It turns out...

  l that hosting a teenage sleep-over on the weekend of the "spring forward" time change is a recipe for a very lethargic and sleepy Monday.

 l  that Miss Saigon was powerful and the lead voices really rose to the challenge (in particular our extremely talented neighbor who played Kim and the boy who played John--his "Bui Doi" was amazing and every bit as good as the one below...it's an amazing number. Have you seen it?-->)

...but I still feel like the production is beyond the developmental appropriateness for high schoolers (as young as 14).  Even though the message of the play is to criticize the objectification of women in that way, it's still wacko to ask young girls to dress and play prostitutes in the same mature way the West End and Broadway productions did.  In my humble opinion.

l that just because it's 55 degrees and sunny on Sunday doesn't mean you're immune to a Monday morning sleet and snowstorm.

l that having a "spring break" that is a different week from your kids' spring break is not a terrible thing.  (Although difficult when their week rolls around next month.)  I'm enjoying a relaxed schedule this week and catching up on some much-neglected house projects and reading (both for school and for fun).  Oh, who am I kidding?  I still have a to-do list a mile long but am giving myself a few moments of vacation-like indulgence.

l that I really enjoy trying some new recipes for the family (who knew?).  This is a new development, folks. Recent hits:

1. cinnamon waffles with caramelized apples
   
2. cauliflower soup (although the kids didn't love it)
   
3. Ina Garten's shrimp scampi
   
4. Sopa de lima from the Turtle Bay Tacqueria cookbook (one of our faves when we go to Pacific Grove)

Um...we won't talk about the quiche I made last night that somehow ended up with broken glass in it.  The only thing I can think of is the frozen spinach must have had some shards in it, since everything else (half-and-half? grated cheese? chopped onions?) was fine.

l that, in order to take advantage of an offer of two free airline tickets, we would have to charge $500 on our AmEx by tomorrow. Our own little economic stimulus package (or, rather, AmEx's). Not sure we're up for that, but just for the sake of discussion, what would you spend it on?

Comments

[queenieweenie]

Miss Saigon for high-schoolers? Really? As the mother of a high-schooler that scares me a whole bunch.

$500? I say go crazy at Amazon and buy yourself a Kindle-it's the most amazing device...I just got mine last week and I LOVE it!

[Emily]

I LOVE Ina Garten's recipes. Really. Tried and True. Her latest cookbook was one of my favorite Christmas gifts. This is coming from someone who doesn't have a lot of $ to spend on groceries, and likes to keep it simple but delicious. She is awesome. I could go on...

$500...a fancy camera, a new computer (okay, over $500), furniture to help me organize my life (old house=little storage space), a KING sized bed instead of our queen, a swingset or trampoline for the kiddos, airline tickets to visit Florida (family!), a new refridgerator because ours is leaking water over everything, a laser printer (I hate ink jets) w/scanner/photocopier/fax/etc.,

so, my list is kind of long. Sometimes when we get a little windfall--the list of things to spend it on is so long that I can't make up my mind and feel like it is so frusterating, why bother? I feel plenty happy with my life as it is. ;-)

P.S. I got accepted into the MA program for Lit! Wahoo! Now what?....

[Lindsay-ann]

Hi Annie
You are very brave hosting the sleepover at your house. I hope it went well.
Sorry to hear about the quiche. How annoying! I hope you enjoy spending your $500. I would have to spend it on a new shower (broke last week and Tim now has to have a bath instead!) and a new extractor fan for Jessica's bathroom (it is definately on it's way out. It comes on with the light and has begun to sound just like a helicopter has landed on our roof!). Not very exciting things I know.
Hope your week is going well.
Lindsay

[the wrath of khandrea]

i don't think i could spend $500. it would have to be on some kind of travel. stuff is not my love language. it would just stress me out.
sort of like hosting a sleepover on DST weekend. or watching my daugther perform as an asian prsotitute. or eating glass in my quiche. or waking up to the same blizzard on monday morning that you apparently did... right after mother nature lulled me into a false sense of security on sunday with spring-like weather.

i'm gonna say that you have a better way of looking at the bright side than i do.

[dayna]

enjoy your week "off"! funny how getting to read for enjoyment can feel like a guilty luxury sometimes. as for the $500...buy some sweet things for the kids' easter baskets, something for the mr. and the mrs. as well...and get something substantial, like a new rug or lamp. that would be much more fun that what i would really do with an extra $500 (we have that much left to pay off my car early...cool but not exciting:)

[Christie]

Let's see, 500 bucks. I'd probably want to apply it to the new lens I've got my eye on, which is sadly more than $500. Why not stimulate the economy and spend a lot more than $500?

Yeah, that argument's not working on J, either.

[Bridget]

I'd get some pendant lights I've been wanting for our kitchen for the past 2.5 years. I would be very upset to see little girls dressed as prostitutes too. That's awful.