Friday, February 10, 2012

Friday Quickies

Today didn't feel like a Friday, right? I don't know, maybe because we have a busy weekend planned, it felt more Wednesdayish.

Tomorrow morning, Hank has a karate "graduation." Before you send cards and savings bonds, know that these happen every twelve weeks. He is graduating from an orange belt to an "advanced orange" belt. I think that is an orange that is gearing up to be red? Paging Dr. Roy G. Biv. I don't know, but I wonder if when this crop of kids actually achieves something, like graduation from medical school, if they'll be like, yawn, I walked under an arch of swords when I got my yellow belt.

Not that I'm down on cute kids being cute in public. I'm a fan.

Then Laura has a swim meet both Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Matt is taking her to those sessions, and I have a tennis match on Sunday. My partner is Pretty Neighbor's husband. Swinger's Tennis!

Pretty Neighbor and I didn't have time to work out until 7pm tonight. Then we had a beer and were just brimming over with our own virtue. Friday night workout! Above and beyond! Never mind the fact that we just did the first level of our Jillian Ripped DVD and we can talk almost through the whole thing. Whatever, it's Friday and I was sweaty at the end.

I cooked a bunch of food today and one of the things I made was this pesto using Italian parsley instead of basil. Mark Bittman said I could. Well, Hank is my pesto eater around here, but unfortunately his tastes have been formed by the pesto in the plastic tub at the grocery store. So I made this fresh pesto, and I will say, it was weird. Too strong maybe. But I tried serving it to him anyway, mixed with his favorite rotini. It took him about one second to announce that it smelled bad and that usually when things smell bad, they taste bad. I urged him to taste it anyway. He said that yes, it tasted bad. It didn't taste bad really, but it was different from what he was used to and different equals bad. I took it from him, put it back in the pot, and poured a lot of marinara sauce over the whole shebang.

When he tried it again, he said, "Thanks mom, I can hardly taste the badness that it had."

A home cook loves to receive a rave like that.

Amy texted me tonight and told me how much she and Jason are enjoying reading everyone's comments on my last post. Me too.

Oh yeah, did you check out the Obama campaign's playlist? Its composition is a whole nother topic that is being ably analyzed by others, but I will say that ever since it was posted, I have been enjoying AgesandAges on repeat. Great find! They're like a happier Arcade Fire. I want to get six friends and just drive around the country, all singing and shouting into the same microphone. We'll do lots of hand clapping too. Who's with me?

Thanks for joining me for this Friday night chatty chat. Goodness, just so much living, you know?

Have a good weekend, y'all. xo

14 comments:

Elizabeth said...

I'm in on the drive around the country trip, clapping. Maybe we can all stop for some www.cabinporn.com?

Aimee said...

I'm up for the drive, too!

Off to look up that group. I like Arcade Fire...and happier is a good thing.

gretchen said...

Ooo, you, me, Elizabeth and Aimee! This is an excellent driving group. Though I have to admit, I get a little bit grabby when a microphone is being passed around.

I am seldom a LOLer, but "A home cook loves to receive a rave like that" almost made me pee myself. I'm pretty impressed that Hank will eat pesto in any form. Jude will eat no sauce or pasta with anything vaguely green in evidence.

Yeah, Jude's tai kwon do class had an advancement from the green belt to the "green stripe belt" which I thought was highly suspect. Hmmm.

Becky said...

I agree that sounds like a great group! And Gretchen, as we have shared the stage in the past, we can call it a reunion tour!

Beth said...

I'm jealous. I want to be on the imaginary girls' magical singing tour. It'd be like Riding in Cars with Boys, but without boys.

Hank is about to surpass my kick-assability. I was a martial artist way back when, and achieved my red belt with two brown stripes (@Gretchen, it is a thing...). That was in Tar Kwon Do. Y'all, I have a medal from the Garden State Games. No, I am not kidding.

Go Hank! I'll take you on when I'm back in GA. I've got a mean roundhouse.

Becky said...

You have A MEDAL? You're definitely in the girl band on the strength of that alone.

Do your boys know of your strong Kung Fu?

Amy said...

I'll drive. Cos I am good at that part, and no way am I missing out on that road trip.

Michele said...

Will ya'll come by Texas to pick me up? We could do the sites on the way to pick up Gretchen and Beth.

Go Hank! A boy that eats pesto and has an advanced orange belt is a super hero.

Star said...

Another great post!

Holly said...

My son's karate school recommends that each kid create an "honor wall" at home displaying each belt and certificate, which they give out for 3 months of perfect attendance or other nonsense. At this rate, our entire house will be wallpapered by the time he's in middle school.

Amy said...

If any of my kids ate pesto, I would look to the skies, assuming that Jesus was about to return. Seriously!

delaine said...

Maybe it's best to consider pesto in the food group known as " almost but not completely unlike food " and that's why Hank rebelled . He is from the old school that thinks pasta should have a nice cheese sauce over it. Can't argue with that . I love his comment about the badness being hard to taste.

Lisa Grey said...

I was also cracking up at the 'can't taste the badness' review :)
Made my day!

Becky said...

Honor wall. PLEASE. But it does occur to me that we had a wall in my parents' hallway we called the Glory Wall, where we hung all our medals and such. I don't think we started at the age of 5 though!

Yeah, and it killed me the way he tried to explain to me that when something SMELLS bad it usually TASTES bad. Like, this is human survival 101, Mom.