LaurenandLloyd.com
where our wasted time becomes your wasted time
I finally got around to going through my valentines from the children, and this one struck me as pretty darn clever. It’s a roll of Smarties, with a stick of gum on the back held on by a rubber band threaded through two big Lifesavers.  I’m normally not a crafty person, but this was great! (AnI think I bent the gum leaving it in the bag too long.)Â
I forgot to say, “Thanks, Jarod! And Jarod’s mom!”
Yesterday Lloyd called to ask if I’d like to go to a spontaneous birthday party that one of his co-workers was having for herself. “Sounds fun!” I replied! So, we all met at Red Robin, and it turned out to be us and several of her friends from around Lincoln. It was very interesting, since all of them had jobs that WEREN’T teaching. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been with a group like that. One worked at a company that produced newsletters for other companies, one was a pastor, one was a nursing student, one worked at UNL (but not as a teacher!), one guy was in charge of all the computers for some call-processing place, and one was a grad student. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening…..until I realized I was the oldest one there. That’s going to start happening alot, now, huh?
“Happy Birthday, Customer, We hope you liked the food, We sing this made-up birthday song just so we don’t get sued. Stupid Michael Jackson, or was it Paul McCartney? He bought the rights to the real song and ruined all our parties.”
This post is in honor of Brad’s comment at the doctor, “I teach middle school.” You can read about it here, but I warn you – it’s graphic! Being a teacher grants you a license to do anything weird. We get free stuff from McDonald’s – straws, boxes, juice, donations of all kinds, and MRI results. (When my dentist had finished making my crown, he handed me the plaster casts of my teeth. “Here, you teach preschool.”) With such power come responsibility, so it’s important not to abuse it.
Last week during the Day of Fun, I took a giant cookie into the mall to have it’s picture taken on the merry-go-round. (This was a cookie my class made back in November – he was a ‘runner’. When we went to check the oven – he was gone!! Oh no! We made a bunch of ‘Missing’ posters, but he hasn’t shown up yet. Since so much time has gone by, and they keep asking me about it, I thought that perhaps he had gone on some ‘adventures’ and would send us some postcards.) Lloyd thought I was crazy, and that the people at the merry-go-round would think I was crazy, but all I had to say was, “I teach preschool. Could you put this on the bench so I could take its picture?” Without blinking an eye, the girls said, “Sure!”Â
Ah, it’s fun doing weird things.
I made pesto tonight. I’m always watching people do it on television, and it looks so fun. You need: olive oil, garlic, fresh basil, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts.
I toasted the pine nuts. I’d never tasted them before, and they’re kind of weird. Like a nut made of gin.
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Throw everything into the blender. I could have used my food processor, but that would involve finding it, then cleaning it. The blender’s handier.
Buzz it up and you’re done! It has a powerful lot of flavor, I tell you whut. I’m not sure if I like it yet. Tomorrow I’m going to put it on some fish, and also pasta. We’ll see! How ’bout that for being adventurous!
I hate how my hands get in the winter. Dry and scaly. I’ve made lotion bars, which are helpful, but they don’t solve the fact that I scratch at my fingertips and have yucky spots. Beth gave me a hand scrub from Mary Kay which I highly recommend for everyday exfoliation, but you have to try this!
(By the way, I’d show my own hands, but I have self-image problems. They’re all veiny and weird. No sugar’s going to help that.)
(In response to Brad’s comment – “Not dead!” I had to open the center this morning, so there was no time to post.)
On occasion I make chocolate chip cookies. I’m not really a cookie person, so this is the only kind I ever make. I memorized the recipe in college, and once during a geography test I had no idea what the answer was to one of the questions, so I wrote down the recipe. (My professor was not amused. Hmmph.)Â
It’s the basic Nestle recipe with a few changes – Criso instead of butter, twice as much vanilla, and a little less flour. The other important step is to chill (freezing is even better!) the dough. Last night we had company coming over – Kristi and Jerome Leckband and their sweet daughter Joanna – and I needed something snacky to have around. Time was short, so I thought I’d use nature’s freezer.
(Don’t worry, Annette. I covered the bowl after I took the picture. Nobody wants squirrel fur in their cookies.)