I've heard lots of stories about unschooled kids learning things at what seem like weird paces, but in ways that work for the kid. Like a kid sees an exhibit at a museum or a science TV show or something and wants to learn about atoms. Pretty quickly realizes that learning more than the basics about atoms requires knowing algebra, so finds an algebra book and learns everything in it in a month or two. Or (and, OK, this example is me -- I wasn't unschooled, but my mother definitely had a lot of the same philosophy toward what I did during non-school hours) spend a month reading Gone With the Wind, the next month reading Roots, the next two weeks on A Time to Kill, and then the next several months on Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley High.

I also went through a stage around second or third grade where I'd make increasingly detailed scale diagrams of our house. I'd measure everything with a tape measure and draw it all out on graph paper. According to my teacher at school, I didn't know the multiplication tables, but I was easily able to calculate that my sister's room was bigger than mine, and by how much, and how our allowances should be adjusted to compensate for that. (My parents did not buy that argument. My mom was impressed, but wouldn't give me more money.)

If I were unschooled, I would probably not know the little bits of science I do know, and know a lot more about life in the 1800's. I was really into Little House.

Oh, and unsurprisingly for what I do now, I also used to make my mom read plays with me, and I would direct her. We did the best arn 2 person production of Our Town ever.

for omelettes , the key is heating the pan BEFORE adding the olive oil. The pan has to be nice and hot, that way the oil becomes one with the pan, and acts as a barrier. Dunno the chemistry behind it, but it makes for pretty omelettes. Also, the low heat once the egg is in the pan. and lots of Cheeeeeese. Mmmmmm. Damn it, between that, and the Undercover Boss episode of White Castle, I'm wanting food, salty food, savory food, fried food. Despite having eaten way too many cookies (yes, I went grocery shopping while hungry, and got choco chip cookies. They are almost half gone. Nom Nom Nom!)

OMG LILTY.

Lilty!

If I'd unschooled, I'd... well, pretty much know most of what I taught myself, anyway?

For that I needed them to invent the internet.

See, for horse racing, I needed and had Old People. Old people who gave me racing magazines (back issues and current!). Old people who told me stories of the track in the '30s. I taught myself how to read the racing forms, how to handicap, which local bloodlines were good under which circumstances. All before I was in double digits.

The internet made it worse for a while, before my divorce from horse racing, but probably because my racers went on to make baby racers, knowing the history and historic stats was pretty key.

What is the secret of keeping eggs from sticking to a stainless steel pan?

Turn the heat on, put a goodly amount of oil (regular veg. oil preferred to olive, in my book), let it get nice and warm (not smoking hot, but like what is right for pancakes). Pour the egg mixture in but do not stir, let it cook on high for a couple minutes until the eggs set up a bit. Cover (if possible), and turn down to low. Again with the not stirring. I mean it. The true secret is leaving them the heck alone until they are almost completely cooked. Then you stir and flip. Turn the heat off, let the residual heat complete the cooking process, and this is the time to add cheese.

Invariably any time my scrambled eggs have stuck to a stainless steel pan, it was because I got impatient and stirred them too soon.

Edward Said taught me that "Western" is not an apt description unless I'm talking about John Ford movies.

*nod* At Leeds the professors talk about 'majority world' and 'minority world'. A good reminder that our lives are not the norm.

My dad is a much better cook than my mum. For a few years she tried to be the family cook (as was expected, especially by the evangelical church culture they were deeply involved in). Then we rebelled against her appalling bacon hotpot, and my dad took over on a regular basis. His risottos are amazing.

I have news! First, for the last eighteen months or so (with time off to procreate), Wallybee's been learning to drive. She had her driving test this week, and passed at her first attempt. She's feeling pretty happy about it.

Meanwhile, I've spent the last couple of months doing an Accounting unit for my Master Maestro of Finance. This is the only accounting unit in the course, which suits me fine. They've just released the results, and I got 98%. I'm certainly not complaining about that in and of itself, but the truly important message to take away from this is that I don't have to do any more accounting ever again; and I'm feeling very happy about that.

Congratulations, bt and wallybee.