March 20, 2008

New Blog Frontiers, Quiet Rebel Redhead, Lingering Sickness, Bonus Tuna, and Old Nellie Hubbard

Because I don't write enough, I just made my first post on Chicago Metblog. It's about CTA President Ron Huberman kicking ass and taking names on a 7:30 a.m. Red Line train last week.

Amy Lillard is even cooler than I thought she'd be. She agreed to meet me for lunch at Kopi yesterday and she gave me some fantastic freelancing tips I'm already putting to good use. She's really smart and funny and interesting, and has the natural red locks I've been trying to get out of a bottle for years. Don't forget to give her a peek at Quiet Rebel Writer.

I'm still getting settled in the new place. It's a little lonely during the week without Nellie and Teresa, but they'll be here soon enough. I'm re-sick. I don't know how this happened, except for maybe lack of sleep. My throat is killing me. I want to get better ASAP because we're finally tiptoeing into biking season!

A few observations about transitioning to our new home:

--I love our big sunny kitchen and the washer and dryer neatly tucked into our pantry. I've been working from my laptop at the kitchen table all day, while washing bedclothes, unpacking, washing, and finding cupboard space for Nellie's kitchenware, stepping on the back balcony for a bit of sunshine, and nibbling my way through our soon-to-expire produce. I've never thought of myself as a particularly domestic person but I have to say this new living environment has already had a good influence on me and (do not tell my mother I said this) I enjoy puttering around in my bathrobe, sipping coffee, and doing little household tasks.

--I went to clean out a few things from my old place and found several things on high shelves in that kitchen, including the tuna I had for lunch, one of Calpurnia's mice (??) and a bottle of ADD med which will surely be put to good use.

--Our kitchen cabinets are packed with stuff...on the two bottom shelves only. We're shortish and we don't have a step stool yet. Maybe we should put Bryan's cooking supplies on the high shelves, he's the only one who can reach up that far.

--Nellie has the kitchen collection of Old Mother Hubbard, if OMH had a QVC account and a Platinum Mastercard. No kidding. Nellie will nurture the crap out of you with muffins and eggs and six kinds of soup, and she's got pots and pans and cookie sheets enough to feed conquering armies. She's got cookie cutters (for persuading picky little eaters to down the pb&j's she foists on them), novelty ice cube trays (for orange juice cubes shaped like orange slices), and utensils I can't begin to imagine the proper use of.

--I love living in a family building. I love the chatter of our landlord's little grandkids coming and going and the warm smell of dinner rising up the back stairs at 5 or 6 o'clock. Our landlords are such a lovable grandparent-y couple that some days it's all I can do to not invite myself downstairs for ham and pinto bean soup and cornbread when that happy domestic scent reaches my sniffer.

12 comments:

Mo said...

You guys have orange wedge ice cubes??? I am so coming over.

Nellie said...

My name made it into the TITLE of your post?!?! Weeee!!!! Oh, and the step stool is in the pantry.

Joe said...

Thanks for those nifty writing tips links. Those were pretty cool.

Your post has now made me hungry for cornbread and bean soup. But then again, I'm almost always hungry for that.

Elizabeth McQuern said...

Melissa, yes, indeed. They are fancypants and you simply must try them.

Nellie, yes, your cookery and cooking were a big part of my thoughts this week and it only seemed fair.

Bubs, glad you enjoyed the links. Amy is pretty thorough and QRW is an awesome resource. And I'll be sure to call you next time there's cornbread and bean soup.

Unknown said...

I think you have made into the adult world of domestic female (maybe). I can't wait for you to see what I have for your kitchen that will say, "This Is My Kitchen Too". :). Love, mom

Elizabeth McQuern said...

Mom! Dangit, you're not supposed to read my blog! The internet is the one place I have some hope of being cool.

...but I am interested in your kitchen gifts and will not refuse them. :)

Anonymous said...

Elizabeth - just read this after making my way out from under boxes and boxes and boxes...

You rock :)

- Amy

Kristin Anderson Barrick said...

Happy Stand-up Birthday, my birthday twin.

-Kristin....

I mean mfm. Yeah that identity. (Hard having a secret identity without the black frame glasses)

Elizabeth McQuern said...

Oh, Amy, can I ever relate to the "boxes and boxes." I still have not gotten totally settled in my new place. And I insist, it is actually you who rock!

Kristin/MFM, you're right! Our birthday is coming up, isn't it? April 8? We should celebrate for sure! And catch up in general!

Nellie said...

Oh, man. Your mom has hacked into your blog, too? Oh, moms....

Kristin Anderson Barrick said...

I'm strangely taking a christian approach to the birthday. 'Cause it was Easter.

I have a problem remembering dates. The only reason I know my mom's birthdate THIS YEAR is that my graduation is on the same day.

Because of that, I'm genetically contractually obligated to graduate. My Swedish genes will suddenly turn against me.

Nellie said...

p.s. if I start cutting the food that I make into fun shapes with my cookie cutters, will you eat more of it???