We went to Cafe Atlantic tonight, to enjoy a last dinner there before they close for the season on Sunday. I often have a difficult time deciding which is my absolute favorite restaurant on Ocracoke, because so many of them are so great, but I think if I had to choose only one, it would be the Cafe. Everything they do is terrific - from the bread to the salads (with fantastic homemade dressings) to the entrees (I always have a hard time choosing one) to - and most especially - Ruth's delectable desserts.
Tonight, I was a complete pig and ate (well, at least ordered) one of all of the above. I wanted to have a full Cafe experience, since it has to last me several months! So I started with my favorite appetizer (not just at the Cafe - this is my favorite appetizer of all appetizers), then went on to have an entree (which comes with salad and bread). I was too full to eat dessert, but still ordered one and brought it home. It will probably be tomorrow before I have room for it!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Power outage and Lake Sunset
There was a power outage this morning which lasted about an hour. It started relatively early. I remember waking up when it happened. For some reason, power outages always wake me...I suppose it's the sudden cessation of background sounds, like refrigerators and heat/air conditioning running. The baby monitor we have begins beeping a few seconds after it loses power, so that would have startled me anyway, if I hadn't already been awake. I got up a while later, getting dressed in the semi-dark, after (of course) attempting to turn on the bathroom light out of sheer habit even though I knew it wouldn't work. As I was finishing getting Connor's breakfast ready for him, the power came back on, and has stayed on since.
The reason for this particular outage is - I assume - related to the rain we had last night. Here's a view of the street outside my house, which I dubbed "Lake Sunset". The water is not terribly deep, but there's certainly plenty of it.
The reason for this particular outage is - I assume - related to the rain we had last night. Here's a view of the street outside my house, which I dubbed "Lake Sunset". The water is not terribly deep, but there's certainly plenty of it.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Funny election day thought
I was seriously considering not voting this year, because I'm just...well, completely disgusted with the whole political process. It's so deeply flawed and corrupt, I hardly want to bother. Now, don't go posting any nasty comments with your opinion about whether I should or should not vote and for whom. I won't publish them anyway, so save yourself the hassle. And I probably will vote. But I won't tell you here whether I did or not anyway. It's my decision and my business. I do promise not to complain about the outcome if I choose not to participate in the process. So I guess if you know me, and you notice I'm not complaining about politics over the next few years, you'll know that either a) I didn't vote or b) the guy I voted for won, and then did everything he said he would. Oh never mind, that won't happen, so you'll definitely know it was option a. Or it could be that I just went back to my previous strategy when it comes to politics: attempt to ignore it completely.
That's not the funny election day thought, though. The actual funny election day thought is available (in song, no less!) on woot.com. It's today's "wootcast", and I found it quite humorous. You can listen to the ditty here. (The song starts after the first few seconds of general wootcast info.) Enjoy!
That's not the funny election day thought, though. The actual funny election day thought is available (in song, no less!) on woot.com. It's today's "wootcast", and I found it quite humorous. You can listen to the ditty here. (The song starts after the first few seconds of general wootcast info.) Enjoy!
Last minute book shopping
I made it to the Book Fair just barely before it ended. Literally: I arrived at 5:30 last night; the event (which had started last week) ended at 6:00. That didn't stop me from spending a small fortune on a stack of books, though! Books, however, are one of the few things I don't regret spending on, especially books for children (I bought some for Connor, several I plan to read to the first graders, and a couple which went directly to the classroom from Mary Ellen's wish list). You simply can't underestimate the importance of reading, or do too much to encourage it.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Morning errands, small town style
I ran several errands this morning, and thoroughly enjoyed the many reminders of why I love living in a small town.
First, I went to the church. It was unlocked, of course, so I could pop into the back and pick up a copy of the daily devotional magazine Upper Room for November and December (which I forgot to grab yesterday morning).
Then, I went to the Post Office. I got there a few minutes before they opened. That usually doesn't matter, as the boxes are accessible 24x7, so you can always get your mail, but when I emptied my box I discovered I had a package, so I waited for Celeste to come in for the day, chatting with a handful of other people as they came and went. Once she arrived, Celeste gave me not only my package but also a handful of extra Ocracoker newspapers, as there's a picture of Connor on the front. Then Barbara helped me carry my mail to the car, as I had a medium box, another small package, a handful of mail, and Connor in his carrier.
At the Variety Store, I talked with several people, all of whom oohed and aahed over Connor (he IS really cute). Marcy, specifically, really liked his outfit (she had given it to me for him the day before). After I was done shopping, Jim carried the groceries out to the car for me (since I had hands full with Connor). He got ahead of me while I was putting the cart back, but that didn't matter since he knows which car is mine.
Finally, I went to the water plant to pay my bill. Janie and I picked up our conversation right where we had left it off when I stopped by to pay last month's bill.
When I got home, I realized that through the entire hour or so it took to run my errands, I had been smiling. It was a terrific way to start a Monday!
First, I went to the church. It was unlocked, of course, so I could pop into the back and pick up a copy of the daily devotional magazine Upper Room for November and December (which I forgot to grab yesterday morning).
Then, I went to the Post Office. I got there a few minutes before they opened. That usually doesn't matter, as the boxes are accessible 24x7, so you can always get your mail, but when I emptied my box I discovered I had a package, so I waited for Celeste to come in for the day, chatting with a handful of other people as they came and went. Once she arrived, Celeste gave me not only my package but also a handful of extra Ocracoker newspapers, as there's a picture of Connor on the front. Then Barbara helped me carry my mail to the car, as I had a medium box, another small package, a handful of mail, and Connor in his carrier.
At the Variety Store, I talked with several people, all of whom oohed and aahed over Connor (he IS really cute). Marcy, specifically, really liked his outfit (she had given it to me for him the day before). After I was done shopping, Jim carried the groceries out to the car for me (since I had hands full with Connor). He got ahead of me while I was putting the cart back, but that didn't matter since he knows which car is mine.
Finally, I went to the water plant to pay my bill. Janie and I picked up our conversation right where we had left it off when I stopped by to pay last month's bill.
When I got home, I realized that through the entire hour or so it took to run my errands, I had been smiling. It was a terrific way to start a Monday!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
I've stopped answering my phone...
...because every time it rings, it is another political message or particular person asking (in a recorded message, of course) for my vote. I am ready for the election to be over!
Here's something that bugs me about the calls: I'm a registered (well it doesn't matter, but I'm registered with one party), and that's the only party that calls me. I find that annoying, like the other party has just completely given up on any possibility that I might even consider them. I think I'll change my registration to independent. Of course, that will just double the number of calls I get, so maybe I won't.
Here's something that bugs me about the calls: I'm a registered (well it doesn't matter, but I'm registered with one party), and that's the only party that calls me. I find that annoying, like the other party has just completely given up on any possibility that I might even consider them. I think I'll change my registration to independent. Of course, that will just double the number of calls I get, so maybe I won't.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Hangin' out at the coffee shop
John, Connor and I took a walk to the Coffee Shop today. Well, John and I walked...Connor rode in his stroller, of course! It was a warm, sunny afternoon...perfect for a walk and a smoothie. So when we got there, I went in and got one. We then sat outside in the shade of the old trees and chatted as I drank it. Connor was happy as a clam, just hanging out in his stroller playing with his toys. We ended up sitting there for well over an hour, talking with different friends who happened by (John treated several of them to smoothies or whatever else they wanted from inside). Sundae and Caroline brought us the Girl Scout items we had ordered, and we had to break open two of them right away: cashews and chocolate covered raisins (more about those in a moment). We chatted and snacked, watching the day go by, and I simply didn't think about the 47 things on my "to-do" list. It was lovely.
Girl Scout chocolate covered raisins, I swear, are more addictive than crack. (No, I don't actually know this by experience, having never compared the two, but I do know that I could eat an entire can of chocolate covered raisins if someone doesn't stop me!) This fact has become well known by Sundae. I called her in a mild state of panic last fall, hoping that she still had cans left over from the sale, only to be disappointed when she didn't. Then in spring, I was crushed to discover that chocolate covered raisins are only sold during the FALL Girl Scout sales, and I would have to wait several more months before I could satisfy my craving! This year, I think I'm set. I ordered several cans from Caroline, to make sure I wouldn't run out.
But that's not the end of the story. Sundae, who is one of the Girl Scout leaders, suggested to Leslie (one of the other leaders) that they order a couple of cases of extra items, and have a "booth" type sale of them, setting up at the Variety Store or somewhere similar. When Leslie expressed concern about ordering a whole case, Sundae said "don't worry about it...if we don't sell any of the chocolate covered raisins, John and Kati will buy the whole case!"
But that's still not the end of the story. While we were sitting at the Coffee shop enjoying our snacks, John asked Sundae how many cans were in a case. She told him, he did some quick math, handed her the money and said "I'll take the whole case of raisins". We stopped by Leslie's house to pick them up, and her husband Bill expressed his surprise, saying "I thought I had heard you wrong when you said you were here to buy a case...I thought surely you meant a CAN". So now I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 16 cans of chocolate covered raisins in my pantry (good thing we have a big pantry). That certainly should significantly decrease the likelihood that we'll run out before the Girl Scouts fall sale in 2009. Probably.
Girl Scout chocolate covered raisins, I swear, are more addictive than crack. (No, I don't actually know this by experience, having never compared the two, but I do know that I could eat an entire can of chocolate covered raisins if someone doesn't stop me!) This fact has become well known by Sundae. I called her in a mild state of panic last fall, hoping that she still had cans left over from the sale, only to be disappointed when she didn't. Then in spring, I was crushed to discover that chocolate covered raisins are only sold during the FALL Girl Scout sales, and I would have to wait several more months before I could satisfy my craving! This year, I think I'm set. I ordered several cans from Caroline, to make sure I wouldn't run out.
But that's not the end of the story. Sundae, who is one of the Girl Scout leaders, suggested to Leslie (one of the other leaders) that they order a couple of cases of extra items, and have a "booth" type sale of them, setting up at the Variety Store or somewhere similar. When Leslie expressed concern about ordering a whole case, Sundae said "don't worry about it...if we don't sell any of the chocolate covered raisins, John and Kati will buy the whole case!"
But that's still not the end of the story. While we were sitting at the Coffee shop enjoying our snacks, John asked Sundae how many cans were in a case. She told him, he did some quick math, handed her the money and said "I'll take the whole case of raisins". We stopped by Leslie's house to pick them up, and her husband Bill expressed his surprise, saying "I thought I had heard you wrong when you said you were here to buy a case...I thought surely you meant a CAN". So now I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 16 cans of chocolate covered raisins in my pantry (good thing we have a big pantry). That certainly should significantly decrease the likelihood that we'll run out before the Girl Scouts fall sale in 2009. Probably.
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