letter sep 26 2010

Dear everyone,

The house is quiet right now. Lucas is doing homework, Jasper is at a swim team picnic (in the cold outdoors), and Cindy and Nicola are at Gail’s, participating in a baby shower for Ariana Ali. The Bears play the Packers on Monday night, so the TV is quiet as well. I look forward to the expansion of the football season from 16 games to 18 with dread. All of these professional sports seasons last too long. The Blackhawks are on ice again in just a couple of weeks, and I think they were playing through May or June (I know it was during the Neuropathologists’ meeting).

The first play of the school year at Hinsdale Central is over and done with. Casting was done last spring, and presumably all of the actors knew their lines by the time of school start. So, the set needed to be constructed, blocking completed, and then it was time for dress rehearsals. Nicola and Lucas were on stage crew, and they were out late last night at the post production party. Otherwise the kids all seem pretty busy between college apps, quidditch, tennis, swimming. I took Jasper to an Iaido (Japanese sword) class last weekend, and he seemed to like it, so he may have this in his future if we can figure out the scheduling. Since my last letter Jasper has become a teenager…he got several nice birthday gifts, but not the Segway he was hoping for.

Work remains much the same. In honor of National Poultry month (yes, it’s this September!) we decided to have a chicken feast on Friday. I brought in Chicken larb (Thai ground chicken salad). [I found this recipe while I was looking for chicken vindaloo http://showmethecurry.com/fusion/thai-larb-spicy-chicken-salad-laab-gai.html It was very easy!] There was also chicken curry, chicken in white wine sauce, tequila chicken, chicken Moroccan meatballs, barbeque chicken wings, and more. The highlight was the ‘chicken dessert’. No, it wasn’t Japanese chicken flavored ice cream. One of the techs made cupcakes and frosted them to look like chicken heads. The cupcakes were made with white cake, and she injected each cupcake with lemon Jell-O to make them seem like ‘eggs’ after you bit into them. I guess work must be pretty boring, because this was a highly anticipated event, at least, for me!

Last night I saw the Hudsucker Proxy while the kids were at the play. Jasper didn’t want to see it, and Cindy was busy preparing food for today’s party. It is well worth seeing this early Coen brothers film - - a mix of Frank Capra, Preston Sturgess, Terry Gilliam. And what other movie can boast both Paul Newman and Bruce Campbell? As usual, I have been reading a lot, and some of you might enjoy this book, Into the Beautiful North (http://www.amazon.com/Into-Beautiful-North-Alberto-Urrea/dp/0316025275) . The author teaches at University Illinois Chicago. It is a very humorous take on the Mexican side of the ‘migra’ problem.

I’m looking forward to the Russian trip diary, but otherwise not much else to write about.

Love, H.