Found wholly contained within a red pepper, it's nature's little micro-peen.
I now return you to your regularly scheduled Obamania celebration. Carry on..
1/18/2009
Nature's tiny jewel
On the coming eve of our nation's historic moment, I pause to share with you a gift found within the bounty of our land. Behold:
Found wholly contained within a red pepper, it's nature's little micro-peen.
I now return you to your regularly scheduled Obamania celebration. Carry on..
Found wholly contained within a red pepper, it's nature's little micro-peen.
I now return you to your regularly scheduled Obamania celebration. Carry on..
1/06/2009
Take me to the riot
Holla. So let's see, Christmas happened. And then the New Year came/went. I made a resolution to bitch less and as a result, I have nothing to left to say! Heh. Actually, things are ok, I am staying positive, all is well etc etc.
I will say, though, that I am getting a little concerned by what are in essence dire warnings from the DC peeps about THE HUGE CROWDS EXPECTED and how public transportation will be AT CRUSHING LEVELS and the city will be in virtual GRIDLOCK ROADS CLOSED TRAINS PACKED and how people should expect to STAND FOR 8 HOURS SHOULDER TO SHOULDER with other people. ps. TAINTED MILK! And so on, along those lines. Every day the papers/radio/internets around here have inauguration updates and planning tips (e.g., "Uh, yeah, you probably don't want to leave your house, sorry" - DC Metro).
ETA: For those that think I'm exaggerating about TAINTED MILK!, here is a link to download the 9 page press release entitled: 2009 Presidential Inaugural Law Enforcement and Public Safety Public Affairs Subcommittee Announces Joint Transportation Plan which details road closures and warnings about taking your babies or grandmas to the event.
Having never been in this city for such an event, I am already prepared for the worst. The good thing is that they are giving us Inaug day off, which hello, if people actually had to commute into work you might as well forget it. So my particular plan is to lay in about four days worth of provisions next Friday and hunker down. Thus, as much as I love people and being in huge crowds and jammed on trains and forced to touch strangers, I will be passing on attending any of these historic events. Sorry, you will not be receiving any Twits from me on the frontlines reporting on Sasha's pigtails or Joe B's facelift.
As an aside, yesterday, WTOP online reported on the girls' first day of school and this was an actual sentence in the news: "Sasha was carrying a pink Trans backpack by Jansport and wore a brown coat and her hair in pigtails". Now those kids are dang cute, but wha?? If this town is so giddy and in love with the Obamas, why don't they marry them? Ah, it's ok, after 8 years of hell, even a pink Jansport looks a little like heaven. It's kind of cute the way people are here, they almost seem..dare I say, happy? I have even heard laughter on the Metro of late. Actual human sounds signaling happiness. No one makes a peep on those trains usually. Yeah, it's weird. Oh well, it's a New Year and people are allowed to hope/change/be happy. I know I have signed up for that myself.
So yes, aside from work and attempting to engage in life a bit more, that's what's been going on here. Good times, good times..
Oh and one more thing, I am clearly more in touch with my feelings than normal because this video makes me want to shed a wee tear and find my own elephant:
Goodnight!
I will say, though, that I am getting a little concerned by what are in essence dire warnings from the DC peeps about THE HUGE CROWDS EXPECTED and how public transportation will be AT CRUSHING LEVELS and the city will be in virtual GRIDLOCK ROADS CLOSED TRAINS PACKED and how people should expect to STAND FOR 8 HOURS SHOULDER TO SHOULDER with other people. ps. TAINTED MILK! And so on, along those lines. Every day the papers/radio/internets around here have inauguration updates and planning tips (e.g., "Uh, yeah, you probably don't want to leave your house, sorry" - DC Metro).
ETA: For those that think I'm exaggerating about TAINTED MILK!, here is a link to download the 9 page press release entitled: 2009 Presidential Inaugural Law Enforcement and Public Safety Public Affairs Subcommittee Announces Joint Transportation Plan which details road closures and warnings about taking your babies or grandmas to the event.
Having never been in this city for such an event, I am already prepared for the worst. The good thing is that they are giving us Inaug day off, which hello, if people actually had to commute into work you might as well forget it. So my particular plan is to lay in about four days worth of provisions next Friday and hunker down. Thus, as much as I love people and being in huge crowds and jammed on trains and forced to touch strangers, I will be passing on attending any of these historic events. Sorry, you will not be receiving any Twits from me on the frontlines reporting on Sasha's pigtails or Joe B's facelift.
As an aside, yesterday, WTOP online reported on the girls' first day of school and this was an actual sentence in the news: "Sasha was carrying a pink Trans backpack by Jansport and wore a brown coat and her hair in pigtails". Now those kids are dang cute, but wha?? If this town is so giddy and in love with the Obamas, why don't they marry them? Ah, it's ok, after 8 years of hell, even a pink Jansport looks a little like heaven. It's kind of cute the way people are here, they almost seem..dare I say, happy? I have even heard laughter on the Metro of late. Actual human sounds signaling happiness. No one makes a peep on those trains usually. Yeah, it's weird. Oh well, it's a New Year and people are allowed to hope/change/be happy. I know I have signed up for that myself.
So yes, aside from work and attempting to engage in life a bit more, that's what's been going on here. Good times, good times..
Oh and one more thing, I am clearly more in touch with my feelings than normal because this video makes me want to shed a wee tear and find my own elephant:
Goodnight!
12/28/2008
A feeling you can't find
Variations on a theme.
Dri - Two are One
Metric - Too Little Too Late
Bright Eyes - Gold Mine Gutted
Death Cab for Cutie - Grapevine Fires
Dri - Two are One
Metric - Too Little Too Late
Bright Eyes - Gold Mine Gutted
Death Cab for Cutie - Grapevine Fires
12/23/2008
The trip to Jalu
One day we had to advance in the teeth of the storm, and I saw how it could destroy a caravan. Of course, one has to keep moving slowly. To stop means to be drowned by the sand. The camels instinctively know this and continue to advance in spite of the tormenting blast..
Sometimes, however, toward sunset, when we had been battling for hours against the seemingly interminable bombardment, the wind would stop dead, as if a master hand had given a signal. For an hour or more the fine sand and dust would settle slowly, like a falling mist. Afterward the moon would rise, and under the pale magic of its flooding light, the desert would assume a new aspect. Had there been a sandstorm? Who could remember? Could this peaceful expanse of loveliness ever be cruel? Who could believe it?...
-- A.M Hassanein Bey, Crossing the Libyan Desert. 1924.
Sometimes, however, toward sunset, when we had been battling for hours against the seemingly interminable bombardment, the wind would stop dead, as if a master hand had given a signal. For an hour or more the fine sand and dust would settle slowly, like a falling mist. Afterward the moon would rise, and under the pale magic of its flooding light, the desert would assume a new aspect. Had there been a sandstorm? Who could remember? Could this peaceful expanse of loveliness ever be cruel? Who could believe it?...
-- A.M Hassanein Bey, Crossing the Libyan Desert. 1924.
12/20/2008
Beef Bourguignon Liveblog II: Electric bugaloo
Hi friends, it is Saturday night and I am in the mood to cook. Last night I had plans and intentions and motivations, but instead I made Kraft Dinner (as they call it in Canada -- but they also call a wool winter hat a touque up there so who knows what's up north of the border I say). Tonight, however, I am in the mood for full-fledged cooking, hello.
So I am making beef bourguingnon, even though it is not snowing here or that cold - there is a promise of a dab of freezing rain in the DC area which means of course that you may as well forget about going out because traffic will be snarled even in your driveway and/or apartment complex parking lot and/or life. So thus, it is time for a little relaxing slow cooking situation with beer and red wine and beef and french influence.
And I will be liveblogging the whole situation! What could be more fascinating? Will someone from Australia be refreshing their screens at work to follow along? (Like isn't it 2pm last Friday there or something? Who knows). Anyway. Oh and FYI, this will take a few hours to cook so if you want a fast dish, this is not it.
ps. If you are meat-squeamish, you will want to fast-forward to someplace else. I will be taking pictures of beef cooking. I know, sorry Bossie.
On with the show. First a pix of the necessary ingredients (and a confession that I am stealing this recipe from Jacques Pepin - I'm kinda doing a little cut/paste here to be honest):
# 2 pounds lean beef chuck
# 1 tablespoon butter
# 2 tablespoons olive oil
# Salt
# Pepper
# 1 cup finely chopped onion
# 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
# 1 tablespoon flour
# 1 bottle of red wine
# 2 bay leaves
# 1 sprig fresh thyme
# 15 cipollini or pearl onions
# 15 cremini mushrooms
# 15 baby carrots
# 1/4 cup water
# Dash of sugar
# Chopped fresh parsley
Please note: You will also need several Magic Hat #9 beers and music to assist you otherwise you will fail. I'm sorry.
More to come...
1. Cut the meat into 8 pieces.Preheat the oven to 350°. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a cast-iron pot that is attractive enough for the table (Ed: My pot is neither attractive enough for the table nor is it cast-iron. I shall, however, call it black because I am a kettle and that's what we do). Arrange the meat in one layer in the pot, and season it with salt and pepper. Cook on top of the stove over high heat for about 8 minutes, browning the meat on all sides.
Looks like this:
2. Add 1 cup of finely chopped onion and 1 tablespoon of finely chopped garlic. Cook over moderate heat for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 tablespoon of flour. Mix in well so that the flour doesn’t form lumps.
Looks like this:
3. Stir in 3/4 bottle of red wine, 1.5 cups beef broth. Add 2 bay leaves, a sprig of fresh thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir well and cover.
Looks like this:
More to come...
4. Place the pot in the oven and continue to cook for about 1 1/2 hours; the meat should be soft and tender and the liquid properly reduced. At this point, you may want a little snack and another beer while you check your email and the weather channel for the next 1.5 hours.
Looks like this:
More to come..
20 more minutes to go. Did you know that every Magic Hat bottlecap has a little saying underneath it?
Looks like this:
More to come..
5. Combine the onions, mushrooms, carrots in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 cup of water and a good dash each of sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes; at this point, there should be practically no water left. Uncover and cook over high heat, sautéing the vegetables until nicely browned on all sides, about 4 minutes.
Looks like this:
More to come..
And because I cannot deny my Midwestern heritage, I am serving this over some egg noodles. Yes this is probably French blaspheme, but life sometimes asks you to improvise a little and my mom was of French Acadian descent in Louisiana (who I did not know were Greatly Expulsed from Canada in 1775! Those bastards!) so I think I should be given special dispensation to blend my culture. I thank you not to oppress my people, Jacques Pepin!
Here is what the finished product looks like - and with that I bid you adieu!
So I am making beef bourguingnon, even though it is not snowing here or that cold - there is a promise of a dab of freezing rain in the DC area which means of course that you may as well forget about going out because traffic will be snarled even in your driveway and/or apartment complex parking lot and/or life. So thus, it is time for a little relaxing slow cooking situation with beer and red wine and beef and french influence.
And I will be liveblogging the whole situation! What could be more fascinating? Will someone from Australia be refreshing their screens at work to follow along? (Like isn't it 2pm last Friday there or something? Who knows). Anyway. Oh and FYI, this will take a few hours to cook so if you want a fast dish, this is not it.
ps. If you are meat-squeamish, you will want to fast-forward to someplace else. I will be taking pictures of beef cooking. I know, sorry Bossie.
On with the show. First a pix of the necessary ingredients (and a confession that I am stealing this recipe from Jacques Pepin - I'm kinda doing a little cut/paste here to be honest):
# 2 pounds lean beef chuck
# 1 tablespoon butter
# 2 tablespoons olive oil
# Salt
# Pepper
# 1 cup finely chopped onion
# 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
# 1 tablespoon flour
# 1 bottle of red wine
# 2 bay leaves
# 1 sprig fresh thyme
# 15 cipollini or pearl onions
# 15 cremini mushrooms
# 15 baby carrots
# 1/4 cup water
# Dash of sugar
# Chopped fresh parsley
Please note: You will also need several Magic Hat #9 beers and music to assist you otherwise you will fail. I'm sorry.
More to come...
1. Cut the meat into 8 pieces.Preheat the oven to 350°. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a cast-iron pot that is attractive enough for the table (Ed: My pot is neither attractive enough for the table nor is it cast-iron. I shall, however, call it black because I am a kettle and that's what we do). Arrange the meat in one layer in the pot, and season it with salt and pepper. Cook on top of the stove over high heat for about 8 minutes, browning the meat on all sides.
Looks like this:
2. Add 1 cup of finely chopped onion and 1 tablespoon of finely chopped garlic. Cook over moderate heat for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 tablespoon of flour. Mix in well so that the flour doesn’t form lumps.
Looks like this:
3. Stir in 3/4 bottle of red wine, 1.5 cups beef broth. Add 2 bay leaves, a sprig of fresh thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir well and cover.
Looks like this:
More to come...
4. Place the pot in the oven and continue to cook for about 1 1/2 hours; the meat should be soft and tender and the liquid properly reduced. At this point, you may want a little snack and another beer while you check your email and the weather channel for the next 1.5 hours.
Looks like this:
More to come..
20 more minutes to go. Did you know that every Magic Hat bottlecap has a little saying underneath it?
Looks like this:
More to come..
5. Combine the onions, mushrooms, carrots in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 cup of water and a good dash each of sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes; at this point, there should be practically no water left. Uncover and cook over high heat, sautéing the vegetables until nicely browned on all sides, about 4 minutes.
Looks like this:
More to come..
And because I cannot deny my Midwestern heritage, I am serving this over some egg noodles. Yes this is probably French blaspheme, but life sometimes asks you to improvise a little and my mom was of French Acadian descent in Louisiana (who I did not know were Greatly Expulsed from Canada in 1775! Those bastards!) so I think I should be given special dispensation to blend my culture. I thank you not to oppress my people, Jacques Pepin!
Here is what the finished product looks like - and with that I bid you adieu!
12/14/2008
Traveling again
In an attempt to change my brain chemistry from negative to positive, I am going to join millions of others today and go look for an Xmas tree with/for The Agent and do a little Xmas shopping. Retail therapy: Just as expensive as real therapy but with less talk/more walk.
I am heading out tomorrow for my final work trip of the year to the great state of Missouri. I enjoyed my last visit there I must say and as you know, I hold no grudges against this red state. For those of you counting at home, I have traveled for work 15 different times this year at an average of 3 days per trip which means that I have spent at least 1.5 months or 45 days away from DC this year. See how I reframed this from something negative (all that travel) into something positive (time spent out of the city)? Baby steps, baby steps.
What's funny about traveling and/or my life is that for the past 15 years or so, I always feel like I am living this Dar Williams song over and over again (click here to download):
I think it started with driving, more speed, more deals, more sky, more wheels
More things to leave behind, now it's all in a day for the modern mind
And I am traveling again
Calling this a ghost town, and where is the heartland?
And I'm afraid, oh, was there any good reason, that I had to go
When all I know is I can never come back.
I suppose it's better than living February again and again. So there's that.
See how this reframing thing works? Strength-based positive outlook, here I come!
I am heading out tomorrow for my final work trip of the year to the great state of Missouri. I enjoyed my last visit there I must say and as you know, I hold no grudges against this red state. For those of you counting at home, I have traveled for work 15 different times this year at an average of 3 days per trip which means that I have spent at least 1.5 months or 45 days away from DC this year. See how I reframed this from something negative (all that travel) into something positive (time spent out of the city)? Baby steps, baby steps.
What's funny about traveling and/or my life is that for the past 15 years or so, I always feel like I am living this Dar Williams song over and over again (click here to download):
I think it started with driving, more speed, more deals, more sky, more wheels
More things to leave behind, now it's all in a day for the modern mind
And I am traveling again
Calling this a ghost town, and where is the heartland?
And I'm afraid, oh, was there any good reason, that I had to go
When all I know is I can never come back.
I suppose it's better than living February again and again. So there's that.
See how this reframing thing works? Strength-based positive outlook, here I come!
12/08/2008
Nothing good ever lasts
A friend of mine, from back in my favorite state, lost her dad today, a bear of a guy who I liked a great deal even though he was a prickly old pear. A farmer who collected old tractors and voted Republican, he was nonetheless a decent man who told a dirty joke or three and appreciated the meatball recipe I would bring to Thanksgiving.
So tonight I am going through four flashdrives, one harddrive, and one old laptop attempting to recover a ton of pictures I took between 04-07 that I have either misplaced or deleted accidentally because I have a touch of the WTF. I'm 73% of the way through a Search and Recover4(tm) on an old desktop harddrive. I kinda need to find those pictures of him to send to her because I know that when you lose someone, a picture becomes a precious thing.
I've been reading this book of collected travel writings from old timey National Geographics, like back in the 20s and 30s when people went places on camel and steamer ships and it wasn't easy to get here or there. I've always been a fan of history, other peoples', yours, mine. Perhaps it's romanticizing something that, at the time, probably felt as unglamorous as the here and now. Heck, I even look back misty eyed on 2006, but I can't say I thought it was all that/bag of chips when I was living it.
Memory is funny, especially these days with digital. Half the time I'm like, did it ever really happen if I don't have a picture of it; other half I don't need a picture to remember anything, it's all imprinted in there deep.
Me being nostalgic me, I drove through my old town over Thanksgiving, just to check things out, see what's changed. And of course to take pictures, to remember. Even though every inch is pretty much etched in my head forever.
Main street in my old town:
My old house:
What I remember most:
So tonight I am going through four flashdrives, one harddrive, and one old laptop attempting to recover a ton of pictures I took between 04-07 that I have either misplaced or deleted accidentally because I have a touch of the WTF. I'm 73% of the way through a Search and Recover4(tm) on an old desktop harddrive. I kinda need to find those pictures of him to send to her because I know that when you lose someone, a picture becomes a precious thing.
I've been reading this book of collected travel writings from old timey National Geographics, like back in the 20s and 30s when people went places on camel and steamer ships and it wasn't easy to get here or there. I've always been a fan of history, other peoples', yours, mine. Perhaps it's romanticizing something that, at the time, probably felt as unglamorous as the here and now. Heck, I even look back misty eyed on 2006, but I can't say I thought it was all that/bag of chips when I was living it.
Memory is funny, especially these days with digital. Half the time I'm like, did it ever really happen if I don't have a picture of it; other half I don't need a picture to remember anything, it's all imprinted in there deep.
Me being nostalgic me, I drove through my old town over Thanksgiving, just to check things out, see what's changed. And of course to take pictures, to remember. Even though every inch is pretty much etched in my head forever.
Main street in my old town:
My old house:
What I remember most:
11/30/2008
Hoosier daddy?
Hello from Indiana - the red part of the state!
So I am visiting my dad for just a few days, I have to drive back to the city on Monday, but until then, I am soaking up some serious Midwest. I played the shit out of poker yesterday - Texas Hold'Em to be exact. They like their gambling and their smoking in this part of the country - I probably second-hand smoked a carton of Marlboro's yesterday while kicking ass in the cash game. Small sacrifices to hone one's poker skills.
I was in Cleveland over Thanksgiving and it was much needed - lots of cooking and sipping beverages and hanging in hottub and playing music and Wii and sitting by the fire and talking and laughing and you know, living. It's nice to do that on occasion.
It's snowing now and the weather is supposed to be shitty all around so good thing not driving back today. Here is the baby dog looking out into my dad's backyard while it snows and while she watches the squirrels. I left the big dog back with the agent for this trip so it's just baby dog and me. I woke up this morning and she was snoring in my face with her head on my pillow. Dogs..
I'm going to take a trip to see my old home town and my old house, check things out a bit and maybe take a picture or two. I am much appreciating the open space and cornfields, definitely gives me a chance to breathe. We all need a dose of that once in a while I say. Or at least I do. You city folk can have your constant noise and a million people if it works for you - whatever floats your boat/makes you happy and hello, in the profound words of that philosopher Sheryl Crow: If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad (which quite frankly I think is a fallacy because presumably doing meth makes some people happy but no one is out saying 'smoke it if you got it', you know?).
Where was I? Oh yes, northern Indiana. I ain't complaining.
So I am visiting my dad for just a few days, I have to drive back to the city on Monday, but until then, I am soaking up some serious Midwest. I played the shit out of poker yesterday - Texas Hold'Em to be exact. They like their gambling and their smoking in this part of the country - I probably second-hand smoked a carton of Marlboro's yesterday while kicking ass in the cash game. Small sacrifices to hone one's poker skills.
I was in Cleveland over Thanksgiving and it was much needed - lots of cooking and sipping beverages and hanging in hottub and playing music and Wii and sitting by the fire and talking and laughing and you know, living. It's nice to do that on occasion.
It's snowing now and the weather is supposed to be shitty all around so good thing not driving back today. Here is the baby dog looking out into my dad's backyard while it snows and while she watches the squirrels. I left the big dog back with the agent for this trip so it's just baby dog and me. I woke up this morning and she was snoring in my face with her head on my pillow. Dogs..
I'm going to take a trip to see my old home town and my old house, check things out a bit and maybe take a picture or two. I am much appreciating the open space and cornfields, definitely gives me a chance to breathe. We all need a dose of that once in a while I say. Or at least I do. You city folk can have your constant noise and a million people if it works for you - whatever floats your boat/makes you happy and hello, in the profound words of that philosopher Sheryl Crow: If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad (which quite frankly I think is a fallacy because presumably doing meth makes some people happy but no one is out saying 'smoke it if you got it', you know?).
Where was I? Oh yes, northern Indiana. I ain't complaining.
11/20/2008
How bout them Cubbies?
If you've been following my Tweets, you know I am in Chicago as we speak. Beyond being in the Midwest (which always puts me at ease), what I happen to appreciate about this city in comparison to DC (which will now always be compared to other places, quite possibly unfavorably at that) are the tall buildings. The skyline looks like a skyline and what you expect to see in a city. Because there are no buildings above like 4 stories or something in DC, everything is then squished down flat and out or underground so therefore, when you have to drop your dogs at the kennel on a weekday morning, there is still a traffic jam in what is basically West Virginia. This makes you sad and long for the open road of like Utah or something.
Also with all those short squat buildings in DC, you really can never tell where you are by looking around, which for a reluctant transplant means you just kind of walk around until you hit a street with a letter on it or a number and see if it matches up to your shitty mapquest directions. No point of reference whatsoever in that city and tall buildings are all outside of the city limits in Reston or wherever. Because people just love walking around the quaint downtown of Herndon gazing up at the architecture of an SAIC building or the beauty of a Lockheed Martin masterpiece.
Not going to keep dumping on DC (at least not anymore in this post!), but I am appreciating the skyline of Chicago and of course my favorite restaurants and I have a few people here too which helps. Too bad the trip is quick, but at least I got to take a shitty blurberry photo in the cab on the way back after dinner last night:
At least here, I always know where I'm at - in more ways than one.
Also with all those short squat buildings in DC, you really can never tell where you are by looking around, which for a reluctant transplant means you just kind of walk around until you hit a street with a letter on it or a number and see if it matches up to your shitty mapquest directions. No point of reference whatsoever in that city and tall buildings are all outside of the city limits in Reston or wherever. Because people just love walking around the quaint downtown of Herndon gazing up at the architecture of an SAIC building or the beauty of a Lockheed Martin masterpiece.
Not going to keep dumping on DC (at least not anymore in this post!), but I am appreciating the skyline of Chicago and of course my favorite restaurants and I have a few people here too which helps. Too bad the trip is quick, but at least I got to take a shitty blurberry photo in the cab on the way back after dinner last night:
At least here, I always know where I'm at - in more ways than one.
11/13/2008
Live long and prosper
This morning on the plane, I sat right behind this man:
(No, the one on the right)
His eyebrows gave him away. But unfortunately, I could only discreetly capture the below image of your hero:
You can rest easy now, America. The hair is indeed his own.
(No, the one on the right)
His eyebrows gave him away. But unfortunately, I could only discreetly capture the below image of your hero:
You can rest easy now, America. The hair is indeed his own.
11/10/2008
The pack's all here
I could literally watch this all f-ing day. If this does not melt your cruel cold heart, I don't know who or what you've become. A live puppy cam = enough to break the ice queen I've become.
They are sleeping in a big pile right now, I can't stand it!!
Resistance is futile:
They are crawling on top of each other to sleep on each others' heads! Who can stand to not watch this??
ETA: I can't stand it! The carrot! The pups on their backs!
They are sleeping in a big pile right now, I can't stand it!!
Resistance is futile:
They are crawling on top of each other to sleep on each others' heads! Who can stand to not watch this??
ETA: I can't stand it! The carrot! The pups on their backs!
11/01/2008
Why does she get to have all the fun?
Well hello there, abuelitas. What up?
I have not too much to report in general, but will summarize a few key points regarding my life, this planet, and everything else of late:
1. I just got off the phone with my dad in Indiana. Among the many things we discussed (e.g., the lake being dredged, painting the bathroom, bedding down the flowers for winter, my cuckcoo clock (that he bought me), donating items for the new historical society depot, what are my plans for thanksgiving (I am going back home for a few days and he has signed me up for a $50 Texas Hold'Em buy-in game on Sat already), visiting the VFW in my old small town, and his plans to go to one of those new fangled flu shot drive-through windows he saw advertised), we talked about politics a bit. Personally, I can hardly believe IN is deadlocked at the moment and even more so, I am amazed that my dad plans to vote for Obama. Amazed for many many reasons having to do with my dad and his age and Indiana and various and sundry other issues (read: racism), but there you go. His main argument though is that he doesn't think that an old guy like McCain can clean up the mess that the damn Republicans put us in and that it's going to require a young guy. Whatever works, I say.
2. I have a cold which I am pretending not to have and which made me hunker down in my apt last night. But here is the great thing about last night in my apartment: Not a single trick or treater! You know how I feel about Halloween so was thrilled with the fact that I did not have to leave my place of residence to avoid the hobgoblins.
3. On Thurs, I sat through a government agency awards ceremony for which Robotech received one such award. I came away with the impression that there exists an Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Assistant Commissioner of the Office of the Assistant Deputy Director of the Secretary of a Cabinet Level Agency. Yay, bureaucracy!
4. My friends back home have not forgotten me. They texted me all last night telling of the adventures of a small cardboard cutout of me that they made by gluing a picture of my face on it and have placed me upon a stick. They made several of these and they pull out Cardboard Me at various/sundry events and take pictures of me doing (often naughty) things with people, animals, and objects. Aww, isn't that sweet? Apparently, they lost the one of me in blond wig one winter night last year while out drinking - she was the Jezebel whore of the bunch so god knows what she's doing with some stranger as we speak.
When I was back there in Sept for a wedding, my strai friend A (who keeps CB me in a potted plant or a cup full of pens most of the time) insisted that I take pictures with myself, one of which was very very wrong on many levels. Placing my tongue upon my own cardboard breasts = kinky! Good times, good times..
ETA: Here I am holding myself which is weird to say:
ETA2: My friend sent me a picture from Fri night where I apparently was enjoying a little beer with my chili -- I assume things got steamer as the night wore on. I was probably tucked into the bosom of a hooker or the asscrack of a go-go boy by night's end.
5. FYI - still in love with a hockey-loving eh-saying dark sexy soft Canadian drummer!
That is all, good day to you and don't forget to vote for the young guy on Tues!
I have not too much to report in general, but will summarize a few key points regarding my life, this planet, and everything else of late:
1. I just got off the phone with my dad in Indiana. Among the many things we discussed (e.g., the lake being dredged, painting the bathroom, bedding down the flowers for winter, my cuckcoo clock (that he bought me), donating items for the new historical society depot, what are my plans for thanksgiving (I am going back home for a few days and he has signed me up for a $50 Texas Hold'Em buy-in game on Sat already), visiting the VFW in my old small town, and his plans to go to one of those new fangled flu shot drive-through windows he saw advertised), we talked about politics a bit. Personally, I can hardly believe IN is deadlocked at the moment and even more so, I am amazed that my dad plans to vote for Obama. Amazed for many many reasons having to do with my dad and his age and Indiana and various and sundry other issues (read: racism), but there you go. His main argument though is that he doesn't think that an old guy like McCain can clean up the mess that the damn Republicans put us in and that it's going to require a young guy. Whatever works, I say.
2. I have a cold which I am pretending not to have and which made me hunker down in my apt last night. But here is the great thing about last night in my apartment: Not a single trick or treater! You know how I feel about Halloween so was thrilled with the fact that I did not have to leave my place of residence to avoid the hobgoblins.
3. On Thurs, I sat through a government agency awards ceremony for which Robotech received one such award. I came away with the impression that there exists an Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Assistant Commissioner of the Office of the Assistant Deputy Director of the Secretary of a Cabinet Level Agency. Yay, bureaucracy!
4. My friends back home have not forgotten me. They texted me all last night telling of the adventures of a small cardboard cutout of me that they made by gluing a picture of my face on it and have placed me upon a stick. They made several of these and they pull out Cardboard Me at various/sundry events and take pictures of me doing (often naughty) things with people, animals, and objects. Aww, isn't that sweet? Apparently, they lost the one of me in blond wig one winter night last year while out drinking - she was the Jezebel whore of the bunch so god knows what she's doing with some stranger as we speak.
When I was back there in Sept for a wedding, my strai friend A (who keeps CB me in a potted plant or a cup full of pens most of the time) insisted that I take pictures with myself, one of which was very very wrong on many levels. Placing my tongue upon my own cardboard breasts = kinky! Good times, good times..
ETA: Here I am holding myself which is weird to say:
ETA2: My friend sent me a picture from Fri night where I apparently was enjoying a little beer with my chili -- I assume things got steamer as the night wore on. I was probably tucked into the bosom of a hooker or the asscrack of a go-go boy by night's end.
5. FYI - still in love with a hockey-loving eh-saying dark sexy soft Canadian drummer!
That is all, good day to you and don't forget to vote for the young guy on Tues!
10/25/2008
code breakers
For your aural/visual pleasure on this Saturday night:
Calexico - Two Silver Trees
Calexico - Man Made Lake
Jenny Lewis - Pretty Bird
Calexico - Two Silver Trees
Calexico - Man Made Lake
Jenny Lewis - Pretty Bird
10/20/2008
8 = my favorite number FYI
So I just got back from the state of California, such a lovely place...
Much like other states in this country, I feel like it's a very nice place to visit though I am not entirely sold on living there. I say the same about DC. However, I like the idea of it being perpetually spring/summer/fall for the most part and honestly, the Pacific is nothing one can complain about. So all in all, CA is OK with me. And hello, LL Cool J = mmm, I don't think so.
So soon enough, there are elections and whatnots going on. I am preaching to the choir of course, but if I were to marry anything (which I probably would not in general, but hey, I do not begrudge others), it would be:
1. my Blackberry
2. a field in KS or
3. possibly one of my two favor-ite blogger galfriends, Ms. Dorothy Snarker - Euchre player and fellow hoosier and Win - my favorite late night poet.
The other 6 girls I am sure are cool too, so support a good cause and check out the below. Seriously - smoke 'em if you got 'em, marry 'em if you want.
Much like other states in this country, I feel like it's a very nice place to visit though I am not entirely sold on living there. I say the same about DC. However, I like the idea of it being perpetually spring/summer/fall for the most part and honestly, the Pacific is nothing one can complain about. So all in all, CA is OK with me. And hello, LL Cool J = mmm, I don't think so.
So soon enough, there are elections and whatnots going on. I am preaching to the choir of course, but if I were to marry anything (which I probably would not in general, but hey, I do not begrudge others), it would be:
1. my Blackberry
2. a field in KS or
3. possibly one of my two favor-ite blogger galfriends, Ms. Dorothy Snarker - Euchre player and fellow hoosier and Win - my favorite late night poet.
The other 6 girls I am sure are cool too, so support a good cause and check out the below. Seriously - smoke 'em if you got 'em, marry 'em if you want.
10/11/2008
10/07/2008
Tiny wooden hands holding a tiny wooden bible
Fine fine, here's a picture from my teen years:
..which reminded me of this Wonder Killer classique.
Yeah, that's all I got. I've been in a perpetual bad mood despite a few positive things that have happened. I feel like I don't have much room to bitch about life and my woe is me bullshit given everything else going on around us so I'd rather just lay low until this too shall have passed.
Instead, I will briefly tell you the story of an act of human kindness thrust upon me by a citizen of this cruel cruel city wherein my faith in humanity was restored for a brief bright flicker.
Friday night I came home on the Metro and went through the station and walked out to my car. When I got to the my car, I couldn't find my little wallet thing I had just used to get off the train. Inside said wallet: $45, my drivers license, 1 credit card, 1 check/ATM card, 1 insurance card, 1 MetroSmartrip with $90 on it, and two Mega Million lottery tickets. <-- I could still be a winner, haven't checked yet.
As a result of losing above mentioned and not being able to find it, I had to go to the Metro station office since I couldn't get out of the parking lot. While there, the Metro guys were assuring me that usually people turn that stuff in. Me, I assumed the worst. Gave up hope and got in a really bad mood thinking about having to deal with canceling the cards and replacing the stuff. You know how my trips to the DMV go.
So I get home and am ready to take the dogs out when I notice someone has slipped a note under my apt door. It said: "I found your wallet!!" and gave his name and number. It was written on what appeared to be some kind of Bible card (for which the person apologized that it was the only paper he had). I was like, whaa?
I call and the guy had just dropped off the note, was still in my parking lot, and walked back to meet me at my door to give me my wallet. To say I was dumbfounded is an understatement. I naturally thanked him profusely several times. This was some youngish guy (maybe around 28 or so) who found my wallet, apparently put my address in his GPS or something, drove from the Metro to my apt (not far, but still) on a Fri night to return it to me. I just...
..you know? So I am trying trying trying to be open to the fact that people are people and we're all just trying to get along in this world and that despite this being a city that drives me nuts in every sense of the word (watched a guy pee into a trash can today while walking to a meeting; the Metro has been extra crowded lately; Robotech is getting the best of me, etc), there just might be some good folks out there if I stop being so pissed off and bitter. Easier said than done, of course, but things like this certainly do help adjust my attitude.
Oh, and the bible card he left it on?
2 Corinthians 4.9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed
I'm not into that sort of thing (i.e., the bible, jesus, god), but I am keeping the card anyway.d
..which reminded me of this Wonder Killer classique.
Yeah, that's all I got. I've been in a perpetual bad mood despite a few positive things that have happened. I feel like I don't have much room to bitch about life and my woe is me bullshit given everything else going on around us so I'd rather just lay low until this too shall have passed.
Instead, I will briefly tell you the story of an act of human kindness thrust upon me by a citizen of this cruel cruel city wherein my faith in humanity was restored for a brief bright flicker.
Friday night I came home on the Metro and went through the station and walked out to my car. When I got to the my car, I couldn't find my little wallet thing I had just used to get off the train. Inside said wallet: $45, my drivers license, 1 credit card, 1 check/ATM card, 1 insurance card, 1 MetroSmartrip with $90 on it, and two Mega Million lottery tickets. <-- I could still be a winner, haven't checked yet.
As a result of losing above mentioned and not being able to find it, I had to go to the Metro station office since I couldn't get out of the parking lot. While there, the Metro guys were assuring me that usually people turn that stuff in. Me, I assumed the worst. Gave up hope and got in a really bad mood thinking about having to deal with canceling the cards and replacing the stuff. You know how my trips to the DMV go.
So I get home and am ready to take the dogs out when I notice someone has slipped a note under my apt door. It said: "I found your wallet!!" and gave his name and number. It was written on what appeared to be some kind of Bible card (for which the person apologized that it was the only paper he had). I was like, whaa?
I call and the guy had just dropped off the note, was still in my parking lot, and walked back to meet me at my door to give me my wallet. To say I was dumbfounded is an understatement. I naturally thanked him profusely several times. This was some youngish guy (maybe around 28 or so) who found my wallet, apparently put my address in his GPS or something, drove from the Metro to my apt (not far, but still) on a Fri night to return it to me. I just...
..you know? So I am trying trying trying to be open to the fact that people are people and we're all just trying to get along in this world and that despite this being a city that drives me nuts in every sense of the word (watched a guy pee into a trash can today while walking to a meeting; the Metro has been extra crowded lately; Robotech is getting the best of me, etc), there just might be some good folks out there if I stop being so pissed off and bitter. Easier said than done, of course, but things like this certainly do help adjust my attitude.
Oh, and the bible card he left it on?
2 Corinthians 4.9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed
I'm not into that sort of thing (i.e., the bible, jesus, god), but I am keeping the card anyway.d
9/30/2008
9/28/2008
This was your life
I may be entering a period of taking stock of where I was/where I am/where I'm going, so beware. Or I may continue to blog about vice, music (the new Calexico cd is really good, ps), and missing the midwest. Hard telling. Life is like that = introspection followed by distraction mixed in with nostalgia and heartbreak and happiness. Or so I've read.
So I was digging through some boxes yesterday looking for something or other and came across some pictures from days gone by. In light of feeling oldish, it was good to remember that I wasn't always that way.
5 = when playing with sand is enough to make you happy:
6 = when you are the shrimpiest cousin of the batch:
7 = when your older sister and her friend are still cool:
8-9 = when your lifelong habit of making faces for the camera begins:
10 = when everything changed for the first time:
Maybe if I'm feeling brave, I'll do the teen years, but sweet lord, we all know how the 80s looked. Not pretty, not pretty at all.
So I was digging through some boxes yesterday looking for something or other and came across some pictures from days gone by. In light of feeling oldish, it was good to remember that I wasn't always that way.
5 = when playing with sand is enough to make you happy:
6 = when you are the shrimpiest cousin of the batch:
7 = when your older sister and her friend are still cool:
8-9 = when your lifelong habit of making faces for the camera begins:
10 = when everything changed for the first time:
Maybe if I'm feeling brave, I'll do the teen years, but sweet lord, we all know how the 80s looked. Not pretty, not pretty at all.
9/26/2008
I'm a few years older than you..
Let us just say that as a consequence of being in Kentucky for much of the week, the following is true:
1. I am now sick, like with a head cold
2. I seem to have a knack for finding free booze
3. I am apparently a cougar
Let me back up. I'm not actually a cougar, the feeling isn't mutual. I hate to break it to the two young 24 year old Kentucky boys hitting on my (older) friend and I, but I'm no Demi (and hello, they definitely aren't my type). Here is a sample of the lines that were thrown our way and no I am not kidding:
"Girls our age aren't interesting to talk to, they're not deep like you probably are"
"I've always been a feminist, objectifying women simply perpetuates gender stereotypes about men and women"
"I'm more interested in getting to know you as a person, but if you offered, I'd go back to your hotel room"
Needless to say, we did not offer. But I do have to give them props for trying. My friend was like "I am old enough to be your mother, are you crazy?" And granted, if I had pulled a Juno, I probably could have been their mom too which is really starting to freak me out about now. Age ain't nothing but a number = what I am trying to tell myself.
And with that, I am off to watch that way old guy debate the young guy. Good times!
ps. And a special happy bday shout-out to my favorite cougar and fellow Libran, Miss Vivian Darkbloom without whom I am nothing. Darling, I'll always bust you out of Betty Ford with a bottle of Stoli and a blunt from your homies. Did you receive the pair of thong panties I had LiLo sign for you?? What I had to go through to get them, you will not want to know. May they keep you warm at night, sweetie! Hope your bday was grand!
1. I am now sick, like with a head cold
2. I seem to have a knack for finding free booze
3. I am apparently a cougar
Let me back up. I'm not actually a cougar, the feeling isn't mutual. I hate to break it to the two young 24 year old Kentucky boys hitting on my (older) friend and I, but I'm no Demi (and hello, they definitely aren't my type). Here is a sample of the lines that were thrown our way and no I am not kidding:
"Girls our age aren't interesting to talk to, they're not deep like you probably are"
"I've always been a feminist, objectifying women simply perpetuates gender stereotypes about men and women"
"I'm more interested in getting to know you as a person, but if you offered, I'd go back to your hotel room"
Needless to say, we did not offer. But I do have to give them props for trying. My friend was like "I am old enough to be your mother, are you crazy?" And granted, if I had pulled a Juno, I probably could have been their mom too which is really starting to freak me out about now. Age ain't nothing but a number = what I am trying to tell myself.
And with that, I am off to watch that way old guy debate the young guy. Good times!
ps. And a special happy bday shout-out to my favorite cougar and fellow Libran, Miss Vivian Darkbloom without whom I am nothing. Darling, I'll always bust you out of Betty Ford with a bottle of Stoli and a blunt from your homies. Did you receive the pair of thong panties I had LiLo sign for you?? What I had to go through to get them, you will not want to know. May they keep you warm at night, sweetie! Hope your bday was grand!
9/20/2008
I'm the pretender
Well, so another week down. It's kind of funny, but sometimes I feel like I'm scratching another mark on the wall and looking at all the lines and being secretly glad it feels like time is going fast. Like eventually I will get this over with and can move on. What I don't like, though, is that one of these days (maybe even now), I'll wish, in general, time had not gone so quickly. O, the human condition! Time, the revelator!
I had a dream last night with my people in it; we were having a party with a bunch of folks there and apparently it was a breakfast party because we were preparing things like fruit and waffles and there was beer. Like I always say, ain't no party like a pancake party cuz a pancake party don't stop. Then the dream veered off into bizarro land and I somehow was going to have sex with Michael Phelps so I could sell the pics to the paps. Yeah, I don't know. Let's not speak of it again.
So tonight I am going into the city to meet some people I don't know except for two of them and not even that well. I feel like I need to get out a bit even though I'm not particularly interested in dealing with strangers and/or people and/or both, but I am also feeling a bit restless. Restlessness always gets me in trouble and frankly, all work/no play is starting to get to me and I need something to fill the void. I miss my people and my state and space enough to be happy.
So another week down. According to special relativity, time moves more slowly if you stand still in space so the way to make it happen faster is to increase your velocity through spacetime.
It's time to increase my velocity just a bit.
I had a dream last night with my people in it; we were having a party with a bunch of folks there and apparently it was a breakfast party because we were preparing things like fruit and waffles and there was beer. Like I always say, ain't no party like a pancake party cuz a pancake party don't stop. Then the dream veered off into bizarro land and I somehow was going to have sex with Michael Phelps so I could sell the pics to the paps. Yeah, I don't know. Let's not speak of it again.
So tonight I am going into the city to meet some people I don't know except for two of them and not even that well. I feel like I need to get out a bit even though I'm not particularly interested in dealing with strangers and/or people and/or both, but I am also feeling a bit restless. Restlessness always gets me in trouble and frankly, all work/no play is starting to get to me and I need something to fill the void. I miss my people and my state and space enough to be happy.
So another week down. According to special relativity, time moves more slowly if you stand still in space so the way to make it happen faster is to increase your velocity through spacetime.
It's time to increase my velocity just a bit.
9/12/2008
Throw me a rope
Bob said you'd like these:
Fleet Foxes - Mykonos
Dar Williams - If I Wrote You
Gillian Welch - The Way It Would Be
Fleet Foxes - Mykonos
Dar Williams - If I Wrote You
Gillian Welch - The Way It Would Be
9/09/2008
9/03/2008
I see myself in you
So quick note: I can't even tell you how tired I am from all my gallivanting here/there etc and the fact that I am headed back to my favorite state/home for a weekend wedding is even better though honestly I am exhausted thinking about staying up late and having beverages with my people. One does what one must do = what I say. So no more bawlbabying. I will however attempt to take salacious photographias and post them here during my visit/when I return. If nothing else, you'll at least get a picture of a big open field of green grass which in my book is better than.
Ok, I am off to bed to please sleep hard sans dreams of work and/or tornadoes. Catch you on the flip side = not what the kids are saying these days btw. I took a poll at the show tonight, not really, but I'm quite confident.
ps. My Morning Jacket was great, very loud, very good. Here is a very poor quality/really shitty sounding video taken with my Blurberry for your lack of musical enjoyment:
pps. Calling Canada: you still feel me?
Ok, I am off to bed to please sleep hard sans dreams of work and/or tornadoes. Catch you on the flip side = not what the kids are saying these days btw. I took a poll at the show tonight, not really, but I'm quite confident.
ps. My Morning Jacket was great, very loud, very good. Here is a very poor quality/really shitty sounding video taken with my Blurberry for your lack of musical enjoyment:
pps. Calling Canada: you still feel me?
8/28/2008
bob's your uncle
8/25/2008
let them eat cake
I'm totally going to be late for Good Time Island if I don't find this. Won't you please think of the children and search your couch and/or bed for the below item?
8/23/2008
sorry mate
When Aussie's get mad:
Unfortunately, they came up short this year again, but worse news for my Storm is LJ having surgery after the Olys and will miss the rest of the season. Dang. I thought this might have been their year again. Oh well. And now gotta wait four more years before the Down Under unitards are worn again.
Unfortunately, they came up short this year again, but worse news for my Storm is LJ having surgery after the Olys and will miss the rest of the season. Dang. I thought this might have been their year again. Oh well. And now gotta wait four more years before the Down Under unitards are worn again.
8/21/2008
Next stop: hell
My commute home tonight:
Because really, can you ever get enough of the Metro? I think not. It's like a rollercoaster. Without the fun.
Because really, can you ever get enough of the Metro? I think not. It's like a rollercoaster. Without the fun.
8/19/2008
I got your cotton crown
Hello to you too. First, I can't believe it's only Tues. I feel like it's been two weeks crammed into 48 hours. Long long days and the pleasing balm of the Midwest is starting to wear off. Remember when I was all like, "Oh people are ok, the city is liveable I guess, it ain't no big thang" when I got back from my vacation? Yeah, that was nice. Apparently, a dose of the MW only lasts me 31 days. It's kinda like forgetting you're a gal until that fateful day in 7th grade when you are wearing white pants and whoops, your 31 day cycle is up, hello real world - time for the menstrual hut! Which, honestly, does not sound so bad, at least I'd be left alone.
Yeah I went there, but trust me, I have been reduced to being brutally honest and frank. This means that I am going to have to play the bad guy this week and call out someone who's ego is larger than his skillset. There is a 3 year bubble after someone receives a PhD that makes them truly insufferable. The sense of entitlement and know-it-allness without any real experience is irksome. I was that way myself when I was a wee young thing, but now I will not tolerate that kind of bullshit. So yeah, if I question whether you know your shit, it's probably because you haven't shown me anything to prove otherwise and those letters after your name aren't going to make it so. Yeah. You know, I don't have a problem being direct, but man. It just takes energy that I could spend on other things. Like reading a book. Or learning French. Or buying strippers and cocaine.
Don't mind me, I'm about to be reminded that I'm a woman! Goodnight to you!
ps. Vivvy, I say to you: I share your appreciation for the semicolon; however, I am more enamored of the ellipsis...
Yeah I went there, but trust me, I have been reduced to being brutally honest and frank. This means that I am going to have to play the bad guy this week and call out someone who's ego is larger than his skillset. There is a 3 year bubble after someone receives a PhD that makes them truly insufferable. The sense of entitlement and know-it-allness without any real experience is irksome. I was that way myself when I was a wee young thing, but now I will not tolerate that kind of bullshit. So yeah, if I question whether you know your shit, it's probably because you haven't shown me anything to prove otherwise and those letters after your name aren't going to make it so. Yeah. You know, I don't have a problem being direct, but man. It just takes energy that I could spend on other things. Like reading a book. Or learning French. Or buying strippers and cocaine.
Don't mind me, I'm about to be reminded that I'm a woman! Goodnight to you!
ps. Vivvy, I say to you: I share your appreciation for the semicolon; however, I am more enamored of the ellipsis...
8/16/2008
Through a window pane darkly
Darling, how did our home movies make it on to youtube? I had totally forgotten about how fetching you looked in those pink capris and that green and brown blouse. Remember how we named him Raoul? They eventually turned our screenplay about him into a movie in 1982.
Good times, good times..
Good times, good times..
8/15/2008
Like I need some new direction
Quick post, but file this under Oh yeah, I live here now, don't I?:
This morning I had a dream that I was in downtown DC and there was a terrorist attack and bombs all over the city. People were going nuts and running around, chaos, buildings collapsing etc, and I was trying to figure out what to do/where to go. At some point, we heard that NYC was under attack too. Sometime during this, I called my mom and she said "You need to get out of there" and the end of the dream, I was left to figure out if I was going to walk to Virginia and beyond. I was ready to make that walk.
So yeah, a nice anxiety dream to ring in the weekend. After that and a day of potentially dealing with another huge proposal, I shall be going out to drink now. Goodnight!
This morning I had a dream that I was in downtown DC and there was a terrorist attack and bombs all over the city. People were going nuts and running around, chaos, buildings collapsing etc, and I was trying to figure out what to do/where to go. At some point, we heard that NYC was under attack too. Sometime during this, I called my mom and she said "You need to get out of there" and the end of the dream, I was left to figure out if I was going to walk to Virginia and beyond. I was ready to make that walk.
So yeah, a nice anxiety dream to ring in the weekend. After that and a day of potentially dealing with another huge proposal, I shall be going out to drink now. Goodnight!
8/10/2008
Cruel Dictator or Sybil? You decide
Yeah, so I was bored tonight and did the face recognition thing with a picture of mine. I am not sure how I feel about this.
8/09/2008
I'm smiling too
ps. This song kills me. I plan to marry it.
MMJ is coming to town Sept 3 and I will be going by myself if necessary. That is all.
MMJ is coming to town Sept 3 and I will be going by myself if necessary. That is all.
answer remains yes
So I got a text from my strai friend A last night at 3am. It said:
We are listening to the indigo girls!
I don't even want to know how hung over she is going to feel this morning. She also sent me a picture mail thing at 4am. I haven't had a chance to go look at it, but I'll post it here later if it is mock-worthy. She really has no one to blame but herself.
ETA: Yeah, she's hating life. I hate to make fun of people who are feeling like shit, we've all been there, but I have to say that she would give me very little sympathy if the situation was reversed. Yeah, we love each other. Here is our text exchange all day today. I'm actually starting to feel bad for her now.
Me @ 853am: I bet you will be hanging when you wake up. Who were you with?
A @ 12:06pm: i sure don't feel good
A @ 12:12: Dang what was i doing texting you so late
Me @ 12:45: are you throwing up?
A @ 12:46: Yes
A @ 1:35: i think i may die
Me @ 1:47: you probably will
A @ 1:48: I know, vomiting sucks
Me @ 1:52: well you'll feel better eventually
A @ 1:53: i doubt it
Me @ 1:57: me too
A @ 1:58: Ha this really isn't fun
A @ 2:01: now i'm throwing up bile. does that make you happy
Me @ 2:02: that really sucks. heh
A @ 2:04: don't i know it
Me @ 2:07: try to hydrate
A @ 2:10: i keep throwing up water and i can't even sleep
Me @ 2:11: you'll just have to ride it out I'm afraid
A @ 2:14: you're right but that doesn't help a lot when i'm on my bathroom floor
Me @ 2:19: true. heh
A @ 3:32: still throwing up
A @ 4:34: still going
Me @ 4:59: maybe you are dying
A @ 5:01: it's a possibility
Me @ 5:39: still alive?
A @ 5:43: barely I'm still throwing up
Me @ 5:44: do you think you have alcohol poisoning? do you need to go to the er?
A @ 5:45: are you serious?
Me @ 5:45 well hello, you've been puking for almost 6 hours
I'll let you know how it turns out...
ETA2: She's fine and is finally able to eat. Here is our last exchange:
A @ 6:16: can't say it's my proudest moment
Me at 6:24: well at least I'm not there to make fun of you in person. so there's that
A @ 6:31: there is that...gotta be glad about something. ha
We are listening to the indigo girls!
I don't even want to know how hung over she is going to feel this morning. She also sent me a picture mail thing at 4am. I haven't had a chance to go look at it, but I'll post it here later if it is mock-worthy. She really has no one to blame but herself.
ETA: Yeah, she's hating life. I hate to make fun of people who are feeling like shit, we've all been there, but I have to say that she would give me very little sympathy if the situation was reversed. Yeah, we love each other. Here is our text exchange all day today. I'm actually starting to feel bad for her now.
Me @ 853am: I bet you will be hanging when you wake up. Who were you with?
A @ 12:06pm: i sure don't feel good
A @ 12:12: Dang what was i doing texting you so late
Me @ 12:45: are you throwing up?
A @ 12:46: Yes
A @ 1:35: i think i may die
Me @ 1:47: you probably will
A @ 1:48: I know, vomiting sucks
Me @ 1:52: well you'll feel better eventually
A @ 1:53: i doubt it
Me @ 1:57: me too
A @ 1:58: Ha this really isn't fun
A @ 2:01: now i'm throwing up bile. does that make you happy
Me @ 2:02: that really sucks. heh
A @ 2:04: don't i know it
Me @ 2:07: try to hydrate
A @ 2:10: i keep throwing up water and i can't even sleep
Me @ 2:11: you'll just have to ride it out I'm afraid
A @ 2:14: you're right but that doesn't help a lot when i'm on my bathroom floor
Me @ 2:19: true. heh
A @ 3:32: still throwing up
A @ 4:34: still going
Me @ 4:59: maybe you are dying
A @ 5:01: it's a possibility
Me @ 5:39: still alive?
A @ 5:43: barely I'm still throwing up
Me @ 5:44: do you think you have alcohol poisoning? do you need to go to the er?
A @ 5:45: are you serious?
Me @ 5:45 well hello, you've been puking for almost 6 hours
I'll let you know how it turns out...
ETA2: She's fine and is finally able to eat. Here is our last exchange:
A @ 6:16: can't say it's my proudest moment
Me at 6:24: well at least I'm not there to make fun of you in person. so there's that
A @ 6:31: there is that...gotta be glad about something. ha
8/04/2008
President of Dumb City
Hey, remember when I went to the White House for bunch and whatnot? Well the pictures finally arrived of me and your favorite cartoon character. Apparently it takes about 2 months of planning for the WH to devise an exit strategy for digital publicity glad-handing photos.
Unfortunately, I had to take a pix of a pix with my blurry blackberry camera b/c I lost the connector to my camera in the Great Cord Loss of 08. Anyway, you get the picture (get it?):
Oh, and here is a picture taken sometime on Saturday of this weekend when I pulled a marathon session at the B.Porter building. It's a blurry view of DC from downstairs right after a pretty awesome thunderstorm had moved through. I only happened to notice that there was actually weather that day because I took a minute to go buy caffeine to get me through something very tedious with someone very annoying.But enough bawlbabying, it ain't no big thang, I'm still slow-walking on the Metro and breathing deep. Yeah, that's how I roll.
Unfortunately, I had to take a pix of a pix with my blurry blackberry camera b/c I lost the connector to my camera in the Great Cord Loss of 08. Anyway, you get the picture (get it?):
Oh, and here is a picture taken sometime on Saturday of this weekend when I pulled a marathon session at the B.Porter building. It's a blurry view of DC from downstairs right after a pretty awesome thunderstorm had moved through. I only happened to notice that there was actually weather that day because I took a minute to go buy caffeine to get me through something very tedious with someone very annoying.But enough bawlbabying, it ain't no big thang, I'm still slow-walking on the Metro and breathing deep. Yeah, that's how I roll.
8/02/2008
7/31/2008
Down with OPP
As I was saying to V, O how I wish for the halcyon days of mimosas and the gays! It feels like a lifetime ago. Alas/alack, I have been spun into the whirlwind of accounting and contracting. Yes, a psychologist attempting to interpret budget dreams. Ironically, it really is all about whose is bigger. And to take this metaphor even further, a cigar would end up costing $7.4mil, fully loaded with fringe, G&A, and fee. That is a large cigar and frankly, as much as I like to smoke one now and then, I always regret it in the morning. I don't even know where I am going with this anymore, better just build in enough ODCs to make it work.
HELP!! I want to go back to my own life!
HELP!! I want to go back to my own life!
7/24/2008
Promises: The musical!
Well the inevitable has happened: My Promises bunkmate Viv has been kicked out of Yaddo (again) for trying to sneak a Skidmore co-ed into her room after curfew (again). Apparently Patty Highsmith's detailed instructions about such activities are no longer legible on the gin-soaked napkin my dear friend keeps tucked in her bosom. Pity.
But Yaddo's loss is our gain! Yes, your friend and mine has chosen to summer this weekend in the District. With Lilo and Sam in NYC this weekend, V felt it best to escape the media circus that would have ensued upon her return -- it is a little known fact that Linds' infamous cokepants were in fact a pair of Vivvy's capris she had indiscreetly left behind in Sam's dj booth last year. Quel le scandal!
Our tour schedules have been so hectic, it's been quite impossible to coordinate brunch and such. So this visit should finally allow us to finish our much delayed screenplay Hoboken or Bust for the annual Promises Reunion Talent Show. [FYI, we are currently casting and are seeking a Charo - must love coochie (coos). Interested parties please send headshot and guitar demo. Thanks.]
So yes, I have prepared my literary hero her own writing studio complete with a brand new bottle of Stoli, candy gauloises, and a framed photograph of Anais Nin's bare bottom. That should do the trick. Wish us luck!
ETA/FYI: This pretty much defined our weekend.
But Yaddo's loss is our gain! Yes, your friend and mine has chosen to summer this weekend in the District. With Lilo and Sam in NYC this weekend, V felt it best to escape the media circus that would have ensued upon her return -- it is a little known fact that Linds' infamous cokepants were in fact a pair of Vivvy's capris she had indiscreetly left behind in Sam's dj booth last year. Quel le scandal!
Our tour schedules have been so hectic, it's been quite impossible to coordinate brunch and such. So this visit should finally allow us to finish our much delayed screenplay Hoboken or Bust for the annual Promises Reunion Talent Show. [FYI, we are currently casting and are seeking a Charo - must love coochie (coos). Interested parties please send headshot and guitar demo. Thanks.]
So yes, I have prepared my literary hero her own writing studio complete with a brand new bottle of Stoli, candy gauloises, and a framed photograph of Anais Nin's bare bottom. That should do the trick. Wish us luck!
ETA/FYI: This pretty much defined our weekend.
7/20/2008
Attitude adjusted? Check.
Heya, how goes it?
So yes I am back and things are good. Sure it's hotter than hell here, but you know it's ok. I must say, my vacation was clearly much-needed and certainly has adjusted my attitude in the right direction. This is a good thing for me and you and everyone we know.
So I'm still operating on midwestern time, which is pretty much 3-4 X slower than here and I've decided to see if I can slow ride that for awhile/as long as I can. Which functionally means that if you are stuck behind me on the escalator for the Metro or walking down the street or driving behind me while I'm leisurely traversing the Beltway, you should pretty much expect that while I appreciate that you have places to go, as do I, I shall not be rushing/pushing/speeding or even showing so much as a hint of haste.
Yep, this is the good ol' "Ah well, I'll get there when I get there" attitude that I pretty much fell right back into easily. No rush. I'm also going to adopt a variation of this in the workplace, the handy "It'll get done when it gets done". I was reminded that while it's quite ok to work hard, it doesn't make much sense to kill oneself for a job. It is a job, not one's life.
And finally, with regard to that whole "people" issue (the not liking them as much), you know, I let that go out on a green green field. There is no point in holding on to the hate, this too shall pass. We all have our thing and you've got to find a way to adapt/get over it. So about my recent misanthropy: People are people (so why should it be etc). I'm officially Over It.
O Glorious Balance, How this Libra has missed Ye!
So yes I am back and things are good. Sure it's hotter than hell here, but you know it's ok. I must say, my vacation was clearly much-needed and certainly has adjusted my attitude in the right direction. This is a good thing for me and you and everyone we know.
So I'm still operating on midwestern time, which is pretty much 3-4 X slower than here and I've decided to see if I can slow ride that for awhile/as long as I can. Which functionally means that if you are stuck behind me on the escalator for the Metro or walking down the street or driving behind me while I'm leisurely traversing the Beltway, you should pretty much expect that while I appreciate that you have places to go, as do I, I shall not be rushing/pushing/speeding or even showing so much as a hint of haste.
Yep, this is the good ol' "Ah well, I'll get there when I get there" attitude that I pretty much fell right back into easily. No rush. I'm also going to adopt a variation of this in the workplace, the handy "It'll get done when it gets done". I was reminded that while it's quite ok to work hard, it doesn't make much sense to kill oneself for a job. It is a job, not one's life.
And finally, with regard to that whole "people" issue (the not liking them as much), you know, I let that go out on a green green field. There is no point in holding on to the hate, this too shall pass. We all have our thing and you've got to find a way to adapt/get over it. So about my recent misanthropy: People are people (so why should it be etc). I'm officially Over It.
O Glorious Balance, How this Libra has missed Ye!
7/13/2008
Knee-high by 4th of July
Yeah, so I couldn't just leave my computer home, but trust me, I am only using it for pleasure, not business. Off to KS tomorrow, but here's a big old Indiana field near my small town. See the blue skies and green stuff? Most importantly, there's not a person or traffic jam in sight. It's heaven.
7/08/2008
TFG
So quickly, I am leaving on Thurs for a much needed vacation. Dear reader, have you noticed that I am a bitter miserable people-hating person right now who is so very near a meltdown/breakdown/ho-down that it is possible that I may not actually even make it to Thurs? Have you noticed my poor attitude and the fact that I am no longer able to breathe?
It's ok if you haven't, I know you're busy. Worrying about my deteriorating mental state is not a part of your job description, it's cool. Let us all trust that 9 days away from Dumb City and my robotech job will partially cure what ails me. I am making myself inaccessible to anyone with a 703 or 202 area code. I will be on a pontoon on a lake in Northern Indiana, I will be in a field with my people in Kansas, I will not be here in this place.
I am also trusting that when(if?) I come back, I will be rested and renewed or at the very least, I will have a plan in place for achieving such a state. There are plans and potentials and possibilities. We shall see what develops. I am hoping this not only for myself, but for the safety of others.
I am contemplating not taking my computer but I promise to take pictures and have stories to tell of what I can only imagine will be exploitations/corruptions/disruptions and all around Midwestern shenanigans. I am going to leave you with a pretty picture taken by (correction) my Canadian tourist on the west coast. I bid you farewell!
It's ok if you haven't, I know you're busy. Worrying about my deteriorating mental state is not a part of your job description, it's cool. Let us all trust that 9 days away from Dumb City and my robotech job will partially cure what ails me. I am making myself inaccessible to anyone with a 703 or 202 area code. I will be on a pontoon on a lake in Northern Indiana, I will be in a field with my people in Kansas, I will not be here in this place.
I am also trusting that when(if?) I come back, I will be rested and renewed or at the very least, I will have a plan in place for achieving such a state. There are plans and potentials and possibilities. We shall see what develops. I am hoping this not only for myself, but for the safety of others.
I am contemplating not taking my computer but I promise to take pictures and have stories to tell of what I can only imagine will be exploitations/corruptions/disruptions and all around Midwestern shenanigans. I am going to leave you with a pretty picture taken by (correction) my Canadian tourist on the west coast. I bid you farewell!
7/05/2008
When did you get your first tooth?
A meme from Vivvy, to practice "honesty" and "openness" for our upcoming Promises reunion picnic.
01. If your lover betrayed you, what will your reaction be?
Major emotional betrayal, I'd probably walk away. Shut them out.
Minor emotional betrayal, I'd take time to process and then work through it with them to get to a point where we both accept where we're at and move on.
02. What's a weird habit you have?
Eating a slice of bread with mustard on it. Nothing else.
03. What's the craziest thing you've done?
Crazy good or crazy bad? I am rarely spontaneous, I like to plan so I can remove 'crazy' from the equation. When I'm spontaneous, it usually means I'm finding crazy bad trouble and embracing it. I'm a hedonist who plans. Which is an oxymoron I think. Welcome to my life!
04. Favorite food, meal or restaurant?
Good Italian - Tuscany restaurant in Chicago; Tex-mex; raspberries, strawberries; Mom's beef and noodles; any meal cooked with good friends/good wine/good times.
05. What is your biggest fear?
Giving in to self-destructive behaviors; not being able to say goodbye; parasites; witnessing abject cruelty and violence with no recourse available; developing a painful, incurable rare disease (and not being able to pull my own plug).
06. What is your favorite magazine?
The Atlantic Monthly, Harpers, National Geographic
07. Do you trust easily?
Friends yes, strangers no. "Trust but verify" = the only useful words that came out of Ronald Reagan's mouth.
08. If you could try any profession other than your own, what would it be?
Geologist, chemist, astronomer.
09. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
Where should I start? Traffic, DC, my current life. Overpopulation, environmental disasters as a result of humans, the geopolitical implications of rising costs and how natural resources are unfairly exploited, blatant corruption with no recourse, downplaying hypocrisy, the future looking more bleak than hopeful, people.
But I love puppies and kittens and walks on the beach!
10. What are you addicted to?
Diet Pepsi, things that feel good, things that are bad for you.
11. What country other than your own would you like to live in?
Australia, Ireland, the French countryside, anywhere with green grass and few people.
12. How old were you when you first got a cell phone?
31. This question is gay and adds nothing of value to this meme. I was 16 when I first lost my virginity. There, that's better. Seriously, this meme starts out with something major like betrayal by a lover and then includes a question about cell phones? As the kids say, wtf.
13. What is your favorite curse word?
Fuck, hands down. Every other curse word is for babies.
14. What is your favorite video game?
Have none, do not play. I like old skool pinball machines though.
15. Would you rather be single & rich or married but poor?
Duh, does anyone choose the latter?
16. How many children do you want to have, if any?
None now. Years ago the answer would have been different.
17. What do you think of tattoos?
Depending on placement and content, some can be sexy. But if we're talking about body mods, I'll take a subtle eyebrow piercing any day.
18. What's the last movie you saw in theaters?
19. What's your favorite movie ever?
Here is a secret: I kinda hate movies. I'm sorry, I know many ppl love them etc. Sure I've watched a bunch in my life, but really, I could give or take them. It's like ice cream in my world, I have to be in the right mood and mindframe to want or enjoy it. Problem is that I rarely am. I don't know the last one I saw in a theater and so few make an impact on me enough to favorite it. Yeah, I know. But I love puppies and kittens and walks on the beach!
20. What is your favorite scent?
Lilac, honeysuckle, bergamot
21. Give an answer to a question that has not been asked in this list but would tell the world 100X more about you than when you first got a cell phone. Do not provide the question itself.
Honestly? Yes. I would.
01. If your lover betrayed you, what will your reaction be?
Major emotional betrayal, I'd probably walk away. Shut them out.
Minor emotional betrayal, I'd take time to process and then work through it with them to get to a point where we both accept where we're at and move on.
02. What's a weird habit you have?
Eating a slice of bread with mustard on it. Nothing else.
03. What's the craziest thing you've done?
Crazy good or crazy bad? I am rarely spontaneous, I like to plan so I can remove 'crazy' from the equation. When I'm spontaneous, it usually means I'm finding crazy bad trouble and embracing it. I'm a hedonist who plans. Which is an oxymoron I think. Welcome to my life!
04. Favorite food, meal or restaurant?
Good Italian - Tuscany restaurant in Chicago; Tex-mex; raspberries, strawberries; Mom's beef and noodles; any meal cooked with good friends/good wine/good times.
05. What is your biggest fear?
Giving in to self-destructive behaviors; not being able to say goodbye; parasites; witnessing abject cruelty and violence with no recourse available; developing a painful, incurable rare disease (and not being able to pull my own plug).
06. What is your favorite magazine?
The Atlantic Monthly, Harpers, National Geographic
07. Do you trust easily?
Friends yes, strangers no. "Trust but verify" = the only useful words that came out of Ronald Reagan's mouth.
08. If you could try any profession other than your own, what would it be?
Geologist, chemist, astronomer.
09. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
Where should I start? Traffic, DC, my current life. Overpopulation, environmental disasters as a result of humans, the geopolitical implications of rising costs and how natural resources are unfairly exploited, blatant corruption with no recourse, downplaying hypocrisy, the future looking more bleak than hopeful, people.
But I love puppies and kittens and walks on the beach!
10. What are you addicted to?
Diet Pepsi, things that feel good, things that are bad for you.
11. What country other than your own would you like to live in?
Australia, Ireland, the French countryside, anywhere with green grass and few people.
12. How old were you when you first got a cell phone?
31. This question is gay and adds nothing of value to this meme. I was 16 when I first lost my virginity. There, that's better. Seriously, this meme starts out with something major like betrayal by a lover and then includes a question about cell phones? As the kids say, wtf.
13. What is your favorite curse word?
Fuck, hands down. Every other curse word is for babies.
14. What is your favorite video game?
Have none, do not play. I like old skool pinball machines though.
15. Would you rather be single & rich or married but poor?
Duh, does anyone choose the latter?
16. How many children do you want to have, if any?
None now. Years ago the answer would have been different.
17. What do you think of tattoos?
Depending on placement and content, some can be sexy. But if we're talking about body mods, I'll take a subtle eyebrow piercing any day.
18. What's the last movie you saw in theaters?
19. What's your favorite movie ever?
Here is a secret: I kinda hate movies. I'm sorry, I know many ppl love them etc. Sure I've watched a bunch in my life, but really, I could give or take them. It's like ice cream in my world, I have to be in the right mood and mindframe to want or enjoy it. Problem is that I rarely am. I don't know the last one I saw in a theater and so few make an impact on me enough to favorite it. Yeah, I know. But I love puppies and kittens and walks on the beach!
20. What is your favorite scent?
Lilac, honeysuckle, bergamot
21. Give an answer to a question that has not been asked in this list but would tell the world 100X more about you than when you first got a cell phone. Do not provide the question itself.
Honestly? Yes. I would.
7/02/2008
..if you don't
I'm on a My Morning Jacket kick right now while simultaneously attempting to find fresh air and negotiating the impossible once again. Three days of meetings and barely getting by, this is what's been saving me on the damn Metro.
Click below to download some bootleg MMJ from Bonnaroo and let it sink in, trust me, it will save you.
1. Now we are dealing with something else - Smokin from Shootin
2. What is it inside our heads that makes us do the opposite? Makes us do the opposite of what's right for us? - Librarian
3. I need a human right by my side, untied, untied - Touch Me I'm Going to Scream
8 More days until a vacation..lord help me.
Click below to download some bootleg MMJ from Bonnaroo and let it sink in, trust me, it will save you.
1. Now we are dealing with something else - Smokin from Shootin
2. What is it inside our heads that makes us do the opposite? Makes us do the opposite of what's right for us? - Librarian
3. I need a human right by my side, untied, untied - Touch Me I'm Going to Scream
8 More days until a vacation..lord help me.
6/28/2008
Hot tamales
So I made a batch of tamales today and thought I would share the recipe + px. It was nice to do some cooking, have a beer, some music. Plus hello I know of no one who does not like tamales and if you don't, do not tell me b/c we may have to step down our friendship. Serious.
The filling recipe will make enough for three dozen or so good-sized tamales. The masa recipe I'll give you here will make a dozen tamales. I decided to only make 12ish b/c I ran out of cheese (hello w/o cheese is there a point? answer = no) and the first batch of masa. I decided to not to make another batch of dough so I froze the leftover filling for another time. You can also freeze your tamales if you want to make a whole dang big batch, just undercook them a tad.
I went to the store to pick up the following ingredients:
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
2 jalopeno peppers
1 white onion
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 bag of Maseca (easy to make masa)
1 box of chicken stock
1 package of corn husks
1 six pack of Blue Moon Honeymoon summer ale
See below:
First thing I did was separate and soak the dried corn husks in warm water so they'd be all soft and pliable (like I like 'em) when I was ready. About 30 mins or so. I then diced up the peppers and onions and two cloves of garlic and sauted them in oil until it was all tender. It smelled like a carnival where the street venders cook up the peppers and onions for sandwiches or whatever. I did this all in my beloved cast iron skillet (which I will marry in California now that it is legal). See below:
Then I added the corn and black beans and tomatoes and spiced it with cumin and cayenne and chili powder and black pepper. I let that all simmer until everything was soft and gooey and good. In the meantime, I made up a batch of masa according to these directions:
4 cups of Maseca flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup oil (olive or veg)
2 1/2 cups of chicken stock
Put all the dry ingredients in a big bowl and mix it up a bit. Then add the oil and mix with your hands. It will be still a bit dry and crumbly. Then add 1/2 cup of chicken stock at a time, mixing with your hands all the way. In the end, it will all be a solid mass sorta like cookie dough.
Now you're ready to assemble. Take a corn husk and pull strips of it length-wise so you'll have ties, keep all the husks soaking or covered with a wet paper towel to keep them moist. Heh. Moist. 12 years old. Carry on. Take a corn husk and unfold it and grab a mid-sized handful of masa. You'll just have to experiment with quantity. I used a spatula to spread it out in the corn husk, leaving the pointed bottom half uncovered so I could fold it up. Put the filling in, I added some chicken I had already cooked up and said cheese. See below:
FYI: during this entire process, you should be consuming beer. Now what you'll want to do is fold the husk over so that the edges of the masa come together and the filling stays inside. Trial and error here, you'll get it. Then you'll have a sorta roll of corn husk. Take a strip of the corn husk you pulled apart and, after folding up the bottom pointed edge of the husk, tie it to the roll. I'll trust you generally know what a tamale is supposed to look like rather than trying to get any more descriptive. Rinse and repeat. Soon you'll have a bunch like this:
You'll have to rig a steaming device or use one you already have. I ended up putting them all in a metal strainer I had and putting that inside a large double broiler type thing with a small amt of water at the bottom and the strainer resting on the lip of the pan (not touching the water). I covered it and am letting it steam cook for about an hour or so. This is kinda the tricky part b/c I have read different times. My friend J said she does it by touch or 30-45mins, some recipes I've seen say 1.5 hours. So who knows. I'm going to do the trial and error method again and check on them and the water every 15 mins after the first 30 mins. Go crazy and live dangerously! Follow no man's limits! Cook your tamales by your own rules, I say.
(ETA: 1 hour and 15 minutes is the right amt of time)
They're cooking now and I'll probably post a pix of the final product, but you know, it will generally look like this pix I took in Houston. Actually, I'll just take a pix if it doesn't look like what a tamale is supposed to look like. That might be more fun.
ETA: Nah, had to take a picture of perfection so here it is, they are yummy:
Anyway, there you go, your own private tamale. Kinda like your own private Idaho. But not. At all, actually.
The filling recipe will make enough for three dozen or so good-sized tamales. The masa recipe I'll give you here will make a dozen tamales. I decided to only make 12ish b/c I ran out of cheese (hello w/o cheese is there a point? answer = no) and the first batch of masa. I decided to not to make another batch of dough so I froze the leftover filling for another time. You can also freeze your tamales if you want to make a whole dang big batch, just undercook them a tad.
I went to the store to pick up the following ingredients:
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
2 jalopeno peppers
1 white onion
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 bag of Maseca (easy to make masa)
1 box of chicken stock
1 package of corn husks
1 six pack of Blue Moon Honeymoon summer ale
See below:
First thing I did was separate and soak the dried corn husks in warm water so they'd be all soft and pliable (like I like 'em) when I was ready. About 30 mins or so. I then diced up the peppers and onions and two cloves of garlic and sauted them in oil until it was all tender. It smelled like a carnival where the street venders cook up the peppers and onions for sandwiches or whatever. I did this all in my beloved cast iron skillet (which I will marry in California now that it is legal). See below:
Then I added the corn and black beans and tomatoes and spiced it with cumin and cayenne and chili powder and black pepper. I let that all simmer until everything was soft and gooey and good. In the meantime, I made up a batch of masa according to these directions:
4 cups of Maseca flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup oil (olive or veg)
2 1/2 cups of chicken stock
Put all the dry ingredients in a big bowl and mix it up a bit. Then add the oil and mix with your hands. It will be still a bit dry and crumbly. Then add 1/2 cup of chicken stock at a time, mixing with your hands all the way. In the end, it will all be a solid mass sorta like cookie dough.
Now you're ready to assemble. Take a corn husk and pull strips of it length-wise so you'll have ties, keep all the husks soaking or covered with a wet paper towel to keep them moist. Heh. Moist. 12 years old. Carry on. Take a corn husk and unfold it and grab a mid-sized handful of masa. You'll just have to experiment with quantity. I used a spatula to spread it out in the corn husk, leaving the pointed bottom half uncovered so I could fold it up. Put the filling in, I added some chicken I had already cooked up and said cheese. See below:
FYI: during this entire process, you should be consuming beer. Now what you'll want to do is fold the husk over so that the edges of the masa come together and the filling stays inside. Trial and error here, you'll get it. Then you'll have a sorta roll of corn husk. Take a strip of the corn husk you pulled apart and, after folding up the bottom pointed edge of the husk, tie it to the roll. I'll trust you generally know what a tamale is supposed to look like rather than trying to get any more descriptive. Rinse and repeat. Soon you'll have a bunch like this:
You'll have to rig a steaming device or use one you already have. I ended up putting them all in a metal strainer I had and putting that inside a large double broiler type thing with a small amt of water at the bottom and the strainer resting on the lip of the pan (not touching the water). I covered it and am letting it steam cook for about an hour or so. This is kinda the tricky part b/c I have read different times. My friend J said she does it by touch or 30-45mins, some recipes I've seen say 1.5 hours. So who knows. I'm going to do the trial and error method again and check on them and the water every 15 mins after the first 30 mins. Go crazy and live dangerously! Follow no man's limits! Cook your tamales by your own rules, I say.
(ETA: 1 hour and 15 minutes is the right amt of time)
They're cooking now and I'll probably post a pix of the final product, but you know, it will generally look like this pix I took in Houston. Actually, I'll just take a pix if it doesn't look like what a tamale is supposed to look like. That might be more fun.
ETA: Nah, had to take a picture of perfection so here it is, they are yummy:
Anyway, there you go, your own private tamale. Kinda like your own private Idaho. But not. At all, actually.
6/26/2008
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