We Are Blending

Rugby is just one of those memorable sports.

You'll just have to figure out for yourself which one of those guys might be Dear Fiance, but let's just say that good rugby players keep themselves  fit.  Very fit.  Nicely fit.

Yes indeed.

Because in a sport where they wear no pads and hit really hard, players have got to maintain some serious muscles to protect themselves.
So - they don't actually play naked, but without protective padding, they might as well be bare.  And that picture was good, wasn't it?

The kids, dogs, and I are just about to leave to watch Dear Fiance play rugby.  They watch for the excitement.  I go to be supportive, but mainly to look at his amazing legs while he plays.  There, I've said it. :D

Happy Saturday, Dear Reader!!

Have you ever just wished you could walk away from your smart phone, your computer, your networking, your work, and JUST BE for a few waking hours?  Yep, me too!  I do disengage, but sometimes there's this nagging, guilty feeling that I'm not doing enough.  I think we call that perfectionism, but I'm sure nobody around here struggles with that ...

Yeah ...

So anyways, there's this amazing article about this global epidemic that demands immediate response time on emails, phone calls, texts, and God-knows-what-else, that's just got to be addressed!!

Here it is!  Hope you enjoy!  It's called time for a cold shower.

Happy Friday!!!  Have a great, relaxing, enjoying your loved ones kind of weekend!!!  I most certainly will.  Even if I might take a nervous glance at the iPhone now and then -

Last night my friend Sue, web goddess extraordinaire, went with me to see this movie at the independent theater where all the cool kids go to watch interesting flicks.

We were there too.

In all seriousness though, the film is absolutely captivating, visually.  As it opened up I leaned over to tell Sue that I never did acid, but if I ever were to, it would be to watch this movie!!  She agreed.  It's a breathtaking plunge into limitless what-if's.  The kind of stuff that blows your mind if you let it.

As we walked out the theater she remarked "well I know what kind of dreams I'll be having tonight!"

This past weekend Dear Younger Son and Dear Fiance spent some time on YouTube studying different Mentos and Diet Coke Missile techniques.  This one, involving untold liters of Diet Coke, looks like the massive fountain at the Bellagio in Vegas.



I think they're really going to create a diet coke bottle missile for themselves, complete with fins superglued onto the bottle, for better aerodynamics.

The cute thing is, they're two peas in a pod.  Their heads together and eyes wide open, transfixed by the YouTube flicks of Mentos/diet coke propulsion technology.  Gotta love boys -

Sometimes food just happens around here.  Accidentally, on purpose.

Case in point:  Dear Fiance and I were grocery shopping and there were these shiny, fresh poblanos being put out just then.  Gorgeous!!

DF tells me how much he loves stuffed poblanos - only if they're crispy - and I decide to give him a little kitchen love.


Recipes abound, but many of them just didn't appeal.  Lots use canned poblanos, which have as much body as a soggy noodle.
 Bobby Flay has one with Chili for filling, which sounded like the peppers would turn out pretty mushy to me.  There were lots of chilis rellenos recipes, but those are roasted, stuffed with cheese, battered with eggs, and *sigh* fried.

So after a little recipe cruising and improvising, this is what I came up with. You can make it as spicy (or not) as you wish by regulating the red pepper and chipotles with adobo sauce or omitting them altogether.  Around here though, we like it spicy!!  Hope you enjoy!

Wahoo!!!  News just in: Afternoon naps boost brain power, study finds."

In my secret fantasy world, one of many, many scenarios involves sitting down to a delicious al fresco lunch with friends and family (instead of downing a protein shake) and then taking a luxurious siesta.  Wouldn't it be glorious to stuff in some earbuds, hang a "do not disturb" sign on your office door, and snooze away for a while?

Fantasyland movie clip now commencing ...

Better brew some tea and get on with business -

Happy Monday!

Our lovely hometown has a district known to law enforcement as "the Iron Triangle."

This afternoon, after playing a rugby game, Dear Fiance ended up chasing our dog Darcy across a crowded highway and into the Iron Triangle for close to 10 minutes.

To give you an idea of how unbelievable this is, you have to understand that even cops refuse to drive into the Iron Triangle unless there are two squad cars going at a time.

Because they're scared.  No kidding.

DF sprinted after Darcy, now affectionately dubbed "numb nuts," straight through traffic and into the worst part of town imaginable to save my little terrier from being lost or hurt.

He's my hero.  Although I asked him to please remember next time to that he's more important than any animal!

As I zip toward the shower for a meeting this morning I can't help but notice a nice sized splat of dog vomit on the floor, right next to my treasured Taylor guitar.

Nice. Very nice.

But there's something so sweet, so innocent about those little faces of theirs.  Even Hobbes, Dear Fiance's hound/boxer mix, has the sweetest disposition so I couldn't stay mad for very long about his mess in the kitchen yesterday.  Even though I felt like I was cleaning up after a circus animal. *gets a little sick in throat* Nuff said.

This is not normal around here.  The dogs are housebroken and are taken out several times a day since Dear Fiance and I both work out of the house. These are very pampered pooches.

But there's something just so sweet, so dear about their faces, their dispositions, and I can't stay angry or even that disgusted with their "mistakes" around the house.

How can you stay angry at a face like this?

OMG, I turned around to take a picture of Picasso to finish up this article and he was chewing on DF's rugby mouth guard, still out from practice last night ...

His cuteness incapacitates me.  Both of them.

Do you have those people whose posts you just have to drop everything for and read, no matter how busy you are?

This morning one of my favorite authors, Orna Ross, dropped by my mailbox with a gift.  It's sort of a guilty pleasure for me to scan over it while the rest of the mailbox goes unread.  Must. Read.  It only took a moment.  A couple of sentences.

But this morning she wrote about me and Dear Fiance.  She didn't know it, but it's exactly how I wake up almost every morning.

In our terrier filled, hound accompanied, teen enriched, work obsessed world, we have those half awake moments that refresh and inspire.

Wishing you bliss this morning in whatever way you love it.

What's your little guilty pleasure that gives you bliss?



Borrowed Time.

Dear Readers, it's been a long and winding road, this No "Poo" journey, and it's time I gave you the scoop:

While I can't say there's been any soul searching on this topic, it's certainly been an adventure.  The lure of lush, shiny locks in tandem with healthy, eco-friendliness got the best of me and I plunged into the baking soda, apple cider vinegar world of hair washing.

Ick.

Double ick.  Yuck.

So then I tried a new, homemade shampoo mousse made from marseilles soap, olive oil, black tea, and peppermint essential oil that worked a lot better, but faded my locks, which is most definitely NOT what this chocolatey hair color craving Momma wanted to see.

In the end, I decided that feeling like a dog for a week was enough of an experiment in video blog-ology and natural hair care.  Yesterday I lathered up with my normal shampoo, power boosted with some stuff from my colorist, conditioned, and felt like myself again.

God, it's good to be home!!! I will say, though, that even though the mousse looks a little like "Poo," it makes a fantastic shaving cream for legs! They felt fantastic and silky after drying off.  Who would have thought?  :D

Being a formerly devout Catholic, Mardi Gras used to mean one last chance to eat lots of chocolate, watch TV, or do whatever fun thing I was going to give up for Lent.  Now that I'm much more open minded I've decided that one day I would love to partake in the festivities and traditions associated with Fat Tuesday, a la New Orleans.

Yes, there is some outright craziness, such as this:



But while that level of celebration not my cup of tea, some of the partying would be memorable and FUN.

Meanwhile, back at my house, once everything and everyone is settled, I'm treating  myself to a different sort of mask


and a personal spa night, as a reward for the No "Poo" experiment.

More details to follow on the outcome of No "Poo," but let's just say that color treated hair doesn't always respond the way you think it will to traditional hair washing methods!!  :p

Happy Mardi Gras!  What are you doing tonight?

Dear Readers, there's no easy way to say this:  No "Poo" hair washing thus far has been almost universally dissatisfying.  I've hung on this long because some readers have told me that they tried this and just loved the results.  But the fact is, my hair feels lank, dreary, and well, MOUSY!

 I also researched the No "Poo" lifestyle further, for moral support and any useful tips.  One Green Generation had some of the best tips and feedback I've seen on the subject.  This morning, however, I will be concocting and using a recipe from MadEnough Tips for homemade "shampoo" that leaves out the harsh chemicals and is supposed to feel wonderful after 4 uses.

Isn't it wonderful to feel like a human guinea pig?!

Meanwhile, I made breakfast for the crew, who are off from school today, and am sipping tea, telling myself that I don't have any meetings today and can afford to look weird one. more. day.  Maybe.

Happy Valentine's Day, Dear Reader!!!!

Whether you're looking forward something a little like this


Just beautiful, undefined love that pours out and allows love back in.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Remember the Monty Python crew?  Their humor has delighted me for years.

Their famous catchphrase "And now, for something completely different" applies to us today.

---

I absolutely love Orna Ross's Creative Intelligence Blog.  This poem is well, magical:

Leonard Cohen’s Creative Intelligence

Enjoy!

Because everybody loves a Freebie!!!

Twitter users get this incredible coupon today at EarthFare!

I've just got to start by saying that this No "Poo" stuff isn't for sissies.  Don't be fooled my my smiling pic from yesterday morning's first "washing." My goodness, my hair FEELS like "Poo" this morning, and I don't mean shampoo.  Ick!

Big News!!!

You wouldn't believe the number of people who've read Do you "poo?" so far!  Who knew "no poo" could stir up such deep feelings?

Inspired by you all, my dear readers, I am putting my long, color treated tresses through a "no poo" experiment for all the world to see.  Just this morning I got up and immediately filmed our first little "Docu-Drama" of me and my hair embarking on the dreaded transition into the dubious world of "No Poo."

And so, without further a"Doo," here's my No "Poo" Video!

P.S. Don't be fooled by the number of comments! Several people reached me both through Facebook and Twitter to comment and to tell me that they couldn't post comments either!  Dear Fiance, Alpha-Geek Extraordinaire is looking into the issue and we're hoping to have it resolved soon.  Very soon.

I want to hear YOUR stories and opinions!!!

Of course I'm referring to shampoo.  After raising kids and puppies, it was a knee-jerk to think of another kind of "poo," but this "no poo" movement is something that I'm not so quick to

Poo poo -

OK, enough of juvenile word play.  There's a serious social movement involving two of the most unlikely groups to stand together: beauty product fanatics and super eco-friendly folks.  Both agree that cleansing without actually using shampoo is the best thing possible for gorgeous, healthy looking hair.

This method involves either using a very expensive product, called Deva's NoPoo, or a combination of baking soda and apple cider vinegar rinses.  I'm still not sure whether I will try this radical departure from shampooing, but will admit that it sounds very intriguing.

Would you cease to "poo?"

So I figure if somebody can make $28,000 on eBay for a toasted cheese sandwich with the "virgin mary" on it, then maybe Dear Fiance (a recovering packrat) and I could make a few bucks unloading perfectly useful and interesting items, such as authentic antiques, electronics, and cool stuff, like vintage comic books.  Boy it seems I was wrong!

eBay's either the biggest time waster outside of World of Warcraft, or it's still a viable way to make money from stuff that you don't need anymore.  As far as I'm concerned, the jury's out.  It's going very s l o w l y.  And I keep holding back the urge to check our listings for views.

Add that s l o w market dynamic to my natural impatience to get this done,  and you've got a clear recipe for somebody who's going to obsessively check stupid eBay to see how all the listings are doing.  A lot.

This could be addictive.

So what's the story?  Has eBay become an epic, addictive waste of time or is there just an undiscovered (to me) art for listing unusual items?  Help!

Would somebody please explain to me how an innocent looking little roll could rack up 256 calories?
Is this a conspiracy to cause every person eating at Logan's Steakhouse to bust a pant size?! 
Dear Fiance and I ate at Logan's Steakhouse recently and we toyed with the idea of getting some rolls before our salads arrived.  They're part of the "experience," as is throwing peanut shells onto the floor.  (Dear Fiance is too polite to joyously fling them across the walkway, as I do, but he has started discreetly piling them on the floor under the table.  It's only a matter of time...)  
In any event, if you've got to have some of these tasty little indulgences, can't get to a Logan's, and are inclined to bake, here is one of many recipes for this tempting, buttery morsel.

As with you, Dear Reader, every day I have planned activities and then there are those that just happen. One way I hold on to my sanity is by having a morning ritual.

How do you start your day?  I almost always begin by writing out a few pages in longhand while sipping tea.

If I lived on "Lori gets whatever she wants" island, where I'm treated like the Queen of a small nation, I'd start every day with a pot of steaming hot earl grey tea, a bowl full of cherries, and a freshly baked blueberry scone brought to me on a tray.  In bed.  With no crumbs getting in the sheets or noisy dogs trying to get up in bed with me to "share."

The caffeine and my best china give me a combined rush and sense of stability and security.  No matter what happens in the stock market today or with work or kids, I can reach over and have a steaming cup of fragrant goodness in my best china.  It's been there for a long time and will probably be with me for always.

Best to use it now.  What's your morning ritual?

Is it wrong to admit that I just freaking love Grey's Anatomy?!

As a reasoned, fairly intelligent sort of person in a pretentious college town where PhD's are a dime a dozen and pseudo-intelligentsia reign supreme, it's risky to admit to being pretty average.

So this is my sneaky testimonial of my Thursday night addiction. There, I've said it.  It's a guilty pleasure that makes my week.  Almost every week.

Somehow or another, I ended up watching the very first episode of Grey's.  It was just after Desperate Housewives, which was very new at the time, and I'd just started back in college for my second degree.

I'll never forget how good it felt to curl up in the living room, all dark except for the soft glow from the TV, and to totally immerse myself in Shonda's exceptional storytelling.  The lady's a genius and I wish I could weave storylines half as well as her and the other writers for that show.  Stunning.

It became my weekly escape into Seattle Grace and all the pressing questions that lie therein, while I was going through school, finding a job, getting laid off from that job, getting engaged, and everything else that happened in the meantime.  Every week there's this question that's looked at from different perspectives and it's artfully played out by the characters, both new and familiar.

It settles me somehow, this escape.  Dear Fiance isn't a TV watcher at all, so this is one place where I'll still curl up by myself in the living room, soft TV light glowing, terriers snuggled close, TiVo remote in hand for commercial zapping, and immerse myself in the world of Seattle Grace Hospital once more.

The best advice my Dad ever gave me wasn't anything I think he ever intended to convey.  He certainly never talked about it.

Being a kid, I didn't realize how profound this was until I became old enough to experience life outside that safety net we like to call "home."

My Dad was a complicated guy. He was a genius, very hard working, creative, detail obsessed, and died before his time.  Among the many lessons he taught me by example, the most important one was this: He was at his most successful, most happy, the best Dad, and most joyful and inspirational parent, when he was exercising, eating well, and actively engaged in pursuits that gave him pleasure.

It was dramatic. The same thing happened with my Mom, who is beautiful, funny, creative, and nurturing.  I'm very lucky to have had such gifted parents.  Thankfully Mom is still alive and we stay in touch.

My life was remarkably better when they were exercising in whatever way they enjoyed.  Mom loved Bonnie Prudden and Lilias! Yoga and You and would shoo us kids out of the room so she could get a decent workout.  I'd watch every chance I got because her enthusiasm was so captivating and the exercises looked so weird. For Dad, it was running.  He was running 5 miles a day in the dark before going to work every day and loved every minute of it.  They had a sparkle, a zest, a light inside of them that lit up the room during the times in their lives that they pursued their joy in the midst of everyday life. The difference was amazing.

Perhaps Mom's beloved Bonnie Prudden said it best: "Keep Fit Be Happy."

There's something simply scandalous about sitting here and writing in my PJ's.  Is it the fact that at any given moment during the morning a delivery person or bug man could show up at the door and I'd be mortified?  Not really, because I'm not expecting any of the above or I would most certainly be appropriately clothed.

I think it's the fact that in face to face encounters we expect to be fully clothed and put together.  We expect others to put their best foot forward, although sometimes not doing so can work to our advantage.  Take, for example, one of my partners over at Digital Associations.  Robert has jury duty this morning and showed up without shaving, hoping to be bumped because he looks like a "mountain man."  We shall see, but the concept is valid.  I enquired about whether he bathed or not, which may well clinch the deal for him if he plays it right. :p

You just never know.

Meanwhile, I think I'll make the effort to get ready for my lunch appointment in the more socially acceptable way instead of PJ's.  This is a college town, but even here that would indeed be Scandalous.

By the way, if anybody sees these extraordinarily awesome shoes on sale, will you give me a holler?  I'm on a budget.