Wishful Slacker

On Genetics and Us

I was once cornered by an individual who began firing off questions about personalized genomics.  He had done his research.

"Do you know how many conditions companies like "23 and Me" can test for?"
No.
"Now I read that all of us are carriers of at least 7 or 8 recessive genetic conditions.  Is that true?"
Yes.
"Well, how do they know that is true?  Have they tested everyone?  Do they revise that number over time?  Have they tested the eskimos?"

Anyways, this went on for several minutes, but the topic is one that I have found particularly interesting since grad school.  Now, I am not as much interested in WHAT these new personalized genomics companies have to offer.  Rather, I am more interested in people's responses to learning that they could potentially have access to this very personal genetic information.

Here's the deal.  When we think of "genetic disease," we frequently think of what we call "single gene disorders."  One gene has a mutation, and that mutation leads to that individual being affected with a genetic condition.  One gene, One disease.  Sickle cell disease.  Duchenne muscular dystrophy.  Cystic fibrosis.  You get the picture.

Over time, we are learning that the majority of conditions and diseases do not fit into the "one gene, one disease" category.  Rather, these fall into the category of multifactorial disease, which means that there are likely many, many genes, and many, many environmental factors, that all interact with each other.  Line up certain genetic variations with different environmental prompts, and you have a complex multifactorial condition.  Lupus.  Multiple sclerosis.  Type II Diabetes.  Parkinson's disease.

Several direct-to-consumer companies have developed genetic testing that can be ordered from a private individual's home and sent directly to a lab with no doctor involved.  Some of these companies have genetic counselors, others do not.  Some of these companies help their customers and their customers' physicians interpret their results, others do not.  Several of these labs do offer testing for single gene conditions on their panel.  In addition to testing for known single gene disorders, many direct-to-consumer companies also offer risk assessments for common complex and multifactorial diseases.  A big area of research at the moment involves trying to locate variations in our genes, or polymorphisms, that could confer an increased RISK for a condition.  What this means is that this polymorphism, in conjunction with other genetic and environmental factors, could lead to disease.  As you can imagine, the confounding variables in these studies are numerous (for example, did this polymorphism influence this disease, or was it that this individual lived next to a tire manufacturing plant for 30 years?).  There is still much to learn in this area, and many feel that we're far away from giving accurate risk assessments for individuals based on our current limited knowledge of the diseases that affect people today.

Here is what interests me.  Many people, probably including the individual I mentioned above, would be a kid on Christmas morning if they could get their hands on their own personal genomics report.  To be able to say, "well look at that, they found that I carry a risk factor for heart disease" holds great value for many.  But what will they do with that information?  In grad school, we had several discussions about where the health focus should be in today's society.  We all support the research and advances that have developed over the years in treating single gene disorders and the testing that has allowed other family members the ability to know if they are at risk.  But what are the greatest concerns for the health of people in developed nations in this world? 

The modern lifestyle that has brought us so much has also been dangerous to our health, despite the amazing health care gains that have developed over the past 100 years.  There are numerous medical conditions that affect low-risk individuals for reasons we do not understand.  However, for many of us, our risks for disease would decrease significantly if we were to change our daily habits.  It is difficult to leave the comforts that bring us pleasure, like smoking, the sedentary life, and food.  I took some very eye-opening courses in the Public Health Department when I was at U of M, where the discussion focused on helping individuals to address their ambivalence over change.  We learned about identifying the personal barriers to change, and what small steps could lead to minimizing those barriers.  The bottom line is that change can really, really suck.

While direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies advertise the benefits of knowing if one carries an increased genetic susceptibility to multifactorial diseases, we as individuals may not understand that our greatest control in our health lies in our behaviors.  That is what concerns me.  So what if you carry a polymorphism present in 5% of the population that is thought to influence one's risk for hypertension.  Is that going to get you to drop those 30 pounds and adopt a healthier lifestyle?  You tell me.    

 

Winter's Cruelty- aka, the hotter the shower, the drier the skin

I have the winter itch.  The colder the temps, the more I itch.  The colder I feel, the longer I stand in a steamy hot shower.  And the longer and hotter the shower, the more I itch.  How is this fair?

In our new apartment, we have one of the most amazing showers I have ever seen in my life.  Do you see all those shower heads?  When our lease is up, I may handcuff myself to the towel bar.  I love me a hot shower or bath.  Sometimes during the day when I am cold, I imagine myself walking around wearing a large box full of hot water.  An opaque portable bath of sorts.

To be totally honest, my wish for this portable bath was a desire of yesterday.  In actuality, I really haven't been very cold during the day recently, mainly because I am now addicted to my long johns.  I bought a pair of long underwear from REI last year, and it was probably the best $30 I've ever spent.  They are thin and breathable and the best accessory ever invented.  I've become so addicted, that even after the temps creep back up into the 20's and 30's, I can't take them off.  If I leave without them, it feels like the tundra.  I almost accidentally wore them to my pedicure last Saturday. 

So, back to dry skin.  When we were at Ikea last month, we were surprised to see that they have come out with a line of toiletries- body and hand lotion, and shampoo and conditioner.  Having left my chapstick at home, I had hoped with all my might that there was new Ikea chapstick, but I was not that lucky!  All of their products seemed to be very decently priced at less than $3.  We bought a body lotion to try out, and I have to say that we've been very pleased with it.  It is pretty thick and is fairly quick-drying.  I would definitely buy some more in the future, but Jim and I have forbidden ourselves to return to Ikea for at least a few months! 

 While I love finding nice lotions and other toiletries for cheap, I've also discovered a deep down desire to splurge every so often.  We took a Chicago staycation last spring and stayed at the Hotel Monaco downtown.  If I could, I'd say that it's the best hotel in Chicago.  But I am far from having been in every hotel in the city, so therefore this is a claim I cannot support.  You get the idea though, I loved this hotel.  The soap freebies at this place were L'Occitane products, the verbena scent.  Oh they were just lovely.  The scent is so fresh and lemon-y.  I happened to have a ziploc bag with us and actually brought home the used soap that we had used while at the hotel because I could not BEAR the thought that it'd be thrown away (ARGH I'M MY MOTHER!!)!  As for the other unused L'Occitane travel products that we brought home from that stay, I found myself using them slowly over the next few months when I really needed something nice.  Since I loved them so much, when it came time to ask for things for Christmas, I put it down on my list.  I received L'Occitane bar soaps, lotions, shower gels, and shampoo and conditioner.  Oh, happiness.

Let me finish by sharing a really nice website, Real Food Rehab.  I saw Dana Joy Altma on our local news a few months ago, and really like her message.  She is all about promoting healthy living through eating good, pure foods and practicing self-care.  I particularly liked her blog post from after the New Year, Ten Ideas to Make Your Life Better in 2010. 

Quality trumps quantity.  After I run out of my L'Occitane Christmas gifts, I may actually head out and buy some for MYSELF!  Shocker!

Food Certainty

I am starting another writing class tomorrow, and over the past couple weeks I've gotten back to doing some writing warm ups.  One of the resources I've consulted is Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones.  In it, she strongly encourages making "writing practice" a part of one's writing regimen.  "Writing practice" involves sitting down with pen and paper and just writing about WHATEVER.  The pen should never stop and there should be little thought to proper form or punctuation.  It should be almost meditative.  And if your mind is full of self-deprecating thoughts, she recommends starting your writing practice by getting it all out.  So I sat down tonight with my notebook and started writing about how no matter how much I would love to become a writer, all my work will come to nothing and I will be burned out forever (again- Natalie says the more we get all this crap out, the more we learn to just ignore it.  So I decided to go all out with Sunday night negativity). 

Then, as my pen flowed across the paper, I started writing about my typical day of work.  Not work as I know it now, but work as I would love it to be.  Without going into much detail, let's just say that it involved coffee, a cozy home office, midday cucumber sandwiches, and sprints to the local coffee shop for a change in scenery.

Sha-right.  As if.  We know life does not just align itself the way we desire (there's that whole issue of money and health insurance and groceries and rent), and even our "dream" situation would come with its own list of pros and cons.  I think this is why I love to cook.  Whoa- change of subject, yes?  But hear me out- food and cooking creates for us a constant.  It is stable and inviting.  You don't cook because you HAVE to.  While we HAVE to work, none of us HAVE to cook- we could just stock up on tator tots and frozen meals if we wanted.  And if a meal causes us a lot of stress because the garlic burns while our backs are turned, well there is always the option to pitch it and call for a pizza.  No matter how sucky my day is, no matter how drained I am, I can always look forward to cooking a good meal.  And I know I just posted a similar sentiment last week, but it's just a thought I've been considering a lot recently.  We cooked some great meals last week, and looking back, I felt happier as the week progressed, even though I had a lot on my plate at work.  It probably also helped that I had last Monday off.  Curses! 

So, speaking of food, here's a great meal we had TWICE this week, three-cheese broccoli lasagna.  This is another Real Simple recipe, and it was great.  The recipe does not make a huge tray of lasagna, though you could of course easily double the size.  I ended up with a large amount of the broccoli-cheese mixture left over from when we had the dish last week.  I used the leftover mixture tonight for an encore lasagna, which we had with my brother- and sister-in-law and nephew.  Just like last week, it tasted good tonight.  As our 4 year nephew exclaimed after he took his first bite, "THIS IS SUPER!"  What greater endorsement do you need than that?

Broccoli and Three-Cheese Lasagna
From Real Simple magazine, December 2009

Serves 4Hands-On Time: 15m

Total Time: 1hr 10m

Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce container ricotta (about 1 3/4 cups)
• 1 pound frozen broccoli florets—thawed, patted dry, and chopped
• 2 1/4 cups grated mozzarella (9 ounces)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 16-ounce jar marinara sauce (we used a 24 oz jar and 2/3 c cream)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the foil
• 4 cups mixed greens
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400º F. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, broccoli, 2 cups of the mozzarella, ¼ cup of the Parmesan,½  teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. In a small bowl, combine the marinara sauce and cream.
2. Spoon a thin layer of the sauce into the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Top with 2 noodles, a quarter of the remaining sauce, and a third of the broccoli mixture; repeat twice. Top with the remaining 2 noodles and sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of mozzarella and ¼ cup of Parmesan.
3. Cover tightly with an oiled piece of foil and bake until the noodles are tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Toss the greens with the olive oil, lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the lasagna.

Creating Our Family Wall

My dad is from Doncaster, England, and my experiences with his family involve happy spurts of togetherness surrounded by years of separation.  I have not been there in 5 years, yet in my mind I can walk from room to room in my grandfather's house, passing through the yellow kitchen, glimpsing into the dining room and lounge, and walking up the red carpeted stairs to the bedrooms on the second floor.  I can even capture the comforting smells of the house- hints of floral and spring that linger on the wrapping paper used for our Christmas gifts and remain in our guest room for days after our relatives return home after a visit to the States.  As a child I would frequently sneak into this room after my grandparents' departure, allowing that scent to surround me as I mourned them gone.  Now as an adult I accept the distance between us and our family for what it is, and possess the confidence to know that, despite our infrequent meetings, I remain a part of them. 

My grandfather's house is the museum of the Walker family, and through this role it seems to have developed its own soul.  Strolling from one room to the next you are surrounded by a history captured in picture frames- from my grandparents in World War II to my blond-haired father as a school boy, standing behind a pram with his older sisters.  There are pictures of my cousins, squinting into the sun on the day of their college graduations, and the line of Walker dogs properly remembered- Skip and Rex and Basil and Dusty. Photographs of my grandmother hang prominently in the lounge, alongside her needlework.  Interspersed among the family pictures are watercolor paintings of Snowdonia, Caernarfon Castle, the city of York, and the Dales, along with slate wall hangings and Welsh love spoons.  To know and understand the elements of life that held meaning for my grandparents requires that you simply walk through their house.  There is such a beauty in that.

Many, many miles away, my grandparents' house influences my thoughts on the home that I would like to create.  And while Jim and I have yet to find ourselves in our permanent home, we at least can still pound some nails in the wall!  We had a family wall in our old apartment in Lincoln Park, and a couple weekends ago I started to recreate this space in our new home in Roscoe Village.  I decided to place the pictures along the wall that is at your back when sitting at our desk.  That way we can glance at the wall when entering the room and sitting down at the desk to work, but can go ahead and be productive without continuously staring at everyone's picture (I'm not sure if Jim would do this, but for me, I would find myself staring off into space if I had all those pictures within view!). 

We have a LOT of wall space in this new place, and I wanted to share the feline portraits that we now have framed in our kitchen.  The black and white cat was Oliver.  I actually drew that with magic markers 3 years ago and hung it near his litter box (I'm a total weirdo when it comes to our cats- I understand this).  I could never find it in my heart to get rid of this picture, and on a whim I framed it.  Then I thought, well, we now also need a picture of Major!  So I sat down with the markers and created Major's portrait.  It's okay if you think we're both bizarre for hanging these, but we love them.  Major is pleased too.

 

Whiskey Sun

I took this picture on Monday when I was home for the day and actually got to witness the white winter sun coming through the living room.  It just made the whiskey bottles look so pretty...

Slow Cooker Cuban Braised Beef and Peppers

We had a slow-cooker Sunday yesterday, choosing this Cuban braised beef and peppers dish that was in December's Real Simple magazine.  This was a really wonderful dish.  Tender, tender beef, nice sweet flavor, and a total cinch to make.  The only time-consuming part was cutting up the red peppers.  Unlike other slow cooker recipes, there is no need to brown the meat beforehand or do other prepping.  I've prepared other slow cooker meals in the past and you feel like you need to get up at 6 am just to get everything all prepped!  We plopped it all in the slow cooker yesterday late morning around 11 then had it cook for about 8 hours.  I started up some brown rice a half hour before we ate, and that was it!  Jim got the leftovers for lunch today and said that they were amazing.  The avocado we received yesterday morning from Peapod arrived hard as a rock so we had to give that a pass, though I wished that I had some type of "insta-ripen" spell so that we could have added it at the end!  I'm not a huge fan of cilantro, but it really works in this meal.

Slow Cooker Cuban Braised Beef and Peppers


Serves 4  
Hands-On Time: 10m
Total Time: 8hr 30m

 

Ingredients

• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 red bell peppers, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut crosswise into thirds
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

 

Directions

1. In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, oregano, cumin, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Nestle the steak among the vegetables. Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
2. Twenty-five minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.
3. Using two forks, shred the beef and mix it into the cooking liquid. Serve with the rice and top with the avocado and cilantro.

The Help

I have to say that I am really surprised that certain offices, including mine, are closed in recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  My coworkers and I experienced a true slap in the face as we were preparing for our clinics that are to take place this week.  One by one you could you hear one of us shriek, "OH MY GOD THAT'S RIGHT!  We aren't here on Monday!"  Someone could read this and envision the exclamation blanketed in tones of bliss and happiness.  But that person would be mistaken.  Rather, imagine the sentiment sounding similar to one groaning about owing taxes or needing a root canal. Like The Biggest Loser's "last chance workout," Monday is our day to prepare for the madness ahead.  You get the picture. No Monday= big problem.

But, que sera, sera, and here I am at home with the whole day to myself.  And I am hoping to enjoy it sans work as much as possible.  Since today is designated as the day to honor Martin Luther King, Jr and all that he stood for, I wanted to share with you one of the best books that I have read in a very long time, The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  My mother-in-law was the one who tipped me off to this book, and when I went onto Amazon and saw that it received 4.5/5 star ratings from over 1,000 reviewers, I decided that it was worth it to purchase my own copy.  The story takes place in Mississippi in the 1960's and describes the lives of black women who serve as "the help" for white families.  The narrative is rich and complex, and features several strong women with whom you find yourself truly connecting as the story unfolds.  When I finished the book, I found myself missing Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter as though they were real friends of mine.  The story makes your heart ache in some areas and rejoice in others, and it reminds you of how far we have come in the past 50 years.  I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.

   

Meal planning and Basil Veggies

Well hello and happy Sunday! I find myself in the middle of a 3 day weekend, as our office is closed on Monday for MLK Day.  This is probably the one day of the entire year that I have off that many people do not, including my husband.  Not that I won't enjoy it, don't get me wrong.  But I am already anticipating that I'll feel like I'm playing hooky!

As you can tell from previous blog posts, I've been off my game recently with the weather, darkness, work, etc.  We have been in our new place for almost 2 months now, but you would think it's been far less than that based on the appearance of some of our rooms!  We have all this new space but nowhere to put anything, and very little motivation to actually go about trying to solve this dilemma.  The issue is most prevalent in our second bedroom.  I spent several hours in there last Sunday, kicking around boxes and stuffing files into our file cabinet, while muttering to myself, "Just put everything away- organize later!"  I have a grand plan to turn that room into a nice cozy workspace...but we're just stuck for now!  This was one pile that we cleared out yesterday, in preparation for our new dining room table that will be delivered next week.  Yay!

Typically, I do really enjoy meal planning and preparing good meals.  It just makes me feel good.  I rely greatly on looking forward to things, and there is nothing like getting through your work day by knowing that you plan to make a good dinner that evening.  We watched the movie Julie & Julia last night.  It was a cute movie (though I do need to talk to someone else about the ending- did Julia really not like what Julie was doing?).  At one point, Julie comments that no matter how tumultuous your day is, you can always find comfort in the consistency of ingredients coming together to make a dish.  I agree with that whole-heartedly.  It does take some planning, which is what I've neglected recently.  Yesterday morning I woke up, sat down with my cookbooks, and planned some meals.  I then placed a Peapod order, and now we find ourselves with a full kitchen and a week's worth of meals to make!  It feels awesome.  Our fridge is stocked with so much produce- cherries, clementines, blueberries, leeks, parsnips, broccoli, cilantro, mixed greens and arugula, and red peppers.  

This week's meals:
Cuban braised beef and peppers (in the slow cooker as we speak!)
Pasta with lentils and arugula
Spicy black bean cakes
Creamy parsnip soup
Broccoli and 3 cheese lasagna

YUM!!!  I like to rotate cookbooks for simplicity when I meal plan, and this week I have chosen a mixture of recipes from Real Simple magazine and the Martha Stewart Everyday Food cookbook.  I will make sure to post any good outcomes!  As part of my New Years resolution, I am cutting back on my meat consumption, so today's braised beef dinner is the only non-vegetarian meal we're having this week. 

Another new thing I have done is created a "Featured Recipes" tab at the top of my blog.  If you click on that, you will find the different dishes I have posted in the past.  I am hoping this makes these recipes more accessible.

I will leave you now with the dish that we made last night.  I obtained this recipe from my friend Christina over a year ago, and it's a good one.  It is so easy to make, and we've designated it as our "go to" fancy dish for evenings when we're clueless on what to make for dinner.  You just need to stop for basil, veggies, garlic, feta cheese, and couscous on your way home and then you're all set.  

Basil Veggies and Couscous

2T minced fresh basil

2T balsamic vinegar

1T olive oil

1/4 t salt

2 crushed garlic cloves

2 medium zucchini cut into one inch slices

1 medium yellow bell pepper cut into one inch pieces

1 red bell pepper cut into one inch pieces

1 medium red onion cut into 8 wedges

1 8oz package mushrooms

3 cups hot cooked couscous

feta cheese

pepper

 

Preheat oven to 425. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Add zucchini, peppers, onion and mushroom. toss well to coat. Arrange in single layer in shallow pan. Cover and bake at 425 for 35 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Spoon veggies over couscous. Top with feta cheese and pepper.

Sent to my husband at 4:15 this afternoon

Subject: High and Dry

Dear Jim,

I know I told you I would plan dinner.  I have given absolutely no thought to this.  You may wish to consider interceding if you are interested in food this evening. 

btw work sucks, and I am going for a drink afterwards.  See you at home.

Love,
Your wife.

Winter blues and hat hair

Hello, my name is Lindsay, and I have the winter blues. 

There.  It's out.  I've said it.  Just a few weeks ago, I was truly looking forward to January.  Truly.  I hoped for white Saturday mornings with frost on the windows and a windchill frigid enough that it would be INSANE to leave the building.  I wanted to curl up on the couch and catch up on our Netflix movies while I sipped tea and knit socks.  I wanted to rush home after work to heat up the big pot of leftover soup that we'd made, and shuffle around the apartment in my slippers.   Ahhhhh.....  Doesn't it sound nice?

But you see, days ago, I got cranky.  Really, really cranky.  And moody, which may be the same as cranky, but I was too cranky and moody to objectively differentiate between the two.  I became the Debbie Downer incarnate.  Work.  Home.  Bed.  Too cold.  No fun.  Work.  Home.  Chores.  I've even been cantankerous while reading a book on World War II.  WORLD WAR TWO.  I mean, while reading a story about everything that people had to endure back then, you'd expect me to think, WELL GEE WHIZ, IT'S SWELL THAT I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT YET ANOTHER AIR RAID IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! OR WONDER IF I HAVE ENOUGH FOOD STAMPS TO MAKE BREAD!  AND HECK, LUCKY THAT I DON'T NEED TO REMIND ALASTAIR MCINTYRE TO PUT THAT LIGHT OUT AGAIN!  But no, the moment I close the book I seem to forget that life could be far, FAR WORSE, and my thoughts return to how my winter days are composed of nothing but work and nighttime, and, hmmm, should I have my pity party begin a 2pm or 3pm on Sunday afternoon?

And then it occurred to me- forget the sweaters and matching scarves.  Forget the hot cocoa and winter stew.  I just want sun.  I want long evenings and birds chirping and aimless walks through the neighborhood.  I want outdoor seating and a warm breeze that gently melts the ice in my sangria.  I want to leave work and have 5 hours of freedom before it's time to go to bed.  And, I want to just give my hair a chance to reach its fullest potential.  Which brings me to my second point, which addresses another dreadful and miserable consequence of daily subzero temps.

Hat hair.

Each morning we women wash, dry, and style our hair.  And within minutes of this, we squash it all with a hat.  And for the rest of the day it sits like some lifeless flat being on my head, making me seem like one of those girls who does nothing with their hair but really SHOULD.  Now, I've tried to be brave.  I've tried going without the hat.  But no, the cold air and wind can be as equally disastrous, and I value tremendously the warmth provided to me by my balaclava.  This weekend, when I was having my winter pity party, I may have felt in the dumps but my hair looked FANTASTIC.  And that's because I didn't leave the house to go trudging along the sidewalk or smoosh myself into a train.  I've been going to the same hair stylist for the past couple years, a cool guy named Denny, who I think can tell I'm not a total girly girl and likes to fill me in on his high maintenance clients who watch him every second to make sure he highlights every strand of their hair as directed.  Me, I just sit there and go through my fill of celebrity gossip magazines, letting him do whatever, while exclaiming out loud to him from time to time, "THEY'RE PREGNANT?  WHAT, HAVE THEY BEEN DATING FOR LIKE 3 WEEKS?" 

I called Denny last week after coming to the hectic conclusion that my hair needs to be chopped off as quickly as possible.

"Hello can I help you?"
"Yes, hi, I need to make an appointment for a hair cut and color with Denny."
"Okay, when are you available?"
"Wait- is this Denny?"
"Yes."
"Hey Denny!  It's Lindsay!"
"Oh hey.  How are you?"

"My hair Denny.  It's driving me crazy."  And then suddenly I found myself just spewing out all my problems to him on the phone.  Not real life problems, but my hair problems.  I think I frightened him a little bit in fact.  And I hope he doesn't think that I didn't like my last hair cut.  Because I did.  It's just WINTER.  It screws everything up.

So, now that I've got that out of my system, I suppose it's time to wrap up this here blog post and turn on the electric blanket before bed.  Tonight, I hope I will dream of summer.  And when I wake up it will be June.

If only I had coupons for sunscreen....