Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Crafty chickens and the tween scene

While looking for the hose today, I found 23 eggs in the damp, spidery crawl space between our house and the back stairs. How long have they been there? Not going to think about it. Going to use them. Every week or so the hens move their communal nest to a new location in the yard. People say chickens are stupid. I see no evidence of that.

Are quail dumb too?

99 cents
I bought quail eggs at the Chinese market and put some under our broody hen, Lily, a few days ago. So far the eggs are still there and so is Lily. I put the chances of a hatch at 5%.

And now for the human news. Middle school cooking class, chapter 2:

We made pot stickers. They were a big success. But food is so much less interesting that footwear.

One day they will cringe.
Five of the girls wore Ugg boots and two wore Converse sneakers. I commented on this, in a friendly way, as I have a daughter who attends the same school and alternates between Ugg boots and Converse sneakers.

One of the Ugg wearers, M., pointed to another (apparent) Ugg wearer, K., and said, "Those are Fuggs."

"Yeah," said K. sheepishly. "They're Fuggs."

"Fake Uggs," M. explained.

It wasn't a kind thing to say, but was it mean? When I was a kid, I perceived calculated malice everywhere among my peers. But as an adult watching children, I just see (mostly) casual and careless snottiness.

I wonder. I wonder if childhood perceptions are more acute or just more paranoid.

The Abercrombie hoodie. Another essential piece of the uniform.


  1. What a life you lead, Tip' -- egg hideaways, Uggs and Fuggs. Great post!
    Question, though:
    What to do with 23 eggs?
    Bring them to next week's cooking class and make an egg-y dish.

  2. that is awesome. i'm a little embarrassed now that i wear converse sneakers at age 42. and have considered purchasing some uggs. i think i'll head to the easy spirit store instead!

  3. I just bought a pair of purple converse. They are an object of envy among my 40-something friends. Especially because I got them on clearance for $10. That is a happy moment most 'tweens can't appreciate!

    Have you menu/planning/ingredient adjustments after the first class?

  4. I was much less ambitious in the second class and cleanup took about 7 minutes. We were actually done early, which is how the shoe conversation happened. Next class I'm going to figure out a bonus activity.

  5. My daughter has TUggs (target uggs) and real uggs. All the girls comment on all footwear and I am not sure anyway cares too much. I love this m.s. cooking class. That's awesome!

  6. I think Converse are well within everyone's rights to wear, no matter what age. They're not miniskirts.

    And I think they were being mean. It would be a totally different thing if the girl had volunteered the information about her own shoes, but to be outed by a peer? Not nice. But I always assume malicious intent about everyone.

  7. I think the uggs comment was mean also..unless the girls are VERY good friends and the "outer" knew the Fuggs wearer was ok about it......

    as for 23 eggs. what a find!

    i have a fish share and after de-heading 10 lbs of Northern shrimp. i made shrimp broth from the heads. Any idea about what to do with it? it is very brown and sort of smelly and not very appetizing to look at. I noticed all my clothes and the house smell like shrimp today - sort of like a lingering smoke smell...