Saturday, April 14, 2007

hard work for a change

I've been feeling stressed the last few days, with the obligations of the stay-at-home parent mounting up. I had to work a day at Lola's preschool, despite having Iris Uber Alles about on spring break. I volunteered to bring a meal to another family who just had a baby (and if you know me, that always ends up being a bit of a deal. I can't bear to just bring over one thing or something too plain). Another family asked me to look after their daughter one day. Plus, it was our little friend the Baby Violet's birthday, and I had it in mind to make a present for her. On top of this, it's kitten season, and we got the call yesterday that there was a litter waiting for us. Amongst this mix, there was Lola's ballet class and Iris's piano lesson (a new addition to our busy schedules and a new regular expense, plus now there is a rented piano ruining the feng shui of our living room but in theory bringing culture and music into our lives), and I had a long-standing movie date with my beloved hairdresser.

The end result: one normally indolent Drunken Housewife transformed into a paragon of industry. I was up until midnight working last night, by turns sewing (I made chicken and egg appliques for a sweatshirt for the Baby Violet), feeding kittens (three week old kittens are horrifically messy, and they require frequent feedings. I fed them at 11:00 p.m., 5:30 a.m., and then 10:00 a.m. again), and cooking. As I worked feverishly, I was interrupted by Iris chasing her naked friend through the room. (Evidently the Sober Husband averted his supervising gaze for two minutes, during which time the friend not only stripped, but also drew all over herself with markers. Iris decorated the friend's back). Today I managed to pull it all off, getting the meal delivered (caramelized onion & endive frittata with Gruyere, a rice, cucumber and mint salad, and marinated potatoes), the present handed over, the kittens fed over and over again, and a load of cat-related laundry done.

Now I'm at loose ends, able to plunge back into a spot of indolence, but feeling unsettled. It's just not in the natural order of things, working that intensely.

7 comments:

hughman said...

your life is so perfect. you are the goddess delivering all that is nurturing to us measly humans, including this post. your hands reach across borders and you drink. how could we not drink (sillyak excepted) in your midst?

Unknown said...

Hi, Industrious Housewife! Marinated potatoes sound like something I could get into. Can you post the recipe?

Anonymous said...

I have a recipe which I was just coming to post, which is NOT marinated potatoes, but is still damn delicious.

SWEET POTATOES IN PEANUT SAUCE

Carmelize some onions.
Cube some sweet potatoes and then fry them crispy in a pan with oil.
Mix potatoes and onions.
Smother the heap with a spicy sweet peanut sauce made from peanut butter a bit of water, lime zest and line juice, a bit of honey, and plenty of cayenne pepper(which of course you must heat over a medium heat until smooth).

Kim

Joyce said...

holy crap we LOVE THE SWEATSHIRT! the eggs on the sleeve are the touch that has V hysterical.

Silliyak said...

H- I raise my decaf diet coke in tribute to DH's tribulations!

Trouble said...

btw, this is out of place, but thought your girls might enjoy this given their propensity for riddles:

Funny pics

2amsomewhere said...

The Drunken Housewife writes:

What scares me is that inevitable day in the future when the ever articulate Iris Uber Alles comes after me with her laundry list of ways in which I'll have fucked her up.

(tongue planted firmly in cheek)

I suggest that you take a pre-emptive approach with her majesty. Give her a copy of Bad Childhood, Good Life now, letting her know that such attempts at closure by confrontation are a waste of energy because if you are even an eighth as dysfunctional as she will attempt to portray you, you won't be functional enough to acknowledge it or take the blame. ;-)

--
2amsomewhere