Auntie Meme

It's so exciting - I've been tagged by The Babka Nosher for a meme of 7.

It took me a while to figure out what this was exactly and I'm still not entirely clear if it matters what I list. But best I can figure out I'm supposed to list 7 interesting things about myself.

So here goes:

1. When I was in college I had a subscription to "Road & Track" magazine. I also wanted to be an Industrial Designer so I could design cars. This lasted until second semester of freshman year when I had to take drafting - no computers - all by hand. I had just about enough patience to make it through the class with a C and change my major.
2. I have an unnatural fascination with people addicted to drugs and alcohol. One of my favorite tv shows is Intervention and I google Amy Winehouse news every day to make sure she is still alive.
3. I'll also watch almost any kind of reality television that ends in a makeover - clothes, restaurants, weight loss, etc. There must be some sort of universal fascination with transformation 'cause I know I ain't the only one watching.
4. When I was growing up my favorite color was yellow. Bright yellow. With a tinge of orange if possible, please. Now that I'm a designer I don't have a favorite color - only favorite color palettes. But I still can't stand bubble gum/pepto bismal pink.
5. The first time I went skiing I went by myself. My friend who was supposed to go with me on our non-refundable trip had to cancel. Since she was my ride, I rented a car and went anyway. It was a huge adventure from the black ice on the 8 hour drive to Vermont to the heart attack I almost gave the ski instructor when I jumped off the ski lift too late. I had almost no one to talk to for 3 days, but I came home with a great story.
6. When I was a little girl, I used to get terribly homesick at sleepovers. I never ever fell asleep, always wanted to go home, and eventually started faking getting stomach aches to avoid having to go in the first place.
7. I was an aunt by the time I was ten years old. Having much older siblings was my claim to fame throughout grade school.

Okay. Now I'm going to tag Ali, Philippa, Gena, ShabbyInTheCity, Cathy, Rumpole, and ViviLulu.

Happy Hanukkah!

Better late than never!

We've just been having so much fun I haven't had time to blog.

Here are some menorah photos from night six.

Tonight we had the sweet potato latkes. Yum!

Here's Chef Boy-har-lee's recipe:
3 sweet potatoes
2 eggs
1 cup of matzah meal
1 chopped green onion
1/8 cup brown sugar
cinnamon
nutmeg
ground cloves
cardamom
1 or 2 shakes chili powder
pinch salt
canola oil (1/2 inch in whatever fry pan you use)

Grate sweet potatoes. Mix in eggs, then mix in matzah meal. Add spices (H. used between 1/4 and 1/2 tsp of each) and brown sugar and salt.

Heat oil in fry pan. Use 2 soup spoons to scoop and form mixture, and drop into oil, allowing enough room that they don't touch.

Flip when bottom starts turning brown - about 3 minutes each side.

Enjoy!

Grounds for Divorce

My Dearest Joe,
I've known you for so long - I can't believe it is ending this way.

Do you remember how we first met? My father introduced us over breakfast one morning. I'm not even sure what you were doing in our house, but there you were. I didn't like you at first - you were dark and bitter, as if you had been burned by some uncaring, neglectful soul. I was so young then, but eventually I came to appreciate your charms.

In the beginning we were just together occasionally - a night out with a bunch of friends every once in a while. But soon I was waking up with you every morning. Even now I can still feel that first moment you'd touch my lips every day - how you made my heart race!

It's been years now. You grew so strong and sophisticated as we got older. Maybe I didn't keep up with you. But in the end you turned on me. Your betrayal was like a dagger in my gut, leaving me crying on the bathroom floor for days. Eventually even the doctor said what you were doing to me was no good - you'd have to go.

Now that I've filtered you out of my life, I can finally sleep at night again. But I still miss you. I stand now in my sunlit kitchen looking at your abandoned things - your empty mug brings tears to my eyes even now. I know there will be days when I'll see you around, and I'm sure the sight of someone else's lips on you will drive me to distraction.

But for now I'm moving on. I just boiled some water and I'm going to sit down with a hot steaming drink, in your mug, and dream about the future.

So long Mr. Coffee. I'm drinking tea now.