Lucky Sevens

There’s a saying that bad things happen in threes. Well, I think it’s more like sevens.

Perhaps not for great big bad things like Japan's disaster trifecta: 1) earthquake, 2) tsunami, and 3) nuclear crisis (sending thoughts and prayers to Japan).

But I think that bad little everyday things happen in sevens.

For example, in the short span of a few weeks: 1) my car tire went flat, 2) the back door knob came loose, 3) the front window shutter fell off, 4) the cable froze up, 5) the hem came out of my favorite pair of pants, 6) my computer caught a virus, and 7) the seam split on the shoulder of my coat.

None of these things are catastrophes. They’re bad little things, but they’re annoying. I expect everyday things to work. I take everyday things for granted. I admit it. I don’t think about the door knob or my hem or the shutter, until it breaks. When an everyday thing breaks, it’s a hassle. And when everyday things fall apart all at once, the days seem to s-l-o-w down while precious time (and patience) is wasted to fix each previously unnoticed thing.

There is a lesson to be learned when everyday things fall apart: React, don’t overreact.

How you react makes all the difference. To keep perspective, one just has to look around at the much bigger problems in the world (again, thoughts of Japan) and realize that when everyday things fall apart the best reaction is to laugh, repair, and move on with every day.

Be glad for seven little things instead of three big bad ones.

Think of it as lucky sevens.

Too Much Thyme

I’m not a good cook. I can’t mix things up with a pinch of this or a dash of that and create something yummy and delicious. I need a recipe and measuring cups and perhaps even a copy of Cooking For Dummies (I have one) to make it from raw ingredients to cooked dinner.

Even then, it sometimes tastes bad.

Take tonight, for example. Inspired by watching Julie & Julia last week, I decided to try to cook a simple casserole. Believe me - I am under no illusion that I can cook French cuisine. You won’t find me anywhere near a Julia Child recipe. It’s not that I can’t boil an egg (I can’t, but I guess I could learn), it’s just that I never understood the need to boil an egg. Why, oh why, spend so much time making food when there are already so many cooked options out there to buy?

Cooking takes too much time.

But then there was movie inspiration paired with a hope to break free from the monotony of take-out dinners. And I took action. Recipe in hand, I walked the grocery store aisles and found the ingredients (more or less). I chopped carrots and sliced sweet red peppers (which, I discovered, are different from bell peppers). I diced green onions after my mom showed me which part to use – the white, not green (confusing). I thawed some frozen broccoli chunks and cut pieces of store-bought roasted chicken breast (I had to buy it already roasted. I have no idea how to roast a chicken – don’t judge - baby steps for baby cook). After all the prep, I had to cook the veggies and then dump everything together, mix it up and bake it. All in all, that “simple” casserole took about two hours from grocery to dish. Two hours!! Who has the time!?

And speaking of time…

I quickly realized after eating the casserole (the part of the project I was looking forward to the most, of course) that it had way too much thyme. Even though I followed the recipe to the teaspoon, even though it seemed to me (know-nothing cook) like such a small amount of thyme, the flavor of it was overwhelming. I still taste thyme now, about three hours after the meal.

What can I say? I tried.

It was nice to take a night off from take-out.

So...maybe next thyme.