To myself

Lately I have been so stressed out. Logan and I both have been sick on and off for about 2 months now, every time one of us caught a bug, we always managed to pass it on to the other person and eventually to daddy as well -- oh, the joy of parenthood. Weather has been terrible outside, always below zero, no way I can take Logan out anywhere in this temperature as least not when we are both still sick. The builder delivered bad news to us before the holidays that we can't have the house design we picked on the lot we liked -- come on, we signed a contract and paid the money, now you tell me this and point to the contract saying you are covered if you go back on your words, unbelievable! The bathtub issue is still not resolved, we pay condo fees which funds the condo building insurance, we buy home insurance to protect our own properties as well, but how can the bathtub leak not protected by either, and they both argue it's the other party's responsibility? Services are slow everywhere -- it takes forever for my lawyer to review a very important document, and forever for my employer to get back to me on my request for an LOA -- still waiting, does it really take more than a month to handle these things? Anxiety!!!

So I can't go anywhere during the day; I check my emails every now and then and I follow up but I don't get a response on what I am waiting for; and my dream house won't be perfect; and the bathtub issue won't be resolved ... so what? All of these things will work out eventually, and I still need to live my life happily everyday. Okay, I need to relax and be patient and occasionally just let things be, I think. Maybe I am a slow person, it takes me 31 years to realize this? Life is not perfect, and that's what's perfectly normal about it.

Done venting, feeling much better now :)

-Yang

Classic BBQ sauce

Okay, I rip this recipe from somewhere else, but with my own added twist. I often went to look it up over and over again when I needed it, so here it is for myself in order to find it easily next time.

1 whole chopped onion
5 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 cup spicy ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar

It's good for any meat dish calls for BBQ sauce and requires baking in the oven. Preheat oven to 350º. Pour sauce over 3 pound of meat. Bake about 1 hour give or take, covered, to desired tenderness, then half hour uncovered to reduce sauce.

For beef short ribs, bake 1 hour without sauce first, covered. Then drain the liquid to remove the brown substance and fat, pour the broth back to the dish with the sauce and continue baking.

-Yang