weekend

Lunch today:
homemade hummus
pita, alas not Neomonde, just regular grocery store
feta
salad of tomatoes and market cukes (I really like pickling cukes for a salad, don't you?)
horta American style (wilted beet greens dressed with lemon)
Kalamata olives
glass of Orvieto (Italian wines, white and red, are my favorites - they both cheap and good)

Also ate breakfast at Guglhupf this morning, which felt appropriately European. Viva la choicolate crossant. Must take Mother and Grampy Don there.

Tonight to baseball game at 5. Nap equation not working out right - Casper is currently talking in her bed and it's already 3 - if she falls asleep now we'll have to wake her to make the game. Ugh.

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Yesterday was very blah - mr flea worked and I was home with Casper who took a monster 3-hour nap (due to late bedtime and early rising) which I made no good use of. Felt lonely and boed all day, even when out in public (toted Casper in backpack to Taste of Durham, avoided paying entrance fee or buying anything, only stayed half an hour, feeling lonely and bored). Very much looking forward to next week's family visits. Wish I had one local close friend - we were quite spoiled in CT. Wish I were not huge people-avoiding dork.

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Cute Casper stuff:
To Penny, sleeping at he foot of the bed: "How are you doing, Penny? How are you doing?"
To Penny, sleeping on the couch: "Watch this, Penny!" Runs into dining room making funny noise. Repeat exchange in toto 3 times.
Penny is utterly nonplussed by all this attention and continues to dislike and fear Casper.
Casper holds baby doll, jiggling her in her arms and saying "shhhhh," which is surely what the nanny does with Baby Milo.

We've had a string (3 is a string, right?) of really good nights. No going in to her between bedtime (8:30-9 now) and 5:30 or 6 AM. She occasionally cries out and wakes me, but settles herself. Go team sleep. Today we all slept until 8.

this week's escapist fantasy

At Guglhupf, there was a sign posted seeking a full-time pastry chef, no experience necessary, will train the right person.

So, mr. flea should quit this silly old PhD program and apprentice as a fine European pastry chef. Then after a year or two, we move to Woods Hole and settle in at 25Q. mr. flea will peddle pastries (he already makes the best pie most people who eat it have ever tasted) and work on renovating our house, and caring for our children, while I will work in the WHOI library for our health insurance needs. We will be poor but happy artisans. Maybe eventually I'll become a mailman.

mr flea, "These fantasies always depress me because they never come true."
me, "Have we ever even seriously considered trying to make one reality? You can't blame a fantasy for never coming true."

He may have a point though.