rhythms and routines

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Tuesday Randomosity: Shopping and Entertaining and Far Too Hot Edition

Vent vent. The appliance repair person came last week to examine my hood vent. He opened up the hood vent, asked me to describe the problem, diagnosed the issue as a faulty user interface (the piece that has the buttons that turn the fan on and off), looked up the part, and discovered that my hood vent is discontinued and he cannot source a part for it. All this, including when I tearfully begged him to at least disconnect the fan so that it would stop running at all hours of the day and night, took five minutes and cost $160. I am still salty about the whole thing. (I emailed the vent hood manufacturer weeks ago, asking about companies that service this hood vent. I also gave the model number of my hood vent to the appliance repair company. Why neither of those people bothered to inform me that the hood vent was DISCONTINUED is beyond me.) But at least the fan is OFF. (And we can reconnect it if we need to make something on the stove, which I am still avoiding due to excessive heat.)

I am trying to decide if I need a sous vide badly enough to buy one for myself. Jen has completely influencered me into wanting one; apparently it is really good at making various curds and I love a good curd. But it’s expensive enough that it feels like something I should request as a gift. But… this one is also on a big sale for Prime Day ($121 down from $199), so maybe I should just bite the bullet and get one????? Do you have a sous vide? What do you use it for, if not for curds? (I am aware it does MANY things besides curd-making.) (Curd is a very weird word.) 

Do you need to be influencered into buying a new small appliance? If so, then I HIGHLY recommend this Cuisinart immersion blender. I use mine ALL the time. In fact – and this is super embarrassing to admit – I have TWO of them, and I use both of them weekly, if not daily. (It’s embarrassing to admit because I had one of them for a million years, or so long that I completely forgot it had the little chopper/grinder attachment. Then I bought a new one, which was different only in that it also came with a large mixing/measuring cup.) I use them for smoothies, dressings, dips. This past weekend I made an impromptu whipped feta using the chopper/grinder cup. It’s so easy to use and I love that it takes up less room in the dishwasher than my blender or my food processor. (The one I have is not technically on a Prime Day deal, but it is 25% off.) (Ooooh, this one by Mueller IS on a Prime Day deal – 37% off and only $31.55!) (Do I need a third immersion blender set? No, I do not. Right? Or do I?)

I just finished two books that used the same murder method! And it wasn’t a super common murder method, like strangling or whatever. It was a fairly specific method. I love it when I experience that kind of synchronicity in books. Like there’s something in the collective consciousness that makes writers reach for similar things at similar times. 

The first dinner party went off without a hitch. We ended up making balsamic pork in the crockpot, and then having all sorts of goodies alongside it: brown rice, crumbled feta, kalamata olives, caramelized onions, sundried tomatoes, and marinated artichoke hearts. I also made a quinoa salad to go alongside it. Where I went wrong, I think, is in the appetizers. I made hummus and the aforementioned whipped feta, and served both with veggies and pita chips. People seemed to fill up on the appetizers and then didn’t have a whole lot of room left for the main course. Because we had six people over, I doubled the pork recipe. And… we had SO MUCH pork leftover, Internet. So much pork. My husband and I had it for dinner again on Sunday, and then yesterday I paired the pork with a mango salsa to make it different enough for us to enjoy for a third day in a row, plus a small Tupperware container for me to eat for lunch, AND I still had a generous portion leftover that I put in the freezer for another time. We also have so much quinoa salad leftover. How does anyone know how much food to make? I felt SURE that six adults would eat AT LEAST as much food as my husband and I do on our own, but that didn’t seem to be the case???? I don’t think the food was bad, although I guess I can’t rule that out? Well. I have a second chance this weekend, as Dinner Party 2 is coming up. This time, I am making tacos, and guacamole, and maybe salsa. THAT’S IT. (Although I am fretting a bit about what sort of meat I should make. Just ground beef? Or should I also do shredded chicken?)

The best decision I made for the dinner party was to include a friend for Carla. I figured she would be bored by all the adults, so we arranged for her bestie come over and spend the night. I didn’t have to worry about either of them the whole night. I mean, I fed them. (They did NOT eat balsamic pork.) And my husband (and possibly the other adults as well) watched them in the pool. But they entertained one another and had a wonderful time. Unfortunately, the kids then stayed awake until THREE O’CLOCK AM IN THE MORNING. And felt the need to keep me updated about their awakeness approximately every hour. I have no problem with the kids not sleeping. It’s a sleepover; not-sleeping is expected. But I was exhausted from a day spent cooking and cleaning and entertaining and then I didn’t sleep more than a few interrupted hours, so I ended up being pretty useless both Sunday AND Monday. 

Is it hot where you are? It’s hot, isn’t it. It seems to be hot everywhere, in the US at least. (And Canada. HI NICOLE. I hope you are ensconced in air conditioning right now!) We had a thunderstorm this morning at about four, and so everything is wet, but it’s also hot already (I am writing this at six) and all our windows are steamed up. “Hot and humid” is my least favorite state of being. I walk around in a constant half-melted state. My hair is impossible and I have been wearing it in a ponytail so much my scalp hurts. My face is a zitty mess. My deodorant is working as hard as it can but cannot stanch the sweat. I am longing for winter. But not really, because I am also enjoying the heck out of having a pool. Carla and I went swimming last night before dinner and I love it so much. 

Our summer schedule is – finally – so awesome. We have really settled into a rhythm right now, and I love it. I wake up at six, make tea, wander around my garden, make a smoothie, wake up Carla and watch a million cat videos with her. Let’s not speak of the period between waking her up and getting her into the car for camp. While she’s at camp, I exercise and write. I am part of an honest-to-goodness writing club right now, and I’m loving it. I buy groceries and do laundry and make endless phone calls and appointments for our house. I pick up Carla, spend as much time outside as possible, make and eat dinner, watch a show with my husband, go to bed. Repeat. It’s so lovely. One thing I am dreading about the school year is having to shift everything again. Especially now, I am enjoying the quiet hour or so by myself before I wake Carla up… but I’ll have to wake her up an hour earlier during the school year and I don’t know that I have the kind of constitution that enables ME to wake up at five. We’ll see, I guess. I’m trying not to waste any of this glorious summer with WORRYING.

Back to complaining about the heat, I am ogling all sorts of fans on amazon right now. I really, really want a fan for our gym. I get so sweaty while working out, Internet. It is disgusting. Even just walking on the treadmill, I become a puddle. I often type while walking (I have a treadmill desk attachment that I love) and I leave these horrendous sweaty paw prints on the desk. But I know NOTHING about fans. This one looks good – I like the tower look and it gets good reviews, and it seems like a reasonable price? Maybe this pedestal one would be better? It’s supposedly “space saving,” although I don’t know that it takes up any less space except visual. Do you have a fan that you like? 

Also in an attempt to beat the heat, I have been buying dresses like crazy. Earlier this summer, I splurged on threeamazing dresses from Boden. I love them ALL. Yet I find myself coveting MORE DRESSES. All the dresses! This one is cute and seems more casual than the Boden ones. Do I need it??? (No. I definitely do not NEED it. Do I want it? Yes. Do I want it enough to buy it? Jury’s still out. Although it is only $15… Hmmm…) My husband also sent me a link to a “freezer dress,” which sounds deeply intriguing. It apparently has some sort of special fabric that cools as you sweat. That sounds kind of amazing?! Ooooh there’s a maxi dress version, too. 

Another good thing about summer? My hydrangeas! Look how beautiful they are! When they are on the bush, overloaded by the weight of their own blooms, they aren’t quite as lovely. But in a vase on my counter, they are pretty spectacular.

Okay, that’s all I have time for, Internet. I hope you are staying cool, whatever you’re doing. 

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Rhythms and Routines, or Lack Thereof; Summer Shakeup; Dinners This Week

It’s the first week of July, Internet! I refuse to think of how quickly the summer is flying by. We do have ALL of July and part of August to bask in summerness, which I plan to embrace wholeheartedly.

My original plan for summer was Reduce the Activities, which would, in turn, Reduce the Driving. Since I was in the car a minimum of two hours a day during the school year – sometimes three – I think you understand why I was interested in Reducing. So far, I have achieved decent success. Carla has daily summer camp, one activity that takes place directly after camp in the exact same camp location, and one activity that takes place on the weekends at a location ten minutes from our house. PERFECT. I am in the car for 45 minutes a day at most and I LOVE IT. 

We have also been soaking up time by the pool as often as possible. This has looked like two or three days a week, which isn’t ENOUGH, but it’s something. Room to improve. 

A friend (whose kid is in camp with Carla) and I were complaining to each other about how frazzled we both feel this summer. I cannot keep the camp schedule straight, for one thing, and she is having similar trouble. We’ve already had FIVE WEEKS of summer, and I’ve been working really hard to be as slothful and pool-centered as possible, but we haven’t really settled into a rhythm yet. I think that’s partly because the five weeks have all been different; there’s no routine. Sure, camp is in its third week, but I think three weeks isn’t enough to develop a structure. Especially when those three weeks include three days off for holidays. 

Lest I lean too heavily on July for developing a routine, whatever semblance of a rhythm we’ve managed to cobble together will be undergoing a shake-up this month. Not an UNPLEASANT shake-up, you understand, but a shake-up nonetheless. Should shakeup be one word? Yes, I think I prefer that. 

One of my out-of-town friends has a summer home here and arrives this week to stay until Septemberish. Also, my in-laws will be here for at least July, and are leaving and then returning at some point later in the summer; I’m unclear on the details. I am pretty sure they are staying with us this week… but, again, unclear on the details. 

So I think my Reduced Driving and Afternoons by the Pool plans will undergo a shift as I add friends and family to the day-to-day. Obviously, I will try to encourage friends and family to JOIN ME by the pool as often as possible. 

I do hope that this week isn’t a harbinger of July’s rhythm. This week is WACKADOO, let me tell you. Meetings and events and parties and get-togethers out the wazoo. Plus, houseguests. Plus, it’s the Fourth of July holiday here in the US, so we have a long weekend of parades and barbecues ahead of us. None of this is bad, in any way. Just busy. (And believe me, I know it’s not as busy as SOME PEOPLE’S schedules, cough cough Sarah; I am in utter awe of your ability to juggle all the things.)  

Dinners may be a little haphazard this week, is what I’m saying. I’ve got a plan, just in case, but I think we’ll need to be flexible. 

Dinners for the Week of July 1-7

  • Panang Curry: My husband thinks his parents would like this. The last time I made it on the stove, rather than in the Instant Pot like the recipe calls for… Hmmm… maybe my oven/stove ban will be the thing that spurs me to use the Instant Pot again. We’ll see. 
  • Hamburgers and Hot Dogs: This is our classic Fourth of July meal. Not sure what I’ll make alongside it. Maybe a couscous and grilled veggie salad? Cucumber and quinoa salad? Maybe I will just buy some pre-made potato salad and call it good? Probably I should come up with something for dessert, too. Maybe leftover birthday cake?
  • Caprese Salad with Balsamic Chicken and Balsamic Dressing: Why yes we DID have this just last week but it was SO GOOD I want it again. Plus, it’s really easy. Diane suggested I add some corn kernels to the salad and I did and it was such an excellent addition, I plan to make it a regular feature of this salad.

That seems like enough plans for now. We can always add tacos or takeout to the list, depending on moods.