Mystery Object of the Day: Pulsar

This is a great picture of a pulsar. Look at the sunspots and the complex inner structure. You can actually see the radiation pouring off in waves from the burning hot center sun.

Ok, maybe not. But the pot is almost clean! This is what happens to me when I try to cook elaborate birthday dinners while 'watching' two toddlers and a baby. Hmmm...to be fair.... This is what happens more often now that I have to watch two toddlers and a baby. And why one of the first things we vow that will be installed in the kitchen in the "New Minnesota House" is a good hood over the stove that vents to the outside. Whoever decided that a dinky, greasy fan under the microwave with a carbon filter in it would be great for mitigating billowing smoke obviously didn't try it. And didn't have two two year olds running around with their hands over their ears in the midst of the fire alarm yelling, "Too Loud! Too Loud! Too Loud!"

The chicken stew that I made for the birthday pot pie was one of the most well-balanced, complex, delicate flavored stews I had ever made. That is, before I turned up the heat slightly to thicken it for a minute. I may have forgotten the stew a little between entertaining the twins, Sam crawling at my feet, drying meringue cake layers, rolling out the pot pie dough, baking cake, whipping butter for icing, and melting various mint candies and chocolates. After emergency chicken stew first aid (for extreme burnt overtones), it was a very hardy, robust, richer stew but with a lot less of that complex flavor. Luckily the birthday guy didn't notice...