This is hilarious

Women's Health Experts Speak Out from Judd Nelson


 

I am so sick and tired of hearing from old white men about how to behave and how I should live my life. They have had their chance to run/ruin the country; they should step aside and let the next generations have their turn.
When I read that someone in power in some part of the government also worked in a position of power in the Johnson or Nixon administrations, I am floored. I suppose it is possible that they are still up on the pulse of the country, but I doubt it. (Is that ageist of me? I suppose so, but when your publicly expressed social views sound like they are straight out of the 1950s, then you deserve to be judged accordingly).

Whirlwind of a weekend

James Beard's bread recipe

 Well, that was a busy weekend. Benjamin was out of town Friday and Saturday at a conference, but I didn't really have time to notice. Between my normal weekend chores (groceries, laundry, walking dog) and tennis (outdoors! in the sun!), I was plenty busy, and then I also attended a baby shower for a friend, baked bread, made an apple pie, played extra tennis, and made soup so we could feed our friends who came for dinner.

I made the filling, Marie Callender helped with the crust.

Ordinarily, I would have made the pie crust by hand, but in addition to the bread I baked on Saturday, I also baked biscuits for biscuits and gravy at breakfast time on Sunday, and had no desire to (a) get my hands all covered in sticky dough again, and (b) clean the counter after I got sticky dough all over everything. (Actually, there probably wouldn't have been much dough on the counter, since I roll out pie crusts on wax paper, but since it was a double crust, it was going to be twice as much work, and I had had enough baking for one weekend.) The filling was some I made in the fall and froze. I hadn't tried it out yet, so I was relieved that it worked really well, and tasted like apple pie and not freezer cooties.

Monk Soup Cookbook (well, that's what we call it) pea soup

The extra tennis was great. I subbed in a friendly match for a friend, with a friend, and since the weather was nice, we got to play outside. Now that I have been playing for awhile, I can say without a doubt that outside tennis is the way to go. Even with the wind and the sun in your eyes.

And the dinner with friends was great fun. Miikka got to play with a 4-year-old who had at least as much energy as he did, and the adults got to talk and eat good food and drink cocktails (well, not me, but everyone else).

Why does the early morning have to be so early?

After a couple of weeks when I barely made it out of bed or off the couch and another week where I get around, but with much coughing and wheezing, I am finally recovered enough from my evil cold to go back to the gym. Which is...great? I like to get exercise, I generally feel better when I do, but man oh man, getting out of bed at 5:15 AM, after not doing so for weeks, is awful. Getting up super early hasn't always been difficult, although if you have been following me for a while, you will know that it is a periodic problem that I tend to whine about. Lately, I suspect the reason is the infant-inconvenience - I just need more sleep now than I usually do. That, and it is just cold and dark out and my bed is warm and soft. No matter the difficulties, I have managed to drag myself to the gym every day this week (Monday sort of doesn't count though, because I had the day off and was able to go at a much more civilized hour).

And I need it, since my tennis team is starting up again for the season, and I have to be in good shape for my singles matches - so much more running around than in doubles! And I intend to play singles for as long as possible this spring. Most people I know actually like playing doubles better than singles - I tolerate it as a necessary evil, since it means I get to play more often than if I was only playing singles. I like that feeling of intensity as I am running around the court, of a one-on-one battle with my opponent, and of not having to feel bad that you ruined the game for your partner. That one is key with me, since I am not particularly good at doubles; I always seem to move the wrong direction, which means I am often out of position for a ball I am supposed to hit. I'm working on that, and may actually be improving, but for now, give me the whole court to myself. Which, in a nice, circular way, leads me back to the gym. And 5:15 AM. Sigh.