Job search

Earlier today I went to the park with the boys and the visiting cousins from CO. We were only there for a couple of hours, but they all had a lot of fun on the swings, and traipsing through the thigh high drifts of leaves. My oldest and the oldest cousin played a jungle game. She was queen of the felines, and he was king of the reptiles. The younger boys climbed trees and threw rocks and sticks, and the youngest played on the swings and slide. I'll have to get the boys back out for photos. I was a bit photoed out after the holidays. Later today I surfed the web for jobs, and applied for a few. Luckily, I live in an area where there is a multitude of IT work. I just need to find what fits.

Last night was the holiday dinner with Ron's step sister and brothers. The kids all had a good time, except for the 13 year old, who spent the time texting his friends about how bored he was. The three 9 year olds, two 8 year olds, and one each 6, 5, and 3. All but one are boys. It was really loud. They played Wii Olympics, and ran around with swords and Light Sabers. It was casual - spaghetti, salad and bread. And desserts from other holiday offerings. They asked me to bring what I call my stuff salad. They all call it trail mix salad. I don't like lettuce, I like the stuff that goes on it.

That said, here is my Stuff Salad Recipe:

2 bags washed Spring Mix

2 cans Mandarin Oranges, drained

2 cans Hearts of Palm, drained and sliced about 1/2" thick

1 bag Craisins, original flavor

1 tub crumbled Bleu or Roquefort cheese

2 bags Candied Walnuts, Butter Toffee flavor

1 jar Litehouse Balsamic Vinaigrette

Layer all items into a bowl, in any order you like, though I find lettuce on the bottom works best. Pour dressing over, slightly toss and serve. Serves 10-15.

I eat mostly the stuff, and leave the lettuce, but I've found that there are people on this planet who actually like lettuce. Otherwise, I'd leave it out entirely. I've also found I can do these on chilled salad plates for a nice presentation. Alternately I've added thinly sliced red onion, artichoke hearts or water chestnuts instead of the palm. I'd also say candied pecans would work, though I'm not that fond of them.

I did have a strange dream the other night, though now I cannot remember what it was about. Last night I was feeling a bit of vertigo, and I know I need to get to the Acupuncturist.