Sunday, February 24, 2008

Sorry it's been so long...

I’ll try to stick to a schedule of posting once or twice a week.

As I write this, I’m waiting for cinnamon rolls to proof before I bake them. We saw an episode of Good Eats a couple of weeks ago, and since then I’d been thinking about making them. Proofing, as I understand it, has something to do with using steam to wake up the yeast in the rolls after they’ve spent hours in the refrigerator. We’ll see how they turn out. I didn’t get the right kind of yeast, so it took about 12 hours for the dough to rise when the recipe said it would take two. Luckily we weren’t counting on them for Sunday breakfast.

We spent President’s Day weekend visiting friends in North Carolina. For those friends we didn’t see while we were there, I’m sorry. It was a short trip, from Saturday afternoon to noon Monday. It was pretty low-key – we just spent time with our friends and their young children, went to some favorite restaurants, and Tim played lots of Guitar Hero.

On the work front, findingDulcinea has a new project sports fans will enjoy. www.AlmostPerfectSeason.com is a look back at the Giants’ and Patriots seasons, with some of the funny commentary, predictions, criticism and reverence surrounding these two teams. This site starts in the off-season and goes through each week, then quarter by quarter during the Super Bowl. And of course there's a roundup of the jubilation and bewilderment (depending on who you were rooting for) after the game.

Watch several clips, including two commercials from Reebok with the 1972 Dolphins (there’s nothing like covering your bases); comments from Michael Strahan and Eli’s appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman.

Belly button watch, day 127: Still an inny. I think it's decided to stay that way.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

If you haven't been to findingDulcinea lately ...

We've had all sorts of interesting stories, and I have some recommendations. First, there’s a chilling story about a hospital that held infants until their parents could pay their bills. Luckily, a judge had the sense to intervene.

Valentine’s Day is Thursday, and we’ve got a guide to the holiday that includes its history, gift ideas, recipes, and ideas for a romantic evening. There’s also a section that highlights all the fun single people can have on Valentine’s Day.

I’m not a huge fan of Valentine’s Day, to be honest, and don't see a reason to go all out for it. We’re just going to have a quiet dinner at home. We bought a frozen duck today for it, and I’m looking forward to having it. All I have to do is find a cheesecake.

One piece I worked on is about three Mississippi lawmakers who proposed a measure that would prohibit restaurants from serving obese people. The bill drew lots of criticism, and state leaders say it’s not going to get anywhere. Mississippi has one of the highest obesity rates in the U.S.

Lately I've been sending guides and other items to some friends. One friend is going to Spain this month, so I sent her our travel guide. Another friend is planning a trip to the Grand Canyon, so I sent her our National Parks guide.

If you're looking to research a particular topic, take a look around our site, or ask me. We've cover health, religion, home improvement, finance, careers, travel, and just about anything else you can think of. Similarly, if you don't find a guide you think we should have, let me know. You know where to find me.

Belly button watch, day 32: Still an inny, but it’s just biding its time. I can tell.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Belly button musings

My belly button seems to be making a slow transition from being an inny to an outy. I wish it would hurry up and pop out already, as the suspense is killing me. Is it going to suddenly appear one day? When? Will it be huge and noticeable? Will it be ticklish, like it usually is? So far the answer to that last one seems to be no, so that's good. G-I-A-N-T-S GIANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That cheer is what Tim decided to contribute while I was away from the computer. He was a little bit excited about the Giants winning the Super Bowl. He spent most of the fourth quarter on his feet in our apartment, trying to keep himself occupied without throwing things. After they won Sunday night, we opened the windows and heard people yelling throughout Hoboken while crowds converged on Times Square.

We didn't go to the ticker tape parade today. It was threatening rain, the route was far from our offices in midtown, and by the time we were getting ready for work crowds had already gathered for the 11 a.m. parade. There's some talk about having a parade in Hoboken for the Giants who live here (I've heard Eli Manning and Kawika Mitchell live here, but I'm sure there's more), but I doubt it'll happen.

But going back to the pregnancy for a second, I seem to have grown quite a bit all of a sudden. I often lose sight of my shoes during the day. Over email, I asked Tim if he thought the bump had grown because I was feeling particularly whale-tastic (or Shamu-riffic, if you prefer) today. Surprisingly, he didn't respond. When I asked him later, he ignored me. I guess I shouldn't have eaten all of that ice cream last week.

Tonight's musical selection: The W.A.N.D, Flaming Lips