Stadium food

Today we will be talking about stadium food.  I know, I know, this post should probably be about New Year’s Resolutions, or some kind of reflective “gosh we’ve had such a great year” thing, but I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, and if you don’t already know what a great year it’s been, go back and read the archives.  So there.

Now, stadium food.  This is my children’s favorite food group.  This is really, the only reason they consent to go to basketball games in the first place.  In fact, the one way to guarantee that they will decide they want to leave any sporting event early is to cut them off at the concession stand.  Works every time. 

Today we were lucky enough to get Tom’s colleague’s season tickets again.  The good tickets, not our usual nosebleed seats.  So we bundled up and drove over to the stadium.  Then we walked about 500 miles from the parking lot to the actual building.  I swear it would be quicker to walk form home. 

But I digress.  I told the children they could each have one snack and could split a bottle of water.  I am the worst mom ever because I wouldn’t let them have pop.  Last time Tom and the C-man went to a basketball game Tom let the C-man drink a whole can of Barq’s Root Beer right before the end of the game.  Barq’s has caffeine in it.  That was a long evening.

So we get to the snack counter and order.  Two pretzels with cheese, two orders of nachos, a bottle of water and a ginormous Diet Coke (that’s for me).  It was the cheesiest snack run ever.  And I forget napkins!  Waah!  What was I thinking?  Fortunately I had some tissues in my purse, but the C-man still came out of the game with a rather orange hue about his face and hands.  His shirt took a pretty good beating too.  It’s amazing how much coverage you can get with one little tub of cheese sauce.

And then the people in front of us got the high holy grail of all stadium food.  The Cy-cone.  This is a vanilla soft serve ice cream cone that has been loaded with food coloring to match the school colors.  They are disgusting and they stain everything they come in contact with a lurid orange and pinky-red.  They are also the only thing Princess O and the C-man ever really want.  I don’t usually let them eat Cy-cones because I am mean mean mean.  So they are always stuck with their boring old Plan B snacks.  I am sure someday they will go to a game without me and they will order about five Cy-cones apiece.  I’m not doing that laundry.

 

Postscript – Tom has just revealed to me that he always lets them get Cy-cones when they attend these sporting events without me.  I am shocked.  Shocked and appalled.

The blanket – again

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the blanket.  Please be careful and do not under any circumstances look directly at it.  You might want to put some dark glasses on as well.

Here it is:

 

This is what log cabin knitting looks like when you let your 8-year old son choose the colors.  Frankly I think I did pretty well with what I had to work with. 

I tried some fancy new way of weaving in all the yarn tails as you go along, but in the end I decided I didn’t trust that method and ended up weaving them all in again.  Next time I will just go with my old method and save myself the trouble.

He seems pleased, don’t you think?

 

Now that I am done with it I am hoping to knit something that is actually attractive.  

Odds and Ends

It is the first day of the second week of Winter Break, and the children are bored.  Heaven help me.

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I have been having a lot of fun online spending my gift cards.  It’s like Christmas after Christmas.  And it will be Christmas after Christmas after Christmas when the packages arrive.  I can’t wait.

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Weather permitting; I am taking the kids to Chicago to visit my sister next weekend.  We will leave on New Year’s Day.   I’m thinking if we get an early start we can make it to my sister’s before any of the good football games start.

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And speaking of football, the Indianapolis Colts are in the playoffs.  Hooray.  I am not much of an NFL fan, but I am rather fond of Peyton Manning.  I hope they go to the Super Bowl.

This is a bad idea

Did you know they are playing a hockey game in Wrigley Field on New Years Day?  I am sitting here watching the Chargers/Broncos game and I just saw the commercial.  It is the NHL Winter Classic and the Chicago Blackhawks will be playing the Detroit Redwings.  Doesn’t that sound like fun?

Um, no.

First of all, I can’t help thinking hockey players cannot possibly be good for the infield.  I mean really, look at this:

 (I found this photo on this site)

 My main concern, however, is the weather.  I have to wonder if whoever came up with this genius idea has ever been to Chicago in the wintertime.  And specifically, have they ever been to Wrigley Field? 

I ask this because it gets cold in Chicago, really really cold.  And in the winter when the wind is blowing in, I imagine Wrigley Field is especially nasty.  I have almost frozen to death in the Friendly Confines in April.  And this is January. 

Somebody is going to freeze.  And it will be their own damn fault.  Fools.

A Christmas retrospective

Why do I like Christmas?

 

Every year I am trying for Norman Rockwell, and every year I get National Lampoon instead.  You would think I would just give up.  Do you think I am exaggerating?  Here are some examples:

• 1999 – We visited Grandma J and Grandpa D and spent Christmas Eve in the ER.  The Princess had double pneumonia
• 2000 – Drove home from my parent’s house in a rented minivan in terrible weather.  It took hours longer than usual, and the Princess got carsick.  She threw up on her Magna-Doodle.
• 2002 – Spent Christmas night in the ER, this time with the C-man who had The Croup.
• 2004 – We went to Chicago for Christmas, and left early because both children got The Pink Eye.  We made it home just in time for an ice storm and a blizzard that delivered 13 inches of snow.
• 2007 – Got in a minor car accident driving to the airport on our way to Rome.  We missed our connection to VA and spent 8 hours in O’Hare.
• 2008 – The year of the Stomach Flu

Sometimes I wonder why I bother, but I always do.  And every year I think this year will be different.  It must be the Cubs fan in me.

Happy Boxing Day

Today is Boxing Day.  I am not sure why they call it Boxing day, but we have plenty of boxes in our house.  Meanwhile, it’s apparently Valentine’s Day at Target.  Yes, I went to Target this afternoon.  I’m not sure what exactly possessed me to do that.  We needed AA batteries, but I could have acquired those just about anywhere, no need to go to Target where I would be tempted by gift-wrap at 50% off.

But I did go, and I did buy a roll of wrapping paper.  I swear I have some kind of disease.  I wonder if there is a program for compulsive gift-wrap purchasing.  It’s a big roll too, so you can be sure that I will be cursing it mightily in 2010. 

I bought myself a few other Christmas things too.  Some silver ball ornaments to go on my wicked new black Christmas tree, (yes I said black,  It is so cool) some half price Christmas candy, a Christmas t-shirt and new earphones for my Ipod.  I deserved all of it.  Tom can consider it restitution for throwing out my Speedway Methodist Church parking pass. 

I was in my car today for the first time since that horrible crime.  It felt so unlucky.  And I discovered he also threw away my Pirates of the Caribbean/Orlando Bloom keychain.  Also lucky.  Clearly I am going to need some time to grieve.

Dear Santa – part 2

Well, I can’t possibly top this.  Every year Princess O and the C-man write letters to Santa on Christmas Eve, and every year Santa answers them (it’s really Tom).  So here are the children’s Christmas letters and Santa’s response.  All spelling and grammar errors belong to the original writers.

 

Dear Santa,

How have you been?  How’s Mrs. Clause?  How’s Kirby?  Is Mrs. Clause making you a pie this year?  I hope the reindeer are ok.  If you got me an Ipod Shuffle did you put it in my stocking?  Do your reindeer have understudies?  Who are Kirby’s parents?  Please don’t hide the pikles too hard this year. 

Your friend

Princess O

PS the vegetables are for the reindeer

 

Dear Santa

How is Rudolph doing?  I hope you brought me a Ben ten alien creation chamber.  What else did you bring me?  Well it looks like I’ll have to find out.  How many elves to you have?  We left some carrots for your reindeer.

From:

The C-man

 

And here is what Santa said:

 

Dear Princess O and the C-man

Thank you for the good snacks.  The reindeer especially liked the carrots, but I really liked the gingerbread.  Your mom is a good cook!

You’ll have to wait and see what I brought you, but I think you’ll like them.  C-man, your list this year was pretty long!  But I think I could tell what you really, really wanted.  To answer your question, this year we have 1,378 elves working at the North Pole plus another 47 in the apprentice program.  There’s a bit of an elf shortage so if you know anyone who is short, likes cold weather and doesn’t mind shoveling reindeer poop, let me know.

Mrs. Claus is fine, thanks for asking!  I can’t believe you remember Kirby!  He’s doing well, but needs another year or two to work on his landings (boy does he ever).  His parents are two ordinary reindeer from Lapland, and his whole herd is very proud of him.  The reindeer do have understudies, there’s a whole team that’s ready to go in case someone is sick.  Three years ago, half of the team had the flu, and we had to use four substitutes – Malcolm, Henrietta, Bob and Juliet!  It was a little weird but they did great.  Mrs. Claus makes me a pie every year, but this year I’m on a diet so it was a lettuce pie.  Can you believe that?  A lettuce pie?!?  I’m hoping for lemon meringue when I get back.

I tried to make the pickles easier to find this year, but you’ll still have to work for them!  You two have been great this year and I’m very proud of all the things you’re doing.  Keep up the good work, study hard in school, and we’ll see you next year!

I love you very much,

Santa

Merry Christmas

 

A very Merry Christmas to you and yours.  At times like this, when words fail, it is good to remember that Charles Dickens is in the public domain.

***

Running to the window, he opened it, and put out his head. No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; cold, piping for the blood to dance to; Golden sunlight; Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells. Oh, glorious. Glorious.

`What’s to-day?’ cried Scrooge, calling downward to a boy in Sunday clothes, who perhaps had loitered in to look about him.

`Eh?’ returned the boy, with all his might of wonder.

`What’s to-day, my fine fellow?’ said Scrooge.

`To-day?’ replied the boy. `Why, Christmas Day!’

`It’s Christmas Day!’ said Scrooge to himself. `I haven’t missed it! The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can. Of course they can.

***

Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.

Odds and Ends – Christmas edition

While I don’t recommend it, having the stomach flu three days before Christmas does wonders to offset any holiday weight gain.

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I really hope Princess O is not going to throw up.  She is the last link in the chain.

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Must…make…more…Magic Cookie Bars.  The season is almost over.

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Must…NOT…buy…giftwrap…Friday.  Even if it’s on sale.

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My favorite song from my favorite movie:

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Merry Christmas

Wait, that was lucky

Well, I guess not anymore.

I fully recognize that I am upset way out of proportion to the crime I am about to describe.  And I also acknowledge that I probably would not be this upset if I hadn’t spent yesterday flat on my back with the stomach flu, forced to drink Sprite.  I hate Sprite.  But those are the extenuating circumstances I am dealing with here, and I am upset.  Comma, very.

So, today I sent Tom to the grocery store to pick up a few last minute things.  When he came home he told me he had cleaned out my car.  I know he meant well, but this is not a good thing.  And then he says to me “I found the parking pass from the Speedway Methodist Church”.  I told him “yeah, I was saving that, it’s lucky”.  Well, he threw it out. He threw out the lucky parking pass I have been saving.  He threw out the parking pass from the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis.  And to make matters worse, he threw it out in the Cub Foods parking lot.  So I can’t even get it back.  Actually I am half tempted to go digging for it, but by now somebody has probably chucked a half finished Mountain Dew on top of it anyway.

I can’t even get a new one next year because they don’t have the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis anymore because that money-grubbing toxic vampire Bernie Ecclestone cancelled it.  And yes, I realize all vampires are probably toxic.

Granted, I have plenty of other lucky charms, a Tootsie Pop wrapper with an Indian on it, a business card from the Mr. Whippy ice cream shop in Chincoteague, VA, ticket stubs from ballgames, a blue plastic racecar.  So I am not lacking other sources of luck, but that one was particularly near and dear to my heart, and now it is on its way to the local landfill.  That makes me sad.