Shake and Bake
In October 2014, I thought I was a brilliant mom who chose to move my son and me to the San Fernando Valley (from Westwood near UCLA) in the quest for better schools, safety from street and bus traffic, and more sq. footage of living area in our home. We found a lovely home in a canyon in Encino, CA on a hillside plot with all of the above mentioned criteria.
What I didn’t factor when I moved into this house 2 years ago this month is the following: 1) A massive earthquake warning would be issued for Southern California this past week by seismologists* and 2) It would be nearly 90 degrees everyday through November. I literally have to worry about “Shaking and Baking” everyday!
Many of you may not know what the product Shake and Bake is, but I swear I am not using it as a slang term for drugs you may do in the bathroom of a club. For those who grew up in the 70s, it was a convenience product used by our mom’s to bread pork chops, chicken and other meats. Why Shake and Bake was more “convenient” than dipping things in eggs and bread crumbs is beyond me, but the term is literally how I feel everyday, without any of the conveniences.
And shaking and baking has literally brought up more things to consider this month than whether “The Donald’s” campaign is really over or not with his last misogynistic debacle caught on video/hot mic (don’t get me started on this topic now…we will save that for another blog post). Do I buy the expensive and optional earthquake insurance and heed the warnings of seismologists? There have been a couple of small earthquakes the past few weeks including one on October 8th in Loma Linda CA…a 3.7 magnitude. Ironically I called my insurance broker in September to ask about this additional insurance before the reports came out. Was I psychic…did I see an earthquake really impacting me? No.
While I may have psychic flashes when it comes to who makes and wins the Super Bowl, I only called because my homeowners policy was up for renewal so I was just being prepared more for the financial impact of earthquake insurance rather than the possibility of a real quake like I am now. And even if I do get the insurance and have to file a claim, the deductible is a sh*^load of $$$$$ once you dig out from the damage. And all the while, I am doing all this worrying in the comfort of my 72 degree, air conditioned home that is still running 24/7 because its 91 degrees in October and I can’t do normal fall things like go to a pumpkin patch without "melting" or wear boots.
What should I do? Well one thing is for sure…Bryce and I are shaking and baking some fried chicken tonight for dinner.
Peace and Love,
Tomato
* http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-earthquake-swarm-20160930-snap-story.html