http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/ Medicinal musings from a mobile shrink, a.k.a. Queen of the Road. en Copyright 2010 Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:48:08 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Julie & Julia with me last week, but then, had to make her Boeuf Bourguignon. 'Twas divine. He said that when he went to our local liquor store to get the Burgundy needed for the recipe, all he could find were expensive bottles. Tim (to clerk): Do you have any inexpensive bottles of Burgundy I can use in a recipe? Clerk (snorting): Boeuf Bourguingnon? Tim (sheepishly): Yeah. My wife just rented that movie. Clerk: Follow me. I'll show you what I use. Tim and Clerk (in unison, complete with eye rolls): Women. If you're wondering how come I'm just getting around to this movie now, I explained in a previous post why I don't go to movies. Let's just say it's been awhile. And, by the way, I did take a picture of this fabulous dish while it was still in the pot, but after an inordinate amount of time on the phone with tech support (there are no four-year-olds in the neighborhood to ask), I apparently need a new thingy to put in the doohickey of my camera before I can post any pictures. Glad that's all cleared up. ]]> http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2010/03/julie_julia_tim.html http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2010/03/julie_julia_tim.html Project Nerd Stationary Life Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:48:08 -0500 From Bottom left: Stephanie, Joan's pooch, Kathy, Christy, Joan Top Left: Sue, Deb, Marisa, Anita, Jocelyn And, it's quite a diverse group. Here's what Jocelyn had to say about the Ladies: Jocelyn: coordinator/ social butterfly and baby of the group Christy: the bean counter and fellow baby of the group Stephanie: well-read, informed, senior staffer Kathy: party/event planning by day, best backyard summer hostess by night Deb: book worm and collector of chickens (that would be real, live chickens) Marisa: Burning Man fan and cake decorator/artist Anita: smart, worldly Joan: voracious reader and quirky, good fun Sue: been all over the map, realtor to the stars and jokester I only found all this out after Jocelyn emailed me afterwards, or I certainly would have been asking them more questions than I did. (Starting with: Collector of chickens? Like that Lucy episode?) Ladies (and Joan's pooch - nice profile!) thanks again, so much, for choosing Queen of the Road. (I wish I could figure out how to upload that picture of the baby with one of my signed bookplates platered on him/her. Priceless!) ]]> http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2010/02/the_biggest_little_book_club_l.html http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2010/02/the_biggest_little_book_club_l.html Book Groups Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:00:39 -0500 Oprahs where women who think they know their bra sizes get sized and find out they really don't? How in the world can a woman not know her own bra size? I always thought that was so idiotic. Well, I'm an idiot. (As if you didn't know that already.) But, turns out there's more than one idiot in our house. You know how men always think they can discern a woman's bra size? (Oh please, oh please: Tell me I'm not the only woman married to one of those.) Well, Tim is not immune to priding himself on that score. Maybe it's a physics thing. In any event, when I went to my local Nordstrom for a bra last weekend, it was specifically to get sized. I knew what I'd been wearing for years wasn't quite right, but I certainly had no idea how wrong it was. Meet June, the Bra Whisperer (that really is what they call her). She measured me, listened to my preference for styles, then went in search of the perfect slings and hammocks to meet my needs. But, before she left the dressing room, I had to know. I'd been wearing a 34C for decades. "What size am I?" I asked. "You're a 34 triple" she replied. "Triple what?" "D." "DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD???????????" (Well, OK. Actually DDD.) I was shocked. Just like those idiots on Oprah. June gave me an uncomfortable smile, as if she was used to women being horrified when they found out their true sizes. I guess she wasn't use to me. "Triple D!" I did a little dance with my thumbs up. "Way to go!!!!" (Look, I was totally flat-chested until my second year of college. Some things just stick.) When I got home, I proudly informed Tim of my new Triple status. He was just as shocked as I. Unfortunately, he simply refuses to admit he was wrong and goes around muttering about "bra inflation." (I guess that's better than refering to June as "The Boob Wrangler.") My new bras are so comfortable (including my new exercise one), Tim wants to know if this will induce me to get dressed more frequently. I'm pleased, therefore, to announce he remains the sole idiot in the house. On March 11th, all Nordstrom lingerie deparments will be hosting Nordstrom Fits America. If you buy a bra, proceeds go to breast cancer research. They're taking appointments now. So, get fit, ladies! (Just don't tell your men. I'm not sure they can handle the information quite as well as we can.) ]]> http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2010/02/the_bra_whisperer.html http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2010/02/the_bra_whisperer.html Baby Boomers Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:03:14 -0500 Don't worry. I would NEVER post a recipe on this blog that has no alcohol in it. Several of you have asked for the recipe I mention at the end of QUEEN OF THE ROAD that's my fave thing Tim cooks. So, here it is, hot of the presses. (He made it for Valentine's.) You can figure out how to do the green beans that accompanied it yourselves, can't you? I mean, even I probably could. But, don't worry, it won't be any time soon. As Tim says: he's become the wife he's always wanted.) Pecan-Crusted Salmon in a Spinach Cream Sauce (adapted from Atkins Best Recipes) Sauce: 2 cups packed fresh spinach 1/3 cup white wine 1 large shallot 1 cup cream Salmon: 1/2 cup pecans (about 2 ounces) 1/2 cup Bisquick 1/2 tsp dried basil 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 2 Tbsp butter, melted 2 (8-ounce) salmon fillets Mix spinach, wine and shallots in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat 3 minutes. Cool slightly: puree sauce in blender until fairly smooth. Return to saucepan to heat; add salt and pepper to taste. Heat over to 350. In a food processor, pulse pecans, bake mix, basil, salt and peer until nuts are nicely chopped. Trransfer to a bowl and mix in butter. Grease a large baking sheet. Place salmon on sheet. Spread fillets evernly with pecan mix. Bake 15 minutes or until cooked through. Serve on sauce. Then, serve to sauced.... er, beaming sweetie. http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2010/02/tims_salmon_recipe.html http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2010/02/tims_salmon_recipe.html Project Nerd Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:53:37 -0500 I know not to do that.) PN explained that since the Saab's ignition was on a column on the floor, sometimes when it's cold outside, the act of pushing down the key to start it, acutally keeps the button down, so even when the key is removed, the thingy itself is still down, electricity still flowing, battery still draining. Or, something like that. Anyway, thought that might be useful information for any of you living in cold weather with a similar set up in your cars. Consider this a Public Service Announcement: Your car is not possessed! And, radios don't stay on on their own. (But, wouldn't it be cool if they did?)]]> http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2010/02/saab_story.html http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2010/02/saab_story.html Project Nerd Stationary Life Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:16:28 -0500 The Who. In fact, Tim and I saw them in Denver, what... 15 years ago? They were fabulous. Roger Daltrey with his open, button-down shirt, was totally ripped. And, he flung that mic around so you believed it. Tonight, not so much. I dunno. Something about a 65 year-old singing Teenage Wasteland (yeah, I know it's Baba O'Riley) was just plain creepy (and somehow thought to be more acceptable than a potential wardrobe malfunction. I mean, heaven forbid we see a woman's breast ). The whole performance would have been OK if there was no picture. But, when he and Pete Townshend did their power arm-above-the-head, rocker stuff, it looked like they were in the nursing home during exercise hour, with an aide exhorting, “Stretch, Mr. Daltry, stretch!” Then when they sang “before we get too old…” Oh, lord. It’s way too late for that, dudes. At the end, when the lights where flashing “The Who” and Roger was fiddling with his earpiece, it seemed as if the whole thing was subtitled for our benefit, so we could understand his imploring, "the WHO???? The WHAT????” Unfortunately, I think this proves that unless you're Mick Jagger, or Rod Stewart, the old rocker thing just doesn't fly. Although it was impressive they were able to stay up so late. "Now be good, Mr. Daltrey. Time for your meds." Whatever happened to going out on top? ]]> http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2010/02/geriatric_halftime_report.html http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2010/02/geriatric_halftime_report.html Royally Snarky Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:33:54 -0500 Sigh. ]]> http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2010/01/i_love_nerds.html http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2010/01/i_love_nerds.html Stationary Life Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:33:07 -0500 Cafe du Jour is "the best little cafe in Pittsburgh." We'll have to trust her on this (unless any of you have been there), but the place is certainly tolerant! Usually when I call into book clubs, they're at someone's home. But, there's apparently more than just food that goes into being the best little cafe in Pittsburgh. (I bet they make a fab Pittsburgher, too. Groan. Oh, what do you want from me?) This utterly adorable group of 20- to 30-somethings love reading memoirs. One member of the group, Lori, even traveled across the country in an RV. Ladies, it was lovely being your book du jour at the Cafe. If you've read any more memoirs you'd recommend, please let me know in the comments. Same to anyone else! I'm hankering for a good one... ]]> http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2010/01/the_best_little.html http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2010/01/the_best_little.html Book Groups Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:40:06 -0500 Williston Park. Imagine my surprise when her book club informed me it was only 10 minutes southeast of Great Neck, where they knew I grew up. (They did make me feel better by explaining it's a "tiny" town and most people have never heard of it. I bet that's pretty nice. And, after looking at the town's website, I'd also bet that keeping the place a well-kept secret is something they strive to do.) back: Kris Pepper, Lucy Benjamin, Marge Mahoney, Margaret Knapp, Nina Gonzalez, Ann Weinblad, Cynthia Allan front: Carolyn Eikhard, Jane Davey, Peggy Abad, Stephanie Blake As usual, library book clubs make for very lively discussions, which, if you think about it, is rather counterintuitive. I mean, it's not like they're serving drinks. (Or, if they are, I really must get on the board of the Boulder Public Library and change a bylaw or two.) Ladies, thanks again for a lovely discussion. Even though we spoke weeks ago, I still find myself nostalgic for the accents of my youth. Queen On!]]> http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2010/01/williston_park_library.html http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2010/01/williston_park_library.html Book Groups Sun, 03 Jan 2010 17:40:45 -0500 From left to right Kathleen, Emilie, Addison (her first book club) and Ellen. As the host of our book group, I selected your book upon recommendation by a friend in Denver. I am now ready to travel or least have a lively book group discussion with my friends. This was only the 2nd meeting of this club and several members just couldn't make it, so as you see, Kathleen brought in at least one ringer! Notice, they're all in PJs in honor of Your Queen. The club consists of daughters of retired librarians in the same district, so have been friends for over 30 years. Their mothers have been in a long time book club, so inspired them to start this one. Sugar Land is near Houston. Another book club I called into near Houston the week before (also arranged by a Kathleen - go figure!) had never heard of the Orange Show which I mentioned in Queen of the Road: In a residential neighborhood on a small lot, we stumbled across the Orange Show, which, depending on your point of view, is either a whimsical or insane (we’re professionals and we couldn’t even decide) homage to all things orange, in all possible permutations and combinations. A former postman spent twenty-five years collecting, well . . . junk, in honor of his favorite fruit, to form this suburban maze of sculpture, balconies, and outdoor theaters. After his death in 1980, a nonprofit was formed to not only preserve the Orange Show, but to promote creative thinking and the making of art more accessible. Queen (and Princess, Addison) On! ]]> http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2009/12/youngest_book_club_member_ever.html http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2009/12/youngest_book_club_member_ever.html Book Groups Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:21:16 -0500 really.) Our neighbor sent us this Christmas card this year featuring her adorable Beagle, Boo: Boo is short for.... ??? Oh, come on. Remember we live in Boulder.... Alrighty then: Boo is short for Buddha. Boo frequently leaves her yard and comes into ours. I'll know, because I hear her barking at some squirrel or fox. Haven't ever seen her catch anything, though. Whenever Tim and I walk to town past her yard, she'll start with the barking, run right up to Tim and flop down on her back, exposing her belly for him to rub. In other words, Boo's a slut. Back to another Boulder puzzle for you: There is a significant Jewish population here. We recently even got an eruv. (Oh, come on. Click on it and impress your friends with Jewish trivia at your next holiday party.) There is also a significant number of Jews here who have converted to Buddhism and Hinduism. Know what they called themselves? No more hints this time.... BuJews and HuJews. And, on that note, Merry Christmas, everyone. ]]> http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2009/12/boo.html http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2009/12/boo.html Stationary Life Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:16:13 -0500 Back row: Brenda, Carol, Kathi, Kris, Kathy Front row: Caroline, Susan, Linda, Sheila Missing that night...Deb and Jill I think I've lived in Boulder (you know, the place Nesteled Between the Mountains and Reality) for too long, because when Brenda told me how her book club in Omaha, NE got its name, I had no doubt the karma gods were in full force. I'll let her explain: Our club's name, The Turtle Book Club has a funny story behind it. Three of us started this book club in May 2006 partly because we were all raising boys and spending all our time at baseball, basketball, and football games. We felt we needed something just for us women! I hosted the first book club. We had developed some "norms" if you will. One norm was to keep it simple...no fancy appetizers or drinks; just something easy to munch on. Well, I discovered Turtle Chex Mix and thought we should try it out at our first meeting. Our first book was The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd which has a reference to a tortoise shell in the book. Carol and Kathy, the two other "starters" of the book club had to drop off our 3 sons at a baseball game on their way to my house for book club. As they are driving down a fairly busy street near a lake, a very large turtle was meandering in the middle of the road. They felt compelled to pull their car over, pick up the possibly diseased turtle, put it in Carol's van, and drop it off at a pond near my house. When they arrived at book club that night, they told this hilarious story about the turtle; then discovered I had bought Turtle Chex Mix and we discussed the tortoise shell reference in the book. The Turtle Book Club was born!!! Ladies, I'm so sorry I couldn't join you for your discussion, but I guarentee, with those Secession Swizzle martinis, I was there in spirit.]]> http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2009/12/turtle_book_club.html http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2009/12/turtle_book_club.html Book Groups Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:58:53 -0500 QUEEN OF THE ROAD. After all, one thing I've never been accused of is being literary. But then, she told me she's a psychiatric nurse AND has a car phobia, so I understood. Actually, several of the women in the group are nurses. And, let me tell you, nurses know how to have a good time. Can't you tell? Front row: from the left (on chair): Cynthia Franzman, Julie Smith, Vicki Driver (with Chelsie on lap), Paula D’Auteuil, Mildred Stevens. Back row: From the left: Ginny Chapin, Keitha Eckles, Christa Newtz (in her Queenly shirt!), Jennifer Beistel, Valerie Marburger. That's Chelsie, Christa's 13 year old shi-a-poo. (She said she'd let me figure out what that meant.) As she put it: I also want to add a disclaimer that the beverage in the martini glass is NON-alcoholic. (I don't blame you, Christa. I have some awfully er... rabid readers in Boulder, which, after all, is the home of the city ordinance proclaiming that all pet owners shall hereby not be refered to as owners, but as "guardians." But, that's another blog entry.) Regular readers of this blog know how sick I am of hearing about how "wonderful" Tim is all the time from the book clubs I call in to. My own fault for putting him in the book in the first place. Believe me, I considered skipping him entirely, but then you all would have wondered how I'd gotten around. Or eaten. Or wore clean clothes. So, my favorite part of this fabulo book club was when one of the members said, "Tim seems so great because of the loving way you portray him." Oh, yeah. I'll take the credit. What do you want from me?]]> http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2009/12/westerville_literary_society.html http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2009/12/westerville_literary_society.html Book Groups Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:14:05 -0500 It was during the horrendous cold snap we've been having. Now that the temps are moderating a bit, all is forgiven, ladies. This book club consists almost entirely of teachers at an international school (one member is the wife of one of the teachers). They're on assignment from one and a few years and have lived/taught in such far flung places as South Korea, Trinidad, Pakistan, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, China, Indonesia and Paraguay. Is it any wonder that when they said my book inspired them to want to travel more in the U.S. I was utterly tickled? (That, plus the fact that they're drinking my Jubilees. Oh, what do you want from me?) And, under the "It's a small world" catagory, Michelle, who arranged the call-in, actually went to the same high school - Great Neck South - that I did (although, ahem, just a fewl years later). Best of all, Michelle emailed me this afterwards: When we hung up, we embarked on a hilarious and revealing recounting of our own road trips from college on - the triumphs, the disasters, the romances... We did this while drinking martinis and eating a chocolate pecan pie I had made - referencing chapter seven. All in all, your experience resonated with us and gave us the vehicle for lovely, lively, and intimate discussion. I love hearing that I've sparked eating, drinking and oh, yeah... discussion. Viva la Reina! (Which, unfortunately, is about all I've retained from my five years of high school Spanish at Great Neck South. Forgot to ask if you had Mrs. Pakel for Spanish, Michelle. She was young then, so who knows? One of my faves.) ]]> http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2009/12/an_international_incident.html http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2009/12/an_international_incident.html Book Groups Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:25:26 -0500 boychick chuck if a boychick could chuck wood? Sometime during the renovation of our house, Tim decided we needed to install an energy-efficient stove in the fireplace. He was all excited that it would "burn clean" - whatever that means. I did warm to the idea, however, when he said it would allow us to burn wood all winter and heat the house to levels not allowed me since before our marriage. Oh, the deprivation! I have to admit, the stove, plus the extra roof insulation we put in, really does the trick. In fact, since I have a home office and can deduct utilities, after sending off the info to our tax guy, he told me to recalculate, "unless you're sitting in the dark and cold all winter." I'm sure if Project Nerd had his druthers... Anyway. I wouldn't have agreed to the whole stove thing if I had known I was expected to participate in the wood-gathering process. Tim got a permit to chop down (dead) trees for wood on BLM land. He asked if I wanted to come. D: Why would I want to do that? T: We could spend time together. Outdoors. D: Why would I want to do that? T: Well, there is the part where I cut my leg off with the chain saw. So, it sure would be nice to have company. What does he want from me? Our cell phones don't work out there, I don't know how to drive his truck, and didn't he remember I'm a shrink? D (in case of accident or injury): Gee, sweetie. How does it feel to have your leg severed? After he agreed to treat me to lunch, I agreed to go. He seemed surprised. D: (Magnanimously) It's the least I can do. T: Oh, so you've done the calculation? What a guy. Once we got up to Nederland, the nearest "town" to the area we were headed (and even weirder than Boulder. Doubt it? How about the annual festival to Frozen Dead Guys?) Tim announced he wanted to stop at the grocery store for donuts. He figured he needed the sugar for fortification. It's apparently part of the tree-cutting ritual. Who knew? The woman at the check-out was quite impressed that he'd actually written the price and number of donuts on the self-service bag. She said she could tell he wasn't from around there. Since Tim was driving, I needed to nagavate... er, navagate. Needless to say we missed several turns, undoubtedly because he insisted I use the BLM map. Let me tell you, those forestry service people have about as much conception of forests as I do. What's with all the squiggly lines? While I was busy trying to read the thing, Tim employed one of his favorite tricks and turned into exactly where he wanted to go, saying "Let me pull off the road, so I can help you with the map." By the time I look up to growl, "I don't need your help," I realize he doesn't need mine. Smartass. He actually looks like he knows what he's doing. This is the part where pretending I'm doing something really important and can't be disturbed comes in handy. Upon hearing that I had accompanied his son, Bob wanted to know, "Did Doreen help you put the logs in the truck?" Oh, dear readers. Surely you know me better than Bob does. Yes, indeed, I stayed in the truck the entire time. Just like I stayed inside while Tim was trimming the tree just outside my office window the other day. Note the rope and chain saw: Tim explains: I was cutting down a dead limb on a steep hillside, so before I cut the limb, I tied a rope to one end and tied the other end to a big tree in the yard so that when the limb was cut loose, it wouldn't tumble all the way to the bottom of the hill. Yeah, get all Newtonian on me, with your precious Physics for Majors and lofty Law of Gravity. I prefer Newton's First Law. You know, the one where a body at rest stays at rest. ]]> http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2009/12/light_my_fire.html http://www.doreenorion.com/blog/2009/12/light_my_fire.html Project Nerd Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:35:12 -0500