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I had/have so many of them! Why? I went to Eatwell Farms tomato event and brought home a case...there were dedicated people cooking and canning sauces, making salsas! Molly, the farm manager manning the bloody mary bar is a gal who like me is not into the whole cooking in the field thing. Plus, I would have needed to go out and get a camp stove and real canning pots/gear which wasn't going to happen. So, I went home with tomatoes...she told me to take a lug which sounded like a lot and I didn't have the handy dandy internet to figure out how much in lbs that meant. I looked up when I got home and 1 lug = 30 lbs. 

I don't think I have/had a lug, but perhaps half a lug? I've made marinara sauce (I like to roast my tomatoes first which doesn't work as well in the field), tomatoe jam and I am dehydrating a rack of sliced tomatoes. Next off I am going to make another tomatoe jam recipe and hopefully can some to give as presents. I also have a tomato marmalade recipe to try if I am super ambitious and the tomatoes last out. 

Once I get into a groove making things I get overly ambitious and somewhat greedy wishing for more tomatoes to try different processes, recipes to be able to taste if there is a difference. It's silly really, but there it is!

In other news I am looking for paid employment...if you know of something  that would suit me please let me know.

rabbit rabbit

busy month. e started a new job with two weeks in shanghai, x's bday, family in town, rem concert.

today, a wave of sadness hit me and I burst into tears. my friend howard passed away in march. his bday was on may 26, and he would have been 37 (year of the pig). someone I talked to at least once a week and often daily. surprisingly a lot after the baby was born since I was up crazy hours and he was on tokoyo then new york time. 

this might be the first time I have posted publicly about. mostly, I am still not comfortable talking about publicly since he was so private. I am past being angry that he lied about the status of his health by saying his biopsy was fine, telling me his going half time in tokoyo was so he could study japanese more seriously vs a partial medical leave. I found out about the medical leave part when I went to the memorial at google from his cubemate. 

rem concert was good (greek theatre). modest mouse opened, it was a good combo.

I'm sporadic about LJ nowadays. When I read a chunk at a time I see the contrast between so much has happened for some folks and so little for others. Most of my journaling seems to be in a log I keep regarding Xander and there is much less introspection. 

March-April vacations were in Big Sur and Ixtapa-Zihautanjo, Mexico. Big Sur was a bit challenging since X got hand, foot and mouth disease and was cranky plus he figured out he could climb out of the pack and play. HFMD - not something you really hear about unless you have kids, it's a virus of which there are 20 some odd strains. The virus makes its rounds at playgrounds, daycares, schools and places children congregate several times a year. Sort of like chicken pox in that it's something you inevitably get.

Doing lots of household improvement crap! Looking forward to San Francisco International Film Festival - this Friday "the Golem" with Black Francis playing live new original score. Also. "Go-Go Tales" and "The Art of Negative Thinking" which could be good in a grim sort of way.

Trying to figure out when we're going to China and August plans. No daycare for the last two weeks of the month plus they're spraying in San Francisco so it seems like a good month to not be here. Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing for the most part is miserable in August (think NYC).

3 pineapple wedges
2-3 slices of lime
2-3 slices of orange

smash the fruit together. top with peach schnapps and vodka

For the carbon concious consumer who wants to make a pledge to bring your own bag. You get a 20% coupon for reusablebags.com to help you BYOB: http://c3.newdream.org/campaigns/c3/register/328766555508ffcbb6c7fe6825bbddc2/

So much going on it seems like every weekend this month and next is full of events. We're in the land of kid's birthday parties this weekend and my kid isn't even in pre-school or elementary school yet! Been crazy busy between house, work, family and friends plus the whole family has been sick on and off for the past 2 months with the stomach flu, lingering colds and viruses going around. I think we're finally on the mend and feeling better now.

Our turret/office is finally getting some attention. We're having a desk that curves around the bow windows made which will be great . I found a place that makes window rods for bow windows so I can call to get ideas and quotes to see what treatment I want to do. Bookcases for the room were delivered last weekend so we could unpack a bulk of books. Found an outfit in the NW which deals a lot with restorers and period details for homes which has been a big help.

Room by room we're getting stuff in order. One of our friends gave us a great decorating idea which I hope to implement by the end of the year. I feel like we're making good headway - hopefully by February next year things will be pretty much done. It seems to take at least a year to really move in, unpack and get everything in place. 

My work is going well enough being a start-up environment. We have a customer and are ramping up more customers going forward. It pays decent for a pt/telecommute job - though I am now going in 1 day a week for meetings. That might change to 2 days a week and they seem to want me to make a greater time commitment and to work permanent. We'll see how those conversations go in the next couple of weeks. I like the job well enough.

X is doing well. Developmentally he is picking up words/language very quickly. E made a list a couple of weeks ago and X could say 30 or so words in English and Cantonese. Since then he seems to know more like 40-45 words in both languages and he is using two words together. His comprehension of course is much greater. 

Balloon Fiesta was excellent! New Mexico was a lot of fun - we went to the Balloon Fiesta the first part of our trip and the second part of our trip was all about hot springs. Specifically, Ojo Caliente, Stagecoach Hotsprings and 10,000 Waves (really a Japanese style spa). Random list of fun things/recommendations if you happen to go to New Mexico.

Cowgirl BBQ - Santa Fe
Shidoni Scupture Garden - Santa Fe
Tesque Village area - Santa Fe
Overland Sheepskin - Taos
Earthship visitor center  (www.earthship.com)- Taos
Orlandos (Southwest Food) - Taos
Ten thousand waves - Santa Fe
Oasis Internet Cafe (good coffee) - on the road to Sante Fe
Turquoise Trail 
Stagecoach hot springs - it's in the SW Hot Spring book - right on the Rio Grande
Rio Grande River

Lots of pictures that will make it eventually to flickr. 

This year my birthday dinner was not gourmet, but it was unique. Pork chop on a stick and green chile cheese fries with raspberry lemonade. Dessert = hot fresh mini cinnamon rolls and pinon coffee plus the most amazing fireworks at the balloon fiesta park. Worked for me!