The best I got with limited concentration...

While the banana bread is in the oven and Andy has taken over baby duties for the time being, thought I’d try to get out a blog post. I’m going to have to scrap the bottom of my blog post topics today as this week has been less then interesting. Well, I could tell you about “Homes Under the Hammer” but I’m already pretty ashamed that I watch that show with such regularity that I sometimes have dreams about double glazing and wood burning fireplaces.

I would like to mention that Andy has been singing to the baby almost non-stop for the last hour all while watching “Babylon 5”. The songs all have such complex lyrics such as “Bouncy baby! Bouncy baby! Bouncy bouncy bouncy baby!” and they kind of stick in your head with the same annoying furiousness as anything from the Beach Boys. To say that I’m having trouble concentrating is an understatement. Maybe I’ll just give you the highlights of the week.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:

ITEM #1: I’m definitely going to Dublin next weekend. I’m pretty stoked to be using this whole living in Europe thing to my advantage for once. 10 years ago I don’t think I ever thought I’d be able to post on Facebook, “Going to Dublin for the night.” This is because there was no such thing as Facebook 10 years ago. Duh. Anyhow, I leave Sunday morning and come back late Monday night. I’m pretty poor so if you live in Dublin and you see me rooting around your bins looking for some discarded chips, don’t call the coppers on me. In fact, if you see me looking in your bins for some discarded chips, BUY me some fresh chips you cheap bastard.

ITEM #2: I’ve had 3 packages arrive from America this past week. My family and friends are awesome and obviously know my love of Kraft mac & cheese.

ITEM #3: Just as a random story* that has been running through my head recently, I would like to mention that I enjoy cooking. Over the years I’ve become pretty OK at it (I’m saying this using the guide of people I’ve cooked for who may or may not be bullshitting me when commenting on my grub) and am usually up for tackling a new recipe. This wasn’t always the case. In my early twenties I used to tell people that I couldn’t cook and that statement was pretty true (unless you count mac & cheese ‘cooking’). Eventually I found myself a boyfriend who was into having furniture nicer than a couple milk crates and dinner more complex than mac & cheese and I decided (or maybe he decided) one day to have his parents over for dinner. I made the choice to serve his parents chili, a recipe I had learned from the boyfriend before this boyfriend, and all in all it turned out pretty good. I didn’t poison anyone, so you know, bonus. A few weeks later this same boyfriend had his sister in town. We invited her over for dinner as well and I foolishly decided to make the same chili I served his parents. While the chili was still fine, obviously the sister and the mother talked to each other about it and I heard back from the boyfriend that his mother had a very sarcastic comment of, “is chili ALL she knows how to make?” First of all, YES, I also knew how to make tacos (another gift from the boyfriend before this boyfriend) and of course I could make mac & cheese and scrambled eggs and secondly, this boyfriend’s mother never liked me. But the comment really hurt and I took it with me long after this particular boyfriend was no longer my boyfriend. Even now, a billion years later, every time I tackle a new recipe that comment goes through my head. I can’t help it. I always mentally respond back to it with a, “NO, I can make this now. Shut up.”

I would like to state that I still make that damn chili and in fact, there’s some in the fridge right now as we speak. What? It’s good chili.

*The basics of this story are true and correct. The details might be mixed up. His sister might have come over first, or it could have been an aunt. But it was definitely multiple family members and it was most definitely chili. I have the recipe if you want it. It’s seriously good.

ITEM #4: Yesterday we dropped off the Henbot at his nan’s to go and be a tourist in our own town. We headed to the Albert Dock and went through the Maritime Museum. What’s great about the museums in England is that they are free. I love free. On a museum scale that means that if the museum sucks you haven’t wasted any money and if you get tired half way through you don’t feel obliged to continue on. After the museum we had a pint at the Albert Dock Pump House and then afterward I made Andy have yet another pint (the humanity!) at the Baltic Fleet. The Baltic Fleet was another one of those places where I seriously could have stayed at all day but had to leave after one because of these damn responsibilities (the humanity!).

The Albert Dock

Andy's defense for having to go do touristy shit

Banana bread is done and Andy has stopped singing so my time here is up. Hope you all have a great Memorial Day\Spring Bank Holiday.