Monday, July 13, 2009

Yes, even MORE vacation photos. Y'all should be so jealous.


















































































































































































































































Menu of the Day

Quote: Edited to finally add a quote: "It was then i knew that often the greatest of sins are not the things we do, but the things we fail to do." -- from "Chasing Grace" by Martha Manning.

How many books i purchased this week: 5

How many books i've read on vacation: i think 5 (Now i've read 6!) (Now i have read 7!) (Updated on July 25 - i am up to 8.)
How many iTunes i've bought: nothing, but i'm considering Wilco's new one. It sounds like George Harrison. (My favorite Beatle, if i had one).
Confession: It's after 5:00 pm and i finally put on some real clothes. And actually they aren't even real clothes, they are running attire.
* * * * * * * * * *
Here are my vacation photos, taken in the past couple of days. (Y'all are gonna be SO jealous!Especially my friends who have been to China and Japan and Hawaii and New York just recently!) In the pool photo you can see my front door and the flag. It was a cool day today when i shot this and that's why the pool is empty. This is my unmade bed. I took that today too. (I should have taken a photo of the TV with CNN's Michael Jackson's coverage! )
I don't have anything to muse on about today, but i might come back and edit this later to add some. I just wanted to change my blog. What are y'all doing?


Edited to add the photo of this pasta i made last night. It's a Giada recipe from Food Network's website. It's got fresh clams from the Farmer's market, shrimp, arugla and sun dried tomatoes in a wine sauce. (It about killed me to pour 1 1/2 cups of good chardonnay in the pan, which is nearly half a bottle. I didn't read the measurements or i would have bought a cheaper bottle.)
I just got my haircut today with bangs. I have NOT had bangs for about 10 years and i like them alot. So Brian took a photo and it's not often i like a photo of myself, but this one i do. so i'm posting it here even though it shows my whole face which is going against my signature of blog self portraits.
The margaritas i made today too are also pictured. Here is my recipe:
1. 1 orange, the size of a baseball, not the size of a softball
2. 1 lime, the size of a lime
3. 2 shots of Hornitos agave tequila (if you have Patron, all the better, but not necessary!)
4. 1 shot of triple sec OR Cointreau (Also not necessary because it's more expensive, but it IS better.)
5. a splash of Roses lime juice (found in the stores)
6. a splash of something carbonated - like squirt, fresca or sparkling water
ice
7. Grand Marnier (for last)
a) Peel the oranges and the limes and slice them into sections (something i learned today from my resourceful friend Sarah/louie louie, who is also learning to make margaritas today like we had in the Mexican restaurant yesterday during happy hour....

anyway, muddle these naked citrus fruits in the bottom of a glass (if you don't like pulp, use a shaker, personally i like some pulp.)
b) add the ice.
c) Add the shots
d) Add the splashes of Roses and carbonated soda pop
e. SHAKE IT LIKE A POLAROID PICTURE. (And take a picture while you are doing it. It will be a FUN photo!)
f) Pour it NOT into one of those stupid weenie margarita glasses, but in a 16 oz beer glass.
float a splash of grand marnier on top - serve with a slice of orange or lime for a garnish.
It's the best!
Depending on if you like salt on the rim (I do) dip your glass in the orange/lime juice from the cutting board and into the margarita salt (also purchased at grocery stores, but be careful not to let it cake up too much on the rim, that's not cool.)

Sunday, July 5, 2009

It's about time...microbrew musings.


MENU OF THE DAY:
In my glass: a porter that looks just like Coca Cola in your glass.
On iPod: Wilco's " Hate it Here".
Last good book read: "The Help" - this book and "Little Bee" are my favorite books i've read this whole year.
What's goin' on: I am on vacation until August. 7th. This blog post is about all the boring things i have been doing.
Quote: Barbara, i have been looking all over for my email about your photo of the sign about why the business was closed in Japan and i cannot find it. I even went and looked back on your Kodak link and my computer crashed again, which is why i have not been back to look at your photos. I had to start my whole blog post over. So maybe you can put it up here for me.
Last iTunes purchase: Little Feat's "Willin". Brian's band played this song at the Farmer's Market and i loved this song.
****************************
1. It's about time i have changed my blog but i can't say that summertime is my best inspiration.
2. summertime for me, is about being lazy.
3. I have read two books in two days. One was a Harlan Coben book. The other was that book called "Crazy for the Storm", a true story about a plane crash survival in the mountains. (It was not "Into Thin Air" or "Into the Wild" though.)
4. I cannot help it. I am saddened by Michael Jackson's death. And alot of my past week has been watching the CNN and E! channel on his life and death. I was like this with Princess Diana and JFK Jr's death too. I'm a celebrity death junkie and i need intervention.
5. Even when i didn't necessarily like all of his music, i never got tired of watching him move on stage. He was truly the best. My favorite video: "The way you make me feel".
6. I hate the Fourth of July more than i hate Valentine's Day and that is saying a lot.
7. A least Valentine's Day doesn't burn down houses and maim and kill people.
8. Oh God, please let Sarah Palin have her own show on Fox Network be the reason she is resigning her post. I don't like Hillary Clinton, but i REALLY REALLY cannot stand Palin and her Mr. Namby Pamby husband. It's embarrassing that she has more testoterone than he does. And they need to quit using their youngest daughter, whatever the hell her name is, as a prop.
9. ...and how about that show Kate Plus Nine? (That's what the show SHOULD be called) ...speaking of emasculated husbands......
10. So far i have not been doing much on vacation. I go for a run. Hang by the pool. One day i washed some windows. water my plants. read. cook. (I tried a couple of new dishes lately), watch Michael Jackson stuff on TV. Kylee's coming over tomorrow to spend time with me and to hang by the pool and have dinner. It's been GREAT.
11. There is nothing greater to me than unencumbered time.
OK. this is a short post today, but i may come back with more stuff. So tell us:
What are y'all doing?
What's your favorite Michael Jackson song? (Or if you don't like Michael Jackson, how about your favorite Karl Malden show?)
What are you reading or watching?