I'm a Better Cook Than This

I've been meaning to write about this story for a week now.  Things have gotten in the way:  a computer crash, a new computer, new photo editing software, puke.  But now I'm home from work with a little girl who is still sick but sleeping.

A coworker of Ryan's and a friend of ours, recently had a baby.  Baby Tyler is adorable and such a blessing after a very painful road.  The least I could do was to bring her a meal.  I set out to make my standard "New Mom Meal" - Homemade Mac N Cheese, Green Beans with Nuts, and some sort of a dessert.  It was a busy day so my dessert was cookies baked from frozen dough.  I know I know.  It's not like me but I was in a bind and that's why I usually have some on hand.

I was multi-tasking for sure.  I had the cookies in the oven, the pasta boiling, nuts in the toaster oven, and the green beans steaming.  I kind of felt like Rachel Ray.  This was my 30 minute meal (minus baking time for the mac n cheese.)

I got distracted and went to the other room for a minute or maybe 10.  I have a toddler - these things happen. When I came back something smelled funny.  It was then that it occurred to me that I never put water under the green beans and I was cooking them dry.  Oops.  I've done that a few times before and just added water after the fact and saved the green beans. 

When I picked up the pot to bring it to the sink, I noticed that my stainless steel pot was literally melting.  I'm talking liquid metal.  I put it down on one of the other burners and quickly called Ryan.  The pot had a glass lid on it which was now starting to pop and sounded like it was going to explode.  By now my pasta needed to be drained and my cookies were ready to come out of the oven.  I was scared to even go back in the kitchen. 

I ran in quickly and drained my pasta, took my cookies out of the oven, and ran back to the safety of my family room.  Boo!

Fast forward 45 minutes.  My pot is cool and ruined. 

I have 5 or 6 piles of hardened molten metal. 

My green beans are in the trash.  And so is my pot.

 
So what do I do?  I finished my mac n cheese and started my green beans over again.  With water this time.  And they turned out perfect this time. 

I thought for sure Ryan was going to sign me up for "Worst Cooks in America".  But instead I was singing "Hip Hip Horray!  Tracey saved the Day!(I think I've been watching too much Super Why)   And the look of contentment on Ashley's face holding her sweet baby was worth my melted pot.

Made to be Obsolete

It's hard to move on from Tragedy. But we have to. And from tragedy I have moved to complete irritation.

As my husband would tell you, my job is to "Do Computers". Actually in reality I am a software developer. What I know about computer hardware is by necessity only. I hate working on computer hardware issues. But it's part of my job. So I do it begrudgingly.

At home, we run a small health business. If you have never checked us out you should at www.RenewedHealth.com. And while you are at it, follow us on Facebook.

Alright...back on track and past the cheap ploys. We bought a computer a little over a year ago for our home use. All we do on it is surf, email, and the accounting for the business. It's really minimal usage because the last thing I want to do when I get home is get on the computer. (My iPhone is a different story. Don't get Ryan started on how much he wants to smash it. Addicted much?)

The computer has been working great. It should. It's just barely out of warranty. And then the power supply blew on it last night. And of course it's a "special" power supply that only the manufacturer can supply for way too much money.

It just irks me to no end that this manufacturer would purposely make parts that no one else does. It's like they are making parts and computers that are made to be obsolete.

And this got me thinking to what we have on this earth that doesn't wear out and become obsolete. Almost everything does. So here are my top 5 things that I plan on having for my lifetime:

1. My China - It's my Mom's china from when she got married. It's beautiful and special because it was hers.


2. My photo albums. - It's such a treasure to have all your memories documented, especially when my little girl is growing up sooo fast.

3. My stuffed lion that my grandmother gave me the Christmas before she died. I was 4. I named it Some because I only knew my grandma some. Not only is it a great childhood memory but it's a great reminder of love of family.

4. My Wedding Ring. - It signifies the most important earthly relationship I have.


5. My Bible. It's definitely there for the long haul. Since it is living and all.

Am I missing anything?

Tragedy

It's hard not to think about Japan right now.  The thought of everything that they are going through is mind boggling.  We have been watching a lot of the coverage but it gets to be too much.  And we turn it off.  Because you can only take so much.

And then you turn it back on because how can you not watch as the world watches.  It's hard to even imagine what it would even look like to see this.  The devastation is huge.

But when it's just pictures of rubble it's easier to detach.  And then you start to see the faces of the tragedy and the compassion just grows.  This mother is clinging to her daughter and I can definitely relate to that.

In the past when there have been massive tragedies, like Haiti, it was just a disaster and a clean up (and I say "just" in the most sensitive way possible because we all know that wasn't just a small tragedy either).  But this time the threats are continuous.

So we pray for these people who we don't know in a country on the other side of the world.  And we weep with them.  And we pray for mercy.  Because they can't turn this tragedy off.


*pictures courtesy of www.USATODAY.com