One more post

Friday afternoon Sam and about 12 of his friends (i'm not kidding, they travel in a horde) came over and hung out in our downstairs family room. I came home and knew that it was the "Friday of the fake babies" because this is what I saw by the front door. For those of you who don't recall my post about Catherine and Ryan's fake babies, suffice it to say that ninth graders in a particular class get a doll with a computer chip that they have to look after for a few days. It cries and carries on at random times and can only be soothed with a key that the teenager has had attached to his or her wrist. Three of the horde came with babies which were all being assiduously tended to in between bouts of FIFA 2010 on the xbox.

Teagen and someone's baby.... I had thrown the horde out and they were off to terrorize the neighborhood.

Boarding part 2

So, apologies that I can't figure out how to turn the video clips in the previous post....

Here are some pictures from today. Those I can manage to get the right way up.

Tessa and Sam chillin'

Catherine, Keziah and Tessa have graduated from the bunny hill to Majestic Lift.
Sam and Catherine riding the chairlift.

Check out the progress

evening in SLC

Tonight I made dinner (like I do most every night) and it was vile. I don't know what exactly went wrong, but let's just say there was toast made midway through to help us out.

Craig is back from his jaunt to Mexico, just in time for another precipitous decline for the much beloved dog Zoe. On Monday evening she collapsed on the kitchen floor and was completely unable to stand up. Sam and I ended up carrying her upstairs to my room to sleep. It was clear that was where she wanted to go, but each time she tried to get up she ended up splayed on the floor. The next morning she was alright again. Today she didn't come down for breakfast and late afternoon manage to make it to the top of the stairs to be sick (left that for Craig's cleaning pleasure...). Craig has asked me to get the info from my friend at work for her vet who will come to your house to put your pet to sleep. Apparently not only is this nicer for the owners but is also helpful for any remaining dogs who are otherwise traumatized by an unexplained departure. This way they can sniff the departed companion and it is supposed to be easier for them. I will keep you posted.

Vegan? No thanks.

I feel that I have demonstrated a true act of friendship having made and delivered the vegan onion soup. First, I looked at the French recipe and realized that the gobs of butter and beef bouillon were not going to work. Actually, I was already up to speed on the latter and had bought mushroom broth, but butter is so essential in my world, I was flummoxed. I stopped at Albertsons and pondered the butter like substances, but they had nothing that met my criteria. So I went to another supermarket and found something that is lactose free, gluten free, soy free... you get the picture. Came home and made the batch of soup for our friends and then set out to deliver it. Got within striking range and realized that I don't actually know where they live. So there's me driving up and down very Salt Lake streets (i.e. they are called things like 3045 south) wondering if I will ever find the house. Eventually had to call someone, who called them (I don't have their numbers as they are more Craig's friends than mine) and me and my now very mushroomy smelling car pulled up and made the delivery. I assured them that "it is the thought that counts" and if it is inedible, they should pour it out straight away.

Then came home and put the finishing touches on our batch that had beef broth, butter and loads of lovely french bread floating on top under a melted swiss cheese. Yum.

Saturday in SLC

Sam and I are up and getting ourselves ready to head up for skiing. We got him new boots and skis yesterday at this great place a block from our house. They do consignment as well as new equipment and clothing. We got a great deal on his gear and I left two outgrown pairs of skis there for them to try and sell. Craig took the camera to Mexico so no pictures today. When we get home, Sam is going to make French onion soup from the copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking I have had since my teens. His dad got him his first Le Creuset pot yesterday. We are also going to make a vegan batch for our friend who just had a double mastectomy and has gone vegan since his diagnosis. All in all, a lovely Saturday.

Let down

What a let down. We had a few inches of snow and the university was open today. I think the word blizzard got used because we did experience a radical drop in temperature and high winds. All day today it barely hit 20 degrees F. Sam and his friends have built an igloo over the last few days which they intend to sleep in over Christmas break. Fortunately it is at someone else's house so I won't have to contend with half frozen teenage boys at 3am. Looking forward to a few days off. We are invited to Val's for Thanksgiving dinner which is even better. No wrestling a turkey for me. May try out the cross-country skis tomorrow.