k_nic

It's been an exhausting week.  The eldest started drum camp on Monday so it's been two trips each day to get her there and pick her up.  The total driving time each day is about 3 1/4 hours.  If the traffic is bad (summer break!), it's closer to four.  Last year there were some carpool opportunities we were able to take advantage of.  None this year.  My dad celebrated his birthday on Tuesday and decided he wanted to spent it with his grandchildren.  It was great seeing both my folks and having dinner out that night.  Travel plus family has just made for a very full week.  On top of that, I haven't been sleeping well.  Late nights of lasting daylight, open windows, and our poor pooch who's seemed very unsettled lately are to blame.  Thankfully I've only almost fallen asleep on the road once. 

The calendar for July hits the ground running on the 4th of July with a parade obligation in Kingston.  From there it's travel, travel, travel for the kids.  My brother-in-law apparently went overboard on fireworks this year.  The family picnic will be on the 5th.  I'm looking forward to seeing everyone.  That many conversations going on at one time is still hard for my brain to process though.  I might end up being the awkward individual in the corner with the glazed look on their face. 

Chris waited to tell me about the riots in Seattle until AFTER he'd gotten on the ferry. "I didn't want you to worry about me," he explained. I'm glad he did wait. The pictures make it look like a mass of craziness. Of course, it probably WAS a mass of craziness. And the whole point of it was what? I missed that part.

I'm going to share this because it's the tastiest thing EVER. I think I've made it three times in as many weeks.

Green Chili Breakfast Burrito Casserole

Breakfast burritos make a great morning meal. Fry up some eggs, sausage, onions and so on and wrap it in a tortilla. This casserole offers a twist on this standby, turning it into a green chili wet burrito layered lasagna-like thing. Trust me-it’s awesome.

Prep: 20 min, Bake 25 min

Serves 4-5

Ingredients
■1/2 pound sausage
■4 eggs scrambled
■3 medium potatoes, diced
■1/2 onion, diced
■1/2 green pepper, diced
■1 can of green chili sauce
■2 cups of Mexican cheese
■Flour tortillas

Preparation

1. Fry up the sausage until it’s browned. Set aside.

2. Fry up the potatoes. When they’re almost done, add the peppers and onions, and fry everything until done. Season with whatever spices strike your fancy. I like to throw in paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and fajita seasoning.

3. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Cut the tortillas in half and create a layer on the bottom of the pan. You can tear them in various pieces to cover the bare spots, but don’t do too much overlap. Sprinkle in a layer of veggies, sausage, and eggs. Ladle on some of the green chili sauce. Sprinkle on some cheese. The depth and width of your pan and your desire will dictate how many layers you can make. But repeat the process at least once more, finishing with tortillas, sauce, and cheese on top.

4. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Taken directly from: http://artofmanliness.com/2010/02/04/5-hearty-winter-breakfasts-to-fill-your-belly/

I used to be a hardcore Marvel fan. Back when I was running around in pigtails. I have no recollection of how I came by them or how they got into the house. I do remember none of my hard earned weekly allowance went to purchasing them. My attraction could be summed up in one word: Storm. Tall, beautiful, and powerful. She was at the time the leader of the X-Men. Pretty awesome package. Looking back, the second part of that equation was more important to me. It was a hopeful message. That women could be successful. I don't know where those comics went. I certainly don't have them in my collection but I wish I did. I wouldn't hesitate to reread them and hand them off to my daughters if I thought them appropriate.

Graphic novels are an overlooked resource for helping kids to read. Even with zero vocabulary, kids can pick up a comic book and "get" the story just from the pictures. Their eagerness to further understand promotes the literary portion. Bubble dialog is short enough my kids didn't feel at all intimidated. Natalie and Emily couldn't get enough of "Asterix and Obelix" as toddlers. They still can't! "Tintin", "Garfield", "Calvin and Hobbes", "Spider-Man", and "Archie" are also highly popular. I would love to introduce them to a regular release comic book, one that can arrive in the mail. I wish "The Adventures of Batman and Robin" still existed.

My interest in Marvel didn't survive into adulthood. I'm still trying to figure that one out. As much as I'd LIKE to enjoy the universe, I don't. I haven't seen the X-Men movie series past the first installment. I enjoyed Iron Man but haven't seen the second one. DC has captured most of my interest over the last ten years. It was sparked by the first Batman movie (and by that I mean Keaton not Bale). It was trampled on by the movies that followed then reignited by Batman Begins. Then.... THEN... I got my hands on the novelization of No Man's Land by Greg Rucka. It was my first "comic book" since my childhood. I'd like to say for the record: Thank you Mr. Rucka. If I could only quote one name in association with the DC world, it would be yours. Long before I ever saw the comic book version of No Man's Land, I'd already imagined it in my head.

So... Controversy. Lots of it going on right now. I haven't gotten my hands on any of the new releases. I've heard some are good. Some are bad. Thanks to Kat, I've seen a couple excerpts. My very first thought upon seeing the last page of Catwoman was "Where are my kids?" I wanted to make sure they weren't standing over my shoulder as they so often do when I'm at the computer. Later on that evening, my husband and I had a conversation about sex and violence in popular culture. We, as a culture, are much more used to seeing violence than sex. He told me in Europe it's reversed. Our conversation didn't at any point include the perception or portrayal of women in comic books. I'll note here that he didn't see the art work. I'm not sure our conversation would have gone any differently if he had. And honestly, I'm not sure that bothers me.

I read comic books for a couple reasons:
1. I enjoy a good story. If the story or characters aren't engaging, I don't read them.
2. I enjoy a good, short story. Same as number one? Almost. My life is broken into little tiny pieces. I don't have time to sit down and read through a whole book at a shot most of the time.
3. I enjoy good artwork that augments a good story. Artwork doesn't make or break a story for me. I can enjoy it on its own merits but I don't pick up a comic book to look at just the pictures.
4. I like the concept of people battling for the forces of good despite the odds (be they overwhelming or not).
5. I like to see the good guys win.
6. Good characters and stories inspire my imagination.

My four cents. I'm interested in hearing what you have to say about your own views.

I am pondering...

The winning combination of the deadpan female paired with the funny male.

Castle.

Bones.

I'm sure there's got to be more that I'm missing.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas... and a double bacon cheeseburger.

...

Note to self: You need to stop thinking with your stomach.

Pros: Instant happiness

Cons: Less productivity at work

You mistake the tag line for the subject line. :P