Whew

Still caffeine free.  Still alive.  Daniel is still alive.  My brain was angry with me from Saturday afternoon through yesterday afternoon, but I think the worst was over once I hit the 48-hour mark.  I couldn't find any reputable sources for how long it takes to work the magic fairy dust out of your system, but the disputable ones (ask.com, livestrong.org, about.com etc.) seem to agree on a week being the upper limit (gulp).

Fortunately I wasn't drinking a pot a day or anything, and I have some decaf so I don't to go through a change in routine as well as withdrawal from chemical dependence.  We'll see how work goes today.  As far as I can tell, I'm thinking clearly.  Or as clearly as I normally think at 5:30am.

This weekend was a lazy one but there were some highlights.  Friday evening we went out to Smokey's (a local supper club) for restaurant week.  Daniel and I debated what the definition of a supper club is.  It's one of those things that is hard to describe but you know it when you see it.  Our working definition Friday night was "a steakhouse that's not fancy".  I'd like to refine that to "A supper club is a steak house where you are offered A1".  

On Sunday Daniel played at church and then went in to work, making me look like a lazy bum because the best I can say for my Sunday afternoon is a I accomplished some afghan making and Mad Men watching.  I feel like I should care that I've been such a TV addicted hermit the last few weekends, but honestly, I don't.  January and February are kind of boring months around here.  While it was technically nice enough to go out for a walk yesterday, the windchill and remaining sidewalk glaciers made the thought unpleasant.  And I did talk to both my parents and my brother.  And I'm still showering and getting dressed and everything.

Ugh, I take back what I said earlier.  My brain is starting to throb again.  Hopefully yoga will help it chill out.  Otherwise today is going to be a looooooong day.  Caffeine free day three, here I come.

On the menu: Chicken Caesar salad.  We roasted the chicken using a new method where you heat a cast iron pan in the oven, then cook the chicken breast side up in the hot pan t 500 for 15 minutes and then turn it down to 350 until it's done.  It's supposed to help the dark and light meat get done at the same time.  We haven't eaten any of the dark meat yet, but the breast was very good.

I work out: Yoga and a walk Saturday.  Absolutely nothing yesterday.

Bible: I need to take "goat in mother's milk" off the menu for Thursday night...

On the agenda

• Blog post
• Go scrape the ice off the car
• Hit up Trader Joe's and Target at my very favorite time of day (before anyone else gets there)
• Go to yoga
• Go to Culvers
• Lay on the couch and want to die

Yeah... after contemplating this for awhile, I'm finally pulling the trigger to get off caffeine.  I had a cup of decaf this morning, and I give myself until about 2pm until my brain wants to self destruct.  Wish me luck.

Credit

  I love, too.  We can still be friends, okay?

WTFT

I hadn't been able to do any laundry since last Thursday, and last night things were getting dicey.  Like, "Do underwear become clean when you turn them inside out?" dicey.  The hot water pipes for our building needed to be replaced, which was going to expose some asbestos, which meant we weren't allowed in the laundry/storage area until the job was complete.  There was a big intimidating sign on the door to KEEP OUT.

But I kept trying.  Saturday... no luck.  Sunday... no luck.  Monday, Tuesday... no luck.  The laundry room wasn't supposed to be closed for THAT long... So I trekked around to the other entrance to the basement and, sure enough, the sign was taken down on that side.  The genius contractors forgot to take down all the "do not enter" scary warnings on our end of the building, and genius me didn't realize that for almost an entire week.  Anyway, I was able to get four huge loads done last night so we can be presentable in the ER if either of us gets hit by a bus.

Also, every time we go to Target, this green whale thing freaks me out.  Evidently it is a candy dish???

Did Target hire Timothy Leary as one of its new designers?   I can just imagine this thing chasing you, trying to gobble you up during a bad LSD trip.

On the menu: We went to the always fabulous Inka Heritage for restaurant week on Tuesday.  If you live in Madison and have never been, I highly recommend it- restaurant week or not.

I work out: Some gym, some yoga.  Same ol', same ol'.

Bible: The Ten Commandments.

Happy Chinese New Year

 
Crude but funny. You always come through for us, Some E-cards.

On the menu: Daniel requested Roman Candle pizza to build his strength for his first day teaching.
I work out: Not yesterday.  I walked on the treadmill while watching Mad Men.
Bible: Manna from heaven. 

School days

Daniel and I had a good time visiting the Wingra School yesterday.  Both of us are the product of pretty good but very traditional public schools, so learning cursive through personal exploration while reclining in the classroom loft was not part of either of our formative years.  Although they day we send any child to school is a long way off, it was interesting to discuss the pluses and minuses of the fancy, progressive private school model.  In my opinion:

The pros-

• Enthusiastic parents and teachers.  You can find plenty of that in regular public schools, but there is plenty of apathy and dysfunction to deal with as well.  Private schools can get rid of kids/parents who won't get on the bus.  Public schools are forced to deal with those problems.
• Regular recess and physical activity.  Can't argue with that.
• Lots of field trips.  The kids love the field trips.
• No standardized testing.  I'm actually not opposed to standardized testing in theory, but it seems to have gone haywire as it has been implemented in public schools.
• No grades.  Instead students/teachers/parents discuss the child's progress toward mastering different skills.  I'm not opposed to grades either, but I think this could be very beneficial for the right child- a kid who was a little slower than others or a little faster than others or totally neurotic about grades.  
• A supportive community.  I got a feeling that a lot of the meanness/bullying/etc. you find in public school would NOT be tolerated.  Again, a private school can kick that type of kid out.  Public schools have to deal.
• Art, music, and Spanish classes.  Things that are important but always at risk of being cut from public schools.

The cons-

• It's really expensive.  One year at Wingra is probably about the same price as both Daniel and I have spent on our entire post-high school education (together).  They do offer some financial aid, but still... is it better to save that money to send your kid to a good college?
• A small school doesn't have some of the resources of a public school.  For example, it wasn't clear how/if the middle school students did science experiments like use microscopes or do dissections.  Also, band class was only held once a week.  You can't get better if you only practice together once a week.
• There is no high school.  I can't even imagine the culture shock of leaving that school at the end of 8th grade and getting plunked down into a regular high school.  
• Especially in the mid-elementary years, there are a lot of things you have to learn by rote: multiplication tables, cursive writing, states and capitals, etc.  You can't just explore your way to having instant recall that 6x8=48.  It wasn't clear to me how much emphasis was put on really learning the basics.

Did you ever attend a non-traditional school?  Would/did you send your kids to one?  If we had the $$$ to do it, it would be a tough decision.  There are strong arguments on both sides.

On the menu: Un-photogenic but tasty (and finally made) chili in the slow cooker.
I work out: 75 min vinyasa yoga class.
Bible: Just about to do that...

Kid stuff

Credit

So I started reading The Hunger Games a few days ago, and I'm totally into it.  Who knew the whole teen dystopian adventure romance genre could be so entertaining?  I'd consider seeing the movie when it comes out on Netflix.

I think it's funny that, because as a rule people in high school are weird looking, filmmakers always hire much older actors to play those roles.  I mean, am I really supposed to believe these people are high school aged?  That guy is like 28!

Credit

 Okay, I just looked on Wikipedia and the actor is only 19, but you have to admit, he looks way older in that picture.  Anyway, the point is that no one- not even people in high school- what to see a romantic scene played out by actual people in high school.

Last night we watched a kids' movie that wasn't a kids' movie based on a book that I don't think was really a kids' book either: Fantastic Mr. Fox.

I definitely recommend it.  It was very entertaining.  Daniel described it as being in the "when hipsters get a hold of children's stories" genre (see also, the new Muppet movie).  I read almost all the Roald Dahl books when I was a kid (maybe that explains something about my personality today, I'm not sure) but not this one.  In fact, I think I remember a friend not being allowed to read it.  Not sure exactly why that was... I can see it being a bit violent.

Finally, we're going to an open house at the local progressive elementary/middle school for no other reason than we are curious about it.  Daniel knows a guy who sends his kid there and a woman who teaches there, so hopefully we won't come across creepy.  It's never too early to plan for your kids future- even pre-conception!  I sort of feel like we are that couple with the braces and the dog in therapy from Best in Show.

Credit

We'll try not to coordinate our outfits.

On the menu: The snow chilled out last night (and I forgot to start our slow cooker) so we went to Panera.
I work out: 60 minute vinyasa yoga class.
Bible: The Passover.

Just... wow.

It's as if Kelly Kapoor started her own home organizing business (hat tip, A).

Back to my mess of a life...

On the menu:
Greek meatball pitas (using leftover meatballs from last week) and carrots with Trader Joe's cucumber dip.

I work out:
3.2mi in 30 minutes on the treadmill + weights + general trying to stay alive while outside.

Bible:
Plagues!