Random Blizzardy Thoughts

Here we go.

• It’s completely bizarre to me how we always seem to enter this alternate dimension whenever we’re snowed in. The big old city-crippling blizzards only come every few years, thank God, but it happens often enough that I’ve noticed this phenomenon several times now. It was only 48 hours ago that I was getting ready for the quarterly Moms Night Out with the great mom bloggers of Mile High Mamas, and it was a pretty nice day. We even went to the library and the girls didn’t wear coats. Contrast that with yesterday, when we had to make a frantic trip to the grocery store for “supplies” before the snow really started coming down, because, gosh, we couldn’t survive a day without leaving the house for crackers and hot dogs. And then I watched the flake-by-flake coverage of Spring Blizzard ‘09 on TV all day long, occasionally checking in with Paul, who was very grouchy about being stuck out on the roads for 3 hours to make the 15 mile trip from the office to our house. And tomorrow, we’ll probably be almost back to normal. (As long as the sun peeps out and melts a little bit of this mess!)
• I always feel so bad for people who have to change their plans. Pablo was invited to a “Spring Fling” party which was supposed to happen today in the backyard of one of his classmates. I just don’t see them hunting for eggs in a foot of snow. And I feel bad for that little guy – I’ll bet he’s pretty pissed about his party being canceled. A few years ago, when we had that crazy Christmas blizzard that dumped 2 feet of snow on the city that didn’t melt until March, my kids missed their school Christmas party. They, of course, didn’t even realize this little fact, but I had to miss standing around bullshitting with their preschool teacher, whom I adored. (Not Mrs. Psycho – this was Pablo’s teacher!) Kayley also missed the last 2 days of school before spring break. She is thrilled by this!
• I don’t know what it is about that whole, “It’s a blizzard and we’re stuck here!” thing that makes me so LAZY! Yesterday wasn’t really any different than any random, say, SATURDAY. The kids were home with me and I could have kept with the routine, but no. The kids ran around dragging out every toy they own, and I watched Johnny Sokko and his Giant Robot on Hulu and laid on the couch eating M&M’s.
• I’m not one of those moms who dress the kids up in snow pants and send them out to play. I hate being cold and wet, and I hate dealing with snowy, wet clothes. I never know where to put them to dry. And also? I don’t know where the snow pants even ARE. I think we lost them in the move. I hate making hot chocolate, because my kids take one sip, cry about it being too hot, and then leave it on the counter for half an hour. Then they come back and take a sip and say it tastes yucky now, and then they spill cold hot chocolate all over their clothes. Boooooo. I thought winter was over, anyway? It was almost 80 on Sunday. We played outside ALL DAY LONG. I’ve already done a ton of yard work! I have a sunburn! I don’t want to look for matching gloves and boots that still fit. Fuck that. I’m buzzkill mom!
• My high school best friend is supposed to come to town tomorrow with her darling baby boy, and we’re supposed to have dinner. I don’t know if that’s going to happen now, because the roads are slick and really, who wants to drive 150 miles on slick roads with a baby? Not me. Not her. And by Sunday, it’ll be in the 50s and all the snow will be melting. It’s just that Mother Nature has to give us the finger RIGHT NOW, for like two full days, and then we can get back to normal. But I know. We need the moisture.
• It’s funny to me how weather is like A BIG DEAL to those who are IN IT. And it doesn’t even register on the radar of those who are NOT in it. Last week, a blizzard hit Wyoming. It wasn’t even on the news here, even though Wyoming is just a couple of hours away. I only know about it because a friend of mine lives up there. And right now, you’re going, “Okay, Laura, IT SNOWED. We get it. You live in Colorado. It snows there! Even in springtime! We all know this, why is it news to you?”
• I think this could make or break our time off from school. Kayley’s spring break was supposed to begin after today, and the kids track off from year-round school for 3 weeks beginning today. So, this will either kick us in the ass to get outdoors and enjoy the nice weather that I’m sure will be returning soon, or it’ll turn us into a lazy family of sloths. Any bets to see which way we’ll go?
  

Officially an Old Lady.

Did you hear tires screeching right now? That was the sound of my early thirties leaving me in the dust. I hear it only gets better from here, though!

Lazy Gluten Free Slacka.

Hey, thanks for all the comments about my gluten-free-ness! It’s going fine, except that I’m a lazy slacker when it comes to cooking lately. (When I say “lately” I really mean, “since 2003.”) I know this would be easier in the long run if I would just carve out some time to do some advance preparation of stuff. Chopping vegetables and grilling up chicken and that sort of thing. But, I don’t. So, I end up eating apples and bowls of Rice Chex and ordering from Baja Fresh too often and that sort of thing. I think that’s why people say it’s expensive to eat gluten free: because it’s too tempting to just say, “Fuck this, I’m not cooking!” and just go out and find some sushi or something.

I’m recognizing that, though, and I’m determined to make it work for my body AND my budget. I still haven’t made a pilgrimage to Whole Foods (and really, that may be a good thing) but I can honestly say I’ve gone 8 days now without eating any gluten, at least not intentionally. I stupidly forgot that sodas contain malt coloring and I drank like 86 of them before I remembered, but I’ve been a good girl and drinking water and iced tea since then. Just workin’ into it slowly, I guess.

My sister’s coming over to spend the night tomorrow night – we’re having another Girls Night In with movies and mojitos. And I can’t freakin’ WAIT. Yay for gluten free liquor! It’s been a long week for both of us, and I think it’s going to be a blast.

Day Four Begins.

A little update on my gluten-free-ness. It’s going just swell! I had a moment of “uhhhh, what do I do now?” on Friday night when I went out with my girlfriends. I ended up having a BLT sandwich, except made without bread – so I guess it was basically like a salad, with a LOT of extra bacon on it. Lettuce, tomato, and bacon, layered on a plate with a smattering of mayo, and a generous drizzle of balsamic vinegar. It was really good! And I had enough gluten-free cocktails to catch a nice, healthy buzz, too. Yay!

I meant to update after my shopping trip, but forgot. The first store I hit was Super Target. I was disappointed there. I really didn’t find much at all, beyond the typical things I could have bought ANYWHERE, like Rice Chex. It was at my regular old King Soopers (Kroger) that I found gluten free soy sauce, teriyaki, apple sausages, and a few other things. I checked out Sunflower market, but couldn’t bring myself to spend five dollars on a smallish box of cereal. I’m still going to visit Whole Foods, but only for the few things I really need that I can’t find elsewhere. (Like rice flour, xanthan gum, and a quick & easy pizza crust mix I can use in a pinch.)

Here’s some of what I’ve had to eat lately: a chicken bowl at Tokyo Joe’s with GF teriyaki sauce, fries from Sonic, lots and lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, carnitas, grilled chicken, scrambled eggs, guacamole and chips, big bowls of chili, tons of iced tea…it’s all good. I’m not missing bread at ALL. I do miss tortillas, but I’ll adapt.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions – I’ve found some great sites! It’s going well. And, I’m finding that I’m not spending a fortune on weird foods – just eating what I CAN eat, and not worrying too much about what I can’t. I’m feelin’ good!

Hey, small world.

Kayley’s been going to a little youth group type thing for about six weeks now. My sister usually takes her, but yesterday, I took her. While we were there, I met one of the other girls who goes there too. And then when I saw her mom, I realized I know her! Our husbands went to CU Boulder together back in the day. Cool! So, we made sure the girls exchanged numbers so we can all hang out soon. They live right by us, too!

AND! Mallory’s room mom asked me to provide mini water bottles for their Val’s Day party today. She said I could drop them at her house, which is…about fifty yards from my house, straight through the park. I can see their house right out my kitchen window. We didn’t realize one of Mally’s classmates was our actual NEIGHBOR!

And, did I mention I took the girls to Chik-fil-A for lunch on Monday and ran right into two old friends of mine, from the playgroup we went to every Wednesday when Nikki and Lexi were babies? My girls didn’t remember them, of course – they were about 2 the last time we saw one another! How fun, though, to catch up and see how big everyone’s kids are now. And THEY live right by me now, too.

Just had to throw all that coinky-dink stuff out there, because I thought it was cool.

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