I think it was last year that we got the news my best friend's mother had cancer. She did the treatments and went into remission. Last fall she failed her tests and they found it had spread and back into treatment she went. This time, however, it had gone to her brain. The prognosis wasn't good, but trudging forward she went. Cindy has always been a spunky fighter.
Two weeks ago she decided she had her fill and couldn't take any more treatments. She went into hospice.
It's been a waiting game and we knew it was coming. That doesn't seem to soften the blow any when I got the text this afternoon.
Cindy was a fabulous person. She was direct and you knew exactly what she thought of you. Somehow I had been blessed as a permissible friend for her daughter and she allowed me free entry into her home. She was pissed when she found out that I was facing eviction and offered her cramped home for me and my children. It was an unrealistic offer, but she made it nonetheless.
It may not have been easy to be her daughter, but she was pure heaven as a second mother.
When someone's parent dies we gather around the friend and try to comfort their loss. Unfortunately, I'm not got to be very useful in comforting Booty's loss as I'm grieving right beside her.
Fuck Cancer
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
Movie Monday - A Little Bit of Humor
I like nearly any type of movie, no specific genre ranks above the others, except humor. If I can laugh, then I'm sucked in. And I guess I should confess that my standards are quite low - toilet humor, puns, kid humor, and yes, I like the 3 Stooges. That last one really throws women for a loop, but yes, I am a fan. I'm so much of a fan that I can tell you that I prefer the episodes that have Curly, not Curly Joe or Schemp. By the way, I watched the 2012 Stooge movie and laughed my ass off. If you know of anyone that likes the old time Stooge classics this will definitely tickle their funny bone.
So how about a higher caliber of movie?
Ball of Fire (1941) - a house of professors take in a woman to study her speech as they compile an encyclopedia of current street vernacular. The woman is hiding from the mob and hilarity ensues when they find her and the professors try to protect her. Some of it is a little predictable, but it's light hearted and good for a few chuckles.
My Sister Eileen (1942) - small town girl moves in with her sister in New York, living in a shambles of an apartment. I didn't write down any of my observations on this movie except "funny". I vaguely remember it because of the extremely small and very horrible living conditions. It was a romantic comedy with lots of pitfalls, misconceptions, and a few deceptions.
The Goodbye Girl (1977) - another cramped apartment saga with budding romance. There is a struggle over who actually should live in the apartment as it was sublet to a friend while the ex-girlfriend continues to live there. The two grudgingly live together as they look for other living arrangements. There is lots of humor as they intentionally annoy each other.
Tootsie (1982) - I remember watching this in the theater when it came out and roaring with laughter. Have you not seen it??? An out of work actor resorts to pretending to be a woman to land a part to pay his bills. He becomes a big hit and is stuck being a woman.
I'm always delighted to find a funny movie on my list. They're a nice break from the drama, intensity, and sappiness of the other Oscar nominations.
So how about a higher caliber of movie?
Ball of Fire (1941) - a house of professors take in a woman to study her speech as they compile an encyclopedia of current street vernacular. The woman is hiding from the mob and hilarity ensues when they find her and the professors try to protect her. Some of it is a little predictable, but it's light hearted and good for a few chuckles.
My Sister Eileen (1942) - small town girl moves in with her sister in New York, living in a shambles of an apartment. I didn't write down any of my observations on this movie except "funny". I vaguely remember it because of the extremely small and very horrible living conditions. It was a romantic comedy with lots of pitfalls, misconceptions, and a few deceptions.
The Goodbye Girl (1977) - another cramped apartment saga with budding romance. There is a struggle over who actually should live in the apartment as it was sublet to a friend while the ex-girlfriend continues to live there. The two grudgingly live together as they look for other living arrangements. There is lots of humor as they intentionally annoy each other.
Tootsie (1982) - I remember watching this in the theater when it came out and roaring with laughter. Have you not seen it??? An out of work actor resorts to pretending to be a woman to land a part to pay his bills. He becomes a big hit and is stuck being a woman.
I'm always delighted to find a funny movie on my list. They're a nice break from the drama, intensity, and sappiness of the other Oscar nominations.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Sunday In My City - Snow in Forest Park
Finally, the last of my pictures taken in Forest Park back in December.
I love how snow accents this iconic statue of Saint Louis in front of the Art Museum
I don't know what building this is. I stopped because I saw some sledders.
Here I am back in front of the Art Museum at the top of the hill that goes down to the lake. The lake is one of the few relics left in tact from the 1904 World's Fair. This is also THE choice sledding hill in all of St. Louis, the news always does coverage out here on snow days. For those of you who get real amounts of snow may notice that we really have only a dusting, but we don't get many days of snow around here just lots and lots of cold, so any opportunity to break out the sleds is taken.
At the bottom of Art Hill looking up...
I haven't heard of anyone flying into the lake, although I'm sure it's happened. I believe the parks department puts bails of hay at the bottom to stop sledders from making an icy plunge.
Finally I had to leave and drove my favorite part of Forest Park, another relic from the World's Fair, the birdhouse at the zoo.
I love how snow accents this iconic statue of Saint Louis in front of the Art Museum
The Muny, our outdoor theater.
I don't know what building this is. I stopped because I saw some sledders.
Here I am back in front of the Art Museum at the top of the hill that goes down to the lake. The lake is one of the few relics left in tact from the 1904 World's Fair. This is also THE choice sledding hill in all of St. Louis, the news always does coverage out here on snow days. For those of you who get real amounts of snow may notice that we really have only a dusting, but we don't get many days of snow around here just lots and lots of cold, so any opportunity to break out the sleds is taken.
At the bottom of Art Hill looking up...
I haven't heard of anyone flying into the lake, although I'm sure it's happened. I believe the parks department puts bails of hay at the bottom to stop sledders from making an icy plunge.
Finally I had to leave and drove my favorite part of Forest Park, another relic from the World's Fair, the birdhouse at the zoo.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Friday Fragments - January 25, 2013
I thought I would have more pictures from last weekend but we were too busy having fun. And sometimes it's better that way. We were invited to my brother's house so my son could bring his air-soft gun and play with my nephews. Since we were dropping him off, why not stay overnight and hang out for a bit?
So we did.
Not only my youngest son went for the weekend but my older son and his family came along too. And it was such a great escape from the past two weeks of crappy crappiness. We laughed and drank and laughed some more and ate and laughed. It was absolutely perfect. And I got to play with the grandbaby. Actually, one of the best pictures of the weekend was the "tattoo" I drew on his belly.
If you can't read it, there's a heart with GRANDMA written across it. The rest of the scribbles were his addition I think it's fabulous!
You can still see the sticky circle from the EKG lead - he had a little stay at the hospital after getting into some medicine. He's okay, but it definitely added to the crapola of a craptastic week. His mommy and daddy were in dire need of a little rest and relaxation as was offered over the weekend.
Airsoft guns? They shoot little plastic balls that hurt like a sonofabitch, but aren't intended to do any harm. The boys play with them like paintball and to hunt each other in the woods. My brother even got in on the fun and was "killed" on a round or two. I may not have the score exactly right. They had fun and that's all that counts.
On top of the shooting and drinking (sounds downright redneck, doesn't it?) we had a scavenger hunt. We divided into teams, loaded into cars, and went into town getting pictures of your team in front of the listed items - a school, an emergency vehicle, a farm animal, a statue, etc. The most chatter came from trying to acquire a pen with the company's name on it. Some people wanted to disqualify mine from Staples where the clerk took a sticker and WROTE the name on it. No prizes were awarded, only bragging rights. And plenty of bragging was to be had.
So we did.
Not only my youngest son went for the weekend but my older son and his family came along too. And it was such a great escape from the past two weeks of crappy crappiness. We laughed and drank and laughed some more and ate and laughed. It was absolutely perfect. And I got to play with the grandbaby. Actually, one of the best pictures of the weekend was the "tattoo" I drew on his belly.
If you can't read it, there's a heart with GRANDMA written across it. The rest of the scribbles were his addition I think it's fabulous!
Airsoft guns? They shoot little plastic balls that hurt like a sonofabitch, but aren't intended to do any harm. The boys play with them like paintball and to hunt each other in the woods. My brother even got in on the fun and was "killed" on a round or two. I may not have the score exactly right. They had fun and that's all that counts.
On top of the shooting and drinking (sounds downright redneck, doesn't it?) we had a scavenger hunt. We divided into teams, loaded into cars, and went into town getting pictures of your team in front of the listed items - a school, an emergency vehicle, a farm animal, a statue, etc. The most chatter came from trying to acquire a pen with the company's name on it. Some people wanted to disqualify mine from Staples where the clerk took a sticker and WROTE the name on it. No prizes were awarded, only bragging rights. And plenty of bragging was to be had.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
It Wasn't A Bone Spur
I was starting to get worried. I had a sharp pain in my heel and my inner webMD had already diagnosed it as a bone spur. It was a sharp pain, but not debilitating. So maybe it was something else? I mean, my understanding of bone spurs is that they are absolute torture. If you have a bone spur, you don't wait to "find out". It been lingering, and yes, I know, I should have called the doctor ages ago.
But I didn't.
Yes, the word "ages" is appropriate and not an exaggeration. This had been going on for at least two if not three months.
MONTHS
I'm not really sure what I was waiting for, but as it turned out, a trip to the doctor wasn't necessary. Putting lotion on my feet one night I noticed something particularly rough on that heel. Like a splinter. Balancing my leg on the edge of the bathroom sink like a wobbly, and blind, yogi I picked and picked with tweezers. By the way, I'm really sick of this shitty eyesight.
At last the tee-tiniest little black thing popped out. It could have been a splinter but it felt more like a rock. It was solid whatever it was. And I'm not kidding about how absolutely minute this thing was. The standard tick is larger. Of course I couldn't properly SEE it except that it was black or maybe brown. Poppyseed! Yeah, it was about the size of a poppyseed.
How big is a bone spur? Because if they're any bigger than a poppyseed that HAS to hurt like a mofo.
So the pain is gone, the wound is healed, and I didn't suffer any infection. Best of all, it wasn't a bone spur.
Now what it was and how did it get there? I have absolutely no clue.
But I didn't.
Yes, the word "ages" is appropriate and not an exaggeration. This had been going on for at least two if not three months.
MONTHS
I'm not really sure what I was waiting for, but as it turned out, a trip to the doctor wasn't necessary. Putting lotion on my feet one night I noticed something particularly rough on that heel. Like a splinter. Balancing my leg on the edge of the bathroom sink like a wobbly, and blind, yogi I picked and picked with tweezers. By the way, I'm really sick of this shitty eyesight.
At last the tee-tiniest little black thing popped out. It could have been a splinter but it felt more like a rock. It was solid whatever it was. And I'm not kidding about how absolutely minute this thing was. The standard tick is larger. Of course I couldn't properly SEE it except that it was black or maybe brown. Poppyseed! Yeah, it was about the size of a poppyseed.
How big is a bone spur? Because if they're any bigger than a poppyseed that HAS to hurt like a mofo.
So the pain is gone, the wound is healed, and I didn't suffer any infection. Best of all, it wasn't a bone spur.
Now what it was and how did it get there? I have absolutely no clue.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Movie Monday - Dark Victory
Yeah, yeah, I know, it's not Monday. I also haven't posted for an entire week, so it is, sort of, Monday for me. It's my first day back to work after a four day weekend. Hopefully this was enough of a break to get back to rolling at full steam.
Dark Victory (1939) is another Bette Davis movie. She again plays a self-centered socialite, but this time she's almost endearing. Her voice seemed less grating and the overly dramatic acting was nearly acceptable. I actually liked this movie. A woman experiencing vision problems is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. She goes through the painful steps of denial into acceptance. Of course there is a love story to muddle the situation. As I said, it is endearing and you do feel for her and her friends.
It was refreshing to watch Bette Davis play a nice and pleasant character. She should have done it more often.
Dark Victory (1939) is another Bette Davis movie. She again plays a self-centered socialite, but this time she's almost endearing. Her voice seemed less grating and the overly dramatic acting was nearly acceptable. I actually liked this movie. A woman experiencing vision problems is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. She goes through the painful steps of denial into acceptance. Of course there is a love story to muddle the situation. As I said, it is endearing and you do feel for her and her friends.
It was refreshing to watch Bette Davis play a nice and pleasant character. She should have done it more often.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Oh My Wee Little Imploding World
There is sooo very much going on in my world. Today was a ten hour work day as we change email services. BLAH. There's lots more that I can't or won't get into online. Lots of stress
I'm still taking notes about movies and hoping to get some good photography time in over the weekend. Maybe next week I will feel more chatty.
Popped in to wave hello and let you know that I'll be back on Sunday.. ish
I'm still taking notes about movies and hoping to get some good photography time in over the weekend. Maybe next week I will feel more chatty.
Popped in to wave hello and let you know that I'll be back on Sunday.. ish
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Sunday In My City - Inside the Jewel Box
Inside the Jewel Box at Forest Park
It's smaller than I thought. I mean it's TALL, but... I don't know what I expected... more paths? It is a great spot for group pictures and I can see having a reception or other gathering there, like a garden club or something. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I went and I can see returning, but not at all what I expected.
The sun popped out after the earlier snowfall
I was fascinated when I saw these large fronds. That curl is as big as my hand if not bigger.
Cousins happy to see each other
I also expected more tropical flowers, so I was happy to at least see these... in bloom
It's smaller than I thought. I mean it's TALL, but... I don't know what I expected... more paths? It is a great spot for group pictures and I can see having a reception or other gathering there, like a garden club or something. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I went and I can see returning, but not at all what I expected.
The sun popped out after the earlier snowfall
I was fascinated when I saw these large fronds. That curl is as big as my hand if not bigger.
Cousins happy to see each other
Friday, January 11, 2013
Friday Fragments - January 11, 2013
Okay, has everyone successfully transitioned to writing and typing 2013 instead of 2012? I'm doing okay so far, but of course I haven't had to write a check either. So we'll see how true this stands in a couple days.
Yesterday was the grand announcement of this year's Oscar Nominees.... AND I MISSED IT! I watch the news in the morning so I always hear when they make the announcement but yesterday I was busy watching Hello Dolly. grrrrr And then I spent all day with Hello Dolly humming through my head. While I was in bad mood. It's really a bad combination and will probably shade my review of it.
The movies nominated for best picture, actor, actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, and animated feature are as follows (in no specific order and several received multiple nominations, but I'll only list them once):
Armour
Argo
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Beast of the Southern Wild
Silver Linings Playbook
Django Unchained
Zero Dark Thirty
Les Miserables
The Master
Flight
The Impossible
Brave
Frankenweenie
ParaNorman
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Wreck-It Ralph
The Sessions
I've only seen three so far.
Bad parenting admission: I like to scare the everliving shit out of my children. This is the stand-in-a-dark-corner-and-jump-out-at-them-screaming-BOOOO type of scaring. I'm sure it grew out of peek-a-boo when they squealed with delight as babies and then spiraled horribly out of control. It's an on-going game of gotcha, and yes, they get me plenty of times. An easy kill is quietly standing at the bathroom door and smile when someone opens it. You have to be super stealth quiet to pull that off, but that's not so hard if someone is finishing a shower, just be patient and the pay off is glorious. A few weeks ago, instead of standing at the bathroom door I hid behind The Teenager's bedroom door. And I had to wait a mighty long time because he decided to venture into the kitchen and lollygag. I was waiting so long that I was nearly about to burst into giggles and give myself away. But I got him and he responded with a fabulous high pitched yelp. So satisfying! And then there was this morning... oh this one will be hard to live down and I'm sure payback will be grand. I was just getting out of bed when I heard him come down to the basement (where I sleep). I hurried over to the laundry room door and stood in the dark. In the basement that terrifies my fifteen year old because he's convinced it's haunted and I can't really dispute that claim with mysteriously swinging doors and weird sounds that emit from exactly where I chose to stand. I didn't have to do a single thing, not even say "boo". And to see him jump out of his skin, stomp the floor ten times, and come up for air, was almost... ALMOST... pathetic. He didn't laugh; I had really rattled him and it was very early in the morning. But I'm sure he's plotting. Not that he has to work very hard at it, I am, after all, incredibly easy to startle.
As I said, yesterday was not really a good day for me so I insisted that my coworkers go out for Mexican. It was a brilliant move. Four of us crowded in a booth at a modern looking taco shop, laughing as if we were tipping back margaritas. It was cathartic and definitely made the rest of the day go smoother. I declared that Mexican food is happy food. By the way, in the same conversation we decided that Chinese food is comfort food. Do with that what you will, but on this day I needed a boost of happiness. It worked.
Yesterday was the grand announcement of this year's Oscar Nominees.... AND I MISSED IT! I watch the news in the morning so I always hear when they make the announcement but yesterday I was busy watching Hello Dolly. grrrrr And then I spent all day with Hello Dolly humming through my head. While I was in bad mood. It's really a bad combination and will probably shade my review of it.
The movies nominated for best picture, actor, actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, and animated feature are as follows (in no specific order and several received multiple nominations, but I'll only list them once):
Armour
Argo
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Beast of the Southern Wild
Silver Linings Playbook
Django Unchained
Zero Dark Thirty
Les Miserables
The Master
Flight
The Impossible
Brave
Frankenweenie
ParaNorman
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Wreck-It Ralph
The Sessions
I've only seen three so far.
Bad parenting admission: I like to scare the everliving shit out of my children. This is the stand-in-a-dark-corner-and-jump-out-at-them-screaming-BOOOO type of scaring. I'm sure it grew out of peek-a-boo when they squealed with delight as babies and then spiraled horribly out of control. It's an on-going game of gotcha, and yes, they get me plenty of times. An easy kill is quietly standing at the bathroom door and smile when someone opens it. You have to be super stealth quiet to pull that off, but that's not so hard if someone is finishing a shower, just be patient and the pay off is glorious. A few weeks ago, instead of standing at the bathroom door I hid behind The Teenager's bedroom door. And I had to wait a mighty long time because he decided to venture into the kitchen and lollygag. I was waiting so long that I was nearly about to burst into giggles and give myself away. But I got him and he responded with a fabulous high pitched yelp. So satisfying! And then there was this morning... oh this one will be hard to live down and I'm sure payback will be grand. I was just getting out of bed when I heard him come down to the basement (where I sleep). I hurried over to the laundry room door and stood in the dark. In the basement that terrifies my fifteen year old because he's convinced it's haunted and I can't really dispute that claim with mysteriously swinging doors and weird sounds that emit from exactly where I chose to stand. I didn't have to do a single thing, not even say "boo". And to see him jump out of his skin, stomp the floor ten times, and come up for air, was almost... ALMOST... pathetic. He didn't laugh; I had really rattled him and it was very early in the morning. But I'm sure he's plotting. Not that he has to work very hard at it, I am, after all, incredibly easy to startle.
As I said, yesterday was not really a good day for me so I insisted that my coworkers go out for Mexican. It was a brilliant move. Four of us crowded in a booth at a modern looking taco shop, laughing as if we were tipping back margaritas. It was cathartic and definitely made the rest of the day go smoother. I declared that Mexican food is happy food. By the way, in the same conversation we decided that Chinese food is comfort food. Do with that what you will, but on this day I needed a boost of happiness. It worked.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Movie Monday - Les Miserables
Shhh... I know it's really Thursday, sorry.
Maybe I was watching something different? I could have sworn I had seen Les Miserables - a black and white film about a drab court case in old timey France over a stolen loaf of bread. It could have been something else, I fell asleep. I have no idea what I'm confusing this with. And this is why I keep a detailed spreadsheet.
Then the 1934 version of Les Miserables appeared on TCM. Robert Osborn gave an introduction before the movie rolled and he explained this was actually THREE movies, accounting for the four hours. And it was in French with subtitles. Mon Dieu!
So let's quickly summarize the 900 reasons I was going to hate this movie:
1. I had "seen" a later version and hated the story
2. 1930's version - movies before 1940 are typically difficult for me to enjoy with over-the-top, gushy acting.
3. Subtitles
4. LONG ASS MOVIE
5. Did I mention subtitles?
Ready to snuggle down to a snooze-inducing event, I resigned myself to finally watch this movie.
And damn, if I didn't absolutely love it.
It did take several days to make my way through the four hours... remember I spare the men in the house from enduring my Oscar movie indulgence by watching my movies in the morning before I leave for work. The Teenager just walked through the livingroom asking why I watch so many Barbara Streisand movies (I'm currently watching Hello Dolly)? Purely by accident, I assured him. Although I am impressed that he knows Barbara when he sees her.
Back to Les Mis, I haven't seen the stage production. I never understood the hype. Like I said, I thought I had already seen the movie. It did take four hours to showcase a man released from prison, change his thieving ways, and be constantly pursued by a cop determined to put this criminal (once a criminal, always a criminal) back behind bars. Meanwhile, the havoc wrecked by another swindling man who destroys everyone in his path. Who is the real criminal?
I hopped over to Wikipedia to ensure I had a few facts correct about this movie and I realize that what I watched was the 1934 longass version, not the 1935 Oscar nominee. You know what? I don't regret it. As Wikipedia explains, this 1934 version is the most true adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel. Since I didn't read the novel, having seen the truest film adaptation is a good thing. Now I feel I will better appreciate any of the other versions, and evidently there are several? And to be honest, I'm sort of excited to see the latest version now hitting the screen. Of course I won't see it in the theater - yeah good luck pulling The Husband in for that!
Yes, look this up and watch it. It's a really good story, well told. If you hate subtitles like I do, they're a minor inconvenience. Or learn French.
Maybe I was watching something different? I could have sworn I had seen Les Miserables - a black and white film about a drab court case in old timey France over a stolen loaf of bread. It could have been something else, I fell asleep. I have no idea what I'm confusing this with. And this is why I keep a detailed spreadsheet.
Then the 1934 version of Les Miserables appeared on TCM. Robert Osborn gave an introduction before the movie rolled and he explained this was actually THREE movies, accounting for the four hours. And it was in French with subtitles. Mon Dieu!
So let's quickly summarize the 900 reasons I was going to hate this movie:
1. I had "seen" a later version and hated the story
2. 1930's version - movies before 1940 are typically difficult for me to enjoy with over-the-top, gushy acting.
3. Subtitles
4. LONG ASS MOVIE
5. Did I mention subtitles?
Ready to snuggle down to a snooze-inducing event, I resigned myself to finally watch this movie.
And damn, if I didn't absolutely love it.
It did take several days to make my way through the four hours... remember I spare the men in the house from enduring my Oscar movie indulgence by watching my movies in the morning before I leave for work. The Teenager just walked through the livingroom asking why I watch so many Barbara Streisand movies (I'm currently watching Hello Dolly)? Purely by accident, I assured him. Although I am impressed that he knows Barbara when he sees her.
Back to Les Mis, I haven't seen the stage production. I never understood the hype. Like I said, I thought I had already seen the movie. It did take four hours to showcase a man released from prison, change his thieving ways, and be constantly pursued by a cop determined to put this criminal (once a criminal, always a criminal) back behind bars. Meanwhile, the havoc wrecked by another swindling man who destroys everyone in his path. Who is the real criminal?
I hopped over to Wikipedia to ensure I had a few facts correct about this movie and I realize that what I watched was the 1934 longass version, not the 1935 Oscar nominee. You know what? I don't regret it. As Wikipedia explains, this 1934 version is the most true adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel. Since I didn't read the novel, having seen the truest film adaptation is a good thing. Now I feel I will better appreciate any of the other versions, and evidently there are several? And to be honest, I'm sort of excited to see the latest version now hitting the screen. Of course I won't see it in the theater - yeah good luck pulling The Husband in for that!
Yes, look this up and watch it. It's a really good story, well told. If you hate subtitles like I do, they're a minor inconvenience. Or learn French.
Sunday, January 06, 2013
Sunday In My City - Statues at the Park
These were taken outside of the Jewel Box just a few feet away
Don't you love how the birds on the branches look like somebody with their head in the ground and their feet kicking up?
I didn't even know there was a Korean War memorial here!
I didn't even know there was a Korean War memorial here!
Friday, January 04, 2013
Friday Fragments - January 4, 2013
Whew, the whirl wind of the holidays is finally over and now we can recuperate. I hope everyone had a splendid time... and if not that you find a way to make up for it.
New Year's Eve was a spectacular party with friends. It's been a very long time, too long, since I've laughed like that. Laughter is truly good for the soul.
The party's host has opened their home to us quite a bit over the years. We felt bad for all the times they paid for firewood. They didn't believe us that there was wood to be had, so one day we came across a GIGANTIC pile free for the taking. So we took. And delivered. It was several weeks ago and said it was an early Christmas present. Monday night we had the opportunity to stand around the fire pit, in the freezing cold.
Between the smoke, yelling over the crowd, and laughing I sounded like a very sick seal the next morning. And smelled like a walking campfire... one of my most favorite scents EVER.
It was hard getting back into the swing of things. Even though I really haven't been away from work more than a few days, our office has been topsy turvey for the last three weeks. Today was the first day I really felt like it was back to normal. My supervisor reviewed all of my current projects and pointed out how much I've got going on. I guess that might be part of the stress I'm suffering that is now exhibiting as annoying dry skin patches the dermatologist prescribed an expensive oil to heal!
Watching Diners Drive Ins and Dives we saw a recipe for chicken confit (I always thought it was "comfy" and yes, I did take French in high school). It's an old method where you cure the meat with salt and then cook it low and slow in oil. The TV show then skillet fried the meat, which is what we did. It was amazing. The bones fell off the breast, completely clean of meat. We had three breasts left over (because we always cook extra for left overs) and I very easily shredded them for fajitas. We will definitely be doing this again! I did a little research on confit cooking and it can be used for all sorts of meat which we will be trying as well.
Today I'm going to suggest a movie to avoid - Killer Joe. I have a very warped sense of humor, enjoy some really sick entertainment, and am very hard to offend. This movie crossed every line and I was left disgusted. Even hubby was asking WTF. I'm pretty sure somebody will pick it up, like we did, and think the description sounds interesting. WALK ON BY. You have been warned. If your husband insists on watching it (because advice of some insane blogger is no reason to impact your household) take up knitting or scrubbing the crud behind the bathroom sink knobs. Anything. And by all means DO NOT let kids watch it.
Here's to more posting, more reading, more commenting! Happy New Year!!!!!!
New Year's Eve was a spectacular party with friends. It's been a very long time, too long, since I've laughed like that. Laughter is truly good for the soul.
The party's host has opened their home to us quite a bit over the years. We felt bad for all the times they paid for firewood. They didn't believe us that there was wood to be had, so one day we came across a GIGANTIC pile free for the taking. So we took. And delivered. It was several weeks ago and said it was an early Christmas present. Monday night we had the opportunity to stand around the fire pit, in the freezing cold.
Between the smoke, yelling over the crowd, and laughing I sounded like a very sick seal the next morning. And smelled like a walking campfire... one of my most favorite scents EVER.
It was hard getting back into the swing of things. Even though I really haven't been away from work more than a few days, our office has been topsy turvey for the last three weeks. Today was the first day I really felt like it was back to normal. My supervisor reviewed all of my current projects and pointed out how much I've got going on. I guess that might be part of the stress I'm suffering that is now exhibiting as annoying dry skin patches the dermatologist prescribed an expensive oil to heal!
Watching Diners Drive Ins and Dives we saw a recipe for chicken confit (I always thought it was "comfy" and yes, I did take French in high school). It's an old method where you cure the meat with salt and then cook it low and slow in oil. The TV show then skillet fried the meat, which is what we did. It was amazing. The bones fell off the breast, completely clean of meat. We had three breasts left over (because we always cook extra for left overs) and I very easily shredded them for fajitas. We will definitely be doing this again! I did a little research on confit cooking and it can be used for all sorts of meat which we will be trying as well.
Today I'm going to suggest a movie to avoid - Killer Joe. I have a very warped sense of humor, enjoy some really sick entertainment, and am very hard to offend. This movie crossed every line and I was left disgusted. Even hubby was asking WTF. I'm pretty sure somebody will pick it up, like we did, and think the description sounds interesting. WALK ON BY. You have been warned. If your husband insists on watching it (because advice of some insane blogger is no reason to impact your household) take up knitting or scrubbing the crud behind the bathroom sink knobs. Anything. And by all means DO NOT let kids watch it.
Here's to more posting, more reading, more commenting! Happy New Year!!!!!!
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
Happy New Years!
My only resolution this year is to wish well for all those whom I encounter.
May joy fill your days
Wealth line your pockets
Love flood your heart
Harmony balance your world
Kindness guide your actions
Hope lead your dreams!
May health and happiness envelop you and your family.
May joy fill your days
Wealth line your pockets
Love flood your heart
Harmony balance your world
Kindness guide your actions
Hope lead your dreams!
May health and happiness envelop you and your family.
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