Foiled again

The Weather Channel is personally mocking me on their weather blog today:


2:52 pm ET
Pretty weak in terms of snowfall: If you like snow and you live in New York City, Philly, Baltimore, or D.C., then you are not a very happy person. Check out the graphic below and you'll see what we mean:



If you talk to person from Syracuse they would probably point and laugh at the lousy snowfall numbers above. Syracuse has had 93.2 inches of snow since December 1 and already nearly 3 feet of snow in January alone.

So if there is a lot of local media hype in Philly and New York, you know the reason why. You folks can handle the forecast snow amounts that we're predicting but it's infrequency of the snowfall that is making this winter storm newsworthy in the Northeast.

By the way D.C. and Baltimore, looks like there'll be little snow or sleet for you guys from this storm.

Yeah, I'm living on good time island here - not enough weather change for me!

ETA: Breaking! We are actually receiving white precipitation in quantities substantial enough to cover the ground. City grinds to a halt! Snow dogs rejoice! Miracles do happen, Timmy!

Yes I can!

Well, two posts in two days = new record for me in 2009, which isn't say much. I happened to notice that in the 4 years that I've been blogging here, 2008 was my least prolific. No one cares of course, just a bit of self-observation.

Here is also something that I have noticed in the last year or so: I never answer my phone anymore. Like I actively do not answer, no matter who is calling. It's really weird for me and I am not quite sure what is up with that. I have to be in a very specific mood to answer the phone and apparently, I am rarely in said mood. I kind of want to change my voicemail message to suggest that if someone wants to tell me something, to email or text b/c I rarely listen to my voicemail too. No secret, but I am not the Great Communicator these days. Does not mean I love you less.

Which is all to say that because I am not blogging or yakking on the phone today, I will be doing something I have been avoiding since I moved to this area almost 2 years ago. 2 years of not unpacking a bunch of boxes or hanging pictures or attempting to make this place feel like more than a storage unit.

So today I am going to reclaim my living room and attempt to figure out what I have in those boxes, sort, and find a relatively unobtrusive place to store stuff. Granted, I do not have the room to put all this stuff away, but I can at least consolidate and move to my office or closets. I am also going to hang some pictures/art on the walls. This is my goal and activity for today. It is all a part of my attempt to reframe my life on the positive side while I'm here.

Operation Resolution Fulfillment: Bitch less, do more.

ETA: Well, after ~17 hours and a new president later, I have finally achieved my goal of reclaiming my living room/life. Literally, I have been living among boxes for far too long and inspired by Obama's call, I have taken responsibility. Everything has a place and if it didn't work, much like many obsolete bullshit Bush programs, it was cut. Unfortunately, I didn't have my stud finder here (and since Viv was not available as its replacement given her skill at finding studs), I was unable to hang pictures on the wall. They are ready to go however. All in all, a great 4 days off. Extra bonus points: Obama!

Before:



After:

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..

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!

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

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.

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!

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!

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:

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

code breakers

For your aural/visual pleasure on this Saturday night:

Calexico - Two Silver Trees



Calexico - Man Made Lake



Jenny Lewis - Pretty Bird

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.

creep

Hi, Bandwagon? I'm jumping on.

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

the novelty has worn off

Living in Ghost World

This is what it feels like.


DC Blogs

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.