verbatim

Sentence Challenge

Pam suggested I challenge my readership to a sentence-writing contest. You must use as many words and phrases as possible from the list of Google searches I posted yesterday (two posts down from this one). Ready, set, compose!

All the News

A funny from Pam's boss:

1. The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country.

2. The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country.

3. The New York Times is read by people who think they should run the country and who are very good at crossword puzzles.

4. USA Today is read by people who think they ought to run the country but don’t really understand The New York Times. They do, however, like their statistics shown in pie charts.

5. The Los Angeles Times is read by people who wouldn’t mind running the country -- if they could
find the time -- and if they didn’t have to leave Southern California to do it.

6. The Boston Globe is read by people whose parents used to run the country and did a far superior job of
it, thank you very much.

7. The New York Daily News is read by people who aren’t too sure who’s running the country and don’t
really care as long as they can get a seat on the train.

8. The New York Post is read by people who don’t care who’s running the country as long as they do something really scandalous, preferably while intoxicated.

9. The Miami Herald is read by people who are running another country but need the baseball scores.

10. The San Francisco Chronicle is read by people who aren’t sure there is a country or that anyone is
running it; but if so, they oppose all that they stand for. There are occasional exceptions if the leaders
are handicapped minority feminist atheist dwarfs who also happen to be illegal aliens from any other
country or galaxy provided, of course, that they are not Republicans.

11. The National Enquirer is read by people trapped in line at the grocery store.

12. None of these is read by the guy who is running the country into the ground.

You Are All Very Strange

Here are the recent Google searches that landed people here at verbatim:

make your own snowflake   
indian pudding   
verbatim   
answering machine intolerable cruelty audio   
parkour presto   
just subject pronouns   
funny bar stools   
subject and object pronoun   
said the blind man   
inquiry versus enquiry   
24 hour stomach bug   
shark cake   
ipod meme sort by song title   
febreze laundry odor eliminator   
pediatric ophthalmologist fremont   
sex, red zone   
cartoon bathtub   
verbatim   
penis land   
just play me john coltrane back lyrics   
she was peeing in the woods   
make my own snowflake   
pornograph story   
object pronouns

Numa Numa Dance

Why can't I stop watching this? (Click on "Watch This Movie.") Via my Aunt Roz.

UPDATE: Oh, the poor guy. Apparently he's been ridiculed for this video. Truly, I just enjoy watching it because I find his enthusiasm infectious. Via MQuest.

Note: If you want to include a link to a Times article in your blog but don't want people to have to register, just go to the NYT Link Generator and install a button on your toolbar. Then, anytime you find a Times story you want to link to, you just click the button and get a link that won't require registration!

One Thumb Up

I loved Paul Prudhomme's Tomato Cream Chicken; Andy . . . not so much. I think it was just a wee bit too sweet for him. Don't be daunted by the length of the ingredients list; it's a snap to whip together.

½ cup chopped onion
2 fresh jalapenos, stemmed and seeded
2 Tbsp pine nuts
2 large garlic cloves
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp fresh lime juice
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp chicken stock

1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne

4 (4–6 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut up into big chunks
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup chicken stock

Combine the first group of ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer to a nonstick skillet and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid evaporates and the mixture forms a thick paste.

Combine the second set of seasonings. Sprinkle the chicken with 1 Tbsp of the seasoning mixture and rub in well.

Heat the oil in a heavy pan until very hot. Brown the chicken 2–3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the onions to the pan and cook, stirring, until caramalized. Add ½ Tbsp seasoning to the mix and stir constantly, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with their juice, the seasoning paste, and the remaining seasoning mixture. Cook 5 minutes, then whisk in the heavy cream and stock. Return the chicken to the pan along with any juices that have accumulated, bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to low, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is done (8 minutes).

Potpourri*

*Not the stinky stuff people put in little dishes, but the category on "Jeopardy!" As in "this 'n' that."

1. If you are scraping the seeds out of a jalapeno pepper, there is a remote chance that lava juice will squirt directly into your eye. At that point, if you run to the bathroom and try to extract your contact lens with your pinkies (figuring that, since you weren't wearing latex gloves as you were supposed to, at least your pinkies would be the least likely to have gotten contaminated with jalapeno lava juice), you will feel such a searing, blinding, agonizing spear of fire in your eye that you will clutch your eye, plop down on the toilet and begin rocking violently to and fro, while crying out, and scare your husband and your kids half to death. Jalapenos be beddy beddy bad to me.

2. Why was school delayed by two hours this morning? There wasn't that much snow. Yeah, it was cold, but sheesh.

3. Andy just won a foot rub from me because I said Luther Vandross was dead and he said he was alive. Damn.

4. Yesterday Steph and Pete had playdates after school, so I didn't need to pick them up. Julie did not nap. Today she was out cold and I had to wake her to go pick them up. 'Tain't fair.

5. I feel bad because our roofing guy's mother just died, but I feel even worse because I'm sick and tired of lugging buckets of icy water out the back door of the porch.

Dance Music for a Worthy Cause

Mike over at Troubled Diva will donate £1 to Comic Relief for each blogger who participates in this meme. He has imagined the ultimate Bloggers' Disco, and it's up to us to provide the soundtrack. I'm suggesting "Love Shack" by the B52s, because I heard it today in the car and started dancing. While driving. So there you go. Via Jo. (Hey, Jo! Do Option-3 for the British sterling symbol!)

UPDATE: Oops, someone already beat me to the punch. How 'bout "Groove Is in the Heart" by Deeelite instead? Fabulous!

The Girls

Julie saw Dr. Bhatt today. We're going to strengthen the prescription on the upper portion of her bifocals (because she's crossing when she looks far) and weaken the prescription on the lower portion (because her eyes go out when she looks close).

Stephanie said she feels as though she's getting another cold. And, sure enough, we've seen a little blood in the last couple of days. Shit.

LMNOP

I know that everyone thinks that the way their own little kid sings the ABCs is just the most precious version imaginable, but Julie's really is:

A B C D E F G H I J K ellomello P Q R S T weewee W X wine and Z

I'm listening to her on the monitor. She naps only very infrequently lately, but I still put her up there every day, just in case. I find that even resting in the darkness for a while—if by resting I mean talking to her stuffed animals and singing at the top of her lungs—helps her not get crazy later in the afternoon. Plus it gives me a welcome, albeit brief, break. Soon enough I'll hear, "Mo-o-o-o-o-om! I want to get u-u-u-u-u-up!" Yes, she's still in a crib. No, she's never tried to climb out by herself.

Mine's Longer

From today's Times:

A study published in the March issue of Biological Psychology suggests that the shorter a man's index finger is compared with his ring finger, the more physically aggressive he is likely to be.

It has been known for more than 100 years that men, unlike women, usually have ring fingers longer than their index fingers.

Now in a study led by Allison A. Bailey, a graduate student in psychology at the University of Alberta, researchers have discovered that in men there is a significant statistical correlation between low index finger length ratio to the ring finger and a propensity for physically aggressive behavior.

For the record, my ring fingers are longer than my index fingers, and I'm just about the least physically aggressive person imaginable. I'll have to measure Andy's when he gets home from New York this afternoon; he's also a nonaggressive type.

I've also heard it postulated that people whose ring fingers are longer than their index fingers are good at math. That works out in my case.

Meanwhile, who comes up with these research ideas in the first place?

UPDATE: Janice sent along a link to a BBC story:

Spatial skills such as map reading and parking may be difficult for some women because they had too little testosterone in the womb.… Low testosterone levels are also linked to shorter wedding ring fingers, they say.…

The research looked at the spatial, numerical and verbal skills of 40 student volunteers.… Spatial skill is the ability to assess and orientate shapes and spaces. Map reading and parking are spatial skills which men often say women lack. Women tend to disagree.

The researchers also looked at the length of the students' wedding and index fingers. In women, the two fingers are usually almost equal in length, as measured from the crease nearest the palm to the fingertip. In men, the ring finger tends to be much longer than the index.

For one of the spatial tests, volunteers had to tell which of five drawings could not be rotated so it looked like the other four. The other test involved the ability to think in 3D by mentally "unfolding" a complex shape. Overall, men achieved higher scores in the tests than women. But women with the male pattern of finger length did better than those whose wedding finger was shorter. They also scored better on the numerical tests....

Other studies looking at finger length ratio have suggested that, in men a long ring finger and symmetrical hands are an indication of fertility, and that women are more likely to be fertile if they have a longer index finger.…

Another study controversially suggested that finger length ratio could also be linked to sexual orientation, with lesbian women having a greater difference in length between their ring finger and index finger than straight women do.

OK, so here we go: Both my ring fingers are longer than both my index fingers. I am female, I am straight, I have as close to zero spatial skill as one can have and still function in the world, and I have conceived (at least) 5 times. There goes that theory!

Ten on Tuesday

Ten things that turn you off about the opposite sex

1. Cigars
2. Bodily function sounds (Why is it that men's bodily emissions are so much noisier than women's?)
3. Bodily function odors (Why is it that men's bodily emissions are so much smellier than women's?)
4. Thinking that the most crass, vulgar locker-room humor is funny
5. Talking to women's chests (this doesn't happen to me, but...)
6. Not listening
7. Spitting
8. Fascination with weapons
9. Lots of jewelry
10. Lots of cologne

One Year Old!

Happy Blogiversary to you!
Happy Blogiversary to you!
Happy Blogiversary, dear verbatim!
Happy Blogiversary to you!

One year ago today I started this blog. I'm still finding it to be a rewarding and fulfilling activity—I enjoy both the opportunity to express myself and the chance to "meet" others, both those who read my blog and those whose blogs I read.

Hip, Hip, Hooray!

Dinner and Dessert

Last night I made dinner and Andy made dessert.

Chicken with Prosciutto, Rosemary, and White Wine

This recipe called for enough chicken pieces to feed six people; I made only enough for us two but didn't cut back on the sauce at all—the more to dip ciabatta in, I say! It came out great.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 lbs. chicken pieces
1 cup 1/4-inch cubes prosciutto (about 5 ounces) I get this at Trader Joe's.
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced I smashed 'em and removed 'em before serving.
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/4 cups dry white wine
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes with added puree I had only crushed tomatoes (no puree) on hand.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat olive oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt* and pepper. Working in batches if necessary, sauté chicken until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter. Add prosciutto, garlic, and rosemary to same pot. Stir 1 minute. Add wine, broth, and tomatoes. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Boil 5 minutes. Return chicken to pot, arranging in single layer. Return to boil. Cover pot and place in oven. Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove pot from oven.

Transfer chicken to platter; tent with foil. Boil until sauce is reduced to 2 cups and coats back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt* and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

*Beware of oversalting; the prosciutto adds quite a bit of salt.

Chocolate Chile Bread Pudding

This serves just one, but we shared. It was delish!

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup cubes (1/2 inch) firm white sandwich bread (from about 2 slices) We used Pepperidge Farm.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter an 8-oz. ramekin.

Cook butter, cream, chocolate, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, cayenne, and a pinch of salt in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in egg until combined. Fold in bread cubes and let stand 5 minutes.

Fill ramekin with bread mixture and bake until puffed and set around edge but still moist in center, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

A-Maple-Sugarin' We Will Go

Friday Pia and I took the Brownie troop to the Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary to learn about maple sugaring. It was terrific. We got to taste sap (it takes 40 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of maple syrup!) and learn how trees are tapped. We also got to tramp around in the snow, learning how to tell which trees are maples and which maples are sugar maples, red maples, or striped maples. We tried to identify some animal tracks and saw some insects hibernating in their little winter cocoons. It was all great fun!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Today was the inaugural meeting of the mother-daughter book group started by a woman at our temple. There are 7 (pairs of) members, all second-grade girls and their moms. We all belong to the same temple, but none of the girls go to the same public school (and we represent 4 neighboring towns!). We read The Carp in the Bathtub, which I had never read as a child. It's a cute story and very easy reading, even for this age group. The mom leading the group today had planned several activities, all of which worked out great. Next time we're planning to read All-of-a-Kind Family. I'm happy that Stephanie will get to meet some new friends and learn a little bit more about Judaism.

Sunday Brunch

Your Kitchen
"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." - Harry Vaughan

1. What is your favorite kitchen appliance?
Well, the least glamorous but handiest to me is the garbage disposal. Whenever I'm somewhere that doesn't have one, I am reminded how much I hate scooping out all the crud from the little drain cup in the sink. Runner-up would have to be the dishwasher. But in terms of performance and joy that it brings me (as opposed to misery it relieves me of, as in the case of the other two), the winner is my lovely Viking.

2. What kind of cookware do you have?
A big mish-mash. Le Creuset, All-Clad, Farberware, Lodge, Cuisinart, you name it.

3. What color are your countertops and cabinets?
Boring white. I hate them, but they're in good shape and not worth replacing. There are many things ahead of them on my home-improvement wish list! When we moved in, the walls were white too, but I got a nice fruity wallpaper (which you've probably seen in the background of various photos in this blog). The floor was covered in a horrible pink carpet—yes, carpet!—which I immediately ripped up and replaced with terra cotta tiles (also frequently visible in my blog photos). The appliances were also white, but we got stainless steel when we replaced 'em.

4. Name one kitchen appliance or gadget that you wish you had.
Well, I deny myself very little in terms of kitchen gadgets and really have all the appliances I need, so I would have to say some mega-expensive Shun knives. I've never even used one, but people who have them just rave about them.

5. Describe your dream kitchen.
In truth, our kitchen is great except for the blindingly white counters and cabinets and the cramped eat-in area. I have plenty of light, storage, and room to work. If I could have a true dream kitchen, I'd want everything.

Another Chicken Recipe

This is an old standby from a book that came out about 20 years ago, when I was just starting out on my own, 365 Ways to Cook Chicken. Most of the 365 were thoroughly forgettable, but there were a few that worked out well. One in particular has become a household staple—and that's worth the price of a cookbook, I always say! This is like a homemade version of Shake 'n' Bake. It appears as #101 in the book, so we've always referred to it as Chicken 101!

The proportions in the first column are how they're given in the book. The proportions in the second column are multiplied out by 6. What I do is mix up a big batch of the coating mix and keep it in a ziploc bag. Then, whenever I want to make the chicken, I just scoop some out and put the rest away for next time.

1/2 cup     3 cups      flour
1 tsp          2 Tbsp      paprika
1/2 tsp      1 Tbsp      salt
1/2 tsp      1 Tbsp      garlic powder
1/2 tsp      1 Tbsp      dried thyme
1/4 tsp      1 1/2 tsp (= 1/2 Tbsp)   pepper

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a jelly roll pan with foil or spray with Pam (I've starting using Reynold's no-stick foil for this). Dip the chicken pieces in a little milk and drain briefly. The recipe says to put the coating mix in a bag and shake the chicken pieces in it, but I usually put it on a big sheet of waxed paper and just kind of roll the chicken pieces in it, shaking off the excess really well. Put the pieces on the pan and bake for about 50 minutes.

Oven-Fried Chicken

Here's the recipe for the aforementioned Oven-Fried Chicken:

3 lbs. chicken parts
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan

Line a jelly-roll pan with foil. Put butter in pan and put pan in oven. Turn oven to 400°. Remove pan as soon as butter melts; don't allow it to brown.

Pour buttermilk in a bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in a plastic bag. Dip chicken pieces one or two at a time in buttermilk and drain briefly; place in bag and shake to coat with flour mixture.

Place each piece of chicken on the pan, turning to coat with melted butter, and leave skin-side-down. Bake for 25 minutes. Turn all pieces over and cook until done, another 25–30 minutes more.

This tastes good right out of the oven or cold the next day.

Friday iPod Random Ten with Lyrics!

Got a nice playlist today, including both John Prine and Keb' Mo', whom I just mentioned earlier today. And my favorite Dylan song, covered by Nanci Griffith. Then a few unusual live versions. All in all, a very interesting mix!

1. Sitting In Limbo - Tuck & Patti
"I don't know where life will lead me, but I know where I've been."
2. Come A Long Way - Michelle Shocked
"And then I shimmied up Wilshire like a little silk worm...."
3. Boots Of Spanish Leather - Nanci Griffith   
"Oh, but I just thought you might want something fine made of silver or of golden."
4. Jackson (live on Austin City Limits) - Lucinda Williams with Billy Bragg (I think)
"I don't think I'll miss you much."
5. Monkey Man - Specials
"I never saw you, I only heard of you."
6. Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with Willie Nelson
"Where were you last Friday night when I was in jail?"
7. I'd Rather Be Lonely - Loudon Wainwright III
"Love is for the bees and birds, not for a human being like me."
8. Lake Marie (live) - John Prine
"You know what blood looks like in a black and white video? Shadows! Shadows—that's exactly what it looks like."
9. Anyway - Keb' Mo'
"I don't have a nickel to my name but I love you anyway."
10. The Weight (live) - Levon Helm/John Hiatt/Radney Foster/Mark Collie
"I pulled into Nazareth, I was feeling 'bout half past dead."

Friday's Feast

Appetizer: Who is the one person you email more often than anyone else?
Probably Andy.

Soup: So far, which year of your life has been the most enjoyable?
Sheesh, what a question! I can't really compare the "enjoyment" that Andy and I had when we were first married with the "enjoyment" we get now with the kids. It's just apples and oranges. And I don't think I could single out one year in either category anyhow.

Salad: Name someone with whom you have lost touch but would like to reunite.
Jani, my old camp friend. We e-mailed once or twice after Lauren saw her a year or two ago, but that didn't last.

Main Course: What was the tastiest meal you had this past week?
I tried an oven-baked chicken recipe that came pretty close to mimicking fried. It came out great! I'll post the recipe later. But stay tuned for a report of tonight's chicken cacciatore—I'm trying a new variation!

Dessert: Using the letters in your favorite color, write three words that describe your personality.
I don't understand what this means! My favorite color is green, so do I take those five letters and try to form three words out of them? And they have to describe my personality? Huh? How 'bout just three words that begin with the same first letter: generous, gregarious, glad.

Birthday Fun to Come!

I just purchased tickets to see John Prine the day after my birthday! I have only two regrets, and neither is very bad:

1. We'll be seeing him 3 days before his new album (see photo) is released. I wish it were the other way 'round, so I could familiarize myself with the music before hearing them performed live.
2. Leon Redbone is opening, which is OK, but in the South they've got Keb' Mo' opening. I'd love to see him.

I had to drai my kop* over the seats. Go here and mouse over Orchestra (first image), Row U, Seats 5 and 6, then mouse over First Balcony (second image), Row B, Seats 4 and 5. The price was the same. I ended up choosing the latter, because I figured I'd rather have just one row of people in front of me, even though we'll be up higher. The angle seems to be the same. Don't tell me if you think I made the wrong choice, 'K?

We haven't been to a concert since the last time we saw John Prine, when I was pregnant with Stephanie, so we're talking 8.5 years ago! Yikes! I hope I remember how to have fun.

*Yiddish for make myself crazy, literally "twist my head."

What States Have You Been In?

Bold the states you’ve visited, underline the states you’ve lived in, and italicize the state you’re currently in.

Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland* / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia* / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington, D.C.

*I don't recall ever being in Maryland or Virginia, but I think I must have visited during that family trip to D.C. some 35 years ago.

Gee, not too very impressive, is it?

Via Steve.

Cultural Differences

Craig lists ten things to avoid in Japan. Here are the ones I found most interesting:

1. Never walk into someone’s home with your shoes on. Japanese people feel like this is very dirty and disrespectful.
3. Never go to someone’s home unexpected even if you think this Japanese friend of yours is very close.
6. Do not start eating first when eating out with Japanese or eating at there home. Everyone starts together.
10. Never stick your chopsticks in your rice causing them to stand straight up. This means death in Japan.

I wonder what a similar list would look like for the U.S. Do we have any universally accepted cultural norms here?

It's Worth a Try

Murphy's Law usually works pretty well for me—or should I say against me—so I decided to try to call its little bluff for once. Stephanie has had a little more bleeding in the last few days—nothing like what we were seeing a week or so ago, but still visible. So I went and picked up the prescription for her suppositories. I figure that way she'll be sure not to need them and I will just be annoyed that I wasted $25. Heh heh.

Movies

If you want your book club meeting to be canceled, all you have to do is rearrange your Netflix queue so that yet another Jet Li movie is scheduled to arrive on that day. That way your husband will have something to watch that you didn't want to see anyhow. Nice, huh? Then, as soon as it arrives, half of your book club members will get the stomach flu.

So.

"Kiss of the Dragon" - I have to say that this was not horrible. Aside from "Hero" (which was a great movie as opposed to the usual kung fu crap I usually get stuck watching), this was the first Jet Li movie I sat through all the way. Bridget Fonda sucked, though.

"Before Sunrise" - This was nice and romantic. I like Julie Delpy. Why couldn't they have exchanged phone numbers, or why couldn't he have gone to Paris with her? I've added "Before Sunset" to my queue.

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" - This had a very clever premise and was well written . . . but ultimately it failed (for me, anyhow). It dragged in some places and was too confusing in others. It just missed being a real gem.

"Bloody Sunday" - Really well done, heart-breakingly realistic. It almost felt like a documentary.

"The Manchurian Candidate" (remake) - I think I would have loved this if it hadn't been a remake, but it paled in comparison to the original. And that's saying a lot, since I adore Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, and Liev Shreiber.

PBJ Giclees

Duane Keiser is now offering signed giclee prints of his two wonderful peanut butter and jelly sandwich paintings here. I might get one (I prefer the grape jelly one). And I love learning a new word!

Another Snow Day

No matter how many times I slam my forehead into the wall, I can't get rid of the "School Closed" notice on my computer and TV. I'm going to keep trying, though, just in case.

If you need to reach me or any of the kids, we'll all be here in the house all day today. Don't worry, we won't be going anywhere, so feel free to call or stop by, because we'll all be here all day. Again. <slam, slam, slam>