Thursday, April 30, 2009

Love and Hate

Hate:

I don't actually hate writing articles, exactly.  Sometimes they're a breeze and I can whip out as many as four in an hour (that's 2,ooo words - this happens rarely, though)  Three an hour is more like it.  But sometimes, like yesterday, I can't even do two.

What I hate is at dinner time being only halfway through my article writing because they're mostly about cappuccino and espresso makers and my research on the subject necessarily begins with this search: "What is cappuccino/espresso".  You know it's going to be slow going when you have to ask for definitions of the keywords. 

Then I hate finally allowing my starving self to go make my favorite dinner ever (Skillet Ziti with Chicken and Broccoli, so simple but I cannnooooot stop eating it) for a break, only to find that I can't start cooking until I wash about every dish in the kitchen and clean up, too.  

I also hate when I've finally got the dishes done and look down and see the SAME crushed pretzel lying on the kitchen floor that I have not been sweeping up for two days because I've been on the verge of vacuuming any minute now (for two days) and I decide something MUST be done about it right this minute, as I slowly waste away in my hunger.  Instead of pulling out the the dustpan and little broom I get out the vacuum and proceed to vacuum the entire downstairs.  Then I decide to mop the entire downstairs too, before heading back into the kitchen to finally get dinner started.

Love:

I love sneaking away from my writing occasionally to read excellent posts about good friends meeting each other for the first time and their adventures. 

I love when I'm stressfully trying to wash those dishes quickly so I don't pass out or die of starvation before I can get dinner made, and Greg comes in and tells me something that cheers me up/horrifies me.  He's been really sick and he had to go see his accountant in town.  When he went in the office he told her right away, "I'm not going to shake your hand because I haven't been feeling well since I returned from a trip to Mexico."  She literally pushed off away from her desk and started stuttering.  Greg, being the evil person that he is, wanted to continue and pretend he hadn't heard about swine flu, but thought better of it and told her he was kidding.  What a terrible joke.

I love freshly vacuumed and mopped floors.  

I love eating Skillet Ziti with Chicken and Broccoli.

28 comments:

Annette Lyon said...

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who has stuff on the kitchen floor like that! And I do the same thing--go to the kitchen for something to eat, only to spend twenty minutes cleaning it first.

Oh, and you need to give us your Skillet Ziti with Chicken and Broccoli recipe. Really.

Barbaloot said...

I'm with Annette---that recipe sounds delicious:)

And I love Greg's joke. Hilarious!

Becky said...

I do the whole clean-the-entire-house-even-though-my-stomach-is-a-black-hole thing, too. It drives Adam CRAZY! He's always shouting over the vacuum cleaner for me to at least have a banana or something so I don't pass out. Boys...

Yeah, I want the recipe, too.

Pancake said...

Gregs joke was so dang funny!!!

I love fresh mopped floors too!

Susan said...

Hate: stepping over the same crushed pretzel for 2 days always about to do something about it (so me!)

Love: Greg's hilarious/horrible joke.

Lara Neves said...

This is why I am thankful that my husband cooks. He doesn't care if the kitchen is a wreck. :)

Fun post. And Greg is very evil, but very funny.

Randi said...

What a crack-up! I love that joke! Way to go Greg!

Kazzy said...

Love the pretzel on the floor thing. Been there sooo many times!

And that Ziti with Chicken and Broccoli sounds scrumptious!

Anonymous said...

I want that recipe too!! I love the Greg did that joke. Hee hee. Silly guy!

Anonymous said...

My basement is your kitchen, how cool that I'M not the only one....hehehehe!!!!!

I love my freshly mopped floor. though with two dogs, two cats, three sons, one husband, it doesn't stay freshly mopped for long....oh well...that's life.

Andi Kate, Children's Author said...

I decided to go on strike from sweeping my kitchen floor yesterday, since I'm getting so big in the belly and hate stooping with the dustpan. I thought there was no way Chris could just leave the nastiness there that had accumulated all day.

He did. Complete with a few sticky dishes and residue on the table. I wanted to leave it again today, but there were far more than ONE crushed pretzel to be seen!

Aquaspce said...

Yeah... you don't even want to know about my house right now and I only have 300 feet to vacuum...

Love the funny story though - and I think you should keep eating Skillet Ziti with Chicken and Broccoli probably so much better than this:

http://bit.ly/qcJvh

Lesley said...

Definitely post your recipe and tell your husband he's a stinker! (but he's also danged funny!)

Erin said...

Looks like I am not the only one who wants the recipe. So have there been any cases in Poland?

Heather of the EO said...

I hate that stuff too. Well, not the articles part, I don't do that. But I would probably hate being half-way when hungry.

And I love the posts about bloggy meetings too. I can dream :)

Heidi said...

Okay, so I hadn't read this when you commented on my blog and I responded b/c I start with the most recent and work my way backwards. For those who post in the morning or late in my night, they are the last ones I get to. VERY funny of Greg! hee hee

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

My intention to comment and say, What? No recipe? has been marred somewhat by not being the first or even second commenter to have that thought.

I'm really hungry suddenly, too.

Melanie Jacobson said...

I hate that you live so far away because I would LOVE to hang out with you. June, June, June...

Gwen said...

I can just picture the visit with the accountant! That is great! I believe crushed pretzels on the floor stand as a warning to the ants that all who come hither will be mashed...or some other equally fatal fate.

J. Baxter said...

Life takes on a different flavor when you work, doesn't it? Totally feeling your pain over here, just so you know.

melissabastow said...

Swine flu jokes.....so funny. But I'm a bit morbid. And I don't personally know anyone who's died (or HAD) the swine flu, so I can still laugh about it. But don't be making jokes about brain tumors or anything, because that's really no laughing matter. However, the word "ziti" sounds REEEEEEALY hilarious repeated aloud at 12:51 AM.

Unknown said...

You've brough up a perennial question for me: Why is it I can ignore the (pretzel, cookie, medium sized sheet cake) on the floor for days, only to decide that the time to clean it up is when I'm already trying to do six other things? While perishing from starvation? Or on a long distance call with my son's mission president? Why, LisAway??

Oh, and I've seen you commenting everywhere else and decided to drop by and say hello. Had no idea until I lurked the CRAP out of your blog that dropping by to say hello would require a passport!

I envy you your unconventional life. We did it for a number of years, and I miss the energy.

TisforTonya said...

Greg IS evil... in a hilarious way, but evil all the same :)

I usually have to do the whole "clean this" and "straighten that" before making dinner... but sometimes it ends up with no dinner being made because so much has to happen!

Jillybean said...

There are currently all sorts of crumbs on the floor under my kitchen table.
I've been waiting for one or more of the kids to sweep it up because:
1. They made the mess.
2. I've asked them to do it about a billion and three times.

I'm pretty sure that tomorrow I'll be sweeping up the crumbs.

Erin said...

Have broccoli. need recipe. Also have tons and tons of asparagus. Maybe I can use that too.

Sheri said...

LOVE the joke Greg.. Pawel will appriciate it! I met a Polish mom and her 2 kids at the mall today!

Mrs4444 said...

The stinker! :) Hope you feel more inspired soon, to blog, maybe, or to do whatever makes you smile.

charrette said...

Hi, it's me...just missing hearing from you, so I'm digging down in your archives to hear your voice...even if it was a month ago!

Your hatefest here sounds like If You Give A Mouse A Cookie! And the lovefest? is awesome. The food, the funny husband, the bloggers meeting other bloggers....

Hey, I can't remember whether I actually emailed you my address or not. So if not, let me know, okay? I seriously do want that package of all-things-Poland. And I wish I still lived in California so I could meet you in real life when you come for that wedding!