Secular Confessions

[daylilies]

I think a restaurant can be crappy even if the owners are from the country whose food they make. I watch enough of Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares to know, LOL
It's easy to cut corners and make crap. But yes whether it's accurate or not, I tend to assume if the cooks and owners are from the country whose food they're making, that it's going to be better.

We have hardly any ethnic food in our area. We can go to Providence or Boston for that, but it's sort of a pain to drive for half an hour to an hour just to go to dinner. DH isn't really into ethnic food anyway, although he has come a long way since I met him.

[Cosmosmom]

Wow, I have never put much thought into my style. I basically like comfortable that works with my shape. It's so hard because I'm one size on top and another on the bottom so I need tops that are more forgiving and do not band at the bottom and instead flare a little bit. I have small shoulders but DDD's....waist isn't bad considering I'm plus sized but my butt and hips are definitely quite big. Button down shirts basically never work on me. Pants are a nightmare to find. Most of my shopping is Kohls, Penny's, Lane Bryant (though not lately as they have been sucking), Fashion Bug, Shopko. Fashion Bug has been good to me last couple of trips.
I most either wear various tops for work and black dress pants (today I have a gray sweater with 3/4 length sleeves and the dress pants).....or I'm in black knit yoga pants at home. I do have a pair of jeans I wear once in a while but I'm usually at work or at home. My winter uniform is sweaters....summer short sleeve tops. Oh and I have a pair of black capris for the summer when grocery shopping and such.
Guess that is my theme....black pants. LOL I really just try to find things that fit well and don't make look fatter than I really am. And I like jewel tone colors in tops. I have a lot in the blues, purples, magenta, maroon tones.

[missychrissy]

I think a restaurant can be crappy even if the owners are from the country whose food they make. I watch enough of Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares to know, LOL
It's easy to cut corners and make crap. But yes whether it's accurate or not, I tend to assume if the cooks and owners are from the country whose food they're making, that it's going to be better.

We have hardly any ethnic food in our area. We can go to Providence or Boston for that, but it's sort of a pain to drive for half an hour to an hour just to go to dinner. DH isn't really into ethnic food anyway, although he has come a long way since I met him.

Good point. Rich watches that show too.

[Gwenn]

It depends on whether they can get a hold of authentic ingredients to cook with. My brother says there is are some locally owned Mexican restaurants near him in Beacon that are owned by real Mexicans and he says the food is excellent - and he knows his Mexican food. Then again, he still goes on a Mexican food frenzy like a starving man every time he comes back here to visit. I think it all comes down to fresh, authentic ingredients in the end.

[Cosmosmom]

I have a question. It'll probably sound stupid but....if a local restaurant is ethnically owned, wouldn't their food be superior? I mean, I can understand not liking chain Mexican restaurants, but if real Mexicans ran a store in upstate NY, wouldn't their food taste authentic?

I'm not well traveled and I want to know.

That would be my thought too. I have traveled some but when traveling I don't like to eat much or eat different things so I tend to stick to chains like subway.

I do know that say in Minneapolis there are some good Indian places.....I have only had Indian food twice I think but my BFF's DH is from India so I figure that he would be a good judge.....

[Gwenn]

And I think Kate is right, when there is no competition from other "ethnic" groups the owners can cut corners without the majority of the clientele realizing the difference. I vividly remember my sister and her friends trying a place near her in NY/CT called the "Tucson" restaurant and the guacamole was basically sour cream with green food coloring. Not even close.

[Gwenn]

With Mexican food, my first question would be the tortillas. If they make them fresh, perfect. But if they're in NY or WI and purchase the tortillas there is no possible way the would be good. Authentic tortillas spoil very quickly and you couldn't ship them, and the ones you often see in the grocery store have additives to prevent them spoiling. And they taste nothing like the way a tortilla should taste. Luckily, we can buy locally made ones in the groceries here. They're amazing.

[3andMe]

Myles, I have ikat all over my house. Maybe I influenced you, and not the Vogue? I went on an ikat shopping spree when I was in Bali 5 years ago. I have about six of them hanging on the walls and another 25 or so in my built-in, just waiting to be rotated through.

We are surrounded by hundreds of Mexican restaurants here, with native owners and chefs, and I can guarantee you even with authentic ingredients, not all of them are good or even fair. It really depends on what they do and how they do it. Same as when I go to Mexico. Some of the food is good, some is bad.

[Gwenn]

We are surrounded by hundreds of Mexican restaurants here, with native owners and chefs, and I can guarantee you even with authentic ingredients, not all of them are good or even fair. It really depends on what they do and how they do it. Same as when I go to Mexico. Some of the food is good, some is bad.

Well, that of course is true for all restaurants, ethnic or no. There are plenty of just plain bad restaurants in the world!

[Cosmosmom]

http://www.mannyscocina.com/

This is the place we were thinking of. Course by the time I have had chips and salsa and some strawberry margarita....a lot of my dinner needs to be brought home! I do love the fresh hot chips and sala.

Though at this point I might be leaning more towards chinese takeout....gives us leftovers for tomorrow. Still have probably at least 4 hours to decide though!

[Ky'sMom]

Okay, totally out there, but I forgot that this weekend is Easter.

Someone asked me if I'm leaving work early. I am. They asked if it was because of Good Friday, and I'm like, "what's so good about this Friday? You mean cause it's payday?" I am so slow sometimes.

Erin

[Cosmosmom]

Okay, totally out there, but I forgot that this weekend is Easter.

Someone asked me if I'm leaving work early. I am. They asked if it was because of Good Friday, and I'm like, "what's so good about this Friday? You mean cause it's payday?" I am so slow sometimes.

Erin

Someone did that to me too today. Even after last night talking with my MIL and she was saying how crazy the stores where and I was like why? Doh!

[AmeriBrit]

Y'all have been a chatty group today! I'll try to catch up.

LOL @ Erin. Friday's always good.

There's quite a big Mexican population in AR now, so there have been a few Mexican restaurants open up locally. I'm looking forward to a nice chimichanga and some refried beans when we get out that way in 4.5 weeks!!!

I think my dress style is kinda surfer/skater girl type thing. I buy lots of clothes from Billabong and those type places.

Bridget, your hair looks great! You always look so pretty in the pics that you post on here.

Someone mentioned peach sangria earlier in the thread. I drank all of my rose wine, but I'm thirsty now....all we have in the house is cider...I might just have to crack open a can.

[demigraf]

I actually realy like Billabong, Ashley. I tried to copy something of theirs with a tshirt reconstruction I did. It was cute, but I gave it away because I felt too old for it.

Erin "what's so good about it?"

Lydia, it could very well have been your ikat influence. Ikat is my new paisley. LOL. Where are you living now anyway? I would love to show you my favorite new burrito joint (with Niman ranch meats and awesome tamales with peas in them). Do you trust the twins at the ocean without another grown up to help you? A beach/burrito day would be fun!

[missychrissy]

Someone asked me if I'm leaving work early. I am. They asked if it was because of Good Friday, and I'm like, "what's so good about this Friday? You mean cause it's payday?" I am so slow sometimes.

Erin

You just made my day!!

It's supposed to be the calm before the storm. I got out of the store faster than I thought and everything is put away for Bobbie's party. I'm waiting for people to start arriving in about 30 minutes.

Unfortunately, many of her friends can't come for various reasons. She was going to have 10-15 friends last Sunday, but she was sick. This weekend they're on vacation, visiting their fathers, or celebrating the holiday and can't make it. I feel so bad for her. It's like her last bday party as a 'kid'

She's fine-it's me that's sad about it.

[daylilies]

I have to tell you guys something really cute Josh said today. He's been really good with all this shopping I've been doing. He's on vacation this week so I've been dragging him along. He tells me all the dresses look pretty on me and it's a great ego boost.
We were at the store today and he said "If you don't find anything you like, you can just be yourself!" LOL I guess he noticed I never wear dresses!
So when I bought the dress today he said "I want you to wear this with me too, not just when you go on v-cation" (what he calls vacation)
I hope she has a nice party anyway Chrissy So is she feeling all better now?

[missychrissy]

Kate, Josh just melted my heart! What a little sweetie!

[Bridget]

I love billabong, dresses especially. I used to love to hit up the clearance rack there in Hawaii. I actually just scored a really cute billabong jean jacket at my local goodwill and that's kind of rare in my po-dunk town.
My style is definitely hippy-ish. I don't shop dept stores ever. Just resale for me. In fact, last night when I drove to the city to eat with my dad and brother I got there early, parked at my brothers and him and I (and Sawyer) just walked around State st, my old stomping grounds. It's a no driving street of stores and bars. They have little hole in the wall vintage resale shops that I used to get every single thing I owned. I saw so many cute dresses but I couldn't try anything on with Sawyer tied on and I don't know wtf size I am right now with this post baby belly.

Thanks for complimenting my hair. I really need to fix the back so I'm going to ask dbf to do it tonite. I think this makes me pretty dam low maintenance but he just laughed out loud at me and mumbled something about high maintenance because he brought me a "glass" of wine in a mug and I told him a mug of wine is only for around a campfire and I want a wine glass in my living room.

Today I took care of the sibling of one of my daycare kids. I've told y'all about him before. He is on the autism spectrum and I truly like him and think he's a pretty cool kid but he really wears me out. I was really surprised earlier this week when his mom asked me if I would consider home schooling him part time next year because she says his teachers act openly annoyed with him and they are crushing him spirit. She said she knows I'll teach him with love and that's all she wants for him. I told her I have to really think about it. I don't know if I have room on my plate for that and I won't take him on and possibly short change him. I would need some definite guidance on dealing with his behaviors. And I'm already feeling pretty overwhelmed working with Savana....

Last night I went to a homeopathic pharmacy and picked up some Bach's flower remedy solutions for Savana. I am very hopeful that these will help her. Some of them are geared specifically towards obsessive, intrusive, compulsive thoughts. I sat with her this morning and explained what flowers each solution contained and what each one is supposed to help with. Today she would come to me and say, "Mom, can I have some of the one that helps me forget about washing my hands?"
She had a great day but I think it's too soon to tell if they are helping.

[daylilies]

Aww Bridget. I'm glad she's doing better.
That's too bad about the autistic boy. I hate that the teachers act annoyed with him. I don't know any personally, but it seems like kids on the spectrum are very special and wonderful kids.
I've always been very low maintenance. All this shopping and makeup testing is exhausting. LOL
I think doing DIY haircuts is not necessarily low maintenance, but wise. I have no idea how to cut my hair so I always go to the cheap places and ask for very simple cuts. I got a body wave once and didn't even like it and I hated sitting there for so long.

[Gwenn]

Bridget, if you are considering taking on teaching a child with Autism I suggest it's something you think long and hard about. I actually think you'd be great at it, but it's not a decision to make lightly. I can give you some great resources and people to talk to about it.

I highly suggest reading this article. It's a little out of date, so some of their statistics are wildly off (written before the broader recognition of higher-functioning individuals on the autism spectrum) but the core that it discusses is true and important. This paragraph really sums it up and also sums up why I think you might be good at it:

Because the organically-based problems that define autism are not reversible, we do not take “being normal” as the goal of our educational and therapeutic efforts. Rather, the long-term goal of the TEACCH programme is for the student with autism to fit as well as possible into our society as an adult. We achieve this goal by respecting the differences that the autism creates within each student, and working within his or her culture to teach the skills needed to function within our society. We work to expand the skills and understanding of the students, while we also adapt environments to their special needs and limitations. In effect, what we attempt to do for them is what we ourselves might wish for when we travel in the foreign country: while we might try to learn some of the foreign language and gather information about the customs of the country, such as the monetary system or how to find a taxi, we would also be very glad to see signs in English, and have guides who could help us through the process of buying a train ticket or ordering a meal. In the same way, educational services for students with autism should have two goals: 1) increase their understanding; and 2) make the environment more comprehensible.

[Bridget]

I think doing DIY haircuts is not necessarily low maintenance, but wise. I have no idea how to cut my hair so I always go to the cheap places and ask for very simple cuts. I got a body wave once and didn't even like it and I hated sitting there for so long.

Yeah, but in my case, what I could have done is make us load up the kids and go back to the girl who cut my hair (who is a client of his) and have her do it the way I wanted while he takes care of the kids in her living room and brings Sawyer to me when he needs to be fed. Instead I was like, eff it. I will do it myself.

[Bridget]

Bridget, if you are considering taking on teaching a child with Autism I suggest it's something you think long and hard about. I actually think you'd be great at it, but it's not a decision to make lightly. I can give you some great resources and people to talk to about it.

I highly suggest reading this article. It's a little out of date, so some of their statistics are wildly off (written before the broader recognition of higher-functioning individuals on the autism spectrum) but the core that it discusses is true and important. This paragraph really sums it up and also sums up why I think you might be good at it:

Thank you! If I do this, i will indeed be needing your insight.

[Gwenn]

One thing to bear in mind, I have a good friend and mentor who has been working in my field for 30 years now and she told me she feels that she still doesn't know enough about the subject despite all the continuing education and professional development she's been taking over the years. It's a huge subject, but without question the most rewarding thing I've ever done.

[daylilies]

Bridget, I don't know if you'll know anything about this but it kind of sounds like the kind of thing Savana would say--not sure if you'd know anything about this either, Mandy--
Josh tells me he has voices in his head that tell him to do something (usually something naughty, or something I've already said he can't do, like if he's not allowed to play on the computer that day). He says he tells the voices in his head to stop, but they won't. Sometimes I'll see him knocking on his head with his fist and he'll say he's trying to get the voices to stop.
Do you think it's just him dealing with wanting to rebel or should I be worried? Because I am...

[girlwonder]

Okay, guys! Here's the interview. It was nerve-wracking, but I think it turned out okay. I don't think I look like to much of an idiot.

[daylilies]

I didn't know you were a stand up comedienne!
I just can't even wrap my head around how you do those eggs...how you keep track of what's going to come out what color and all that. If you mess something up, is it easy to make it look like it's not a mistake, or do you have to start over?

[Gwenn]

Bridget, I don't know if you'll know anything about this but it kind of sounds like the kind of thing Savana would say--not sure if you'd know anything about this either, Mandy--
Josh tells me he has voices in his head that tell him to do something (usually something naughty, or something I've already said he can't do, like if he's not allowed to play on the computer that day). He says he tells the voices in his head to stop, but they won't. Sometimes I'll see him knocking on his head with his fist and he'll say he's trying to get the voices to stop.
Do you think it's just him dealing with wanting to rebel or should I be worried? Because I am...

I'd say it's normal to an extent - for example imaginary friends are normal and Josh is developmentally at the point where children are learning to figure out where the line is drawn between reality and fantasy. Then again, if it bothers him (and if he's knocking on his head I'd say it bothers him) I'd ask a professional opinion about it. They might not be concerned about it but if they are, he can get help sooner rather than later. Hope that makes sense.

DH is dragging me back out to the store so I'll watch your interview later, Katy. So glad it went well for you.

[daylilies]

Thanks Mandy!

[3andMe]

I will try to look at your interview later, Katy. I'm actually just doiing a quck feed of S. while being bad hostess to my mom, before making her dinner.

Lydia, it could very well have been your ikat influence. Ikat is my new paisley. LOL. Where are you living now anyway? I would love to show you my favorite new burrito joint (with Niman ranch meats and awesome tamales with peas in them). Do you trust the twins at the ocean without another grown up to help you? A beach/burrito day would be fun!

I actually take all three to the beach by myself fairly frequently, although it's a nearby beach usually. I'm more worried about taking them to an eating establishment by myself.

Still living in the same place. We decided not to sell. It was looking too dismal.

I do love burritos.

[Gwenn]

OMG - I don't know what the problem my family has with holidays, but I am sick of it. I just have to rant in here ... apologies in advance.

DH let me know well before he came home that he wasn't going to want to be around big groups of people, family gatherings, etc. when he first came back. I totally get that and respect it, and I told my family that. They also said they understood and respect that.

I spent last Friday/Saturday with my mom and she said absolutely nothing to me about Easter. I assumed they wanted to give us space for him to adjust to being back so didn't invite us over for the holiday, which I appreciate. So Wednesday night, very late (like 11:30) my mother emailed an invitation for DH and I to spend Easter with them. Said it would just be her and my dad, it would be laid back, they would cook whatever we wanted, etc. So I asked DH yesterday if he wanted to go, and he said no. I respect that, and I thought about it, and decided I'd still like to go spend the day with my family. So today I told him I decided to go without him, and he wasn't upset. He thought about it and decided he wanted to come with me, he was fine if it was just my parents. Okay, great.

So I called my mother and now she's annoyed with me because I didn't get back to her sooner about it. She commented that if I'd waited a couple hours more she would have invited my aunt instead. WTF? She waited until late Wednesday night to even invite us, and she's annoyed we didn't respond sooner than Friday? Why is it she thinks she can wait until the last minute for everything and then get an immediate response, especially knowing that I'm dealing with Kevin just coming home from combat and not wanting to be in unusual/uncomfortable situations? Is that really that much to ask? If she wanted to invite my aunt, why didn't she just invite my aunt? I am so pissed off by that.