rotten mom's meal plan

Sunday evening I was writing up a meal plan for the week when Jonathan and I began talking about our long anticipated visa renewal. His plan was to start the week howling at his dept chair and secretary about the need to get this ball rolling if we are to get the renewal done on time -24 April. So he looked at the visa and we realized that who cares about 24 April, we need a visa by 9 APRIL! THURSDAY! So our game plan changed from howling to pounding on desks and I put aside the meal plan.

Monday we spent the day going back and forth between the university and the immigration office- both on different sides of town from one another. I scratched out a meal plan with the idea that after clearing up some confusion at the bank I could take @ with me around to the store to shop for groceries. @ and I sacrificed real lunch for ritz crackers and peanut butter with the promise of a trip to the A&W for cheeseburgers when we got to the store. We got into the bank (window, desk, window, desk, check the atm) and somewhere in between window, desk the heavens let loose a torrent of rain. I left the umbrella in the car down the block...sigh...@ and I waited about 10 minutes, me desperately praying it would let up. Finally I asked @ if we could make a dash for it. So we RAN down the block and I threw the child in the car and realized, I can't see out the front windshield. So we waited for a few minutes soaked to the bone in the car. Then came the realization- I must get home or plan to stay on this side of town until the water recedes. We drove through foot deep water but made it home. With no groceries- Ordering pizza.

Monday night @ woke up crying with a toothache, necessitating a trip to the dentist after he got out of school. Our dentist has afternoon hours and no one answers the phone in the morning. I went and bought groceries and asked our houseworker to make a nutritious dinner because I was planning to spend the afternoon at the dentist. @ and I stopped for KFC and rice and went to the dentist. Sorry can't get you in until monday but we'll call if something opens up, which looks impossible because Thursday is election day and friday is a holiday- sorry kid with the sore tooth. As I'm setting the table for the healthy nutritious meal prepared by the houseworker, the dentist office calls, can you come now? Off we go to the dentist's office and sit, waiting for an opening... 2 hours later, we're in. @ has an abcess on the dead tooth. 10 minutes later, we're done. But its 7:45 by time we get home and I'm able to talk @ into eating an apple pancake. Forgoing the nutritious dinner.

Now its Wednesday. I've just returned from sitting at immigration. I have 15 minutes before picking up @ from school. And we are having the nutritious meal planned for 24 hours ago for lunch.

Part of the new meal plan will be coming home to eat the meal.

Wednesday noon: gado-gado, rice, fried tempeh
Wednesday dinner: snack meal with friends at a holiday party
Thursday noon: Herb Garlic Beans & Chicken
Friday noon: Beef w/ Spinach, Naan

I have a fabulous plan to make Sweet Potato Waffles, Cookies and Whole Wheat Bread. But I also have a plan that we can run up to the Japanese noodle take out place and the BBQ Chicken place. If this week has taught me anything it is to take a picnic with us everywhere because the next office maybe on the other side of town.