Do you not know what causes that?

Genius Bar

Okay so Mardi Gras was having trouble holding a charge. I booked an appointment with the Mac Genius Bar down the street.  I typied in "Battery won't hold a charge."

When I got there, they asked what was wrong. I said, "The batter won't hold a charge."  The guy was very nice and friendly.  He fiddled with the computer and battery testing each part.  Finally he looked up at me and said, "The battery won't hold a charge."  I just smiled and said, "You think?"

It was actually very nice not to have to ship my computer off for a few days and have it done in a few minutes.  The only really annoying part was that the one Genius took someone who was a walk in in front of me.  She didn't even register at the front of the store like she was supposed to do...

NaNoWriMo 2007

Two Lines of Blue
Novemeber 29, 2007

Mug Shot

I forgot to mention that Aaron spotted me hanging out at a phone booth in NYC, as did Amy and Avram.  (Maybe it's an A thing...)

A Personal Assistant

Asha from ParentHacks showed us what her husband has been developing - a personal assistant for families!  It's actually really cool and I can't wait to use it more. Please meet Sandy. Also, if you're interested in Twitter, I'm at momofmany.

Busy day...

But a new little friend came to play, it's called Roomba.  I'll let you know tomorrow after it's done charging how much I LOVE it.  :-)

PS The kids want to call it Roomy to go with Izzy (Scooba).

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake

Here is the recipe that my mom used:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

• 1 lb pumpkin (I use 15 oz can)
• 6 oz semi sweet chocolate chips (I'm not saying 12 doesn't work either...)
• 1 C oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 C sifted flour
• 2 C sugar
• 1.5 C All Bran Cereal (don't laugh it's good)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon all spice
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Add everything except the chocolate chips and mix it together.  The batter is very lumpy and looks like it has twigs sticking out of it.  Then blend in chocolate chips. Grease and flour (or use something like bake ease) on a bundt pan. Bake for about an hour.  (I also have mini bundt pans that I cook for about 45-50 minutes. 

Let it cool for a few minutes then ease it onto a plate.  When it's completely cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.  (I've only recently added this part because of the attractive factor that my husband likes, I know it tastes good and don't need powdered sugar to prove it.  Though it does make it look very nice.)

Enjoy - in small quantities.

Ode to a Scooba

robotic goodness
it cleans my kitchen floor
bye, my little mop

(If you're scratching your head about what a Scooba is, then I am very sorry.  ;-) And you can even get skins for it!)

What the kids want...

Today, for fun, I asked the kids what they wanted for the holidays.  Here's the list for the rest of the world:

Lilah - American Girl Violin Set
Isaac - String Game Book
Benjamin - Books (random)
Hilary - iTunes gift card
Ada - said beans (big surprise)
Owen - Little Pet Shops and Webkinz
Clara - Webkinz and My Little Pony
Kevin  - oh never mind it's a rated G blog...

Thanksgiving

Yes, it's Thanksgiving once again. I'm up early making my favorite dish - Chocolate Chip Pumpkin cake.  Not that mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, rolls, dressing, etc. aren't close seconds.  Oh and pumpkin pie.  I really like pumpkin pie, but only with the appropriate ratio of whipped cream (cool whip will do) to pie.

Today, I'm thankful for family to go with me to celebrate the day at friends.  For extended family that I will go visit and take food to today.  And for the blissful evening that will fall and end this day.  :-) 

Lilah is making butter as her contribution.  She and Ada have been singing "I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee..." to me while I work.  Kevin got up to help when Ada covered herself in yogurt and kept turning the lights on and off while I was covered in raw egg.  The boys are sleeping in. Hilary came up for a bit to join us and was really pleasant.  (Can I tell you how thankful I am for that?)  And Owen and Clara came down dressed as fairies and danced around until we fed them...

Love being home with my family, even when it's hectic.  Now I just have to remember to travel with everything...

I love my dentist!

I just managed to have 8 dental cleanings in 1 hour 45 minutes!  The good news - no cavities!  Now, Isaac and Lilah are going to get sealants and Benjamin gets his third molars out soon.