Friday, January 24, 2014

15th Fly on the Wall

Welcome to a Fly on the Wall group post. Today 13 bloggers are inviting you to catch a glimpse of what you’d see if you were a fly on the wall in our homes. Come on in and buzz around my house.


Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | developed and run by www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics



My husband wanted to look up something on our cable bill. We have TV, internet and my personal email all through this account. He has his personal email elsewhere.

So he can’t get into the account because I have the password set up since I’m the one who has an email through them. No problem, he answers the security question, resets the password, looks up the info he was looking for and it all works out, right?

Well, except perhaps when you change someone’s email password you might consider mentioning it to them . . .


Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | developed and run by www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

College Boy made it home for winter break. He came in with all of his electronics carefully and meticulously packed.

And all of his clothes smashed into a garbage bag.

Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | developed and run by www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

On the day before New Year’s I had to go to the grocery store. So at dinner the night before I told my family that if I didn’t make it back, it was nice knowing them.
To which my husband said “you need to let me know which stores you’re going to so I know where to go to claim your body”.
My response: “you won’t be able to find it, you have no idea what it’s like out there, those shoppers will just kick me under the endcap and keep right on going.”

Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | developed and run by www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

They say this is mean but I think it’s fair. I told my family I had something for one of them and whoever guessed the number from one to ten got it. They kept asking but I wouldn’t tell them what it was. Everyone picked a number and the winner was chosen. Everyone else was very disappointed until they found out that the winner got to reattach the chain to the plug inside the toilet tank.

Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | developed and run by www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

I get emails on the Baking In A Tornado account regularly asking me to write posts, link to websites or allow posts on my blog. I got one of those emails the other day and was reading it aloud to my son.
Me (reading): “Have you ever or would you consider making dog treats?”
Smarta$$ Son: “Well, you do claim to make dinner every now and then.”
See, friends, this is what I deal with. And you wonder why I’m always talking about being stressed.


Crockpot Beef Chili | www.BakingInATornado.com

Crockpot Beef Chili

I loved having College Boy here. But I had gotten spoiled by only one kid driving me crazy and for a while I had two. Here’s an example:
High School Senior is going out with friends, he’s driving. I remind him to unlock the door between the garage and the house so he can get in when he comes home. He doesn’t, effectively locking himself out (yes, of course I checked).

College Boy goes out with friends. He’s not driving so he’s heading out the front door. I ask him if he has his key to get back in, he does but leaves the front door unlocked on his way out, effectively leaving the house open to anyone (yes, of course I checked).

Remember that stress I was just talking about?

Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | developed and run by www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

I talk a lot about my younger son, how he’s concrete and literal and often doesn’t understand what’s salient; like what he should let his mom know about.
Last month I talked about the fact that he had been accepted to 2 colleges before I even knew he had applied. As a result we had a long talk about keeping me in the loop.
So a few weeks ago, at 10 pm on a Saturday night, he tells me that he has a few things for me to add to the calendar. I have a large desk calendar and everyone in the family has a color that’s used for them and their schedule goes onto the calendar in their color.
I go to the calendar, get his color pencil and he tells me that he’s lifeguarding for a friend on Monday. I write it in. Then he tells me that he has an interview with MIT tomorrow.
Wait, tomorrow? Guess I’m still not getting through to him on this whole “keeping mom in the loop” thing.

Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | developed and run by www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

I hate that my car talks to me. So much so that I answer it back. So here’s a conversation you might hear as I’m pulling into the garage:
Car: “Please fasten your seatbelt.”
Me: “I can’t, it makes it too hard to get out of the car.”

Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | developed and run by www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

Speaking of the car, this is a conversation that happened while College Boy was home. I was in the kitchen making dinner and he came in to ask to borrow my car:
Me: “You know what, you could but I have almost no gas.”
College Boy: “That’s OK, I have a few minutes. I can wait while you go out and get some.”

Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | developed and run by www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

I was working in the kitchen most of the day of New Year’s Eve. I always make a ton of snacks and dips and appetizers and desserts and put it all out on the counter and whoever comes by can help themselves.
But I was also on social media quite a bit.
I had a cake in the oven and was on FB and said “I really need to get in the shower” as hubs was leaving to do a few errands. He came back, the cake was out of the oven and I was again on my laptop and hadn’t showered.
Me: “I really need to get in the shower.”
Him: “You said that before I left.”
Me: “I can’t get off FB, people keep talking to me, it would be rude not to answer.”
Him: “Put down the laptop and slowly back away. You can do it. I’m here for you.”

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Crockpot Beef Chili
                                                                               ©www.BakingInATornado.com
 
Printable Recipe
 
Ingredients:
2# stew beef
1 cup frozen chopped onion
1 can beef broth
1 bottle beer
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
3 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp chili flakes
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained.
 
Directions:
* Place beef broth, beer, tomato paste, chili powder, garlic powder, chili flakes, cumin and salt in crockpot. Mix together.
*Add onions and beef. Cook on high one hour. Reduce to low and cook 4 hours (can be longer).
*Add beans and corn. Cook one hour more.
NOTE: This can easily be made on the stove as well. 

52 comments:

  1. MIT? That's so exciting! Has he been to Massachusetts to visit family?

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    1. Oh yeah he's been home, every year of his life until the last few.

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  2. Men are such smartasses and you, lady, are absolutely surrounded by them. I'm so sorry! haha
    Congrats, again, on 7000!

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  3. Karen,
    This just made my day! Thanks for the laughs and the chili recipe :)

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  4. I so understand the "careful packing of the electronics" while everything else gets stuffed in a bag. I'm married to one of those :)
    While I hope you finally got that shower, I still love gabbing with you via e-mail. You need a waterproof phone! I hope the MIT interview went well. Your son did give you a 24 hour notice. That's pretty polite of him! xox

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    1. Yeah, that notice was more like 12 hours, but the important thing is that he remembered to go. XO

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  5. Wait while you go get gas? I see a "Gibb slap" coming his way! LOL
    Oh and changing my password? Gibb slap for him too
    Love this recipe! I love chili anyway :) just when I feed it to the hubs, he needs to sleep elsewhere ;)

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    1. Ha, give this recipe a try, it's really good. And settle hubs on the couch.

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  6. It's official! I like your family! And your chili!!!

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    1. Thank you! I love this Chili. The family . . . they do always give me something to write about.

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  7. Our boys sound like they are cut from the same cloth, I swear. My youngest always smashes his clean clothes in bags but wraps the electronics in multiple layers. Ugh. And the Facebook thing--oh yes, sucks me in every time. Is there such a thing as Facebooks Anonymous rehab? The chili looks good---perfect timing for it!

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    1. We could start a Facebooks Anonymous Rehab. . . I'll bring the Chili!

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  8. I am surrounded by The Y Chromosome defect too, but as for your CHILI, It is scrumptious! Nettie

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  9. Hilarious!!!
    I am going to try that tactic the next time I need something done around here!!!! Brilliant!!!

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  10. LOL! I hate when I forget my own passwords and have to reset everything. I would go nuts if my fiancee' would change it on me.

    As for FB and our computers I am the same. We are slaves to them!

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, I was not too happy when I tried to get back into my email, I have to admit. But I also have to admit that I could easily see it happening again.

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  11. Heh heh...bet none of them play the "Pick a number between one and ten" game with you again! Brilliant, but probably only a one time good deal.
    Back away from the computer? Is he insane? It would be "Okay, but first let me just......."

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, sometimes I feel like I'm just glued to the laptop. There's just always so much to do!

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  12. I am SOOOO going to make it a game the next time anything has to be done to the toilet. :)
    That was awesome!
    The MIT thing would have drove me right over the nervous bend.
    Currently stalling on that shower thing myself.

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    1. In retrospect, it's just as possible he deliberately didn't tell me so I'd have less time to be a nervous wreck. He, of course, was just fine.

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  13. Ok, so no pressure or anything, but son #2 MUST get into MIT so that you can bring him there and stop here on your way!! But if I was to be granted the pleasure of meeting him, remind me not to be sarcastic, huh?

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    Replies
    1. We'll have to see, he's waiting to hear from about 4 more schools. I'm a wreck.

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  14. Hilarious... my son sounds a lot like your high schooler when it comes to keeping me in the loop. Good thing I know all of his teachers, and they don't hesitate to say things like "hey, did Hammy (not his real name, btw) forget that we had a quiz today?", or "don't forget, science fair is tomorrow"...

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    Replies
    1. Sounds like you know exactly what I'm dealing with. Good thing Hammy's teachers have your back, makes a big difference with kids like these.

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  15. I love that you have conversations with your car. I talk to my car all the time, but that's because it's a very old and unreliable hunk of metal and I need to swear at it to get it to work.

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    1. Ha, at least your car doesn't tell you what to do. That just drives me nuts.

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  16. Men...making our lives painfully joyful since God played his original joke on us. ;)

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  17. Are you sure we are not related? Ok, at the very least, I know if you lived near me…we would be great friends in real life and not just blogger friends because our lives are just so darn similar and we both have a very warped sense of humor!

    Thanks for keeping me laughing (literally) while reading your post and for a delish recipe!!

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    1. Love keeping my friends laughing. Makes it all worth while.

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  18. Haha I LOVED the toilet chain. I literally laughed out loud. I'll have to remember that trick ;)

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  19. Sarcastic sons ... hmmm ... wonder where they learned that ...

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  20. Replies
    1. Yay. Hope you love it. If you think of it, take a pic and post it to my FB page.

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  21. Now I know what I need to do when I have something nasty that needs to be done. Think they'll bite?

    Speaking of things that kids need to let you know-today I was gone when the posts went live because I had to go get a new pair of boots for the Professor. THis is two years in a row that I've had to get boots for him partway through winter (which is SO much fun.) It all came up kind of matter of fact "Oh hey mom, I have a size 1 boot and a size 2 boot." He'd probably been walking around that way for a week...

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  22. Ohmigerrd...With those 3 smart a**es in your home, how are you NOT living in a padded cell?!

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    1. My padded cell is under construction. I think they're adding a second layer of padding . . .

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  23. I LOVE "I can wait while you go get some"! What a stinker! Hilarious. Karen, I'm going to get ahold of you soon about linking up for another Fly. It has just been crazy busy around here, but I've been saving up some good ones. I love the Fly on the Wall series!

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    1. Yay, come do another Fly on the Wall post. They're SO much fun.

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  24. You know I just love your family ;-) Thanks for sharing another month!

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    1. So glad you enjoyed reading a little bit about what goes on in my world.

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  25. Ha, ha ha. Your son really knows how to look after his gadgets. You can clearly see where his priorities are. When he goes back to college, make sure you 'meticulously' pack his clothes then put all his electronics in a garbage bag, then watch his face, ha ha ha. You might have to run like hell as he chases you though :(

    That chili beef looks wonderful.

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    1. Yeah, I think I'll pass on that suggestion. He's just undo everything I did. Hope you try the Chili.

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  26. I love your family stories! And for the record - I talk to a lot of inanimate objects! Chili looks awesome! xx

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    1. SO glad to hear I'm not the only one who talks to inanimate objects. I feel much better about arguing with my car.

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