Thumbs Up

A big cheer that Columbus now has one of my favorite types of fro-yo places. Yes, the top-it-yourself joint where you just grab a bowl and throw in as many different yogurt flavors and toppings until your bowl is bursting, then weigh it and pay accordingly. I prefer this over the Red Mango variety because they offer only tart/fruity yogurts, while I love the chocolate/PB/cheesecake/cake batter varieties. If Menchie's is like the other places I've tried in AZ and UT, the best part is that you get a little sample cup and can help yourself to as many tastes of the flavors as you want. It's like getting another cone for free! Plus, today snag today's Groupon where you can get two 12-oz. cups for $5. Here's to another excuse for a date night, GNO, or just a regular old sugar fix.Sadly, I have to include a little thumbs down as well. I know this is a petty gripe, but I just have to express my unadulterated loathing for Sam's Club baby wipes. Not only are they smaller and rougher than Costco wipes, but in my experience, they're unable to complete the job they're designed to do. Things have trouble adhering to them...I'll leave it at that. Plus, to add insult to injury, they smell terrible! Andy was changing Lucy's diaper last week and asked what smelled like beer. Maybe he's been to one too many after-work happy hours, but the unsavory alcohol odor is an unnecessary second olfactory assault when you're changing a diaper. So any of you out there with a Costco card, can I tag along on your next excursion to get some decent wipes? It's either that or I potty train Lucy in the next week or so.

Busted!

Haws, Nicole
Hilliard, OH 43026

Dear Sir/Madam,

We have received your letter regarding the parking ticket violation listed below. Upon review of the circumstances as described in your letter, the parking violation is upheld, and in accordance with section 2150 of the Columbus City codes, payment is due within ten days from the date of this letter.

To pay your fine, forward a check or money order payable to the city treasurer and mail to the Parking Violations Bureau. Please include your parking ticket number and vehicle license plate number on all correspondence.

Sincerely,
Correspondence Section
Parking Violations Bureau
City of Columbus


Well, it was worth a try. But I paid online because it's not worth wasting a stamp. Take that!

P.S. Is it ironic that I worked for Utah State Parking and Transportation Services for two years of college? I know what it's like to be on the dark side of the law.

Pretty Please

I'm not proud to say it, but just landed my third parking ticket in three years. Lest you think I'm a hardened criminal, permit me to defend myself.

1. The first came in downtown Columbus right after we moved when I went to a symphony performance on the lawn of the capitol building and unknowingly fed the wrong meter - the one behind my car rather than the one in front. Chalk it up to a rookie mistake. Needless to say, I was nailed by a vigilant parking officer who ticketed me less than a minute after I walked away from the car. I returned for a forgotten item and BAM - there it was on my windshield. I contested the ticket and had to go to a seriously creepy part of town next to an impound lot for the hearing. Result: Ticket waived, $2o saved.

2. Thankgiving 2008 in Washington D.C., we parked on the street next to the Air and Space Museum. We were unfamiliar with the parking restrictions and ran outside to find a tow truck almost at our car. We pulled the ticket off the windshield and sped away, only to be dinged with a hefty fine. Again, I contested the ticket, pleading out of town stupidity. Result: Ticket waived, $100 saved.

3. Last Friday we took my sister and brother-in-law downtown to show them the sights of C-bus. We parked next to the North Market, fed the meter for 1.5 hours and headed in for lunch and a stroll. After making the rounds for all the samples, we decided to see more of the city and took longer than expected to get back, only to find another parking ticket when we returned because our meter had expired. Fine: $25. Result: Unknown. Note: Apparently the tough ecnonomy hit the city hard since they've raised their ticket fees from $20 to $25 in the past three years. Or maybe it's just inflation.

Anyway, I decided to contest the ticket today and here's my "Citizen Statement."

"I acknowledge that our meter expired, but it occurred because of extenuating circumstances. We went to the North Market while hosting visitors who are considering moving to Columbus. We weren't planning on staying more than an hour and a half, but they were interested in walking around more of downtown, so we ended up going through the lobby of the Nationwide building, down to the capitol building where they wanted to take a tour. From there they wanted to walk back on the banks of the Scioto River near COSI and the Santa Maria, which took us longer than our meter's allotment. I apologize for the infraction, but feel that it was time well-spent in showing them what Columbus has to offer and request leniency on the parking ticket. We also had two children in strollers and couldn't easily run back to feed the meter. Thank you for your time and consideration."

Do you think they'll buy it? Keep your fingers crossed that my lucky streak continues. Hopefully they don't have a rap sheet going already. Have you ever gotten out of a ticket before?

P.S. I was pulled over three times in high school and never got a ticket. One was very dramatic and involved (real) tears and the police visiting my house, but that's another story...

Hungering for More

Anyone else anxiously anticipating tomorrow's big release? If you buy it, can I borrow your copy since it will be another four years before I make it to the top of the library waiting list? :)

And the Winners Are...

Here's what the gift card wrought: A mini bread loaf pan,

A decent paring knife (just the green one),

And a grapefruit knife to make it easier to extract winter's jewels.

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I love making quick breads (banana, zucchini, pumpkin, etc.) and the mini loaf pan will be perfect for make and takes. Our knife set is 10 years old now and wasn't great to start with, so I'm excited to have at least one sharp knife in the house. Finally, Ben and I both love grapefruit and sometimes it's just fun to have a superflous kitchen gadget. We've gotten along fine without a specialty knife, but what the hey, right?

What's your favorite kitchen gadget?

Get Your Cook On

My sisters were kind enough to give me one of these for my birthday... With the intent of me buying one of these: A tart pan. I can just picture the beautiful shortbread or chocolate crusts bursting with fruit or other sweet fillings.

But then I got browsing around the Williams-Sonoma website and found a harvest of other culinary treasures in its Garden of Kitchen Delights.

For example, these tiny tartlet pans. Isn't everything more charming in mini?

Or some handy silicone baking cups since I ALWAYS seem to be out of cupcake tins when I need them
What about these funky cookie cutters for a certain 5-year-old Star Wars nut who lives at my house?

I picture myself mixing happily for hours with these cheerful nesting bowls.

What elegant lady doesn't need her own personal embossed stamp?

And what could be better than a GIANT cookie cake mold, complete with mix, for an Oreo lover's fantasy?This lovely bowl would make the perfect centerpiece for a kitchen table and is just begging to be filled with fresh fruit year-round.

This apple peeler-corer indulges my fantasy that I pick crisp apples every fall and whip up batches and batches of homemade applesauce that we devour all winter long.

A purple lavender wreath - The magic combination of my favorite color and a heavenly scent.

We need some new water glasses. We've gone from 12 to five, plus some mismatched plastic ones, in the past four years. Perhaps the monogram is a little pretentious.

I have a friend (a fabulous cook, no less) who swears by these Silpat baking sheets. Perhaps that's her secret to amazing cookies every time.

With this sunny kettle I'd whistle while making my hot chocolate.

Finally, an elegant tureen to house my favorite cold weather soups.

So many choices, so many homemaking dreams. Which one will come true?

The Kiddos

A friend surprised me with a framed version of this picture as a birthday gift. She is a talented photographer and I had no idea that she snapped some pictures of Lucy and Ben while she and her husband were kind enough to babysit for us about a month ago. It's my new favorite picture and makes me happy every time I look at it sitting on our entry table. I love it because it captures them perfectly: Ben's genuine, yet somehow mischievous smile, his big boy watch, and how he holds Lucy around the middle (usually to haul her somewhere around the house); Lucy's chubby little tummy, newly sprouted teeth, funny little bald head, and beautiful blue eyes. They used to look alot like each other, but seem to be diverging more lately. Thanks for letting me wax all sentimental and goo on about the babies. Love them.

Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving

It's finally here. I've hit the big 3-0 and lived to tell the tale. It's wierd because by this point in her life my mom had five kids and she was O-L-D. But in my head I'm still 21, although I guess I have to feel at least 25 since I have two kids. This picture was taken when I was a river guide in Jackson Hole, WY, 11 years ago almost exactly. As my best friend and partner in crime who is also in the picture put it so eloquently, "Look at those kids, will ya? Do they even know what they're in for?"

I'm glad I didn't because there's no way I could have predicted where I am now, the person who I've become, and the experiences that have shaped me along the way. There are many things I'd like to improve on, but over all, it's been a good 30 years so far. I'm going to try and round up some other old pictures for everyone's amusement, not least my own.

Have you reached a "milestone" birthday yet? How old do you feel relative to your "true" age?

Bieber Fever

Columbus has hit the big time. I just saw that teen phenom Justin Bieber will be in town this weekend as part of his world tour. Ohio's teeny boppers will be out in force to see him swing his perfectly coiffed hair and croon his mother-approved love songs. I had no idea who he was until earlier this year when my sisters showed me his Saturday Night Live skits with Tina Fey. Very funny. Then we saw him on American Idol and I realized he was a bona fide star. And wait- it doesn't stop there. Apparently none other that the fame monster, Lady Gaga herself will be here in March 2011.

Fess up - Do you have Bieber Fever or are you a fan of the Gagster (my own personal name for her, pronounced "Gog-ster")? What's your favorite song? Did anyone else watch the Lady Gaga episode of Glee? I've been contemplating a post on my own mixed thoughts about LG so I'm interested to hear what others think.

Good Friends, Golf, and Grandparents

We're back from our annual pilgrimage to Zion (a.k.a. visiting Andy's family in Utah). The weather was beautiful (no stifling Midwest humidity) and we had fun visiting some of our old stomping grounds, reconnecting with friends and family, and enjoying the stunning grandeur of the Rocky Mountains.

Some items of note:

1. Andy came in second in the Randall Cup, his family's annual golf tournament. Lucy, Ben, and I walked the last two holes at Logan Golf and Country Club and got some great pictures of the scenery and the golf action.

2. We got our family pictures taken by an old college friend and immensely talented photographer, Leah Miller. See some of the pictures here: http://leahmillerphotography.com/blog/. If you're a photographer, she also has some great tips and ideas on her blog, so check it out. Thanks to my mother-in-law for arranging the session, which we shot at the Garden Park church grounds in Salt Lake City. The immaculate grounds were a perfect backdrop and Leah was a true pro, complete with a bag of Skittles to bribe Ben. Little did she know that the other male Haws is the one who needs bribing during photo sessions. Actually, Lucy was the one who struggled the most since she's getting five teeth simultaneously and we infringed on her beloved naptime.

3. I FINALLY got a new camera! After months of me hemming and hawing over what model to buy, my father-in-law, a gadget guru, went out and got me a little Canon Powershot for my birthday, complete with an adorable hot pink carrying case. No more nasty pictures on my old POC camera. Hooray!

4. Ben got three cavities filled by a friend of ours who did his pediatric dentistry residency at OSU and now practices in SLC. Thanks a million to Dr. Dave for fitting us in and doing such a great job. Ben is typically a nervous patient and everything went beautifully. We celebrated the dreaded task's completion with chili and Frosties at Wendy's in Sugarhouse. Of course I had to stop in at the Nordstrom Rack next door for a little peek.

5. Ben is staying in Utah with Grandma and Grandpa for an extra week and will come home this Saturday with my sister and brother-in-law who will stay and visit. It should be a quiet birthday week.