Do you make lists?

I’m an inveterate list maker.

I don’t make lists of my lists, but I probably should.

Instead I put small lists on post-it notes; medium lists on small sheets of paper and big lists on big paper.

Then I stack them neatly to one side and ignore them.

When I’m feeling particularly panic-stricken or seriously behind in whatever, I take the lists out, go through them, cross off completed tasks and return them to their neat pile.

I don’t live by the lists….

I do things in any order that interests me at the moment.

But the act of writing everything out, especially when I’m feeling overwhelmed, organizes my mind and soothes my nerves.

It gives me a certain measure of security in knowing that I won’t forget something – as long as it’s on the list.

Plus, the act of crossing off finished jobs is quite gratifying.

Unlike trying and failing to lodge a complaint…. That is most aggravating, not at all gratifying.

There are two things that I seriously and deeply hate about some current software:

It’s so ‘user-friendly’ it’s almost useless.

The authors assume the world wants their paragraphs indented 6 spaces and to change it to 3 spaces is impossible without an advance degree in rocket science…. Or some such equally simple, equally frustrating example.

An arbitrary change is made in an ‘important update’ that modifies the way one uses the software. 

One is, naturally, not informed of said change so one must figure out what the hell is going on all on one’s own. 

I have Photoshop Elements 9.

I duly installed the update yesterday.  Today, when I started working, all my photos were ‘tabbed’ rather than floating…. Which is really immaterial, unless you also use PE 9.

The point is I didn’t like it and couldn’t figure out how to go back to the ‘old way’ so I could get my work down. 

Okay, I’ll be honest…. First I thought it was something I had accidentally changed, so spent 20 minutes or so trying to figure that out.

No luck, so I went online with my question. 

Of course there was an entire forum devoted to this irritating change, how unhappy people were with it and how to work around it.

Great.  I discovered that I can change it back but I have to do it every time I use the software.  Or un-install the software and and reinstall it without the update (which fixed some bugs, so I really don’t want to do that).

I decided that I would add my voice to the many who were expressing their unhappiness with this particular modification (it was on the Adobe site).

I composed my response and clicked ‘submit’.

Screen came back telling me to sign in. 

I signed in.

Screen came back telling me I had to key in my product id. 

Fine, I’ll do that.

Then it told me that I had to set something up to share my photos on-line.

I don’t want to share my photos online….. Or, if I do, I’ll choose how.

All I want to do is lodge a complaint.

By this time, I decided that my (new) complaint would be far too vitriolic to be taken seriously so I shut down the page.

That’s one way to keep complaints to a minimum, I guess….

You’ll have no complaints with this salad….

Serve it for brunch, lunch or dinner… some whole grain bread on the side and maybe a glass of bubbly.

Ham and Poached Egg Salad,  serves 2 (as always)

6oz (180gr) thickly slice Prosciutto or other dry-cured ham, cut into pieces
4 eggs
3oz (90gr) cherry tomatoes, cut in half
6oz (180gr) spinach, prepared for salad
2 tbs fresh, snipped garlic chives
handful fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup (1.5oz, 45gr) freshly grated Parmesan
1 tbs vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Vinaigrette
2 tsp Dijon-style mustard
2 tbs sherry vinegar
3 tbs salad olive oil

Sauté ham in olive oil until crisp. Keep warm.
In a large bowl whisk together mustard and vinegar. Slowly add salad olive oil, whisking constantly until thickened. Add spinach, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan and herbs, toss well to coat. 
To poach eggs: Fill a medium skillet with water. The water should be at least 1 1/2 inches deep, 2 inches (5 cm) would be better. Heat water over medium-high heat. Add vinegar. When water is softly boiling poach eggs: one at a time break egg into a small saucer. Swirl a spoon in the water where you will put the egg – off to one side. When water is swirling drop egg into center. With slotted spoon try to keep the white together. Do next egg. With regular spoon scoop some hot water over tops of eggs. Poach for 2 – 4 minutes or until white is set but yolk is still very soft. (Or hard, as you like…) Remove with a slotted spoon.
To finish: Divide spinach salad and arrange on 2 plates.  Divide ham and add to salad.  Top with 2 poached eggs,  salt & pepper if you like, and serve.

We’re a little frazzled at the moment – our first guests arrive on Monday, we leave for Italy for a family reunion on Thursday. 

And I just noticed our crab apple tree is dying…. after blooming so prettily this spring.

We need easy comfort food – summer comfort food.