My Husband Can Cook

Last Sunday we had 3 couples over for a 'potluck' style dinner. (What are the origins of that word? You're lucky if guests bring a pot of food...) Nathan made a yummy chicken parmesan. I helped with the garlic bread and Country Time pink lemonade. Here's our easy recipe.

CHICKEN PARMESAN
Ingredients:
1/2 - 3/4 C bread crumbs
1/2 C Parmesan cheese
1 tsp - 1 T oregano
2 - 3 beaten eggs

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients in flat bottomed container of your choice. Put eggs in separate container. Pound meat thin (or not). Dip meat into egg mix, then into crumb mixture. Saute (fry in vegetable oil) until golden brown. Serve with heated spaghetti sauce.
* Tip - use seasoned bread crumbs

Two Thumbs Down

So we had coupons for free rentals at Hollywood Video and rented 2 DVD's last week. I was Not Satisfied with the endings to both of them.

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Nathan wanted this one because he watched it on a plane trip once except he could only hear it and mostly not see it due to the screen closest to him not working and the next screen being behind a curtain in first class. There was no conclusion. I was annoyed. I thought, You can't do all that chasing and then not have someone stab the ugly squid's heart. And what is with the oracle anyway? Is she on drugs? Why are the mystics always black women (ex. The Matrix)?

2. Premonition: We both like Sandra Bullock. I like movies that are suspenseful but not horror (i.e. give me nightmares). I did not like this movie. She was confused, her husband died, she figured it out, and she was okay with it. I was mad and complained about it over a midnight dinner at Denny's. Before we returned it, Nathan watched some of the commentary and told me that the movie was supposed to be about fate and how we can't change fate but can come to accept. Bull. Total Bull.

BlackBerry Anyone?

Before Nathan went to work this morning, we made a quick trip to a fruit stand just down the street. There must be a dozen of them within a 2 mile radius of our home but they're always closed up by the time Nathan gets back from work.

I'd been wanting to buy blackberries all week. When I stopped by the produce section at Albertsons I couldn't find a single package that didn't have at least one moldy berry. And the price! So I didn't buy any then but we got some excellent looking ones today.

Blackberries remind me of Little House on the Prairie or Anne of Green Gables type girls getting sent out by their mothers to pick berries off the bush. Only half of them would end up in the basket and the girls would return home with their fingers and lips stained black.

I don't remember if I ate them or not when I was growing up. I do know that when I popped one into my mouth this morning I was surprised at how TART it was. I won't be eating those blackberries all by myself.

P.S. I'm going to search for blackberry recipes online. I really like Jamba Juice's blackberry smoothie. I'll probably enjoy them more with some sugar to dilute the flavor.

TELOS: Ultimate Potential

I work at Telos, a residential treatment center for adolescent boys. This is my first job since completing the medical assisting program at the American Institute of Medical and Dental Technology (now known as Ameritech College). It has been a unique opportunity, in that it involves both my interest in psychology and my recent training in the health field. I'm one of only two medical staff employed by Telos. My boss is the facility's nursing director and she handles the day shift. I work the evening shift, from 5 to 10 at night. As you might imagine, this leaves me with a good deal of responsibility and very little direct supervision. In theory this is a good thing. In practice it has been difficult.

My position was previously filled by an LPN (licensed practical nurse). For reasons unknown to me, when the last nurse left my supervisor decided to look for a medical assistant . Initially I was quite excited to get hired but as time went on there were situations where I felt out of my league. I am not sure whether this is due to my lack of experience in the field or gaps between what the position requires and the duties a medical assistant typically performs.

Telos currently has 24 'students'. An average stay is 5-8 months, so I (generally) grow to care about the boys that come and go from the treatment center. At the same time they can be obnoxious, annoying little gits that it takes all of my willpower not tell them 'oh shut up already' or 'grow up.' This is not a very therapeutic reaction, so I have held on to my patience and just vented to my coworkers and Nathan. Other times they are just dumb teenage boys who give me funny stories to tell. Like the night one of the boys swallowed his guitar pick on a dare. Or the shift when another boy accidentally superglued his fingers together - twice.

Still interested? Visit http://www.telosrtc.com/faq.html

Why A Blog?

I'm not very good at regularly sending out emails or annual newsletters. One reason I am starting a blog is to keep friends and family updated on our lives. Another reason is that two of my friends - both of whom are just ordinary people - have started one for themselves and they seem entertaining. Finally, why not?

At some point I might post photos but for now I have to figure out how to load pictures onto the computer with my new digital camera toy. Yes, I'm 26 and don't know the ins and outs of digital cameras or cell phones. So text only for now.