Pictures are up from our Oregon trip. No text or descriptions on them yet - that will come over the course of this week. As will the full journal entry of our trip and associated adventures (and there were many). But Jen has been pestering me for pictures, and that's the fastest way to get me to do something!

Labels: photography, vacation

Posted by Laura at 3:35 PM | Permalink | Comments

(Guess which song is playing on my iPod right now.)

Calvin and I are off to Oregon tomorrow morning. Very, very early tomorrow morning. So that we may arrive in Oregon comparitively early and commence with all of the drinking.

What does it say about us that we are fashioning a mini-vacation around the purpose of drinking? No, don't answer that. Just picture us, whenever you think of us tomorrow (if you think of us... but of course you will, you loyal readers!), sitting in 75-degree weather, sipping a microbrew on the banks of the Willamette River.

Many pictures to come, I assure you.

(I'm hot, and I don't care who knows it... I've got a job to do.)

Labels: booze, vacation

Posted by Laura at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments

I started reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows last night at 7:30. I read the last page at 3:30 in the morning.

It's over. Rowling did a good job. She also did a lot of unexpected things. But in the end it was well done.

I'm kind of numb, though.

Any readers out there who have finished the book e-mail me so we can talk about it!

Labels: best things, books, crack

Posted by Laura at 9:34 AM | Permalink | Comments

Yesterday I slept until 11:00, read in bed until 1:30 (thanks again for the books, Jen!), received clothes shipped from Old Navy, tried on said clothes and discovered that all but one item fit perfectly, took a VERY long bubble bath, went to the grocery store with Calvin, watched Calvin bake not one, but TWO cakes (yellow with chocolate frosting, and devils food with caramel frosting), hung out with Marie and her boyfriend, consumed the steak dinner that Calvin also cooked, and had two pieces of cake.

I also received a card from Dawn, a phone call from my sister, a phone call from Ann Marie, and an e-mail from Heather.

It was a very nice birthday.

(Today I am going to pick up the veggies from the co-op, then sit patiently and await the delivery of Harry Potter from Amazon.)

Labels: best things, Calvin, home, journal

Posted by Laura at 8:17 AM | Permalink | Comments

Link: The Which Lolcat Are You? Test written by GumOtaku on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Labels: blogthings

Posted by Laura at 9:31 AM | Permalink | Comments

I was driving back to work today after meeting Calvin for lunch and then going home for a few minutes to put a meatloaf in the crockpot. NPR's "Talk of the Nation" was discussing the habits of book readers, specifically those people who read the ending of a book first. The story was prompted by the fact that the release of the final Harry Potter book is this Saturday.

Regular readers will recall that I posses this very bad, sacrilegious "end reading" habit. I'll read the very last page, regardless of if it's a full page of text or has only two lines, and then go back to page one and read through. I have actually been thinking of how I will address "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" when it is delivered to my house this coming Saturday. It's the final book of the series, and I really want to savour it. But will my willpower be strong enough to resist the urge to read the end first?

The people discussing this "end reading" phenomenon on NPR had an interesting point. Authors (of course) want readers to curl up with their books for hours and thoroughly enjoy every word, every description, every aspect of character development, and arrive at the end in a linear fashion, without reading ahead. But some people tend to read faster just because they want to find out what happens, and thereby miss or skim the meat of the book in their rush. It is thought that perhaps people who read the end first are then able to go back to the beginning and read in a more relaxed fashion, without that feeling of needing to hurry up and find out what happens.

I think I am one of those people. I feel a certain anxiety (retarded, I know) when reading a book, to know what happens ahead of the point that I am at. But if I know what to expect, I can then relax and enjoy the book without rushing.

So. I am still undecided about what to do with this book. I really want to read it from page one, slowly and with relish, and arrive at the end when it arrives. Without reading ahead. But this is a pivotal point in pop culture - the END of the Harry Potter series (!) - so how am I supposed to keep myself from succumbing to the urge to peep at the end?(*)

What will you do, dear readers, when faced with this very same dilemma?

(*) There is, of course, the option of reading the book twice in a row, should the first reading be too rushed in my desire to get to the end and find out what happens. (**) It's not like I've never done THAT before.

(**) Calvin is SO going to harrass me about this.

Labels: books

Posted by Laura at 1:16 PM | Permalink | Comments

Robyn of Bitchypoo.

Labels: blogs

Posted by Laura at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

Avitable's answers are much more funny - and more dirty - than mine.

1. What's the last mistake you made? I cut things a little close with our finances this month due to not paying close enough attention.

2. Is the sun shining? Fuck yes. Too damned much, it's shining.

3. Can you successfully blow up and tie a balloon? The blowing (heh) isn't so much a problem, the tying always thwarts me.

4. Do you like text messaging? I am very anti-text messaging. For crying out loud, a phone is for making phone calls.

5. Are you having a good/bad hair day? I'm having an unopinionated hair day - pony tail, no product.

6. What was your last purchase? A movie ticket to "Live Free or Die Hard".

7. Are you wearing any make-up right now? None ay-tall. Combined with number five, I am one sessy bitch.

8. What are your plans for later? Watch more TV, surf more internet, listen to Calvin HUFF (he's bored), read, feed the lizards, feed the dogs, get the coffee ready for tomorrow, and go to bed.

9. What is your favorite DDR song? I had to Google this one... DDR I believe stands for "Dance Dance Revolution", which I have never played and so I have no favorite. I think the Dance, Bitches! mix would qualify... of which I would say "California Love" is my favorite.

10. Is there any drama within your life? Geez oh Pete, is there ever. Calvin and I want a total life change, my step son still hasn't moved out of the house, my step daughter is having living drama with her roommate, my sister still isn't speaking to me... we don't covet drama at all, it just seems to find us.

11. What is a song they need to stop playing on the radio? Hip hop is total bologna lately, I don't know why. I'm a fan of the format, but lately I haven't found any new songs that I want to listen to. "Great Escape" by Gwen Stefani (pop, not hip hop, but it qualifies for this question) is WAY overplayed right now.

12. Are you content with life right now? For the most part, I am easy to keep content. Calvin is the high-maintenance one. I do wish we could make significant progress toward our goals, though.

13. Does anyone like you? It's funny, I was just thinking about the friends I used to have last year that have since shunned me, for their own reasons. I'm a good person and a good friend, but for some reason there have been notable occasions in my life where a friend has just gone all, "Fuck it, I don't want to be friends with you anymore." Which is weird, because I would never dream of abandoning a friend, even if they were pissing me off. It just brings the REAL friends I have in my life to the forefront and makes me appreciate them all the more. (Heather, Jen, Ann Marie, Archibael, Dawn, my friend Kim in Maine, plus the on-line friends that I haven't met in "real life" yet... Amanda and Sherry and Robyn and Crystal and Jayne (who doesn't have a website anymore and I miss it!) and Dana and Morag and JenFu and fifty-seven other OLJ-ers whom I hope won't be insulted because I didn't mention them...)

14. What is your current obsession? Money, and the acquisition thereof.

15. Do you have your license? To drive? Yes. To do anything else that requires a license? No.

16. Ever been kissed under mistletoe? Yes, trite as that sounds.

17. Would you ever smile at a stranger? If I make eye contact, I always offer at least a polite smile.

18. Ever done a random act of kindness? I try to do a little something kindly random every day.

19. Do your toenails have nail polish on them? Not at the moment. I am in dire need of a pedicure. See # 5 and # 7 for the total picture.

20. When is the last time you wore eyeliner? A couple of weekends ago when Calvin and I went out for our anniversary. Usually I don't like to wear it because I end up rubbing my eyes and fucking it all up.

21. Last curse word you said was? See # 20.

22. Are your lips chapped? No, they are nice and soft and Calvin-kissable.

23. Are you currently jealous? Not at all.

24. Do you own an iPod? I am currently convinced that life without my iPod would not be a life worth living.

25. Did you have a dream last night? I dreamed, but I don't remember what it was.

26. Are you mad at anyone? My sister on general principles. The aforementioned friends that are shunning me (but only when I think about it). My stepson occasionally when he ignores his chores.

27. Who is the most random person you know? Okay, I have to leave Avitable's answer here: "Platypus with a side of potato nipples."

28. What's going on this weekend? More moving of our shit belongings into storage.

29. Done any spring cleaning lately? It's July.

30. Anything bothering you? Many things bother me, none of which I feel like expounding upon at the moment.

32. Did you wish for anything last night on 11:11? Heh, Marie got me started on this when she was really little. I was asleep last night at 11:11, though.

33. Do you drink coffee on a regular basis? Every blessed morning. And sometimes in the afternoon. Always with dessert at restaurants.

34. Do you wish you were someone else? No, I just wish to improve upon the me that I am right now.

35. What jewelry are you wearing? Just my wedding ring.

36. Ate any exotic food lately? We ate a lot of raw things in Maine... steak and tuna tartar. Nothing exotic about the steak and tuna noodles and spaghetti and burgers and meatloaf and chicken that have graced our menus lately.

38. Are you easily amused? My sense of humor is losing more and more sophistication the longer I hang out with Calvin.

39. Can you lick your elbow? No, I have Calvin to do that should the need arise.

40. Do you know this song, "we stay fly no lie you know this"? Um, no. But I do know all the words to C&C Music Factory's "Sweat".

41. What piercings do you have? Three in one ear, two in the other, and my navel. All of which I haven't actually worn anything in for quite some time, now.

42. Do you have a crush right now? I really like that cute kid from the Mac commercials. Justin Long.

43. What are your plans over the summer? To stay out of the heat as much as humanly possible. Also, we're going to Oregon next week.

44. How's life going for you? At the moment, tediously. Hence, this survey.

45. What is on your mind just this second? The movie "Casual Sex" is currently boggling my mind. It's devastating in its 80's-ness. I also wonder why I love every kind of seafood but I don't like oysters on the half-shell.

Labels: blogthings

Posted by Laura at 6:14 PM | Permalink | Comments

So I got up during the previews before Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix started (I picked Marie and her boyfriend up for the 10:15 showing this morning), to go to the bathroom. As I passed by all of the "Coming SOON!" movie posters, one in particular caught my eye. I stopped, backed up, stared with a completely retarded grin growing on my face, and got actual goosebumps.

This is what I saw. They're making a movie of "The Dark is Rising" by Susan Cooper. My absolute hands down FAVORITE series of books of all time, period. And that's a BIG statement, coming from me.

I was so geeked that as soon as the movie was over I called Jen. And shrieked with her. Thank GOD she understands how WICKED this is.

Oh, and Harry Potter was good, too.

Edited to add - here is the official movie website.

Labels: best things, movies

Posted by Laura at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments

I still haven't heard from that company in Maine. Motherfuckers.

I am shocked and a little awed (after having just balanced the checkbook and paid the bills) at the sheer amount of money we spend going out to eat. If we could just STOP DOING THAT, this paycheck-to-paycheck bidness could probably end. But going out to eat is not only the procurement of necessary nourishment - it is a form of entertainment for us. Mostly me. Clearly we need to find other ways to entertain ourselves. Ways that don't involve spending money.

I am a very outdoorsy person, normally, but it impossible to do outdoor-type-entertainment things in Arizona in the summertime. And yet? I still see joggers out there, every afternoon when the temperature is at its 116-fuck-degree hottest. And I ponder to myself: what unpronounceable mental condition do these people possess? Or is it a physical problem (also unpronounceable) that prevents people from feeling the heat (Googling... hold please... Familial Dysautonomia)? I can understand the need to get/remain fit. I can even somewhat wrap my brain around the thought that some people in fact enjoy running. But nothing in the world can make me comprehend the reasoning behind running in July in Arizona. That's just all full of The Crazy.

(Channelling Dawn, with whom I have been exchanging some EPIC e-mails this week.)

Remember how last weekend I said that Calvin and I were going to spend the entire weekend clearing out the garage and moving a bunch of stuff from the house and garage into the newly-obtained storage unit? Yeah. Well. We went as far as to take a trip to Home Depot on Saturday to acquire some storage containers. And Calvin purchased and put together a fan and attachments to make a mister to run in the garage during said cleaning out activity.

That's as far as we got. Seriously. We showered, napped, and sat on the couch watching movies. For the rest of the day on Saturday, and ALL DAY Sunday. We didn't do one damn useful thing at all. And felt really guilty about it. So this weekend we have renewed our motivation to accomplish the shitload of shit we need to get done. I have a list. It is long.

And now, a list of the movies that Calvin and I have used to distract ourselves from the guilt of not accomplishing anything:

Catch and Release - Starring Jennifer Garner and Timothy Olyphant. Cute enough. Decent, even. The dead guy pissed me off, but it ended good. I shall purchase the soundtrack.

Fur - Starring Nichole Kidman and Robert Downey Jr. What a freaking WEIRD movie. Normally I LOVE anything RDJr is in, but this one? Just weird, nothing else.

Zoom - Academy for Superheroes - Starring Tim Allen and Courtney Cox. Calvin picked this one out, it's his fault. DUMB.

Tourista - Starring nameless B-rate actors. Calvin watched this one while I read a book. And when it came to the underwater scene, I took my book into the bedroom. I don't like horror movies, and I can't STAND scenes where people are trapped underwater. GAH.

Shooter - Starring Mark Wahlberg. Decent, though with much pointless violence. It was interesting to see Danny Glover play the bad guy.

Blood Diamond - Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly. I still don't much like Leo. Plus there was A LOT of pointless violence in this one... which I guess accurately depicted the conditions of that part of Africa in the 90's.

Black Snake Moan - Starring Christina Ricci and Samuel L. Jackson. Certainly not what I expected, though I don't think I had expectations of this movie. It was decent. I still think Christina looks like one of the aliens from Mars Attacks!, though. Creepy.

Music and Lyrics - Starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. Very cute. I couldn't get the final song out of my head for days.

Bridge to Terabithia - Not what I expected, I thought it was going to be far more fanciful and far less literal. A good movie, though it struck a VERY STRONG chord because the similarities with what happened to Brad. Right down to the dog, for crying out loud.

The Devil Wears Prada - Starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway (with a minor role by our favorite, Stanley Tucci - I WISH they would put him on Grey's Anatomy). Saccharine and cute. Anne Hathaway does well dressed ala Audrey Hepburn, circa "Sabrina" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's".

And finally, Battlestar Galactica, seasons one and two. We've been getting the discs via Netflix since late March/early April, and just finished the last disc of season two last week. I am anxiously awaiting season three to come out, so I can watch it before season four starts on TV in November. What a great series. Calvin and I are both really enjoying it. Though the use of "frack" is really starting to get annoying. Also annoying, the last three or four episodes - Lee went from Captain to Commander in, like, two and a half episodes; Starbuck's trip to Caprica to rescue the rebels was very abbreviated, topped off by a bullshit message from the Cylons that they "made a mistake" by practically wiping out humanity; they elected a new president, found a planet, inhabited it for over a year, and were invaded by Cylons in one episode.

They never jumped around in time like that before, and they never hurried the storyline so much before. It makes me wonder why executives make decisions to mess with the story like that.

As far as summer television goes, everyone knows that it is The Suck. Calvin and I just end up watching reruns of sit-coms, comedians on the Comedy Channel, whatever's running on HBO (if we watch "Over the Hedge" one more time...), whatever's on the Discovery Channel, and hours upon HOURS of WWII documentaries (Calvin's a buff) on the History and/or Military channel. However, we have started watching episodes of "Kathy Griffin - My Life on the D List" (on Bravo? E!? Some cable channel...), and I've got to say, that woman CRACKS ME UP. She dines upon her foot with hysterical frequency, puts herself out there CONSTANTLY for judgement and ridicule, and doesn't give a SHIT. It's awesome. I want to grow up to be just like her.

Dear Lord, in reading back through this entry, it is very VERY obvious that Calvin and I need to put some meaning back into our leisure time.

Labels: food, goals, home, journal, movies, TV

Posted by Laura at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

Hi guys. A lot of you have e-mailed/commented, asking if I've heard anything back from that company in Maine that I interviewed with a couple of weeks ago. I haven't heard anything yet, but they did mention not to expect to hear from them until sometime around the 9th of July. Which is today. So I should know something soon, and you guys will be the second to know. Behind Calvin, of course.

I hate doctors completely. Absolutely. With the white-hot passion of a thousand burning suns. I went to my GP on Friday to see if they could do something about the screwed up thyroid levels appearing on my blood test results, so that I wouldn't have to wait until the 31st to see the endocrinologist (see entry on 6/26). I have almost all the symptoms of hyPOthyroidism (lethargy, weight gain, body aches, among others). Yet the doc said that the test results show that I should be experiencing hypERthyroidism, whose symptoms (heart palpitations, high blood pressure, excess of energy, weight loss, among others) are the exact opposite of how I've been feeling.

Here's the part where I got mad. She said that I'm probably depressed, and should take meds. I told her, "No, I know what that feels like. I've been on anti-depression and anti-anxiety meds before, and went off them back in November. I'm not going back on them, this is different."

She just smiled at me in a condescending fashion, said, "I think you should consider it, since that would be in keeping with all of your symptoms," and pat-patted me on the arm. As if to say, "You can't fix the problem until you admit there is one." Bitch. You all KNOW what hell I went through with my depression and anxiety, and for someone to suggest that I'm in denial or don't know what I talking about REALLY cheesed me.

She wanted to order up yet another round of blood tests and a follow-up appointment, which I absolutely flat-out refused. I am God-awful sick and tired of getting poked with needles. The year is only half over and I've had at LEAST six or seven blood tests already, for a variety of things. And I'm sure the endocrinologist (who I am still seeing) will order another round, since their office wasn't the one who provided this latest blood test, and it will be a couple of months old by the time I finally see them.

Not to mention the fact that each doctor's office uses different sets of ranges and parameters to measure blood and body chemistry, which I find to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of. Where is the industry standardization? How do they expect to measure results over time, across disciplines, if their methods of measurement are all different? How do they expect to identify trends? I can't compare the blood tests that I got from the GP, the OB-GYN, and the Gastro doc because they use different measurements and scales for the same labs. It boggles the engineer and data analyst in me.

Let's see, what else? Ah, yes. Back on the 29th, Calvin and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary (see here for the entry I did about the wedding). What better way to celebrate than to eat steak, and watch steak! We went to The Keg for some blue cheese crusted filet mignon (uh. mah. gah.), then went to the Jobing.com Arena to watch the pro bull riding competition. I'd never been to any sort of bull riding or rodeo event, even though I've lived in the "Wild Wild West" for coming up on up on fourteen years.

I tell you what, we had a pretty darned good time. I was rooting for the bulls the whole time, of course. We sat next to a group of guys that were out for a buddy's birthday, and ended up gabbing a bit with them and sharing the flask-o'-whiskey around. There was a very pretty girl with a low cut top and hiked up assets sitting in the section below us, and every time she would climb up (and then back down, natch) the stairs on a beer run, the guys would all yell, "Puppies!" Yeesh.

Anyway, we took a billion and three blurry bull pictures. Bulls standing on their heads. Bulls standing on their tails. Bulls leaning at 90 degree angles. Cowboys staying on, cowboys falling off, cowboys getting their privates trounced. And a very entertaining rodeo clown that sang and danced to 80's music. All of the pictures are here, but I think this one sums it all up:


Bull's got hops.

Calvin and I are going to Oregon in a few weeks for the Oregon Brewer's Festival. I also intend on visiting Powells, and Moonstruck. We're staying in downtown Portland and will be there for four days. Are there any readers out there that are native to the area, or have been there, that want to recommend a place to go or a sight to see? Send an e-mail or leave a comment, thanks!

Labels: health, journal, Maine, work

Posted by Laura at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments

Bag O' Veggies

Now this is weird. Blogger isn't letting me enter test into the title field of the post template this morning. How strange.

I picked up the first batch of veggies from the agricultural co-op this morning.



What we have here is spaghetti squash (which I've never had and I'm making for lunch), "specialty" squash (no clue), "specialty" cucumber (that "specialty" label worries me), cherry tomatoes, regular tomatoes, basil, garlic, leeks, and carrots.

I'm using a recipe I got off of RecipeZaar for the spaghetti squash:

Properly Prepared Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash
1 head garlic
salt
pepper
olive oil
vegetable oil
vegetables or meat or cheese

- Preheat oven to 350-375.
- Halve raw spaghetti squash with a sturdy sharp knife, scoop out, and discard the squash poop with a spoon. (Editor's note: "Squash poop"! BWAA!)
- Place halves onto an oven safe cooking dish face up.
- Clean head of garlic and thinly slice garlic, (the larger pieces of garlic brown nicely, and offer a wonderful layer of complexity to the dish).
- Spread garlic into the bowl like shape of the squash, salt and pepper vigorously, drizzle with a 50/50 mixture of olive oil, and vegetable oil (get the oil everywhere inside the squash).
- Place onto the upper middle rack of the oven for about 30-40 minutes. (You will know it is ready when the squash separates with little resistance from the skin).
- Remove from oven, and place in coldest location possible for at least 20 minutes, before separating from skin.
- Use a fork to scoop and separate squash strands, add any other ingredients you like at this point. Parmesan, Romano, or Pecorino, Feta, are all excellent additions to this dish, as well as, meat, sausage, veggies, olives, the list is endless.
- WARNING **** If you use a loose tomato based sauce DO NOT add it immediately to the squash; this makes the squash runny, mushy, and unpalatable. Instead garnish the dish with a little bit of sauce atop the squash, and then offer more sauce on the side, in a separate dish.

Also included with the bag 'o veggies was a recipe for a veggie casserole that I will probably try sometime this week (credit to the co-op for this recipe):

Tomato, Leek & Potato Bake

1 1/2 lbs potatoes
2 leeks, sliced
3 tomatoes, sliced
3 fresh rosemary sprigs, crushed
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 1/4 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Grease a five cup shallow ovenproof dish.
- Scrub and thinly slice the potatoes, layer them with leeks and tomatoes in the dish, scattering some rosemary between the layers and ending with a layer of potatoes.
- Add the garlic to the stock, stir in the salt if needed and pepper to taste, then pour over the veggies.
- Brush the top layer of potatoes in olive oil.
- Bake for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours until the potatoes are tender and topping is golden and slightly crisp.

Labels: food, recipe

Posted by Laura at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments

The forecast says it's supposed to be 112 degrees F today. It's 73 degrees in my office (I have a clock-slash-thermometer on my monitor stand). I am cold. WTF?

Calvin and I spent all day yesterday in our jammies, except for the 10 minutes where he got dressed to make a beer run. There was no braving of the Fourth of July crowds (and DUI checkpoints) for us. I've never been particularly interested in fireworks shows since my Uncle stopped putting on his own shows when I was a kid. It may have been the everything-is-grander-scaled perspective of a grown up looking back on a child's memories, but he really did seem to go all out with his fireworks displays. Of course, they were legal in Maine back then. They don't seem to be legal anywhere anymore, not even harmless Morning Glories and sparklers. So. I guess I just grew out of fireworks. Perhaps that's a little bit sad.

There was a "Back to the Future" trilogy marathon on HBO yesterday, and once Calvin got wind of the fact that I have only EVER seen the first BttF (how I managed that is beyond me), we had to watch ALL THREE. My original assumption was correct - anything after #1 was not worth seeing. Ah, well, at least now I can cross that off my list of "things to do before I die". Except that it was never on the list to begin with.

We got a storage unit this week, and this weekend will be occupied with filling it with all of our shit priceless belongings. We have a Very Long List of things to do around the house, but the #1 item was to de-clutter so we don't have to move all of our shit priceless belongings around as we try to clean/paint/repair. We're hoping that motivation will beget motivation, and once we get rolling it will be easier to force ourselves to do the subsequent tasks.

Okay, I'm boring myself. Over and out.

Labels: home, journal, movies

Posted by Laura at 9:13 AM | Permalink | Comments

I wish I could just hire somebody to come in and SUPERCLEAN this house. I'm sure by the standards of a visitor or other outsider the state of cleanliness is just fine. To me, and to Calvin, it's just ookey. The walls need to be cleaned. The baseboards. All of the nooks and crannies. The windowsills. The windows. The curtains and window coverings. The doors and doorjams. All of the closets. The ceiling fans. Cobwebs. All of the stuff that doesn't get the weekly (or thereabouts... feh) attention of dusting, floors, and bathroom.

I know I just have to start with one room and get it all done, then move to the next room, and the next room, and on. Sooner or later, by using this method, it would get done. But... just... ew. Housework. Nasty. No fun. Yucky.

I just want to move out of this house, leave the dirt and clutter to whoever buys it, move into a brand-new place where there are no dust bunnies, and start over. Keeping a place clean is one thing... and we used to be really good about it. Back when the house was new we were obsessive about keeping it clean. Lately? Not so much. Getting a place to a state of cleanliness in order to keep it there... well, that's entirely another thing. Is that thing right there that we have to get to right now. Along with the million and three other "fix it" things we need to do to the house to get it ready for eventual sale. Weekend after weekend of potentially productive time has gone by with me and Calvin sitting on the couch, watching TV and eating snacks.

Obviously, we don't wanna.

Labels: journal

Posted by Laura at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

Efes Pilsener - Anadolu Efes Brewery, Istanbul, Turkey
Slightly bitter, clear, color similar to apple juice. Light beer with faint flavors of lemon and apple. Finishes clean and dry, no lingering aftertaste. Light carbonation. Would pair well with fruit, cheese, or fish.
Rating:
Calvin = 5 of 10 (has a fruity taste that he does not enjoy)
Laura = 7 of 10 (like lighter beers)

A Bitter End Pale Ale - Two Brothers Brewing Co., Chicago, IL, USA
Hoppy, bittersweet, and citrussy. Slightly cloudy, higher carbonation, coloring leaning toward light tannish orange. Slight bitter aftertaste that leaves the palate and back of throat dry. Reminiscent of Belgian ales. Would pair well with sushi or sashimi.
Rating:
Calvin = 6.5 of 10 (likes the finish)
Laura = 8 of 10 (has more flavor and character)

Peg Leg Imperial Stout - Clipper City Brewing Co., Baltimore, MD, USA
Very dark, roasted chocolate flavor, roasted coffee finish. Dark chocolate brown in color, no translucency at all. Not as thick as other stouts. Very mildly carbonated. Would pair well with red meat or roast, or anything caramelized.
Rating:
Calvin = 7.5 of 10 (the darker the better for Calvin)
Laura = 6.5 of 10 (would not drink more than one, too filling)

Adnams Broadside Original Ale - Solebay Brewery, England, UK
Pours with a decent head. Hoppy, richly bitter. Translucent brown with red tint. Light woody finish. Would pair well with strawberries and chocolate, or a smokey poultry dish.
Rating:
Calvin = 6.5 of 10 (more a stout fan than an ale fan)
Laura = 6.5 of 10 (a little too bitter)

Calvin and I actually liked all of the beers. Calvin likes a lighter end stout or dark ale, I like pilseners and light ales. We're not comparing the beers to one another, but to our personal preference for taste, texture, and finish. With that said, it is very rare that we meet a beer that we truly dislike.

Labels: best things, booze

Posted by Laura at 1:34 PM | Permalink | Comments