Ranty Mc Rant...

Whoo, boy. The boy was MUCH happier today so I was able to focus more on what atrocities I've been ignoring in favor of vacation. But before that, I will share some truly terrific recipes I got from the Food Network. I don't know if anyone followed this year's "The Next Food Network Star," but the winner, Melissa d'Arabian, is a wonderful mother of four little girls under 5 who has a wealth of information about cooking. Also, her recipes are delicious! I prepared her Rustic Lemon and Onion Four-Step Chicken on a bed of wilted spinach with individual potato gratins (prepared in muffin tins!). Highly recommended. Even I could get it done in about an hour. Yum!

Ok, on to ranting. I allow the boy to watch Sesame Street. He gets a kick out of the Muppet characters in particular. However, the program following it, "Word World," has one feature that really bugs me. The show features all manner of creatures made up of the letters that spell their names (Bear, Duck, Cat, Ant, Pig, etc.), but ALL of them talk except for Dog, who only barks. Apparently everyone understands him anyway, but it really bothers me that somehow EVERY other animal can speak English except the dog. Oh, and Duck is a redneck. 

And what is up with the doors on public restrooms? It seems like at least 80% of them have the door mounted where the handle is on the inside. Anyone who knows that way too many people (even the women!) don't wash their hands after using the bathroom realizes that even if you wash your hands, if you have to touch a door handle that unwashed hands have touched, you re-contaminate them. OR you use ANOTHER paper towel to keep your hand from being re-contaminated. Really, how hard is it to mount the door with the handle on the outside so you can push to get OUT??? GRR!!!

Haiku News

Peanut-free night lets

allergic kids watch baseball

game without fear. Yay!

Typhoon in Taiwan

strands two hundred villagers,

turns roads into swamps.

Woman throws a mug

at Mona Lisa, but art

protected by glass.