The chicken again, sick?, random thoughts

I liked that chicken stew so much last Thursday night that I made it again this afternoon. Recipe is here if you want to try your hand at this warming, hearty dish! It was awfully nice to see the sun today, and I worked in the yard despite the fact that I definitely suspected something icky this way comes. My every muscle aches, and the vaguest bit of quease is omnipresent. Suffice it to say that I'll be going to bed early and doing little during the day tomorrow except taking J to the dentist.

Have you seen the new Old Spice deodorant commercial in which all the moms are spying on their sons while singing about their becoming men? It's hilarious. Meanwhile the Subway commercials make me want to jump off a cliff. JanuANY? Everyone knows that no Subway sandwiches ever look like those in the commercials. And I am sorry for Nastia Liukin that her name sounds so much like Nasty.

Simon Baker is delicious.

Can I just tell y'all how much I am looking forward to Friday? On that day, T and I are free for the weekend, his parents taking the boys so we can celebrate T's birthday. I am definitely in need of a quiet, adult respite. The holidays were spectacular, but wow, I feel like I'm too close to overcooked.

Man Q; terrifying article/situation

While grilling a pizza and helping Elia finish packing, we turned on the Saints-Seahawks game. The second half was fabulously exciting, and though I love the Saints and am sad they lost, A) the Seahawks deserved the win, and B) way to NEVER give up, NOLA. The 52 yard interception, onside kick, and long pass towards the end had me jumping and screaming. J was having trouble getting to sleep so watched the last ten minutes with me. Listening to my broadcast from the couch, you'd have thought I was a pro player in a former life. Who knew?! I did make it clear to J that while I think football is an awesome and often thrilling game, it was not one he or Ol would likely ever play. I don't need to have worked this damn hard for them to get their brains all bruised and shit and go to seed. Fuhgetaboutit! Question: why when a football player, for ex: Marshawn Lynch, makes an incredible play, everyone supports and cheers for him by punching and slapping him?? He got hit and slapped and whooped so many damn times upon leaving the field that I felt bruised. I don't get this part of manhood. Why all the hitting?!

In the midst of all this I came across this heart-wrenching, terrifying article about American Day Care that a friend posted on FB. If you're not a parent who has looked into childcare options for your kids and thus already been appalled by much of what's out there -and at what cost!!- read this and be moved and/or scared. I find it in.ex.cusable that so many of our politicians and citizenry go on and on and on about how abortion is an indefensible outrage -when nearly HALF of pregnancies in America are UNintended- yet refuse to support, fund and make damn sure to regulate and police the childcare centers many, many parents must rely on. Many parents, who in some ways and/or on some occasions had to have their children, cannot stay at home with their kids; they have to work and too often at below-minimum wage jobs and so MUST take whatever childcare is available to them. To leave them at the mercy of unregulated child "care" seems like an evil hard to describe. And don't even get me started on the public "education" that then awaits many of these children.

Meanwhile, on a related front, a terrific article by Charles Blow. sex is not our problem

Overstimulation

People, I am starting to feel very frazzled. That it is preposterously vile outside doesn't help. Neither does the realization that today is, unfortunately, not Sunday, nor does a quick glance at next week's schedule. I am starting to daydream about installing a quiet chamber in my garage; it will be fully soundproof and have a chaise lounge inside.The amount of noise, calls, texts, tears, questions, animal sounds, bodily noises and so forth are beating against my psyche like a wave against a beach. Gah!!!!