Friday, November 30, 2007
Sickyland
A graphic representation of how likely it is that Jen and I will become ill within the next week:
She just physically propelled me to the water fountain and force-fed me an Airborne. Perhaps she has saved my life. As it is, I really feel like I should be wearing a surgical mask.
She just physically propelled me to the water fountain and force-fed me an Airborne. Perhaps she has saved my life. As it is, I really feel like I should be wearing a surgical mask.
Labels: work
Thursday, November 29, 2007
"Right. Less talking. She's terse. I can be terse. Once in flight school, I was laconic."
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Which sci-fi crew would you best fit in with? (pics) created with QuizFarm.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| You scored as Serenity (Firefly) You like to live your own way and don't enjoy when anyone but a friend tries to tell you should do different. Now if only the Reavers would quit trying to skin you.
|
Labels: blogthings
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Hey guys...
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Le sigh.
Monday, November 26, 2007
HUUUUUUUFFFFFFF (fah fah)
I adore my family. I really really do. But when Calvin's piss poor mood coincides with Marie's piss poor mood, it is a matter of an OVERDOSE of like personalities crapping all over my evening. The two of them can set each other off in a matter of SECONDS, and when they, individually, weren't in great moods to begin with, it's only a matter of time before exposure to one another descends their moods into the pit of shit.
I made dinner. Neither of them liked it (four cheese pasta (Fontaine, Gorgonzola, Romano, Parmesan) with a cracker crumb topping and garlic bread, and to heck with their plebeian taste buds anyway). Marie brought Portia in from outside, Calvin commented about how the dog has been a pain in the ass this evening (hovering, wouldn't lay down, getting underfoot), Marie huffed a mighty huff and stomped upstairs with the dog and slammed her bedroom door. Calvin huffed and declared he was going to bed and stomped off into the bedroom. At 7:30.
So. Marie's in her room, Calvin's in ours, and I'm left sitting in the living room, once again the ONLY PERSON IN A GOOD MOOD.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
I made dinner. Neither of them liked it (four cheese pasta (Fontaine, Gorgonzola, Romano, Parmesan) with a cracker crumb topping and garlic bread, and to heck with their plebeian taste buds anyway). Marie brought Portia in from outside, Calvin commented about how the dog has been a pain in the ass this evening (hovering, wouldn't lay down, getting underfoot), Marie huffed a mighty huff and stomped upstairs with the dog and slammed her bedroom door. Calvin huffed and declared he was going to bed and stomped off into the bedroom. At 7:30.
So. Marie's in her room, Calvin's in ours, and I'm left sitting in the living room, once again the ONLY PERSON IN A GOOD MOOD.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
It's always bad for me when Calvin has had a nap
He slammed his hands over the keyboard just as I got done typing the title, which inadvertantly published just the title, and thus he was thwarted despite his own efforts at hiding his true nature. Good has once again conquored over evil. And you all have another small insight into just what I deal with, on a minute-by-minute basis, in being married to him.
The man can be a supreme pest. Cute, but a pest. With all the post-nap energy.
Back to work tomorrow, which thrills me about -->this<-- much. Back to being on the computer every day - I actually managed to stay off-line for three whole days during my vacation. Back to taking my vitamins, working out, eating right, drinking water, trying to get at least ten minutes or so of sunlight a day, hauling out the lotion since it's bone dry in the state now that the cool weather has finally hit. Back to taking conscious care of myself, instead of just lounging about in my PJ's and convincing myself that this much rest is healthy, really.
It could be worse. I only have, like, three weeks until my next vacation. More than two weeks off with that one. Still, I can find it in myself to whine just a little bit that it's back to the grind tomorrow.
The man can be a supreme pest. Cute, but a pest. With all the post-nap energy.
Back to work tomorrow, which thrills me about -->this<-- much. Back to being on the computer every day - I actually managed to stay off-line for three whole days during my vacation. Back to taking my vitamins, working out, eating right, drinking water, trying to get at least ten minutes or so of sunlight a day, hauling out the lotion since it's bone dry in the state now that the cool weather has finally hit. Back to taking conscious care of myself, instead of just lounging about in my PJ's and convincing myself that this much rest is healthy, really.
It could be worse. I only have, like, three weeks until my next vacation. More than two weeks off with that one. Still, I can find it in myself to whine just a little bit that it's back to the grind tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Let them eat pie.
I took these recipes from "Baking Illustrated", rather than going with my usual recipes. Cook's Illustrated gets all scientific and technical with their recipes, which is the origin of some of the rather odd instructions below.
Pumpkin Pie
1 9" pie dough
2 cups plain canned pumpkin puree
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup milk
4 large eggs
TO PREPARE THE PIE SHELL: Transfer rolled dough to a 9-inch pie plate, easing dough into pan corners by gently lifting the edge of the dough with one hand and gently pressing into the pan bottom with the other. Trim and flute the dough edges. REFRIGERATE the dough-lined pie plate for 40 minutes then FREEZE for 20 minutes.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 375 degrees. Remove the pie pan from the freezer. Press a doubled 12-inch piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil into the inside of the pie tin, fold the edges over to protect the fluted edge. Distribute two cups of ceramic or metal pie weights (I use pennies) over the foil. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove foil and weights and continue baking for another 5-6 minutes, or until crust is lightly golden.
TO PREPARE THE FILLING:
1. Process pumpkin puree, brown sugar, spices, and salt in a food processor (or use hand mixer) for 1 minute, until combined. Transfer the pumpkin mixture to a 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring it to a sputtering simmer over medium-high heat. Cook the pumpkin, stirring constantly, until thick and shiny, about 5 minutes.
2. As soon as the pie shell comes out of the oven, adjust oven rack to the lowest position and increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Whisk heavy cream and milk into the pumpkin and bring to a bare simmer. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl until combined, then mix in the pumpkin mixture in batches.
3. Immediately pour warm filling into hot pie shell (ladle any excess filling into the pie after it has baked for five minutes - by this time the filling will have settled). Bake pie until filling is puffed, dry-looking, and slightly cracked around the edges. The center will wiggle like gelatin when the pie is gently shaken. About 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least an hour.
Apple Pie
2 9" pie doughs
2 tbsp flour
3 lg Granny Smith apples
4 lg McIntosh apples
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3/4 cup sugar, plus 1 tbsp
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg white, beaten lightly
1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on it and heat oven to 500 degrees. Transfer one rolled dough to a 9-inch pie plate, easing dough into pan corners by gently lifting the edge of the dough with one hand and gently pressing into the pan bottom with the other.
2. Peel, quarter, core, and slice apples into 1/4 inch slices. Toss with lemon juice and zest. In a medium bowl, mix 3/4 cup sugar, flour, spices, and salt. Toss dry ingredients with apples. Turn fruit mixture and juices into pie shell and mound slightly in the center.
3. Fit the second piece of rolled dough over the filling. Trim, seal, and flute the edges. Cut 4 slits in the dough top. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with remaining tbsp of sugar.
4. Place the pie on the baking sheet in the oven and reduce the temperature to 425 degrees. Bake until top is golden, about 25 minutes. Rotate the pie front to back and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Continue baking for 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 4 hours.
So I met with general success with the apple pie, and not-so-good success with the pumpkin. You will see, even though I did the weights thing, that the crust still shrank. Feh, I'm sure it'll still taste good.
HAPPY TURKEY DAY!
Pumpkin Pie
1 9" pie dough
2 cups plain canned pumpkin puree
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup milk
4 large eggs
TO PREPARE THE PIE SHELL: Transfer rolled dough to a 9-inch pie plate, easing dough into pan corners by gently lifting the edge of the dough with one hand and gently pressing into the pan bottom with the other. Trim and flute the dough edges. REFRIGERATE the dough-lined pie plate for 40 minutes then FREEZE for 20 minutes.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 375 degrees. Remove the pie pan from the freezer. Press a doubled 12-inch piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil into the inside of the pie tin, fold the edges over to protect the fluted edge. Distribute two cups of ceramic or metal pie weights (I use pennies) over the foil. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove foil and weights and continue baking for another 5-6 minutes, or until crust is lightly golden.
TO PREPARE THE FILLING:
1. Process pumpkin puree, brown sugar, spices, and salt in a food processor (or use hand mixer) for 1 minute, until combined. Transfer the pumpkin mixture to a 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring it to a sputtering simmer over medium-high heat. Cook the pumpkin, stirring constantly, until thick and shiny, about 5 minutes.
2. As soon as the pie shell comes out of the oven, adjust oven rack to the lowest position and increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Whisk heavy cream and milk into the pumpkin and bring to a bare simmer. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl until combined, then mix in the pumpkin mixture in batches.
3. Immediately pour warm filling into hot pie shell (ladle any excess filling into the pie after it has baked for five minutes - by this time the filling will have settled). Bake pie until filling is puffed, dry-looking, and slightly cracked around the edges. The center will wiggle like gelatin when the pie is gently shaken. About 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least an hour.
Apple Pie
2 9" pie doughs
2 tbsp flour
3 lg Granny Smith apples
4 lg McIntosh apples
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3/4 cup sugar, plus 1 tbsp
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg white, beaten lightly
1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on it and heat oven to 500 degrees. Transfer one rolled dough to a 9-inch pie plate, easing dough into pan corners by gently lifting the edge of the dough with one hand and gently pressing into the pan bottom with the other.
2. Peel, quarter, core, and slice apples into 1/4 inch slices. Toss with lemon juice and zest. In a medium bowl, mix 3/4 cup sugar, flour, spices, and salt. Toss dry ingredients with apples. Turn fruit mixture and juices into pie shell and mound slightly in the center.
3. Fit the second piece of rolled dough over the filling. Trim, seal, and flute the edges. Cut 4 slits in the dough top. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with remaining tbsp of sugar.
4. Place the pie on the baking sheet in the oven and reduce the temperature to 425 degrees. Bake until top is golden, about 25 minutes. Rotate the pie front to back and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Continue baking for 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 4 hours.
So I met with general success with the apple pie, and not-so-good success with the pumpkin. You will see, even though I did the weights thing, that the crust still shrank. Feh, I'm sure it'll still taste good.
HAPPY TURKEY DAY!
Labels: recipe
Monday, November 19, 2007
Recipe o' the day
World War II Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
The name is derived from the time that eggs, butter and shortening were rationed. Hence the innovation of the mayo. This is from the "America's Best Lost Recipes" cookbook.
Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup water
Frosting:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda in medium bowl.
2. Stir the mayonnaise, granulated sugar, and vanilla together in a large bowl until smooth. Add the water and stir until combined. Whisk in the flour mixture until incorporated. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely in the pan, at least 45 minutes.
3. FOR THE FROSTING: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the brown sugar and bring to a boil. Boil until the mixture begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Then, off the heat, carefully stir in the milk. Return to a boil, then remove from the heat to cool until just warm, about 30 minutes. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and spread the icing evenly over the cake. The cake can be stored at room temperature for up to three days.
Here's the finished product, I ended up having to bake it about 43 minutes before the center was set:
The name is derived from the time that eggs, butter and shortening were rationed. Hence the innovation of the mayo. This is from the "America's Best Lost Recipes" cookbook.
Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup water
Frosting:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda in medium bowl.
2. Stir the mayonnaise, granulated sugar, and vanilla together in a large bowl until smooth. Add the water and stir until combined. Whisk in the flour mixture until incorporated. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely in the pan, at least 45 minutes.
3. FOR THE FROSTING: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the brown sugar and bring to a boil. Boil until the mixture begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Then, off the heat, carefully stir in the milk. Return to a boil, then remove from the heat to cool until just warm, about 30 minutes. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and spread the icing evenly over the cake. The cake can be stored at room temperature for up to three days.
Here's the finished product, I ended up having to bake it about 43 minutes before the center was set:
Labels: recipe
First thing's first.
I woke up at 7:30 this morning, which is only a half-hour later than the usual 7:00 wake up time that I have on normal work days. Why I can't sleep on my vacation is beyond me, but there it is. It's not so bad, really, sitting here with Zoe perched directly behind my head on the back of the couch, Oz eyeing her from the floor, coffee at my side, laptop at hand. It would be peaceful and serene if it weren't for all the flipping barking dogs in the neighborhood. At this moment in time I can count five distinct barks. None of them are our dogs, who if not smart, are at least polite. I could close the windows and door to block the sound, but I rather like having it finally cool enough to wear my robe.
A FANTASTIC dream about me and McDreamy (apparently I can hold my breath underwater for a long time in my dreams) was interrupted by my walnut-sized bladder (hmm, come to think of it, that's probably why I was dreaming of water), and from there the brain kicked in with thoughts of all the things I need to get done today. None of the tasks on my list were inflicted on me by Calvin in a fit of protest over my time off, though that's what I fully expected to happen. No, he was going to allow me my week of sloth, but I have discovered that I need to live a purpose-filled life. Thus I compiled a self-directed honey-do list.
First thing's first, though, so I have to write an entry about it. ("Wrote a song about it. Like to hear it? Here it goes.")
Ozzy's nose is out of joint because he just jumped up on the couch to discover that Zoe had moved to nestle against my hip. My lap is occupied by my computer, which means there is no snuggle space for him. He just raced off to climb up three separate doorframes and the column of the half-wall in the living room. Now he's trying to figure out other ways to get my attention and is playing Captain Explorer behind the television. With all the wires. A sure way to get hollered at. Any attention is good attention, I guess.
We're selling my motorcycle. I hardly ever ride it (I actually find that I prefer the bitch seat behind Calvin, because I'm a big ol' chicken in Arizona traffic), we could use the money, and I'd actually prefer owning one of these. I placed the ad last night and am grimly awaiting the round of telephone calls to begin. I hate that part about selling crap, but what are you gonna do.
Now Oz is trying to get into the cabinet underneath the snake's vivarium. That cat thinks that everyone in the household should operate under his schedule and won't settle down until I feed him. Bastard.
Okay, they're fed. Now maybe they'll leave me alone. CRAP. I forgot to grab the camera while I was up. Dammit.
OKAY. And now, for some pictures. Hover over them for comments.
Man, I'm REALLY putting off getting started on my list.
Alright, I'm outta here.
Momentary Thought: There's a massive amount of birds cheeping away in the backyard. I miss chickadees and whippoorwills, though.
High: It's actually chilly this morning.
Low: I have a craptastic amount of stuff to do today.
Obsession: I'm doing new pie recipes for Thanksgiving this year. I need to make them enough in advance that if they turn out like crap I can still run to CostCo and buy a couple.
Grin: The dream I had last night.
Playing: Birdsong and barking dogs.
Location: Living room.
A FANTASTIC dream about me and McDreamy (apparently I can hold my breath underwater for a long time in my dreams) was interrupted by my walnut-sized bladder (hmm, come to think of it, that's probably why I was dreaming of water), and from there the brain kicked in with thoughts of all the things I need to get done today. None of the tasks on my list were inflicted on me by Calvin in a fit of protest over my time off, though that's what I fully expected to happen. No, he was going to allow me my week of sloth, but I have discovered that I need to live a purpose-filled life. Thus I compiled a self-directed honey-do list.
First thing's first, though, so I have to write an entry about it. ("Wrote a song about it. Like to hear it? Here it goes.")
Ozzy's nose is out of joint because he just jumped up on the couch to discover that Zoe had moved to nestle against my hip. My lap is occupied by my computer, which means there is no snuggle space for him. He just raced off to climb up three separate doorframes and the column of the half-wall in the living room. Now he's trying to figure out other ways to get my attention and is playing Captain Explorer behind the television. With all the wires. A sure way to get hollered at. Any attention is good attention, I guess.
We're selling my motorcycle. I hardly ever ride it (I actually find that I prefer the bitch seat behind Calvin, because I'm a big ol' chicken in Arizona traffic), we could use the money, and I'd actually prefer owning one of these. I placed the ad last night and am grimly awaiting the round of telephone calls to begin. I hate that part about selling crap, but what are you gonna do.
Now Oz is trying to get into the cabinet underneath the snake's vivarium. That cat thinks that everyone in the household should operate under his schedule and won't settle down until I feed him. Bastard.
Okay, they're fed. Now maybe they'll leave me alone. CRAP. I forgot to grab the camera while I was up. Dammit.
OKAY. And now, for some pictures. Hover over them for comments.
Man, I'm REALLY putting off getting started on my list.
- Grocery shopping
- Go to the bank
- Sweep, vacuum, mop, dust
- Clean the kitchen & bathroom
- Laundry
- Litter boxes
- Adjust the sprinklers
- Take the movies back
- Dig up the motorcycle title
- Empty and clean the hot tub
- Work out
Alright, I'm outta here.
Momentary Thought: There's a massive amount of birds cheeping away in the backyard. I miss chickadees and whippoorwills, though.
High: It's actually chilly this morning.
Low: I have a craptastic amount of stuff to do today.
Obsession: I'm doing new pie recipes for Thanksgiving this year. I need to make them enough in advance that if they turn out like crap I can still run to CostCo and buy a couple.
Grin: The dream I had last night.
Playing: Birdsong and barking dogs.
Location: Living room.
Labels: home, journal, listy goodness, motorcycle, photography, vacation
Sunday, November 18, 2007
This whole grown-up thing...
This is one of those times where I feel like I haven't quite mastered this whole grown-up thing. I envy Marie's frequently-expressed relief that she's moved back home with us and no longer worries about money, making ends meet... essentially, she's put off being an on-her-own adult for another little while.
I wish I could move back in with my parents. Except, how weird would that be - lack of, you know, actual existing parents aside. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't know what to do with parents if I did have them. But if they were anything like how Calvin and I are toward our kids, my parents could be counted on to pick up the pieces, kiss the boo-boos, ride to the rescue, and provide the vehicle for bailing me out of pretty much any situation.
Heh. How backwards is that. If I had a mom I'd want her to be just like me.
Maybe that's a little sad, too, as well as backwards. Perhaps I should not dwell on that thought.
It's not that I don't like being an adult. I wouldn't go back to being a teenager if my life depended on it. Okay, well perhaps ONLY if my life depended on it. My teenage years, wonderful though many aspects of them were, weren't exactly what I would call fraught with fond memories. I was overly serious, studious, responsible, and worried. Very representative of the attitudes that are continuing on to this day. The difference is, when you're a responsible teenager people express their admiration at the wonder and rarity that is you. When you're a responsible adult, well, you're just doing your damn job.
I need to stop comparing my attitudes as a teenager and young adult to the attitudes of the teenager and young adult I'm occupied with parenting. I've turned into one of those, "Back in MY day, things were different," sorts.
Which isn't to say (again) that I'm looking for accolades. Really, I'm just rambling along with this entry. I do a lot. I don't do enough. I'm busy. I'm bored. I want to be flippin' patted on my head and told I'm doing a good job. I want to be told everything's going to be okay. I want to be surrounded by loved ones. I want to be left alone. I want to have control. I want to be taken care of. I want to be a center of calm. I want to throw a massive tantrum.
Apparently, I want to be conflicted. Mostly, I want to turn off my brain.
I wish I could move back in with my parents. Except, how weird would that be - lack of, you know, actual existing parents aside. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't know what to do with parents if I did have them. But if they were anything like how Calvin and I are toward our kids, my parents could be counted on to pick up the pieces, kiss the boo-boos, ride to the rescue, and provide the vehicle for bailing me out of pretty much any situation.
Heh. How backwards is that. If I had a mom I'd want her to be just like me.
Maybe that's a little sad, too, as well as backwards. Perhaps I should not dwell on that thought.
It's not that I don't like being an adult. I wouldn't go back to being a teenager if my life depended on it. Okay, well perhaps ONLY if my life depended on it. My teenage years, wonderful though many aspects of them were, weren't exactly what I would call fraught with fond memories. I was overly serious, studious, responsible, and worried. Very representative of the attitudes that are continuing on to this day. The difference is, when you're a responsible teenager people express their admiration at the wonder and rarity that is you. When you're a responsible adult, well, you're just doing your damn job.
I need to stop comparing my attitudes as a teenager and young adult to the attitudes of the teenager and young adult I'm occupied with parenting. I've turned into one of those, "Back in MY day, things were different," sorts.
Which isn't to say (again) that I'm looking for accolades. Really, I'm just rambling along with this entry. I do a lot. I don't do enough. I'm busy. I'm bored. I want to be flippin' patted on my head and told I'm doing a good job. I want to be told everything's going to be okay. I want to be surrounded by loved ones. I want to be left alone. I want to have control. I want to be taken care of. I want to be a center of calm. I want to throw a massive tantrum.
Apparently, I want to be conflicted. Mostly, I want to turn off my brain.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Ads
Hi gang, you'll notice that there's a banner for ads now present on my site. I just want to put up the usual disclaimer that the ads are generated based on content by Blogger's AdSense so I may or may not endorse the establishments or entities that appear.
If I can manage to generate enough revenue to pay for the annual hosting cost of this site I will consider myself successful. I hope it's not too intrusive to you all.
Thanks, carry on!
If I can manage to generate enough revenue to pay for the annual hosting cost of this site I will consider myself successful. I hope it's not too intrusive to you all.
Thanks, carry on!
Labels: blogkeeping
Friday, November 16, 2007
Vacation: Day .5
I want to move this site to Moveable Type. Blogger has been a royal pain in the ass lately. But because I FTP my entries and store them on Dreamhost instead of using Blogger as my domain, I can't just import my entries to Moveable Type. Anybody have any suggestions, advice, recommendations? I want to use this domain URL instead of changing locations yet *again* (I'm sure you all have had enough of that nonsense, and I'm spread out enough over the internet with four different locations). I really like the features that MT has to offer. Sigh. The conundrums of a webmistress.
I left work today at 11:30, came home and ate lunch while watching "Private Practice", then got gas, got the truck washed, picked up some goodies at BevMo, and went to Pets Inc. to get critters for the critters. Then I took a nap, woke up in time to greet Calvin, and now we're sitting on the couch watching nature take its course in the form of the Discovery Channel, and Kali making short work of the rat we dropped in her vivarium (I won't feed the rat to her, so it was languishing in its box until Calvin could perform the necessary). He's got a 2 Below and I've got a Snakebite.
Not a bad way to start my vacation.
Jen is rather put out that I have abandoned her to work alone next week (all two days, and one TC day for her, so she should just hush I think), so I need to ensure that I'm on Google IM and updating on this site often enough to keep her entertained. Since she's one of the only things allowing me to keep my sanity at work, it would be well of me to keep her happy. (She took my picture today. I suspect things.)
Instead of having our own Thanksgiving at home this year, we are going to the Grandparents for dinner. So my Massive Menu From Hell is reduced to two pies and a batch of four bean salad. Easy peasy. I still intend to cook new dinner dishes and dessert dishes throughout the week; I am perhaps more interested in cooking now that I have less to do.
Tonight is Friday, though, so that means fast food. Time enough to get ambitious tomorrow.
Momentary Thought: I poured my Snakebite incorrectly. For the next glass I will pour the Guinness first and then the Strongbow.
High: I'm on vacation until the 26th, and the first day back to work is my telecommute day.
Low: I'm not skinny. See also, "Momentary Thought".
Obsession: The last two discs of season two of "Bones" that's waiting for me from Netflix in the mailbox.
Grin: See "High".
Playing: The Discovery Channel.
Location: Living room.
I left work today at 11:30, came home and ate lunch while watching "Private Practice", then got gas, got the truck washed, picked up some goodies at BevMo, and went to Pets Inc. to get critters for the critters. Then I took a nap, woke up in time to greet Calvin, and now we're sitting on the couch watching nature take its course in the form of the Discovery Channel, and Kali making short work of the rat we dropped in her vivarium (I won't feed the rat to her, so it was languishing in its box until Calvin could perform the necessary). He's got a 2 Below and I've got a Snakebite.
Not a bad way to start my vacation.
Jen is rather put out that I have abandoned her to work alone next week (all two days, and one TC day for her, so she should just hush I think), so I need to ensure that I'm on Google IM and updating on this site often enough to keep her entertained. Since she's one of the only things allowing me to keep my sanity at work, it would be well of me to keep her happy. (She took my picture today. I suspect things.)
Instead of having our own Thanksgiving at home this year, we are going to the Grandparents for dinner. So my Massive Menu From Hell is reduced to two pies and a batch of four bean salad. Easy peasy. I still intend to cook new dinner dishes and dessert dishes throughout the week; I am perhaps more interested in cooking now that I have less to do.
Tonight is Friday, though, so that means fast food. Time enough to get ambitious tomorrow.
Momentary Thought: I poured my Snakebite incorrectly. For the next glass I will pour the Guinness first and then the Strongbow.
High: I'm on vacation until the 26th, and the first day back to work is my telecommute day.
Low: I'm not skinny. See also, "Momentary Thought".
Obsession: The last two discs of season two of "Bones" that's waiting for me from Netflix in the mailbox.
Grin: See "High".
Playing: The Discovery Channel.
Location: Living room.
Labels: blogkeeping, home, misc, vacation
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Totally.
OMFG, you guys, I am, like, sooooo bored.
AcronymCo is probably not unique in its holiday work-or-lack-thereof cycle. Pretty much from November 12th until January 7th, there is not a lot of useful work done. I mean, sure, business continues. The fires are fought and the year-end whatnot is wrapped up. The day to day busywork is accomplished so that one can say, "See! I did (xyz) today! I earned my paycheck! Mostly!" But there is a severe and obvious lack of motivation. People are doing their Christmas shopping on-line. People are planning their holiday meals. People are counting down the days to their vacations on one hand. The lack of interest in, I don't know, starting anything new or dealving into a project, well, it is staggering.
Take today, for example. I did the necessary this morning. Urgent things were followed up on and people were updated. I was a Good Corporate Citizen. But the day is creeping by so slowly that I do believe it's now going backwards. It's 12:34 right now, and when I look again it will be 10:05.
I am down to my Least Favorite Things left to be done on my list. The things that are left until there is absolutely nothing else left to do. That moment has arrived. I can feel my brain cells leaking out of my head as I type this, and not in a good way.
I am thankful to be gainfully employed. I just wish that employment was somewhat less Corporate, and somewhat more, oh, Tropical. With drinks. And little umbrellas.
AcronymCo is probably not unique in its holiday work-or-lack-thereof cycle. Pretty much from November 12th until January 7th, there is not a lot of useful work done. I mean, sure, business continues. The fires are fought and the year-end whatnot is wrapped up. The day to day busywork is accomplished so that one can say, "See! I did (xyz) today! I earned my paycheck! Mostly!" But there is a severe and obvious lack of motivation. People are doing their Christmas shopping on-line. People are planning their holiday meals. People are counting down the days to their vacations on one hand. The lack of interest in, I don't know, starting anything new or dealving into a project, well, it is staggering.
Take today, for example. I did the necessary this morning. Urgent things were followed up on and people were updated. I was a Good Corporate Citizen. But the day is creeping by so slowly that I do believe it's now going backwards. It's 12:34 right now, and when I look again it will be 10:05.
I am down to my Least Favorite Things left to be done on my list. The things that are left until there is absolutely nothing else left to do. That moment has arrived. I can feel my brain cells leaking out of my head as I type this, and not in a good way.
I am thankful to be gainfully employed. I just wish that employment was somewhat less Corporate, and somewhat more, oh, Tropical. With drinks. And little umbrellas.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
More fun with the pause button!
It wasn't that long ago that Calvin and I discovered the "vanity cards" that appear at the end of Chuck Lorre Productions television shows (such as Two and a Half Men), for like a half a second. We've been pausing the TV and reading them, and now I've found the archive.
Ahh, the things that entertain us.
Ahh, the things that entertain us.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Right now
Calvin is playing DJ, I am downloading songs and e-books from LimeWire, we got back from good food and a few beers, having a few more and some vodka shots in the living room on the couch.
Why can't every night be Friday night?
p.s. - I suck at air guitar.
Momentary Thought: I HATE the neighbor's diesel truck. It sounds like an airplane is taking off in our neighborhood.
High: It's Friday.
Low: Calvin just got called on his on-call phone.
Obsession: Debt reduction.
Grin: I just downloaded Rocky Burnette's "Tired of Towing the Line".
Playing: Roxette: "Listen to Your Heart"
Location: Living room.
Why can't every night be Friday night?
p.s. - I suck at air guitar.
Momentary Thought: I HATE the neighbor's diesel truck. It sounds like an airplane is taking off in our neighborhood.
High: It's Friday.
Low: Calvin just got called on his on-call phone.
Obsession: Debt reduction.
Grin: I just downloaded Rocky Burnette's "Tired of Towing the Line".
Playing: Roxette: "Listen to Your Heart"
Location: Living room.
Labels: best things, Calvin, home
Move over, Dempsey...
Meet my new secret boyfriend:
Alex O'Loughlin, who plays Mick St. John on CBS's show Moonlight.
Le purrrrr...
Alex O'Loughlin, who plays Mick St. John on CBS's show Moonlight.
Le purrrrr...
Labels: secret boyfriend
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Nest thwartation
I want to take a long, hot bubble bath tonight, but it's McThursday so that may or may not happen. The Necessary needs to get done before 8:00 - working out, soaking the lizards (heh, that sounds naughty, but I mean it literally) and feeding them worms, making and consuming dinner (which does not involve worms), and doing the Night Chores (mail, coffee, work clothes, not making my lunch for tomorrow because Jen and I have plans to go out). I like to have everything done before Marie and I sit down to watch Grey's Anatomy together. So the bubble bath may have to wait.
I want it to be cold. I want to nest and I can't nest while it's still ninety-frickin-degrees outside. I just put together the menus for Thanksgiving and Christmas and have my shopping lists. I'm all about the cooking, and I'm really looking forward to next Friday afternoon when I can call myself officially "off". I plan on cooking a lot, but just what I don't know yet (other than the aforementioned Thanksgiving Menu). I think I'll look through my lovely collection of cookbooks and pick out something new each day - I might even try baking my own BREAD, for gosh's sake. Look at me, planning my own spontaneity - it's not like the grocery store is that far away so if something strikes my fancy and I don't have all the ingredients immediately to hand, it's not a bother. I'll have to watch out for the impulse buys, though. I'm worse at that in the grocery store than in any other kind of store.
I'm really crossing my fingers that the cold weather sets in by the time I'm off. I don't know why it's so important to me, but it is. Temperatures below 70 degrees are absolutely necessary for me to enjoy this season. I'm trying to generate my own happiness here before I go nuts with the homesickness, and a little cool weather would be helpful.
This entry doesn't have an ending, it just kind of stops. Right here.
I want it to be cold. I want to nest and I can't nest while it's still ninety-frickin-degrees outside. I just put together the menus for Thanksgiving and Christmas and have my shopping lists. I'm all about the cooking, and I'm really looking forward to next Friday afternoon when I can call myself officially "off". I plan on cooking a lot, but just what I don't know yet (other than the aforementioned Thanksgiving Menu). I think I'll look through my lovely collection of cookbooks and pick out something new each day - I might even try baking my own BREAD, for gosh's sake. Look at me, planning my own spontaneity - it's not like the grocery store is that far away so if something strikes my fancy and I don't have all the ingredients immediately to hand, it's not a bother. I'll have to watch out for the impulse buys, though. I'm worse at that in the grocery store than in any other kind of store.
I'm really crossing my fingers that the cold weather sets in by the time I'm off. I don't know why it's so important to me, but it is. Temperatures below 70 degrees are absolutely necessary for me to enjoy this season. I'm trying to generate my own happiness here before I go nuts with the homesickness, and a little cool weather would be helpful.
This entry doesn't have an ending, it just kind of stops. Right here.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Yet another day in the life
I periodically like to record a "day in the life" entry. I like to go back and compare them and see what's the same, what's different, and what is proof positive that I am VERY FIRMLY set in my ways. (For instance, compare today's entry to this one, or this one.)
5:30 a.m. - Alarm goes off for Calvin. I grunt and roll over.
6:18 a.m. - Calvin's phone rings. And rings. He comes running in from the other room to answer it. I grunt and roll over.
6:25 a.m. - Calvin kisses me goodbye. I grunt and roll over.
6:36 a.m. - Zoe prrrrowts in my ear. And touches me on the face with her wet nose. And pat-pats me on my face with her paw. And reminds me of this entry. I scritch her and roll over.
6:40 a.m. - Oz jumps up on the bed. Zoe beats me to death trying to dive off the bed, and under it. Oz follows.
6:40:15 a.m. - Growl. Hiss. Growl.
6:40:25 a.m. - HISS. GROOOOWWWWLLL. SPAT!
6:40:30 a.m. - I holler at the cats and thump the headboard. One runs out, I don't see which but I assume it's Zoe.
6:50 a.m. - Zoe prrrrowts in my ear. And touches me on the face with her wet nose. And pat-pats me on my face with her paw. I squint at the clock, debate getting up 10 minutes early. Dismiss it as a bad idea.
7:05 a.m. - The alarm goes off again. I mutter something that sounds like, "This is bullshit." I turn off the alarm, start the shower.
7:05 - 7:15 a.m. - Wash face, shampoo, conditioner, wash body, rinse rinse rinse, dry. Pick out and put on clothes (blue jeans, white T, maroon zip-up hoodie, socks, sneakers).
7:15 - 7:20 a.m. - Acquire coffee. Coooooffffffeeeeee. Take vitamins and prescriptions.
7:20 - 7:40 a.m. - Hold conversation with Zoe (who likes to sit on the edge of the tub while I perform my ablutions) while moussing and combing out hair, moisturizing face, cleaning out ears, putting on deodorant, putting on makeup, drying and styling hair, brushing teeth.
7:40 - 7:55 a.m. - Put water in snake's tank, turn on waterfall and UV light. Put water in dog's dish outside, give them a cookie and pets all around. Put canned food in dish in Oz's closet, put canned food in Zoe's dish in the weight room. Fill up indoor water dish. Shred summer squash and tear up dandelion greens, put a handful in Cheeto's dish and a handful in Lucy's dish. Turn off A/C, lock bedroom doors, defrost two slices of spelt bread and slather with cream cheese, put in baggie and then in work bag. Take pork chops out of the freezer to thaw for dinner tonight. Grab bag, keys, badge, out the door and in the truck and on the way to work.
7:55 - 8:00 a.m. - Drive to work. Listen to one of the TUS mix CD's.
8:00 - 8:10 a.m. - Get to desk, put down bag, dock and start up laptop, grab water cup and tea mug, rinse them out in the bathroom, head down to the cafeteria to fill up water cup and get hot water and honey for tea, head back to my desk, log into the network, put tea bag in hot water, settle down with my baggie 'o breakfast.
8:10 - 8:30 a.m. - Answer e-mails, eat breakfast.
8:30 - 9:00 a.m. - Start this journal entry and update with morning activities.
9:01 a.m. - Stop! Potty time!
9:05 a.m. - Start balancing checkbook and paying bills.
9:15 - 9:35 a.m. - Life is interrupted by an AcronymCo fire drill. Lights flashing! Alarms blaring! People filing out of the fire exits like lemmings! Lots of standing around in the parking lot while the building sweep is conducted. Then, more filing! More lemmings! Aaaaaand I'm back at my desk.
9:35 - 9:40 a.m. - Take a phone call and answer questions.
9:40 - 10:30 a.m. - Resume paying bills and balancing checkbook. Run a Quicken report to show Calvin how much money we spend on groceries and on going out to eat. Boggle a bit.
10:30 - 11:00 a.m. - Enough of that nonsense. Answer e-mails, place PO's, field phone calls (hi, Calvin!), get annoyed by a new cube neighbor moving into our territory, NOT OF OUR GROUP. Grr.
11:05 a.m. - Stop! Potty time!
11:07 - 11:15 a.m. - Go down to the cafeteria, procure a Caesar salad, stand in the LOOOOOONG line forever as the POS system dials out for each individual credit card transaction. Contemplate that the flow of purchases is faster with cash, in direct contradiction to the current Visa commercials.
11:15 - 11:25 a.m. - Back at my desk, start to eat, phone rings. Chat with Calvin. He tells me things about an FX 40 and a Niagra something and sensors and whatnot. I'm lost.
11:25 a.m. - 12:05 p.m. - Continue eating. Read Bitchypoo. Peruse ICHC. Read Dysfunction Junction. Read Chaos Theory. Check in on Laurell K. Hamilton. Read 6YearMed. Read Because I Said So. Read Crazy Aunt Purl. Read Miss Britt. Determine that I shall use the phrase, "What le fuck?" in the near future. Read Avitable. Read BurtsStache. Pry off my wedding ring, take off my watch, apply hand lotion. Put ring and watch back on. Read Sunday Undies. Update this entry.
12:05 - 12:25 p.m. - Turn, with a sigh, back to the 140 e-mails awaiting response, deletion, and/or categorization in my in-box. Method involves sorting e-mails by subject to group all of the FW's and RE:'s and RE:RE:RE's together to find the latest message in the string, and delete the others. Manage to weed e-mails down to 87 by using this method. Then I start back in chronological order, oldest first, and disseminate as appropriate.
12:25 - 12:30 p.m. - Recall something Calvin mentioned to me, and check Hotmail. See message from Maine Lobster Direct about a deal on live lobsters. Place our Christmas dinner order (6 1-1/4 pounders, 4 lbs of king crab legs) for nearly $80 less than I was expecting.
12:30 - 12:35 p.m. - Update this entry some more.
12:35 - 12:50 p.m. - Do work stuff: run consignment inventory usage report for the last 12 months for one of my suppliers; approve request for new part number to be added to inventory; set up new part number in the stockroom database.
12:50 - 12:55 p.m. - Stop! Potty time! Grab a piece of candy from the dish on the admin's desk on my way back.
12:55 - 1:40 p.m. - Do more work stuff: Check my queue for any purchase orders that need to be placed, find three and submit them; dig out iPod and headphones to combat the boredom ("I believe it's time for me to fly..."); take pain pills to combat the headache I've had since I woke up, curse being a woman; terminate a requisition; ("I've heard people say that... too much of anything is no good for you..."); weed through e-mails some more, enlist a CM's assistance for an issue with a non-responsive supplier; ("Tell me whatcha eat, I might cook for you..."); determine if a discontinued chemical is going to effect the factory; ("Spent my days with a woman unkind... smoked my stuff and drank all my wine..."); request a quote from a vendor for a needed part; ("Welcome to your life... there's no turning back..."); research a vendor payment issue and try to communicate clear instructions in a different way than the clear instructions I sent to them last week; curse Accounts Payable; ("Every time I look in the mirror, all these lines on my face getting clearer..."); ("You own the money, you control the witness..."); revise the prices on a purchase order; ("Now if you're feelin' kinda low 'bout the dues you been payin'..."); adjust part prices in stockroom database; ("You know what the midwest is? Young and restless...").
1:40 - 1:45 p.m. - Stop! Potty time! Then walk down to the windows and press my nose against the glass before returning to my desk. Contemplate the lack of Vitamin D in my life.
1:45 - 2:25 p.m. - Do more work stuff: ("I can play the guitar like a motherfuckin' riot."); adjust a purchase order; request tracking information for an overdue shipment from a supplier; ("She's a craze you'd endorse, she's a powerful force..."); complete a feedback survey for my manager; ("And she won't give up, cuz she's seventeen. She's a frozen fire..."); reconcile an on-time delivery report; ("Far four winds blow, there's trouble and it won't go..."); approve a Level 2 purchase order; ("I got the call today, didn't wanna hear, but I knew that it would come..."); make updates to yet another purchase order; look up status of requested order; ("And here's to you Mrs. Robinson, Jesus loves you more than you will know..."); make change to yet ANOTHER PO; ("Well I fight authority, authority always wins..."); research parts in inventory to see if we can share with another site in need; compile shipping memo to share parts; ("Oh what a night, late December back in '63..."); edit a form for a new part request.
2:25 p.m. - E-mail count is now down to 23, eleven of which are in "green flag" status (my code for "waiting for someone to get their thumb out of their butt and respond to me").
2:26 - 2:35 p.m. - Sigh heavily. Update this entry some more. Think about going home early, because, well, feh.
2:35 p.m. - Stop! Potty time! Which strangely coincided with fourteen other women's need to pee.
2:40 - 3:10 p.m. - Decide a mental break is in order. Read Draw the Girl. Read Body of Work. Check ICHC for new pics. Look at pictures of Chuck on Dooce. Go back to where I left off yesterday in my Colloquial archives.
3:10 - 3:15 p.m. - Talk to Calvin on the phone. He's mad at me because he wanted me to make ANOTHER phone call to the title company (we're still trying to get the "free and clear" title for Michael's motorcycle) to find out the status. I've mailed them once, faxed them twice, and had phone conversations with them FIVE different times. So today? I just... didn't. I don't know why, I just didn't do it.
3:15 - 3:45 p.m. - Talk to a manager at the Oregon AcronymCo plant. Discuss a training plan for a new buyer over there. Discuss plans with my manager. Decide upon a series of teleconferences rather than a face-to-face meeting.
3:45 p.m. - Close enough to 4:00. Shut down my computer, grab my stuff, and I'm outta here.
3:45 - 4:10 p.m. - Drive home, again listening to one of the TUS mix CD's. Arrive home, dump my bag on the bed, say hi to Calvin, get run over seven times by Portia saying "Hi! Hi! Hi there! Hi!" Change into comfy clothes.
4:11 p.m. - Lay down for "just a minute" on the very comfy bed.
5:14 p.m. - Wake up with a snort. Zoe prrrrowts in my ear. And touches me on the face with her wet nose. And pat-pats me on my face with her paw.
5:15 - 6:10 p.m. - Go out into the living room, sit on the couch and put Calvin's feet in my lap, tickle his feet while he naps. Watch last week's episode of Bones.
6:11 - 6:15 p.m. - Get a call from Marie about some "weird shape light thingy" lighting up on her dashboard. I have no idea.
6:15 - 7:35 p.m. - Ride the motorcycle over to DarkHorse with Calvin. Have some Moosedrool and some grub. Watch the Suns lose. Watch a couple of poker games going on in front of the bar. Get annoyed by the guy sitting next to us. Pay up and head home again.
7:35 - 9:00 p.m. - Hug Marie for cleaning the kitchen - a task I didn't look forward to doing when I got home. Be amused as she cannot stick with just washing the dishes, but also has to reorganize all of the cupboards and closets. Feed the dogs. Get the mail. Flip through "Cover and Bake" and "Baking Illustrated". Get the coffee ready for tomorrow. Change into my jammies. Sit on the couch typing this while half-watching "Let's Go To Prison". Shut down the snake's and beardies' tanks.
9:00 - 10:00 p.m. - Watch miscellaneous TV. Get Calvin's clothes together for work tomorrow. Put my breakfast and lunch together for tomorrow. Set the alarm. Go to bed.
5:30 a.m. - Alarm goes off for Calvin. I grunt and roll over.
6:18 a.m. - Calvin's phone rings. And rings. He comes running in from the other room to answer it. I grunt and roll over.
6:25 a.m. - Calvin kisses me goodbye. I grunt and roll over.
6:36 a.m. - Zoe prrrrowts in my ear. And touches me on the face with her wet nose. And pat-pats me on my face with her paw. And reminds me of this entry. I scritch her and roll over.
6:40 a.m. - Oz jumps up on the bed. Zoe beats me to death trying to dive off the bed, and under it. Oz follows.
6:40:15 a.m. - Growl. Hiss. Growl.
6:40:25 a.m. - HISS. GROOOOWWWWLLL. SPAT!
6:40:30 a.m. - I holler at the cats and thump the headboard. One runs out, I don't see which but I assume it's Zoe.
6:50 a.m. - Zoe prrrrowts in my ear. And touches me on the face with her wet nose. And pat-pats me on my face with her paw. I squint at the clock, debate getting up 10 minutes early. Dismiss it as a bad idea.
7:05 a.m. - The alarm goes off again. I mutter something that sounds like, "This is bullshit." I turn off the alarm, start the shower.
7:05 - 7:15 a.m. - Wash face, shampoo, conditioner, wash body, rinse rinse rinse, dry. Pick out and put on clothes (blue jeans, white T, maroon zip-up hoodie, socks, sneakers).
7:15 - 7:20 a.m. - Acquire coffee. Coooooffffffeeeeee. Take vitamins and prescriptions.
7:20 - 7:40 a.m. - Hold conversation with Zoe (who likes to sit on the edge of the tub while I perform my ablutions) while moussing and combing out hair, moisturizing face, cleaning out ears, putting on deodorant, putting on makeup, drying and styling hair, brushing teeth.
7:40 - 7:55 a.m. - Put water in snake's tank, turn on waterfall and UV light. Put water in dog's dish outside, give them a cookie and pets all around. Put canned food in dish in Oz's closet, put canned food in Zoe's dish in the weight room. Fill up indoor water dish. Shred summer squash and tear up dandelion greens, put a handful in Cheeto's dish and a handful in Lucy's dish. Turn off A/C, lock bedroom doors, defrost two slices of spelt bread and slather with cream cheese, put in baggie and then in work bag. Take pork chops out of the freezer to thaw for dinner tonight. Grab bag, keys, badge, out the door and in the truck and on the way to work.
7:55 - 8:00 a.m. - Drive to work. Listen to one of the TUS mix CD's.
8:00 - 8:10 a.m. - Get to desk, put down bag, dock and start up laptop, grab water cup and tea mug, rinse them out in the bathroom, head down to the cafeteria to fill up water cup and get hot water and honey for tea, head back to my desk, log into the network, put tea bag in hot water, settle down with my baggie 'o breakfast.
8:10 - 8:30 a.m. - Answer e-mails, eat breakfast.
8:30 - 9:00 a.m. - Start this journal entry and update with morning activities.
9:01 a.m. - Stop! Potty time!
9:05 a.m. - Start balancing checkbook and paying bills.
9:15 - 9:35 a.m. - Life is interrupted by an AcronymCo fire drill. Lights flashing! Alarms blaring! People filing out of the fire exits like lemmings! Lots of standing around in the parking lot while the building sweep is conducted. Then, more filing! More lemmings! Aaaaaand I'm back at my desk.
9:35 - 9:40 a.m. - Take a phone call and answer questions.
9:40 - 10:30 a.m. - Resume paying bills and balancing checkbook. Run a Quicken report to show Calvin how much money we spend on groceries and on going out to eat. Boggle a bit.
10:30 - 11:00 a.m. - Enough of that nonsense. Answer e-mails, place PO's, field phone calls (hi, Calvin!), get annoyed by a new cube neighbor moving into our territory, NOT OF OUR GROUP. Grr.
11:05 a.m. - Stop! Potty time!
11:07 - 11:15 a.m. - Go down to the cafeteria, procure a Caesar salad, stand in the LOOOOOONG line forever as the POS system dials out for each individual credit card transaction. Contemplate that the flow of purchases is faster with cash, in direct contradiction to the current Visa commercials.
11:15 - 11:25 a.m. - Back at my desk, start to eat, phone rings. Chat with Calvin. He tells me things about an FX 40 and a Niagra something and sensors and whatnot. I'm lost.
11:25 a.m. - 12:05 p.m. - Continue eating. Read Bitchypoo. Peruse ICHC. Read Dysfunction Junction. Read Chaos Theory. Check in on Laurell K. Hamilton. Read 6YearMed. Read Because I Said So. Read Crazy Aunt Purl. Read Miss Britt. Determine that I shall use the phrase, "What le fuck?" in the near future. Read Avitable. Read BurtsStache. Pry off my wedding ring, take off my watch, apply hand lotion. Put ring and watch back on. Read Sunday Undies. Update this entry.
12:05 - 12:25 p.m. - Turn, with a sigh, back to the 140 e-mails awaiting response, deletion, and/or categorization in my in-box. Method involves sorting e-mails by subject to group all of the FW's and RE:'s and RE:RE:RE's together to find the latest message in the string, and delete the others. Manage to weed e-mails down to 87 by using this method. Then I start back in chronological order, oldest first, and disseminate as appropriate.
12:25 - 12:30 p.m. - Recall something Calvin mentioned to me, and check Hotmail. See message from Maine Lobster Direct about a deal on live lobsters. Place our Christmas dinner order (6 1-1/4 pounders, 4 lbs of king crab legs) for nearly $80 less than I was expecting.
12:30 - 12:35 p.m. - Update this entry some more.
12:35 - 12:50 p.m. - Do work stuff: run consignment inventory usage report for the last 12 months for one of my suppliers; approve request for new part number to be added to inventory; set up new part number in the stockroom database.
12:50 - 12:55 p.m. - Stop! Potty time! Grab a piece of candy from the dish on the admin's desk on my way back.
12:55 - 1:40 p.m. - Do more work stuff: Check my queue for any purchase orders that need to be placed, find three and submit them; dig out iPod and headphones to combat the boredom ("I believe it's time for me to fly..."); take pain pills to combat the headache I've had since I woke up, curse being a woman; terminate a requisition; ("I've heard people say that... too much of anything is no good for you..."); weed through e-mails some more, enlist a CM's assistance for an issue with a non-responsive supplier; ("Tell me whatcha eat, I might cook for you..."); determine if a discontinued chemical is going to effect the factory; ("Spent my days with a woman unkind... smoked my stuff and drank all my wine..."); request a quote from a vendor for a needed part; ("Welcome to your life... there's no turning back..."); research a vendor payment issue and try to communicate clear instructions in a different way than the clear instructions I sent to them last week; curse Accounts Payable; ("Every time I look in the mirror, all these lines on my face getting clearer..."); ("You own the money, you control the witness..."); revise the prices on a purchase order; ("Now if you're feelin' kinda low 'bout the dues you been payin'..."); adjust part prices in stockroom database; ("You know what the midwest is? Young and restless...").
1:40 - 1:45 p.m. - Stop! Potty time! Then walk down to the windows and press my nose against the glass before returning to my desk. Contemplate the lack of Vitamin D in my life.
1:45 - 2:25 p.m. - Do more work stuff: ("I can play the guitar like a motherfuckin' riot."); adjust a purchase order; request tracking information for an overdue shipment from a supplier; ("She's a craze you'd endorse, she's a powerful force..."); complete a feedback survey for my manager; ("And she won't give up, cuz she's seventeen. She's a frozen fire..."); reconcile an on-time delivery report; ("Far four winds blow, there's trouble and it won't go..."); approve a Level 2 purchase order; ("I got the call today, didn't wanna hear, but I knew that it would come..."); make updates to yet another purchase order; look up status of requested order; ("And here's to you Mrs. Robinson, Jesus loves you more than you will know..."); make change to yet ANOTHER PO; ("Well I fight authority, authority always wins..."); research parts in inventory to see if we can share with another site in need; compile shipping memo to share parts; ("Oh what a night, late December back in '63..."); edit a form for a new part request.
2:25 p.m. - E-mail count is now down to 23, eleven of which are in "green flag" status (my code for "waiting for someone to get their thumb out of their butt and respond to me").
2:26 - 2:35 p.m. - Sigh heavily. Update this entry some more. Think about going home early, because, well, feh.
2:35 p.m. - Stop! Potty time! Which strangely coincided with fourteen other women's need to pee.
2:40 - 3:10 p.m. - Decide a mental break is in order. Read Draw the Girl. Read Body of Work. Check ICHC for new pics. Look at pictures of Chuck on Dooce. Go back to where I left off yesterday in my Colloquial archives.
3:10 - 3:15 p.m. - Talk to Calvin on the phone. He's mad at me because he wanted me to make ANOTHER phone call to the title company (we're still trying to get the "free and clear" title for Michael's motorcycle) to find out the status. I've mailed them once, faxed them twice, and had phone conversations with them FIVE different times. So today? I just... didn't. I don't know why, I just didn't do it.
3:15 - 3:45 p.m. - Talk to a manager at the Oregon AcronymCo plant. Discuss a training plan for a new buyer over there. Discuss plans with my manager. Decide upon a series of teleconferences rather than a face-to-face meeting.
3:45 p.m. - Close enough to 4:00. Shut down my computer, grab my stuff, and I'm outta here.
3:45 - 4:10 p.m. - Drive home, again listening to one of the TUS mix CD's. Arrive home, dump my bag on the bed, say hi to Calvin, get run over seven times by Portia saying "Hi! Hi! Hi there! Hi!" Change into comfy clothes.
4:11 p.m. - Lay down for "just a minute" on the very comfy bed.
5:14 p.m. - Wake up with a snort. Zoe prrrrowts in my ear. And touches me on the face with her wet nose. And pat-pats me on my face with her paw.
5:15 - 6:10 p.m. - Go out into the living room, sit on the couch and put Calvin's feet in my lap, tickle his feet while he naps. Watch last week's episode of Bones.
6:11 - 6:15 p.m. - Get a call from Marie about some "weird shape light thingy" lighting up on her dashboard. I have no idea.
6:15 - 7:35 p.m. - Ride the motorcycle over to DarkHorse with Calvin. Have some Moosedrool and some grub. Watch the Suns lose. Watch a couple of poker games going on in front of the bar. Get annoyed by the guy sitting next to us. Pay up and head home again.
7:35 - 9:00 p.m. - Hug Marie for cleaning the kitchen - a task I didn't look forward to doing when I got home. Be amused as she cannot stick with just washing the dishes, but also has to reorganize all of the cupboards and closets. Feed the dogs. Get the mail. Flip through "Cover and Bake" and "Baking Illustrated". Get the coffee ready for tomorrow. Change into my jammies. Sit on the couch typing this while half-watching "Let's Go To Prison". Shut down the snake's and beardies' tanks.
9:00 - 10:00 p.m. - Watch miscellaneous TV. Get Calvin's clothes together for work tomorrow. Put my breakfast and lunch together for tomorrow. Set the alarm. Go to bed.
Labels: home, journal, listy goodness, meme, misc, pets, work
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Nostalgia
I'm perusing through my original journal archives and just re-read this entry. What an awesome time we had.
And I'm beginning to realize just how verbose I've been over the last seven-plus-years:
- Original Journal Archives, 2000-2006
- Colloquial Archives (the original weblog, which started out as Uno Momento), 2003-2005
- Operation::Goddess (archives are listed in the right hand frame), 2002-Present
- Waking Mind (moved to WordPress in 2007, started in 2006 I think)
- Storyteller Archive, 2001-2005
And this blog (2005-Present), the archives to which are in the right hand frame. Thousands upon thousands of words. Apparently, I have a lot to say.
And I'm beginning to realize just how verbose I've been over the last seven-plus-years:
- Original Journal Archives, 2000-2006
- Colloquial Archives (the original weblog, which started out as Uno Momento), 2003-2005
- Operation::Goddess (archives are listed in the right hand frame), 2002-Present
- Waking Mind (moved to WordPress in 2007, started in 2006 I think)
- Storyteller Archive, 2001-2005
And this blog (2005-Present), the archives to which are in the right hand frame. Thousands upon thousands of words. Apparently, I have a lot to say.
Labels: journal
tannenbaum
Continuing in my freakish tradition to have all Christmas-type purchasing finished before mid-November, I have:
Really the only things left are to figure out what the heck we're getting Michael (sticking with the two-gift-limit, in an effort to downsize the loot now that we're all grown-ups), what we're sending the grandsons, and how decorative we're going to get this year (not very, I'm sure, but there will at least be a tree this time - we didn't have one last year OR the year before).
CALVIN: I'm going to have mercy on you and make this easy: please buy me perfume and this, and I shall act surprised. Oh, and please put Ferrero Rocher chocolates in my stocking.
- Picked out both of Calvin's gifts and both of Marie's gifts (I just have to click "check out" on Amazon).
- Picked out the non-candy portion of the stocking suffers (again with the "check out" clicking).
- Determined cost of lobster and crab leg extravaganza, and just have to firm up the Christmas Dinner date.
- Added up the money going to my sister's kids and Calvin's sisters' kids.
Really the only things left are to figure out what the heck we're getting Michael (sticking with the two-gift-limit, in an effort to downsize the loot now that we're all grown-ups), what we're sending the grandsons, and how decorative we're going to get this year (not very, I'm sure, but there will at least be a tree this time - we didn't have one last year OR the year before).
CALVIN: I'm going to have mercy on you and make this easy: please buy me perfume and this, and I shall act surprised. Oh, and please put Ferrero Rocher chocolates in my stocking.
Labels: holiday, listy goodness
Monday, November 05, 2007
Cackle
Jesus H...
Anecdotal minutiae
Marie and I just got back from going to Pets Inc for "critters for the critters" (a medium rat and three dozen superworms), then to the grocery store for people food. She volunteered to go with me, and we gabbed and ooh'ed at the lizards and spiders and snakes, and impulse-bought food (at the grocery store) we didn't need. It's nice to have her back around the house again.
So right now the snake is writhing around on the floor of her vivarium, and the tail of the rat has just disappeared like a string of spaghetti into her mouth. A gape to re-hinge her jaw, and lunch is over. It's fascinating, in a totally gross kind of way.
I really had to push myself to stay on the elliptical this morning, and still only finished 35 minutes of my allotted 45-minute workout. I start negotiating with myself after about 20 minutes... "Okay, that's probably enough. Well, no, after the end of this song. Okay, the next song... five more minutes. Thirty minutes is long enough, right? Okay, dammit, thirty-five is close enough."
I appeased my guilt at shortening my workout by spending the next hour cleaning. I'm sure I killed more than enough calories that way.
Oz and Zoe are re-enacting WWII's Battle of the Bulge. Zoe is backed into the weight room and Oz is holding territory beyond the hallway. Volleys of hissing and spitting sail back and forth approximately every three minutes. In the end, Zoe will lose and go back to hide under the bed and sulk.
So right now the snake is writhing around on the floor of her vivarium, and the tail of the rat has just disappeared like a string of spaghetti into her mouth. A gape to re-hinge her jaw, and lunch is over. It's fascinating, in a totally gross kind of way.
I really had to push myself to stay on the elliptical this morning, and still only finished 35 minutes of my allotted 45-minute workout. I start negotiating with myself after about 20 minutes... "Okay, that's probably enough. Well, no, after the end of this song. Okay, the next song... five more minutes. Thirty minutes is long enough, right? Okay, dammit, thirty-five is close enough."
I appeased my guilt at shortening my workout by spending the next hour cleaning. I'm sure I killed more than enough calories that way.
Oz and Zoe are re-enacting WWII's Battle of the Bulge. Zoe is backed into the weight room and Oz is holding territory beyond the hallway. Volleys of hissing and spitting sail back and forth approximately every three minutes. In the end, Zoe will lose and go back to hide under the bed and sulk.
Labels: journal, Op:Goddess, pets
Friday, November 02, 2007
Typical November Weekend
I'm having to re-write this entry because I accidentally hit the "back" button on my browser and STOOPID BLOGGER didn't save a draft. Dammit.
Anyway. Tonight is happy hour at Kona Grill with some work cronies. Tomorrow is Grown Up Responsibility Day with the cleaning and the yardwork. Tonight is the Suns Game (though basketball takes a back seat to football until February), tomorrow is the ASU vs. Oregon game, and Sunday is the Patriots vs. Colts game.
I love this time of year. I just wish that it felt more like fall. It's supposed to be in the mid- to high-80's all weekend and all next week. Which is nothing to grouse about, I'm sure, especially with the protests I can hear coming from my loyal readers of chillier climes. Still, my KINGDOM for just ONE day of sweater-weather.
The cooking extravaganza continues. Last night I made a Tamale Pie that was really good, except that it was so spicy that even I, the girl who eats nacho-sliced jalapenos by the handful, was reaching for the water. It falls under the category of "make again", though next time I'll cut back on the chipolte peppers and the adobo sauce.
Chipolte Tamale Pie
(modified from the recipe from RecipeZaar)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 chipotle chiles (found in the Mexican food area of the grocery store), chopped, *plus*
1 teaspoon adobo sauce, from canned chipotle in adobo
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 (8 1/2 ounce) package cornbread mix (such as Jiffy)
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Spray an 8-inch baking or casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, green peppers, and garlic and cook until transparent and softened.
- Add the ground beef and cook until it no longer pink and is cooked through. Drain off any excess fat and sprinkle the meat mixture with the cumin.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, chiles and adobo sauce to the skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until heated through and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Remove pan from the heat and stir in the cheese and cilantro.
- Spread the beef mixture in the prepared baking dish, pressing down on it with the back of a spoon or spatula to make an even, compact layer.
- Combine the cornbread mix with milk and egg (note: this will NOT be according to package directions) and spread the cornbread batter over the beef mixture.
- Bake until the cornbread is golden-brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the tamale pie stand for 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
I have the week of Thanksgiving off (two work-provided days, three vacation days) and plan to alternate between cooking a new dessert recipe and a new dinner recipe each day. I shall surely post the results herein. To aid me in this endeavor, I have recently purchased several new cookbooks, namely Cover and Bake, America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, Baking Illustrated, and America's Best Lost Recipes.
Calvin's family (the only family we have here in AZ) hasn't mentioned what the Grand Turkey Day Plans are, but rest assured I'll be conducting my usual Gastronomical Culinary Extravaganza at home.
I've used the word "extravaganza" twice (now three times). That's a good entry, right there.
Aaaand then after Thanksgiving I'm going on a full-out Cooking Strike until it's time to "Kill the Wobsters!" (think Elmer Fudd ala "What's Opera, Doc?") at Christmas. An Animal Planet tradition since 1998!
Anyway. Tonight is happy hour at Kona Grill with some work cronies. Tomorrow is Grown Up Responsibility Day with the cleaning and the yardwork. Tonight is the Suns Game (though basketball takes a back seat to football until February), tomorrow is the ASU vs. Oregon game, and Sunday is the Patriots vs. Colts game.
I love this time of year. I just wish that it felt more like fall. It's supposed to be in the mid- to high-80's all weekend and all next week. Which is nothing to grouse about, I'm sure, especially with the protests I can hear coming from my loyal readers of chillier climes. Still, my KINGDOM for just ONE day of sweater-weather.
The cooking extravaganza continues. Last night I made a Tamale Pie that was really good, except that it was so spicy that even I, the girl who eats nacho-sliced jalapenos by the handful, was reaching for the water. It falls under the category of "make again", though next time I'll cut back on the chipolte peppers and the adobo sauce.
Chipolte Tamale Pie
(modified from the recipe from RecipeZaar)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 chipotle chiles (found in the Mexican food area of the grocery store), chopped, *plus*
1 teaspoon adobo sauce, from canned chipotle in adobo
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 (8 1/2 ounce) package cornbread mix (such as Jiffy)
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Spray an 8-inch baking or casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, green peppers, and garlic and cook until transparent and softened.
- Add the ground beef and cook until it no longer pink and is cooked through. Drain off any excess fat and sprinkle the meat mixture with the cumin.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, chiles and adobo sauce to the skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until heated through and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Remove pan from the heat and stir in the cheese and cilantro.
- Spread the beef mixture in the prepared baking dish, pressing down on it with the back of a spoon or spatula to make an even, compact layer.
- Combine the cornbread mix with milk and egg (note: this will NOT be according to package directions) and spread the cornbread batter over the beef mixture.
- Bake until the cornbread is golden-brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the tamale pie stand for 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
I have the week of Thanksgiving off (two work-provided days, three vacation days) and plan to alternate between cooking a new dessert recipe and a new dinner recipe each day. I shall surely post the results herein. To aid me in this endeavor, I have recently purchased several new cookbooks, namely Cover and Bake, America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, Baking Illustrated, and America's Best Lost Recipes.
Calvin's family (the only family we have here in AZ) hasn't mentioned what the Grand Turkey Day Plans are, but rest assured I'll be conducting my usual Gastronomical Culinary Extravaganza at home.
I've used the word "extravaganza" twice (now three times). That's a good entry, right there.
Aaaand then after Thanksgiving I'm going on a full-out Cooking Strike until it's time to "Kill the Wobsters!" (think Elmer Fudd ala "What's Opera, Doc?") at Christmas. An Animal Planet tradition since 1998!
under the covers
While rummaging around in my desk the other day, I found a stack of (counting) 16 mix CD's from the 2004 TUS Anti-Christmas CD exchange. I don't hang out over there anymore - I never did fit in with them - but I sure am enjoying the HELL outta these CD's. Playing right now is TUS-er "Koroshiya's" contribution entitled "Covers", which is, as you might expect, a CD full of songs "covered" by a different band than the original. Lung Cookie's version of "Margaritaville" is rather more fun than Jimmy Buffet's. As is Lemonhead's version of "Mrs. Robinson".
I still have yet to define how exactly my taste in music would be categorized. Other than, "non-sucky".
I still have yet to define how exactly my taste in music would be categorized. Other than, "non-sucky".
Labels: music
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Books Read in '08
- "The Ungrateful Governess" by Mary Balogh
- "Silver Angel" by Johanna Lindsey
- "To Kiss A Spy" by Jane Feather
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- "The Wedding" by Julie Garwood
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