the 1st of September when she recieves her monthly stipend. They've headed out to see if the toy is available. This would make her day! She is going over to Hilary's for a sleepover tonight. She had fun the last time and is looking forward to it. Her sitter cancelled today, due to strep throat (oh, how I'm glad I don't have THAT!), poor Weslie. So Soph is a bit disappointed. Getting the toy would help with that, I'm sure. Ray has suggested we try this Korean restaurant tonight for dinner. He knows how much I love Bibimbap. Mmmm yummy goodness. Hilary will pick up Soph at 5, then we'll head out. Not sure what we'll get up to this evening but I hope my cold doesn't put a damper on the evening's festivities. While I've been sitting here, fucking around with html, the two have returned victorious. All is right with the world.

Crumby

Feeling yucky today. I'm on Day 2 of a cold. Just your run-of-the-mill, garden variety cold. However, it's been so long since I've been ill, that I'm not taking it very well. I'm behaving quite badly, I'm afraid. In other words, I'm a big baby. Upon waking, I was greeted with Ray's suggestion of going out to Hot for lunch, with the idea that Tom Gha Kai would be just the ticket for this cold. Mmmm. It was good! And the two glasses of Pinot Grigio didn't hurt either! I worked on editing a Pokemon movie video for Soph today. She and I also made some progress on our Virtual Villagers, those pesky little hangers-on. Ray read a chapter of Ingo to us both as we snuggled under the duvet. Soph is a great snuggler. The best! (We haven't decided if we like the book yet) We've done little else with our day. Just the usual: listening to music from youtube, chasing Soph around and trying to tickle her, trying to bring the cat out of hiding, eating, settling quarrels between Pokemon and PollyPockets. Those blood feuds can get ugly. It's like we have the Triads right here in our own home. I've now abused three boxes of tissues since yesterday. I absolutely despise blowing my nose. Ok, that's not entirely true. Sometimes it's incredibly satisfying. But not today. My nose is ugly and red and sore. See? Told you I was a big baby.

Lemming biscuits

Yes. I've joined the masses. I have (gulp) a blog!