Digging, Watching, Reading

What I'm Digging
I picked up a big box of Tasty Bite brand Madras Lentils from Costco a while back after having a very tasty sample. It's basically lentil soup in an airtight pouch that does not even need refrigeration – reheating is optional as well, though recommended. The ingredient list is short (and entirely pronounceable), the nutritional data is sound, it's filling and TASTY. I was super-excited when I noticed that there's over 20 varieties of Indian food for me to try. Excellent to have in my desk when the unexpected happens or at night when Matt's gone and I don't feel like cooking … though I doubt it will be replacing my beloved Yak & Yeti.

Remember the Milk (RTM) has become my go-to task list organizer. It has a component for the Vista sidebar as well as apps for other flavors of windows and Mac's OsX and also integrates with my Android phone using a program called Astrid. You can also add to your lists via email, which makes it very easy to keep up a honey-do list.

I just got a few new fun spring pieces at Old Navy and I've got my eye on a few more, plus some for Tabby and maybe Matt (Ben doesn't fit the Old Navy so well). I also just learned (a day too late, since a lot of the stuff I want is on clearance and probably won't have the right sizes if I wait) that every Tuesday, you get 10% off with your Old Navy card … you can also currently use “THANKYOU” to get $10 off and as usual, “MYCARD” for free shipping. What I'm Watching
Season 1 of Chuck came in at the Library about a week after Season 2, so we went on a Chuck marathon, watching 2 episodes or more each day/night as we could. We like to fold laundry while we watch TV. We have a lot of laundry.

I also got back into Gossip Girl and The Office, recently, since I need a nearly limitless supply of TV to keep me company while I go on these LOOONG runs. Due to Tivo problems, however, I have missed key episodes of both, including the birth of Pam & Jim's baby. I need to catch up online when I have a few minutes.

My new Tivo has also shipped and should arrive today. The cable company is bringing out the little card on Friday so I can get rolling.

What I'm Reading
I recently purchased an honest-to-goodness paper book. Weird, I know. I read a great bunch of web design/media blogs from The Smashing Network and they just put out a book, The Smashing Book. So I got my copy via Airmail from Deutschland a couple of weeks ago and I've slowly been working my way through it, trying to bring my skillz up to speed, while crawling along through the book at a snails pace.

In the “for fun” category, I just finished up Stones into Schools, from the author of Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson. Greg works in the “last places” on earth, impoverished beyond-rural Muslim communities, to build schools for girls and make other civic improvements. This is the continuation of his story and his ventures into Afghanistan. It was a really amazing book. It really makes you appreciate all you've got and makes you wonder if our “education problems” aren't mostly in our attitude about and lack of appreciation for education.

Before that, I read Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen, one of my favorite YA/Teen authors. Lock and Key is the story of Ruby whose mom abandons her some months before her 18th birthday. When she is caught living alone, her sister, Cora, who left years ago and never looked back, steps in to care for her. Ruby finds that she has to reinvent what family means to hear and learn to trust. The book is well-written and I enjoyed it very much.

Now I'm about half way through Mommy Tracked, the parallel stories of four women juggling motherhood, work and their love-lives. At this point, it is, at best for me some harmless chicklit. We'll see how it turns out.