Etiquette Faux Pas, I think...

Tell me what you think about this:

When I invite people over for dinner and they ask what they can bring, I tell them, "Don't worry about it. Don't bring anything. I've got it covered."

It came to my attention that this makes people feel uncomfortable. Guests do not like to go to a place and not bring anything. This has been made clear to me a number of times. For example, when a friend brought flowers, and again when another friend brought fresh fruit. I wasn't bothered by the flowers or the fruit, I always enjoy fresh foliage and with fresh fruit you can't go wrong, but it got me to thinking. I need to start telling people to bring something.

Last weekend we had guests and they brought dessert. I asked them the very question I ask you, "Do you feel uncomfortable going to someone's house and not bringing anything?" Their answer was yes. And now it is clear. I am changing my ways. I will no longer tell guests they don't need to bring anything if they ask. Case closed. Unless I hear otherwise via comments or other conversations.

bp's science: how does a microwave work? (v.1)

The microwave motor coverts electric power into short - or micro - radio waves. These waves bounce back and forth inside the machine until they are absorbed by the water and fat molecules in the food. When the molecules are struck by a wave, they vibrate, which generates heat. Since the waves penetrate no deeper than 1.5 inches, the center of a dish is cooked by the conduction of heat from the outer layers of the food. (This is why you need to stir your beans halfway through cooking.) After the motor is turned off, the food continues to cook until the water molecules come to a standstill, so it's best to let a dish sit for 2 to 4 minutes before digging in.

Now don't all of your declarations of, "Man this food is really hot on the outside but not in the middle!" make sense?

explanation taken from REALSIMPLE, October 2010 issue

Home visit, Installment VI:

And now to end the home visit installments, we celebrate with Jess' brother's wedding. It was a wonderful affair, full of happy times, dancing, wedding cake, and one stunning couple. I love going to weddings, I must admit, and this one was superb. Oliver danced the night away to the live band. He was totally feelin' the beat and wiggling his head as he danced among the crowd. The view from the venue was spectacular, the company was marvelous, and it was a great way to end our visit back home.



clockwise: us in our wedding getup :: Oliver dancing to the band :: couples first dance

Home visit, Installment V:

Next up, a trip to the lake. Summer would not be summer if we didn't get into our swimsuits, enjoy a hot dog roast, and enjoy the lake. Our hosts always go above and beyond what we expect and we always have the best time. Oliver loved the new toys that were at the lake house, Jess rocked it on the slalom ski, and I was diggin every minute of it. We played tennis, "Ski[ed] the Lake", had shakes, drove a hybrid car (very cool), and relaxed. Wonderful.



clockwise: the fam on the boat :: relaxation on the hammock :: Ollie enjoys the life jacket :: Jess skis

bp's science: why does hairspray get ink out of clothes so well? (v.1)

A comment/question on a recent bp's science post led me to my topic for today.

Why is hairspray an excellent ink remover? Easy answer, it has a lot of alcohol in it, like ethanol. Alcohol acts as a solvent and works to get ink out. Solvents are liquids that dissolve other solids or liquids, in our case ink. Rubbing alcohol would work just as well too. If you are going to use a hairspray, make sure the hairspray you are using has a lot of alcohol in it.

Have you ever tried to get ink out with hairspray? I have and it works!

Home visit, Installment IV:

After Lagoon, we needed to get serious. I mean, c'mon. So off to my brother's graduation we went. It was good times, with the graduation going off splendidly. Wahoo to my brother! I was really glad I could be there. Here's the best photo I got of the grad. Needless to say, I don't have a zoom lens.


Then a visit down to Provo proved to be good times. Oliver must have climbed the porch stairs 20+ times. It's what hanging out with family on a summer night should be.

A pretty big summer rain came our direction in Salt Lake. We went out and watched the rain. My dad fell asleep to the dibble, dibble, dop. Oliver decided to go walk around in it. We had to come inside and warm up. Another pleasant summer afternoon.

bp's science: iron in your blood (v.1)

One of my main goals during the day is to make sure Oliver is getting enough iron. His doc said that we need to focus on that, and so I do. May I just tell you that this is kind of hard for me. I am getting better at it though. Let's just say Oliver likes chicken, but spinach, don't even try to fool him. And rice cereal, let's just say yogurt and applesauce make it edible.

This has led me to think more about my iron intake.

When I was little and I had a bloody nose or a scraped knee my mom and/or dad would say, "Well then, look at your blood. It's nice and dark. Looks like you're getting enough iron." To this day, whenever my nose bleeds or I get a cut, I check out my blood to make sure I'm getting enough iron. There have been times that my blood isn't a dark maroon like I like to see, but my love of iron-rich cereals I think is keeping me on track.

Iron makes your blood dark because it helps to build hemoglobin and healthier red blood cells. The more iron, the more healthy RBCs (red blood cells). Most people get just the iron they need from their diets in meat, beans, spinach, avocado, fruit, enriched pasta and cereal.

Cheers to dark blood! That sounds kind of wierd. I hope no strange internet searches lead here because I used the words "dark" and "blood" together.

Home visit, Installment III:

Next was our visit to Lagoon. I haven't been there for years, and boy have they fixed the place up. My sister and I were surprised to find no gum on the walls of the Terroride. Can you believe that? And I think there are just as many new rides as there are old ones. We were really lovin' it. Mostly my sister and me. All of the memories of 9th grade Lagoon day, Stake Lagoon day, and visiting Lagoon with the cousins came rushing back to us. The little ones loved it too. Oliver enjoyed the boats, went on the helicopters with both cousins (they were small enought to fit three in the helicopter), and even braved Puff the Magic Dragon! The Tidal Wave is still as great as ever, and the Colossus (aka the Fire Dragon) was a thriller. We ended up staying longer then we had planned which was a surprise to all of us. I guess it's what fun is.

clockwise: in the parking lot :: the old woman's shoe :: the Terroride :: our last hour at Lagoon

Home visit, Installment II:

Next stop, Heb. A visit wouldn't be the same without a trip up (and over) Parley's. We aimed to go boating, but the weather wasn't cooperating. Instead, we ate at Arby's (I'll say it here and I am not ashamed, I really enjoy their roast beef sandwiches. Always have, always will.), Oliver played in the sprinklers (it was hilarious, I'll spare you the video I took), and we fulfilled our need for speed. Jess and I don't get to do that too often here in the city, so we were happy to enjoy the open roads. At one point a Chevy Cobalt passed me, which I am not happy to admit, but it sure felt like I was screamin' up the canyon road. A great time had by all.



clockwise: sprinkler fun :: Oliver taking control in the airplaine :: Lotus S1

Home visit, in installments: Installment I

We shall forgo the science today and fill you in on our summer a bit. First part of our homebase visit was spent at the Provo house. We had a great time swimming in the kid pool, playing badminton, and having some barbeque. Too bad I didn't get a photo of the spoils. We had grilled fennel (a new favorite), pineapple, and of course some burgers. There's nothing like barbeque that declares "It's summer!"

It was great to see (almost) everyone. And I can't get enough of the porch swing.



clockwise: kiddie pool fun :: sunglasses and stuff :: summer fun :: waiting for the serve