Mid-Winter Funk

One reason for the funk is that I am flat out tired. For those of us who work in hospitals, the period between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day is just beastly. We are always just barely staffed but during this period we are even more short staffed because of people being out sick or taking PTO. This is the same period that the hospital is at 90-100% occupancy from winter illness or from people using up their benefits before the end of the year to have procedures done that should have been done earlier in the year. Last night we didn't finish the last OR case until after 9PM and the pharmacy queue was over 100 and backed up well over an hour for most of the shift. I have this evening and two more. Blah.

An Eye for an Eye

and a tooth for a tooth...and we all end up blind and toothless. Everyone seems to know that old saying except the Palestinians and the Israelis. I'm coming to the conclusion that they are like Charles and Diana--they deserve each other.

Now that I have offended everyone, I think I'll go back to my cooking and quilting.


Quotation for the day:

"Almost anything is easier to get into than to get out of." ~ A. Allen

Stop the Stupidity

Yesterday's column in the NYT by Bob Herbert was one that I truly wish I had the talent to write. It says so much of what I think:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/27/opinion/27herbert.html

We have been so stupid for so long and it is well past time to stop the stupidity. As I said in one of my posts around election time: I want serious people coming up with real plans to solve our real problems.


Thought for the day:

The challenge is in the moment, the time is always now. - James Baldwin

Goal 2009 Update #2

Wednesday was payday and today I made the January 1, 2009 house payment plus $4400 extra principal. That brings us to $76,000 to go in the next 11 payments. We can do it if we both stay employed, stay healthy and uninjured, and with the grace of God.

Well duh

There's been a push recently to re-write home loans which had adjustable rate mortgages with the idea that the buyers would be able to keep the house and it would not go into foreclosure further glutting the market and further depressing home prices. What the process seems to have overlooked is that the buyers most likely could not afford the house in the first place. Frequently there was no money down and the buyers could just barely afford the payments with both husband and wife working. Once the rate adjusted up and/or there was a job loss, illness, or divorce, the mortgage payment was just too high to keep up with. Now the stats are showing that after the re-write to a lower, fixed rate, 37% of the re-written mortgages are 30 days or more past due. This evidently is news, a surprise to some. I don't see why--they couldn't afford the house to begin with. While I am on the subject of surprises, it seems to come as a surprise to many that life isn't always rosy, doesn't go the way we want it to, and just plains sucks sometimes. This may explain why so few have an emergency fund, have a fall back plan for when something goes wrong, or even supplies for a few days when there is a hurricane coming. I guess there is some benefit in being a pessimist--our surprises are generally pleasant ones--when things go right.

The 48 Hour Day

I have decided that since as we get older the days just whiz by that what we really need to do is count each 48 hour period as one day. I mean really it seems like I just get off the exercise bike and all of a sudden it is the next day and time to get back on it. Same with laundry and dishes. Now if as I propose, the day were 48 hours there would be some time to do other things—not necessarily useful things but nice things like naps and the internet. There would be less rushing about trying to get things done. An added benefit would be weight loss if I could just stretch my 3 meals into 48 hours…but I don’t think that one is going to fly…



Thought for the day:

" Looking foolish does the spirit good. The need not to look foolish is one of youth's many burdens; as we get older we are exempted from more and more. " John Updike

How to make Beans and Rice

2 cups dried beans (I usually use pinto beans)
2 Tablespoons oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery (optional)
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (optional)
2-3 cloves garlic minced
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1/2 pound Kielbasa sausage chopped into bite size pieces

Soak the dried beans over night in a large pot of water. The next day drain the beans into a colander and rinse them thoroughly.

While the beans are in the colander, heat the oil in the large pot and add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes.

Remove from heat and add to the pot the beans and enough water to cover 2 inches above the beans and vegetables. Stir and return to heat. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to where it is just simmering; cover with pot lid and simmer for an hour. Stir every 15-20 minutes .

Add the Rotel tomatoes and sausage. Bring back to simmering and cover with lid; cook for another hour or until beans are soft.

Serve over rice or with toasted garlic bread or cornbread. Great for a cold night.

This is a very forgiving recipe. You can add more are less of any of the ingredients depending on what your tastes are or what you have on hand. Makes great leftovers.

Thought for the day:

There is only one corner of the universe you can change, and that is yourself, but in changing that corner, you change the universe. Chinese proverb