I guess it's a sign of the times. We'll be baking some bread today instead of paying the exorbitant prices at the local store. In case you haven't noticed, everything is more expensive these days. Part of me likes to think that what we're really doing is eating healthier when we do things like bake our own bread. It's something that I've always fancied doing but haven't taken the time because I haven't needed to. I saw a nice recipe recently for rye bread which I tend to prefer and asked that my darling wife bake up a couple of loaves which she did. The end result had me asking myself why we ever buy loaves off the shelf when we can easily make our own. With that as a backdrop, making our own is not only good for the soul but tasty as well and probably less expensive in the long run. One other thought might be that even if the bread we bake is more expensive the quality is well worth the extra money. We'll be doing a 7-grain bread today so I'll let you know how it comes out. The recipe was heartily endorsed, and provided to all on the KGO website, by one of San Francisco's finest food critics, Gene Burns. It looks promising.

I'm delighted to be back on the blog-o-sphere. If you haven't seen the slideshow on the site, I would implore you to take a peek. Not because the photographs are stellar by any stretch but because I think the slideshow just works so darn well. As I add more slideshows, you will open to a page which is essentially a gallery page which allows you to choose which slideshow (by date or title ) to watch. I threw it together using an application called SlideshowPro. I think it's just slick.

Also on the menu this evening is strawberry short cake. Yes, the birthday boy has spoken. He will have nothing but the finest strawberries in all the land; the finest home made whipped cream that money can buy; and the plumpest, warmest loaves of Bisquick one right out of the oven and ready to accept their fate. As fine a chocolate cake as Nancy makes, I cannot substitute even one slice for a bowlful of strawberry shortcake. The gods have spoken and the menu has been set. Don't plan on bringing any doggie bags to this party. No sir-ee bob!

Maybe I'll ask Jeeves. What do you do with a teenager who wants to stay up until midnight and you are ready for bed at 9? Do you just leave the porch light on for them and let the chips fall where they may? That can be a dangerous proposition. Who knows what they might end up watching on television. The sex and violence available at that hour is pervasive. The same is true for the internet. That, thankfully, we can manage more easily. Truth of the matter is, it's damn hard to really get to sleep when you don't know what your child is doing. After all, you've slept only when they've slept for the last many years and now you sleep with one eye open because life as you know it has changed. I'm of the mind that if he is independent enough to stay up to that hour then he is capable of putting himself to bed be it at midnight or any other hour of his choice. But when my little darling tosses and turns because she can't sleep, there is no sleep for anyone in our house. Not even me. What to do, what to do.