February 10, 2006

Things that make me go, "Geek!"

I will not deny it, not for a second. I'm an A #1, world class, card-carrying member of the Society for the Welfare of Hopeless Geeks. The sheer number of things that geek me out boggles the mind, and they seem to be making themselves known, lately, with a startling regularity. So much so that, hark! I am writing an entry about it. (So you can stop crying, Lilly.)

I think I'll start with my lunch. A better looking grilled cheese sandwich I defy you to find. And you can stop looking for an image of the Virgin Mary - I assure you, she isn't there. If she had been, you'd be seeing this puppy on E-Bay, and not my website.

I amused myself this afternoon with how regulated the construction of a grilled cheese sandwich is, to me. I have very specific steps that I take ever time I make one:

Find the Grilled Cheese Pan. It is, specifically, the pan that we bought for our nullified camping trip (stupid gallbladder). We discovered shortly thereafter that it makes THE perfect grilled cheese sandwiches. As the above picture attests to.
Spray pan liberally with cooking spray.
Put pan on large burner, set to halfway between "5" and "6".
While pan is heating, lay a paper towel down on the counter. Place two pieces of bread side by side on the paper towel.
Spread each piece of bread with margarine, and sprinkle lightly with garlic salt.
Retrieve one piece of pepper jack cheese and one piece of american cheese. Unwrap both, place both pieces of cheese on one of the cheese wrappers, throw the other wrapper away.
Observe sprayed, heated pan beginning to "steam". Place one piece of bread, butter side down, onto the pan. Stagger each piece of cheese on top of the bread in the pan, cover with the other slice of bread, butter side up.
While that side of the sandwich is browning, throw away other cheese wrapper and paper towel. Retrieve a paper plate and a spatula.
Carefully lift sandwich with spatula, look underneath to see if acceptable level of brownness has been achieved. If not, place back in pan for a few more moments. If so, carefully flip the sandwich.
Count to 20. Then, turn off pan.
Count to 20 again. Remove sandwich from pan.
Consume. With gusto. Delight, even.

I don't know why I always follow this exact routine; I just discovered this afternoon that I do.

This table setting was in honor of a couple of friends of ours, who are a couple, as it happens. They came over last Friday for dinner, and I'm not sure when I have ever felt more like I was "playing house". Having friends for dinner, and then having said friends arrive with wine! It just seems like a terribly grown-up thing to do.

Fortunately, we were saved. Dinnertime conversation was several leagues short of grown-up.

Calvin made his most excellent Chicken Marsala, our friends brought a salad with spinach and goat cheese and strawberries and almonds, I made stuffed mushrooms and bruchetta, and it was all quite elegant and savvy. Except, of course, for the aforementioned risque conversation. We had dessert (which our friends also brought - we made out like bandits as far as host(ess)ly duties are concerned), but they had to leave shortly thereafter as my DAHLING (my girlfriend) was feeling unwell.

I think one of my very first entries was about how much fun it is to share time with like-minded friends. We did have an especially good time with them. I shall force them to come over again. Soon.

Another picture of food. This is the chicken that Calvin made last night for dinner. Oh. My. GAWD. It was so good I almost cried. Why am I geeked? Because this chicken's perfection is due to the brand new Corningware pan that it was cooked in. Oh, sure, Calvin's culinary finesse was also responsible, but there really is nothing like cooking in something that was MADE for turning out gourmet stuff.

Please note that these two pictures of Oz were taken on two different days. And I could have taken a similar picture every day. He sits in the shower every. single. morning. As soon as we exit it. Sometimes before we've exited. He occasionally arrives, looks mildly affronted that we're still occupying the space, and then sidles along the side wall of the shower, away from the spray. He sits down in the corner and glares until we deign to shut off the shower and get out of the way, and then he makes himself comfortable soaking his ass, as you see above.

He cracks my shit up. He is, apparently, very routine oriented as well. And so I geek over my cat.

This is Flower, chillinchillin. With her little legs hanging like a frog's. She does this quite often. I will refrain from taking three million pictures of her in this pose, but don't think I'm not tempted.

"You and me, baby, ain't nuthin' but... uh, lizards, so let's do it like they do on the Discovery Channel."

No, they're not doing that. Thumper (who, fascinatingly enough, is now the smaller of the two lizards, making us wonder if we should switch gender identification between them) insists on a piggy back ride while in the tub with Flower. Turn about is fair play - Flower is usually standing on his head when they're together in the vivarium.

I have made a new friend at work, and she and I compete for the "Most Avid Reader" award. She and I seem to share frighteningly similar taste in reading, and the both of us are on a romance novel kick as of late. So! I lend her books I think she may like, and she lends me books she thinks I may like. I turned her on to Julia Quinn, and she turned me on to Lisa Kleypas. And Sherrilyn Kenyon. And... oh, a bunch of others.

We have several conversations a day, about reading and family and life and whatnot. And I like her! So, a new friend over which to be geeked.

Oh, and I joined Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Novels. Because I am, and I do.

Every time I hear a flock of geese flying and honking by, I get lifted up outside of myself. Really, I think it's one of my favorite sounds, and sights. Today not one, not two, but three flocks flew over the vicinity of the back yard. Each time I heard the honking coming from the open window next to the couch I got up in a hurry, rushed outside, and stood there watching until they were out of view.

They make me happy for no apparent reason. Therefore, geese = geeked.

Image from Del's Journey.

AND FINALLY...

Lookit what I got!!!

If this isn't due cause to geek out, I don't know what is. It's so wee! And it has my name engraved on the back! And it fits more songs than I know the words to! And it's so pretty!!!

Would it be too over the top to name it? Has anybody else named their iPod? No? Phooey.

I had THE BEST time today loading up my laptop with CD's, then sorting through and rating each song, then transferring all of my highest rated songs (462 and counting) over to my little Nano. (Aww, my widdle Nano.)

Workouts will never be the same again.

Y'all still love me, even though I'm a completely hopeless geek, right?

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