Dayjamas

All hail to Trader Joe's

I love anything that makes our lives easier but still allows us to maintain a healthy lifestyle (unlike fast food), and Trader Joe's is one of those things.  It's convenient, it's usually fresh, and for the most part it's healthy (just remember that fruit juice concentrate and evaporated cane juice are euphemisms for sugar -  they might have a few more nutrients than the refined stuff, but if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck..).  And let's not forget cheap!  If you must have that tub of creme fraishe for your recipe, it will cost you a lot less at Trader Joe's. 

Since our family has been known, on occasion, to subsist on nothing but food from Trader Joe's for week long periods, I thought it would be fun to start reviewing the products we use.  A lot of attractive packaging with clever descriptions line the aisles, but it isn't all good.  I've returned a lot of items after taking one bite and exclaiming, "eww."  Thank goodness for their lenient return policy: no receipt required.  In fact, no product required!  We once returned the foam tray from a couple of Alaskan King Salmon steaks that went bad days before the expiration date. 

Ok, here goes.

Trader Joe's reviews:

Rating system:
(based on taste and healthiness)

5 - Tastes great, good for you
4 - Pretty good, still good for you
3- Good enough, may or may not be good for you
2- Barely edible, may or may not be good for you
1- Don't even think about it

Green Chile & Cheese Tamales (frozen)
Rating: 4
Review: These tamales look and pretty much taste like tamales.  They aren't spicy, so if you're looking for a truly hot tamale, don't be fooled by the "chile" part.  They're ready in the microwave in 5-7 minutes.  Convenient, filling, natural ingredients.  They didn't wow me but I'd buy them again for a quick lunch or dinner. 

Avocado's Number Guacamole (refrigerated)
Rating: 3
Review:  This is pre-made guacamole that comes in a vacuum sealed bag.  Why?  Because the fresh avocados aren't ripe and you need guacamole today.  The color is pretty good but the taste is a little off.
Ok overall, but you'll be disappointed if you expect fresh tasting guac. 

2006 Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon (aka Two buck Chuck)
Rating: 1
Review:  I bought a couple of bottles to cook with, but ended up pouring both down the drain.  In a word, bad.

To be continued...

Crapsino Royale

I watched the most recent 007 flick last night and wasn't too impressed.  My expectations were set fairly high since it got a 95% fresh rating on rottentomatoes.com, plus the guy at the video store said that I was lucky to have snatched up a copy, it being so popular and all.  It was somewhat entertaining, and Daniel Craig probably has the best body of any of the other Bond's, but it just didn't stand up to the hype.

I thought the new James Bond character, a fresh, updated version, behaved more like the cop from Terminator II than anything else.  He was stiff and robotic, showing very little emotion throughout the entire movie.  The action scenes were cool and I was sitting on the edge of my seat for most of the beginning, but the romantic parts were just too forced and contrived, not to mention unbelievable.   Also, I found the plot to be a little confusing and hard to follow.

This movie had action, suspense, a little mystery, hot male bod, and some ok acting.  What it didn't have was believable characters, a solid plot, emotion, or heart.  The great thing about James Bond is that you can almost always expect a good mixture of action and romance.  You know, like real life.  This film didn't balance out the equation well enough.

I have to admit that the old 007 formula was starting to get a little tired, and it's nice that someone attempted to hit the refresh button.  But I'll take a tried and true, well-made Bond over a new, mediocre version any day. 

Slimming down dog

The Vet just put Boo on a weight loss program.  He has a bad leg (Boo, not the Vet) and the extra weight he's gained since Kiku started eating solid food and throwing it on the floor is preventing it from healing.  Apparently he needs to lose 15 lbs (whoa), so we're feeding him special low-cal dog food akin to dried sand pellets and he can have one treat per week.  Poor guy. 

Boo and I have been taking lots of walks & runs this week and his collar already seems looser.  My pants, on the other hand, have gotten tighter.  What's the deal?  Maybe it's just bloating.  It better be.  Although I guess I shouldn't have eaten penne with roquefort on Monday.  Or Thursday.  But I had cravings and it's not like I can just turn off my hormones.  I even used low fat sour cream instead of creme fraishe!  It's just not fair.

Unpleasant behavior

This morning as I was using a stick to scoop Boo's poop onto a piece of paper I'd found in the trash at Greenlake (note to self: always remember to carry extra bags), I thought about the two Grey-haired women who'd just raised their eyebrows at me while I was leafing through the trash and wondered what they were thinking.  Did I look like someone searching for their next meal?  Or perhaps one of those dumpster divers they'd read about?  A recycling scavenger?  Or maybe they saw my dog, glanced at the pile of fresh, steaming excrement a few yards away, and put two and two together.  The fact of the matter is that you just never know what another persons situation is. 

Being the parent of a spirited daughter has helped me to become a much less judgmental person.   When your child has no qualms about having tantrums or being demanding in public, you get the looks.  Usually downward glances and always without a smile.  You never know if people are feeling for you or if they're thinking what a horrible parent you must be.  They don't know that you're giving it everything you've got to be a good parent, how many nights you've stayed up because your child is a challenged sleeper, or that you're just doing the best you can given the circumstances. 

A few weeks ago I was watching Oprah and the topic that day was overindulged children.  Oprah said that when you see a child having a tantrum in the grocery store, you always know it's the parents and not the child.  Snap!  A very  presumptuous statement coming from someone who isn't a parent, in my opinion.  There are different temperaments, Oprah, and some children are just harder than others.  And yes, I'm getting defensive because I have one of those children! 

When I see kids acting out in a grocery store or restaurant, I don't judge.  I give the parents some sympathy and a smile, because I know it ain't easy.

Get your whirly on

This morning I took Kiku to Whirligig!, which is a carnival devoted solely to bouncy houses and inflatable slides.  I have to admit that I found the whole thing a bit odd, especially given my past associations with bouncy houses (they always seemed so cheap carnival-esque with their buzzing generators).  But hey, I'm not complaining, because now that I'm the proud mother of a toddler who can't keep her feet on the ground for more than 30 seconds, I get it.  I'm so grateful that someone, somewhere, had the vision to create these huge, inflatable houses o' vinyl where kids can safely bounce their hearts out and go completely nuts.  It sure beats jumping on the sofa, and Kiku had an absolute blast. 

Wash, rinse, repeat

JJ left for NYC this morning and he'll be gone for an entire week.  Kiku and I dropped him off at the airport curb and as soon as we drove away I could feel sadness welling up inside of me.  Kiku noticed my tears and said, "what's wrong, Mama?"  I told her that I was already missing Papa and she said, "it's ok, Mama...talk to me...tell me about it."  I felt the lump in my throat turn into a little giggle.  This is what I often say to her when she's upset and/or crying.  I love it when she repeats things back to me when the tables are turned. It's like walking around with a tape recorder and having everything you say, good or bad, played back when you least expect it. I don't know if Kiku truly understood what she was saying, but I do know that my sweet little daughter was trying to comfort me.   

Feeding the mojo

I just took a long hot bath and was able to read an entire magazine from cover to cover without any interruptions.  It was paradise.  I don't give myself the permission to relax nearly as much as I should.  Even when Kiku is at school, I still don't fully relax.  I keep my guard up...just in case. 

I know that I'm a better parent (and wife) when I take care of myself first.  So why is it so hard to remember to do things for ME?  Why does everyone else come first so much of the time?  I let it happen and then complain about it later when I feel like a dried up old mop.  By then it's too late.  Do men have this problem?  Uh, not so much.  What do they know that I don't?

I could use a massage.  And a manicure.  Throw in a pedicure, too.  My dried, flaking cuticles are a testament to how long it's been since I've pampered myself.  The funny thing is that before becoming a mom, I never considered massage or getting my nails done as pampering.  They were just little extras that I added to my life every once in a while whenever I needed to feed the mojo.  Nowadays, I think I just forget to do it, and maybe even feel a little guilty.  I know that makes no sense, because a person shouldn't feel guilty for taking care of themselves, but it's true.  I'm afraid part of me believes that my ability to be a good mom is equal to the sacrifice I make.  That's all a bunch of balhooey, I know.  But why do I feel this way?  Who put these ideas in my head?  Maybe it was my self-sacrificing grandmother who put everyone else first.  Hmm. 

It's time to end the cycle.  I want to be a good role model for Kiku, and ignoring myself until my bucket runneth over is something I need to change.  For both our sakes. 

What have you been reading lately?

I found this book meme on Lain Ehmann's blog.

Look at the list of books below:
* Bold the ones you’ve read
* Italicize the ones you want to read
* Leave blank the ones that you aren’t interested in.

1. The DaVinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) ?? Can't remember, but I don't think so.
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)--GREAT book!
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)--Another GREAT book!
45. The Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According to Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte's Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

I love to read and have been known to devour an entire book (a really good one) in a day if given the chance.  Nowadays, a stack of partially-read books can be found on my nightstand collecting dust (and most of them are about child rearing).   Once in a while I'll crack one before bed and read until I my eyelids feel heavy, but otherwise I don't find much time to read.  I would love to dive head first into a really juicy novel, and I think I'm going to pick up a copy of The Time Traveller's Wife.  I can't wait!

When I'm 64

JJ is giving Kiku a bath and I was just folding laundry and watching an old episode of Friends.  I don't normally watch the show but there's nothing on the Tivo and I wanted something to distract me while I folded.  The sub-plot was about Rachel not being allowed to drive Monica's Porsche, and it got me thinking about how much fun it would be to drive a sexy convertible sports car when my hair turns all grey and people start identifying me as a grandma.  I wouldn't want to own one right now, because it's completely impractical and I just wouldn't get that much enjoyment out of it.  But when I hit mid-life (which I figure will be about 60 since 40 is the new 20) I want to drive down Hwy 1 in a vintage Porsche with the top down, silver locks flowing in the wind. 

Time crunch

Ok, I just got back from...

- Nia class

- Buying dog food

- Monster trip to the grocery store

...and now I'm chugging a latte from the evil coffee empire and typing at the same time. 

I need to to eat lunch, do the laundry, take a shower, clean my house, and prepare food for a dinner party (we’re having our neighbors over tonight).

There isn't enough time.  Must start now.  Ok, go.