My Latest Impulse Buy

I am breaking in my most exciting purchase since--I can't even think of the last thing that was this neat. It is beautiful, gleaming, still clean and pristine and the best part as I sit and wait is wondering, "Once the water has boiled, I wonder if I can fit four pounds of pasta in it? Dare I try six?"

A stainless steel, 16qt stockpot, bought with the express purpose of being able to cook more than two pounds of pasta at a time. I know, you'd think we'd have a nice BIG pot by now, lots of people don't even have kids and they have big stockpots, but I got by with what I had and most nights for a while two pounds of pasta was plenty to make it through kids and Jake. Then Liam became a big kid, Mark moved in, and Timmy proved himself able to eat as much pasta as a people 14 or 40 times his age. (No, seriously.)

So now I'm getting ready to make a couple trays of ziti for company tomorrow and my one hope is that I won't have to boil two batches of pasta consecutively--lots of pasta, all at once. WOOHOO!

Look, Jake gets new Blackberrys, I get a new pot. It's work-related gadgetry all the same, and I get to be excited even if I'm unlikely (though tempted) to wear my pot on my hip all the time. But if you pity me because of this, feel free to send a Blackberry or iPhone if you must...