Thursday, February 28, 2008

A Bee In My Bonnet

On another blog, I was recently told that, because I was wanting the government to do everything for me that I should perhaps move to Europe. I'm thinking, perhaps, that my politics were slightly misunderstood. Rather than use the the comment section in another blog to justify myself as a liberal commie pinko, instead I would like to post some thoughts here about something that has our country deeply divided right now.

Health care.

I think a bit of a history lesson is in order first. In the 1950's, health care began to be more technical and therefore more expensive. Unions saw pension and health care benefits as a way companies could help take care of workers without actually increasing wages and began negotiating with companies to try and improve the quality of their member's lives. I'll use the automakers as an example.

Union leaders sat down with the big bosses from the Detroit automakers, trying to encourage these large companies to pool both their health insurance and their pensions. The idea was that a larger pool of risk would generate more money. Also, a larger principle in pension funds would create larger interest payments and the pensions would have greater long term security.

The problem was that the unions had such a history of Communism and, yes, Mafia ties, that the businessmen didn't trust them. In addition, anything that required these competing companies to work together was regarded with unveiled contempt. The result? Single companies cut their own deals with the unions. This same practice spread to other companies and insurance suddenly became a really cutthroat business as companies shopped around to pay premiums for a few hundred employees here and there.

In the 80's a lot of manufacturers began to see the writing on the wall--with shrinking labor forces because of improved technology, smaller profit margins, and cheap overseas steel and workers--pensions and health care became unbearable burdens. Many of these companies are paying out pensions to widows whose husbands haven't worked in decades! And while the pensions are a pittance each month, if there are thousands of them . . . well, you get the idea.

The answer to the pension problem, at least for many workers, has been that most companies have gotten rid of their pension programs all together in exchange for 401K's, which they will sometimes match. (Social Security is a different issue entirely.) But nobody has figured out what to do about the health care issue because the rising costs of health care have so far outstripped inflation and manufacturing profits that traditional methods have not worked.

I would, in fact, argue that it isn't just cheap labor that has sent American manufacturing overseas, it is expensive health care. Full-time, American workers, whom companies want to hire, train and keep for 30 years do not come cheaply. Besides wages, a compensation package must accompany most full-time jobs. This is not the case in other countries. Not only do workers not expect such exorbitant salaries, but they do not need pension or health care plans because the government provides these things. The result is that in the 80's and 90's, blue-collar jobs left the US in the numbers of the tens of thousands, but in this century, professional jobs are beginning to leave as well.

So, it seems to me, that history would teach big business (and certainly small business) that they should be the most ardent supporters of some kind of government subsidized or run health care. I mean, a slightly heavier tax burden HAS to be cheaper than going out of business. Right?

Now, I am not so naive as to think that the government needs to put insurance companies out of business. We have an American problem here requiring an American solution. I've heard many good ideas recently, which I will now share here. Please add to the dialogue; I'm always trying to refine my thinking.

1. Create some kind dual system. When an employee is hired, they can opt for a certain salary and private health care they and the company both pay into, or they can opt for a slightly higher salary and government health care. The private health care/insurance is obviously going to allow a person to choose their doctor, probably wait less time to see a doctor and greater access to specialists. Both sets of employees would be a higher social security tax (2-3%) with an employer match. (For those who are paying a premium on top of this, the long-term benefit to a society with a healthier population is very real, though difficult to measure.) For people like my parents--getting older, two incomes, etc. private insurance would be a great options. For my family--young, kids needing immunizations and well-baby visits, low risk pregnancies, one income, etc then government insurance would be ideal.

Those who did not opt into private insurance either on their own or through an employer would automatically (with a legal social security number) be enrolled in government health care; if not everyone, at least the children. To keep some of the wait time down at government clinics, and to help people take some ownership over their own health reasonable co-pays ($30 or so) for everyone would still need to be in place for office visits (this would prevent people from waiting in line for every sniffle) and emergency room, etc.

While the bureaucracy costs of such a program are high, I would argue that the actual health care itself is cheaper. Why? Three reasons doctors in private practice are so expensive is that (a) they spent, in many cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars just to get educated. (b) The overhead in a typical doctor's office just to keep up with insurance claims is exorbitant. (c) Malpractice premiums increase all the time. All three problems would be mitigated under a federal program because government doctors would take a generous, but reasonable, salary in exchange for a payment of student loans, no insurance issues and malpractice protection via the federal government (including caps on punitive damages).

The cons to such a system would be the need for strict oversight to ensure that separate is equal, and that the poor would still have decent access to health care that was both fair and equitable. On the plus side, educated, medicated people know that lifelong health begins at conception, so any universal plan would have to address babies and children very specifically. Some form of subsidized health care would get more poor, pregnant women into the doctor sooner. I also see parenting classes with public health educators and nurses as being essential to the success of a plan like this.

2. Another idea involves use of the term "moral hazard." A couple of years ago, Malcolm Gladwell wrote an exceptional article in The New Yorker (part of his piece was based on a report actually put together by the Bush Administration). Although his article doesn't offer a lot of solutions, it does help to define the problem. For those of us whom have cheap insurance, we over consume it: we have a lot more than we actually need. For those with expensive insurance, there is never enough. He suggests some ideas for playing with the price structure.

3. 20/20 (I can't find the exact transcript from the piece, but the highlighted article is helpful) with John Stossel (who I normally can't stand) did a really interesting series of interviews in the aftermath of Michael Moore's movie, "Sicko." Stossel is a fairly conservative commentator and he pursued the idea that Americans need an American solution not a French or Canadian one as suggested by Moore. He talked to the owner of Whole Foods, who believes very strongly that the answer lies not in socialist principles, but in capitalist ones.

He maintains that Health Insurance ought to be more like auto insurance with a high deductible. The consumer takes care of all the little expenses, and maintenance expenses. But something like cancer, now that is totally covered, after your high deductible. The company also adds to a health savings plan for each employee that can be rolled over from year to year. Money in the health savings plan can cover everything from eyeglasses to acupuncture to TMJ surgery (things not typically covered under traditional health care.)

While there have been problems, the long term effect of people shopping around for health care and taking more responsibility for their actions would be a lowering of medical costs. Why? Well, right now, if you call your doctor and ask them the cost of a checkup and a round of shots for your three year-old, he or she probably has no idea. But under a Whole Foods-type model, generally applied, doctors would want to be competitive. If people are paying for themselves to go to the doctor then they want the best deal around.


4. This option does involve more of sinking the insurance companies, but it is not for reasons of socializing the system. Many doctors are finding that they can slash their costs drastically by refusing all forms of insurance all together. For the Stossel piece, a doctor in Appalachia was interviewed. He was a family practice doctor working on everything from shots to stitches to broken bones to general check ups. His frustration over insurance some years back led him to get out of the business all together and instead, put together a cash-only price list. Most of his "customers" have no health insurance, but can afford his low prices.

It turns out that paying out of pocket, at least for small expenses, is much cheaper than paying a 20 or 30% copay, a monthly premium and STILL meeting a deductible (what my "good" insurance plan looks like). And while getting a price list from your doctor, like a menu in a restaurant, might seem a little bit strange, what other service to you get from anybody that you have NO IDEA going into it how much it will cost? No where. Only medical care.

If your family is like mine, and you've changed professional jobs a few times in the last decade or so, it seems like your health care shake gets a little bit worse each time. The irony is that each time our premium or copay goes up or our benefits go down, each plan is touted as the "best" around. And while you might balk at the fact that I've cited three different articles here from a "liberal" magazine, the writers themselves have thought out and researched the problem and are trying to give the reader the most logical assessments of the facts at hand. Conservative pundits and magazines are going to scream and pull out their hair about "socialism" and costs. But I have to maintain that the long-term costs to the widening class-gap of health care are far worse to swallow than finding a way to equalize the system.

Barack Obama is going to be elected president of this country. I think the writing on the wall is plain. The choice now is to be part of the national discussion on health care or to rage against it and forever have our voices out of the compromise. It must be remembered that the Constitution, so upheld and revered by members of both parties, was an endless source of frustration to all of its drafters, as none of them got exactly what they wanted. But it is that very issue of compromise and civility over their differences that makes the Constitution, and our country, great.

Monday, February 25, 2008

World Records You Don't Want to Set

Is anybody else as amazed as I am about the speed with which and entire box of
Girl Scout Cookies can disappear?*
*Even when you order a flavor nobody else in the family likes.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

A Belated Valentine's Day Shoutout to my Beloved Newspaper Customers

I love it when you still have your Christmas lights up in February.


I love it when you call in the middle of a freak snowstorm to tell me that, no, you aren't going out of town any more because of the terrible weather, but could I please drop everything I'm doing to come and bring you a paper?


I love your motion detector lights that blind me daily: especially the kind the shut off after about four seconds, so they get me entering AND leaving your driveway.


I love it when you wait by the door for a Sunday paper that arrives at four minutes after six. I love it even more when you slam the door so sweetly as soon as I step off the porch.


I know that occassionally I miss delivering your paper, and when I do, I really love it when you call up and tell me all of your morning routine habits--it helps drive home just how much I have messed up your day.


Ooo . . . and when I tell you I'll get that paper right out to you, as soon as I finish feeding my baby and putting my son on the bus, I love it when you act really put out about that. The deep sighing and stern voice is almost enough to make me leave my little kiddies at home to fend for themselves so that you can read the obituaries.


I love it when you leave me a dollar tip every six months. But even more wonderful is when you don't tip at all. That's my favorite.


I love this bumper sticker on your car.



I love walking fifty yards down your driveway and then tenderly placing your paper under the rock, or behind the screen, or in the homemade box you have. Please, never put a paper tube under your mailbox on the road, I love you just the way you are.


I love it when you call me up and tell me your conspiracy theory about the lone jogger (or is there a second jogger?) who has been routinely stealing your paper off and on for years. I especially appreciate the advice to slide it WAY back into the tube so that it isn't so obvious and tempting for a casual passer-by. And I will most certainly let you know if I see any suspicious characters.


I love when you call me to deliver a late paper, but then call the newspaper to complain anyway. That. Is. Awesome.


I love it when you go out of town two or three times in a month, stopping and starting your paper each time. It makes it so easy to keep track of you. I also love the security light you leave on when you are out of town: I'm sure that is a great deterrent.


But even more than cancelling your paper for a few days, I love it when you ask me to save them in a bag. Especially if you are out of town for more than a week. Nothing makes me happier than keeping 17 of your out-of-date newspapers in my trunk, longing for your return.


Mostly, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou for being a tiny part of my life every morning between 3:20 and 5:35.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Small Plates

There have been many things occupying my thoughts lately: health care, a stubborn six-year old, an independent Kosovo and the proper care and feeding of husbands. Instead, I wanted to turn my thoughts to something more, well, spiritual. I was reading this week about Nephi making his small plates and I remembered a friend who once kept a seperate journal for her profound spiritual experiences. She called this second journal her "small plates." We would sometimes refer to experiences, the really special ones, as "small plates experiences."

I liked the idea. Very much. But I must confess to never creating a set of my own small plates. That would be a good thing to do one day. Instead of small plates, I think I'll share my thoughts here instead.

On Saturday, Plantboy and I scrambled around all afternoon in order to make it to the adult session of stake conference: we were able to go for just one hour. Part of the reason I felt so compelled to go is because a neighbor of ours had been asked to speak. He and his wife live just two doors up and they have loved and loved us. They are about the same age as my parents and their own children and grandchildren all live far away. Our mutual need has created a very special bond between our families. I shall hereafter refer to husband as "The Irishman" (he is one) and the wife as "Grandma Goodie" (a play on her name and she always brings the boys treats).


The Irishman is one of the funniest men I have ever met. His jokes are entirely deadpan, and he will go on speaking while the entire room erupts in laughter as if nothing happened. His talk was one of the best I have heard, outside General Conference, in years. And it might be the most entertaining talk I've ever heard over the pulpit. He had everyone laughing one minute and then in near tears the next as he spoke of family: both the difficulties and the joys.


He said two different things that have stuck with me through the weekend. The first is a thing I've never thought about before. He said that in the Old Testament and in Jewish culture, we read many stories of parents dedicating a child to the Lord by giving him over to the temple elders as a small child to be raised out of the world, immersed in a life of scholarship and spirituality, and thereby become men of God. But not Jesus. He was given a fine mother and a devoted step-father. He was given brothers and sisters. And he was left there. This perfect soul in an imperfect family. If this simple fact doesn't tell us something about the power that our Father in Heaven believes resides in families then nothing will. As these innocent, tender souls are placed in our families, let us not forget from whence they came and what their potential might be.


The Irishman told about growing up in a tiny branch in Belfast. His father was the branch president for years and years. He also became a single father when our neighbor was just 11 years old. He said that was nothing in their family that would have ever put them in the pages of the Ensign, but he spoke with tenderness of a father who taught him the gospel in every interaction and a mother who gave him enough love in just 11 years, that even now, fifty years later, he still weeps for her tender memory. He also told about his mother-in-law and the many years she struggled as a single parent, pulling her kids to church every week in a little red wagon after her car broke down so that they would have the blessings of being raised in the Church.


He then said the thing that has been unable to leave me. "But my dad, as great as he was to me, is nobody to you. He is just some guy living the gospel. You will never know his name. The world will never know who he is. And my mother-in-law, you'll never know her either. She is just some lady who lived the gospel and did the right thing." This may not seem profound to you, but it was important to me. You see, I've had a very overactive imagination since I was a small child. And I've definitely read a lot of books. I think I'm still hanging on to so many romantic ideals from my childhood: wanting to change the whole world all at once with my words or my courage or my actions. I've always been fascinated by THE ONE person who changes the course of history (either real or imagined) because their force of will was so strong and their bravery so compelling that people followed . . . .


And though I've grown up a lot, I think I sometimes feel a vague discontent because I want to do something truly great. The Irishman's words pointed out to me that my chance for something truly great is passing me by if I'm forever looking beyond my role as a mother, a wife, a friend, a neighbor, a daughter of God. Perhaps it is time to admit that perhaps there is no great novel inside of me, there will be no speeches that inspire nations, blog entries that get 100 comments (or even 20) and my name will only be known to those inside my (newly realized) very small sphere of influence.


At this point some of you are probably thinking, "You can't be serious STM; you cannot possibly believe that you would have really been one of THOSE people whose names are widely known for the influence they exert on others. You seemed so sane!" Well, I'm sorry to say, I think I have been one of those people. Some time ago, I either posted or commented something like, "you wake up one day and you realize that your life is not what you thought it would be." A friend emailed after reading that, almost incredulous. After all? What more could an LDS woman want for than three beautiful and healthy children, a generous and communicative husband, a college degree and a job I've loved and will love again, a home, all of life's necessities, the gospel, etc, etc.


I struggled to put my thoughts into words as I replied to her, and although that was some months ago, I think I've finally done that here. Anyway, The Irishman's comments helped me to realize again that it is time I stopped looking beyond the present.

The sister who spoke after The Irishman DID have an Ensign family, or at least went to great pains to put across that image. After her talk I mostly felt like a failure of a mother. I'm not sure that wasn't her purpose: she said several times how much better we all needed to be doing. I wish they had given The Irishman 40 minutes instead of 20.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

And So He Began the Long Journey From Innocence to Knowledge

Some months back in a post about nursing, I mentioned how (perhaps overly) modest I am with my kids. I'll change clothes in front of them, but never to the buff. Even the baby. Yes, even with the baby.

Anyway, Poopy Pirate (who is three and still very poopy) wandered in my room yesterday while I was changing my shirt and pants. Here is the conversation, recorded here for your enjoyment and my posterity:

"What are those big things, Mommy?"

"What big things?" Mommy says in her most distracted voice, glancing around the room, trying to figure out what Pirate is looking at.

Pirate marches over to Mommy, reaches up and places his grubby patties on Mommy's breasts and says, "These big things."

I'll spare you the stammering that followed, but he was satisfied with my explanation. And I nursed my baby for SIX MONTHS. Did he really not have a question in all of that time? Scallywag wanted the biological run down of exactly how my body was making milk for Captain Tootypants.

Have I said before how much I love being surrounded by boys?

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

So Who Are Your Famous Relatives?

In the 8th grade, I went to the cheap movie theatre in downtown Brigham City and fell in love. Cary Elwes as Wesley in the Princess Bride was the fulfillment of every romantic fantasy. (The love-affair with the British Pirate motiff only came in a close second to the Australian foreign exchange student whom I would fall madly in love with.) Some time later, a friend told me that Cary Elwes had been in a movie called Lady Jane.



I had seen Helena Bonham Carter in another film and thought she was quite wonderful, so I decided to give it a try. Well, it became one of my favorites and my fascination with the historical figure of Lady Jane, as well as the events immediately preceding and following her death, became almost an obsessive interest.

When visiting London just a few months before my 17th birthday, I found the site, in the shadow of the Tower Bridge, where Lady Jane was executed. I took pictures, feeling an almost reverence for the spot of her, well, martyrdom. I've often wondered how much of the love story between she and her husband was real, and how much was imagined. The following year, my two best friends went on the same tour (one of whom had gone with me as well), and I stayed home licking my wounds for a week and a half. One of those friends brought me a print of this painting from London's National Gallery:



I was deeply touched that he would even remember my near-fettish with the subject matter and I carried the print with me everywhere I went for years before having it framed. (A few of you have probably seen it in my house.) It always makes for interesting conversation when new people come to visit.

In my early 20's, I was speaking with my mom's brother who has a deep and a abiding love of all things English and is extremely well-read. He is a real scholar of British history, particularly the Tudor Period. He told me that our genealogy had been traced back to that era and an exciting discovery had been made. My mother's maiden name is actually an Americanized version of the rare surname Fitzpen. "Fitz" was added to a last name to denote bastard royal lineage. The first Fitzpen was actually a child of, you guessed it, Henry VIII.

His revelation didn't really shock me, instead, it was more of an affirmation of my fixation with this British era of weak, lustful men and powerful, disciplined women.

This is the background I took into my viewing of Elizabeth: The Golden Age late last night. It is a good film. Or maybe a mediocre film with a great performance. It is hard to say. Cate Blanchett is really an incredible, believable Elizabeth. The movie, however, was a little disjointed and fuzzy. The final Armada action sequence, which has been building up the entire movie, was confusing and quick. I believe the director was trying to create a portrait of Elizabeth moreso than focus on the Armada, but it was a bit anti-climactic. Maybe the reality was too. As I viewed the film, many parts of the story seemed totally improbable to me, but my later research (I spent an hour on the Internet after watching the movie) showed that much of the story was accurate (even the armor-wearing pep-talk to the troops). I actually wish I had done the research first, instead of after. I would probably have been less distracted by aspects of the story and would have been able to put things in better context.

One of the most contrived parts to me seemed to be Elizabeth's love-of-my-life attitude toward Walter Raleigh. While it seems true that he was favored by Elizabeth for a time, she really was in her mid-fifties when Raleigh was at court (the movie never says, but Blanchett's Faerie Queen is hard to accept as older than 40 or 45). Also, she was, for many years, most greatly attached to the man she had made her Master of Horse. (Who, incidentally, was Lady Jane Gray's oldest brother-in-law. Hmm . . . what do they say when your family tree doesn't branch? Apparently, he was thrown off as a traitor in the first film, so he could not re-appear in this one.)

The next bit won't make much sense unless you have seen the film, so be warned. The director did a good job of juxtaposing Bess with Elizabeth, although there are times (like the way they always wear the same colors, just slightly different shades), it seems a little forced. By the end I was like, "Okay! I get it! Bess is Elizabeth's alter-ego, leave me alone!" Their relationship opens up questions of power, loyalty, the desirability of marriage and freedom. The movie portrays the queen as forgiving Bess and Walter Raleigh's indiscretion very quickly--for England, and because she needs her own forgiveness, and even offering a blessing on their child when he is just a few months old, but the reality is not as pretty. Queen Elizabeth stayed angry for a long time, and Raleigh was imprisoned for as long as five years. Bess, as his wife, was in exile with him. She gave birth under severely impoverished circumstances and the baby died when he was less than six months old. The movie makes it seem that Bess and Raleigh will travel together to the New World and live the life that Elizabeth wishes she could have had. Again, the reality is much starker, more difficult.

The reasons that Elizabeth never married have never been clearly pegged by historians, and the movie makes great use of legend to give motivation. Cate Blanchett's Elizabeth is strong, too strong to allow room for any other person in her life. She needs no support and is complete without any spouse. Historical sources tell us that the reason may have been less modern feminist, and more sexual abuse suffered as a child at the hands of the couple who were supposed to be her protectors.

Anyway, I was fascinated by the reading I did last night and if you get a minute (yeah right), I think the link above is worth visiting, as well as several of the connected articles. It is true that the sources are Wikipedia sources (not perfect), but they are well cited and several different articles seem to mostly repeat the same information. Or, if there is no time to read, next time you are looking to rent a movie that is smart and interesting and well-acted, this would be a great pick. (I'm thinking of getting the first tonight, hubby is out of town, though the content doesn't seem to be quite as tame.)
So, famous relatives? Historical interests?

Thursday, February 07, 2008

When I'm Wrong, I Admit It

I made my predictions after Iowa a few weeks ago. My guess on the outcome was (so far) incorrect, but I think my reasoning was good. The Republicans did what I thought they would not do--they will nominate John McCain. Except for his really pro-war stance, he has actually been my favorite Republican in the mix. I think he is a smart nominee for the Republicans: he will steal a number of moderate voters from the Democrats. Now, the ultra right wingers wept and wailed and gnashed their teeth over Romney's annouuncement today, but all-in-all, I think this is the only competitive choice for Republicans. And although I didn't like his politics at all, I think it is sad to see just how deep the Mormon bias still runs. I think that is why Huckabee ran in the first place. He never really had a shot, he just wanted to make sure that Romney didn't.

On the OTHER side, I'm still holding fast to my Barack Obama position. I think he'll run stronger against McCain. The polls show that Hillary does not attract the moderates like Obama does. If the Dems elect Hilary, they will have a fight to the White House on their hands. Either way, the Republicans have it tough--they are only getting out about as third as many voters as the Democrats.

For me, I'm afraid it may come down to voting for or against the war. I'm not in an income bracket that will be affected to far one way or the other by taxes, so I have to stick to the issues that resonate the loudest with me--education, the war, the environment, health care. . . . Now, for more information on why Clinton and Obama are different, I really suggest taking the time to read this. I think the most telling bit is that several advisors close to both the ghost of Clinton past and Clinton future have decided to work for the Obama campaign. As one put it very eloquently, "I'm just not sure I want that circus back in town.

Okay, that is enough ISSUE for today. On to some domestic items:

I have problems with stinky rags. Constantly. I know, I know, I should just go all disposable, but I hate the waste. The rags, even if they sit for a few hours begin to smell and then I throw them in a pile on my washing machine (garage) where they all sit together and stink until I get around to washing them about once a week. They come out not very fresh. Plantboy had an idea to microwave them. So now, after I use a rag, I rinse it really well and then microwave it until it is hot (20-60 sec, depending on the size of the rag and/or how many I put in.) I pull them out, and voila! No smell. Not even a bit. I had one on the counter for like two days I'd kind of forgotten about. Sniffed it. NO PROBLEM. Try this at home, please.

And the Greek food. Oh, the Greek Food. Look at the picture and get a pen . . .

In the top center, is a typical Greek/Caesar salad. Nothing fancy, but really yummy.

Starting at the top of the Plate

Rice Pilaf
1. Combine two parts jasmine rice with one part orzo pasta
2. Brown in a couple of tablespoons of butter
3. Add six parts (in other words, double the pasta/rice) chicken stock (use a good one)
4. Add dried herbs--oregano, basil, thyme and whatever else sounds good as well as salt/pepper
5. Boil until water is absorbed and rice is cooked. DO NOT stir it or it will get gummy.

Moving clockwise . . . .

Garlicky Dill Potatoes

1. Boil chunked red potatoes about five minutes. They should still be hard. Drain and place them back in the pan.

2. Add a couple of tablespoons butter, dill, juice from one lemon and a clove of garlic. Place the lid on the pan and shake really hard. Transfer potatoes to an oven-safe dish and bake at 350 until potatoes are done and slightly browned.

The whole meal was a little brown to be beautiful, next time I would do the same recipe but use carrots instead.

The pita bread is flat bread I bought at the store, the key here is to brush it with a little bit of olive oil and brown it on both sides so it is warm and just slightly crispy. Then you dip it in

3 parts plain yogurt, 1 part sour cream, juice from a lemon (or half, to taste), dill, salt, black pepper, and a finely diced cucumber. Mix it a couple of hours ahead and let it sit together. Even better on day 2.

Chicken Kebabs:

1. Cut up chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and put about four or five each on skewers (I used wooden ones).

2. Mix olive oil (good stuff, the kind that smells like fruit), fresh garlic, fresh oregano, lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper in a dish. Drizzle it over the chicken and let it sit for a couple of hours or more in the fridge.

3. Cook on a medium on a griddle on the stove (about the same temp you'd use for pancakes!) about five minutes on each side. Press them into the pan as you cook them to make sure they cook through. They cook fast, searing on the outside with all the tasty goodness and staying tender in the center.

Delicious in the dip.

Lemonade (we went all out)

1 Cup fresh lemon juice combined with a cup of water, add to blender

Add sugar to taste: 1/2 to 1 cup

1/2 a can of sweetened condensed milk

Zest from a lemon

Blend up with about 15 ice cubes in you blender.

Happy eating!!!!!

Monday, February 04, 2008

Reacquainted

For a moment this post will probably sound like I'm living too much in 1993, but just bear with me for a minute. Between my junior and senior year, I went to a summer camp with some kids from my high school. There were only three girls and we ended up spending a lot of time together. One was from my ward, the other I'd gone through junior high and high school with, herein referred to as Tabula Rasa--a play on her real name, but had never gotten to know very well. We had so much fun, and then had a psychology class together in the fall.

Tabula and I bonded quickly in that class because it was mostly a blow off for people who didn't want to take history, whereas she and I actually were interested in the content. (How psych is a swap for history is beyond me, but I'll avoid another diatribe about public education today.) The class had the second of three lunches which means that we went to half the class, lunch, then the second half. Second lunch was pretty much the black hole of lunches because all the teachers hated it, and many couldn't have it, so there weren't very many students in it. Bereft of all other friends, Tabula and I began making almost daily runs to the Smith's in our home town for lunch: Deep fried bean burritos nearly every day. Nice. Oh, on Fridays we'd splurge on sugar donuts. If one of us was really in the money we'd get Crazy Bread at the neighboring Little Ceasar's. Only very occassionally would we hit the Arctic Circle.

We'd scurry back to school, park, and run for our lives to avoid getting that daily tardy in psychology. We didn't always dodge the bullet, but we did get credit for the class. There was a book chapter on paranormal psychological events and the teacher put us in groups to teach the class--mostly she wanted a 10 minute presentation on each section; we were supposed to get through the weird chapter in about three days. Tabula and I were assigned ESP and we researched with a vegeance. Our lesson took TWO class periods. We learned that nobody in the class had ESP.

ANYWAY . . . .

During my senior year, I was in transition with some friends. Interests had changed. Boys had upset the mix. My increasing committment to the Church was starting to a be stumbling block between myself and a couple of close non-member friends as hanging out became harder and harder. Tabula turned out to be exactly the right person at the right time in my life. Funny. Laid-back. Smart. Ambitious. Faithful. I think she was the person I wanted to be if I could just learn to lighten up.

Second semester we took government together the same hour that we'd had psychology. Our teacher found out I was part of the debate team and heavily involved with drama and asked for my help in recruiting a mock trial team. I needed one more thing to do like I need a hole in the head, but it sounded fun. We pulled in several drama students as witnesses, and I convinced Tabula to join up, though she'd never done anything like that. We found our two best policy debaters to be our lead attorneys and I ran closing arguments because they mostly had to be impromptu, and that was my best debate event. It was so much fun. Our government teacher basically gave us a month off class so that we could "prepare" for the trial; debate was the same hour. It was a long class period because of the lunch, so we basically spent an hour and a half hanging out at a nearby friend's house every day. We played pool, and his mother would often order pizza. Our mock trial team was great, but it was definitely more by accident than design.

I fell hard for one of the policy debaters, but that is a different story for a different time. The girl's choice dance rolled around and the girls from our team wanted to ask the boys so we could all go together. Tabula wasn't too keen on anybody, and the only boy left over was Jamin' (also a play on his name): the second half of the policy debate team. We talked her into asking him. The dance was fun--we got sweaty and gross playing ultimate, tackle frisbee before the dance; had a BBQ at my house, and wore shirts that said "Give Blood, Play Rugby." Tabula and I spent half of a Saturday putting together a mix tape of all our favorite songs.

Okay, I promise, I'm speeding up the story now. I just wanted to get the point across that Tabula and I were really BFs for that year, and had some really good times. One thing led to another and she and Jamin' began dating. Now, for all of Tabula Rasa's quirks, I have to say that she was always really consistent. Dating Jamin' was the most off-the-wall thing she'd ever done. Of all my high school friends, she was the only one who said that YES, for SURE she would go on a mission. Jamin' wasn't active in the church, or even remotely interested in activity. Tabula liked things quiet and understated and hated confrontation. Jamin' was loud, in your face and argumentative. . . .

The list could go on and on. I am reminded of the quote, "She did realize with some dismay that love lazily sidestepped practical problems." Tabula convinced Jamin' to go on a mission; after months of preparation he lasted about three days before going AWOL from the MTC. Really. Still, Tabula persisted and some months later, instead of returning to his mission, they became engaged with a temple date.

They were married; Tabula was barely 20. Jamin' was a few months shy of it. I was a bridesmaid and, though happy to be at the wedding of two good friends, I was still reeling from the shock of Tabula's decision. Thought they'd been together a couple of years, I really didn't think she'd ever go through with it. Still, Jamin' had stayed active in the church and it seemed like he had changed. Tabula's faith was so strong that I think she couldn't believe things could be otherwise. To Tabula, saying that Jamin' wouldn't change was the same as saying she had no faith in the atonement.

We lost contact.

Sometime on my mission I heard they had both been accepted to dental school. That was probably nine years ago.

I was thinking about Tabula the other day as I realized that several of the songs I've paid money to download into my iPod were from that old Morp tape. Then, a miracle. Or, at least it seemed like a miracle to a girl that is far from "home."

I saw a sign downtown for Dr. Jamin'. An orthondist's office. His name is fairly common, so I put in a local search for Tabula. Sure enough. Dr. Rasa is a dentist in town. I called to his office; the only number I could find, and Jamin' happened to be standing right next to his receptionist and took a few minutes to talk to me.

Less than 24 hours later I was on the phone with a very incredulous Tabula. Remember, we are living in a rather smallish city 800 miles from where we grew up. Yet, she lives less than 15 minutes from my house. Saturday night, we went out with them to my new favorite place to help celebrate Tabula's birthday. (This place changes menus every six months to use products that are available 95% locally. Saturday's menu had only been in place for a week or two.) The conversation was delightful, the connection valuable (Dr. Jamin' wants to take us skiing and get us UO football tickets next fall; and he paid for dinner), and Tabula is as wonderful as ever. Our kids stairstep one another and she also has boys. I am sure that at least she and I will get together often, as she only works a couple of days each week.

I had told Plantboy prior to meeting up with them that I wasn't sure what to expect, but that I'd be shocked if Dr. Jamin was going to church or if Dr. Rasa was not. Dr. Jamin had ordered a couple of cocktails and when he excused himself for a few minutes. I leaned over to Tabula and said, "Before I say something stupid and really step in it, is Jamin' going to church?"

Rasa shook her head and shrugged, resigned to what their lives were. "Are you surprised?" I didn't reply and she just said, "Years 26 to 28 were hard. Really hard. But I'm normal now and everything's fine."

I imagine there is quite a story in that simple statement. And as fun as the night was, I was once again left with disbelief that dear, loving, faithful committed Tabula married Jamin'. Even now, her belief in temple marriage and the power of people to change and her love for him is stronger than the "easy" way out. Everything about Jamin's conversation and his demeanor suggests what has always been a part of his personality: he loves the world too much to give it up. It is not a suggestion that the Savior CANNOT change his heart, it is that Jamin' WILL NOT allow it to happen.

I've spent a weekend in gratitude for my own dodged bullet many years ago, knowing that I don't have Tabula's faith or patience. I hope that Jamin' realizes before it is too late that he has the real prize already, and that everything else is just fluff.

In other weekend news: we had family pictures on Friday night and they turned out unbelievably well. I'm still in utter amazement. And reeling from the sticker shock--I intended to only get a few until they were so awesome. We had them done at JC Penny; if there is a way for me to download some to here than I eventually will.

Oh, and I made a delicious GREEK meal on Sunday afternoon. Oh. Wow. I will post a picture and some recipes later in the week.

And to all my single friends out there: this hottie is going to be in need of some serious comfort after Sunday. Better get in line.