I go to a spanish speaking ward now. Does that mean I speak spanish? Not quite. Since joining this ward, I have had some funny experiences. Two of which occurred today:
1) I attended Relief Society today. I was glad that today was a lesson from the manual, so I could just read the lesson in english. I sat next to a new woman in the ward (similar situation: her husband speaks spanish but she doesn't). We were whispering in the back getting to know each other during announcements (which we can't understand), when all the sudden we hear, "HELLO, NEW PEOPLE!" The RS president was waving her arms trying to get our attention to introduce the new sister. The new woman then stood up, red faced, and introduced herself, while I stared into my lap. It's hard to know when people are about to introduce you when you don't understand what they are saying. But it was pretty funny. Relief Society spanish style is louder for sure.
2) The teacher got up to begin the lesson. I started reading the lesson, and looked up to see the everyone in the room with their eyes closed and the teacher still speaking. I thought, "oh, she must be praying." Slightly confused, I closed my eyes too. But she kept going on and on. "This is a really long prayer," I thought. I heard her mention the name "Johnson" twice, and remembered seeing that name in the lesson manual. I opened my eyes and realized she'd just been reading a long quoted story in the lesson manual, and had probably asked the class to close their eyes. When I told DH about it in the car on the way home he burst out laughing.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
websites I'm kind of obsessed with...
I'm a web 2.0er. As such, I am obsessed with a few websites. These include:
Mint.com: Great for managing money. It's free, and has nearly all the capabilities of Microsoft Money. (And it doesn't screw up your accounts like Money does, AND it has no annual fee, let alone any fee.) And it's totally secure.
Geni.com: This is a family networking site. You can keep track of cousins, their kids, their birthdays, and post photos and events. It's nice for putting down information about ancestors too. You can share ancestor information easily with family, which you cannot do with personal ancestral files (PAF). This site is also secure.
Librarything: I already blogged about this. This site remains totally awesome. I have no idea if this website is secure, but who cares if people know what books you read?
Goodreads: This is the lesser version of Librarything, but it's completely free and more people use it so you can network with your friends on the site and see what they're reading and what reviews they've written. Ditto on security.
By the way, I am not obsessed with Facebook or My Space. Especially not My Space.
Mint.com: Great for managing money. It's free, and has nearly all the capabilities of Microsoft Money. (And it doesn't screw up your accounts like Money does, AND it has no annual fee, let alone any fee.) And it's totally secure.
Geni.com: This is a family networking site. You can keep track of cousins, their kids, their birthdays, and post photos and events. It's nice for putting down information about ancestors too. You can share ancestor information easily with family, which you cannot do with personal ancestral files (PAF). This site is also secure.
Librarything: I already blogged about this. This site remains totally awesome. I have no idea if this website is secure, but who cares if people know what books you read?
Goodreads: This is the lesser version of Librarything, but it's completely free and more people use it so you can network with your friends on the site and see what they're reading and what reviews they've written. Ditto on security.
By the way, I am not obsessed with Facebook or My Space. Especially not My Space.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
I love my Dentist
DH and I have been watching the Mary Tyler Moore show online (legal too!) Last night we watched this delightful episode featuring a memorable dentist. I know my mom has collected various films with dentists in them (in honor of dad), but I'm not sure if she knows about this episode of MTM. Oddly enough, SarahandCompany has also been watching MTM, quite coincidental!
P.S. I stole the title of this blog post from my mom's key chain.
P.P.S. Sarah, did you know that there is another blogger at the address of sarahandco.blogspot.com who has only one post, "Hi I like penguins" made in 2005? I quickly realized I'd gone to the wrong address:)
day off
Apparently some people get Columbus Day off. BART was less crowded yesterday then today.
Alas.
I am not one of those people. I do remember and love the Columbus Day holiday song my family used to sing. I forget if the music book was blue or green. I think I was given this music book for christmas one year, but I don't think I still have it. It was probably misplaced inside some piano bench and will never be found.
Alas.
Alas.
I am not one of those people. I do remember and love the Columbus Day holiday song my family used to sing. I forget if the music book was blue or green. I think I was given this music book for christmas one year, but I don't think I still have it. It was probably misplaced inside some piano bench and will never be found.
Alas.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
paging sarah palin
I don't blog about politics. Thus, I am not currently blogging about politics. You may proceed safely.
9/26/08, 10 AM
Setting: I'm sitting quietly at work when I hear the receptionist page someone over the loudspeaker.
Loudspeaker: John McCain, please dial extension 3222.
(A John McCain really does work for my firm. I've seen him, but we've yet to speak. )
5 minutes pass.
Loudspeaker: Sarah Palin, please dial the operator.
And...a bunch of geologists erupt laughing from 100 feet away.
The last time this happened was a few months ago when someone got the receptionist to page Seymour Butts to a certain extension. I convinced my cube neighbor to dial the extension and say Seymour Butts was calling.
Our poor receptionist. She's not really up on politics.
9/26/08, 10 AM
Setting: I'm sitting quietly at work when I hear the receptionist page someone over the loudspeaker.
Loudspeaker: John McCain, please dial extension 3222.
(A John McCain really does work for my firm. I've seen him, but we've yet to speak. )
5 minutes pass.
Loudspeaker: Sarah Palin, please dial the operator.
And...a bunch of geologists erupt laughing from 100 feet away.
The last time this happened was a few months ago when someone got the receptionist to page Seymour Butts to a certain extension. I convinced my cube neighbor to dial the extension and say Seymour Butts was calling.
Our poor receptionist. She's not really up on politics.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
corn syrup
I had a friend in 4th grade who claimed to be allergic to corn syrup. She was from the South (Alabama maybe?) and had an accent. I even remember her name. Lets call her AC.
So, AC told me she was allergic to corn syrup, and then excitedly mentions that because of her allergy there is only one kind of ice cream she can have--the best (as she called it)--Dryers. I have never had Dryers before and have never checked the ingredients to double check that it does not contain corn syrup. Because as we all know, nothing is for sure unless I confirm it. Ahem.
I have often thought back on this conversation between myself and AC. Why should I retain such seemingly mundane and useless knowledge 15 years later? I know not. But whenever I read the ingredients on a box of cereal and see "corn syrup" listed, I think of her. AC. She may not even be AC anymore. She might be AZ or AF or--who knows, even FA. Most recently when I read on the box of cereal "corn syrup" and thought of good old AC, I wondered HOW she could possibly discover she was allergic to corn syrup. Everything has corn syrup, practically. How could she have isolated this single ingredient and figured out it was the one thing preventing her from meal time bliss? And by age 10?
I can only think of two possible explanations:
1) she ate corn syrup plain and had a reaction. (I dislike this idea. Who would eat corn syrup alone?)
2)Her mom made pecan pie and experimented replacing the corn syrup with honey at the advice of a cooking friend(as my lovely french friend told me to do). After witnessing the two reactions of AC to the seemingly similar pies, the verdict was out. AC must be allergic to corn syrup.
I put my money on #2.
So, AC told me she was allergic to corn syrup, and then excitedly mentions that because of her allergy there is only one kind of ice cream she can have--the best (as she called it)--Dryers. I have never had Dryers before and have never checked the ingredients to double check that it does not contain corn syrup. Because as we all know, nothing is for sure unless I confirm it. Ahem.
I have often thought back on this conversation between myself and AC. Why should I retain such seemingly mundane and useless knowledge 15 years later? I know not. But whenever I read the ingredients on a box of cereal and see "corn syrup" listed, I think of her. AC. She may not even be AC anymore. She might be AZ or AF or--who knows, even FA. Most recently when I read on the box of cereal "corn syrup" and thought of good old AC, I wondered HOW she could possibly discover she was allergic to corn syrup. Everything has corn syrup, practically. How could she have isolated this single ingredient and figured out it was the one thing preventing her from meal time bliss? And by age 10?
I can only think of two possible explanations:
1) she ate corn syrup plain and had a reaction. (I dislike this idea. Who would eat corn syrup alone?)
2)Her mom made pecan pie and experimented replacing the corn syrup with honey at the advice of a cooking friend(as my lovely french friend told me to do). After witnessing the two reactions of AC to the seemingly similar pies, the verdict was out. AC must be allergic to corn syrup.
I put my money on #2.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Ratatouille
I have made Ratatouille three times now.
1) Pre-movie. At least 4 years ago. I did not like it..and I don't recollect where I got the recipe.
2) Post-movie. 1 year ago. I used the Cooking for Engineers version. There is some debate that the "real" way to make Ratatouille involves cooking each vegetable by itself to preserve the individual flavors (as done in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol. 1) before combining at the end. The Engineers recipe is not done this way. But I still recommend it. It was most delicious. DH thought so too.
3) Post-movie. 4 days ago. This time I tried Julia Child's version. It turned out really well. I can't remember how the one last year tasted in comparison, but DH claims that he does and that the French version is better. So, there you have it.
1) Pre-movie. At least 4 years ago. I did not like it..and I don't recollect where I got the recipe.
2) Post-movie. 1 year ago. I used the Cooking for Engineers version. There is some debate that the "real" way to make Ratatouille involves cooking each vegetable by itself to preserve the individual flavors (as done in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol. 1) before combining at the end. The Engineers recipe is not done this way. But I still recommend it. It was most delicious. DH thought so too.
3) Post-movie. 4 days ago. This time I tried Julia Child's version. It turned out really well. I can't remember how the one last year tasted in comparison, but DH claims that he does and that the French version is better. So, there you have it.
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