I want to learn how to make custards. There are a lot of Vietnamese deserts that are basically custards. And I want to learn to make them all!

What equipment do you need to make custards?
What's the basic principle of making them?

Fourth day away from Drew was a breeze because I had friends over for dinner. I always try to plan something with friends the week that Drew is gone. I think its really pathetic when people's worlds come to an end because their significant other is out of town. Or those people who turn down a party invitation because their significant can't go. Drew and I have even celebrated New Years Eve separately one year when he wanted to party with his redneck friends in DC and I wanted to pary with my friends in Philly. That's the extent to which we are separate human beings. At this point I probably offended someone so, anyway....

I had friends over for dinner. Jen, Bill and (e:Jbeatty). I fixed a Vietnamese dinner for them.

• Vietnamese tomato egg drop soup garnished with cilantro
  
• Chicken cooked in caramel sauce (sugar caramelized in water) with ginger.
  
• Blanched broccoli and cauliflower with sliced cucumbers.
  
• Dipping sauce for vegetables.
  
• Mandarin oranges and bananas for desert.
  
• Vietnamese coffee with cardamom

Pictures to come later.

I think this article is kind of funny...I deal with a lot of people at work who live in the suburbs and look down their noses at the city because of all the "crime". And here we have the classic example of how crime exists in the city because the person in the suburb wants the service....except this person had it kind of turned on their head.

Day three without Drew was hunky dory! I got home and discovered in the mail an invitation to the group I want to join.
Sweet, sweet taste of social success. I started prepping for a dinner I'm having on Wednesday. The menu is Vietnamese tomato egg drop soup; chicken with ginger cooked in caramel sauce; blanched vegetables with Vietnamese basic dipping sauce; and bananas and mandarin oranges for dessert and Vietnamese coffee. See the theme? I'm making a Vietnamese dinner. I prepped the soup so all I have to do tonight is heat it up, add the eggs and garnish it with cilantro and black pepper. Yummy goodness.
I aso worked on my rice making skills. I'm not bragging or anything, but I was able to make rice just like you get in the restaurants. All fluffy and stuff. I strutted around the house for a bit enjoying my success.
I also chose to have some coffee last night. Not a good choice normally, but (e:drew) wasn't there to stop me. Bwah, ha, ha. So I was totally wired by the time he called last night and I was a little giggly and slap happy on the phone.
Last night was trash night/recycling night. That's a dilemma, because trash/recycling is the husband's job; not the Janelle's job. I settled on just taking the recycling out because it's easy and the bin was full, but the garbage can wasn't full. It can wait until the husband gets home.
This morning the recycling bin was missing. I don't think it blew away. I think someone lost theirs and dumped out my recycling and stole mine. All my recycling was laying in a neat little pile. Seems like it would have been strewn if the wind blew the bin away. So I'm feeling a little salty about that and I had to go out and pick up all the recyling and throw it in the trash can. And so was the start of Day four without Drew.

I finally had a mildly good day at work, but no husband waiting at home to hear about my good day. Sad. Made dinner for myself. Without Drew at home, I actually have leftovers for work. Ran out to Home Depot to think of home improvement jobs for Drew to do when he gets back from Louisiana. Just kidding, I do most of the home improvement jobs around our place. I'm looking at putting some vinyl tiles down on the steps and landing going down to the basement in the back stairwell. It's going to be a bigger project than I thought. The last owners glued pieces of felt on the steps and landing and called it a day. I peeled back the felt and realized the steps have to be scrubbed (very, very filthy), sanded and wood spackled in spots before I can even prime the floor to put the vinyl tiles down. My goal is to get the steps done before Drew gets home.

In the spring I want to start fixing the walls of the back stairwell. It has the old nasty thick white wallpaper on the walls which is clearly holding the plaster together in parts. There are a few rips or holes in the wallpaper with some crumbling plaster peaking through. My temptation is to spackle over the rips and holes; sand; and paint over. Would that do the job? The other recommendation given to us was to put up wood paneling, but spackling and painting seems easier. Any thoughts?

Anyway, on day two, I started to miss Drew. Onto day three.

Oh, yeah, I'm going to join Mr. Deadlier in the weigh in. Weighed in at 127 this morning. Before the holidays I lost 5 lbs to hit 125. So I gained a couple over the holiday. Ultimately I want the end point to be between 115 and 120.

Today I had a "class" with my clients. I needed them to connect together the concepts that if they want money, they not only need a job, they need to keep the job, and not following the rules is a quick way to lose the job. And they don't want to lose the job because then they won't have money. Therefore, don't break work rules.

One kid got really excited and blurted out, "Yeah, it's just like what Ludicrous said in that one song, 'if you don't want to play take your broke ass home'". I paused for a second and realized that yes, it IS just like what Ludicrous said.

And who said rap music is a bad thing?

Dropped Drew and Kookcity2000 off at the airport.
Went to the grocery store to buy a ribeye steak, which I buy one or two times a year when Drew is gone for a lengthy period of time.
Prepared my ribeye steak in a manner that I love, which Drew finds disgusting. Thus the reason I buy it only once or twice a year when Drew goes out of town. That and meat is REALLY expensive, anyone else notice that? (gift idea for next years Secret Santa ya'll).
Enjoyed said steak while working my way through season 4 of Gilmore Girls.
Buckley is already sulking from the absence of Drew.
The cats probably haven't even noticed that Drew is gone.
And I have no one to boss around. But I do have a large bed and twice the pillows as usual to myself tonight.

Drew is going to try to periodically post pictures of the trip at the church's website, if you want to wander over there occasionally. www.elmwoodjesus.org

So, I've been relentlessly attending the meetings and parties of two chapters of this social sorority as you may recall Today, I dragged myself out of bed way too early this morning cursing and swearing as I drove all the way out to the furthest out suburbs to the meeting for the chapter that I really like so I can get into the chapter. It ended up worth the effort when I had the following two conversations:

sorority sister A: Didn't we just vote you into the group?

Janelle: Uh, I'm not sure. If you did, I'm not sure you're supposed to say yet.

sorority sister A: Oh, well, I'm just horrible with secrets!


Sorority sister B: I would have loved to have met your mom (who is also in said sorority) when she was in town.

Janelle: Well, she will definitely be coming out for my initiation...if I get initiated, you'll get to meet her (hint, hint).

Sorority sister B: Well, she may want to plan to come out in March then (wink, wink).

Sweet, looks like an invite should be in the mail shortly!

I know I talk (really it's more like complain) about my job quite a bit. It's to the point where some must be thinking, if you hate it so much, then quit or do something about it. Ha! I have a plan that I'm going to lay out over the next couple of days.

Step 1. Pick a quit date. I pick JULY 2009. I know, that's a bit down the road. But I have my reasons. And at least it gives me a concrete date that I can count down!

Reason 1. I want to make sure I'm not doing a "grass is greener on the other side" thing. Right now, I'm not actually doing the job I was hired to do. Starting in April or May, I should be doing the job I was actually hired to do, so maybe I'll be more satisfied then. Also, (e:Drew) wisely pointed out to me that I often hate my job for the first 6 months to a year. And then I hate leaving it when all is said and done.

Reason 2. I am not just quitting this job. I am going to leave the social service field. I am making plans and thinking on a new career path. I want to use the time to take a few classes and prepare a bit before I make the switch.

Reason 3. Finances. I have a few monetary goals to hit before I jump ship. Including paying for the classes to become a commissioned lay pastor.

Reason 4. I want to pop out a baby around July 2009 and it just makes sense to me to make a career shift at the same time.

Jason's post reminded me of our experience living in a manse in Pittsburgh. A manse is a house that a church owns for its pastor and family to live in. Some churches offer it as an option, but with our church it was sort of mandatory. It was an interesting experience and allowed us to save up lots of money to buy our house, but we definitely had some interesting experiences.

This story is my favorite. I noticed a leak one day coming from the ceiling light fixture in the office room. Leaks seem bad. Water and electricity seem bad, so we told the maintenance guy. Took him a few weeks, but he finally came over. Looked at it, declared he didn't know where the leak was coming from and shut off the electricity to the light. The leak continued and a neat little crack circling the light fixture appeared. Again, we urge the maintenance guy to look at it. He pulls down the light fixture, pokes around in the ceiling and declares that he doesn't know where the leak is coming from. Leaves the light fixture dangling from the ceiling by the electrical wires. Now a lot of water is pouring from the hole when it rains or snows, so we have to keep a bucket underneath. Again, we suggest to the maintenance guy that he do something. So he comes over and removes the light fixture altogther and doesn't fix the leak. Now there is a big hole in the ceiling where the light used to be and there is also a crack running the diagonal length of the room with lots of little tributary cracks. Water is leaking all along this crack and there are not enough pots and pans to collect all the water so I just let it leak into the carpet. Eventually paint starts peeling from the ceiling and dangling by big flakes and the cracks continue to widen. One night in bed, I heard a thunderous crash downstairs. I didn't bother to get up. I knew the ceiling in the room had finally fallen down. In the morning, I found chunks of plaster all over the floor. A 3' x 4' chunk of ceiling plaster had fallen from the ceiling. We let the maintenance guy know and he comes over, cleans up the plaster and tidies up the hole in the ceiling. Still, does not fix the hole or leak. And so it remained until we moved from Buffalo. I think from start to finish, this fun event took place over a 6 month period.

So now, when people ask if we live in a manse in Buffalo, I say no and laugh hysterically. I will never live in a manse again (*knock on wood*).