Stuffingtown USA and Coffee August 4, 2008
Posted by commanderdad in Family, Food.Tags: Add new tag, coffee, Stuffintown
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It had been a long Sunday. The boys were extra hyper at church for some reason and they skipped their naps. We took them to the lake in the afternoon when it became clear nap time was hopeless. After we got back I had to go get some milk.
My plan was to stop off and get some coffee. Maybe sit for a bit and read some of the paper. Something I wasn’t sharing with the wife, because then I would have been told no.
I had to cook supper tonight and lunch for tomorrow yet. Probably do dishes at least twice too, so I figured I could use a little break. All I really wanted to to do was sleep. I decided to try this new local shop that had opened up awhile back. I had been meaning to give it a try, but its not by any parks or the indoor park that runs in the winter. It was sort of on the way to the dairy. Didn’t think another chance would come for awhile.
I pulled up and walked in. I immediately thought I had walked into the wrong place. It was Stuffingtown, not the coffee shop. There was a birthday party going on for 1 year old who did not look to happy. If I was being forced to sit with that creepy looking bear, I wouldn’t be happy either.
I turned around trying to figure out which dimensional doorway I walked through, when the girl working there ran up to me and asked if I wanted some coffee. I asked where I was, assuming I walked in the wrong door.
She proceded to apologize and explain no I had not. I was in the coffee shop which was in Stuffingtown USA. She apologized some more. Not sure why, its not like she designed the place. I seriously thought about leaving, but decided to go ahead and get some coffee.
Turns out there was a counter in the middle of the store where they sold coffee and other drinks. The coffee was really cheap. I talked to the girl as she explained what they had, while keeping my eye on the poor terrified child being forced to have his picture taken with every single person in the place.
I felt for the kid as I been forced to go to a few of those birthday parties recently. I talked with the girl some more and got my coffee. I thanked the girl at which point she apologized yet again. I wonder if she though the whole set up was as stupid as I did.
I mean who in their right mind sets up a coffee shop in the middle of Stuffingtown USA? The wife assumes it is there more for parents, but why go about advertising your coffee shop as a separate store if its just there for the parents who visit Stuffingtown? The shop is all the way in the store, so you have to go into Stuffingtown. I won’t be back to this store just because of this. There really is no place to sit down. Its not really a coffee shop if I can’t take a few minutes to sit and relax before I go back to the captains.
The amazing thing is that the coffee was really good. Still won’t draw me back though as I really wanted to sit and enjoy the coffee.
Life’s Simple Joy August 2, 2008
Posted by commanderdad in Religon.Tags: Family, Matthew
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Are you able to go from pissed off to happy in the amount of time Clark becomes Superman?
Its amazing how the boys can switch their moods. The smallest things bring such joy to them. Things that should bring joy to us if we were not so jaded by life. If the boys get to pet the cat, even if its only a stroke, they will go on and on about how they got to pet a cat. It will change their mood for the day.
I don’t get the same joy from petting the cat. Not sure if it is even relaxing anymore. I remember laying in bed with my cat when I was little. I use sit there reading and just petting Broomstick. Why do we as adults lose the ability to enjoy the little things in life. We can not stop looking way ahead to what is coming. What bills need paid. What chores needs done. What we need to do to get ready for the next thing.
Jesus said that we should become like children. How hard is that for us adults. We are to busy worrying about the next bill. Thinking about the chores that need to be done. Or thinking about what time we need to start supper. We are to busy looking way out in front of us that we miss what is right in front of us.
We miss watching the bee work. I never really sat there and watched them till the other day when the boys were just sitting there fascinated by the bee moving from flower to flower. No one got stung, they were very good about leaving the bee do his work.
If I would look where I was going instead of where I think I need to go, then maybe I wouldn’t be limping from stepping on a toy. I often forget that we need to let God do the worrying for us. Not that he worries, since he knows the plan. We need to remember what is really important and cleaning the floor isn’t that important.
Yesterday Flash and I were just going around and around. Just not a good day. I told him to go to his room because I needed to sit down and calm down. It usually works well for both of us if we both sit down for a bit. Not yesterday. I was thinking I should just put him to bed.
Well he walked back there and then returned way to quick for me. I was about to say something, but he had his puppies with him. He climbed on my lap. Started holding his puppy and sucking his thumb, Then he turned around and looked at me and offered me his thumb.
Sharing a thumb with your son is one of those simple joys. Turns out the day ended pretty good.
Quiche and Salmon Furikake July 31, 2008
Posted by commanderdad in Food.Tags: Alton Brown, quiche, Salmon
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My wife loves quiche and I don’t. Since she rarely cooks, we don’t have it very often. After enough bugging though, I usually break down and make it. I use Alton Browns recipe , which he calls Refrigerator Pie. Its a good recipe, but eating a pie made of egg just doesn’t appeal to me.
Well that all changed this past weekend. I finally found a filling that makes quiche worth making. I was making some homemade salmon furikake this weekend for lunch later in the week. This recipe, from Just Bento has become a favorite in our house. It is especially good for picnics to the lake.
While the salmon furikake was cooling is when inspiration hit. I decided to use it in the quiche along with some broccoli from the garden. I wish I would have taken a picture of it to share. I never really thought it would be that good. There was just enough left for my wife’s lunch which made her very happy.
I usually have plenty of it left over, but everyone had seconds of this meal!
What I miss from before kids July 25, 2008
Posted by commanderdad in Teething.Tags: adavance wars, late, Teething
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One thing I miss at times is playing a video game for a really long time. I am talking hours here. I miss just losing myself to the story and game play. With two little boys, almost 2 and 3, that doesn’t happen much.
Last night I sat down with Advance Wars: Days of Ruin. I have had a lot of trouble getting into this game, but skipping the story really helps. I got in a gaming mood last night, it was the last night of VBS. It had been a long week and I really just wanted to unwind.
I beat one map in like 10 minutes, then I beat the next in about 15 minutes. Then I thought well now I am in the 20′s, they have to be getting tougher. Yep, the next map took an hour or. I was thinking I really should go to bed.
My youngest is getting his two year molars in.
He has been getting up at night.
Every night lately. It was midnight.
Just one more. No, no I was thinking. Then I thought, lets just check it out. See what its like so I can think about while I am up rocking.
Part of me was yelling STOP. Save and shut the DS off! The other part was lets see what happens with the first couple of moves.
Next thing its 1 AM
1:30 AM and the little one is up.
1:45, he is alseep. Carrying him to bed and the cats get into a tiff and wake him up.
Now both are up. The oldest crawls into bed with mom. I try rocking the younger one, but he wants mom now. Maybe he wanted in the bed too, but I am not really sure.
2:30 AM, they are talking to each other in bed. I realize we need a king bed.
2:45 I go lay with the older one in his room.
3 AM the little one is still awake as I get back into bed.
6:00 My wife’s alarm goes off and I never really get back to sleep.
Moral: Don’t decide to stay up playing video games when your little one is teething. I feel even worse, because I skipped devotions to play video games.
First Post July 23, 2008
Posted by commanderdad in Uncategorized.add a comment
I almost called this post Hello World, since it was the first program I learned. Who doesn’t learn that, but since that was the default title I had to change it. I have always been a bit different.
Commander comes from Star Trek, which were some of my kids first words. I normally don’t let them watch TV more than an hour a day. It is usually divided up about 30 minutes, while I cook lunch and the rest reserved for supper.
That is except for bad days, which doesn’t mean they are bad. it just means I am a little stressed out that day. It just means I really really need a break. I probably should call it stressed out days. The original Trek is best for the kids, because some of the TNG are not suitable for them. Some of TNG shows can be a bit dark so I do not to watch them.
I don’t always watch Trek, but I have a lot lately. It depends on the day and everything else. Sometimes I grab Mario Kart. I like this because its shorter and just as refreshing for me. Except that I have cleared pretty much everything so I am kind of bored by it. I could use a new game with short burst.
