Shrift, we love the Hotel Monaco. Bob's also stayed at The Palomar and liked it but the Monaco is his home away from home (with better room service and less pet hair than home).

sarame, that's so sad but wonderful the salon is taking care of her.

How sad, sarameg, but what amazing support from her work. Good for them.

Like is this to make the special needs folks feel good or is it really about secretly making the frats and sorority girls feel better.

Well B is definitely a factor, so the real question is what, if anything, do the special needs folk get from it? Sounds like you weren't impressed.

She also said she wants me to "create order" in the apartment as soon as possible, so that she can start showing it.

Hil, I suggest a Homeland-style color-coded evidence wall. That shows order, right?

Re: the stroganoff.

The sauce was good in the pan, but it's too subtle over the noodles. I don't know what it needs. Hubby would know, dammit. Maybe more salt? I did leave some out.

And egg noodles. I will never get pasta right. It's either over done or mush. Tonight it's too close to mush. Bah. And the meat's tough. Double bah.

The sauce was good in the pan, but it's too subtle over the noodles. I don't know what it needs

Since the meat was tough, is this something that you could let simmer longer, maybe with a splash of wine? When I make soup, a long simmer both tenderizes the meat and develops the favors, and a little wine often gives some brightness to creamy dishes.

Connie, if there is one thing I have learned in the last few years of cooking, it is that "more salt" is almost always the right answer for underwhelming flavor from a recipe. For beef stroganoff, I would sub soy sauce for some of the salt; it brings deep meaty flavor that can help enhance the beef and mushroom flavors.

I've been meaning to make beef stroganoff myself! But with ground beef because that's how I was raised (?) and also it's easier.

Like is this to make the special needs folks feel good or is it really about secretly making the frats and sorority girls feel better.

I don't think it's a secret that anything that is set up as a volunteer activity for a group is always at least as much about making the group feel good. This is why I never wanted corporate volunteer days at my youth center job. PITA for no benefit to our kids!

Hey Ginger, my mom thanks you for the tip that she would feel worse the next day after her treatment, because she did! Day-of, I think mostly she was groggy from benadryl.

Also, re: noodles, I put the timer for at least one minute less than the package says and then test.

Well B is definitely a factor, so the real question is what, if anything, do the special needs folk get from it? Sounds like you weren't impressed.

Well the twins had fun (and yes Noah went because Grace had fun the week before). Which is enough.

I did have to engage a different set of thinking about the Greek Life people, which is healthy for me to not always assume the worse.

I guess it's because one of the people said something about how the event was super important. Important to whom, I guess. Yes, fun for my kids, but not a particularly meaning-filled experience.

I don't think it's a secret that anything that is set up as a volunteer activity for a group is always at least as much about making the group feel good. This is why I never wanted corporate volunteer days at my youth center job. PITA for no benefit to our kids!

It made me think of Joey telling Phoebe that anything done to be nice is always more about the do-er than the recipient.

Hi

On shore for a few hours in Newcastle, found wifi at The Beer Hut. Not having beer because seasickness got me a little.

So sad, sarameg, but how good that her people are taking care of her.