Rainy Randomday

It's wet outside.  Very wet.  Wet enough that I don't really want to go out and run errands.  So I translated my Latin assignments (Caesar and Bede) and baked up a batch of granola.  My class quizzes were graded yesterday, I'm still ignoring all the housecleaning that needs to be done, and I may even aspire to sitting on the couch and knitting or finishing the binding on my feathered star.  I should load Jack's Chain onto the Megaquilter, but even that might be too much...

Steve and I watched Gigi last night.  Neither of us knew what it was about before.  (Pretty young French girl being groomed by her grandmother and great-aunt to be a rich man's mistress).  We're glad we didn't offer it as a treat to the girls, who like musicals.  Can I just say that I will never again be able to see Maurice Chevalier as anything but a creeper?  I mean really, "Thank heaven for little girls?"  Could that even be made today?

Steve was channel-surfing and watching a bit of Lawrence of Arabia yesterday.  That spurred him to look up Lawrence.  Apparently, Lawrence was not his real name; his father's name was Chapman, but because he left his first family and had several children with the governess, they adopted the name Lawrence later on.  So add Lawrence of Arabia to Johnny Appleseed as yet another Chapman who is famous, but not by that name.  We'd like to trade them for the guy who shot John Lennon.

Lawrence of Arabia is one of those movies I just don't get.  I made one good-faith effort to stay awake through it, but I have very hazy memories of desert warfare and political intrigue, only to be jolted awake every so often by the stirring theme music and stunning scenery.  Steve tells me it's a classic political drama.  And I liked West Wing (I know... but it was because of the writing).  So I really should watch it again some decade.

Secundus just called on his cell phone.  He spent the night with a friend in Beaverton and will need to be picked up at the Max station in an hour.  And Daniel is apparently arrived safe after numerous rides and transfers at Steve's sister's house in Philadelphia, where he will spend Thanksgiving week.  It is making me feel old and strange, having kids becoming so independent.  It will definitely be strange and quiet next week when Daniel is NOT with us for Thanksgiving.

After reading so many Redwall books, Quarta asked to make candied chestnuts when we saw chestnuts at the farmer's market.  So a few days ago I tried this recipe with her.  We used to have a couple of chestnut trees when I was growing up, but I had forgotten the unique texture that chestnuts have.  I took a picture but our main computer - not my laptop - is having epilepsy or something.  And truly, the picture does not look that appetizing.  The jury is out on whether the kids like candied chestnuts.  Quarta is gamely trying to like them but was a little discouraged by the reaction of her school friends, only one of whom even tried them.  The rest of them said they looked like brains... which they do, kind of.

Steve has been on the phone with the Dell tech support people in India quite a bit lately, but the computer still freezes up when you try to get it warmed up after hibernation.  I was going to upload the candied chestnuts picture and this time, it started making a high-pitched whistling noise (I didn't even notice it at first because it sounded almost exactly like my left ear).  Nice.  I don't know how many pictures I'll be able to add to the blog for awhile!  But again, I don't think you're missing much with the candied chestnuts.  They taste better than they look.

I just received the Round Robin letter that has been making the rounds between me and 5 of my college friends for over 20 years now.  There, now I've admitted to it in the blog, and I'm committed to sending it off again before Thanksgiving.  If I can't get the computer that's attached to the printer to work, I might even have to write it by hand.