Hot dogs! Get yer hot dogs!

I like my 'dogs' bathed in onion, with a commanding (but not overwhelming) smear of mustard, and then topped with a hint of ketchup (like thin piping on a cake).  Maybe a few more onions sprinkled liberally over the top.

Occasionally I will partake of a chili dog with the works (provided 'the works' do not include relish - I don't relish relish).

Add a heaping pile of chips (or french fries) and some excellent coleslaw and baby....I am one happy puppy! Of course, if one is in a hot dog mood, and there are no chips or fries to be had, a decent tater tot or helping of homemade hashbrowns will suffice.

Satisfaction and culinary delights.

[burp]

Mmmm...nom-nom

Good cooking is hard to beat.

Tonight we had ribs, sweet potatoes, green beens, and corn for dinner.

I don't know how, but there is a small amount of sweet potatoes that haven't yet been consumed.  Where's my fork?

Slightly annoyed

Well, the news is out (sort of). Although none of it is definite, and most of what is out there is sketchy at best.

The release date has been listed as December 7, this year (2012 - in case you are reading this post years from now), but do you think the studio could do a better job of promoting it.... or setting up the web links.... or getting the name of the movie correct?

No.

No.

And, no.

It's either "Playing the Field" or "Playing for Keeps," and knowing what I know of IMDB sources, there's no sure way to be 100% positive until actual promotion begins and ads start popping up here and there.

Either way, there are going to be a good number of non-action, CG-void films to see this Christmas season, and I am going to enjoy myself!

The smell of jasmine and saffron rice cooking

Is there anything else quite so elegant and so tantalizing?  It's like carmel corn and some other unearthly bit of deliciousness wafting in the air.

I've got some excellent rib eye meat cut into thin strips and marinating in a semi-Asian marinade. 

At the ready stand my ever-present friends - chunks of red pepper and thick slices of onions.  Karl and I settled on baby ears of corn and spinach to round out the festivities in the pan...but now the question is:  Should we invite some mushrooms?

Hmmm.

Spices are on the counter nearest the stove, and the rice is half the way done.  My pan is standing by, waiting to go into sizzling action, and both of us (the kid and I) are drooling over what is to be dinner.......very, very soon.

Oh, maybe some pineapple chunks to act as a side dish!

By the by...it was a 'no' on the mushrooms.  "Maybe another time."  Sorry, fungi.

;)

Well, Maria, you've inspired me

My friend, Maria, decided to forgo eating meat for a week, and reports having lost roughly four pounds for her efforts! Way to go!

I am not certain I'll be able to stick it out an entire week, but I am going to give it a shot.

I mean, why not?

The great experiment will begin tonight - since I just made BLTs for the boys and myself (mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...bacon).

I miss you already, meat. [sniff]

One thought: Will it be OK if I continue to take my omega-3 supplement...since it technically comes from meat? ;)

One sure way to tell that spring has arrived

Besides the fifty-degree temps, the lack of snow, the extra birds now singing in the trees daily, the proliferation of neighborhood joggers, the glee-filled shrieks of children on the playground heard from over half a mile away, and the existence of catastrophic potholes all up and down the street, there is one sure way to tell spring has arrived.

My mother takes advantage of her UP reprieve; a furlough from the moose and tundra.

She travels south of the bridge. Are you with me there, Sparky?

Mom is one of the contingent of relatives and hire-ees that stays with Gram - one relieving another in an endless stream of caretakers.

Gram is 99 - mere months away from turning 100 - and requires supervision with meals and medications, and trips to the doctor, etc. (as you would expect for anyone of such an advanced age). She's also fallen numerous times and requires help to get up (obviously), assistance with the housework....you know, the normal routines of life. Gram likes to think she can get around in the kitchen, making coffee and such, but I have been there too many times when she has turned on the wrong burner and leaned on the hot one, or let her robe rest on it without thinking (or knowing). Yikes!

At any rate, mom stopped by this morning just around half-past six, bringing us a freshly baked turkey breast. Yup....meat presents! It was like finding out the Easter Bunny is really your mom, and instead of colored eggs under your furniture, she's hiding roasted fowl in your fridge!

It was surreal, seeing mom standing just inside the door with her arms full of yummy smelling turkey carcass.

What's next? Santa slinking down my chimney with a pork loin slung under one arm and a pot roast in his sack?

We didn't talk very long, mom was anxious to get on the road - it's a long drive to the Superior side of the UP. Normally she takes a drink of our delicious water when she is here, but I could tell she was really eager to move along because she skipped that part of her routine.

Within minutes she was hopping back into her car and making for the expressway.

The boys and I made it to the city to visit with the grandmas earlier in the week, and for dinner we had a delicious roast and lots of veggies. We were sent home with an array of baked sweet (and white) potatoes and carrots, and some of the leftover roast. Mmmmmm, yummy. I was hoping mom would stay long enough to have breakfast (so I could sort of return the favor), but it was apparent she was in her UP-hurry mode.

It's only been half an hour since she left, but I would liked to have visited a little while longer. Maybe next time.

I love you, mom. Thank you for everything....EVERY-thing.

Craving meatloaf

Yes, that's right. I am craving meatloaf. I want so badly to make *one* - have the smell of a baking meatloaf fill the house - then slice into it and savor the texture and flavor of a fresh meatloaf. [drool]

[How many times can this chick use the word "meatloaf"? I know, right? Well, just so's ya know, I edited one "meatloaf" out* of the opening salvo. So-o-o-o-o...yer welcome.]

When I made that pot roast the other day (more like a week ago, I suppose), I really wanted.........you guessed it.

My heart and taste buds are set on having one, too. So much so that my brain is now picturing the beautiful mound of meat on a plate (and yes, I am still talking about an actual meatloaf, and not Nathan....or Gerry)! Juicy and steaming and mmmmm. That, to me, is real comfort food.

"So make one already," I hear you screaming. Well, I would, but it's not that simple. Remember, I have no oven.

OK, so technically, I do have an oven....in a crate....in the garage, but that is a long way from being able to use it.

Karl's solution is to make "mini meatloaves." We'll just fry them..."like hamburgers" he says.

Brilliant, but they'd still just be hamburgers, so it's not the same thing. Not really, not by a long shot. Got give him credit for the suggestion, though.

It's like making cookies on the stove - and, yes, it can be done. I've been faux-baking on the stove top for the better part of the year, now, and if you stay diligent and attentive, and don't try to rush the process, you can make some very passable baked goods on top of your range.

Corn bread, cookies, muffins, biscuits - either store bought in a tube or scratch-made - they all can be made with patience and a spatula. Of course, you have to be able to regulate the temps of the cooking surface to get the desired results, and therein lies the rub.

It seems our four-burner range top is sympathizing with the plight of former oven.

Some time ago, one of the burners gave up the nuances of temperature regulation in favor of perpetual burn mode. That is to say, that one particular 'burner' now only works on high temp, there is no way to turn it down, so it isn't used for cooking any longer.

And now, it seems another of the cooking spirals has decided to become temperamental, and is slowly becoming overzealous in heat production. I am forever turning it down before cooking disasters occur.

Hopefully, this summer will see more work and more cash flow so I can complete the current phase of the kitchen metamorphosis.

Actually, that is another reason why I am trying to sell my books online. When I can manage to have the funds in my account to pay the carpenter to return and install the new range, that is when I can make a meatloaf!

RAM

Random Access Mom thoughts...sorry for the bad tease.

With my usual dose of determination, inquisitiveness, sense of fair play in an unfair world world (whoever said "it" was going to be fair, anyway?), a lack of willingness to wait too long (past stated deadlines and promised dates), a dash of desperation, and my nearly typical full speed ahead-ed-ness, I called the TV pilot producer (from the interview of almost two weeks ago) and asked the casual question: "Neh....what's up, doc?"

Of course, I did it on the terrible Wednesday, when the world was falling apart and nothing was going right. The day that made breathing and acting as humanly normal as possible become merely an illusion. People were in peril that day, and nobody knew a thing.

I called BK while sitting in my car at the OCC campus, after dropping Karl off for his Java class. See, normally, after letting Karl out of the car, I turn around and head for home. Let's face it, there is a lot to do - even without a full time job (or a part time job, for that matter).

Though, before we left the house that morning, I had already called several agencies supposed to be helping Karl and members of the OCC staff, and their supervisors, and was either awaiting callbacks or planning next moves. This whole "post-high" program they pretend to have Karl in is a huge sham, and I fell for it, just like I believed school personnel were behind him in HS. Thpppbbbbbt!

Turns out Karl's MRS (MI Rehabilitation Services) caseworker (Melanie) hasn't been working with MRS for weeks! and nobody let us know. Which really is par for the course since the woman never returned ANY calls during the last three months of attempts (January, February, March). I even asked his Care Coordinator to assist in contacting this new person, and she (Nancy) dropped off the radar!!

Sometimes it gets pretty overwhelming.

Cut to the chase: Her (Melanie's) supervisor - the District Manager for the Macomb/Oakland area - was astounded to learn we didn't know Melanie was no longer working on Karl's behalf...not that she ever was. Also, the DM was surprised to hear that nobody said a word about the lack of Melanie to us when I phoned and specifically asked for help regarding her at the office that morning. AND, the DM was more surprised to hear I left a VME for Melanie on her voicemail, where the outgoing message still gave instructions specifically for reaching Melanie at either that office number or another location with another phone number referenced! How's that for stirring the pot?

My incredulousness grew as the DM became surprised with the news.

Worse yet, Karl's "account" for assistance from this program reflects a substantial debit against the total for time against the balance...even though nothing was really ever done for him by anyone either from CLS or MRS. Twice, he received a ride to class at OCC from the Care Coordinator (Nancy), but that was a one way drive on two separate occasions, and the bill reflected shows hours of use! It's a twenty minute ride - so you KNOW she billed for a lot more than the pick up and delivery. So Karl's account balance dwindles with nothing to show of it all. I want to get paid for transporting him!!!!

Hey! Where's my paycheck??

Deep breath. In........... Out..........

Also that Wednesday, there was the phone run-in with a well-meaning but self-important, under-brain-challenged, sad-excuse-for-an-administrator woman at OCC (Mary) who tried to get out from under a blunder. As she was railing and spewing and pointing pointless fingers in my direction (and Karl's), I told her I was on campus and didn't think the conversation was best had over the phone, so I told her to hang tight for 5 minutes and I would find her office. This took her completely by surprise.

I was left in the outer waiting room to cool my heals, when suddenly a 'severe weather' announcement sounded and drove all occupants of the building to the shelter area, away for the small office.

Let's hear it for perfect timing.

I made my way to the corridor I knew Karl would be entering from, and caught up with him in order to spend that time productively.

Once the drill ended (half an hour later), Karl went with me to the office to have the meeting with Mary - and her supervisor, Mary.

I won't go into everything, because it was very long and involved, and it would be hard to navigate with all the blessed Marys in the room. Suffice to say, Karl was told he would have to make a big decision: drop/withdraw from the java class in order to save his GPA, or take an incomplete for the semester and repeat the entire class over the summer session, and try to improve the overall grade. A third option was to complete the class this term and hope that his grade would be good enough. Currently he has several missing assignments which he has not had any help with as his tutor has missed more than half of her time with him due to sick kids and her own flagging helth.

Any way you cut it, the options are bleak and unfairly balanced against Karl at this time.

He has until April 10th to withdraw, if he so chooses. More on this another time.

As I said much earlier, I did get a return call from BK regarding the camera position for the TV pilot, and the word is that they are hoping to get rolling by Easter, if not before. The Monday meeting (which should have been all-inclusive) sort of changed, and other conversations were had. So, this will be very much like other productions I have been involved with. Hopefully, as things become more stable and the show is up and running, communication will improve. For now...I sit and wait.

On a brighter note, here's a link to one of my BF's having an interview on The View, early in March. Ahhhhh, enjoy.

http://www.whedon.info/Nathan-Fillion-The-View-Tv-Show.html

If you watch it, Nathan goes on to talk briefly about his cat (due to Whoopi's question), and this aspect just makes him that much more adorable, and provides a reason to respect him beyond his Canadian meaty goodness. I always appreciate an update about the cat and a chance to watch those beautifully quirky facial expressions.

Brian's interview with the author who has asked him to illustrate his comic book went well, and Bud expects to be getting a copy of the story to begin illustrating to shortly. I am adamant about having a contract regarding the pay and use of the artwork, rights to it, etc., etc. This is critical, and I think Brian may be hesitant to bring it up for fear of losing out on the opportunity. There is still time, but he needs to be up front and proactive right from the get-go. I am proud of him for moving forward and trying this. As for his big southern excursion - yes, he still thinks he will be driving the rat trap of a pick-up to Georgia in June! Argh!!!

Dear Lord, please let me win the lottery before then.

As for the family pictorial project: I have nearly 400 photos edited - but I have not devoted time every day, as I thought I would, so I am not as close to the finish line for this portion of the project as I hoped to be. I still have over 500 photos yet to edit!

I know, right?!

Uh-oh news: The dryer is now not drying clothes any longer. It tumbles with great enthusiasm, but there is no hot air whatsoever, and so the clothes are nearly as damp coming out after 3 turns of the dial as when they entered. Can't tell you with any certainty when this whole death of the dryer happened, but it was quite recent.

I know one thing...it is going to make the last 4 loads of jeans and towels and such a real challenge! [Laughing madly to keep from crying] Have figured out I can simply wash them here at home, then bag the loads and drive them to a laundromat to dry for the time being. Once the weather turns nice I will take to hanging them outdoors on the line again. I used to love doing it on the farm in Hadley, so why not? All I need to get are clothes pins! tah-daaaaahhhh!

We have been rat-sitting Lillie (or is it Lilie...or Lily?) since last week. She is a cutie pie, and a lot of fun for the cats (and for the humans, too). She had an infection no too long ago which seems to have left her blind in one eye...so she is very challenged when it comes to looking around and taking it all in. It is sad to see her lose her balance and tumble just trying to do simple things, but she is a love and really perseveres, so you can't help but adore her.

The boys and I will head to Gram's tomorrow to visit both the grandmas for a short while. Brian has an outing planned, and I still have things to get done, but seeing mom and having the boys visit their great-Gram is important.

Today marked the 40th or 41st anniversary of Martin Luther King's assassination...what a thing to memorialize. Saw a great bumper sticker on a car while out with Karl today. It was simply the drawings of Ghandi, Mother Theresa and MLK with something about your life's actions defining you or defining who you are. Karl thought about it for a moment then said, "George Carlin is the only thing missing from that bumper sticker." Huh.

And on that note...

See, I told you it was going to be a lot of random memory-type stuff. Hope some of it made sense

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The second episode of my lovely Canadian boyfriend's show was on last night, and man...is he fun to watch! Merry Christmas to me!

Other than that, I have nothing.

Oh, and yes, I have three boyfriends, and one pseudo BF. They are all creatures you wouldn't normally find on your friendly neighborhood grocery shelf...unless you had a really good grocer with a keen eye and a fantastic budget, but they are nutritious, delicious, and (probably) don't taste just like chicken.

Ah, but who cares!? If I want chicken I'll go see the colonel.

I may end up having to move my original BF to "pseudo" status, and move the current PBF to the major league.

Pity. I luvs me original BF to death, but he is married, and all I can permit myself are lusting privileges anyhow (thank you, Jimmy Carter).

Watch Castle, Monday nights @ 10pm on ABC!!

Quick update on the spring cleaning/purging: The library is now nearly 100% useable as a quiet area and editing room, and free of most of the cumulative debris. Still need to get the last of the trim up and do some spot mending and painting, but for the most part it's looking good! Also need to get a few more shelves made for the bookshelves - never were enough of those to go around, and every shelf is at maximum capacity now because of the initial shortage.

The living room, however, took a major hit when I began in earnest to clean the library, so I have to make myself divide my time between the two rooms and put away / throw away / give away the things of consequence or no consequence and just get it done!

All the while I think about the sewing I want to do, and the clothes I need to make. Aargh! That just makes it harder. [Sniff] I need a job outside the house.

Oh, and the post production team for All's Faire In Love has been calling quite regularly - it began with a couple of errant calls from Cynthia about names for the credits, and now has blossomed to almost daily calls or emails from LV (Cynthia has gone AWOL and never passed along the info I sent) for a lot of the same info and an additional odd list of names, ie; "Two Lesbians," "Knife sharpening guy," etc. I kid you not. You can't make this stuff up, folks.

Enjoy your time, no matter what you are doing.

Welcome to March!

Wahoo!

See, didn't I tell you it would be a fast month? And here we are in March, already.

Remember that perfectly shaped month of February? Four weeks beginning on a Sunday and ending on a Saturday...no more and no less than 28 days. Because it did begin on a Sunday, and because it was exactly four weeks, we will end up having another Friday the thirteenth. Are you ready for that? Watch out for those black cats in your neighborhood and stay away from paths with ladders.

Will it happen again in 2009, you wonder. Yes! in fact, it will occur once more in November. The chances of three Friday the 13ths in one year is about once in 11 or so years. Cool, huh? So if you're into that whole Friday the 13th scene, you'll have a short wait for the next one.

February is one of those months that I think about as a 'don't blink' month. You know the kind. Sort of like driving through an extremely small town: "Don't blink, or you'll miss it." Well, I was blinking, baby. You better believe I was blinking.

As for March, well, what a busy bunch of days. A transitional month in many ways. For example:

• Daylight Savings Time begins on the 8th.
• We celebrate Purim and St. Patrick's Day, and
• The first day of Spring happens on the 20th!

What's not to love?

Plus - it seems as though we are in for a lamb entrance for the better portion of the first week.

Oh! and my favorite part of all...my boyfriend's new show begins on the 9th on ABC. Mmmmm...Canadian Meat!

Welcome to March!

Turkey day...not my favorite holiday

Happy Thanksgiving, to one and all!

So I suppose you are wondering about that headline. No, I am not a turkey suffragette. I am not a fowl-sympathizer; nor one of those tree-huggers who goes too far in protecting all of nature. Let's face it...some of nature is pretty doggone delicious, and I am not ashamed to strap on a napkin and belly-up to a packed table full of victuals...fork and knife at the ready, to eat from the carcass of a beautifully roasted turkey. Yum yum!!

No, I would not feast at the expense of a lion or horned owl, or any other protected/endangered critter...I am simply saying I AM NOT A VEGETARIAN. Ohhhhhh, yuppy ding dong. You betcha. I am a meatatarian, and my meat headed sons and I are soon on our way to a lovely (albeit small) family feast.

As a matter of fact, I have just put apple dumplings in the oven to take to my grandma's for T-day dinner. (Got the recipe online, and I need to revise it a bit to make it work for another go-round.)

Nope, my dislike of this particular day - or, time of year, really - is that unemployment for me seems to be 'the thing'. Pervasive, in fact, right around the holidays. Those of you who really know me, know that I have been unemployed for quite a while now. Believe you me, I have been working on correcting the unemploymentedness. And I am going to do it without the aide of any government or state agencies - MOSTLY because they don't help, and don't really know how to. They simply exist so that the gov't/state can pay someone to have a job (other than myself) and they can say to themselves: "My, aren't we wonderful politicians and statesmen. Harrumph, harrumph, harrumph."

Yes, I know how crazy that sounds, but I have tried to look at this from so many viewpoints and I can't figure out how it is that a single mom of two, without a completed college education can jump through all of the mandated hoops from all of the unemployment office-type dealios, be identified as best performing certain jobs, and then not get any sort of monetary help from those agencies - or the state - to obtain said training?!?!?!?!

Sadly, now that I am joined by so many thousands more on the unemployment line, I have less of a chance of getting work, let alone any $ help for further training or sustainance. And this always seems to be a thing for me at this time of year.

Hey, somebody call a friend or relative with a job available and give them my name, PLEASE.

I thank you.

Happy Thanks Giving day to one and all!

Happy Birthday, Nathan!!!!! Mmmmm-meat!

Can't let the day slip away without sending you a birthday greeting and a happy thought.

So....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, you lovely Canadian!

 

Hope you had a shiney day!

 

With love and admiration,

Bill Pardy