this whack a mole month

so, after worrying a bit about the tax issue i did a bit of research and learned that because i am the custodial parent, the irs gives me the right to claim dependents and child tax credits. if i want to allow another person (non-custodial parent, grandparent, neighbor, blog reader chosen at random) to claim my children i must sign a form saying that i release my rights to that person. and that person still has to meet certain requirements that bk does not. so, i informed bk and told him again that when the time split is closer to 50/50 we can divide up the tax benefits. in other words, that'll never happen. (sunday was his last weekend with the kids until who knows when; his choice, not mine).

which leads me to this morning when i was checking my online credit report. perfect, EXCEPT apparently there are delinquencies with the credit union that bk's car is financed through. i called the c.u. and discovered that payments were three months behind (now sort of ish caught up, but late again), hence the blip on my credit. the divorce clearly states that i am indemnified of any responsibility where the car is concerned but this'll take a while to clear up. *LE SIGH*

have i mentioned how thankful i am to be partnered with someone who is totally responsible with his money? mentioned.

thursday 13: week 3

13 things i'll never get tired of eating

1) phở (vietnamese beef noodle soup) - this is the closest thing to comfort food for me. i crave it when i'm sick, well, sad or happy. it's all about the broth. typically, if i take the kids with me, i'll order one large soup and give them all the noodles, keeping the broth, thinly sliced beef, and all the garnishes for myself.

2) my grandma's gnocchis (little pillows of heaven) - my grandma
is 92 years old and has been making these forever; she's pretty much perfected them. i like them in red sauce or really plain with just butter, parm cheese and salt & pepper.

3) blt(a) - bacon from the meat guy at the market, romaine lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, and avocado

4) sushi - i started on sushi young (yes, i live in california) and there are very few types of sushi that i don't like.

5) omelets - this is another comfort food for me. i like omelets for breakfast. i only ever eat half because i love to reheat it and eat it for lunch. i also love omelets for dinner. sausage, mushrooms, spinach, and cheddar please.

6) pork - yum. pork is my favorite meat (har har). chops, bacon, ribs, pork belly, tenderloin. yum. the other white meat.

7) my dad's meatballs - this is what i asked dad to make for my birthday.

8) chocolate cake with penuche frosting - brown sugar, butter, milk and vanilla. need i say more?

9) artichokes - lucky me, i live driving distance from castroville, the artichoke capital of the world. :) i like mine with butter and lemon to dip in. my favorite way to have them is on a rooftop in sicily, tiny artichokes, panfried with olive oil and garlic.

10) crab - like artichokes, i prefer it with butter and lemon. there is something so satisfying about cracking the exoskeleton of a crustacean and eating the innards. *sluuuurp*

11) avocados - again, i'm lucky i live in california. no salad or sandwich is complete without avocado. and i don't care what time of year it is.

12) a nice chewy, salty/sweet chocolate chip cookie with whole milk - i can't think of an occasion when i'd turn this down.

13) sweet potato fries - these i don't have often but the few times i've been to the counter i regret getting a burger and not just drowning myself in yams...

i'm lazy, here's a meme

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:16, that's two snoozes before waking parker up

2. How do you like your steak? medium rare, organic, free range

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? avatar, i think. it's funny, i enjoyed it that night but after hearing about it so much i'm sick of it.

4. What are your favorite TV shows? of the current season: parks and rec, no reservations, house, nip/tuck

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? paris

6. What did you have for breakfast? two day old coffee. blech!

7. What is your favorite cuisine? that's impossible. i love thai, japanese, indian. my dad's cooking always rocks. modern california fusion

8. What foods do you dislike? eggplant, cauliflower

9. Favorite Place to Eat? krung thai, dia de pesca, left bank, little sushi joints

10. Favorite dressing? oil & vinegar with soy sauce, lemon pepper, & parm

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive? 2000 jeep wrangler

12. What are your favorite clothes? jeans!

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? thailand, japan, all over europe, all of the cacao growing countries

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? usually half full

15. Where would you want to retire? right here in n. cal!

16. Favorite time of day? after dark!

17. Where were you born? port townsend, wa

18. What is your favorite sport to watch? baseball

19. Who do you think will not tag you back? n/a

20. Person you expect to tag you back first? n/a

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? n/a

22. Bird watcher? not particularly

23. Are you a morning person or a night person? night

24. Do you have any pets? one cat, ophelia

25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? the second j. lohr seating sold out!

26. What did you want to be when you were little? a pediatrician

27. What is your best childhood memory? going to australia

28. Are you a cat or dog person? i feel overwhelmed by pets. ask me when the kids are bigger.

29. Are you married? nope!

30. Always wear your seat belt? YES!

31. Been in a car accident? yes

32. Any pet peeves? poor listeners

33. Favorite Pizza Toppings? sausage, pesto, fresh tomato

34. Favorite Flower? whatever is in season at the farmers' markets

35. Favorite ice cream? coffee with chocolate chips

36. Favorite fast food restaurant? subway

37. How many times did you fail your driver's test? 0

38. From whom did you get your last email? j. lohr winery

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? nortstroms

40. Do anything spontaneous lately? hmm, not particularly

41. Like your job? yes!

42. Broccoli? yes!

43. What was your favorite vacation? sicily

44. Last person you went out to dinner with? d!

45. What are you listening to right now? antiques roadshow, kid chatter

46. What is your favorite color? neutrals, turquoise

47. How many tattoos do you have? 3

48. What time did you finish this quiz? 4:33 pm

'Like warmed-up cabbage served at each repast, The repetition kills the wretch at last'

i should have anticipated that this would roll around again. bk brought up taxes. which is odd because what he does on his taxes has absolutely nothing to do with me, or the kids. he's feeling short-sticked on the divorce (fine timing, over a year later when he had a knowledgeable lawyer advising him) and wanting me to let him claim the kids even though he has the kids about 1% of the year. um? i told him if we're ever close to a 50/50 time split i'll consider giving him one of the write offs. but as it stands, no way jose. i stood my ground, calmly and logically. i didn't give him the satisfaction of my emotion and suggested some ways we might work on this for next year. in the meantime, i'm sick of hearing about fair.