Zen Mom

I'm not an extrovert, but I play one on the interwebs

2009-11-16T00:05:00.000-08:00

The ZenHusband and I take turns picking up the 5-year-old Minion from kindergarten. The other day, we were comparing notes and an interesting fact came up:

He has had several complete conversations with many of the other kindergarten parents waiting to pick up their kids.

I've never said so much as a word to any one of them.

That pretty much sums up one of the biggest differences between me and my husband:

He is an extrovert - a bonhomie for whom it is easy and natural to strike up a conversation with darn-near anyone.

And I am the introvert - I'm borderline anti-social when it comes to meeting new people. "Socializing" does not come naturally to me; and most social gatherings are just varying degrees of uncomfortable for me.

So much so that strangers and casual acquaintances have described me as unfriendly and even snobby. I don't think that's accurate. I like to think I'm actually quite a nice person, when you get to know me. :)

But I understand why I come off that way - I don't make it at all easy for people to know me.

Let me clarify here: I'm not shy. I'm introverted - two different things. "Shy" describes someone who avoids social interaction because of nervousness. Shy people want to interact, but they are anxious about it. Introverts are not nervous about social interaction - they just don't enjoy it.

In other words: A shy person is lonely. An introvert is just alone.

For me, there are some exceptions: With friends and close family, I can be very friendly and talkative - it can sometimes be hard to shut me up! At work, I'm never slow to speak up - in fact, formal and informal communication with all kinds of people is a key element of my job. A job that I happen to be pretty good at.

And yet, I'm the last person in the world who would strike up a casual conversation with a stranger. In fact, I'm more likely to be the person striding purposefully, headphones in my ears, avoiding eye contact with passersby.

Random chit-chat with strangers? Casual communication without purpose?

Meh. I'll pass.

I just don't have the inclination for "small talk" - it doesn't interest me. It feels forced and uncomfortable. It drains me. I'd really rather not do it.

That's where the (mis?)perception that I'm a snob comes from, I know. But it's true: If I'm not really motivated to get to know you for some reason, I'm not going to waste my time and energy - or yours - with idle conversation.

And then there's the internet ...

Where I bare my thoughts and ideas and opinions on a regular basis; where I engage perfect strangers in blog comments; where I strike up up random conversations on Twitter; where I trade jokes with Facebook friends.

For an anti-social person, I'm curiously entrenched in social media.

If you only "know" me online, I'd be curious to hear what your perception of my "socialness" is. Because I find it a lot more enjoyable to "talk" to people online than I do in person.

And I'm not sure why that is.

Why is it relatively easily for me to communicate with people online and yet I find personal engagement so uncomfortable? How can I have developed such strong bonds though a computer (and, yes, a few of my online friends have become very good IRL friends, too) ... and yet feel so completely removed from people I see every week - like the parents at my son's school?

Yeah, yeah, I know: It's not an unusual phenomenon. I gather there are many people like me - more comfortable conversing through a computer than face-to-face. There's probably even a name (and maybe even a pill, considering the state of things today) for it.

But, hey, this is my blog, I can naval-gaze if I want to. ;)

Whatever it is, I don't see it changing anytime soon. It seems like the older I get the less inclined I am to stretch outside my comfort zone and make the effort - and yes, for me it takes a great deal of effort - to "socialize" with new people.

And, you know, I'm really okay with that. As much as I love my darling, extroverted husband, I'm just not interested in sliding over to meet him on the extroversion-introversion scale - I'm not broken. I don't need fixing.

Yes, I'm probably missing out on some interesting people in real life because of my (anti-)social quirks. But I'm pretty happy where I am - even if it is mostly in my own head.

So, I'll leave the socializing to The ZenHusband and he can leave the blogging to me. Maybe eventually he can introduce me to the other kindergarten moms.

What about you? Are you more introverted or extroverted? Is it easier for you to talk to people online then in person? Or am I just a weirdo? :)

Talkin' Turkey

2009-11-12T05:55:00.000-08:00

I'm sharing this post from the vault - aka last year - because this turkey really is that freakin' good. Make it. No, really. make the damn bird. You'll thank me later.

BEST. TURKEY. EVER.

You must make this turkey!

I am not a cook. I admit this freely and without shame. The Husband does 90 percent of the cooking in our house. If you want omelettes, pancakes, waffles, enchiladas, Spanish rice, lasagna, chicken breasts or something out of a box - I'm your gal. Anything else - talk to The Husband.

So, considering that disclaimer, why the heck am I blogging about a recipe?! And why on earth should you listen to *me*?!?

Because it is The. Best. Turkey. Ever. And it's EASY!

Why should you take advice from someone as culinarily challenged as me? Because it's not MY recipe - it's Alton Brown's! And HE is a kitchen god (which is a little bit like being a rock god, but yummier.)

Seriously, do yourself, your guests, and your bird a favor: TRY THIS RECIPE. I did. And I made a flavorful, moist, golden-brown-and-delicious turkey. Me. The girl who can't boil toast.

Trust me: If I can do it, anybody can. :)

So do it!

Good Eats Roast Turkey

1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water

For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.

Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.

Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

Quote Junkie: On Writing

2009-11-05T10:38:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the latest edition of Quote Junkie, wherein I further reveal my geeky obsession with the power and beauty of the written word. Fellow bloggers may be able to relate to today's theme ...

"Writing a novel is like making love, but it's also like having a tooth pulled. Pleasure and pain. Sometimes it's like making love while having a tooth pulled." ~ Dean Koontz

"If the doctor told me I had six minutes to live, I'd type a little faster." ~ Isaac Asimov

"A writer never has a vacation. For a writer life consists of either writing or thinking about writing." ~ Eugene Ionesco

"Writing makes no noise, except groans, and it can be done everywhere, and it is done alone." ~ Ursula K. LeGuin

"Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self." ~ Cyril Connolly

"We do not write because we want to; we write because we have to." ~ Somerset Maugham

"There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein." ~ Red Smith

"No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader." ~ Robert Frost

"Writing is the flip side of sex – it's good only when it's over." ~ Hunter S. Thompson

"Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards." ~ Robert A. Heinlein

"If you are pointing out one of the things a story is about, then you are very probably right; if you are pointing out the only thing a story is about you are very probably wrong - even if you're the author." ~ Neil Gaiman

"Detail makes the difference between boring and terrific writing. It’s the difference between a pencil sketch and a lush oil painting. As a writer, words are your paint. Use all the colors." ~ Rhys Alexander

"Resist the temptation to try to use dazzling style to conceal weakness of substance." ~ Stanley Schmidt

"Suit the action to the word, the word to the action." ~ William Shakespeare

"When in doubt, have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand." ~ Raymond Chandler

"The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in shock-proof shit-detector." ~ Ernest Hemingway

"Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don't see any." ~ Orson Scott Card

"The unread story is not a story; it is little black marks on wood pulp. The reader, reading it, makes it live: a live thing, a story." ~ Ursula K. Le Guin

"There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside you." ~ Zora Neale Hurston

Death of a Pumpkin

2009-10-31T11:35:00.000-07:00

As promised, the Zen Family Theater proudly presents, Death of a Pumpkin ...

So, y'all know we went to the Pumpkin Farm last week. And we rounded up a few smallish specimens.

But, we weren't worried about size. Because we knew we already had this behemouth of a squash at home.

Minion The Elder helped his Papa grow this uber-pumpkin in Papa's garden this summer as part of his activities to earn his Spiral Scouts Gardening Badge.

This one was just too big to carve up, though. So we let the Minions have at it with paint instead. They had a blast.

The smaller pumpkins, though, weren't so lucky. They were dispatched humanely - one quick blow to the cranial stem - and then their squishy innards were removed.

And then the fun began ...

Believe it or not, there's like 4 or 5 more.
(My dad and I went a little overboard.)
But these are my favorites.
They ought to look pretty cool all lit up tonight, don'cha think? :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Who Needs Sleep? (Well, You're Never Gonna Get It.)

2009-10-29T23:15:00.000-07:00

This post brought to you by a rare bout of Phish-induced insomnia.

Random Sleep-Related Trivia about ZenMom:

I love my bed. Best thing we ever bought.
I rarely have insomnia. Usually, I'm asleep within mere moments of my head hitting the pillow. The exceptions? Well, the big one is nights like tonight when The ZenHusband his gone.
Coffee doesn't keep me awake. But stress does. I have a really hard time falling asleep when I've got something unresolved on my mind. I replay past coversations, imagine new ones, think through the steps I need to take, think about the steps that got me there ... I just can't stop the hamster wheel in my brain. Usually, the best cure is to get up and write it all down - get it out of my head and onto paper (or my computer screen).
Another thing that helps me fall asleep: Starting at my toes, I tighten and relax my muscles one group at a time, working my way up my body. I'm usually asleep by the time I get to my arms.
I can't take "sleep aid" drugs. Eff me up.
I sleep on the left side of the bed. Always. One time, we had to switch sides (long story), and I tossed and turned and barely slept all night.
I can't sleep on my back. Can't do it. My favorite position to sleep in is on my left side. Preferably with my right leg thrown across my husband. Or a pillow. Whichever is handy.
I don't have adenoids. Bear with me - it's sleep-related, I swear. See, I don't have adenoids because, when I was a young teen, I had sleep apnea. Had my adenoids removed to fix that. (Side note: Only time in my life I've ever fainted was in the doctor's office for my post-op visit. Blood loss. Stood up, took three steps, fell foward. Would've busted my face on the floor if the doctor hadn't caught me.)
Side effect of having no adenoids: I don't snore. Except when I have a cold. (Don't believe my husband if he tells you any different.)
I hate alarm clock sounds. I much prefer to wake up to music. But not a.m. DJs. They're almost as bad as alarm beep-beep-beeps. No, actually, they're usually worse.
I don't dream as much as I used to. Or at least I don't remember them. I used to have vivid, detailed, complex dreams. But, since having kids (sleep-deprivation much?), I seem to dream less frequently and less vividly. I kinda miss them.
I can go from dead-asleep to awake-and-functional in about 3 minutes with total recall the next morning. How do I know this? I have two kids under 5. You figure it out. My husband, on the other hand, can get up and stumble through the motions of night-emergencies. But he won't remember a damn thing about them in the morning. Is that weird or is it just me?
I need more sleep than my husband. It's just a fact. He has an internal alarm clock that goes off at 6:30 a.m. and he really can't stay in bed past 7:30 a.m. at that absolute latest. I have one of those internal alarm clocks, too. But mine is set for 8 a.m. And I'd sleep 'till 9 a.m. most days, if I had the option.

How about you? Have any weird or unusual or interesting sleep-related habits?

There's a light (over at the Frankenstein place)

2009-10-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

We're gathering 'round the virtual campfire at The Real World: Venus vs. Mars this week to tell spoooky stories.

Mine's up today. Here's a sneak peek ...

My first warning should have been when my date told me our evening was going to be a "surprise". In my experience, surprising me rarely ends well for all parties involved ...

Read more

Pumpkin Hunting

2009-10-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

We went Pumpkin Hunting this weekend ...

Next week: Death of a Pumpkin.

You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it

2009-10-15T06:06:00.000-07:00

October is a rough month for me.

Oh, it's not because October is when things really start to heat up at work. And it's not because the weather starts to turn chilly and I'm a wuss about the cold. It's not even because it's when the deadly Valley fog starts rolling in, making my morning commute a life-threatening activity.

No ... It's the movies.

I love scifi movies, action movies, even a very small handful of whatcha might call "scary movies".

But I HATE "horror movies".

You cannot pay me enough to make me watch movies like Hellraiser or The Ring or The Grudge or The Hills Have Eyes or The Blair Witch Project or those damned ubiquitous Saw movies and the like.

I. Will. Freak. Out.

Urban horror? Slasher flicks? Anything with guys named Freddy or Jason? Fugeddahboutit - I am not watching. I don't even want to see the commercials or trailers for them. And please don't tell me about them.

I am just not constitutionally capable of watching stuff like Paranormal Activity or even The Exorcist.

Do. Not. Want.

The weird thing, though, it that there are "scary" movies that I DO like.

Vampires? Werewolves? Zombies? Space Aliens? ... I'm your gal! All over it!

I love Aliens, Predator, Resident Evil, Evil Dead 2, Dracula, The Mummy, Frankenstein, Shaun of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead, Dusk til Dawn, Silver Bullet, An American Werewolf in London, Hellboy, Underworld, Hitchcock movies ... hell, I even like the uber-cheesy ones like Dracula 2000, Doom, Ghosts of Mars, Bats and Bubba Ho-Tep.

And Jason X was the notable exception to my "no Jason or Freddy movies" rule. Because it was all scifi and comedic, so I just closed my eyes during the gory parts.

I even like Stephen King's It - Oh, it scared the bejeesus out of me - but I've still seen it five times. Because it had such a great story and such a life-affirming message under all of the OMFG-it's-a-man-eating-clown.

What's the difference? How is it that I can love Zombieland and hate Saw? Where do I draw the line between "horror" movies and "scary" movies?

I dunno. But it's there. Maybe somebody else can 'splain it to me. In the meantime, I will pass on the "horror" movies ... but you can pass the popcorn, please, for Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

What about you? Do you like horror movies? Scary movies? Vampires, weres and zombies, oh my?

* Inspired by DaddyGeekBoy, who is a self-proclaimed scary movie wimp. ;)

Feels Just Like I'm Falling for the First Time

2009-10-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

If I was forced to pick just one "favorite" musical group, it would probably be Barenaked Ladies.

But, being a boring old mom-type person, now ... I hadn't seen them live in more than 10 years - until last night.

It. Was. Awesome.

Just as good - if not better - than I remember.

I honestly can't remember when, exactly, I started listening to BNL. I think it must have been around 1992 (they've been playing together since 1988!) because I know I bought their first full album - Gordon - that year. They've been one of my favorite bands ever since. (Stunt and Maroon being my other two favorite albums.)

BNL is kind of like my musical "comfort food" - I have a whole playlist in my itunes dedicated just to them and it's probably the one I listen to the most.

They are definitely my go-to band for road trip music - yes, I'm the dork driving down the road singing along - and I love to just have them playing in the background when I'm working on the computer or doing stuff around the house.

Of course, when I heard they were playing the Fresno Fair - which is not too far from where we live - I had to get tickets! Bonus: My friend from Sacramento drove down for the night to go with me - it was her first BNL concert!

I loved the music, of course - live performances are always exponentially better than CDs when you are talking about a band like BNL. And we had GREAT seats!

But, I think my favorite thing about BNL in concert is that they make you feel like they are just these guys up on stage having a good ol' time - really loving what they are doing - and just taking you along for the ride.

They joke, they improvise, they play around - they seem to really be having fun! After 20 years of professional music-making, that's pretty damned impressive.

There was one change from the last time I saw them, of course - They were a foursome.

Co-founder Steven Page left the group early this year. For most people, Steven was the voice of BNL. But, in reality, he and Ed Robertson pretty much split the singing/songwriting duties for the group.

Still, Page had a really distinctive voice and I wondered how the group would sound without him.

To be honest, during the show last night, I never "missed" Steven even once.

Ed totally rocked the lead vocals! (The notable exceptions being Kevin singing lead to "Sound of Your Voice" and Tyler singing lead on "Alcohol" - both definite high moments of an already awesome show.)

Now - as much as I love all of my "old" BNL music - I'm now finding myself wanting new recordings of these older songs with Ed singing lead! They were great! (By the way, you can download several live shows from the BNL website, didja know?)

Fortunately, I won't have to wait too long for new BNL music, either. They played a few songs from their new album - due out in March - and it sounded great. I can't wait!

What about you? Do you have a favorite band or group you love to see live?

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.

2009-10-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to join Kevin of Always Home and Uncool in his efforts to raise awareness in the blogosphere of juvenile myositis, a rare autoimmune disease his daughter was diagnosed with on this day seven years ago. The day also happens to be his wife's birthday.

This is their story:

###

Our pediatrician admitted it early on.

The rash on our 2-year-old daughter's cheeks, joints and legs was something he'd never seen before.

The next doctor wouldn't admit to not knowing.

He rattled off the names of several skins conditions -- none of them seemingly worth his time or bedside manner -- then quickly prescribed antibiotics and showed us the door.

The third doctor admitted she didn't know much.

The biopsy of the chunk of skin she had removed from our daughter's knee showed signs of an "allergic reaction" even though we had ruled out every allergy source -- obvious and otherwise -- that we could.

The fourth doctor had barely closed the door behind her when, looking at the limp blonde cherub in my lap, she admitted she had seen this before. At least one too many times before.

She brought in a gaggle of med students. She pointed out each of the physical symptoms in our daughter:

The rash across her face and temples resembling the silhouette of a butterfly.

The purple-brown spots and smears, called heliotrope, on her eyelids.

The reddish alligator-like skin, known as Gottron papules, covering the knuckles of her hands.

The onset of crippling muscle weakness in her legs and upper body.

She then had an assistant bring in a handful of pages photocopied from an old medical textbook. She handed them to my wife, whose birthday it happened to be that day.

This was her gift -- a diagnosis for her little girl.

That was seven years ago -- Oct. 2, 2002 -- the day our daughter was found to have juvenile dermatomyositis, one of a family of rare autoimmune diseases that can have debilitating and even fatal consequences when not treated quickly and effectively.

Our daughter's first year with the disease consisted of surgical procedures, intravenous infusions, staph infections, pulmonary treatments and worry. Her muscles were too weak for her to walk or swallow solid food for several months. When not in the hospital, she sat on our living room couch, propped up by pillows so she wouldn't tip over, as medicine or nourishment dripped from a bag into her body.

Our daughter, Thing 1, Megan, now age 9, remembers little of that today when she dances or sings or plays soccer. All that remain with her are scars, six to be exact, and the array of pills she takes twice a day to help keep the disease at bay.

What would have happened if it took us more than two months and four doctors before we lucked into someone who could piece all the symptoms together? I don't know.

I do know that the fourth doctor, the one who brought in others to see our daughter's condition so they could easily recognize it if they ever had the misfortune to be presented with it again, was a step toward making sure other parents also never have to find out.

That, too, is my purpose today.

It is also my birthday gift to my wife, My Love, Rhonda, for all you have done these past seven years to make others aware of juvenile myositis diseases and help find a cure for them once and for all.

To read more about children and families affected by juvenile myositis diseases, visit Cure JM Foundation at www.curejm.org.

To make a tax-deductible donation toward JM research, go to www.firstgiving.com/rhondaandkevinmckeever or www.curejm.com/team/donations.htm.

###

* The post title is a quote from H.H. The Dalai Lama. It seemed fitting.

Psst ... Look what I did

2009-10-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

Check it out: The Hot Dads were ~~stupid~~ er, I mean, cool enough to let me pimp their ride:

A world that loves its irony must hate the protest singer

2009-09-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

I've never liked being told what to do.

So, you can imagine that I like even less being told what to think.

September 26-October 3 is Banned Books Week.

I posted about this event (I won't call it a celebration, because it's just too tragic) last year and ranted a bit about intellectual freedoms and slippery slopes.

This year, I'm going to be more blunt.

Because - like another civil rights issue I feel strongly about - the answer to this one is so simple: Mind your own freakin' business.

Yeah, that about covers it.

Here's the deal, people: If you find the content of a book so objectionable, then I don't think that you should be forced you read it. But, contrariwise, I don't think that anyone else should be forced to NOT read it.

What offends your delicate sensibilities might be balm to another's soul. Vive la différence.

So, do the world - and your brain - a favor: Read a Banned Book this week.

I will.

If only because I take umbrage to being dictated to by the fear and ignorance of others.

"When any government, or church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know, the end result is tyranny and oppression no matter how holy the motives." ~ Robert Heinlein

A sampling of the books banned or challenged in 2008-2009:

Amazon.com WidgetsHelicoptersBarenaked Ladies

NCHF: A Photo Essay

2009-09-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

The ZenHusband and I attended the
Northern California Homebrewer's Festival last weekend.
(You did know ZH is a long-time avid homebrewer, didn't you?)

The whole weekend was a blast, but the highlight, for me,
was the Brewer's Dinner Friday night.

O.M.G.

No, really:
O.M.F.G.

This dinner was TO DIE FOR.
It was six courses of Oktoberfest-inspired deliciousness
crafted by renowned Homebrew Chef Sean Paxton.

That's him below, the one in the chef's jacket
waving at all of the hungry people who are about to worship him.

We ate great food and drank great beer -
a different craft brew to complement each course - for three hours.

The meal was outdoors and had a casual picnic-y kind of feel,
including family-style service, but that didn't diminish
the incredible, gourmet-level food.

The whole dinner was amazing
- from the beet salad starter to the tangy sauerkraut
to the mouth-watering bratwurst,
to the melt-in-your-mouth sauerbrauten.

My two personal favorites were the "David Hasselhoff"
- a pretzel-crumb coated pork cutlet
served with warm German purple potato salad -
and the Wild Mushroom Strudel.

Ohmygawd, my knees are weak and I'm salivating
like Pavlov's pets just thinking about
the savory heaven that was that mushroom strudel.

For dessert: Hop-infused ice cream.
It tasted like green hops right off the vine, but cold and creamy.
ZH dipped his in his schwarzbeir to make a Beer Float. :)

As I tweeted that night:

This is like Iron Chef meets Oktoberfest!
What's the German word for heaven? Mmmmmm. ;D

After dinner, we all stumbled to our tents, very pleasantly sated.
(Did I mention this whole festival was at a lake resort in the foothills
and all of the attendees were camping for the whole weekend?
No? Okay, now you know.)

After sleeping off that little bit o' German heaven,
we were up bright and early (as far as you know)
to get ready for the actual Festival:

The ZenHusband being the beer addict,
um I mean, brewing enthusiast that he is,
we've been to our fair share of beer festivals and conferences.

And I have to say, this was one of the best
and most laid-back events we've ever been to.

Some of that atmosphere, you can probably chalk up to location.
Northern California is a pretty mellow part of the state
(not counting the politicos in Sacramento).

But I think part of it also came from the fact
that almost everyone there was a homebrewer.

Usually at events like these you get a mix of brewers and,
shall we say, "drinkers". And there's almost always a
rowdy "frat boy" element that harshes the mellow.
But, here, there was none of that.

Oh, there was plenty of drinking going on ...

(Yeah, those are both taps.)

And lots of good fun ...

... but it was still more of a connoisseur event than a kegger.

One of my favorite elements of Beer Festivals are the booths.
There are usually contests for the best decorations
and some of the clubs really go all out.
(If you embiggen the photo above,
you'll see that's a working chandelier.)

This year's theme for the NCHF was "Oktoberfest".
A lot of the clubs did a great job with their decorations.
But this one was my favorite:

If you look a little closer, you'll see that the serving wench and the cow
(which I believe were made of papier mache!)
are a tap! Three taps, actually ...

Yep, you could pour yourself three different kinds of beer
from that cute little cow's udder.
Talk about improving on nature. ;)
I was only disappointed that one of them wasn't a milk stout.

:)

And did I mention that proceeds of all of this
laid-back and golden delicious fun go to charity?

Win. Win. Win.

And this concludes Zen's "how I spent my vacation" photo essay.
Thanks for playing!

His, Hers and Ours

2009-09-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm over at The Real World: Venus vs. Mars today, talking about hobbies and compatibility ...

In the before-time, the ZenHusband and I used to do lots of fun things together: Backpacking, hiking, camping, SCUBA, music festivals, movies, video games, sporting events, museums ...

Read more

The greatest expression of rebellion is joy

2009-09-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

I don't watch award shows (I know, I'm all un-American and stuff that way).

But, being the HUGE Joss Whedon fan that I am, you know I had to go looking for his acceptance speech online this morning.

He didn't disappoint: "The greatest expression of rebellion is joy."

Gawd, I love that guy.

Bonus: Dr. Horrible hijacking the show.

Yo Ho, Yo Ho

2009-09-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be off drinking homebrew and talking like a pirate this weekend. (Yeah, I know. You're jealous.)

So, to kick things off, I was going to post something cute about Talk Like a Pirate Day, as has become my annual tradition.

But Daddy Geek Boy topped out my cute meter this morning with his Talk Like a Pirate Day post, so I'm just going to point you to his blog instead, m'kay?

So, go brush up on your pirate talk, check out the dangerously cute Ice-Cream-The-Pirate at DGB's and have a great weekend!

Other than talking like a pirate ... what are you up to this weekend?

Venus vs Mars: Every Now and Then

2009-09-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

I'm over at The Real World: Venus vs. Mars today, pondering the past ...

Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like to run into him somewhere. A chance encounter at the store, on the street, in a coffee shop ...

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Camping - by the numbers

2009-09-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Our Labor Day Camping Trip: By the Numbers ...

1 - How many of us came home with sunburns.

2- The number of naps I took. (Yay, naps!)

3 - Times my 2-year-old walked right into the lake with his shoes and socks on.

4 - How many books I read during the trip. (Yay, books!)

5 - How many deer we saw.

6 - How many "improved" Deer Crossing Signs we saw.

7 - The number of "hikes" we took around the lake and streams.

8 - The average number of seconds a 4-year-old can stand to watch a fishing line without reeling it in and recasting it. Again.

9 - The number of times I had to untangle a child's fishing line.

0 - How many fish were caught.

Yeah, we had a blast. :)

The family that dyes together

2009-09-04T00:12:00.000-07:00

Daddy and the boys had a tie-dying day last weekend ...

... I think they did a pretty good job, actually. And they had a blast. :)

This weekend, we're going camping.

Which means, I will soon be Interwebs free for four whole days.

I get a little light-headed just thinking about it. Wish me luck. ;)

Misdirection

2009-09-01T10:00:00.001-07:00

Wow, I'm all over the place today.

First, I - along with some other super cool Hot Mamas - answer some probing questions from The Hot Dads ... then, you can find a post from my archives - talking about the importance of talking about sex - over at Venus vs Mars.

Happy travels. ;)

Building a Mystery

2009-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I love SciFi and Fantasy books - especially if they have kick-ass chicks or vampires in them.

But I have another favorite Brain Candy, too: Detective/mystery stories.

Agatha Christie is probably my favorite mystery author of all time. And I do love the Sherlock Holmes stories, too. But, mostly, the common theme among my current favorite mystery/detective stories seems to be (no surprise) female authors and strong female protagonists.

So, some of my "must-run-out-and-buy-her-latest-book-right-now!" mystery authors include ...

Janet Evanovich
Stephanie Plum Series
I never laugh out loud so much as I do while reading about Stephanie Plum - Suburban Jersey Girl and Bounty Hunter.

The series started with One for the Money, and continued with Two for the Dough, Three to Get Deadly, etc. She's just come out with Finger Lickin' Fifteen. She also has several Between the Numbers books out now. And every single one of them is side-splittingly awesome. the plots are outrageous bordering on unrealistic, but they are so funny that you just don't care. Seriously, if Stephanie, Lulu and Grandma Mazur don't make you laugh, check your pulse.

JD Robb
In Death Series
Eve Dallas is one of my favorite cops. Ever. The In Death books are set about 50 years in the future, which is what primarily attracted me to the first book. But, while there are some futuristic elements to the plots, they don't really qualify as science fiction.

I think Robb's near-future is a realistic one and the stories and characters are interesting. Dallas is a tough as nails and dedicated -obsessive, even - detective and the plots are unique and engaging. I usually read these books within a day or two of getting them because I just can't put them down.

Robb is the pen-name for romance author Nora Roberts. And there is an element of romance in the In Death books as well. But, while long-term character development is definitely a big part of the appeal of this series, the romance does not overshadow the detective story - which I appreciate. But I think my favorite thing about the romance side is that it is between Dallas and her husband, Roarke. You don't see a lot of "married" romance in books like this. It's refreshing.

Sue Grafton
Kinsey Millhone Series
This series is also called the Alphabet Series because of the titles: A is for Alibi, B is for Burglar, C is for Corpse, etc.

I've read A-S and I have T is for Trespass on my bedside table. Kinsey Milhone is a private investigator in fictional Santa Theresa, California (based on the real city of Santa Barbara). Kinsey is smart, tough and extremely independent. I like that the detective work in these books is realistic and not gussied up to be glamorous. Millhone is a straight-forward, no-frills kind of person doing a straight-forward, intellectually and physically challenging job.

To be honest, a couple of books in the middle of this series were just a little bit "meh" for me. But the rest have all been fun and entertaining. I like that I'm not always able to see where the plot is going ahead of Kinsey. And yet, I don't feel like Grafton has "cheated" the clues to keep the reader guessing, either. That's a nice balance and hard to do again and again in a series.

One side note: The first book was published in 1982 and the story is set in the same time frame. Each subsequent book is set only about 6 months or so after the last. So, even though the books have spanned 20 years, the internal timeline is much shorter. That means that even though S is for Silence was published in 2005, the book is set in 1987 or 1988.

Charlaine Harris
Aurora Teagarden series
The next three series are all by Charlaine Harris (who was also featured in my post about my favorite vampire book series). Basically, I've loved almost every character Harris has ever created. :)

Aurora Teagarden is a bit different from my other favorite characters, though, because she's not exactly what you'd call "tough" ... and yet she's incredible strong. "Roe" is a librarian, a bookworm, a thinker-not-a-fighter (anyone who knows me can see why this type of character would appeal to me, I think.). She's whip-smart, curious as a cat and can't resist poking her nose into a mystery.

Like many other books in this list, the long-term character development over the life of the series is a definite draw here as well. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but Roe's personal life is a driving factor in the "mysteries" in these books and Harris takes the readers to some bold and interesting places, I think. As she does is many of her other books to, including ...

Charlaine Harris
Lilly Bard series
I think these were the first of Charlaine Harris' books that I read. Lily Bard is a tough, fiercely private rape survivor who moves to the fictional town of Shakespeare, Arkansas. She just wants to mind her own business and run her one-woman house cleaning service. But she becomes unwillingly entangled in a series of interesting small-town mysteries.

She's not exactly Miss Marple, but Lily manages to untangle all of the small town secrets and lies and get to the usually ugly truth. There are five Lilly Bard books and Harris has said she'd finished writing the series.

Charlaine Harris
Harper Connelly series
This is Harris' most recent series. There are only three books out so far, but they're unique and interesting. Harper, like many of Harris' protagonists, seems delicate and vulnerable on the outside, but underneath that she has a strong, appealing core.

Again set in the south, the series dips into the realm of the supernatural in that Harper has a unique talent - she can find dead people and determine their cause of death. But, other than that strange little quirk, the books are realistic. The mysteries within the plot are interesting and well done, but, again, it's the characters - main and supporting - that really drive the story.

Sara Paretsky
VI Warshawski series
VI "Vic" Warshawki is an iconic character in women's detective stories and the books have a strong feminist undertone.

More than any other books on this list, this series is most like the traditional "hard-boiled detective" genre. Warshawski is a smart, tough, snarky-before-there-was-a-word-for-it, private detective in Chicago. She drinks Johnnie Walker Black, loves opera, and can hold her own in a street fight. She's proudly independent and yet fiercely protective of those she cares about. The plots are intelligent and unique, but it's Paretsky's tough, witty, kick-ass PI who kept me coming back for more.

Oh, and if you've seen the movie? Don't judge the books by that, okay? I like Kathleen Turner. And the movie wasn't bad. But it wasn't really a good representation of the books.

Also, I should mention that I've had a couple of guy friends tell me that the feminism was more over- than under- in tone and that factor made it harder for them to get "into" the story. I can see where that might come from. But it wasn't an issue for me.

So, those are some of my favorite mysteries. What about you? Do you like mystery/detective novels? What are your favorites? What is it about them that appeals to you?

Music has charms to soothe a savage breast

2009-08-27T00:11:00.000-07:00

Have you ever scrolled aaaaaalllll the way down to the bottom of my blog?

If you have, you've seen - in addition to a great LOLcat - my favorite Playlist. The exact contents of the player change a bit from time to time. But, for the most part, this is the soundtrack of a lot of my days.

One of the things I love about my job is that I don't spend all day every day at a desk. But, I do still spend quite a lot of time on my computer at work. And, when I can, I love to have music playing in my office while I work.

Sometimes, I pick a specific artist to listen to. Sometimes, I just set my whole i-tunes library (which is quite a large and eclectic collection) on "shuffle" and just see what happens. But, more often, this Playlist is what is playing in the background as I write or edit or design or code.

So, when I was invited to be a Guest DJ over at Music Savvy Mom, this was the Playlist that came to mind. S0, I hit "shuffle" and jotted down the first 10 songs that came up as well as my first thoughts about each one.

So, if you want to hear a snippet of my "typical" day, pop on over and see the results of my Guest DJ Gig.

If you're interested (and you haven't already done it) it's fast and easy to create your own Playlist and embed it in your own blog.

But, if you do, just promise me that you will NOT set it to auto-play, okay? Nothing freaks me out more than clicking over to a blog and having strange music suddenly blaring from my speakers because I forgot to turn them back down after cranking them up to 100% to hear some freakishly quite YouTube video. Jarring!

(Okay, well, yeah, lots of things freak me out more than that, but it's still annoying, so don't do it.)

If you do have or create a Playlist, let me know and I'll pop over and check it out.

Even if you don't, I'm curious: Where and what kind of music do you listen to? I know that music is pretty important to some of my readers (I'm lookin' at you SFD, DGB and A Free Man.) So, tell me about the role music plays in your everyday life?

###

PS: If you're interested in being a Guest DJ at Music Savvy Mom, you can get the skinny on that here.

PPS: See that pretty Label Cloud in my sidebar? Want one for your own blog? Well, now you can have one just like it! I had to make mine the hard way (by stealing the code from another blogger). But you have it easy: Blogger just added it as a standard widget. You lucky little blogger, you. If you try it out, let me know and I'll stop by and see it. :)

Venus vs Mars: Feelin' Flirty

2009-08-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm over at The Real World: Venus vs. Mars again today with a new post about flirting ...

Do you flirt?

I think you should.

In fact, I think flirting can be good for your marriage (or other long-term relationship). No, seriously ...

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Too Darn Hot

2009-08-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

I'm a Hot Mama!

The Hot Dads say so. So it must be true. ;)

They even gave me this awesome award to prove it. How cool is that?

I have a well documented soft-spot for Dad Bloggers, so it should come as no surprise that Hot Dads is one of my favorite daily reads.

The Hot Dads represent a really eclectic and fun mix of Dads-who-Blog ... married, divorced, widowed ... younger kids, older kids, younger and older kids ... athletic, outdoorsy, geeky ... blue collar, white collar, no collar. ;)

They always have something fun or interesting to say. And they like me. They really like me!

So why not pop over and check them out? Say Hi. Tell them a new Hot Mama sent you. ;)

Venus vs Mars: How I Met Your Father

2009-08-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you don't know the story of how I met the ZenHusband, you should pop over to The Real World: Venus vs. Mars to read all about it today ... ;)