I remember one time in physics the teacher asked if he'd covered something (it was the start of a new year, and he'd covered it right near the end of the previous year), and I was the only person who remembered he'd covered it (out of like 30 people). That was weird. For the record, I have no clue what it was he covered, lol. ETA: same people in the class, so it wasn't that there were different kids.

To be clear, some electricity and electronics stuff was definitely covered in physics in 8th grade as well, which was required for everyone (though it was the pre-university track). I remember making a radio in shop class in 8th grade (as in, making a coil out of copper wire and I don't know what). I did not create lightning in any microwaves though (or whatever it is y'all are doing).

In the science section of Celery's 6th grade test prep book there's a question asking him to draw an electric circuit featuring a light bulb. (the only reason I know is because I assigned him the science section today) We were definitely taught some electricity and electronics stuff in my secondary school. That said, NL and all that. (also, I took physics 1 & 2, which is more physics than you're required to take)

No dying, not even due to the lack of coffee.

I gave up and had dinner. It didn't stick to the bottom. I stirred it like once every 30 min or so (but, I didn't do this for 6 hours, but, it was still very liquidy, so I could probably have gone quite a while longer).

Not necessarily. It could just be that more older people are white, and that the younger generations are more diverse. In reality, probably both are true. Also, while 73-ish percent of Americans are 'white', when people get all upset about only 'white' women being chosen for something, I tend to assume that no Hispanic women were chosen. So, if you subtract 'white' Hispanics from the 'white' population, only 62% are 'white'. So, out of 5 people, it's not unreasonable to expect at least one non-white person. I think it's mostly a stupid decision by the company, like some PPs have mentioned - you presumably want to expose as many different potential customers to your product, and since people tend to stay within their own bubbles a fair amount, that means that the crunchy hippie is probably mostly going to tell her crunchy hippie friends about the product, and the homeschool mom mostly her homeschool mom friends (Instant Pot anyone?), etc... so yes, you'd probably want diversity, of all kinds, including race (well, maybe you wouldn't want economic diversity in this case, since people in poverty don't buy luxury products, but you would want to appeal to middle class and up white, black, Hispanic, etc people).

Because it'd turn into mush, or because a gas stove has an open flame?

The plot for another book...

Oh, yes, definitely. On the way to NL, we arrived in the middle of the night and left in the middle of the night, so it was fine (other than the freezing rain thing), but on the way back, it was crazy chaotic busy.

Yeah, I'm contemplating having dinner earlier, and then later DW reheat her portion later. Of course, if I do that, I might as well throw a frozen pizza in the oven, since the kids are not going to want the goulash anyway, and sitting there alone with the kids whining about it, is not on my list of fun things to do.

Much easier/faster.

You could make goulash too. It 'only' took me an hour cutting everything up etc. Gouyah!

At least it shouldn't be an issue cost-wise, since it shouldn't really matter if we heat the place with the gas heater in the basement, or with the gas stove in the kitchen, right? (no, the stove won't put off enough heat, especially when just simmering one pot), but anyway... it feels so wasteful to simmer it excessively, but it shouldn't. I think.

I made goulash. When I was almost done DW reminded me of the office xmas party tonight. I planned on having dinner early (that would still have it simmering significantly longer than normal), but now it's looking like we might be having dinner late (insane amount of simmering). I don't think there's a point in turning off the heat and then reheating it later - it's a big pot, so that would take too long. But still... I started making it at 2:30, does it really need to simmer for potentially 6 hours?

(btw, I'm aware it's still over a week till xmas)

Is Christmas today or tomorrow? If so, yes. Otherwise, no.

Yes, this. Icelandair was supposed to allow you to spend a night (I think even up to 3 (5? 7?) nights or w/e) in Iceland at no additional cost, but we couldn't get that for the date we wanted, so, just the airport. I did look up some stuff (before we discovered that it wasn't going to work out), and Iceland is so expensive! The freezing rain we had to walk through to get from our plane to the building was not super exciting (and I was annoyed that my sleepy kids had to walk down those metal stairs off the plane in the dark, freezing rain... so glad nobody fell). Anyhow, Iceland does look beautiful in the pictures.

Realistically, no lights would be the best option, but given the presumably vastly bigger risk of fires from candles (a PP mentioned, insurance companies quit covering tree candle fires?), and the presumed destruction of all sorts of environmentally bad things in those fires (random things made out of plastic around the house, etc), odds are electric lights would still win the "safest overall" award. Either way, it's nice to be able to just have the lights on without having to paranoidly stare at them the entire time.

Yes, but what about the CO2 emissions of candles?

Someone spilled their drink all over the inside of his coat while he was playing soccer. With the weather I mentioned above. I made him wait inside while I got the car right in front of the exit. Had to honk twice for him to notice me... kid's been so spacey lately. That can't be that preteen spaciness yet, can it? He's 10.25, and 4'3" or so, and is just so not a preteen yet.

Oh, in random good news, the Y's "early winter" classes are over (as in, tonight was his last one), so no more soccer for Celery. Because I'm so done with that Y.

When he was 2 he had pink Hello Kitty ones, because he wanted pink Hello Kitty snow boots. Why do kids eventually get the memo that pink and Elsa and Anna and all of that stuff is for girls? (these are blue, btw, and the zipper is hard to pull up, but I.don't.care... it's too late in the season for me to go running around trying more stores)

I waited too long to buy Broccoli snow boots. DW looked at Walmart yesterday, and didn't find any to their liking (I think she said that maybe there were pink ones? not sure). I tried Target today, nothing in his size, and then at Payless they only had Frozen. So, Frozen it is. Because I'm not going anywhere else.

Not sure that counts as Tiger Mom. Probably Helicopter Mom. Tiger Mom would probably push the kid to get into MIT if the kid wants to take apart microwaves. Luckily, that's normally not an issue for me.

I haz heater.