summer fun

IMG_6391
Originally uploaded by spcejunk

Since there is absolutely nothing else going on in the world and since summer is coming to a close, let's give a salute to pools and popsicles! First grade is just around the corner.


(Photo courtesy of Phil.)

meltdowns, a recipe

Here's the recipe:

• Take one (1) tired six year-old.
  
• Add a divorce.
  
• Add one (1) corn dog, one (1) small bag of goldfish, and one (1) ice cream pop.
  
• Make the child run around all day, followed by an extra hour of playground time.
  
• Add two (2) parents to play off each other, but keep the parents from taking the bait.
  
• Whisk lightly and watch the results. Then duck because the meltdown the six year-old will have will be beyond epic proportions. Also, prepare your constitution for the child to say some mean things and not to listen to you.
  
• Reset your patience meter.
  
• Add one (1) fruit popsicle, two (2) whole wheat bread, and cartoons to taste while allowing the mixture to calm down.
  
• Hope that this is the worst it gets.

smirk

Picked this up off Gawker. It made me laugh, and made me nostalgic for the days of Doeling Dairy at the Fayetteville Farmers Market.

reporting for duty

We are hitting our busy season at work, and I've been handed a few brand new projects on top of it. The mental exhaustion, not to mention sheer time put in, have eaten away at time to do this.

That said, It occurred to me earlier tonight as I thought about getting an update on here that parenting is a pretty remarkable journey. (Certainly Brian can attest to this.) Why do I throw out this random and vague remark? Well, Banana threw a huge fit at the pool today—one of several she has thrown lately. She was mad at me for making her share even when she didn't want to, and after a bit we worked it out and decided to head home. She was a very tired bug. Before we left the pool deck, though, she said she wasn't ready to go yet. I checked my watch and told her she could only play for fifteen minutes. "Twenty," she said, and I bit my tongue and gave it to her. It was worth more to me to see her bounce out of the earlier funk than it was to fight to leave right then. When we did leave (on time!), she was in good spirits and rubbing her eyes. There was one more minor hiccup on the way home when she decided to tell me what upset her about our head-to-head earlier.

Then the fun part happened. We got home, and I asked her if she wanted to see the pile of school supplies* I'd bought while she was on a playdate earlier in the day. In an instant, she was in the kitchen helping unpack and label the school supplies while I made dinner. Her spirits were great. Between dinner preparations, I was able to help her get everything together.

It is impossible to overstate how important these brief moments of working together are, how much they offset earlier upsets.



* The teacher assignments at Banana's school come along with an extensive list of school supplies that must arrive with the child on the first day. Some of them are labeled and child-specific—certain pencils, an art smock, their folder, etc.—but many are put in the common pool of glue sticks and crayons for the entire class. This is just one of the many ways parents end up subsidizing the public school system, a system so bankrupt of operating capital that buildings cannot be repaired effectively and parents must raise money or provide supplies just to keep the classrooms stocked. Wouldn't it be remarkable if the government recognized that our schools are every bit as important—maybe even moreso?—as our military-industrial complex?

Friday Fun — the late, design-geek edition

This requires no further explanation... I hope.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Friday Fun - a day late and a dollar short.

Put the kids out of the room before watching this...



And a bit of a comic response...

market report

In the past few weeks, Banana and I have been slower to get going on Saturdays. We've arrived at the market close to 10, almost an hour and a half later than usual. Thankfully, the produce has been so plentiful we've been able to come away with a decent haul. Admittedly, we've missed out on some cuts of meat, shiitakes, raspberries, and some other excellent market purchases of which the supplies are less plentiful. What we have not missed out on are the crowds. The little market that could has become the the monster market. When the decision to start the market was made, the manager of the year-old Byrd House Market put up the money to rent the space out of her own pocket. She should be deservedly proud of her contribution to the community, and it would do the city good to see that a market can succeed—and thrive—without being micromanaged by the powers-that-be.

Now, stepping down off my soapbox, here is the week's haul:

• Sungold tomatoes and peppers from Amy's Organic Garden
  
• Basil and heirloom tomatoes from Victory Farms
  
• Cantalope, cucumbers and corn from two farmers whose names escape me
  
• Peaches—the last 3 at the Saunders Farm stand
  
• Amish Roll Butter and Chicken from Faith Farms
  
• coffee beans from Blanchard's Roasters
  
• Whole wheat bread from Newtowne Cottage
  

For lunch, I made a salad with cukes and tomatoes, garnished with basil. One of the tomatoes I cut up was the one below. It was the only one of its kind among the heirlooms, and now I really wish I'd asked the people at Victory Farms what kind it was. First of all, I'd like to be able to find it again; second, heirlooms have some really remarkable names. Anyone who can identify the variety, please let me know in the comments.

sigh

Too tired and too busy with work lately to attend to this. Dammit. Be patient, my few readers. There will be real content soon.

business knows best

Our Prezdent continues to leave his environmental legacy:

The draft rules also would bar federal agencies from assessing the emissions from projects that contribute to global warming and its effect on species and habitats.

purely partisan moment

I haven't written about the market or given the neurosis-driven account of Banana's birthday party, but what I want to offer is Obama's stellar response to McCain's silly attacks.