Who's The Boss?

In my next life, I want to be a performer in Cirque du Soleil

My family was first introduced to the magic of Cirque when I was in highschool.  The Color Guard I was involved in (yes, I was in Color Guard, don't judge. we were actually kick-ass and 10th in the world), used music from two different Cirque du Soleil shows for our performance music.  The music was different, irreverent, and oh so melodic.  The next time Cirque traveled to San Jose, my dad bought tickets.  We've gone to every show that has toured these parts since. 

I love Cirque.  Partly because their aren't any animals in the show; you'll never miss the parade of elephants or the lion tamer.  Partly because the venue is so intimate that there really isn't a bad seat in the house.  But the reason why I love Cirque so much is that the acrobatics are so original, so jaw-dropping, and look like they are done so effortlessly.  While watching you're thinking "How in the WORLD can they DO THAT?" while also thinking "HOW in the world do they make it LOOK so EASY?"

On Thursday, I had the privilege of attending opening night of Cirque du Soleil's new show OVO, courtesy of Hadley Media.  I will say that if you have never been to a Cirque show or if you've wondered if your kids are old enough to handle it, this is a great show for you.  Some Cirque theme's in the past have been dark or even a little scary.  This one is light and airy... all about insects and love.  The show is long (2.5 hrs including a 30 min. intermission), but really you are so captivated that the time flies by. 

I won't give anything away about the show.  You have to see it for yourself to believe it.  And also, my dad reads this blog and got the whole family tickets (we go next week) and if I spoil anything for him, I won't hear the end of it.  All I'll say is that when the show ended, and we walked back to our car in the pouring rain, my step was a little lighter.  I honestly said that if reincarnation really does exist, I hope I do something excellent in this lifetime so that I can be a Cirque du Soleil performer in my next life.  I'd even be thrilled to be a silly clown.

Photo credit: Cirque du Soleil

What's for Dinner? Steak and Potatoes

If a way to man's heart is through his stomach, then I know the reason why Neville fell in love with me. It works out well that I love to cook and he loves to eat.  Anyone who knows Neville knows that he is a typical "steak and potatoes" man.  Last year, we challenged ourselves to eat less red meat.  I found that by giving up ground beef and switching to ground turkey, we could indulge in a steak ever now and again without feeling guilty about it.  Then for Christmas, my mother gave Neville over a hundred dollars worth of steaks from Omaha steaks.  So every other week, we've been pulling out a few steaks to enjoy. 

While Neville loves a good piece of meat, his true love is Mashed Potatoes.  I think I could make them every night of the week and he would never complain.  Mash is easy to make so don't go thinking you can get away with the boxed stuff.  Besides, mashed potatoes are easy on your budget which makes splurging on the steak a little more friendly to your wallet.

Steak and Potatoes, The Boss Style

iPad and the glass ceiling

Last week when Apple launched its new product, the iPad, women around the world cringed.  Naming a product after a feminine hygiene product was an error on Apple’s part.  For the rest of the week, thousands of women joked on Twitter, Facebook, and their blogs about the lapse in judgment.  There was iTampon, the iPad with wings, iPon.  There were people saying that the product marketing folks iFailed or should be iFired.  iLaughed (get it?) my way through most of the week.  We’ll see if Apple changes the name of the iPad in its second or third generation launch in years to come. 

After I tilted my head in confusion over the slip-up, I thought to myself "Does Apple not employ any women and did they not speak up about how iSlate or iTab or iAnythingElse would have been a better name?"  But then, I found out that Apple doesn’t employ women executives, so there might not have been a woman in the room to speak up.  Maybe Apple has hired a female VP in Human Resources; that seems to be the place where most companies place their token female executive.  In fact, when you look at Apple’s executive roster, you don’t find any diversity.  Look at those eleven pretty shiny faces of white men.

Maybe Apple should have name their products according to hiring practices. iWhite.  iDiscrimination. iDon’tGroomDiversity.  For some of you, you may think I’m too harsh.  You say that women aren’t in executive positions because they don’t have the job qualifications or they took time off to breed the next generation.  I say that is all hogwash.  I bet that most, if not all, of those guys didn’t graduate with their fancy MBA ready to lead a company or a division of a company.  Those men were mentored and groomed. 

I'm not here bashing the product.  The iPad seems like it will be the next big thing.  Everything that Apple launches right now seems to turn to gold.  I just wished that their Midas touch was implemented on the women in their company.  Because the iGlassCeiling is clearly rotten at Apple.

Pickles

I swear my visit to my Grandmother's house in Arkansas last July has sparked my innner Southern woman.  On that trip I learned how to make fried pies, a real Southern treat.  I also listened to my Grandmother's stories of how Mama (her mom) canned everything.  Grandmother said that they were definitely poor during the Depression but they never went hungry.  If California suddenly had a natural disaster, my family would have to live off the 27 jars of pickles I canned this weekend.  I can't wait for them to fully cure in 6 weeks time so that I can proudly ship a jar (or twelve) to my dear Grandmother.

Gambling man

"Mom, if you finish first then you have to read me a book but if I finish first then I have to read you books."

"So the winner is the one that has to read the books?"

"Yeah.  I hope I don't win."

"Wouldn't it make more sense that the loser has to read the book?"

"Okay, let's do it that way."

Dad: "I have a better idea.  If you win, then I lose and you have to read a book.  But if I win and you lose then you have to read a book."

"Mom, Dad's idea is better.  Let's do it that way."

"Neville, don't take the kid to Vegas.  He'll be the sucker that gambles away his life savings."

Are you a weekend warrior or wimp?

If Monday is the worst day of the week, Saturday is probably a close second. My weekends are quickly getting out of control. There’s always some game for whatever sport my son is playing that season. There’s always a trip to the grocery store, the farmer’s market, or fighting the crowds at the mega-giant Costco. There’s a weekly trip to the library to check out new books and free movies. There’s stuff around the house that is begging to be fixed, cleaned, dusted, mopped, or put away. Weekends, which should be my reprieve for working a 40+ hour week, have turned into a bit of a nightmare.

A couple of years ago, my spouse and I made a pact to keep our weekends as technology-free as possible. I turn off my work-email that flows to my BlackBerry. I rarely even get on the computer unless it is to check a movie time or get directions to someone’s house for a birthday party. But living with less technology doesn’t get rid of a weekend schedule that can easily get out of control.

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What's for Dinner? Corned Beef Hash

Blame it on the fact that it is Multi-Cultural Week at Darius' school.  I'll be talking about Ireland to 27 kindergartners this afternoon and am making Irish Soda Bread tomorrow for their international taste-testing. Something about listening to the Celtic Women and reading Irish fables put me in the mood for Corned Beef.

Neville absolutely hates Corned Beef and Cabbage.  So when I want corned beef, I'm stuck making Corned Beef Hash. Good thing that we all love Corned Beef Hash.  No matter how much I make, there never seems to be enough.  And it tastes just as good the next day, so it's a perfect lunch to take to work. 

To be fair, this isn't really a 20-minute meal.  But if you do a little advanced prep during dinner the night before, you'll have a delicious meal the next night that will be done in 20 minutes. 

Corned Beef Hash

Emergency

I'm pretty sure I jinxed him.  On Sunday I was out to lunch with my dear friend Lia, bragging about my robustly healthy child.  We made it to January with perfect attendance.  And wasn't I just the best mother ever for it. 

You'd think I'd learn my lesson.  The universe does not like hubris.  My over the top ego trip about the good fortune we've had with Darius' health was about to smack me in the face like a whipped cream pie.

The very next day, Darius developed a most ugly cough.  While he didn't have a fever, the kid sounded like he was gonna hack up a lung.  At 11:30pm, he practically did.  He was coughing so hard that he made himself throw up.  When he emerged from the porcelain throne, Neville noticed that one of his eyes was bright red.  The kid looked liked he'd been smoking pot with his blood shot eye. Only it was just one eye. 

Neville, a sucker for a sick kid, told Darius that he could sleep with us for the night.  Which really just means that none of us are going to get much sleep. Forty-five minutes later, Darius started screaming that his ear hurt.  And I don't mean that whiny fake cry that some kids do when they are sick to get more attention.  This was the real deal.  The kid was in pain.  With one eye already looking more and more like a cherry and with an ear throbbing in pain, we had only one choice.

Squee for Wii giveaway

Raise your hand if you bought a Wii this past Christmas.  I was a little jealous that Nintendo dropped their price of the Wii a year after we bought ours. Well, truth be told my dad bought ours as a family Christmas gift in '08.  We are definitely a Wii family.  While I made the mistake of buying one traditional video-game (damn you Lego Star Wars for invading my son's mind like a flesh-eating parasite), I am only interested in Wii games that 1) we can do as a family and 2) get us up off the couch to play. 

What's for Dinner? Simple Chana Curry

Cooking Indian food doesn't have to be a big complicated affair. Like every cuisine, there are dishes that can take hours and there are dishes that can satisfy a busy weeknight. My journey into Indian cooking started only after Darius was born. I have a couple of cookbooks, but most of what I have learned about Indian cooking comes from watching and learning from my Indian family. 

One of the tricks I've learned for fast Indian cooking is to buy the ready-made spice packets.  Traditional Indian foods calls for each spice to be roasted and then ground by hand.  Who has time for that?!?  I learned from my Indian mommas that very few folks actually do this any more - at least not here in the US.  So go buy yourself a few packets.  It's not cheating.  My only advice is to play around with the measurements to find the flavor and level of heat you desire.  If you haven't been to an Indian or Middle Eastern market, work up the courage to go.  Believe me, they'll know once they look at you that you're gonna need help navigating the store.  I promise that they will help.  Seriously. 

The ingredients in this curry are simple.  The whole thing is done in about the same time it makes to cook the rice.  Plus the meal is vegetarian, making it a healthy alternative to some rich (and fattening) meat curries.