Spyware and Purple Mountain's Majesty...

I have a spyware problem that is so bad, my computer has become a paperweight. It's completely useless. I get pop-ups that I can't even keep up with, my virus control and firewall have completely given up, and I even now get ads that appear as icons on my desktop. I think if I continue to try to use it, it will somehow use it's power to take over my corner of the world. I can still log on at work, but I have no time to post or read everyone else's, which is a drag. But I'll try to do what I can.

My daughters started school a couple of weeks ago. My younger one is in 5th grade and still needs crayons for school. So as I'm helping her get her stuff together the night before the first day of school, I look down at the box of Crayolas and had to stop and check it out. When I was a kid, we had crayons that were pretty generically named...you know, like Carnation Pink, Green Yellow, Blue Violet. Very literal. The only exotically named crayon was something like Burnt Sienna, because who really knew what color THAT was? But now they're really cool! I saw colors like Granny Smith Apple (which I swear they got from the martini!), Macaroni and Cheese (!), Wisteria, Mauvelous, and my personal favorite...Purple Mountain's Majesty. I love that one. I don't know what else there was because my daughter finally told me to back away from the crayons and nobody gets hurt. I got a little carried away.

My friend John who lives in Washington state sent me a cookbook for my birthday (along with some beautiful purple flowers) and it's called A Savory Sampler from Washington's Skagit Valley. It reminded me of the crayons. There are recipes in it like Sea Pigs, Wild Chanterelle Mushroom Timbale Black Swan (huh? If I have to go kill a swan, I'm out.), Abalone Beachballs, Angels on Horseback by the Water, and my personal favorite...Kan Ikke La Vaere. I haven't had that in awhile.
John says that all three women he knows swear by this cookbook. Actually, I'm looking forward to trying a few...especially the Keftethes.

By the way, I had a birthday...the big 3-9. I might as well be 40.

Hope is doing well, even though her new nickname is Hopeless (could someone have WARNED me that potty training a cocker spaniel is slightly harder than getting a Presidential pardon?

Other than that, things are good. Work is good, friends are good. Getting ready for another trip to the Big Apple in a couple of weeks (my dork older brother eloped and wants to have a reception in two weeks - nothing like time to plan!).

I just realized my computer was down when I took my trip to Chicago for Jimmy Buffet at Wrigley Field. I will definitely have to write about that later! Maybe even post a picture or two!!