Molly Blogs Baltimore

Thank you, Eco Experts!

2011-12-28T08:38:00.003-05:00

Nerdiest spam subject ever: "Receive a government backed RPI linked 25 year incentive!"

What? No v1agra? No ci4li$? I AM INSULTED. I DEMAND PENIS MEDICATION OFFERS IMMEDIATELY.

FYI - they were trying to sell me solar panels. In England.

Wut.

Borrowed time runs out.

2011-11-17T09:02:00.000-05:00

When you adopt an adult pet, the moment they're yours, you're immediately buying time. An eleven year old Maltese might have another 5 years in him. Six, if you're lucky and can afford trips to the Pet ER.

This is the table you're invited to sit down at when you adopt any animal. Your new host will let other guests come and take a little bit with them if they leave. Such is the greed of Illness and Accidents. Sometimes Lost comes to take your host from the table for a while, but hopefully not for long and not meeting with Accidents on the way home.

Yet, at some point you will have to leave the table yourself, and it's a hard, sad goodbye.

Yesterday I said my goodbyes to Lester. He was my sweet, sweet boy, and I won't ever forget him as long as I live.

Recipe: Chicken and Onion Pie

2011-11-02T13:30:00.000-04:00

This is another recipe in the vein of "what do I have sitting around the house and what can I make out of it?" Last night's dinner was conceived during my drive home from work keeping a few things in mind. It is getting colder, so I wanted to cook something warming. We haven't gone grocery shopping in a while and I was feeling lazy so it needed to be stuff we had in the house. I did a mental inventory: I roasted a chicken a few days ago that needed to either become soup or be frozen in the next few days. We had a sack of onions that was starting to look a little peaky when I roasted the chicken. We had flour, and butter, and some milk and eggs.

SAVORY PIE. I noodled around on the internet and got the basic idea from a few different websites. Decided to do an entirely different crust and voila! Chicken and Onion Pie.

And here you have it, Chicken and Onion Pie. This is pretty easy, and the most time intensive part is making the pie crust. Don't mind the horrible quality of the photos. The lighting in the kitchen is really bad, and I'd much rather just get on with cooking than take pictures anyway. Maybe in the new place I'll bother to break out the digicam for these.

Two Crust Pie Crust [adapted from the traditional Betty Crocker recipe]
2 C flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp butter
4 to 6 Tbsp ice-cold water
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and butter and start mixing with a pastry cutter or two knives. Do this until the pieces are about the size of small peas. If I can't find my pastry cutter and I get sick of the knives [it's hard work!], I often times get in there with my hands and break up the larger chunks. Try not to work it around too much, or else the gluten in the flour will make the crust less flaky and delicious. Start adding the cold water a table spoon at a time and mix in with a fork. Once the dough is starting to get wet and coming away from the sides of the bowl, gather it into a ball and divide in half. Wrap the halves in cling film and refrigerate for at least half an hour. This will keep for a few days in the fridge, and also freezes really well if you want to make ahead. Move on to the filling.

Chicken and Onion Pie Filling
4 medium onions, sliced into thin rounds.
3ish C cooked chicken diced.
whatever butter is left over from making the pie crust [like a 3rd of a stick, or 3 Tbsp], plus a tablespoon of olive oil.
1/2 C flour
1 C milk
1 large egg yolk
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp curry powder.

Preheat the oven to 360 degrees Fahrenheit. [around 180 degrees Celsius.]
Saute the onions in a medium pot on medium heat with the butter and olive oil. Throw in a dash of salt and pepper, and the curry powder. When they onions have gotten translucent and a little golden, add in the flour to coat the onions and then the milk slowly to make a thick [delicious] goo. Add in the egg yolk [save the whites for an optional eggwash for the pie top] and mix it up.

When the filling is ready, roll out the pie crusts one at a time to a little less than a quarter of an inch, or until it's wide enough to fit over the pie plate.

Don't trim the sides yet [do as I say, not as I do], but make sure they definitely hang over the pie dish all the way around. Add the filling and set the whole thing aside while you roll out the second crust.

Wet the edges of the first crust and set the second on top, pressing down gently to make sure there's contact all the way around. Now you can trim the edges with a sharp knife [just use the pie plate as a guide] and seal as you wish. I prefer the three-knuckle technique, but there's no reason you can't press with a fork all the way round, or use one of those fancy contraptions. Cut a few steam vents in the top. An optional step would be to do a quick eggwash, which is a fancy way of making the top glossy. Do this if you know how, but otherwise, don't bother, and just check it to make sure it's not burning on top and cover with foil if it gets too dark. It'll be delicious no matter what

Bake for 30 minutes in the previously heated 360F oven. Remove and let sit for a few minutes [if you can stand it]. EAT.

Oh, hello there.

2011-11-01T10:56:00.001-04:00

What I have been up to in the last little while:

- SPX was AWESOME. I got busy shortly after and never got a chance to post about it, but I managed to wrangle hand-shakes out of several of my favorite internet celebrities. I still haven't washed my hands. [this is possibly a lie.]
- Readying our house for a swinging Halloween party. Happy Hallo-Whedon, everyone! I'm dressing up as Saffron. [wiki]
- Readying our stuff to move into a new house. [Coming in December! WE ARE SUPER EXCITED. Same neighborhood-ish - on the other side of JHU.]
- Devoting all the squees over my niece Eleanor. SHE IS SO GREAT. I went out there in early August and got to snorfle her for DAYS.
- Resisting the nigh-irresistible urge to both gnaw my hands off and claw my eyes out whilst waiting for the Machine of Death Vol. 2 stories to be announced. I submitted mine back in July and I have been on tenterhooks ever since.
- Private personal health issues [Sorry, curious kitties, the only health stuff I'll ever blog about is colds and if I ever get pregnant.] [I'm totes not pregnant.].
- Other personal stuff.

Various and sundry media and literary news:

- Got my roommate hooked on The Guild.
- We love Once Upon a Time so far. We're going to start watching Grimm this week.
- I am deeply in love with the new seasons of Leverage, Castle, Psych, and Community. I am going to have all of their television babies.
- I quite liked Game of Thrones. I cannot wait until season 2 arrives. Then I'll have to actually finish book 3 and start 4. Maybe I should do that anyway. THEY'RE SO LONG.
- I've just re-read the Abhorsen series by Garth Nix. Y'all, read these books. They're available on all e-readers, and they are the very best kind of fantasy. Strong, autonomous female characters, an interesting and new magical premise, mystery, love, sadness, sacrifice, friendship. THEY'RE REALLY GOOD.

So there you have it. And by "it" I mean random factoids about three months of my life. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW.

I am.

<3

2011-09-26T15:55:00.001-04:00

I am testing jumps.

if you can read this, it worked!

Things My Momma Taught Me

2011-09-14T08:17:00.002-04:00

Today is my Momma's birthday, so I decided to share a poem that I wrote for her on Mother's Day this year. Here's hoping she lives forever!

Things My Momma Taught Me:

How to read.
How to say “please.”
How to poop in a toilet.

How to knit.
How to make a pie.
How to drive a stick shift [Dad helped].

To enjoy strong tea.
To enjoy music.
To enjoy naps.

To think before I speak [an ongoing lesson].
To consider others before myself.
To smile before frowning.

To love words.
To love people.
To love myself.

Happy ~~Mother's Day~~ Birthday, Momma. I love you.

Heart Walk!

2011-09-08T09:32:00.001-04:00

I am so close to my goal [which was v. modest, because I am reasonable] and I could sure use your help! I've had wonderful support by my friends and family, and I am so grateful. A little push is all I need to make the goal [and blow it away, if possible!].

All donations will be rewarded with a big floppy hug and a few excited squees. <3

related posts: Heart Health Walk!

SPX is here again!

2011-09-07T11:29:00.000-04:00

SPX is finally upon us again! I don't know about y'all, but I will be at that hotel in Bethesda on Saturday morning, helping out. AND I AM REALLY EXCITED.

Pls see last years post about it, and then add on a few more exclamation points of excited.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Compost, naturally.

2011-08-18T09:48:00.000-04:00

So, I don't garden. I've got a black thumb and a bad track record with anything alive that can't tell me when it's hungry. [At least fish move and catch my attention...]

But my roommates and I eat a lot of fresh produce [woooo co-op!], and I feel terrible just... throwing those scraps away.

So I have a proposition. We have a large, shaded yard, and plenty of space to keep a compost bin. Would anyone out there who uses a community garden, [or container pots, or something else along those lines] like to get in on some sweet sweet composting action?

I'd like to vermicompost, with some red wrigglers, so if that interests any of y'all, drop me a line! molly [at] mollyprice [dot] net.

As much as I'm sure people would like it to be straight-up organic, it won't be. I'm more concerned with supporting local farms, whether they're organic or not. Luckily, many of them are IPM at least, so there's that.

So, whaddaya say? Want my worm poop?

Heart Health Walk!

2011-07-29T15:27:00.002-04:00

This October, I'll be participating in the American Heart Association's Baltimore Heart Walk with my office.

My grandmother died of heart disease, and I know countless others who are affected by heart disease daily. The American Heart Association works constantly to perform research and promote heart healthy activities, and offers CPR programs at all levels. It is one of my favorite organizations.

If you'd like to support me, and in turn, promote heart health, then please donate some money to me and my team here! I will be eternally grateful, and if I ever see you in person, I'll give you a HUGE HUG.

Or a medium-sized one. Depending on my mood. ~~And how big your donation is.~~

Wondermark caption contest!

2011-07-20T09:07:00.001-04:00

So, y'all may or may not know that I am a web comics nerd. I attend SPX and volunteer every year [*ahem* take a look at the author of this little announcement...], and my google reader feed for comics alone numbers in the hundreds.

I love web comics.

So, you can imagine my delight when I saw that David Malki ! was hosting his third caption contest!

I went and entered at least a hundred times. Okay, so it was probably closer to twelve [ETA: I went back and counted, and it was thirty-three. Um. haaaaah...], but that's beside the point.

The point is: I almost won! I don't even mind that I didn't actually win, because, guys, I. ALMOST. WON.

Today is a fantastic day! Now, all I need to do is get accepted for the Machine of Death Volume 2, and my life's work will be complete. WHERE COULD I POSSIBLY GO FROM THERE.

Google+, and various other links.

2011-07-18T09:05:00.000-04:00

I'm on it! If you'd like to add me, I can be found here.

And as always, the Mollexicon continues to be updated Wednesdays. Stop by and see the latest definition!

I said "other links" in the subject, but I guess I really only had the one. Here, have a Wikipedia article.

HAPPY MONDAY, Y'ALL. GO HUG SOMEONE YOU LOVE.

Recipe: Accidental Chicken Stew

2011-07-14T09:39:00.002-04:00

So, it all started on Monday evening. Lisa and I went to the grocery store after work and stocked up on a ton of fruits and veggies and some chicken, both a whole roaster and some boneless & skinless breasts [there was a buy one get one sale!].

We get home, put stuff away, and I turn on the oven in preparation to roast this bird. I am a pro at roasting chickens, y'all, and it's quite possibly the easiest and most rewarding recipe ever. Whole chicken, couple tablespoons of oil, salt, pepper, half an onion and lemon. You shove the lemon and onion bits up the chicken's... cavity, and then rub down with oil and salt and pepper. Then I put it in a pan breast-side down [that is important] and roast at 450 for about half an hour. Then I flip it over and roast at 400 until it's done and golden [165 degrees Fahrenheit].

This is a recipe that has NEVER FAILED ME. The chicken comes out golden and succulent, with crispy, salty skin, and everyone ends up fat and happy.

Well, on Monday night? The oven didn't heat up. At all. We turned it off, we turned it back on, we tried lighting it manually, nothing. Bupkiss. So, I wrapped the chicken up, called the landlord, and we ate sandwiches and fruit.

Tuesday came and the landlord hadn't come by, so there was no chicken again. My roommates were at work and class, so I ate another sandwich [ham, mustard, avocado = YUM.] and some ice cream [what, I am a grown-up, I can eat ice cream whenever I want.] and stared mournfully at the chicken while chewing.

Last night: still no landlord, and dammit, I wanted chicken. So I improvized, and oh sweet jesus am I glad I did.

Recipe after the jump!

Accidental Chicken Stew
serves 4-5

1 medium whole chicken [I can't remember how much it weighed!]
1/2 medium onion, chopped in half again
1/2 medium onion, sliced into 1/4 inch slivers.
1/2 lemon, also chopped in half
2-3 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

2 Cups chicken broth or stock.
1 tsp flour [Gluten-free flour would work great in this, for you wheat-free folks]
1/2 C milk
1/4 C white wine

Equipment needed: Heavy-bottomed pot with lid. I used my dutch oven, which is one of my most favorite kitchen items.

Remove neck and gizzards from chicken cavity, replace with onion and lemon. Drizzle with olive oil and rub in. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

Store in fridge for 2 days because your oven is broken. [this step may be omitted if desired...]

Heat up a drizzle of olive oil in a dutch oven on high heat. Place chicken in, breast-side down, and let sear for approximately 10 minutes. Flip chicken and add broth or stock and turn heat to medium. Cover with lid and let it do it's thing for another half an hour to an hour, until the meat is falling off the bones and it's reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove chicken and set aside. There will be some golden crusties stuck to the bottom of the pan, and you want these because they are the most delicious detritus ever. Slog in another tablespoon of olive oil and throw in the sliced onions. Let them brown.

Once they're brown and lovely, add in the flour and let it coat the onions. Then add the wine and de-glaze the pot, making sure to scrape off the sides, because that's a lot of flavor that you don't want to ignore. Add the milk a bit at a time until you have a nice thick gravy happening. Now's the time to taste it and see if you want some more pepper - but wait to salt until later.

Turn the heat down to low and let that hang out while you pick the chicken from the bones. Cut the breasts into pieces and make sure to get the dark meat from the legs. [You don't want the skin. It's great while cooking to keep in the moisture, but it will be sort of soggy and gross at this point.]

Add the chicken meat back into the gravy and stir it up. This is where you can add more salt, but chances are you won't need any. Let it all sit and get hot again together, and you're done!

Et voila! This would be AMAZING over rice, but we ate it with sauteed zucchini and peppers.

I really did just make this up as I went along. As usual, my recipe looks long and involved, but this is basically a one pot dish, and I just like to ramble.

I hope you enjoy it as much as my roommates and I did! <3

Change of plans!

2011-07-06T10:20:00.004-04:00

~~Does anyone want to buy MY ticket to the Senator? $10: I accept paypal, and can e-mail the ticket to you.~~

<3eta: Alright, I've had a taker. Hope everyone gets to see it where and with whom they want!

And now for something completely different...

2011-07-05T15:10:00.000-04:00

Do you guys have, or know of anyone who has, an extra ticket [preferably 2] for the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 at the Senator in Baltimore/Towson? I already have mine, but my roommate waited too long [part 1 totally threw us off, they didn't sell out] and now they're sold out. We'll pay the online convenience charge, too!

Please pass this along to anyone you can think of! You'll have my eternal gratitude, and if they're your tickets we buy, some money too!

<3333333333

Happy Things - June 2011 edition, y'all

2011-06-10T15:06:00.000-04:00

HAPPY STUFF, Y'ALL.
My new niece, Eleanor!

new bras [it's not TMI, it is a fact of LIFE, people.]
iced coffee beverages
pockets of wind on my walk to work.
pony tails
restaurants that give your dog a bowl of water when you're eating out side.
sweet tea
asparagus
love
bare feet
wall calendars
notes
secret codes
books
anti-heroes
alcohol swabs
sun spots
space [♥!]
Baltimore.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn

2011-06-06T08:46:00.002-04:00

So, you're probably aware that this is going on.

Can we take a minute and talk about the bravery of the survivor? It takes tremendous guts to come forward and report a sexual assault in any situation, but this woman is now probably facing death threats, extreme invasion of her personal life and privacy, and now threats on her credibility.

I agree with prosecutor Illuzzi-Orbon. It is extremely troubling that the defense is making public remarks about her credibility as a witness and survivor. It is, in fact, appalling. I would even go so far as to say it is nothing less than victim intimidation. If this woman was simply a witness, they would be guilty of witness intimidation. The right to a fair trial goes both ways.

I call shenanigans, Dominique Strauss-Kahn. You and your defense ought to be ashamed of yourselves. If you're innocent, the evidence will prove it. If you're not, don't be a coward.

New Mollexicon Post!

2011-05-18T11:41:00.000-04:00

Shakings.

[I am in Portland right now, eagerly awaiting my sister and brother-in-law's first child. Tomorrow is my birthday, I hope I get a baby!]

Testing out flickr to twitter!

2011-05-13T14:18:00.001-04:00

Testing out flickr to twitter!, a photo by spillingvelvet on Flickr.

New Mollexicon Post: Yeab

2011-05-04T11:26:00.000-04:00

This week: Yeab.

Happy Things - On a Tumultuous Day...

2011-05-02T09:45:00.002-04:00

It's been an emotional day, and I think I've said all I want to say about it so far on my twitter. So let's jump in with some Happy Things.

love.
compassion.
peace.

What else do you need, in the end?

Recipe: Hobbit Risotto

2011-04-28T09:25:00.001-04:00

I've been making this for YEARS and it's consistently my favorite dish to make for company. I first learned how to make risotto in Bizzy and Nina's happy yellow kitchen, about five years ago, from a Best Recipe book. It was the perfect thing for me: kind of fiddly, easy to modify, really hard to screw up. I make it with sausage, I make it with bacon, I sometimes make it with chicken or maybe asparagus. Risotto is awesome, guys. As usual, my recipe style gets a little ramble-y - DON'T BE PUT OFF. I promise it's easy.

Hobbit Risotto
1/2 lb bacon, chopped into quarter-inch pieces. [don't get the lean stuff, y'all, it's the extra fat that melts off and gets absorbed by the rice that makes this AMAZING. this is not a low-calorie meal. If you want to use sausage, I generally go for the kind that comes in a tube.]
1 medium to large onion, diced small.
2 cups arborio rice.
8oz baby bella mushrooms, cut into small to medium pieces. [shitake and crimini work nicely, as well.]
up to 64 oz chicken stock. [what i mean here is, i like to purchase two 32oz boxes of stock and just use what i need. i almost always need more than one, and never need a full two. you could purchase ONLY one box, and use hot water to make up the difference, which works very well indeed, especially if you've got a bullion cube kicking around you could add. vegetable stock is, naturally, just as lovely.]
1/2 cup of golden sherry. [i'm actually guessing here, because i haven't measured how much i use. i also have used dry white dinner wines, but find that risotto with sherry is sweeter.]
2 to 3 handfuls of finely grated pecorino romano cheese. [this is my favorite hard, grating cheese. I almost always reach for it over parmesan.]

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER.

In a medium sauce-pan, put one box of stock on a low simmer. it's important the stock is hot when you add it, or the rice will take longer to absorb. when you get low on the first box, add more from the second a cup or so at a time to avoid wasting. [Confession: i often skip the pre-simmer part. I am impatient, and I don't like having to wash a lot of pots.]

In a stock pot [reasonably heavy and LARGE enough to stir this, three quarts is big enough and to spare because the risotto will get very thick and gooey] on medium heat, brown the bacon/sausage. If using sausage, once it's browned and delicious, go ahead and pull it out so it doesn't get in the way when you start adding the rice. Make sure to leave as much fat in the pot as possible.

IF USING VEGGIES [see notes at the end] - it's better to cook them at the beginning in the bacon fat before the onions. Once soft, and still a little crispy, pull them aside until later. Again, leave the fat in the pot.

Add the diced onion and saute until soft and translucent. I like my onions brown a bit, so I let this keep going.

Add mushrooms and saute until they give up some juiciness.

Add rice and stir well. let cook for a few minutes, stirring often, but do not let the rice burn or stick. You want to brown the grains gently because they'll absorb the stock better.

Start adding the chicken stock a cup or so at a time. My ladle happens to be very close to half a cup, so I try to add two at a time, or give it six or seven glugs from the box. This is precise business, folks.

Stir rice frequently. It's time to add more stock when you can drag your wooden spoon against the bottom, and the liquid doesn't rush right into the valley.

Once you have added the first box stock, but before the rice slows down it's absorbency, add the sherry or wine and keep stirring constantly. you can even forgo this step entirely, if so desired. here is a good place to add back the sausage/veggies that might have been removed.

I don't add much salt to this, as it will be v. salty from the bacon and cheese, and the stock if you're using the regular stuff. I do, however, add pepper. Freshly cracked, and as much as you can stand, right before adding the cheese.

When you've added a box and a half of the various liquids and the rice has become v. thick and sluggish, throw in the cheese a handful at a time and stir it all together. sometimes, when coming to this step, my rice is still a bit crunchy. Turn the heat down very very low, and cover tightly, letting the whole thing mellow around for a while and become very thick. Eat a spoonfull every once in a while to test it. When the rice is tender, you're done! YAYE!

Obviously, I encourage experimentation and have a very cavalier attitude toward the whole process. You may want to add shrimp! Or chicken! Or broccoli! Whatever strikes your fancy, I'm confident will turn out very well.

This goes very well as a side to chicken (try grilling chicken breasts and topping them with parmesan or pecorino while still in the pan) or beef (excellent with grilled steak, seasoned with just salt and pepper) - or indeed, all on its own.

Unbutton your waist coat, put your furry feet up, and enjoy this delicious treat. You'll be back for a second supper, to be sure.

New Mollexicon Post: Thent

2011-04-27T08:51:00.003-04:00

And we continue with the madness. This week: Thent!

A Vignette, by Molly Price.

2011-04-19T09:54:00.002-04:00

My writers group did a wee holiday exchange this year. We each picked names out of a hat, and wrote that person a secret story to be read aloud at our December meeting. My roommate and I picked each other, yet managed to keep it a secret, despite writing the stories side by side on the couch. This is for Lisa.

Georgia gets home from work at eight o'clock in the evening. She parks her car outside her apartment building and sits for a moment, listening to the radio. The street is quiet and the trees and pavements glitter from the constant rain of the past month.

She thinks about microwaving some leftover pasta for dinner and maybe watching a movie before bed. If she can stay awake.

With a tired sigh, she gets out of the car and slams the door. She feels her phone shift in her sweater pocket and it clatters to the ground before she can stop it.

"Crap," she mutters and bends over to pick it up.

There's a gust of cold wind that whips her skirt around her legs and when Georgia stands upright, snow is falling all around her. She stares up at the sky in disbelief, catching snowflakes in her eyelashes.

Behind her, the car rocks and groans, and she whirls around.

A boy dressed in deep red is crouching on the roof, staring at her with eyes so pale and vague it's like he's looking right through her.

"What are --" she starts, but can't seem to finish the sentence.

"Merry Christmas," the boy whispers, and wiggles his fingers in front of his face. The snow begins falling even harder, blanketing the street in white.

"Christmas is in December," Georgia tells him.

The boy stops wiggling his fingers and drops his hand.

"What month is this?" he asks.

"April," Georgia says patiently.

"Aw, man, I missed it again." The boy stands and digs a small book out of his pocket. He flips through a few pages and looks at his watch. "Shit."

Georgia stands mutely, watching him fiddle with his watch.

"Sorry!" he says and snaps his fingers, disappearing with a crack.

Georgia looks around at the snow.

Damn weather fairies.

New Mollexicon Post: LunchTim

2011-04-13T08:06:00.000-04:00

LunchTim.

NOW I REALLY WANT SOME EGG SALAD.

Please bear with me while I indulge myself with this insanity.

New Blog: Mollexicon

2011-04-06T16:16:00.001-04:00

A new blog where I amuse myself by making up words and definitions. WHY DON'T YOU COME BY AND SAY HELLO.

First definition: SUGARO - n, 2010. An amputee Mexican wrestler famous for his signature moves, the Hamhock, the Whirling Dervish, the Fiesta Buster, and the Giant Fly.

I don't really have an excuse for this. <3

Happy Things - Crap, I Skipped a Few Months.

2011-03-28T08:40:00.000-04:00

Oops! Let's just get right to it.

teeny binder clips.
alcohol swabs.
coffee coffee coffee.
Flying.
clementines.
homemade plum gin.
comics
flan in a cup.
ribbons.
sassy hair.
ribbons in sassy hair.
the color green.
my iPod.
Mythbusters.
my pink scarf.
oatmeal.
the TRON: Legacy soundtrack.
making up stuff.
canned air.
ears.
giant fluffy akitas.
cupcakes.
Community.
the letter "V" vivacious, voltage, various, vivid, vacant, vexing, verisimilitude, verdigris.
blue mugs.
the sky:

Internet Explorer? Really?

2011-03-24T09:48:00.000-04:00

Are people really still using IE? Like, for casual browsing? Really?

It boggles my mind.

Lent, y'all.

2011-03-09T14:12:00.000-05:00

I wrote this two years ago, and while I no longer even consider myself religious [sorry, Mom.], that's not the point of the essay. Happy Lent, y'all. Go learn something about yourselves.

The following text is taken from the February 2009 entry, "Not Your Typical Jesus Post."

I wished someone a "Happy Lent" the other day, and didn't stop to think until later that they may feel I was telling them to revel in deprivation.

But see, to me Lent isn't about doing without - it's about taking on an experiment that you normally wouldn't put much energy into. I am all about self-discovery. And my mother is always very adamant about the specifics. She is careful to call it her "Lenten Discipline", and never, "What she's giving up". The same way that how, in highschool, when a friend asked "Is Molly there?" when calling me, she would answer, "Yes," and then wait for them to ask to speak to me. Thanks, Mom.

Now, It's pretty obvious that I am not a traditional Christian. I'm not even a traditional Episcopalian, although they are the denomination with whom I identify best. Because I don't necessarily believe that Jesus was the son of whatever God is up there [Sorry, Mom, still mulling that one over...]. I do, however, think he was a pretty rad guy, who preached about love and acceptance and genuinely cared for the welfare of the people he touched. How can you argue with something like that?

But, regardless of what you believe, Lent is a good time to try taking on a task. When you think about it, it's more realistic than most New Years resolutions. You can see the end of it if you really can't stand what you've committed to. And then you learn about yourself. In fact, if you're successful with your Lenten Discipline, try commiting yourself to something new each month! Learn French. Master baking. Master French Baking. Take your dog [or hamster!] for obedience classes, and then enter them in an agility show. Your possibilities are endless, because it's not about doing without, it's about what you can do, and being grateful for the time that you are given.

So, this year, for my Lenten Discipline, I am resolving to be neater. Both in my appearance and apartment. I will do all of my dishes as they are dirtied. I will iron clothes that are wrinkled. I will think more carefully about the food I eat. I will sweep my kitchen floor before the popcorn that was dropped on it gets ground into a fine dust. I'll stick to Lent as best as I can, and I won't think too hard about the science of Easter apart from celebrating new life and enjoying my family.

I do like zombies, though.

Recipe: Lisa's Pasta

2011-02-15T10:25:00.002-05:00

Lisa's Pasta
[Gluten Free if you use rice pasta or similar, Vegetarian] serves 4-5 [or three roommates with a few lunch leftovers.]

2 TBSP olive oil
2-3 large onions [or like, 4 medium ones. Use as many as you want, they're delicious.] halved and then in thin strips
3 large bell peppers [4-5 smallish organic ones - I like the purple ones best] sliced into thin strips
3 large portabella caps, sliced into finger-size and then in thirds or quarters.
3 large zucchini [4-5 small ones - i like to mix and match yellow and green] sliced into thin half-moons if zucchini is large, or rounds if small.
1C balsamic vinegar. [this is an approximation - you may not need all of it, or you might want more. I basically pour until it's slightly saucier than I want, and then I let it reduce for a while.]
3 TBSP pesto. [this is what really makes this dish awesome - I have gone without pesto, and it's just not as good.]
1lb pasta [shapes work better than strands here, but knock yourself out. also, use rice pasta for gluten-freeness.]
parmesan cheese to sprinkle on.
salt and pepper to taste.

Start the water for pasta and before everything else. I like to add lots of salt and garlic powder to my pasta water before the pasta goes in.

In a large skillet, saute the onions in the olive oil until caramelized. Anyone in the house with you will wander into the kitchen and miraculously keep you company the rest of the time you're cooking. You're welcome.

Add in the bell peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini and let cook for a few minutes until things start to soften.

Add the vinegar until it's a tad saucier than you want. Let things mellow for a few minutes with a lid before adding the pesto. Add some cracked pepper and salt if you think it could use some more - just wait until after adding the pesto as it is sure to be salty.

Side note - I make a batch of pesto and then freeze it in ice-cube trays for individual servings. This recipe works best with 2 cubes, which I've calculated to be roughly 3 tablespoons. The more the merrier, though. This dish can only be improved by it, and I really believe you can't add too much.

Let everything hang out for 10 to 15 minutes on low heat with a lid, stirring occasionally.

Serve over pasta with copious amounts of Parmesan cheese.

I know the photo is terrible, but when I'm hungry I'd rather be cooking than taking arty food shots. *shrug*

It was time.

2011-02-08T09:20:00.002-05:00

Attired to please herself: no gems of any kind
She wore, nor aught of borrowed gloss in Nature's stead;
And, then her long, loose hair flung round her head
Fell carelessly behind.
~Publius Terentius Afer

I got my hair cut this weekend. All of them, actually. The story in photos:

An idea of the size of the pony tail I was lugging around. [This was taken by my mother whilst I was getting my most recent tattoo. That's right, my mom is That Cool.]

And that same pony tail in the hands of my hair stylist, Laura.

A bit of the Crazy Eyes going on here. I WAS REALLY EXCITED.

The Alien Invader portion of the day.

Laura is doing a final shoozsh of my hair. She was extra-happy to get to do some major chopping after so many small trims. She's always said I've got enough hair for three people, and she kept exclaiming at the diameter of the pony tail once it had been cut [which took 3 passes of the scissors to get all the way through].

I've been calling this my "Ramona Flowers" 'do. I wish I had a giant hammer to lug around! Photo credit: Tom Price, my pops.

All together, I donated 10+ inches to Locks of Love, which manufactures free hairpieces for children that are disadvantaged and suffering from medical conditions which cause them to lose their hair, such as alopecia areata and cancer treatments. I am extremely proud to have been able to help an organization whose sole purpose is lifting self esteem.

Happy Things - January times

2011-01-14T11:03:00.001-05:00

Alright, let's just dive right back in here with a Happy Things list!

new bed frames.
clean sheets.
smelly candles [but only cinnamon, vanilla, or eucalpytus spearmint.] [maybe sometimes gingerbread.] [chocolate is nice, too.]
Robots.
snowman pencils.
wild hair.
small children that shake hands when being introduced.
calvin and hobbes.
brand new journals. [I have a journal problem.]
my dog. [he's been huddling into a nest on my bed every morning when I leave for work.]
herd immunity. [whatever, you all knew I was a nerd.]
ramen noodles.
my kindle.
my family.
my friends.
cherry coke.
yoga.
sweet-tea flavored vodka.
new tattoos:

science.
you all. <3

It Gets Better - If We Make It Better.

2010-10-25T18:13:00.000-04:00

The news has been abuzz the last few weeks with the stories of bullied teens. A nationwide campaign was launched to tell kids everywhere that It Gets Better. And watching those videos makes me happy, and a little tearful, because it does. It does get better.

But what I can’t help thinking is that not enough is actually being done. All we’re really doing is telling kids, “Suck it up for a few years, then you’ll be free.”

But what if they can’t suck it up? What if every damn day they’re tortured by kids in the hallways and locker rooms and buses that teachers and parents turn a blind eye to because they’re different? Because they’re fat, or slow, or ugly, or gay. They’re too nice, too hairy, too smart.

We’re basically telling kids to endure this abuse because someday those kids won’t be doing it to their face any longer. But they’ll still be discriminated against by their own government. Possibly their own families. Sometimes their jobs or churches. We’re telling them to wait and hope that it will get better.

But in the mean time, they have to suffer, because no one is listening to the people trying to change things. Not enough parents are teaching their kids about tolerance and diversity. Not enough schools are enforcing anti-bullying policies. Not enough people are doing their part.

I know what it is to be bullied. Every day for three years I was trapped for 90 minutes on a bus with kids who made fun of me because I’m fat. Those years are when the Star Wars movies were re-released, and you can probably guess which nickname I got. Some mornings I would miss the bus on purpose and my mother would have to make the 45 minute drive, making herself late for work, to get me to school on time.

I grew up with these kids, I’m even friendly with them now. But I will always, always remember those days. Crying on the bus, being sick when I got to school. Not wearing certain clothes because they showed my pre-pubescent belly rolls.

Kids are cruel. We hear this all the time, but I don’t think we’re actually listening. Kids are cruel.

And that has to stop. Because those cruel kids don’t always grow up to be friendly with their victims. And their victims don't always get over it.

I am glad President Obama made a video, but it was the least he could do. Then again, it was the absolute least he could do.

I want more.

Jon Stewart, come to our party!

2010-10-13T15:58:00.000-04:00

So, Jon Stewart [you know, from The Daily Show?] is having a little shindig on the 30th. Perhaps you've heard of it?

Problem is, my roommates and I are trying to have our OWN little shindig that night, and many of our guests are bailing on us because they want to go to the rally and think they'll be tired or whatever later. Lame, right?

Well, I'm hoping to start an INTERNET MOVEMENT, y'all.

Go tell Jon Stewart to come to our party.

C'mon, you know you want to. This could be the kind of human interest story WORTH READING. Or watching. Whatever, you know it would be awesome.

TELL THE WORLD!

My Very Own Recipe: Butternut Squash and Mushroom Peanut Butter Soup

2010-10-09T16:19:00.003-04:00

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Peanut Butter Soup
Gluten-free, vegetarian, could be vegan [if you're into that sort of thing...] All measurements are fairly approximate. I was just throwing stuff together that sounded good.

Giant butternut squash, peeled and chopped into two-inchish chunks
3 small onions, sliced up nice and thin
3 portobella caps, sliced up pinky-sized and then in halfish.
1/2 C peanut butter
3/4 C apple or pear cider
1/4 C milk
palmful of curry powder
palmful kosher salt
palmful ground black pepper [white or pink would be lovely, too]

I mix the seasonings together and keep them in a bowl next to the stove. You'll probably end up using all of it by the end.

Whack the squash chunks on a baking sheet with a couple teaspoons of olive oil, a bunch of the spice mixture. Roast at 350 degrees, stirring a few times, until knife tender. Turn off oven and let it chill while you do other stuff.

The other stuff: in a heavy pot with a lid or dutch oven, caramelize the onions in 2ish teaspoons of olive oil. Season with more of the spice mixture. Once onions are nice and browned, add the 'shrooms, a bit of the cider, and the milk. Add the rest of the spices, and let the mushrooms get all soft and squishy while you are doing more Other Stuff.

The other other stuff: In a large food processor, puree half of the squash, drizzling in some of the cider as you go to help things smooth out. Dump into the pot with the mushrooms and onions. Puree the second half of the squash with the peanut butter, again adding the cider. Once that's all smooth and creamy, add it to the pot and stir in the rest of the cider.

Let things hang out for a bit on low heat. If making earlier in the day, just leave it on the stove until you're ready to serve or take it to your potluck.

Goes really well with bread, or a grilled cheese sandwich with apple and honey.

Happy Things - September Edition

2010-09-30T13:37:00.002-04:00

Alright, y'all, let's get ~~physical~~ positive!

Things for/about which I am Happy:
peanut M&Ms [I am chomping on some RIGHT THIS SECOND].
clean drinking water.
my cutest ever puppy.
Joni Mitchell [times A MILLION].
Gigantic coffee mugs.
my rain boots
my new suede knee-high boots [they are SO AWESOME, y'all, I can't even believe they're mine].
action-packed movies [GIMME THE SPLOSIONS!!].
quiet tea times.
people that hold the elevator for you when your hands are full of flu vaccine.
people that care about other people.
people.
lovely music.
pink post-its.
words.
the letter "L"; language, longitude, lull, lariat, lollipop, left, lucid, loquacious, love, love, love.
dirt.
ink.
windows.
soundtracks.
Matt Smith: [bow-ties are so cool.]

the internet.
friends.
family.
learning.

iSight is a hell of a drug.

2010-09-23T17:24:00.001-04:00

I made this, using iMovie. 338 stills, set to .1 second each.

It was a lot of fun! After an happy accident whilst opening a single one, every picture in my Photobooth album flashed across the screen. I thought they looked neat and decided to put them together into a collage.

Music is "People's Playground Version A" by Vampire's Sound Incorporation. If you can get your hands on their album "Vampyros Lesbos - Sexadelic Dance Party" I highly recommend it.

Poetry: Bit, Bag, and Game.

2010-09-23T14:05:00.002-04:00

Bit, Bag, and Game.

I want a job that I can move around
push and pull barrels
tear walls down or hang signs up

I want to fix wood planks to steel rails
flex my muscles a bit
wear jeans and get messy

I want sun and air
maybe concrete and metal
but definitely crouching down and dirt on the seat of my pants

I want to learn while I am doing.
Come home with mud on my neck and a dusty bandana.
Give me a hammer, tell me what to pound.

- Molly Price, 2010

10 Extremely Compelling Reasons for SPX Attendance

2010-09-08T10:34:00.002-04:00

10 Reasons you should attend the Small Press Expo on Saturday, September 11th and Sunday, September 12th.:

1: You will be supporting independent artists. [This is, I feel, the most important point, because art is extremely important to me.]

2: You will have a chance to buy neat swag that's not available elsewhere.

3: You will be able to meet COMPLETELY AWESOME PEOPLE who make amazing things for you to read and view.

4: I will be volunteering there on Saturday, from 1pm to 5pm. I don't know what I'll be doing yet, but you better believe I will be doing it ENTHUSIASTICALLY. Watch my twitter on Saturday for details, cos I am going to tweet my little heart out. Also keep an eye on #SPX2010, cos I have a feeling it will be jumping.

5: Bethesda is quite pretty, actually, and the hotel is GORGEOUS.

6: It’s only $10 for a single day pass, and only $15 for both. This is an Outrageous Deal, y’all.

7: It’s easy to get to, wot with a Metro stop across the street, not to mention tons of parking in several garages nearby.

8: There is a Chocolate Fountain, y’all. I am not even making this up.

9: ANIMATION SHOWCASE.

10: Proceeds benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

If all this doesn’t make you want to go SO BAD, then you might be a robot and incapable of persuasion. If this is the case, can we be BFF? I’ve always wanted a robot BFF.

Photos courtesy of Rachel, SPX2009

Melancholy Thursday.

2010-09-02T08:29:00.000-04:00

Do you ever have one of those days, when your hair is perfect and your dress is fierce and Gwen Stefani is playing on the soundtrack of your life? You float down hallways and people are just lucky to be looking at you?

Yeah, today is not one of those days.

I'm down. I'm angry about this priest. I am nervous about Earl.

I am sad , I am so so sad about James Lee.

I need something. A sabbatical. I want to get away from my life for a while, but I have to work every day.

It's not a Happy Things Thursday, and I'm sorry.

But, it could be Okay. I've got my iPod, and some oatmeal. I can make this work. I think it's time for a new tattoo.

Happy Things - August Edition

2010-08-24T09:44:00.000-04:00

After a very disturbing dream where I was performing unsuccessful spinal surgery, I decided to focus on the positive. And so:
peaches from the farmers market
poetry [i am not usually a big poetry reader, but Louise Erdrich has been making me happy.]
~~roommates~~ [I started this list before they went completely crazy and started obsessing over ghost hunting shows.]
thunderstorms
thorough dentistry
words
smiling
Scott Pilgrim
coffee
flowers
long walks
tattoos [I’m ready for my next one.]
wasabi
the letter G. gorgeous, gregarious, gamine, gainly, gallant, grey, great.
oranges
babies
tea
paper stars
Lester
friends
honey
My sister and brother-in-law:

What about y’all? I need some good happy things this morning. Load me up!

A Democrat Walks Into a Gun Range...

2010-08-19T23:26:00.005-04:00

I started writing this post a little differently than I’ve done in the past. I started by googling murder.

In the five years [and counting] that I have lived in Baltimore, 1058 people have been murdered. That number will climb, probably this week. Probably today.

Of these deaths, the overwhelming majority were gun related.

Knowing these facts, and having been raised in a liberal, democratic family who support gun control and abhor physical violence, I am naturally terrified of guns. Terrified. Until last Sunday, I had never seen a full gun in person beyond the handle of one poking out of police holsters.

I refuse to live my life in fear, though. There are things beyond my control - Guns exist. People use them, often for terrible, horrible things. I don’t have to be happy about either of those points, but I will never ever say I haven’t tried to walk in all peoples shoes.

And so, I wanted to know exactly what I can expect from a gun. The noise, the smell, the feeling of what the person holding it must have. And no self-respecting planner for the Zombie Apocalypse should ever pass up the opportunity for new skills.

So, I asked my friend, Matthew, an officer and a gentleman, to help me face my fear. He responded enthusiastically, and we set a date.

In the few days leading up to the Event, I was extremely nervous. I freaked out to everyone I could, including my dear friend, Rachel, who happens to be Matthew’s older sister.

me: what if i shoot your brother
will you ever forgive me?
Rachel: After I stop laughing
Yes
I will forgive you
only, please shoot him just a little if you can
or near
how about near?
me: i can do near

What? It’s perfectly valid terror, okay?

***

“Do you think they’ll know I’m a democrat?” I ask Matthew, half-joking. We’re pulling into the parking lot of the range.

“Aaand that’s why we took my car.” he says, all chipper and matter-of-fact. I think of the OBAMA 08 magnet on my perky, import sedan, with its fuel efficiency and general liberal projections. I’m pretty sure nothing would have happened to it, but I still think it’s a sweet gesture.

We can hear the gun shots from the parking lot; a rolling stream of pops coming from a completely unassuming building at the top of a hill.

There are picnic tables outside and Matthew sets his bag-o-guns down to fish out ear and eye protection.

“Wait here,” he says, jamming orange ear-plugs into his ears.

I stand there, making furtive glances at the duffel bag that I know contains three guns and a whole mess of bullets. How can we just be walking around with this stuff? I mean, objectively I know why - because he is a police officer and therefor licensed for this sort of thing - but HOLY CRAP THREE GUNS AND A MESS OF BULLETS.

I keep my cool.

He comes back, and says the range is a little full and we’ll just wait here until a few more people clear out. I nod; it seems like the thing to do. He makes me try on the ear muffs, and decides I don’t need to wear extra eye protection since I’ve already got on my glasses. Okay, I tell him. It seems like the thing to say.

Inside my head I’ve got a steady mantra going of holy crap holy crap holy crap. I’m mostly not paralysed with fear. I mean, I can make my legs work, and Matthew is extremely reassuring.

“You’ll be great,” he says. I try not to laugh hysterically at his woefully misplaced confidence in my abilities. There are a lot of things I’m trying not to do. Vomit. Run away. Trip. Drop the deadly weapon I’m about to hold. Vomit.

We enter the range proper through a curtain of plastic flaps, and now I can really smell the gunpowder. My friend Casey warned me that it was a really great smell, and he wasn’t wrong. It’s, and I’m sorry to perpetuate any kind of stereotypes, but it’s kind of a sexy smell. Dark, sharp. Combined with the constant noise and people all around, carrying extremely dangerous things, I am giddy with fear and excitement.

Holy crap holy crap holy crap.

At this point, I can’t really hear anything Matthew is saying to me. I watch with close interest as he unpacks two semi-automatic pistols from a plastic carrying case. The clips are loose and empty and he sets everything out in a row. Next, he takes out a few boxes of bullets and arranges them just so, before opening one of the boxes and spends a few minutes telling me what’s happening.

All dialogue from now on is fuzzy, but I’ll try to recall as accurately as possible.

“We’re going to shoot the baby-Glock first,” he says, casually jamming bullets into the clip. I nod, pretty sure he didn’t tell me we’re shooting baby ducks. Matthew’s not a hunter.

All around us, the popping is never-ending. We’re close to the end of the pistol stations, and to our right, there’s a row of people stretched out on the rifle range.

Matthew is talking about safety, when I feel something small land on the top of my head and fall down in front of me. I look down at the ground, which is littered with brass, and then up at Matthew, and he laughs.

“Yeah, those are just bullet casings. No big deal.” It’s all so absurd. This is my Sunday, standing here, getting peppered with bullet casings. For many people, this is routine.

We grin at each other and get back to business. The baby-Glock [Glock 27] uses the same S&W .40 bullets as his service pistol, the Glock 40, but has a shorter handle, and I think, a slightly shorter muzzle. He puts the clip in, checks the chamber, and then shows me how to hold it so that I won’t break my thumb, which I appreciate. He tells me how to stand, to lean forward a little to prepare for the kick. I nod. He tells me not to even put my finger on the trigger unless I’m intending to pull it right then. I nod. He shows me how to line up the sights. I nod.

And I’m suddenly there in front of the target, holding a loaded gun. Everything kind of quiets to a hush, and I can feel my heart pounding in my mouth.

Holy crap holy crap holy crap.

I take a deep breath, and as I let it out, I squeeze the trigger.

BANG.

My hand jerks, and I feel the kick all the way down into my feet. It’s loud, it’s startling, but I haven't hit anyone! In fact, I haven't even hit the target.

"Good!" Matthew says, "Now, try again, a little higher."

I nod, and fire again. In the dirt. A few more times, and I manage to hit the board. Guns are heavy, and my hands are shaking more each shot. I let Matthew take over for a little bit while I think about things.

Shooting is fun, y’all. I am not even going to lie. It’s a visceral rush each time you pull the trigger. But, really, it is terrifying. It’s an extreme responsibility, and one that I wish people didn’t take so lightly.

That doesn’t stop me from trying some more. We move on to Matthew’s service weapon, the Glock 40. It’s larger, heavier, and when I fire it, I like it more immediately. The kick isn’t as extreme, and I manage to hit, not the bulls eye, but the same general area of the target a few times in a row. It’s not inside the widest circle, but, dammit, it’s on the paper.

We take turns for a while and then Matthew decides it’s time to bring out the .38 Special. “The gun of Sherlock Holmes,” Matthew tells me. It’s a five-chambered revolver that’s smaller than either of the Glocks.

Matthew loads it and tells me something surprising. I don’t know if it’s true with all revolvers, but with this one, you don’t have to cock it each time you pull the trigger. All my gunslinging preconceptions out the window! He hands it over and tells me to have at it.

The grip is awkward and small. I’m not sure what to do with my left hand since there’s really no room to wrap it fully around my right. I settle for a lady-like cupping and pull the trigger.

I do not like it, Sam I Am. The kick is much harder, and there is no cushion for the shock. I only fire it twice, before handing it back to Matthew to finish off the chambers.

We load the Glock 40 again and I shoot a whole clip on my own. Matthew, being the good teacher he is, coaches me through each shot. “A little to the left. A little lower. Look! That was the bulls-eye! Okay, that was the dirt, but look at that nice cluster on top.”

A cease-fire is called. Everyone has to unload and stand back while the range officers sweep away some of the shells and replace the targets. People are allowed to go and collect brass or take their target. A couple of range officers fix a target board that has been knocked sideways.

I don’t know exactly how long we’ve been there, but I’d estimate about forty-five minutes, maybe an hour. I am wiped out. Guns are heavy, and combined with the shock of each firing, my arms are tired and a little noodley.

The cease-fire ends and we pack up and make a donation to the range on the way out. It’s been quite an experience.

I’m still terrified, I still support gun control, strongly. I’ve never witnessed one of these Baltimore murders, and I hope to God I never will, nor be a victim.

But now I’ve asked the questions for myself and taken the time to do my research. I hope others are able to do so. Don’t ever say you haven’t tried to walk in everyone’s shoes.

And Something About a Monkey.

2010-07-29T15:39:00.002-04:00

When I was growing up I was told, along with pretty much everyone I knew, that I could do anything I wanted to do if I just put my mind to it.

And I believed it. It sounds great, right? Really inspirational! I was ready to take on the world at the age of twelve!

But what happens with you just can't put your mind to it? What is a kid supposed to do when they can't follow a lesson because the window is so much more interesting. There's birds out there! They're flying and catching bugs! Hey look, that kid has a piece of paper sticking out of their bag, maybe I should tell them. I wish I wore different shoes today, these totally don't match my shirt. Oh crap the teacher just asked me to start reading but I don't know where we are, I already finished the book while we were sitting here. I can tell you how it ends! They throw a party while the Pigman is out of town, and he is disappointed in them and kicks the bucket. And something about a monkey. There, can I just take the quiz now? Oh good they're leaving me alone, I can write a note to...

Sound familiar?

So, I have attention deficit disorder, predominately innattentive. I was quiet and kept my head down at school, and so it wasn't diagnosed until I was twenty-two and had a panic attack when I tried to sign up for a college class. Apparently, I developed some extreme school anxiety while I was an adolescent. Whoops!

I would like to do a great many things with my life. For instance: I used to want to become a midwife. It sounds good when you tell someone that's what you want to do. They're always politely surprised and interested in the process.

I don't think I could ever do it, though. Not with the current educational system. If I could apprentice with a midwife, instead of having to go through nursing school and all of those lectures that would DRIVE ME COMPLETELY INSANE, I would do so in a heartbeat.

But the world doesn't work that way, anymore, and so it will have to wait until my mind can be put to it.

It's going to be a while.

I want instant gratification, I want to know something NOW. If I try something, and I'm not immediately a prodigy at it, I lose interest. And you don't have to tell me that's completely impractical, because I already know. I can't help myself.

Have you ever not been able to help yourself? And I'm not talking about that extra cookie you can't resist because you are STARVING YOURSELF [that's for another post]. And I'm not talking about a tick, or a compulsion like touching doorknobs or tapping a stair three times before you step on it.

I'm talking about sitting down with your book for school and having to read the same paragraph six times because you have no idea what it just said because you got up to check your alarm at least three times because you can't actually remember if you set it.

ADD has become a joke in todays world, and not without reason. I will be the first to admit that having a conversation with me can be amusing. I will babble at you for a good twenty minutes and not have actually said anything important. I may jump up and perform some menial task whilst relaying word-for-word a conversation I had with someone you don't know, just because I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the task needed to be done.

But I know that I did it, and it won't help me if you tell me not to.

People with ADD aren't without metacognition. We know we don't always explain ourselves well [it makes so much sense in my head!] and if you asked us why we just did something that doesn't make sense to you, I'm sure we could provide a detailed list of our reasoning, possibly starting with a craving for a tomato sandwich we had two days ago and ending with a conversation we just had about fleas.

But we're smart. We're sometimes smarter than our teachers, which is the MOST frustrating thing in the world, for all parties involved.

We just can't help ourselves. And if I could fix one thing in the world - one monumental and important thing - I would make sure teachers everywhere don't punish us for losing attention.

Because I don't judge you for wanting that cookie. So don't judge me for needing to get up and sharpen my pencil six times. It wasn't perfectly pointy, and I can't concentrate, anyway.

Warren Ellis is the coolest ever.

2010-07-28T09:43:00.000-04:00

So, guess whose photo got used as a Station Ident on Warren Ellis Dot Com?

THAT'S RIGHT, Y'ALL, MINE.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Hells. Yeah. I love the internet.

If you don't know who Warren Ellis is, I urge - nay, INSIST that you start reading the weekly webcomic he writes: Freakangels. Art by the indescribable Paul Duffield.

I still can't believe it. I keep thinking he must have been hacked...

WHATEVER, I'LL TAKE IT.

<3

Movie Review: The Last Airbender

2010-07-02T10:20:00.001-04:00

Now, I know I have a history of rigidity of thought regarding remakes of beloved media. And while I've accepted the Harry Potter movies as delightful [I've got an essay on that brewing for later.], you all may remember how I felt about Watchmen.

So, last night I went to see The Last Airbender with my roommates in 3D. Apparently, accepting remakes is a hell of a lot easier when they're WELL DONE.

Sweet fancy moses, was that a TERRIBLE MOVIE. Here is a sampling of my tweets from last night and this morning:

So, I've basically decided that The Last Airbender is just a crappy fanfic of the real deal. Similar to my attitude toward Serenity.

It's almost like Shyamalan was just given a summary of the series, but never watched it. Everyone forget how to pronounce their own names?!

@meggytron Aang [rhymes with sang] became "Ahhng". Ihro [eye-ro] became "ee-ro" Sokka [sock-ah] became "sow-kah" Completely frustrating.

Seriously, guys, I demand a do-over. Shammy, let's talk. If, by some miracle, you are allowed to make 2&3, please let me on the team.

There was a lot more profanity in the car on the way home from the theater, but I like to keep this family-friendly [sorta.]

See, here's the thing. Not only was there EPIC race fail [whose bright idea was it to make the villains brown?] - but there was also acting fail, cinematography fail, special effects fail, 3D retro-fit fail, and the most extreme plot fail.

I knew it wasn't going to be great. I was ready for changes in the script. But, dude. Over-all, one of the worst movies I have seen in an extremely long time. I was BORED. The logic was incomprehensible. Poor Dev Patel was the only bright spot in an over-all steaming shit-pile of a movie.

So. There's my two cents. Take yours and buy the animated series instead of seeing the film. Go on, you know you want to.

[And while you're at it, go sign this petition. ♥]

Five Years in Baltimore.

2010-06-14T11:15:00.001-04:00

People look at me funny when I say that Baltimore is my favorite city in the world - even above Paris. It’s true, though. I may have been raised in Delaware, but I am growing up in Baltimore. I am experiencing things here that I never could anywhere else. I am living on my own, making my own money, making my own way here. I am knowing wonderful, beautiful people who could never exist in another city in the world because that is what Baltimore does.

It gets inside you and makes you who you are. If I had to define myself without Baltimore, I don't know if I would like who I would be.

Everyone needs to know a city that does that to them.

And here I have lived for five years. They have been, by far, the best five years of my entire life. and I know I am still young, and I have not been everywhere in the world, but I know that before I lived in this city I was sad until something made me happy, but here I am happy first and longest.

I look out my window and feel a surge of pleasure to see the rooftops and light posts and signs of Waverly and Charles Village in the distance.

Baltimore has its faults, for certain. High drug use, high STD infection, high gang-related deaths. But that in itself does not define the people inside. We are people. We are nurses and artists and doctors and writers and actors and lovers and haters and people with dreams. We are Baltimoreans. And anyone who looks at me funny for that can't know what it is to be in love with a city.

I love you, Baltimore.

Twenty-five.

2010-05-17T12:20:00.000-04:00

So, it's my birthday on Wednesday. I am turning twenty-five.

o.O

I'm really trying to keep it together, here, but guys. I am turning twenty-five. This is kind of a Deal! I am one-quarter of a century old! I can rent a car!

In five years I will be thirty!

But I'm not going to let myself dwell on that. Besides, I welcome aging with open arms and affection. I am so ready for my age to match my age. Does that make sense? I'm talking to all those folks out there whose friends group is five to ten years older than you. The ones that go to parties and avoid talking about your age for as long as possible. All you kids who get, "But you're just a baby!" and "Holy crap you're so young!" whenever we let it slip that, actually, we weren't alive when that movie/album/cartoon came out, sorry.

It's one of my pet peeves, I guess.

But anyway, gettin' older. I really am enjoying it, even the surreal moments.

[Holy crap, twenty-five!]

Happy Things April Showers [for which I hope you have an umbrella...]

2010-04-29T08:54:00.001-04:00

Oh hi there. It seems this blog is quickly deteriorating into a HAPPY THINGS ALL THE TIME blog. I don't have a problem with that, do you? I didn't think so.

Carry on:

Forearm tattoos on the Facilities Fellas. [Lots of ex-navy here at the JHH.]
Fancy pudding in the cafeteria.
Time travel. [I really love it, guys. I love it so hard.]
Ice cream.
Calendars.
Discount Easter candy. [Malted-milk eggs, guys. Nuff said.]
Veronica Mars. [MYSTERY.]
Space. [I know I say this basically every time, but really truly, I want to marry space. We would have the most adorable nebula children.]
Pearl-pink nail polish.
Avatar, the last Airbender.
My beard.
White cotton sheets.
Cinnamon gum.
Thunderstorms.
Soup. [this one is Lisa's fault for making me want soup at 9:00 on a Thursday morning.]

Alright, I've got some STUFF TO DO this weekend. Namely, Friday night, My pal Penny is flying in from Seattle and we are going to see GOGOL BORDELLO with Devotchka opening. I am terribly excited. It will be my third time seeing GB here in Balmer, and they have never disappointed me. Last time, Man Man opened for them, and it was one of the most amazing concert experiences of my life.

Blah blah someone gushing about music. Anyway.

I've joined a writing group, and my first meeting with them is on Sunday. I am excited and nervous! I need to write a one-page story, and I think I will ROCK THAT NOISE because my forte is short and sweet.

Well, there could be blood, so maybe not so sweet. Whevs.

Moving right along: I did a massive clothing purge last weekend with the help of Rosemary, and I am getting rid of two lawn and garden-size bags of clothing. This is in addition to the several garbage bags I got rid of in October. I think I'll stick to an October/April purge schedule. Seems to keep my wardrobe in check nicely.

Wow, this got crazy boring. I'm wrapping it up now with a big bow of LOVE. Just for you. Don't throw it away, now, I made it special.

Happy Things - Take that, March!

2010-03-22T13:17:00.006-04:00

In like a lion, out like a soggy lamb:

Juice. [Anything except grape, because it makes my teeth taste purple, and I dun like that.]
Criminal Minds [I want to pack Dr Reid lunch every day and write him little riddles on his napkin. WHAT. DON'T JUDGE ME.]
Dragons.
New friends.
Old friends.
Serial Comics on the Internet.
Tattoos.
My roof.

Glass beads.
Other people's babies.
The rain. [I soooo wanted to stay home and listen to it in bed today, but I made myself get up and go to work. Being an adult kind of sucks sometimes. But, other times, there's cake for breakfast. So, I guess it balances out.]
The letter "F". fortuitous, fragrant, fecund, favorable, flighty, free.

I might post something with actual substance soon, but there are no promises. I have the attention span of a toddler that missed its nap.

Crappy Poetry Monday!

2010-03-01T09:32:00.000-05:00

Hair

that's my hair
in your hand
but you're a hundred miles away and I don't remember you ever
touching me

so maybe it's not
maybe it's just a wig that you bought
at the store

and

maybe I should be less trendy.

It's really not that hard. No. Really.

2010-02-21T15:16:00.004-05:00

[In case UBALT is researching me, I did rework part of this post as my application essay. I hope you don't mind - I thought it was relevant. Please accept me!]

Oh for the love of mustard and onions.

Okay, listen. I am not a fancy scientist with a fancy degree in fanciness. I'm a girl who grew up in a household that had subscriptions to Discover magazine and whose parents and sister are giant nerds. Armed with that background and the ability to read, I think that's about all the qualifications I need to say:

CLIMATE CHANGE IS FRIKKIN' REAL, GUYS.

Lorrie Goldstein? You're a freaking idiot. That may be disrespectful of me, I mean you are my elder and all that, but YOU ARE A FREAKING IDIOT.

I don't even know how I came across that article, such is the violence of my rage about it, because it's certainly not the only one of its kind.

Anyway, Let's take a look at the evidence, shall we? Go on, I'll wait.

Done? Annoyed that I chose Al Gore? TOUGH NOOGIES.

I know that things of this scale move slowly, so the evidence is difficult to see when you glance out the window. And to some, the recent ridiculous snow that kept me housebound for ten freaking days may seem like everything is okay.

But guys. C'mon. When has the Mid-Atlantic seaboard EVER had that much snow in a single week? That alone should tell you that things ain't quite right.

And, look, I'm not above conceding that perhaps this is part of Earth's natural cycle. I mean, we all know that the dinosaurs lived in a world that looked much different way back when, and judging by how many of their bones Montana and France has kicked up, I'd hazard a guess that it was pretty planet-wide. [We also know that flipping rocks from space came around and screwed things up, so perhaps that argument is also moot.]

HOWEVER. We do not need to help it along.

I'm not so arrogant as to assume that Humans are the be-all, end-all of evolution in the universe. I am sure that there are races of beings out there in the black pointing and laughing at our naked, fleshy bodies. They're probably watching us play with our dinky computers and ride in our cute, clunky cars like so many lumbering cows.

But we are here right now. And since we are dominant enough of this planet that we will build shit pretty much anywhere we like, we have a responsibility to its upkeep. You don't take a dump in the middle of your living room and then set it on fire, guys.

And if you do, well. You might want to stop that, cos it's a fire hazard and also kind of gross. Unless you live in a yurt and that's fuel for something. In that case, alright, carry-on, but I think that cow dung is more efficient.

ANYWAY. I suppose my point in this all is: Whether or not you believe in Global Warming [which you totally should because IT IS FREAKING HAPPENING, but I digress], pollution is real and is a real problem.

I mean, what will you be hurting by changing some things, except the profits of power companies? They need to change, too, and nothing is going to encourage them to do so if we keep plugging in stuff. So suck up the extra few bucks and buy those energy efficient light-bulbs. Carry your groceries home in a cloth sack. Recycle your damn newspapers. Support local farms. Do all that crunchy hippy junk, because the littlest bit really is helpful.

Because, if you're not going to listen to the fancy scientists with their fancy degrees, then perhaps you should start listening to people like me.

Further reading:

This interactive article from the Washington Post is v. illuminating, and covers a lot of ground regarding the Chesapeake and how we are screwing it up. You should read it.

This comic is a lovely commentary on how a lot of us are feeling about the whole thing. It's two pages, so make sure you click the arrow at the bottom.

And my whole post is basically just reiterating what Phil Plait [one of my favorite people ever, y'all] said here, BUT HE IS RIGHT SO READ THAT OKAY. HIYAH.

*pant* *pant* I hate when I have to get all Miss Piggy on stuff.

ETA: September 2011 - HOW ARE PEOPLE NOT TAKING THIS MORE SERIOUSLY!? GET OFF YOUR ASSES, PEOPLE, MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Happy Things - February edition.

2010-02-18T16:14:00.001-05:00

Wot is making me happy, in no particular order:

Dinosaurs. All of them. [Except Raptors cos that shit ain't no joke.]
Shaun White. [I want to invite him to a party and then maybe make out a little bit, but not in front of anyone because I am a Lady.]
Space.
Noodles.
Navel oranges.
The Doctor.
Mascara.
Sleep.
Paris:

People who apologize profusely when they step on your toe in the elevator.
The letter Q. quandary, quilt, quiescent, quirky, quixotic, quaint.
People to worry about.
Chopsticks.
My dog.

File your entries in the comment box provided. ♥

Another strange one...

2010-02-09T09:23:00.004-05:00

So, the other night, among other insane things, I dreamt that I got a tattoo of a star that was in two parts across my forearms [on the outside, like keanu's constantine]. And my apartment was inside this really old, like from the 1800s, department store, and I had to crawl through a small space and up a ladder to get to it. At one point I kept locking the door, and the landlady was chiding me that other residents needed to get in, but I told her that they were all monsters and we had to keep them out. She just laughed and unlocked the door. I tried to hide in this room that was in the middle of the hallway and was enclosed by glass-paned french doors all the way around, but I couldn't keep the curtains covering all of the windows, and marble statues kept appearing and just stood there, facing in.

Then there was a horrific bit where some dude that I was dating [I think his name was Michael or John, something generic, but I've never seen him in real life before.] fell down a hill on his face and got really hurt and I had to go on a wild goose chase to find medicine for him, which ended up being a bowl of blood and a bowl of water. All the while I was being chased by some awful monsters that looked like people who had been wrapped in thorny vines with strips of grey silk covering their eyes and mouths and they yelled this horrible low howl that sounded like a million bells all going at once.

And I was running around the shadier parts of Baltimore, but I felt safer there than in the brightly-lit places. The dirtier and grubbier it was, and the more buildings that were boarded up, the more comfortable I was being there.

I don't remember when I woke up. I think at that point I was just running and running and running.

Happy things - January Edition

2010-01-26T13:31:00.003-05:00

Things that are making me happy today:

Gold Bond ^tm ultimate healing skin therapy cream

perpendicular, preposterous, periwinkle, portly, pie, prologue

this picture

What about you lot? What's making you smile today?

I gots a tattoo, y'all!

2010-01-23T16:58:00.007-05:00

Well, you all know about Ina by now. What you may not have known, is how important Astrology was to her.

She was born on July 14th, and was therefor a Cancer. We used to have long evenings of pouring over her Astrology books, reading about our birthdays and marvelling at the descriptions of us.

She wrote poetry, too, and some of her goofier stuff is located here, which she hadn't updated it since 2004.

Anyway, when I was thinking of tattoos that I would like to get, Ines came to mind, and then the idea of a crab for Cancer. As I thought about it more, I realized that, yeah, Baltimore loves crabs, too, and I love Baltimore.

And so.

[Done at the Baltimore Tattoo Museum, by Josh Griffin.]

I love you, Ina. Now you are under my skin. <3

First Spam!

2010-01-20T07:46:00.003-05:00

I got my first spam comment, y'all! HOW EXCITING.

And for a female urination device, no less! I HAVE ARRIVED.

Brownies!

2010-01-18T19:52:00.003-05:00

I made these the other night, and then bragged about them on Twitter. My pal, Meghan, requested the recipe, so here we go!

Brownies Cockaigne

I keep baking chocolate on hand at all times for the express purpose of whipping up a batch of these at a moments notice. If you ever come over to my house for dinner, chances are, these are going to be for dessert.

dreams in review.

2010-01-14T13:49:00.003-05:00

the following are transcripts of my recent dreams as e-mailed or chatted to various friends after they occurred.

5/24/09, as e-mailed to K.

7/26/09

11/4/09, as e-mailed to R and K.

11/23/09, as e-mailed to R.

12/15/09, as e-mailed to R.

There are millions more that I never wrote down, but babbled out to various people over the phone. Like the one where I was the leader of a band of survivors of the Zombie Apocalypse, and I was driving an SUV through a parade of Zombies playing brass instruments.

Or the one where I really had to pee, but couldn't find a bathroom that didn't have a group of people clustered around the toilet so I finally gave up and dropped trou in front of a bunch of strangers.

You know, the usual.

And never brought to mind...

2009-12-31T08:53:00.004-05:00

Insert obligatory year-end reflection post:

So, 2009 kind of rocked. And it kind of blew. Which is, really, what I like to see in a year. I don't like all ups, because that means there will be too many downs later. I like a good mix.

A recap:

Lester went through his first bout of congestive heart failure, and gave me a few grey hairs in the process. Emergencies never occur at two o'clock in the afternoon on a Saturday, y'all. It's always four in the morning when you stayed up too late to watch random crappy videos on the internet the night before.

Anyway, then he got better, or at least we figured out how to keep him sailing on in his little furry body.

My pal Penny came to town from Seattle to see our intrepid Commander in Chief step into office, and we had a fantastic week kicking around. I ate a million pounds of Pocky.

Then I went and visited my sister and brother-in-law in Portland. I had the most marvelous time kicking around in one of the nicest cities on the planet. Like, really nice. Like, if Baltimore and Los Angeles got into a fight, Portland would be around to make sure we didn't kill each other and maybe make us cookies afterward. It was delightful.

Watchmen disappointed me, but it's cool. I forgive you, Watchmen. You were a good movie and all, but I'll take the book any day.

I met a dude, and we dated for a bit, and then we weren't dating anymore, and it's all gravy. It was basically the most casual thing in the world, and we're both so laid back that it was pretty much just one day we were hanging out and then another we were seeing other people. Easy peasy.

H1N1 hit, and my work life got CRAZY. I worked some overtime, and made cookies [that's how I cope] and I tried to keep my nurses sane. We got through it, obvs.

Then I had a birthday! It was lots and lots of fun, and my Dad and I spent that weekend driving all over Maryland for blacksmithing adventures. A delightful time was had by all.

My cousin got married! I had a quarter-life crisis! The world continued to spin unaided!

AND THEN SILAS WAS BORN. He is the cutest little blob of human that was EVER CREATED. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH I CANNOT STAND IT. I get to babysit for him on Saturday, y'all, and I cannot WAIT.

I had some strange dreams and went on Vacation. Garrett County is GORGEOUS, y'all, and I recommend it for a relaxing time away from reality. I WAS ON A BOAT.

Lester had an episode, but he's fine now, too. I guess I'll be on the lookout for those every six months or so. Crazy dog.

I did a guest post on Zaftig Chicks! My site traffic increased by maybe two people! Wooo!

And then Ina died, and it still kind of sneaks up on me every once in a while. I'll listen to a song that we used to love, or someone will say something that reminds me of her so much that I sort of space out and lose it for a minute. There's nothing in the world that can prepare you for something like that.

So, autumn kind of blew through in a haze of grief and sourness. I really tried not to be down, but when patients at work are insane and you're working long hours and the sun is steadily creeping away, it's tough.

And then Jesse and I helped that lady on the street, and things kind of... lifted. Maybe it was the rush of endorphins, or the knowledge that I did something right, or learning that there are other people in this messed up, glorious city that will stop what they are doing and pick you up off the sidewalk.

Whatever it was, I felt right again. I'm back in my own skin.

Then it snowed. A LOT. I hate snow. Then it melted, and then snowed this morning again, and I have a PARTY TONIGHT, dammit, and I refuse to kow-tow to the weather. IMMA PUT ON A FANCY DRESS AND LIVE IT UP.

So there.

Christmas was wonderful - I got to see my sister again and I missed her so much you have no idea. I got fabulous new toys [ipod touch omg omg omg] and drank some nog, and things are okay.

Tonight is going to be fantastic, and that's just all there is to it.

I love you, Baltimore. The world is great, too, but Baltimore has my heart forever.

<3

Pickled Rind and Fruit.

2009-12-21T19:51:00.004-05:00

Today I found a treasure.

When my Grandmother's house was being emptied, I asked for one of her copies of The Joy of Cooking. My mother gave me the 1951 edition, where bacon drippings were a regular ingredient of corn bread, and you had to mix your own baking powder.

I was thumbing through it, looking up a recipe for macaroons, when I found a slip of paper tucked inside the pickles.

It was my Grandmother's notes, for 2 1/2 pounds.

2 1/2 C water
2 1/2 C vindegar
5 C sugar
7 1/2 in stick cinnamon
20 cloves

I don't know which recipe it was meant for, tomato catsup or corn relish or apple chutney. It may have been watermelon pickle or pickled peaches.

All I know is that it was written on the back of a dental extraction form [my grandfather was a dentist, though it's not from his practice.] and it smells like their house did.

Merry Christmas. <3

Ughhh.

2009-12-19T22:30:00.001-05:00

this is my life right now. They had to plow THREE TIMES today, and it's still coming down.

I hate the snow. I work for a hospital, and therefor I don't get snowdays. If this doesn't improve by Monday morning, I'll have to hike to the bus in a foot of snow.

I DUN WANNA DO IT.

Thankfully, I've got SG-1 and tea [buckets and buckets of tea omg] and my dog is sleeping under the covers on my feet. Carry on.

blah blah twitter blah blah.

2009-12-07T13:15:00.004-05:00

I want to blog, but I don't want to complain about my bad day, which is all I can think of to blog right now, so I'll just paste all of my tweets from the month of November instead. All I took out were my replies.

Oh, and I have no idea how to put this behind a cut. You're welcome.

http://www.yooouuutuuube.com/v/?rows=16&cols=16&id=pAwR6w2TgxY&startZoom=1

http://w33.us/3sd7

http://twitpic.com/qkyp3

http://yfrog.com/4e47kj

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzKJCVJHcbk

http://bit.ly/2aHXfs

http://twitpic.com/omrp9

http://twitpic.com/omkfj

http://twitpic.com/o2o4o

Karma gets you pastry.

2009-11-20T09:42:00.003-05:00

Twenty-five things for which I am thankful, in no particular order:

- Coffee mugs from California.
- My cellular telephone.
- My laptop computer.
- My favorite turquoise necklace.
- My zombie messenger bag.
- My imagination.
- Science Fiction.
- My ID badge that gets me into doors marked "Authorized Personnel Only" because that's a secret thrill even after five years.
- Scrapple.
- Secret corridors.
- Goofy action movies.
- Eggplants.
- My Kitchen-aide five-speed hand-mixer with milk-shake attachment. It probably has a proper title, but I use it for milk-shakes. So there.
- Hyphens.
- Punctuation in general, even if I abuse it horribly.
- My health.
- Words.
- People.
- Old Navy. It's actually a problem. A delightful, brightly-colored problem with clean lines and thoughtful design.
- My family.
- My dog.
- Music.
- My friends. Even the ones that make me want to pull my own hair out. They keep it interesting.
- Dark, hoppy beer.
- Ramen noodles.
- Love.

Obviously this is just a random assortment. I'm thankful for basically everything in my life, even the inconveniences and complications. It builds character, and I am all about character development.

***

EDIT: I've taken this story down in the hopes that I can get it published. Thanks for the wonderful comments on it, you guys are awesome.

Window

2009-11-18T12:39:00.003-05:00

Portland Chinese Gardens, January 2009

what I'm telling you is

2009-11-13T21:16:00.006-05:00

So. That happened.

I've been struggling a little, with what I want to say here since. I've opened the post window several times over the last few weeks, only to stare at it for a while before closing it and walking away. I don't have a problem being trite and zany on Facebook or Twitter. That's my stream of consciousness; that's what flies out of my mouth during a conversation.

And now, nothing seems important enough to blog about. But I want to tell anyone who will listen.

Should I tell you about how I saw a man cradling a paper crane in his hand on the elevator? Or the fire extinguisher that was just sitting in the middle of the sidewalk outside of my office yesterday? Should I tell you about the countless trips I've made to the lab because of the swine flu testing my office does? How about the time that I got the wrong salad dressing? Or when I went the whole day with my shirt inside-out?

None of it means a damn thing. And that's okay. We're okay. I'm okay. We buried Ina on a Thursday, and I wore purple.

There's always more story to tell.

And, you know what, World? You crazy, magnificent mess of humanity? I love you. Every single one of you.

<3

Ina.

2009-10-06T10:23:00.003-04:00

Ines Fazlic, my goofiest, nuttiest friend.

How can you erase the thousand little strands that connect you with someone? A hundred instant messenger conversations and photos and text messages. Inside jokes for days and days.

She said outloud things that everyone was thinking to themselves. She told me once that it's okay, it's okay to be who I am. And she was absolutely and unapologetically who she was.

She was a life. She was a beautiful, vibrant life. And she's gone now, and all we can do is remember her.

Ina, I will know who you are forever. <3

Stargate: Universe

2009-10-02T21:39:00.005-04:00

My thoughts on SGU, or as I've been referring to it, "Battlegate Galactica":

Ugghhhhhhhhh. Look. Okay. There is a fucking reason that Stargate enchanted viewers for twelve goddamn years. It was witty and bright and a goddamn joy to watch. It didn't need to be pretentious and dark and dramatic.

There was great drama, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't constant ridiculous drama. It was charming and fun, and it knew when to be serious about things. And that wasn't every minute all the time.

I miss the tone of the very first episode of of SG-1. I miss the background music, with the trumpets and the familiar theme.

I miss Stargate. This is not Stargate. This is "darker and grittier" for the sake of being dark and gritty. It doesn't bring any improvement. The formula didn't need to be improved. It has no sense or feel of the original.

This is just a science fiction show that has a gate in it.

All of that being said, and despite the inappropriate sex as character introduction [STARGATE NEVER NEEDED TO HAVE GRAPHIC SEX OKAY. IT USED INNUENDO AND SUBTEXT. GAWD.] I really like Lieutenant Scott.

But he's no Cam Mitchell.

So, Stargate: Universe, I'm putting you on warning. You've got three episodes to make me fall in love with you, and that's two more than SG-1 and SGA ever needed put together.

And that's what I have to say about that.

My morning, let me show you it.

2009-09-22T08:15:00.005-04:00

Lester woke me up this morning about... 4:45? Ish? He was coughing, and as he's got a history of Congestive Heart Failure, I jumped up and gave him an extra dose of his diuretic. We settled down again for a little while to let that get to work, maybe fifteen minutes, and then we went outside.

So, I step outside, and Lester goes off to make his rounds [base of porch stairs, neighbors cactus plant, edge of yard, tree, round the corner to the back yard] when some movement across the street catches my eye. I am hyper-aware at this point because it is 5AM and all sorts of nonsense can happen at 5AM, see.

WELL, THERE WAS NONSENSE GOING ON IN A CAR. There were two people in there, doing UNSPEAKABLE THINGS. And I'm not talking satanic baby-eating rituals. Well, one of them was eating something, but THAT IS NOT THE POINT. If you can't do it in a BED at FIVE IN THE MORNING, you probably shouldn't be doing it. Unless you're super-into kinky car sex, and then well, bon chance to you, friend. Good luck with the public lewdness.

Anyway, they got interrupted when two dudes strolled down the sidewalk on their side of the street, and they did a HILARIOUS impression of nonchalance. Then they stuck around for a few more minutes, presumably to right clothing and whatnot, and then took off.

Meanwhile, ~~back at camp~~, Lester was done doing his business and we went back inside. Tried going back to bed for a bit, but he kept coughing, so I made an Executive Decision and took him up to Falls Road Animal Hospital, since it's the only one open at FIVE IN THE MORNING.

Got there [after getting turned around TWICE], they fussed over his cuteness appropriately, and did some diagnostic Stuff. I sat around and read my Regency Romance novel, and tried not to fret too hard.

The vet came back in and said basically, "Yep, he's old."

So, he got his Lasix upped, and added a new heart med [which I am having trouble finding online...], and we'll just see how he does with that. I'll make an appointment to see his real vet tomorrow afternoon. He's quiet a nice dog, and I hope they'll let me keep him a while longer.

<3

Vacation follow-up

2009-09-21T15:30:00.003-04:00

So, I didn't take a single picture, as I've mentioned before, but my friends did [and did well], so here's a peek at theirs:

Lindley's post and photostream .

And a picture of me reading [I did that a lot] by Don:

I call it "Creepy stalker photo in Sepia". I think it's funny, though. Jamaila talks a bit more about our doings on this post.

I can't get over how green and lush it was. I love Garrett County.

Guest Posting!

2009-09-15T10:52:00.002-04:00

I did a food guest post on Zaftig Chicks!

CHECK ME OUT, YO!

Freud's got nothin' on me...

2009-09-15T08:23:00.004-04:00

I dreamed last night that I was at my parents’ church and that I really wanted to paint my nails bright lime green, but so did everyone else. And while they were all fighting over a bottle of nail polish, I found another one under a pew [I don't know, either].

So, I sat there and happily painted my fingers and toes, and then Adam Savage from Mythbusters came up and asked me to go to a birthday party for a kid who used to be in my church youth-group when I was in middle school. I said sure and we headed out to the car. Along the way, we found Jamie Hyneman, and he was carrying a blow-torch [natch] and we all piled into my Jetta and took off. I turned around to say something over my shoulder to Jamie, and I saw that Tory Belleci had found his way into the car, too. So I made a crack about how this day was going to turn out completely awesome, and Tory got all excited and held out his hand for a high-five from Jamie. Jamie sort of ruffled his mustache and Tory was like, "All right!"

So, we make it back to my parents house and end up swimming through the door because their house was filled with water. It was apparently completely normal, and my dog was floating along in a giant shoe.

Jamie busted out the blow-torch again, and we all started welding a space-ship in my old bedroom.

Then I woke up because I had fallen asleep watching Stargate SG-1 and Teal'c and Cam were busting their way out of a Ha’tak.

Hi. I'm a nerd.

Also, I swear that this wasn't me.

glargle?

2009-09-12T11:28:00.003-04:00

Well, that was a false-start. HA.

I have no idea what I was going to blog about, but apparently when you hit "enter" whilst in the subject field, you post! Good times!

Watching The Naughty Kitchen right now and I freaking LOVE Blythe Beck. I want to be her BFF.

Tonight I get to go and snorfle Little Dude Silas! He is the CUTEST DAMN KID ever. Seriously. I can only hope that, one day, my kid will be half as cute as Silas. He's getting to the roly-poly peanut stage, with sausage-link arms and the cutest little belly button.

I LOVE THAT KID. I can't wait for him to get big enough that we can go look for bugs and stuff. We can make sweet forts! I will introduce him to the fine art of snot rockets and armpit farts.

Good times.

Those Aztecs...

2009-09-08T10:45:00.003-04:00

I've been very interested in Aztec mythology and divination lately. My favorite website is the Aztec Calendar.

Today's daysign is Xochitl, or Flower. I'm supposed to go for the gusto, apparently. I wish I had a helmet and cape like Calvin to do so, but I just have my handkerchief and a warm sweater.

I certainly feel gusto-y. Life lately has had many happenings rolled into an interesting few weeks. I went on vacation a few weeks ago in Garrett County. It was delightful and green and peaceful. I saw deer and rabbits and lots of lovely flowers. I bought a green teapot from an antique store in Oakland, and I am going to make myself a pot of Darjeeling after work. I didn't take a single picture there, but others did, so when they get posted to the internets, I will be sure to share them here.

I did take this on the way out. It was the prettiest drive, sun shining, my sunroof open to the breeze. A long drive is the perfect way to clear your head of nonsense.

I listened to World War Z on audio book.

So, I'm back, and ready for action.

Diligent delinquency...

2009-08-14T10:18:00.004-04:00

So, I like to keep up with the crime reports of the University near my house. Today, I came across a gem.

Damaged Property – Gilman Hall Tower – Between June 20th at 3:00 PM, and June 22nd at 6:10 AM, unknown persons scratched two names on the copper cupula covering on the tower at Gilman Hall. Investigation continuing.

The top of the tower. As in, up in the air.

That is some stone devotion, y'all.

The Ugly Truth - An Ugly Movie

2009-08-13T09:23:00.003-04:00

Saw The Ugly Truth last week, and boy did I hate it. I could name several obvious reasons, poor acting being chief among them, but what I am going to focus on for this post is, probably unsurprisingly, the misogyny.

Katherine Heigl, what the hell were you thinking? We know you can do better than that; we've all seen Knocked Up, and while you may have a problem with that film, IT WAS TRULY YOUR BEST WORK TO DATE.

So, you said it was the "sexism" in Knocked Up that you didn't appreciate, and so it is that point which confuses the hell out of me. If you are so concerned with the negative portrayal of the modern woman, WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE UGLY TRUTH? Did the script deceive you? Were you perhaps smoking a giant doobie every morning of filming?

Was it Gerard? Did you find him too handsome to resist? Three movies ago, I would have agreed, but he was not looking his best for this role, so I really cannot imagine...

Oh! The executive-woman role! Of course. Because there's nothing more flattering than a control-freak ice queen pretending to be something she's not. Which, I get that the point was loving someone for who they are, but for CHRISTS SAKE did you have to make all women look like neurotic cat-ladies who just need a good screw? And I also get that you're sort of a one-trick pony, but it wouldn't kill you to branch out and play an easy-going, fun girl who can go a day or two without shaving her legs.

And Gerard. Shame. On. You. Shame on you for playing such a ridiculous fat-negative asshole, and shame on me for finding the token father-figure relationship with your nephew mildly endearing. Not endearing enough, however, that I feel at all warmly toward this movie.

In fact, the only thing about this movie that gets my approval is Katherine's apartment. What can I say; I'm gay for a gorgeous courtyard complex in central California.

Which [how's this for a segue] brings me to the fact that there was absolutely zero homosexuality in this film. At all. Not even a cliche make-up artist. In fact, we were SO SURE that her perfect man was going to actually be gay, that we were shocked when he turned out to be, in fact, straight. Improbably handsome, successful, and romantic, but straight.

I'm still suspicious.

So, yes, I'm a little late with this review, and the box-office damage has probably been done, and maybe I'm beating a dead horse, but if you haven't seen it yet and were considering it, do yourself a favor and see Harry Potter instead.

RED VELVET CAKE SOLVES ALL PROBLEMS.

2009-08-07T13:25:00.003-04:00

And then Jamaila sent me cupcakes!!!!!

Now all I need is for Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell to pick me up from work in an F-302 and this would be the BEST DAY EVER.

Ha, so. Yeah.

2009-08-07T11:06:00.005-04:00

Well, my car is street-legal again [I feel hard-core using that term, like I'm a drag racer or something...], we got bell peppers and corn in the farm-share, my bff from small-times is staying with me this weekend, today is payday, and Kate is bringing me lunch.

So, things are looking up!

Screw you, Thursday.

2009-08-06T12:19:00.003-04:00

So. So.

So, my car failed it’s inspection in Delaware because of a brake light. Which means I’m driving my mothers car right now. And this morning on the way home from my parent's house [In Delaware, wot I left at 5:30 this morning], I got messed up when 95 and 895 split because they swapped sides of the road so I ended up going too far on 95 and panicked when I saw signs for the tunnel because I had no money for the toll, so I had to turn around at the PORT GODDAMN OF BALTIMORE IN GODDAMN DUNDALK. But I still managed to get to work on time, early even, for a staff meeting, and then when I manage to get a moment to sign in and check my e-mail, I find a message from my mom telling me that their cat died not two hours after I left.

What. Fresh. Hell.

I would like to be posting something positive, I really would. But all I can see right now are annoying, crappy things and the best thing that's happened to me today was lunch.

At least it's raining. I like the rain.

After the wedding...

2009-07-28T13:57:00.004-04:00

Henry's wedding came and went, and I had a fabulous time, despite my quarter-life crisis. ;)

It was a GORGEOUS wedding, and my cousin and his new bride make quite the handsome couple.

I got to see my sister! I miss her terribly. We're flanked by our Uncle John and our Great-Aunt Gertrude.

With my goofy cousin, Andrew.

Parents of the groom.

My folks!

My momma and her two brothers.

My cousin, Holly, Henry's sister.

The happy couple!!

My introspective funk went away [open bar] and my Pops took this photo of me in front of the river.

All around lovely day.

Baby Watch '09, conclusion

2009-07-27T20:12:00.002-04:00

D'oh, I am the worst correspondant ever. Let's hope I am never charged with breaking news on any grander of a scale.

There is one more baby in Baltimore! Little Dude Silas. He is basically the cutest thing EVER and I want to bury my head in his wee baby armpit and listen to him gurgle for THE LONGEST TIME.

Happy happy happy days.

Baby Watch '09

2009-07-25T14:19:00.002-04:00

Just got home from hanging out at GBMC whilst Nina finishes cooking up her bun wot is in the oven. Rosemary and I have officially dubbed this Baby Watch '09. Going to grab a nap and chill out before going back when she's OMG TWO MINUTES APART FOMG.

Dude. Bizzy and Nina's gonna have themselves a baby. \o/

bile and ire.

2009-07-20T15:04:00.003-04:00

Woke up surly yesterday. Well, the clouds ain't parted yet, and I'm still stewing, so let me tell you what Imma do. I'm going home at four. I am letting out my dog and I am going to clean my damn kitchen. Then, I am going to take a damn bath. After that, I am going to make some damn dinner and watch some damn Stargate. And then! Then, I'm going to play some damn City of Heroes. Kicking the crap out of a death head gunner will do loads to improve my damn mood.

And I am not going to answer the damn phone unless it is someone who is extremely pregnant.

Thoughts on Twenty-something Singledom.

2009-07-10T09:23:00.004-04:00

My cousin, Henry, is getting married this weekend. If his sister, Holly, marries her boyfriend after him, then we'll be going in birth order of the cousins. First my sister, then Henry, then Holly, and that leaves me before my younger cousins, Andrew [fifteen] and William [ten]. At least I have a few years.

Anyway, this wedding has got me thinking, mostly about being the free agent in a mass of couples. It's not as much of an enviable position as you would think, despite that they are all gracious in sharing their lives with me, and willing to include me in their day-to-day.

I don't have a vast and sprawling group of friends, but it isn't small, and it is certainly varied. And despite the different lives everyone is walking, I still manage to be The Single Friend [or Cousin...]. For everyone. No, really. Even if my friends are not romantically attached to each other, they are still paired off into their own functional units, whether it be with their roommates or neighbors or bff's.

Because I am now coming to be Of An Age where it's the natural way of my peers to pair off and settle down. Now is the time of weddings and babies and christenings. People I went to high-school with have families of their own.

So, I'm often at odds with myself. I savor my independence [such that it is owning a dog] and take great pleasure in answering only to myself. More and more often lately I've been wanting to strike off on my own [again] and find myself a little cabin in the woods that I can set up a forge next to and make metal things and write stories and have chickens running around in the yard. And maybe a goat. I'm flexible on the goat part.

But, I want babies. And an adult to cook for, and someone to be part of my functional unit, and romance and stupid, giddy love. So, where is my piece of the puzzle?

And yet.

And yet, here I am. Thinking. There was an e-mail going around a couple of years ago that talked about the quarter life crisis. Among other things, it highlights the battle of ennui and enthusiasm that we all feel when we're in our twenties. Snapping between wild confidence and crippling anxiety and the constant conflicting questions. What Next? What am I doing with myself? Who cares what I do? What will people think of what I do? I don't want to do anything with myself. I want to change the world. What the hell is wrong with me?

It's exhausting, and it's precisely the reason that I spend as much time as I do in my own head. Why I read constantly, or write this blog.

We don't want to inflict ourselves on the world, but at the same time, we're aching for it.

Or maybe it's just me.

<3

Fat blog!

2009-07-04T11:34:00.004-04:00

I am a fan of the big peoples. I am a big people. So I've been reading this great feed, Notes from the Fatosphere and came across this right-on post, I eat therefor I'm fat.

my favorite quote:

My point, in a roundabout way, is that we should not have to prove ourselves to be one of the ‘good’ fatties in order to be seen as people. We should not have to divulge our eating and exercise habits to family/friends/strangers/journalists in order to justify our fatness. Whether we happily overeat or happily run marathons, we all deserve respect.

Absolutely.

I was sitting at my desk at work one day, which happens to face a busy hallway, wearing my favorite high-waisted sweater, when a woman came right up and asked me if I was pregnant. I stared at her for a moment, trying to process the fact that she just asked a random woman if they were pregnant, then said, "Er, no" and quirked an eyebrow, daring her to keep talking.

And she did! The woman starts to do some obvious mental scrambling and then comes out with, "Oh, you must be like me, then, need to do some runnin'". Oh no she di'int.

To this I threw in the attitude [I do love living in Balmer] and said, "No, I don't think that I do," and turned back to my computer with a roll of my eyes. The woman looked affronted [!] and muttered, "Well, good for you," and turned back to waiting to get on the elevator down. We're on the third floor.

Anyway, yeah. I probably won't ever fit with the worlds idea of a perfect woman. I am autonomous, I am strong, I am capable. I can start a coal-burning forge, make you a spoon out of steel, and weld together a decorative spiral finial, all on my own. I like violent movies with blood and guts, and I play video games.

I am healthy. I am fat. And it's okay.

Odd dreams

2009-06-21T12:01:00.003-04:00

I dreamed last night that I was standing under a lemon tree in California. They were Meyer lemons, and the sunlight was shining through their skin, and I was squeezing them to see which ones were ripe. One burst in my hand, and when I looked down, instead of juice, it was glitter.

I don't know what it means.

Thinkin' bout religion.

2009-06-20T19:28:00.006-04:00

So, as much as I avoid thinking too hard about organized religion, it is often in my thoughts for various reasons. and today I decided to gorge myself on the archives of a webcomic called "pictures for sad children", and came across this particular comic.

It pretty much sums up my most basic thoughts about religion. I don't mean God. I couldn't begin to explain my views on God or any higher powers, but one fact I always come around to when I am mulling it over, is that I don't want to scream my views on the street corner. I don't want to discuss it with my coworkers, or explain it to strangers on the street. I know I am doing just that with this post, but somehow it feels differently. You wouldn't be here if you didn't want to hear what I have to say, so perhaps that's the biggest difference.

So, what it comes down to for me is love. I love you. If there is God, they probably love you. Even if you hate me, I probably love you anyway. It's something that I sometimes actively struggle to do, because there is a lot of hate and apathy in the world. But I believe that it is important to get down in there and love someone really hard.

So I do, every chance that I get. <3

Happy Father's Day, y'all. I hope that everyone's fathers are lovable, and if they aren't, I hope that you have someone else to love instead.

my desk.

2009-06-02T21:07:00.004-04:00

My mother brought me down a desk yesterday. It was always in the house growing up, and I am v. excited to have it in my apartment, now. Today I put it to good use..

[image is annotated...]

and the view from the seat.

love!

yes, i really write in that notebook, and yes, i use sealing wax and inkwells on a regular basis. I AM A GEEK FOR WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE. If you have my address, please send me letters. I will write responses dutifully. At the desk! If you would like my address, and I know who you are, you can e-mail me at spillingvelvet at gmail dot com.

Lighter things. Sort of.

2009-05-26T08:31:00.008-04:00

So, movies that I want to see:

I don't even know what else is out right now, but I want to see these three forthwith.

This weekend was simply delightful. I managed to scam five meals from my awesome friends! Picked up some ramen noodles from Costco on Saturday. Monday, Rosemary and I went to H-Mart in Catonsville. It was v. empty, either because it was a holiday, or because North Korea tested nuclear weapons that morning. I would have stayed home and hugged my family, too.

And in the evening, I helped friends move furniture around for their wee dumpling that is in the oven.

Tonight is recycling night, so I'll be able to get rid of some boxes I've had hanging around. Keeping my bottles, though, so we can bottle the mead and sorrell wine that Marc and I brewed a few months ago. Exciting!!

Bit the bullet and put an air conditioner in my bedroom on Sunday afternoon. Need to find the remote that goes with it, though, because I am definitely not coordinated enough to flail around in the middle of the night when I wake up sweaty and can't see the buttons. I know it's around somewhere, probably under my bed. Natch.

I can't think of anything else right now.

huuuuugs.

Study says pertussis risk is higher for unvaccinated kids.

2009-05-26T07:56:00.004-04:00

Really? Not having a vaccine means you are more likely to catch the disease? Really?

DUH.

This is an issue that I feel very strongly about, to the point that I don't have an objective opinion. Vaccinate your kids. Just do it.

Happy Birthday to ME!

2009-05-15T22:39:00.003-04:00

My father very generously bought me a new macbook tonight. I have decided to name her Sinta, in the tradition of the late Winesap and the old and ailing Egremont.

I AM THRILLED BEYOND MEASURE!!!!! I have missed having a laptop so badly, and now I have delicious mobility again. AND I can have more than one program open at the same time and not get the annoying beach-ball every time I click on a link.

PLEASED.

Apocalypse: not yet? Also, gushing over Frances Hardinge.

2009-05-05T12:58:00.009-04:00

So, the world did not end this weekend. Awesome.

I am only a little disappointed that I wasn't able to use my skillz to fashion a zombie-killing shiv from a lawnmower blade.

ANYWAY: in other, less bloodthirsty news, I have just finished reading Gullstruck Island by Frances Hardinge. With this book, Frances has solidified her position as my number one all time most favoritest author. Ever. She writes characters so undeniably real that you cannot help but fall in love with all of them, including the villains. AND HER VILLAINS! They are complex and beautiful, never comical or over-the-top. Situations are never black and white - there is never just one solution. Her heroes are strong even when they can't see their own strength.

In her first book, Fly by Night, Frances introduced us to Mosca Mye. Immediately, I knew that Mosca and I were kindred. She's got moxie for days, and is stubborn and doesn't always know what she wants until she knows that she wants it. This is one of those books that adult readers will wish they had when they were twelve.

And then, with Verdigris Deep/Well Witched, we met Ryan Doyle. Ryan is the sort of thoughtful boy that the good girls fall in love with - they can't help it. He's loyal and intelligent, and cares about the right things. He's not afraid to take the burden of something he knows is too big for someone else.

And now, with Gullstruck Island/Lost Conspiracy, we have Hathin. The girl who isn't supposed to be noticed. Who goes on an impossible mission of vengeance for her people. Who takes on volcanoes and politicians and magic so much larger than herself and who doesn't even stop to wonder if maybe someone else may be better suited. She's the strength we all wish we had.

These books will always hold a treasured place in my bookshelves, and I will give them to my kids. The Lost Conspiracy is due out in September, and I can't wait to see what Frances comes up with next!

ETA: The Lost Conspiracy is, in fact, Gullstruck Island, just under a different name. It appears that Hardinge has fallen victim to that time-honored tradition of changing book names when crossing the Atlantic. Alas.

constant vigilance!

2009-05-01T13:40:00.004-04:00

i'm just going to say this no matter how ridiculous it sounds. I'm going to Ohio this weekend, and I am genuinely a little nervous that I cannot take my sword on the plane.

Does that sound crazy? Yes, of course it does, but it is my only weapon in the world, and if the Apocalypse happens when I'm in the Midwest, damnit, I want some cold steel for protection.

At least part of the time we'll be in the suburbs, and my grandmothers house is well situated to see many angles.

WHAT. DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE YOU DON'T EXAMINE YOUR SURROUNDINGS FOR ROUTES OF ESCAPE IN CASE OF ZOMBIES AND VELOCIRAPTORS. IF YOU SAY YOU DON'T, YOU'RE CLEARLY LYING.

Beat the Flu Chocolate Mint Cookies

2009-04-29T13:51:00.006-04:00

I work in a rather large medical institution, for a department that only treats the employees. With the recent Swine Flu hysteria, we've been making a lot of soothing noises and doing nasal-pharyngeal aspirates. The former to reassure that no one has the flu, and the latter to prove it.

Understandably, my colleagues are on the edge of our own hysteria, so I decided to boost morale and make cookies. That's my MO - When things get stressful, I bake.

Well! I was pondering this morning what I had, and I realized I was out of chocolate chips! Travesty! So I sidled over to Epicurious and did a search for "chocolate cookies". Well, there were many tempting results, but most of them demanded chocolate chips or sweetened chocolate – of which I had neither! Finally, I came across this little number. Bingo! I had all of the ingredients, and more importantly, it was quick and I had the time to do it.

Then, as I was assembling, I made some minor changes, so I'll repost the recipe with my alterations here. The over-all result was surprisingly light and cakey with a bright mint aftertaste, all without losing the darkness of the chocolate. We made a pot of coffee and took a moment to enjoy a cup with our cookies. I hope these go over as well for you as they did with my coworkers!

Beat the Flu Chocolate Mint Cookies
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
*1 tbsp dried mint flakes [once measured, crush into a fine powder in your palm, using your thumb. Who needs a mortar and pestle!?]

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter, softened
*1/2 cup raw cane sugar
*1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and crushed mint flakes in a medium bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined.

Drop level tablespoons of dough about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets and bake in batches in middle of oven until puffed and set, about 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.

*A few notes: The original recipe called for 1 Cup of sugar. When baking with chocolate, I generally like to mix my sugars. I find that using half brown sugar makes a fudgy, rich taste. In this case, I had recently run out of granulated sugar, so had only brown and cane.

I added the mint flakes to fulfill a promise that they would be minty. V. glad that I did!

heavens to betsy.

2009-04-23T15:28:00.002-04:00

My upcoming exciting times:

I'm exhausted already.

taxes again.

2009-04-14T14:47:00.003-04:00

So, I'll tell you what I won't be protesting this year. Taxes. I pays 'em without complaint, because, for me, it's not about my money being sucked away, it's about making the world I live in nicer.

So. There you go.

the microsoft discount

2009-04-10T13:51:00.002-04:00

this is a really fantastic article about the mac to pc spec comparisons going around.

i do know windows. i am forced to use a windows machine every day at work, and i go home to my old little emac with its 300 megs of memory and i sigh with happiness. yes, it's slow. yes, it's CRT. but dude, it does what i want how i want and makes sense.

so, i'm a mac user. always have been, always will be. yes, i'm having to save up forever for a new laptop, but it's worth it to me. one day i'll have my little macbook with 300 gigs of memory, and it'll be fast, and it'll be a flat screen. and that's fine. i'm not in a hurry.

poetry repost

2009-04-08T13:25:00.004-04:00

Just looking over my older stuff. I found this in some things I wrote in 2004.

Eagle Butte

we mourned together, you and i
in those ruins, by that tree.
pages were everywhere and nothing was left

the quiet, fierce wind blew my hair in my eyes and you laughed
on the prairie, smelling sage and the sweet-hot liver someone offered to the eagles
to the butte
tobacco strings and rock piles

and you, dear, shook me like a handful of blossoms
the paper you picked from the bushes and ran
ran
to me
scattering violent drops behind you

the colors bled
purple into red into a black
night sky
and we smiled, the moonlight glowing bright on our teeth

thats the way, you said
over the hill there, we can see eternity

i'm still waiting.

polenta!

2009-03-31T08:08:00.004-04:00

I made some spoon bread a few weeks ago, and it was scrumptious. Soon afterward, I was thinking of other ways that I could use up the cornmeal I bought for it, and my brain followed that natural conclusion to Polenta. Polenta is divine. You can cook it tons of ways: fried, baked, gloppy- all delicious. My mother used to bake it in the oven for a bit with tomato sauce. So good!

So, I went to my favorite food website, Epicurious.com, and found me this little gem from the May 2008 issue of Bon Apetit.

It came out SO WELL. I am enjoying another bowl for breakfast as we speak. I played with the original recipe by adding cheese and leaving out a tablespoon of butter [I forgot it!].

Creamy [cheesy] corn-studded polenta

3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
3 cups corn kernels [I used frozen that I thawed for a few hours, but they said fresh from 3 ears, which would be good in the summer]
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese [because what isn't improved by a mountain of cheese?]

Bring broth, cream, and salt to boil in medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in polenta; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring often. Add corn and cheese; increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until polenta is soft, thick, and creamy, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

I think one could safely add hot sauce, or perhaps a dash of Old Bay. The next time I make it, I'm going to go further with the cheese by adding some parmesan and remembering the butter.

Serve it with chicken! Or steak! Or a mound of veggies! But be warned - it's delicious all on its own, so be prepared to forget whatever else you planned to accompany it.

really, south africa?

2009-03-23T14:28:00.003-04:00

You're really denying a visa to the Dalai Lama? For a peace conference?

Really?

*headdesk*

lalala party times

2009-03-23T09:21:00.003-04:00

Tried to throw a rager for twenty on saturday, which then turned into an intimate dinner party for five. Was very good all the same - Dogfish has started putting out their springy hoppy beers, and I must say that I indulged in a few. A fantastic and delightful evening.

Then, on Sunday, once I overcame the inevitable hangover, I went over to Leah and Marc's and we started brewin'! We made a batch of mead and some sorrel wine, which should be FANTASTIC in a few months. Sorrel is a hibiscus that is very popular in the carribbean for drinks. We boiled water, sugar, those dried flowers and some cinnamon and cloves, and it smelled like chrismas! Very deep purple, too. Can't wait!

I'm over my dissappointment with Watchmen. It's cool, it's hollywood. I'll just pick and choose the imagery I enjoyed, and it will help fuel my future re-readings of the book.

lalala lovely lovely weekend! How were yours? Report!