Midnight Musings

this is a test blog for the calss

2008-05-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

We;re having a lot of fun today.

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in San Mateo

2006-07-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

This past week, I attended a training session sponsored by the San Mateo Fire Department. It's a six week course that trains community members to help first responders like the fire and police departments. There were about 30 people in the class and we're the first class to be trained in the new program that's based on a course developed in Menlo Park, CA and abides with new federal guidelines for community participation.

This is how it's described on the San Mateo city site:
Become a trained member of The City of San Mateo's Community Emergency
Response Team (CERT). During the six week course, participants will be
cross-trained in emergency skills that will include earthquake preparedness,
disaster response, basic disaster medical care, light search & rescue, fire
extinguishment, damage assessment and response team organization. The final
class will enable participants to practice these new skills in a hands-on drill.
Please wear comfortable shoes and clothing to class. For more information,
please call 522-7960.
The course is free and they plan to run it again in September.

Why I am doing this course when I have no time (working, kids, building a house)? Because I stood by and watched Katrina, realizing that I had no idea how I could help that community or even my own community, if disaster struck. We live just a mile from the San Andreas fault, so it's inevitable that we'll see a devasting earthquake in the area within my lifetime.

My goal is to help organize my neighborhood so that we can help each other in a time of crisis. To that end, I'll be learning basic skills such as how to put a fire, search and rescue, and handling emotions in times of crisis. Over time, I hope to add other more advanced skills like advanced first aid/EMT skills and even ham radio operation.

April Fool's Day 2006

2006-04-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

I love April Fool's Day and yesterday was no different. Here are the pranks we pulled off.

- Before going to bed, we turned the kids around in their beds so that their heads were at the foot of the bed. When they woke up, they each got up on the regular side of the bed -- and ended up facing the wall instead of the door. They thought it was hilarious.
- The kids stuffed tissues into the toes of their dad's slippers.
- I pre-sliced my husband's banana. This is pretty simple to do. Take a banana, preferrably with lots of spots on it. Take a needle and thread and insert the needle where you want the slice to be, on one of the spots. Push the needle through along the side about a half inch and out again (try to stay close to the inside of the peel. Then got back into the banana in the same spot where it came out. Keep going around until you have the banana "surrounded" on the inside of the peel. Make sure the needle comes back out the original spot where you started. Then hang on to both ends of the thread and pull. Voila! You have a sliced banana without peeling it.

I did pre-warn my husband that there was a prank in his packed lunch, but I think it made it worse -- he kept looking for booby-trapped food! Next year, I'm going to limit the pranks to just harmless kid-oriented ones. Otherwise, I'm going to be asking for it!

New knitting store in San Mateo - Nine Rubies

2006-01-18T23:31:00.000-08:00

I was out house shopping with my realtor when she mentioned that a friend of hers had opened a knitting store in downtown San Mateo. Nine Rubies Knitting is owned and run by a mother (Sudha Sarin) and daughter (Saloni Howard-Sarin) team that created the place.

I had to get some needles for a scarf I'm making my mother, so I stopped there - they have great hours, open late every evening until 7pm (to catch the dinner traffic -- very smart!).

The space is drop-dead gorgeous with plenty of room, unlike most knitting shops where yarns are crammed into every square inch of space. Extra high ceilings and a living room-like sitting are makes you want to stay and knit for hours.

Saloni was working the shop and was extremely friendly and helpful. They will be holding classes in the future and, yes, they even have a blog.

Nine Rubies Knitting (right next to Selix Tuxedos, near El Camino Real)
28 East 3rd Ave., #100
San Mateo, CA 94401-4063
650-685-6205

Google Maps link

Renewing my driver's license online - wow!

2005-12-26T15:41:00.000-08:00

I just got a notification to renew my California driver's license and this year, there was the option of renewing it online. The key criteria are that you can't have changed your address. So I figured, it sure beat standing in line, or even mailing in my renewal with a check. In all, it took about 3 minutes to do from start to finish. Wow. I've been a pessimist of government's adoption of technology, but no longer -- this is just too cool. The added benefit is that I can keep my old photo and stay "forever young".

Recipe: Cantaloupe Bread and Cantaloupe Smoothie

2005-12-26T09:17:00.000-08:00

My son is a huge fan of cantaloupe, but we inevitably have too much of it on hand. And if you don't eat it quickly, it goes bad - really bad!

So here are two great recipes that we tried this morning, with a bit of commentary included.

Cantaloupe Smoothie

1.5 cups of chopped cantaloupe
1 banana
5 ice cubes
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Put everything in the blender and puree until smooth. Add more ice and or sugar to taste. Makes about two servings.

Cantaloupe Bread

This recipe idea came originally from AllRecipes at http://bread.allrecipes.com/az/CntlpBrdwithPrlinGlz.asp.

INGREDIENTS:

3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 cup white sugar
1 cup Splenda
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups cantaloupe - peeled, seeded and pureed
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup chopped walnuts

ECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, vegetable oil, apple sauce, sugar, Splenda, vanilla and cantaloupe. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger. Stir flour mixture into cantaloupe mixture; stir to combine. Stir in the nuts. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean.

Substituted one cup of whole wheat for one cup of flour, one cup of Splenda for one cup of sugar, and 1/2 cup of applesauce for 1/2 cup of the oil. Skipped the topping. Came out nice, but would add 1 cup of chopped walnuts next time. Can't taste the cantaloupe though, more like a banana bread (that's what the kids thought it was)

Rocky road chocolate bark - great, easy holiday gift

2005-12-11T07:53:00.000-08:00

Each year I make a homemade chocolate bark as gifts for my kids teachers, hostess gifts, etc. I love this recipe because it's 1) fast; 2) easy; 3) kid-friendly; and 4) absolutely scrumptious! The secret -- using the microwave instead of a double boiler to melt the chocolate. I timed myself this year and it took about 25 minutes to make a double batch!

Ingredients:
- About 2 pounds of milk chocolate. I use 3 11.5 oz bags of Guittard milk chocolate chips. I've also used Ghiradelli chips as well, but can't taste the difference. You can also use regular chocolate blocks.
- 1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening
- 3 cups mini-marshmellows
- 3 cups chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Prepare a large cookie sheet (12 x 17.5 inches) by lining it with parchment paper, lightly sprayed with an oil spray. In a pinch, you can also use plastic wrap.
2. Place the chocolate and shortening in a large glass bowl. Heat on high for one minute and then stir with a spatula. Repeat heating for one minute and stirring until the chocolate is completely melted.
3. Stir in 2 cups of the marshmellows and 2 cups of the walnuts.
4. Pour the mixture on to cookie sheet and spread out to about 1/2 inch thick (or thinner if you prefer).
5. Sprinkle another cup of marshmellows and cup of walnuts on top of the chocolate and then gentle press it into chocolate. This is a great step for the kids as they LOVE to like their hands clean!
6. Cool at room temperature until completely firm, about 4-6 hours or overnight. Cut or break the bark into pieces. Store bark in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

For presentation, I get cellophane gift bags and fill them with the bark, tying off the top with some curling ribbon.

New Orleans on my mind

2005-12-07T10:20:00.001-08:00

Dan Bigman, an editor at Forbes.com, and a former colleague of mine from my newspaper days, recently published an article on his trip to New Orleans. He went there as a tourist with his wife and shared his impressions. One thing that touched me was this sense that residents are holding their breaths, hoping that people, events, conferences will return.

So I think to myself, would I take a vacation there, especially given all of the various options out there? And I think yes, my husband and I had a fantastic time there Pre-Kids and we'd love to go there again. So now I'm checking out flights and hotels for Mardi Gras - might be a great time to go and enjoy the new New Orleans. It won't be the same, but it will still always be a special place.

Minientrepreneur coming out of stealth

2005-11-22T08:29:00.000-08:00

For the past two years, I've been working on a small project on the side, bringing to market an ergonomic laptop stand. When I first saw the stand, I fell immediately in love with it because it makes you look at your laptop in a completely different way. You open your laptop completely flat and then stand it up on it's end. That's why we call it the Laptop Stand Up.

My partner, Cori Clark, was introduced to me by the designer of the stand, Joe Betts-Lacroix, who is the CTO for OQO. Cori is based in Toronto and it's been a long-distance labor of love getting the company off the ground (that's also her in the photo).

Lord knows why I'm doing this as I'm not exactly twiddling my thumbs (full time job, two active kids, blogging on the side). I guess I'm really enamored with the stand, and also, I'm just too stubborn to leave it and really want to make it into a success! There's a growing trend toward mini-trepreneurship, enabled by such

Disclosure: This venture has nothing to do with my work at Forrester. In fact, I've gone through great pains to keep it separate, even to the point of using my married name in all business dealings. My manager at Forrester also is aware that I am manufacturing and retailing the stand. I'm not planning to leave my day job anytime soon, but as the business takes off, we'll hire managers to run the day-to-day logistics.

So if you have any suggestions on how we can improve the product, the site, or the marketing of it, please let me know. Also, check out the stand's blog at laptopstandup.typepad.com.

The Adventures Of Condiment Boy

2005-11-22T07:38:00.000-08:00

Our seven year old son is really into condiments. His usual morning breakfast is toast with peanut butter dipped in a sauce made of ketchup, taco sauce (Taco Bell mild), and BBQ sauce (KC Masterpiece Original, but Bullseye will also suffice).

This morning, he asked for some cottage cheese -- and promptly poured taco sauce all over it. I asked him how it was and he said it was "good." Other previous adventures have been watermelon with ketchup and my all time favorite, a chocolate cupcake dipped also in ketchup. Some would say "yuck", others would say "inventive". We just grin and marvel at the capability of a child to have such adventures in eating, and then turns his nose up at green beans.

Giving up Diet Coke

2005-11-21T17:00:00.000-08:00

I have now been free of Diet Coke for six days and 4 hours, not that I'm really counting! The last one I had was last Tuesday for lunch and I'm finally feeling better.

Why give it up? I came to the realization that Diet Coke, even the caffeine-free version, just wasn't that healthy. The epitome came the other day when I was grabbing lunch at Whole Foods and asked where the Diet Coke was. The worker (rather snidely) told me that the store carried only natural products and that Diet Coke was definitely NOT natural. So instead, I investigated their cold drinks section and discovered a wonderful world of really cool drinks! I grabbed a bottle of MetroMint Peppermint Water which was, well, minty.

I've since been trying all sorts of new waters out, ranging from Propel (which I drank all the time while training for the Wildflower triathlon earlier this year) to the Vitamin Water series. It's actually pretty fun!

The downside was the caffeine withdrawal -- I just felt out of it for several days. The benefit has been that I'm sleeping a lot better a night (I'm a chronic insomniac -- note the title of this blog!) and the cravings for that Diet Coke are starting to wane.

So I bid adieu to a beloved friend that has served me well for decades. And onwards to new drinks! So if you have any suggestions on caffeine-free drinks (and preferrably, somewhat low calorie), please add them to the comments!

Cooking with romanesque

2005-11-05T11:15:00.000-08:00

I picked this up this week at Whole Foods in San Mateo and couldn't resist trying it out. It's called "romanesque" and is a cross between broccoli and cauliflower. This picture doesn't do it justice. To cook it, cut up like cauliflower and boil for about 3 minutes or until tender. We kept it simple with the preparation, just plain with a bit of salt and pepper added for taste (the way we usually have our veggies).

To my kids' credit, they tried it...and promptly spit it out.

It's definitely crunchier than cauliflower, not as sweet, and the nubby texture adds an interesting feel to the vegetable. I think it was the texture that threw the kids off. My husband and I enjoyed it, and his words, "I'd eat it again" mean that it's a success. But as I'm trying to simplify, not complicate weeknight dinners, I'll probably make it only for company, and then, as an interesting conversation side dish.

Our 10th Anniversary

2005-10-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

My husband and I celebrated our 10th anniversary this past Saturday with a "gourmet potluck". One of the keys to our successful union has been a love of family, friends -- with plenty of food mixed in! We also made a new year's resolution to expand our recipe repretoire by trying a new recipe every week.

So we asked everyone to bring a favorite dish: the one salad, entree, side dish or dessert that they KNOW is a sure-fire hit when company comes over or with the family. We also asked them to bring the recipe so that we can make it in the future. We've posted the recipes (at least the ones we have as of this date online for everyone to enjoy. (There is also a link on the side bar).

And if you have additional suggestions on recipes that work for both kids and adults, please send them -- we're especially looking for vegetarian recipes that work for picky seven year olds!

Cooking corn smut

2005-09-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

It sounds awful. I looks awful. But it tastes pretty darn good! We found "corn smut", which is more commonly called Cuitlacoche or the Mexican Truffle, at the Stockton farmer's market last Saturday -- there's a mushroom seller there who has some pretty unusual stuff at times! (Cuitlacoche can also be found in cans at larger Mexican grocery stores).

I found a few sites with recipes, this one being one of the better ones. Cooked it up with some garlic, a little chili hot sauce (didn't have any real chili poblanos) and tried a little that night. My husband and I didn't get sick or anything, so the next day, I made a quesadilla with it.

It has a slightly gritty texture on the tongue and a bit of a bitter taste. If I had some epazota leaves, it would have brought out that exotic flavor even more.

So if you're lucky enough to live near a corn field, you might want to ask a local farmer if they have any corn smut on their fields. You'll get a pretty strange look, but give it a try!

You're always welcome to stay with us

2005-09-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

A colleague of mine, Shar VanBoskirk, stayed with us for two days (hotels were scarce in SF because of Oracle World). Last night, we went out to dinner with my two kids. Katie is completely enamored with Shar, and asked her to stay with us forever. Here's the conversation:

Katie: Can you stay with us forever?

Shar: I think your mom would get tired of me being around all the time.

Katie: (pause) We're around all the time and she's not tired of us.

Gotta love that me-centric viewpoint.

Why a blog?

2005-09-17T23:54:00.000-07:00

I've been blogging professionally for almost a year and have been tempted to venture into it on a personal front. And herein begins that adventure!

So why blog?

- I have something to say that I think others might want to hear, be it my mother or just another like-minded person on the other side of the world. I'm often tempted to write about something that I've come across, but realize that the readers of my other blog wouldn't be interested in the cute thing that my kids just did!
- It's a place to try new stuff. Everything from podcasting to actually making money via ads.
- It's a journey into self-discovery. There is something about the discipline of writing that helps develop and the thoughts and ideas that I hold so dear. My hope is that I begin a dialog with others that will push those ideas further.

Just to be *absolutely* clear about what this blog is not. It is not an extension of any other blog or publications that I may write -- especially not the one I write for my current employer. I will not write about technology topics that I would normally write about as part of my job. But I will write about technology -- I'm too much of a geek to stay away from the topic! In any case, all of these ramblings reflect my personal views and should not be associated with any other employer, group, or individual.

And why call this blog "Midnight Musings"? Just check out the time stamp!