OK, well this was supposed to be a quick trip into the lab to start cultures, but then I realized I was out of tryptophan and dammit, that shit takes forever to dissolve. So while I’ve got THAT going on….

THE ANSWERS TO EVERYTHING (except the meaning of life)

or

HOW MANY TIMES CAN I MENTION “PUDDING” IN A SINGLE POST?

Jamie asks:

WHY do I suddenly not care about my blog? It was all going so well. I feel no pressure. I simply don’t care if I never post again… Why?

Ah…blogging malaise. It happens to the best of us. You’ve got a lot of crap going on right now and it’s too much to deal with yourself, let ALONE trying to figure out how to put it in words for blogland’s greedy eyes. I suggest a blog sabbatical. Take a break. Relax. Deal with real life for a while. Instead of blogging, read a book, crochet or knit, or hell, watch TV. Smack your kids around some.

KIDDING!

I think we get burned out because we start to consider blogging an obligation. Like we have to put something interesting up so the people who read us will be satisified. NUH UH! I think we all had our personal reasons to start blogging, and probaby not too many of us started one to entertain OTHER people.

Just take a few weeks off, and then come back refreshed and ready to blog again

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Seth asks:

What is your favorite “liquid” dessert? i.e. jello, pudding, tapioca, mousse, etc…
What food item is always in your house?
What are a few things you would do if the lottery was won by you?

Whoa, 3 at once! Ummm…OK. Liquid dessert? Well, if I’m making it myself…PUDDING! mmmm…pudding. Any flavor. Chocolate and vanilla being the favorites. But I do have to say I love a gooood mousse. As long as someone else is making it!

Geez, with the amount of time I spend at the grocery store, what food item ISN’T always at my house?? I would have to say….pasta. And sauce. When I am too tired to be creative in the kitchen, I ALWAYS make sure I have pasta and a sauce-base of some kind around. With very little effort, I can make a VERY delicious dinner. Ummm…also we always have jello pudding mix around. YUM!

And the lottery? I’m assuming we’re talking the mega-millions here. Well, I’ve come too far in grad school to quit now, so I would probaby still get my pHD. I would upgrade our housing and vehicles, of course. Then afterwards…well…I’d probably get us a nice house in the woods some where, lots of land, near a lake, of course. And then…I don’t know. Persue the things I’ve always wanted. Not be lazy, though. Maybe if we were near a town, open up a small cafe style restaurant. Just serve breakfast and lunch, so I can be home in the evenings. Build Kev a big huge workshop and let him tinker with tools, wood, and cars all he wants. Basicially just enjoy life without financial worry.

And, of course, but lots and lots of really nice yarn.

BWAHA!

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Jennifer asks:

What is the scariest thing you and Kev have been through together?

Yikes! Well…let’s see. Nothing too over the top scary, thank God. Not long after we first started dating, my condo association went insane and sued me over my viscious dog. I don’t know who complained about her (I have an idea, though) or what they said or WHY they said it, but poor Sadie had to go live with Kev for a while (this was before we moved in together, of course) while I tried to work things out with the association. It was scary because I thought I might have to get rid of Sadie for good, AND try to come up with the HUGE INSANE amount of money the association was demanding. In the end I did have to pay a good chunk of it (I had to borrow it from my parents…I was so ashamed and horrified), but I did get Sadie back. The whole experience was scary because I no longer felt secure and welcomed in my own home. I am still nervous in my condo. Sadie doesn’t get as much outside time as she used to, because I’m afraid she’s going to bark at a cat in the wrong window and have to go through the process all over again. I also felt like I was living in insane world, because I kept hearing from the association that they don’t allow viscious dogs, and I kept saying SHE’S NOT VISCIOUS! HOW COULD YOU THINK SHE WAS VISCIOUS????

Anyway, that was more scary for me, not so much for Kev, who stood by me and took good care of my baby for those long months. But we got through it together, and that’s what’s important.

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BettyAgnes asks:

What are your top 3 - 5 favorite movies?When and how did you have your first peanut-allergic reaction? I mean, I guess the “how” is obvious; but did you have any idea what it was at the time? Do you have to use your Epi Pens very often?

OK, do you want a range of 3 to 5? I’m confused.

in no particular order;

1. The Princess Bride

2. Much Ado About Nothing

3. Clueless (shut UP, it’s FUNNY!)

We first discovered my nut allergy when I was about 2 years old. Up until that point, I had been happily eating PBJ sandwiches. But one time, my mother took me shopping to the big Kaufmann’s where they had a restaurant inside. She got me the standard PBJ….and I got sick and threw up. My parents figured out rather quickly that all nuts were off limits. It wasn’t a big surprise, as my father is allergic, too. But for most of my life, the worst reaction I would have was getting sick to my stomache. In fact, as I got older, it seemed that my reaction was getting milder. Until…a few years ago my advisor brought some chocolates back from France. The coffee flavored chocolate I popped in my mouth obviously containe more than just coffee flavored chocolate. I took some Benadryl and tried to wait it out…no good. After a while, I made myself throw up…but it was too late. My throat was swelling. That had never happened before. I ended up in the emergency room.

I was given a prescription for one epi pen to carry around, but in the back of my mind, I was hoping that it was a fluke, that the stupid french had engineered some “super” nut that had fucked me up. STUPID FRENCH FUCKERS!

A few months later I was at a party that was catered by an indian restaurant, and all the Indian people there assured me that everything was fine for me to eat. Nope. I started to get the funny feeling in the back of my throat. I popped some Benedryl and decided to wait it out. I stayed for another hour. My asthma started to kick up. I blamed it on the cat and puffed my inhaler. My hands got itchy. I said my goodbyes and drove home. I made myself throw up, but by that time, my face was swollen up big time. I was getting a rash on my palms and on my belly. It was a very different reaction from the last time. Eventually, I decided that treating myself was not helping. I gave myself the epi pen shot in the leg, and drove myself to the ER. The doctor was a little freaked out when I said I had given myself the shot. While it made my breathing easier, I was still pretty swollen. When I was released the following day, I had a prescription for TWO epi pens.

That was about…3 years ago. And I haven’t used my epi pens since. Not that I haven’t accidentally eaten a nut, but now I know the drill. THE SECOND I realize that I’ve eaten a nut, I IMMEDIATELY throw up, take a massive dose of benedryl, and then lay down. I’ve done this twice, and it worked. No epi pen or hospital neccessary.

KNOCK ON WOOD!

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Serra asks:

Have you and Kev ever staged “Fun With Porno Flick” Night? If so, how’d it go?

Do you mean filming our own porno? No. We don’t have a video camera. Yet. We’ve had fun with my digital camera before, and NO, NONE OF YOU WILL BE SEEING THOSE PICTURES!

If you mean do Kev and I enjoy watching porn together? Well, then. Yes. Yes we do. It’s always fun

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Sideshow Bob asks:

Are you really evil? If so, are you the “mean and nasty” kind or the “absense of good” kind?

And does your dog watch you guys do it?

I’m more evil in a mischievous kind of way. A little nasty. I don’t think I lack ALL good. I might be slightly good deficient, but I take vitamin supplements.

Sadie isn’t allowed in the bedroom, but not for that reason. She used to sleep next to the bed at night, but Kev came pretty close to stepping on her in the middle of the night too many times, so she sleeps in the sunroom in her big crate.

That being said…the bedroom is not the only place we “do it.” If Sadie happens to be in the same area when then festivities begin, she’ll usually give us a look like “oh not AGAIN” and wander off to her crate with a “humph.” However, if things get LOUD (ok, if I get loud) she’ll often come over to investigate because she thinks it’s play time. If she gets TOO “nosey” (nothing like a cold dog nose on your butt to ruin the mood), she’ll be banished to the crate again.

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JP asks:

So, when you guys are doing it, where is the dog? Does he watch, yawn, run the other way? Where the hell is he? I can’t perform if a dog is watching me. I feel like I’m being critiqued.

Everyone is concerned about Sadie! Kev gets creeped out if she just stares at him. But she does that ALL the time, not just during nookie. (a simple AAAAAAAGH! STOP IT! usually gets her to look away). But I don’t think either one of us is too concerned if Sadie catches a good show now and again

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Julie asks:

What items of food have you and Kev used in the bedroom. And don’t tell me none, because you both like food and sex, it is a logical combination.

Actually, we don’t use food in the bedroom that often. I think it’s a messiness factor. Both of us are a little too anal (HA!) to purposely make a mess that, after the fesitvities end, will be a pain to clean up.

Not that we haven’t done ANYTHING with food. Never underestimate the fun that can be had with a can of whipped cream and some gently warmed ice cream toppings. But as far as rolling around on a rubber sheet and a gallon of chocolate pudding….no.

But actually…now that’s sounding pretty good….

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Dammit…Janet (heehee…can’t resist) asks:

Did you read the article about the cheerleaders having sex in the public restroom. What do you think they were doing exactly, and have you ever done the same thing with Kev or anyone else in a public restroom?

I did hear about the incident…HA! Nekkid cheerleaders DOIN’ IT! If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it was a ruse set up by the Bush administration to divert our attention away from more important issues. NEKKID CHEERLEADER CONSPIRACY!

And….no. I’ve never done anything like that.

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Se7en asks:

Salami or bologna? And why?

Salami. HARD Salami (hey, stop giggling over there!). Because it’s spicy and greasy and mmmmm….so good! (I MEAN IT! Stop laughing!)

I like it on a sandwich with crispy icebert lettuce and yellow mustard.

Bologna is just too bland.

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so that’s it! Some really good questions this time. Hope I answered them all to everyone’s satisfaction. and if not…TOUGH TOENAILS! Have a great weekend!

oh, and PUDDING!