tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92945412024-03-13T13:05:27.472-05:00life in the petri dish<i>...it's amazing how it grows</i>Jenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.comBlogger273125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-7448635786751418942012-02-02T22:11:00.002-05:002012-02-02T22:18:18.299-05:00On Permanent HiatusIn case anyone is actually stopping by here any more, I wanted to let you know that I am officially retiring Life in the Dish but haven't given up on sharing with the interwebs. You can find me over at The Dish on This (just down the block and across the street). I wanted to change gears a bit, and it felt too awkward to do it here. (Plus the place is really dusty after all this time sitting Jenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-40560951799735270762011-02-16T23:26:00.002-05:002011-02-16T23:40:47.361-05:00The Facebook EffectI noticed in horror that it has been nearly three months since I updated the blog, and I have only one excuse, one torrid addiction to blame. Facebook. The little quips throughout the day, the immediate interaction with friends, the reading of others' quips en mass in short order. Oh, it is like yummy Internet Nirvana. And it makes me neglect you, dear blog.Of course, it doesn't help that I get Jenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-29347241999340140602010-11-29T22:44:00.002-05:002010-11-29T23:43:22.305-05:00Nearly DoneI have to say that there is one fantastic thing about having a really short Christmas list this year (besides the ease on the pocket)--I'm nearly done with it. I'm one of those annoying people who wants so much to have just the right gift to give. Of course, I also want to find the bargain of the century. I absolutely detest the Black Friday stampedes (not to mention that I am NOT and never Jenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-56478580091641688792010-11-21T23:41:00.002-05:002010-11-22T00:00:22.044-05:00On PatienceIt seems that our lives have become a rerun. The house has been on the market for about six weeks, and the traffic has dropped off to less than a trickle. In the first three weeks, we had six showings and an open house with 10 visits. Pretty fantastic given the time of year and the location of the house. And then...nothing. But we were encouraged by the initial flurry of visitors. Then, theJenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-91960761456289056422010-10-07T23:56:00.003-05:002010-10-08T00:07:42.209-05:00Whirlwinds R UsBig news first--Mr. Moo came home from the hospital three days post surgery and hasn't skipped a beat (HA--*beat*) since. In fact, it took all of my energy to keep him from hurting himself as he did have a sternum that had been wired shut and all. But we are past the point in healing where he has any restrictions, and he is proud as punch to show anyone who happens to ask about the surgery his Jenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-39094906329568934432010-07-16T20:54:00.002-05:002010-07-16T21:06:32.352-05:00Tubes and GlueI am happy to report that Mr. Moo's surgery this morning went very well and he is recovering nicely. Not that I will relax until he's, like, 18 or something, but I should be able to sleep tonight even though my bed is only two feet from him (read: the alarms have stopped, finally). I have been warned of a 3am x-ray (although the nurse also said that if I didn't want to get up she could just "Jenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-67175139211383423322010-07-10T21:16:00.004-05:002010-07-13T12:21:21.436-05:00The Heart of the MatterI've got a lot on my mind these days, but without question the biggest thing is Mr. Moo's upcoming surgery. Sorry to just drop it on you like that, but I really couldn't come up with a clever way to introduce the topic because, well, I'm a bit of a stressed out mamma at the moment. This coming Friday, my little pumpkin goes under the knife to correct a ventral septal defect (VSD) that he has Jenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-23774538041330218462010-06-01T14:31:00.002-05:002010-06-01T14:36:53.120-05:00Blog Tour: You're Not the Boss of MeI was so excited to be chosen as part of the Mom Central blog tour* of You’re Not the Boss of Me: Brat-Proofing Your 4- to 12-Year-Old Child because I feel that no matter how hard I have been trying to avoid it, we are heading down that path in our home. Sure, my oldest just turned five and his younger sister is only two, so I’m really at the beginning of the range Betsy Brown Braun talks aboutJenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-19301840062746949622010-05-26T22:31:00.002-05:002010-05-26T22:52:38.743-05:00Movin' on UpSo, after a surprisingly short discussion, we have decided that relocating to the other neighborhood appears to be a really good idea. One of the biggest factors is the dramatic reduction in our commute. Less driving = less stress + more time with the kids + more time for life. I will admit that I often find myself having to stop for a moment to work up the fortitude to stomach the commute Jenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-79926605022410278172010-05-01T09:23:00.003-05:002010-05-01T09:56:52.888-05:00Expensive musings(Yes, I've been blog silent, busy busy, yadda yadda, enough of that...)Lately I have been pondering some really expensive ideas. Like moving to a different neighborhood ideas. And I can't seem to shake it. But then it's completely illogical because we really love our house, we have really nice neighbors, and we live about five miles from my parents. All good. But then I see the many goods ofJenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-18712148093514932442010-03-04T22:59:00.005-05:002010-03-04T23:12:33.015-05:00Snowblown AwaySo, February goes on the books as the snowiest month in Pittsburgh history, and I have to say...I'm done. I am normally a polar bear at heart. Bring on the cold and snow, and then give me a mug of hot chocolate and a book by which to enjoy it (polar bears don't ski, you know). But feeling as if I am trapped in my own home by the relentless inches that keep piling up all around me? Not so muchJenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-71767694990107974542010-01-23T19:10:00.002-05:002010-01-23T20:29:11.960-05:00KniftyI got to feed the crafy beast this morning *and* do work for my new job at the same time. Score! One of my fellow staff members will be running a knitting and crocheting class for some of our residents, and because we are a nonprofit, we reached out the the community for donations of yarns and needles. I got an almost immediate response to my request from the lovely Jenn B. who offered a Jenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-90824865540138626192010-01-18T13:01:00.002-05:002010-01-18T13:21:15.719-05:00Whirlwinds of changeI'm not sure if anyone is even stopping by here any more, especially given my extreme blog silence, but seeing as I don't want to give up the blog (and would like very much to start posting here more), I am adding "blogging" to the list of things I will pay more attention to in 2010. My 2010 list is already a pretty interesting collection. To ring in the new year, I got myself a new job. I Jenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-57621620533171892122009-11-10T16:07:00.001-05:002009-11-10T16:09:17.599-05:00The world according to my kidsThe red condiment commonly used on French fries is “dippy.” If more than one variety of dippy is available, they are also designated by color, “red dippy, yellow dippy, white dippy,” and so forth.The man with the big white beard and red suit that breaks into kids’ houses at the end of December is called “Tinkerbell.” (Boudica-specific nomenclature)The little squishy, stretchy toy animals (think Jenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-33070771505611667692009-11-05T14:32:00.007-05:002009-11-05T15:34:05.384-05:00Risotto al funghiBack when we first started dating, Mr. D gave me an Italian vegetarian cookbook (I can't remember if I was still a veg-head at that point or had just recently been). I can't find a link to the book or I would share it because it is chock full of lovely recipes. One thing I learned to make from this book is risotto, and while it does take some patience to make, it really is yummy stuff.On SundayJenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-82892137340029997112009-10-29T13:46:00.002-05:002009-10-29T13:54:39.627-05:00Deep ThoughtsBeyond the obvious fact that I've not posted here for two months (I think that's a new record for me), suffice it to say that I've been crazy busy with work and life and such. But I wanted to share a quick tidbit from the mouths of babes (specifically Mr. Moo):Mr.Moo: Mommy? Who picked you?Me: Picked me? For what?Mr.Moo: Who picked you?{this went back and forth about a half dozen times...Jenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-37188165376595846742009-08-27T13:52:00.002-05:002009-08-27T14:02:10.155-05:00Hola. ¿Como esta?Why is it that when you have a few relatively innocuous events coming up, they always seem to rally together into the Horrific Week of Doom? I mean it. I will have weeks go by with not much going on (of substance, that is; I always have something going on in general). Then, all of a sudden, it seems that every event that requires a personal action from me and works on a firm deadline is Jenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-51412040314960165712009-08-19T10:41:00.003-05:002009-08-19T10:46:16.695-05:00Overheard at 7amMr. Moo, upon waking, starts rambling on at 90mph...Hi Mommy! I'm really hungry! And my mah-keeel-yon is really hungry, too. He would like some fly cereal please.Jenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-91156918396373714522009-08-11T12:29:00.003-05:002009-08-11T12:30:32.007-05:00Not MissingJust chilling out in Rhode Island with the in-laws. The kids are eating up all of the attention with a spoon (or, as my MIL would say, a "shhhpoon").Catch you on the return home...Jenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-44178937853591809162009-07-27T12:19:00.002-05:002009-07-27T12:26:08.085-05:00It Was a Matter of TimeThis weekend, as we enjoyed our Saturday morning laze-around in our jammies and eat breakfast event (which doesn't happen nearly as often as I'd like), we realized that Mr. Moo can read without pictures. And a lot faster than we thought, too. As we were surfing the TV menu, trying to find something that would not rot the kids' brains but also not make us want to pull out every last strand of Jenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-34023900927399479132009-07-20T12:29:00.002-05:002009-07-20T12:55:05.447-05:00Ick FactorFor the last few weeks, our house has been the epicenter of a viral infection* that just won't quit. It's the one that everyone seems to be getting these days--the lingering cough, mild cold-like symptoms, and did I mention the cough? I have been coughing for three weeks now, Mr. D has been coughing for longer, and the kids are following suit. No one is sleeping, everyone is coughing, so it's Jenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-26203840818112800922009-07-09T23:47:00.004-05:002009-07-09T23:56:11.044-05:00Carefree Fresh Start Blog TourThe lovely folks at Mom Central invited me to be part of the Carefree Ultra Protection Liners blog tour, and I was glad to do it because, well, I’m a woman, I wear pantiliners, and I certainly do have an opinion. But first, I wanted to tell you about a cool giveaway being sponsored by Carefree called the Fresh Start Fund. The Carefree Fresh Start Fund is aimed at helping women make a fresh startJenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-16234392283339054422009-07-01T15:43:00.006-05:002009-07-01T16:21:39.828-05:00Beach BumsI mentioned that we went on vacation a month ago but never followed through with a post, so here is my vacation wrap-up. So you can sleep at night. You're welcome.I have to admit that I am not a person drawn to a beach vacation. Between the extreme risk for repeated melanoma (I'm not getting linky today, but for those new to the blog, I've had it twice already) and my dislike for hot weather, theJenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-38246045303598682002009-06-16T22:10:00.002-05:002009-06-16T22:36:49.713-05:00Back in ServiceWow--it's amazing what a bit of scrambling to finish work before a vacation--followed by said vacation--followed by catching up on work that piled up while you were gone will really eat into blogging time. Sheesh! But, first things first--NO SURGERY for Mr. Moo. Yay and yay. I guess I should have posted that long ago even if it was just that, huh? Bad blogger. Bad. Now, we will go back forJenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9294541.post-33412849300063917192009-05-21T15:50:00.001-05:002009-05-21T15:52:30.019-05:00Fore!I am not a golfer—never have been, don’t expect that I ever will be. But for some reason as I was thinking of a way to compose this post, the interjection, “Fore!” jumped into my head as a summary of the holding pattern I find our lives in at the moment. Golfers will yell “Fore!” because it sounds a lot nicer than, “Hey you! I’m sending a hard round object in your direction so you might want Jenn (dish)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02235027548873530253noreply@blogger.com1