Posts Tagged ‘Tips’
Tip: Deal With The Farm Share Right Away (Chef Dad)
The farm share. I’ve mentioned it before, and every year I say I’ll be better about dealing with the vegetables right away. Because if I don’t, they go bad.
And I do. Do better, that is. But I need to do better better.
Admittedly, it’s kind of a pain. I know. Call the wahhhbulance.
Which is why I’m saying I need to do better than I am, even though I’m doing better than I was before. You don’t want rotting vegetables. It’s wasteful. Besides, I need to eat my vegetables.
In case you don’t know what the hell I’m talking about, here’s the deal: a box of vegetables shows up at my door once a week. Also fruit. You never know what you’re going to get. (Sorry, Forrest
All together now — wahhhh.
Here’s another wahhhhbulance clip. (The Internet seems to spell it “wambulance”, but I prefer the extra h’s.)
I do better with the winter farm shares, which tend to be mostly root vegetables. Carrots? Easy. Even the kids will eat those. Brussel sprouts? I’m the only one who will eat them but they’re easy to cook (roast ’em with some olive oil, a little salt and pepper), healthy, and whatever I don’t eat right away I can freeze.
Gooseberries? Not my thing. I don’t bake. I suppose I could learn, but it’s not high on my list. I could probably put the berries in a salad. Or eat them plain. If I ever get them again. Because sadly, I waited too long, and the gooseberries gave up the ghost.
Again, to be clear — wasting food is a bad thing. I’m a little embarrassed to be talking about this. I don’t waste it all. Just… some of it.
Next time I get gooseberries, I’ll wash ’em right away.
Fear Of Not Waking Up On Time
Does anyone else have this? A fear of not waking up on time? I do.
At the moment I’m setting three alarms to ensure I get the hell out of bed in time to get people ready to go where they need to go. For some reason I’ve been more neurotic about waking up this summer than I have in previous years. Read more »
Amazon Gift Card – Great Last Minute Mother’s Day Gift (Tips)
Here’s a DaddyTip — an Amazon Gift Card is a great last minute Mother’s Day gift. Like, really last minute. Like if it’s actually Mother’s Day and you find yourself saying “oops. What do I do?”
Answer: Amazon Gift Card. Instant and easy.
See below.
Shop Amazon -There’s Still Time to Make Mom’s Day with an Amazon.com Gift Card
And remember — NO SPANX.
Another Macbook Pro No Sound Problem Tip
Back in July of 2012, I had a computer problem — no sound on my Macbook Pro. After I fixed the issue, I posted a tip titled Fixing Sound on Macbook Pro.
Guess what? The no sound problem just happened to me again. (I hope you were sitting down when you read that. If not, we apologize but accept no responsibility.)
Because I’m getting older (again, hope you were sitting down) I didn’t remember what I did to fix the sound problem on my Macbook the last time. However, I still came up with almost the exact same solution.
Googling “mac no sound” got me to a page at Apple.com that essentially treats you like a moron. It doesn’t say “are you sure you turned your computer on?” But it comes pretty darn close.
A couple of links down I found another page on Apple.com filled with suggestions such as “resetting the PRAM”, which I’ve done before and is not physically painful despite the phrasing. Further down in the same discussion thread was a much simpler solution:
Hi. I had the same problem this morning, and guessed that it might have something to do with the mechanical switch that’s built into the headphone socket. I just gently plugged and unplugged a pair of headphones into the socket a couple of time and voila, it worked again.
I did this. It worked immediately.
I refer to Internet/World Wide Web comments as “The Hive”. In this case, The Hive was very helpful. Thank you. Live long and prosper.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu1qa8N2ID0]
via No sound from MacBook Pro: Apple Support Communities.
Mom Advice That’s Also Good For Dad
From Mom365 comes some good advice about how to be a “Calm and Happy Mom.” Dads can use these tips as well.
(Full disclosure — I write for Mom365 periodically; here’s an example.)
The third item on the list, “Be Grateful,” is something that I personally want to spend more time on. The author, Valerie Reiss, suggests that a good way to practice gratitude is to “Every day, name three things you’re thankful for; it’s an instant joy boost.” Sounds good to me.
This particular piece of advice is perfect for parents of all genders, dads as well as moms. Most people know that parenting can be frustrating at times. What is less often discussed is how dealing with kids on a daily basis can distract you from other parts of your life. Children, especially young ones, require a lot of attention. It is very easy to get caught up in the details of dirty diapers and daily dinners. That can lead to forgetting how good life is and how lucky you are.
Lest you think gratitude isn’t cool, a certain band called The Beastie Boys would disagree with you.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdJ5e70Q8mw]
So would Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine. Also me.
Other items on the list include “Dance” (this may not be for everyone but I’ll give it a shot), “Create” (defined here as making something, “even a doodle”), and drinking lots of water, which is healthy and forces you to take a trip to the bathroom more often. Sometimes that counts as a parenting break.
Click the link below for the full list.
10 Ways to Be a Calm & Happy Mom – Mom365.com
How To Stop Online Gaming From Being a Hellish Pit of Vicious Verbiage
This article about a video game called League of Legends (which I’ve never played or even heard of) intrigued me because the game maker, Riot Games, is attempting to address what is apparently a serious problem within the Legends community.
Apparently many of the players are dickheads.
And as lead game producer Travis George puts it in his interview with Gamasutra, “Nobody wants to play a game with somebody who’s mean.”
Amen to that.
Of course, mean people playing games online is not limited to League of Legends. Which is a problem once your kids want to get involved.
As a parent who grew up playing video games, I’m highly conflicted about the current “social” state of gaming. What used to be a niche element of the gaming world — online play with strangers — has become as ubiquitous as broadband Internet connections. Read more »
Calvin Johnson’s Dad Told Him It Would Be OK
Watching some Thanksgiving football now. Phil Simms just told a little story about the Detroits Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Apparently Johnson had been getting frustrated by his stats so far this season. Calvin’s dad said it would be OK. (I’m paraphrasing from memory, so that’s not a quote.)
Anyway, it would appear dad was correct. Calvin Johnson just made an amazing touchdown catch and is already over 100 yards receiving in the first half of the game against the Houston Texans. UPDATE: Here’s video of the catch.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1RkWcRCL1c]
The lesson? Listen to your father.
Happy turkey day!
