Guilty guilty gumdrops...and vinegar. And chili

Haven't posted in awhile.  One of my fears in starting a new blog was just that - sporadic posts vs. a regular cadence. And, despite the fact that one contributor is in Thailand (rough, Laurney), I haven't prodded the others, and I am taking two classes this quarter, I feel guilty.  Despite the fact that this blog has no followers (which, by the way, if you are reading this, follow us - it's not like you'll be spammed with posts) and no one who really is pining to read what we write, and it's not like we write about things that MATTER (I read former classmates' work - I know how petty this is), I feel guilty for not putting any effort in. Why?  Because I committed to doing it.

It's not a novel feeling.  I've been awash in that fruitless emotion of late.  I got the flu and felt guilty that I wasn't working and yet not taking care of anything around the house or studying. I feel guilty if my days at work aren't perfectly productive, guilty if I haven't made plans with friends for awhile, guilty if I would rather watch mindless TV than talk to John, guilty if I would rather talk to John than make a round of catch-up calls, guilty if I don't cross something off the chore to-do list when I have a spare 15 minutes...and I know, I know - I don't know guilt because I don't even have kids. 

It's a dirty cyclone that has sucked me in.  On occasion, I can convince myself that I actually don't care and am free to do, or not do, what I please.  But it's always temporary.  I also know it's always in my head and I do it to myself.  But I write because I know others do it/feel it too.  It will pass. And return.  An pass again. And you know what?  Now I feel guilty for writing about a myopic, first world problem, so we'll move on. 

To vinegar.  Yes, vinegar. Since this is the amalgamated blog of all things, I want to tell to you how amazing a vinegar-water solution is at cleaning just about everything.  Greasy stove top?  Spritz and wipe.  Crud-filled faucets?  Saturate and scrub with a tooth brush.   Here's a Reader's Digest list of 150 uses for vinegar, but there's a one-hit wonder way to make it work for you.  Take an old spray bottle (I used a green clean since hey, this is my own green solution) and pour just about equal parts vinegar and water in it.  I lean towards 60% water, 40% vinegar, but I don't think you need to get overly scientific.

Then spray this shit EVERYWHERE, wipe up.  Bathrooms, kitchens, floors - it cleans it, smells like Easter eggs for 15 minutes and then is just plain spic and span.  I guess by wiping my house down with vinegar I keep the guilt ghost at bay in someways.  House is clean - and organically to boot.

And finally...chili.  I think I learned a little life lesson when I was sick.  I was finally starting to feel like I could eat again, but there was pretty much no fresh food in the house.  John had just got back from traveling and neither of us could muster up the energy to go to the store, but wanted comfort food.  One look in the pantry and BOOM.  We have beans.  We have tomatoes.  We have ground turkey in the freezer.  We have chili mix, but wait...even better...we have mole sauce!  Mole turkey chili?  The flu is about to get fed.  It was awesome. 

Not poop.

And despite looking like literal poop in the picture, it was awesome.  So, the lesson dear friends, always have some variation of chili fixins on hand.  I mean, you throw things in a crockpot and it's pretty much impossible to make bad basic chili.  Unless you add a whole lot of beer like we did that one time.  Don't do that.

There.  Blog written.  Guilt...gone.  For now.