Amusing, San Diegan, and Reading while Showering

I Saw a Bear

2010-06-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

Got back from Oregon on Tuesday night (was supposed to be back Monday night, but thanks to a delay in Medford, the whole trip collapsed like a house of noodles, so I got to stay one more night with the Sugar). The trip was a delight as always, with JUST enough time spent lacking indoor plumbing that I was ready to come home, and JUST enough time hearing the wind blow through the trees and the Oregon frogs do their odd little concerts that I felt refreshed and a little sad to leave the country.

After a 14-hour roadtrip up the 5 with S and his pops, we rolled into the canyon to be greeted by S's cousin and his wife, who were rafting along the Wild & Scenic. It was a fun and improptu slumber party, where we all pitched in vacuuming the cabin, cleaning mouse poop off things (sorry, gotta keep it real...gross), and cooking dinner.

My first full day up there began with a delightful massage from J, a happy hippy pal who lives on 8 acres along a stream, has a house, but sleeps in a yurt, and gave me a tour in which I checked out her claw-footed tub among the trees, her Oracle mask, her May Pole, her TeePee, her Dancing Circle, and all sorts of other fun stuff. The massage took place in the "Care Cabin" and was so wonderful after 14 hours in the narrow back seat of a Diesel truck.

On the drive out there, I passed beautiful farms with herds of sheep, people riding their horses along the side of the road, purple wildflowers, a lake, oh, and a bear. A mid-sized black bear was in the road as I rounded a corner, to my absolute delight. I gasped "A Bear!" and he then hightailed it into the woods. According to J, he is a troublesome teen bear who enjoys digging in the garbage of the residents that live in that area.

I know people see bears in the wild all the time, but when I go to Oregon, all I want to see is one lousy deer in the meadow by the house, but they all hide from me. The deer know I'm coming, and avoid me like the plague. So, in your face, stupid Oregon deer, I saw a bear.

Speaking of stupid deers, I want to go to everyone one of these book stores:

http://www.miragebookmark.ch/most-interesting-bookstores.htm

My Life in Quarters

2010-04-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

My mom is hosting a gigantor garage sale this Saturday, one that I have contributed pounds and pounds of stuff to. Tough break for Mom: I won't be there. Of all the Saturdays to pick from, the sale falls on the day S and I leave for Colorado. Luckily, Mama O will be helping Mama W.

I've spent the last few days helping my mom organize stuff, and more specifically, pricing a ton of my junk. I made a HUGE box of stuff that is basically 25 cents for anything in there. I figure I can make some laundry money from old snowglobes and magnets and Smokey Bear pins. It is oddly depressing (or liberating? or a lesson in the free market?) when you really don't think most of the things you have owned could fetch more than two bits from the average stranger. I just hope my nose flute goes to a good home.

Kidding! I would never sell my nose flute!

Also, what is it about this commercial that is so grating? And why is it when it comes on I can't look away? I want to climb inside of it and turn the radio off and tell those girls to knock it off.

Get Out Ghostrider!

2010-04-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

We are totally watching Top Gun right now...I'm not sure why. Well, I mean, I know why, it's on AMC, which stands for "American Movie Classics", which Top Gun is. AMC has to show it because there aren't any channels called "Super Rad Awesomeness With Homo-Erotic Overtones."

Cougar is losing it...he's on vapors, Merlin is concerned...and Mav and Goose are headed back to save the day!

I concocted a little recipe for dinner tonight, nothing fancy or complicated or particularly original, but it was a crowd pleaser. I browned up some sweet Italian sausage (which was removed from its casing--one of my favorite cooking things to do--you can make fun farting noises when you remove the meat from the casing). Then, I took the browned sausage out of the pan, and sizzled up some onion and garlic in the drippings.

(Pull up, Cougar!!! We're too loose!!)

Then, I poured in a giant can of diced tomatoes, some tomato paste, some S&P, a bay leaf, and the rind of some old Parmiggiano Reggiano. Mmmmmm!

(By the way, Cougar just declared that he's "holding on too tight". And he's "lost the edge." Mmkay? Colonel Baldy is NOT happy with Mav because his ego is sooooo writing checks his body can't cash.

Aaaaannnyhoo. Add some capers at the end, which you'll leave out next time because the husband didn't like, then mix the whole thing with pasta and more Parm. Scrumptious.

By the way, Colonel Baldy informed Maverick (just before informing Goose and him they are bound for Miramar) that he's a good pilot..."maybe TOO good." Is it really a liability to be TOO good a fighter pilot? I mean, I would think that would be an asset to being a fighter pilot. Now, if you THINK you're too good, but you're not, that's one thing, but if you're ACTUALLY too good...what does this say about the rest of the fighter pilot community? Should Maverick lower his standards and NOT participate in any sort of inverted photo shoots with enemy bogeys? Are we Communists?

Deep.

What a Weekend

2010-02-16T11:04:00.001-08:00

I love four day weekends. I know, it's a bold proclamation, and I should be commended for the brave issues I take stances on. I also love pizza and Michael Phelps and kittens.

The weather was fall-down perfect this weekend. No marine layer, no haze, just bright blue sky, clean, post-rain air, even 80 degree temps on Monday! In February! S and I decided to cruise down to the beach on Sunday...along with half of San Diego County. We drove around and around before we found some street parking near the Stone Steps. It was a zoo at Beacons and Carlsbad and all the best beach haunts. Seriously, you would think it had been sleeting for two straight months the way we all frantically scrambled to the ocean like desperate prisoners. But there is something to be said about freshly-washed beach air. Soooo good for you.

I cooked S some migas on Valentine's morning, he liked them a lot, I thought they were just OK, but they were hearty and a good excuse to eat sour cream. We watched a bit of the Daytona 500, but eventually got too distracted by the sunshine so that's when we wandered over to the beach. S continues to play with our fancy new camera, taking ugly pictures of me sitting on driftwood, and seagulls staring at him. I swear they have brains like humans, they have something going on behind their eyes like they are plotting an attack. If they had weapons other than their own doo-doo, they would destroy us all.

We continued our weekend 101 cruising by heading down to the Cardiff Seaside Market, the greatest grocery store ever. It's so expensive, but they have so many beautiful things. Their produce is gorgeous, the meat, seafood, and deli is amazing, the beer section is huge and local and crafty, and their flower section at the front makes me cluelessly stop and block the entrance to the store every time because I'm freaking out and yelling at S to "smell this!!! look at this rose!! I can't stand it!!!" This is the market at which we always buy beer and exotic cheeses when we're camping across the street. It's a tradition, and it felt odd to be there during a non-camping time.

After procuring our Entenmanns (I had a powerful hankering for an afternoon donut), Heineken, and two kinds of cheeses (Italian Pepperjack and Idiazabal), we headed back to the homestead. We set our chairs into the sunshine and drank beer shandys (thank you Dr. M for introducing us to that particular joy), a mix of Heineken and ginger ale, ate olives, cheese, and crackers. S took more pictures, mostly of a bee collecting pollen from the flowers in our iceplant, and I said, for the fourteenth time since we got the camera "I need to learn how to use that thing..."

Then we got all gussied up like grownups and went out to dinner at a relatively new restaurant in E-town called Barracuda. They had a lot of seafood on the menu, but also lamb, beef, duck, and various nice-restauranty foods. S had the most perfect roast duck ever. It was so tender, not fatty at all, just rich and perfect. I had underwhelming but good halibut. It was a really nice meal, great service, good ambiance, I would definitely go back!

The rest of the weekend was filled with other delights: a fun but fruitless shopping excursion with my mom, watching S paint my beautiful bookcase, Olympic celebrations, and hours going through boxes of stuff in my parents' garage. I found some hilarious mementos from high school and college that were absolute gems. I don't know how to decide what to keep and what to toss!

Hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day wherever you are!

Artsy Fartsy

2010-02-08T14:40:00.000-08:00

Usually the two thoughts most occupying my brain are "what's for dinner?" and "can I just read my book now?" But as a new wife and nester, I really want to spend all my free time decorating our little home, or at least thinking about decorating our new home. I am super excited because S has built me a new bookcase, and it is simple and just fantastic. I've already informed him that this does NOT count towards the dream library he will someday build me, said dream library limiting me in terms of how many books I'm allowed to have at one time. (I keep telling him I want the library from Beauty & The Beast, and he keeps telling me we won't ever be living in a castle with a multi-story tower. He's so negative.)

Anyway, the bookcase is built and primed, and is waiting for the rain to stop, and me to pick the exact perfect shade of peacock blue so it can be painted and finally moved into our place in The Leuc. (Not to be confused with The Fee.)

I already have most of the artwork picked out for above the bookcase, including a mirror hanger/door knob thingee with a picture of a squirrel on it. It's from Anthropologie, therefore, it is cute and funky, whereas if I had found it at a garage sale, it would be declared random and scary. How about random and funky?

I bought some decopauge stuff the other day, but I've never used it before. I'm looking forward to joining the decopauge party that has swept our nation for years. I plan on finding some sort of decorative and overpriced paper, and then covering one of those multi-drawer thingees from IKEA in it.

Knitting is still trudging along, although the other night I experimented with some stitches and things went haywire. But at least I haven't forgotten how to knit and purl, so that's good.

Ah! To make "The Bookcase", a delicious new cocktail invented by S and Dr.M, combine Tanqueray Ten (or any gin you like), St. Germain, club soda, and optional blueberry juice. Then read a book. Then pass out from the cocktail.

Ramblings

2010-01-29T09:02:00.000-08:00

S had to go to LA early this morning for some family stuff, so we were up and awake by 4am. I got into work super early, was a little disappointed to have a "sorry we're rejecting your grant inquiry" e-mail from Qualcomm in my Inbox. I think a cup of coffee and some lemon cake will make it all better. Hope E arrives soon with the lemon cake.

We've been in The Fee all week long while S works on the house, painting moulding mostly, which is his own personal form of hell. That's why it's been on the to-do list for about 3 years now. But it's almost done, so hopefully we'll be able to get the place rented soon!

I do believe I'm going to make homemade gnocchi tomorrow night, and I'm pondering doing a red sauce and a gorgonzola cream sauce. I've made gnocchi from scratch twice before, and it is so much easier than you think it will be. It's really just a simple dough that you moosh together, roll into snakes, and then cut into knee-yokes. I made a very simple version from Giada de Laurentiis one time, which was good, but needed tweaking, and I'm no tweaker. Then I made THIS one off of Epicurious, and it was the real winner. Ignore the mushroom sauce part. Unless you want mushroom sauce. Then go bananas. Or mushrooms.

My other little domestic skill I'm working on is knitting. This has been a minor goal of mine for awhile now. I bought a book last year and attempted to teach myself from the book, but failed miserably. Last weekend I finally took a class, taught by the lovely Glenda of The Black Sheep in Encinitas. Delightful! Now I know how to knit! I'm slowly working on my first piece, a scarf of course. I was very tempted to make a face beard, but maybe that's the next class...

Sorry for the boringness of the this post. This has been a laundry list of random things in my life, and I feel no ounce of humor or clever language coming from my fingertips. But at least words are being spilled, no?

And since I haven't had a picture in a post for awhile...

Food and Books

2010-01-14T14:44:00.000-08:00

In an effort to write for the sake of writing, I like to mull what my most interesting thoughts are before I get started. Sadly, there is nothing interesting going on in my head. I have been working on a big project at work that is almost done, which is very satisfying. But, it's reached the mindless labeling/paper clipping/envelope stuffing process. And so, I blog.

But all I can think about is when I can sit and read my book, and what I'm cooking for dinner tonight. I'm also hoping the felonious co-workers of El Capitan are behaving themselves.

I'm making turkey chili. Onion, turkey, white beans, cumin, chili powder, lime juice, chicken stock, sour cream. Eat.

I also need to get a grant for our Education programs.

Yawn.

Crepes Fantastico

2010-01-11T11:54:00.000-08:00

One thing I love about my husband is that he is predictable and yet surprises and confuses me all at the same time. I find it amusing and confusing that he constantly complains that I try to feed him weird and fancy foods (like butternut squash. weird!), yet last night, he was gung ho about making crepes for dinner. Go figure.

We had leftover tri-tip and roasted veggies from Saturday night's dinner, so we chopped it up all teensy, sizzled it up in a pan with onions and spices, and then proceeded to use our shiny new crepe pan from D&J. The fun part about making the crepe batter was that you make it in the blender. I don't know why that's fun, but it was. My blender is orange. It's fun by nature.

The first crepe was un disastre, but the rest were gorgeous! We need to work on our flipping techniques. Joy of Cooking says your fingers work best for flipping, which we found to be true, except for the fact that S no longer has fingertips. He may be all macho and rough, but as he informed me over the weekend "I have very soft skin. I take care of myself!" So true, fancy boy.

My favorite part of the crepe dinner was the mustard cream sauce I made. Mmmm, creamy and mustardy.

Special thanks to K and K for getting married, having two copies of Joy of Cooking, and letting me have one of their copies in a "we're getting rid of books" purge. Special thanks also to a family I will not name for giving K the cookbook in the first place. Happy 2000 Graduation, K! (Makes me smile every time I crack that baby open.)

I Don't Make Resolutions

2010-01-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

But if I DID, I would resolute to write more frequently on my blog. And yes, I know it's "resolve", but what fun is blogging if you can't make up wacky words? It's what the hip teens do on the internets these days.

I was in the midst of writing a brilliantly-crafted letter to some planned giving prospects when Erica and I began discussing the concept of writing for the sake of writing, and no matter how many times you learn it, it just helps to be reminded of its practice. Just write. Stop worrying about having some sort of epiphany to share, or interesting anecdote that will stop the world, just write and get the juices flowing.

So here I am, taking a few moments away from the letter to write. Life is good. 2009 was a very big year in the life of JJ, and a great year indeed. I'm excited about 2010, but at the moment I am reveling in the contentedness of mine and S's life. It's not perfect, but it's warm and cozy and happy and filled with smiles and love and laughter and I guess my other resolution would be to remember to not take that for granted, and to try and stay connected to that feeling.

Also, I'm craving soup for lunch today, so I might head over to Influx for their Tomato Bisque. Maybe I'll take my Scottish-time-travel-romance-adventure book. Ha! "Maybe" I'll take my book. That's funny.

And apparently, my 2-year-old nephew, whose name starts with a B, ate FOUR adult-sized pancakes yesterday. I am 29 years older than him, and I've never been able to eat more than two, and I LOVE pancakes.

How's THAT for a stream of consciousness. What do you think, Airshine???

Rainbow Cake!

2009-06-17T20:27:00.000-07:00

Oh man. I done gone and baked one of the coolest things ever. It was nothing but box cake and food coloring--no challenge of baking science--and it wasn't even my idea, but it turned out so radical, I'm so pumped about this. You must find an occasion to make this cake.

The fabulous Claudia Russell, Jazz88 DJ extraordinaire, had a birthday last week, but wasn't in the office for cake-ular activities. I had been saving this cake recipe specifically for her, as she's a hippy-at-heart who loves tye-dye.

TO THE CAKE!

First, I made a double-batch of white cake. I believe it was Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe.

Then, I divided up the batter into 7 bowls of equal volume. Using gel food coloring (more intense, less liquid added) I dyed each bowl a different color: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and pink.

Next, I took two round 9-inch cake pans. Here is where the expert baking technique comes in. Now, you can put the colors in whatever order you want, but I put them in regular rainbow order. So, beginning with red, I put a heaping cup to cup and a half into the bottom of the first pan. Next, a little less of a heaping cup of orange right on top. Don't worry, they don't mix into each other, they just sit on top of each other in concentric circles and slowly spread out into the pan.

Follow with the rest of the colors until all seven are in the pan. Then, do the same thing in the second pan, but put the colors in REVERSE order. Here's another tip. The BOTTOM layer of batter (meaning, the first color you put in the pan) should be more than the top layer.

Bake.

Cool. Frost. Cut into. Freak out.

Delight your happy birthday-having pal:

Then eat more cake:

Full credit to Omnomicon.com, although she does it some crazy nonsense diet way with soda and pudding mix. No. Just...NO. Make the box cake the way you're supposed to make it. The end.

I Have a Ring!

2009-06-08T21:49:00.001-07:00

Finally! We have an engagement ring! Woohoo! On Saturday we hit up Leo Hamel in Old Town, after hearing they had a decent selection of estate pieces. I was starting to feel like I just needed to pick SOMETHING remotely close to the style that I was leaning towards. Everything that I had tried up to that point had been close, and pretty, and sparkly, but I don't know, how do you choose when they are all pretty and kind of all look the same after awhile? Well, we debated between two finalists, and this little darlin' finally won out. I love it more and more the longer I have it. Hooray!

Oh, wait, you might want to know, it's 14 karat white gold. I don't know how old it is, I forgot to ask.

Well Hello There!

2009-06-04T17:46:00.000-07:00

Oh hey! I have a blog! Discipline has never been my strong suit, but you know, I am a work in progress.

I am safely ensconced on my couch, sipping a glass of red wine and nibbling on Rainier cherries. Mmmmmm! I went to Pata Negra after work and got some tomate frito (put it on white rice), chorizo, and a super tangy goat cheese rolled in paprika. I've been trying not to gorge on it too much as it was supposed to be our cocktail hour appetizers, but el Capitan just called and won't be home until 7. Guess who gets all the cheese and chorizo to herself? These are the sacrifices and rewards of the fireman-family lifestyle.

I left work before 3pm today due to an exceptionally frustrating situation that remains out of my control. Rather than sit at my desk stewing in my own angry juices, I decided to just leave. I don't mean to be mysterious, but I'd rather not memorialize my rage on the internet. Needless to say, said situation will pass.

Tomorrow I have a meeting in Balboa Park, specifically at the delicious-smelling Mingei Museum. I don't know what it smells like, but it just smells good. Textiles and foreign wood carvings and fresh paint. We're partnering with them for an event in two weeks, so every few weeks for the past few months I've been popping up to the museum to meet with their Marketing Coordinator.

The last time I was up there I walked through my favorite spot in all of San Diego, the Alcazar Gardens. It was such a beautiful day (the miserable May Gray hadn't descended yet) and the flowers were just bonkers. I had to stop and attempt to take artistic pictures of the crazy tall purple flowers. Stalk? Snapdragons? I wish I was better at my flower identification.

Anyway, it was such a pleasant interlude during my work day, I had to stop and appreciate that my job frequently requires that I walk through Balboa Park. Not a bad gig.

Thank God I have another meeting there tomorrow, I need the reminder!

Tortilla Espanola

2009-04-15T20:14:00.000-07:00

So I had big plans this weekend to dig into 1080 Recipes, which is THE bible of authentic Spanish cooking. It didn't happen. But, we still ate an authentic Spanish dinner, so that has to count for something, right?

Mmmm...classic tortilla espanola. Here's what you do. Take a tater. Peel that tater on up. Then, you have to cut the tater into small pieces, but not in nice even dices, but like little discs that are sort of thin like. But not too thin. I hold onto the potato and take a paring knife and just slice little pieces off one at a time. It's sort of a pain, but really, you become one with the potato. No you don't, it's mostly a pain. Then, fry those ta-toes up in a TON of olive oil. You can save the oil and use it again the next time you fry up patatas.

Don't burn the potatoes, just fry them so they are happily bubbling in that oil until they are soft. This is why you don't want them TOO thin or they'll turn into potato chips. Once they are all soft and mushy and scrumptiously oily, drain your potatoes.

Scramble 4 or 5 eggs. Make sure you salt the eggs. Don't be stingy with the salt. Then, pour the eggs over your potatoes which you've got sitting in a large dish or bowl, and mush the concoction together. Then, pour the whole shebang BACK into a smallish pan which you have either sprayed with Pam, or coated with a bit more olive oil. Keep the heat relatively low, because the tortilla is thick, and the outside of the eggs will cook much quicker and you don't want to burn them.

Gently pull the sides of the egg away from the pan with a butter knife and let the raw runny stuff in the middle drain down to the sides to cook, forming a new outer edge.

Now comes the hard part. Get a nice big plate and put it over the top of the pan. You are going to flip the tortilla. Don't be afraid, the tortilla can sense your fear. Confidently and strongly hold the plate against the pan, and in one swell foop flip that mother over. Then, sliiiide the whole messy concoction back into the pan. Poke the tortilla with a fork. No, I don't know why, just do it.

Eventually, it will be done. Take it out of the pan, and let it cool to room temp, or you can eat it cold after you refrigerate it for awhile. Or, you can eat it hot out of the pan, but I don't think it tastes as good hot.

Buena suerte!

(P.S. I think it's clear I would be a terrible cookbook writer)

Happy Birthday Bob!

2009-04-15T19:42:00.000-07:00

So one of my favorite people in the world is my friend Bob Harvey. Bob has been a long time volunteer at the radio station, and last Saturday he celebrated his 90th birthday. His fantastic daughter Ann was nice enough to invite Shane and me to come to the big celebration that was thrown in his honor.

Bob doesn't really "volunteer" anymore, but he comes to plenty of concerts and happy hours to hang out with the staff and other volunteers. He is quite beloved at the radio station, so we were very happy to celebrate with him.

The thing that's so great and inspiring about Bob, is that he's not OLD. I mean, yes, he's 90 and you have to speak a bit louder than normal and he doesn't drive anymore, but he's the coolest 90-year-old you'll ever meet. He STILL has a personal trainer that he works out with, specifically so he can keep on skiing. Yes, he still skis. He has an easy chuckle, and a great sense of humor. He is so very UN-stodgy, he has the most positive and easy-going attitude, plus, he calls me "doll".

And he would TOTALLY win the David Letterman "What's the Deal with Old Guys and Big Glasses?" contest. But then again...I might be starting my way down that path too...

"Maturity..."

2009-03-25T23:48:00.000-07:00

That's what my high school English teacher Ms. Gabay would say to us teens anytime something inappropriate came up in a book or movie, and we'd all start to giggle.

Sadly, I have never embraced maturity. I just worked a 14 hour day, and should have been in bed 45 minutes ago, but no, I'm wasting time on the internet. And thank God! Because if I HADN'T been, we never would have heard about this:

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2009/03/25/internacional/1238011768.html

I know it's in Spanish, but really, there's no need to worry about the details of the article, just the translated headline: "Giant Penis On Roof of House" and the accompanying picture made me burst into super immature giggles. And then blog about it.

Some young whippersnapper in England did this to his poor parents, and now they're on Google Earth. Well played, young man. Well played.

Slainte!

2009-03-17T12:44:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Here's something completely unrelated to St. Patty's Day, and it's a little late to post it, but I just rewatched it and laughed just as hard as the first 8 times. My love affair with Will Forte grows. Start about 1 minute in...

http://www.hulu.com/watch/52186/saturday-night-live-update-bcs-song

Happy Song

2009-03-04T10:51:00.000-08:00

This is just cute and fun.

Good Morning and Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T08:19:00.000-08:00

Hello doves! I know it's a mostly Hallmarkian holiday, but what's wrong with a calendar-based nudge to focus on love? Who says it has to be romantic love only? Maybe I can be all tra-la-la about it because I have found my Sweet Baboo (currently snoring even though he's been asleep for over 10 hours. Seriously, what the French, toast? Why aren't you awake already?) I neglected to get my act together this year so I have no cookies or truffles or cards to share, but I still love you. If you're reading this, you're one of the 8 who do, and I can guarantee you that I love you very much. So! Since I didn't make you a box of cookies this year, here is a pie:

Mmmm.... This is Martha Stewart's recipe for Chocolate Cream Pie, and it is a great recipe. It doesn't take a ton of ingredients, which was particularly handy last weekend when it was raining and I didn't want to run out to the store AGAIN. I really am a fan of custards and puddings, they are quick and easy and really just involve a lot of whisking and paying attention to not burning stuff. Cream pies rule.

Martha calls for a Chocolate Pate Sucree crust, but I have made this pie twice now, once with just a regular Pillsbury readymade crust, and this time, with a nice, thick, graham cracker crust. It also calls for a caramel whipped cream topping, which is sort of advanced, but not completely difficult to do, and it makes for a yummy topping. I skipped it this time around, but highly recommend giving it a try. As you can see from the above picture, we munched it all down before remembering to snap a pic of the finished product. Yum.

Which One's Cuter?

2009-02-10T21:41:00.000-08:00

The devastating wildfires in Australia are pretty incomprehensible. So far there aren't many "feel good" stories coming out yet--it's just horrific. But this little story, and the accompanying picture, was just too sweet and heartbreaking to ignore.

Christian Bale Needs to be Kicked in the Nuts

2009-02-04T10:45:00.000-08:00

I actually agree with the essence of Christian Bale's argument. (Click here if you haven't heard his crazy tirade yet. Turn the volume down if you're at work) He's trying to do his job, somehow someone keeps making that difficult to do, and his frustration boils over. I completely get that. All that being said, what an ass and what a blowhard for going so completely apeshit and not being able to calm yourself down. You're not curing cancer, you're playing John Conner, and you're totally replaceable. Wow, I feel strongly about this.

Mostly, though, I just want this t-shirt.

Ribs: Why Don't I Cook These More?

2009-02-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

Is anyone else daunted by cuts of meat? No matter how many cooking shows I've watched, I just can't keep track of what's a butt roast or whether sirloin is better than prime rib or whatever. And forget ribs. Racks and baby backs and spare ribs, I just like to eat them.

But when Saveur told me I should consider making Chinese Spare Ribs for my Super Bowl eating pleasure...who was I to argue? I'm nothing if not good at following directions, and Saveur told me to get St. Louis style spare ribs, which I figured was far too specific for the Menifee Stater Brothers...but lo and behold, it was RIGHT ON THE TAG. WOW! Meat is fun! (Ha!) I don't know what makes them St. Louis style, by the way. Maybe they are the ribs of giant cardinals?

Mr. Butcher Man cut up the big ole rack into pieces for me, which I then marinated in sauces hoisin and soy, sugar, garlic, Chinese 5-Spice powder (which 5 spices? I don't know! A Chinese mystery!), probably some other stuff, and red food coloring. Then they sat in the oven for a really long time and turned into happiness.

We burned our fingers and ate them. The ribs, not the fingers. We ate these ribs BEFORE the red velvet cupcakes, but by the end of the night, every part of our mouths had red dye on it. Mmmmmmm....deadly red dye......

Dang it, Sprinkles Is Tasty.

2009-02-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

Sprinkles are tasty? Whatever, they make a mean cupcake. And by they, I mean me, using their official "mix". I expected the cupcakes to be mediocre at best. Cake is cake, so it's hard for it to NOT be somewhat delicious, but I'm skeptical of these high-falutin' and trendy cupcake places, and have wondered if there is too much emphasis on style points, or wowing everyone with massive amounts of frosting, as opposed to a quality baked good. Are they worth the $3.25 a piece ($36 A DOZEN, PEOPLE) that they charge? Well, if you can't bake...maybe?

I was pleasantly surprised, I must say, and I wish I knew their flour to sugar to cocoa ratio. The cake wasn't overly dense like a lot of "homemade" recipes, and it was moist and chewy with a great tangy, sweet red velvet flavor. I think I forgot to mention they were red velvet. Their cream cheese frosting recipe was scrumptious as well, although I recently made cream cheese frosting from another recipe (thanks, J&D!) that used a bit of lemon juice instead of vanilla. Sooooo good, but that's for another time. Until then, enjoy this picture of the finished product, with the signature Sprinkles dot.

Instant Technology!

2009-02-01T19:23:00.001-08:00

Best commercial this year.

Found it! Or: Food photography is not my strong suit...

2009-01-29T21:35:00.000-08:00

I'm a little grossed out by this picture. I realize my mind is in the gutter, but I would imagine that a food stylist's biggest challenge is making sausages look less weiner-y. Also, making sure the mashed potato/ice cream doesn't melt.

Soup, There It Is

2009-01-28T19:32:00.000-08:00

Brrr! Man, it's cold, as evidenced by the news, and by the gigantic icicle Lyla tore off of her house with her bare hands. I absolutely can't complain about the cold in San Diego when I see below freezing temperatures where my friends are. Who am I kidding, of course I can.

Since the mercury has been dipping into the 50's lately, that means it's soup weather in San Diego. Lately I have been really into the radio program The Splendid Table. I love listening to the podcasts which are hosted by the delightfully unsnobby yet super knowledgable Lynne Rossetto Kasper. She sounds like she's been smoking for far too long, but she speaks with a smile, and I like that. I also receive her weekly e-newsletter, Weeknight Kitchen. It usually only has one, maybe two recipes, but they are always simple and delicious and relatively doable on a weeknight.

May I recommend the Winter Squash Soup and Stout Batter Bread? The bread is suuuuper easy, and is the PERFECT way to use up the cans of Guinness I scored from a Ring party like 3 years ago, thinking Shane and I would work through them nice and easy. I kept waiting and waiting for Shane to drink them...then I finally threatened to throw them out...BLASPHEMY!! How dare I think to throw out good beer?!? And then this recipe landed in my Inbox. Victory! Dense, beer-y, moist, and yummy.

The soup is nice and yummy and easy as well. Actually, the hardest part is peeling and chopping the butternut squash, but thanks to thekitchn.com, there is an easier way than just going at it with a vegetable peeler. Don't leave out the heavy cream at the end, I know it's optional, but it's only a half cup, and it makes it so thick and creamy. Scrumdiddly.

Oh, you want the recipes? Well, for some reason I can't find them on the Splendid Table website (guess the lovefest is over...sigh...), but if you shoot me an e-mail or make a comment, I'll forward you the newsletter issue it came in.

The best part? WHERE THE HECK ARE THE PICTURES I TOOK??? I have no idea. I have been stumbling over these pictures for months now, waiting to write about this soup, and now I can't find them. Good gravy. So, I guess I'll just leave you with an oldie but a goodie:

Let's Reminisce

2008-12-27T19:26:00.000-08:00

Is that how you spell reminisce? I am still in Colorado (we finally escaped the icy clutches of Grand Junction), enjoying soup, babies, hot buttered bourbon (oh yes), and all around good times. Last night we were watching an old SNL episode (the one with Josh Brolin), and the fantastic Will Forte was on Weekend Update doing his bizarre and awesomely hilarious Tim Calhoun personality. This brought back memories of one of the funniest things ever, which Kelly, Ross, and I promptly found online (or rather, a version of it), and laughed hysterically at. Also, note to NBC: STOP TAKING YOUR SNL CLIPS OFF YOUTUBE. You're only hurting yourselves, because your own website stinks. Thank you. Now, enjoy:

Guess Who's Stuck in Grand Junction?

2008-12-23T05:57:00.000-08:00

That's right, The Wendels. Sigh. It's almost 7am in Colorado, and the pass over the mountains through Vail is closed. So, we sit in our hotel, hoping it opens soon. We're so very close to our final destination...but no cigar. Melt, snow, melt! Plow, plows, plow! Also, stop snowing, sky. Thanks.

Sweetness

2008-12-21T13:33:00.000-08:00

Oh hi there. It's been a very hectic few months, all filled with fun things. An engagement, two weddings, a protest, and 60 miles of walking, and it's been a busy fall. I'm going to write a longer post (I swear) about the 3-Day, but I'm sitting here eating ice cold chunks of 70% Scharffen Berger chocolate, so I thought I would discuss some of the sweet treats I whipped up this holiday season.

There was a Cake Walk at City College (for what, I'm not sure), so I thought I would make some cupcakes and try and participate in my campus community. I'll spare you the longer tale of how my gorgeous cakes were greeted with indifference (an outrage! i even wrote an indignant e-mail!), but I'll happily share a blurry picture of my marzipan leaves:

I visited the monkeys in Colorado for Thanksgiving, and managed to leave my camera there. Alas, I was unable to document this year's co-worker treats. Thanks to my idol/mortal enemy Martha Stewart, I had a delightful time learning how to use a candy thermometer when I made Fleur de Sel Toffee. And Deb at SmittenKitchen.com has a fun recipe for Orangettes that I modified just a skoosh. I only dipped half of each peel in chocolate, and I also rolled a batch in superfine sugar. Yummy stuff.

And now, some random observations. Unless you are a professional soccer player, a homosexual, or a 15-year-old boy, you should please stop doing your hair like this:

Secondly, I'm watching some sort of Celebrity Skifest on CBS right now, and they just BEEPED out Larry David saying the word "testicles." This is what we've come to, Focus on the Family?? IT'S A BODY PART!!! Thank you.

Thirdly, this guy needs to be stopped:

You may know him from the cable company commercials, his featured role as Agent Cho on The Mentalist, or his two-episode arc as Chaplain Alan Lantz on The Unit. Or maybe you were minding your own business, pumping gas at the Shell station at the entrance to the 163, and this clown "knocks" on the glass of the TV that is perched above the pump. Thanks, NBC "Fuelcast" for forcing this guy into my life even more than he already is.

Toodles!

I Love...Kaiser?

2008-11-06T14:23:00.000-08:00

No, I haven't hit my head. And I still yearn for the day I can throw my Kaiser card in the trash and go back to being a Sharp baby. However, I must say, the commercial I saw for Kaiser last night is brilliant, inspiring, and just plaing awesome. I thought "I want to be THAT kind of old lady! How fun!" Then I said to Shane, "See!! People with TiVO miss these awesome commercials!!" So, for my DVR-loving friends (of which I'm sure I will be one soon), I post my new favorite commercial:

This Was Much More Fun

2008-11-05T19:42:00.000-08:00

This was my 4th Presidential election, and oh boy was it the most fun. My first one in 1996 was super anti-climactic. I was voting absentee while at UCLA, and I truly couldn't decide who to vote for: Clinton or Dole. I decided to skip it and work through the rest of my ballot, thinking I would go back at the end. Well, I forgot, so I never did vote for President that year. I still feel like a total dope.

2000 was very different. I had been working for Congressman Gephardt in DC for less than 2 months, but had decided long before then that there was no way I was voting for Dubya. I was excited when my co-workers invited me to tag along to The Mayflower Hotel for the big DNC viewing party in one of the ballrooms. When they called Florida for Gore--HOORAY! But then they took it away--BOOOOO! Well, it was a long night, as we all now know. The ultimate outcome then, and in 2004, was...well...beyond frustrating. But let's move forward, hmmmm?

I had grand plans last night of an Election Party, complete with patriotic foods and Uncle Sam hats for everyone! But then I realized I was far too busy and tired to get my act together. So I headed up to the bastion of progressive politics known as Menifee. To my utter delight, my fiance (who I was previously grumpy at for NOT being into my brilliant Uncle Sam hat idea...costume scrooge that he is) had put together a collection of patriotic meats and cheeses: red salami, white goat cheese, and stinky blue cheese.

We baked up an apple pie, fried up some chicken tenders and watched history being made. All this after going to the polls in the morning and having a jolt run through me when I opened up my ballot. I've never had a voting experience like it, what a thrill. In the words of The Tipsy Historian: BEST VOTING EXPERIENCE EVER!

YES WE CAN!!!

2008-11-04T21:26:00.001-08:00

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vote for These Babies!

2008-11-03T21:40:00.000-08:00

The stomach flu claimed another victim today: Benjamin. Everyone else has recovered or avoided the scourge. Poor Benjamin, he's such a good boy, and has hardly been complaining. I'm including a picture from Halloween, a happier time, a few days ago. Samuel is on the left (he was much more tolerant of the glasses than Benjamin), Ben on the right.

Those little guys are so funny.

I couldn't be more nervous about tomorrow. I'm about to go over the rest of my ballot to figure out all the Propositions. I just want it to be over, but at the same time, am dreading the possibility of an outcome that would just boggle my brain.

ohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohplease

Backlog

2008-11-02T10:29:00.000-08:00

Hello doves. Sorry to be so absent. I had a horrendous pledge drive from the 17-24th, then a busy weekend recovering and doing various wedding-related preparations (hello, Ascension Catholic Parish Engagement Coordinator people!), then I was off to Denver on the 29th, where I am right now. Grandma came with me as a surprise to my sister, which was fun and delightful. Benjamin and Samuel were also pleased, particularly Samuel, who loves Ross' mom (Nana), and my mom (Grandma) more than anything. We pulled into the garage from the airport and Sammy was writhing out of his car seat trying to get to Grandma. We have taken to calling them Gramuel, a la Brangelina, or Speidi.

Sadly, the Casa de los Twins has been taken down by the stomach flu. Samuel projectile vomited all over Mama, Grandma, and me yesterday, which was quite a sight to behold. Also, horrendously disgusting, and so very sad. He managed to sleep through the night, and fingers crossed, is on the road to recovery. But they've been tricked before by babies not puking and then BAM, they getcha again. Poor Ross was taken down around midnight last night, and has just emerged to try and get some water into his belly. Grandma and I are just praying we don't get sick before our flight--this vomit-phobic author is horrified by the thought of being stuck in a flying tube while doing the technicolor yawn. But such is life sometimes. Mama and Benjamin seem to be fine as well, but none of us want to jinx it, so we're just holding our breath.

I'm looking forward to updating everyone on some fun new recipes I recently tried, all very delicious and autumnal. And I have a book review, so I better update that column... I also have some delightful pre-puke pics from Halloween of S & B. I think I may even share some fun memories from my friend Claudia's recent wedding in Idyllwild. Good mountain fun.

To the Pepto!

Whoa, whoa, WHOA. HOLD ON.

2008-10-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

I was just getting ready to shut this bad boy down and go meems, but then I thought, "hmmm, I haven't checked cuteoverload.com in a long time, and I'm not super tired, I think I'll waste a few more minutes on the glorious internet." Little did I know that there's an angel somewhere in this crazy mixed up world of ours who took the most amazing picture, just for me:

Monkeys! In a wheelbarrow!! Thank you.

Moon Chaser

2008-10-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

October in San Diego means every time you get out of your car, you'll forget that it's bone dry outside, and as soon as you touch any teensy piece of metal on said car, you're going to get shocked like there's no tomorrow. It hurts, and it gets old real fast. However, there are some good things too. For you PB-expats, here was the view looking east down Chalcedony as I got home tonight:

SUPER CLOSE UP!:

It smells faintly of smoke, and the moon is gigantic! It's almost Halloween!

On a totally unrelated note, here is my latest Shindy episode. Supposedly a new one, wherein I get a manicure at a boutique in Little Italy, should be posted any day now. But they've been saying that for going on 3 weeks, so who knows. In the meantime, enjoy The Fleetwood, and know that the guy who looks like Sean Astin was as douchey as he seems.

This One's For Kevin

2008-10-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

Right now, I'm chowing down on a delicious Lentil Soup with Sausages concoction that I made last night. Please enjoy the recipe here, it was a fun first soup to make since the weather has cooled a bit. (My adjustments: I used half chicken stock and half water. Also, don't skimp on the salt and pepper. 1 1/2 tsps. of salt is just silly, in my opinion.)

Fall has arrived in San Diego, with really crisp, dry days on Saturday and Sunday. It made for beautiful beach weather, no marine layer, no smog, and you could see all the way to the Coronado Islands. I think that's what they're called. I walked twelve and a half miles on Saturday--oof. I was supposed to do 17, but got off to a late start, and since I was hosting part of Ali's Bachelorette Party at The Madrid that night, I had to cut it short. I cut it even shorter because my feet were killing me. Gotta get some inserts or something for my fancy new shoes.

I think the heat will be back soon, the Santa Ana's are about to descend on us, and over the past few days my lips have just shriveled up from the dryness. S is remarkably un-busy at work, which is a bummer for him as he is bored out of his gourd, but the potential for him to become scarily busy in the next few weeks is building. Plus, he is not at camp, so even when he's bored, he's in a healthier environment.

And now, for your enjoyment, a Frog and a Bear, seeing America (try not to smile):

Jon Stewart for President

2008-09-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

Sweet holy monkeys, I love Jon Stewart. Please, please PLEASE can we stop having cable news channels?

My favorite line: "But in Dick Morris' defense...he IS a lying sack of s***."

Walking the 3-Day--Can You Help?

2008-08-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

Hello doves!

You may have already heard from me via e-mail, so you probably know I'm walking the Breast Cancer 3-Day. I'm hoping you can help me, not only with the fundraising portion, if you should feel so inclined, but with SPREADING THE WORD. I'm telling my network of friends and family, could you tell yours?

I'm walking the 3-Day in honor of Jessica, and if you read this blog, you probably have a personal connection with her as well. But even if you don't, you probably know someone who has fought breast cancer. I'll do all the walking, but if you could help me by forwarding my e-mail to as many people as you can, I would really appreciate it.

Here's the link, too, if you want to guide people to this blog.

THANK YOU!

Walking, and a Tupperware Tragedy

2008-08-22T19:53:00.000-07:00

So I've registered to do the Breast Cancer 3-Day in November, and I am quite excited. I'm part of the "Jazzebelles" of Jazz88.3. I've been walking about 3-4 miles every other day, with longer walks on the weekends. Last Sunday I walked 6 miles, tomorrow I'll be walking 8. Ouch. I've come to the conclusion that I need to get a fanny pack to carry water and sustenance for these longer jaunts. Fanny pack aside, I am so very excited to be doing the 3-Day. It's been a goal for awhile, but it's a pretty big time and fundraising commitment, so I've kind of danced around actually doing it... It took a good friend being diagnosed with breast cancer the same year a co-worker said "let's do the 3 Day!" for me to stop making excuses. So walk I shall! More on this very, very soon. I have lots of homework to do in terms of setting up my fundraising page, but it's not long until you'll hear all about that.

In other news, Benjamin threw up in the tupperware drawer yesterday. And you don't want to know what he did ALL over my sister's white couch on Wednesday (4 of the cushions, and the base), but needless to say, it wasn't the throw up part of a stomach virus. Ewwww. Poor Benjamin Bear. (Kelly, was this what you had in mind in terms of a blog post?)

S continues to work and work, with limited days off, but he has 2 weeks of vacation coming up in less than 3 weeks, with camping at the beach during that time for his birthday.

That's all I got, peeps.

I Had Lunch With an Oscar Winner

2008-08-13T20:06:00.000-07:00

And to think that when I got up this morning, I was just excited that not only did I not have to worry about packing a lunch, but I was going to be eating at Top of the Market, one of the better seafood places in San Diego. Our conference is here next year, and we'll be one of the host stations, so the boss and I were meeting with the guy who plans the whole thing.

Top of the Market is right on the water, between the Midway and Seaport Village, with a great view of whatever aircraft carriers are parked at North Island (today: The Stennis, The Washington, and a secret one covered in tarps or something. Maybe the soon-to-be-decommissioned Kittyhawk?) It's also next to the giant statue, "Unconditional Surrender", sometimes colloquially known as "The Kiss." This was the first time I had seen the statue in person. I had heard about how polarizing it was, and wasn't sure what to think of it. I am a huge supporter of public art, and actually appreciate art that's occasionally controversial and thought-provoking, and get annoyed when people want to immediately take stuff down just because it's "ugly." Well....it's ugly. What it represents (the jubilant kiss between a sailor and a nurse at the end of WWII) is beautiful, euphoric, and American. And don't get me wrong, I am NOT on the side of taking it down. Keep it up, talk about it, create more art, discourage everything always being in bronze. But man. That thing is tacky.

Oh, did you want to hear about the Oscar winner? Well, I had the foresight to consume 3 glasses of lemonade within the first hour of lunch. I excused myself to visit the ladies lounge and did a double-take (a sly one, as I am very subtle, like a secret agent) when I floated past Ms. Meryl Streep. MERYL STREEP!!!! There she was, with her messy ponytail, and her lavender-tinted glasses, looking and sounding exactly like Meryl Streep! And look, she's eating seafood too! And sharing a basket of bread with normal looking people! I played it cool, until I got back to my table and announced her presence in an exaggerated stage whisper. Don't worry, she didn't hear me, she was on the other side of the room. Although I was admonished by our waitress to leave Meryl (that's what I call her) alone. Yes, thank you, I know.

Alas, I was not able to get any sort of surreptitious picture of her, but I think we all know what she looks like. So here's a picture of a pensive Samuel pondering his very first swimming lesson.

Can I Love Chris Collinsworth?

2008-08-12T21:46:00.000-07:00

Because I just think he's adorable. He's clearly having so much fun at the Olympics, and he and Michael Phelps' mom (isn't she awesome?) sitting together in the stands going crazy during the races are just hilarious.

I love the Olympics, but it's killing me that they go so late each night. Actually, the lateness wouldn't normally bother me, but I've begun training for the 3-day, so 6am is when I have to get up and moving. Ouch.

This past weekend was delightful. S actually had some days off, so Friday we met up with J&M for Happy Hour, and then cocktails (the highlight: the scrumptious Summer '08) and the Opening Ceremonies at their pad. Saturday we headed back to J&M's house for a Coffee Cupping--kind of like a wine tasting, but with coffee. Fun, informative, interactive, and tasty. Please enjoy The Tipsy Historian as he expounds upon this passion of his, and details how the whole morning went down. The rest of the day involved a walk on the beach, and more Olympics. Yay summer!

And now, for your enjoyment, Benjamin & Samuel:

A Happier Note

2008-08-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

The simple pleasures of summer:

Yum!

Prayers & Good Thoughts

2008-08-06T21:38:00.000-07:00

I almost threw up at my desk when I saw the headline "9 Firefighters Presumed Dead in Copter Crash", then I remembered that S doesn't go to NorCal in his helicopter, and also, he was at home taking a nap. I was freaked out, then relieved, then really sad because 9 firemen are most likely dead and 4 are in terrible shape. Coincidentally, the crew was based out of Grants Pass, Oregon, the city in which S was born, and about 30 miles from his childhood home. Anyway, as relieved as I was, a lot of people are devastated right now, so please and thank you to keep their loved ones in your minds and hearts. Here's an article about it: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/06/BA0P1267AA.DTL&tsp=1

Pie Success!

2008-07-31T23:18:00.000-07:00

At least, we're almost there. The Chocolate Caramel Cream pie is in the fridge waiting for its caramel cream topping, that'll go on tomorrow. Lemon Meringue is cooling on the counter and looks muy bonito. Who knows how any of them will taste, but they will at least be edible, and at the very worst, if the cream topping doesn't come together (I've never made caramel, and tomorrow I'm attempting it right before work. Smart.) I've got a delicious chocolate cream pie.

Sleepytime.

Garfield Would Be Delighted

2008-07-30T21:43:00.000-07:00

My favorite TV chef is Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa. She is this funny little lady who lives in a big mansion in the Hamptons and has a snobby laugh, and terrible pants that are intentionally 5 inches too short, like she is trying to irritate me through the TV. And yet, I love her. She seems so genuine about her passion for delicious food and cooking for people she loves. Plus, she has a charming wee husband named Jeffrey, who according to the dedication of her Family Style cookbook, "makes all her dreams come true." Awww.

She whips up delicious menus of always-recognizable meals, but she does them so well, and usually with real butter and heavy cream. I tried her Turkey Sausage Lasagna tonight, and it was just scrumptious. I couldn't find turkey sausage, so I used sweet Italian pork sausage from Siesel's--mmmmm. Also, it calls for a layer of fresh mozzarella, followed by a layer of a mixture of ricotta, parmesan, and goat cheese. Cheesy wonderfulness!

Tomorrow night, I'm making two pies: lemon meringue & chocolate caramel cream. What now? It sounded like a good idea when I volunteered to bring dessert to an office potluck. Fingers crossed!

Comic Con!

2008-07-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to get to go to Comic Con this past Saturday (despite a cold and terrible skin issues--more on that later), and I even had a Press Pass for Shindy TV! It really gave us only one big perk, in that we got to stand in the press section right next to the stage for both the "Heroes" and "Lost" panels. We still had to wait in line with everyone else, and I am not exaggerating when I say the line stretched from one end of the Convention Center, all the way along the backside of the building, PAST the Marriott, and almost to Seaport Village. We walked for 10 minutes before we got to the end of it. This was the line just to get into the big Hall where all the cool TV panels would be. Insane.

The Heroes panel was very fun, the Q&A consisted of 3 nerds totally screwing up their chances to ask the creator any decent questions. Nerds booing other nerds equals hilarity. Then they showed us the season premiere for next season in its entirety. GOOD STUFF. That is, if you like Heroes. Following Heroes was the Lost panel, also known as, my moment to completely geek out. The two exec producers, Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, are so into the fandom behind this show, and they are both very funny and engaging with the audience, so it made the whole experience very entertaining. Oh yeah, and Matthew Fox walked out on stage and was like 10 feet from me looking super hunky and dreamy.

The rest of the day we cruised around the exhibit hall, which was so crowded it got kind of tiring, but the people watching opportunities were delightful. My highlight was getting to play the "I went to college with Kumar" card, and getting to interview Kal Penn and John Chen from the Harold & Kumar movies (among many other things). That was very fun, and an exciting moment for little old Shindy. I also got to talk to Wonder Woman AND Batman, who both stayed completely in character. Good times.

Now I'm trying to recover from some sort of horrible rash that has spread from my torso to my arms and legs, which is just awesome. I went to the doctor this morning, and as predicted I was told they don't know what it is, and then I was prescribed something that won't make it go away. With all due respect to any doctors that may be reading this blog (ahem), what the heck is it with SKIN that baffles the medical community? It's really frustrating, and extra fun when helpful people suggest that maybe it's "measles" or "smallpox". Thanks?

Now I'm off to read about Lost and scratch my belly.

Tap Water in Florida is Gross

2008-07-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

So I just got back from Orlando, where I thoroughly enjoyed (as always) my public radio conference. Besides the stinky, sulfur-tasting water (seriously, Florida, how do you deal with that stuff?), it was a delightful 4 days in a really nice hotel.

Highlights included the opening night party, which was very tame, and very fun, particularly when Erica and I had half the dance floor doing the Electric Slide. I do believe the evening's band, The Landsharks, appreciated all the nerdy enthusiasm.

Well, that's all I got, so let's go to the videotape:

Housework

Happy Birthday Kiki Von Triki!

2008-07-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

I remember the day so well, when they brought my sister home from the hospital. I knew we would be best friends forever! Wait. No. I wasn't born yet. Whatever. Today is my sister's birthday, and I'm so proud of her! Since her birthday last year, she has figured out how to juggle two hilarious little boys, feed them, entertain them, and educate them, all while furnishing, decorating, and organizing a 3 story house from top to bottom, entertaining a never-ending parade of guests who are there to "help with the twins," and remembering that even though it's been really hard, it's also been a really fun year. (Right, Kelly? Lots of fun?) Now go grab life by the lapels, you strong, dignified sister-mother-dancer.

Odds and Ends

2008-07-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

So my plan to "just write" kept getting foiled by me. I just haven't felt particularly inspired or interesting enough to click the "new post" button. But, there have still been some fun tidbits that I did want to share.

Well, first, ahem, the latest Shindy episode is up, this time featuring the delightful Whisknladle in La Jolla. M&J first mentioned this place to me, and I was so glad I got to check it out. I had a really fun time interviewing their pastry chef, including a solid 10 minutes off camera grilling him about why my buttercream hasn't been working lately. The owner and staff couldn't have been nicer, and the food and cocktails are exceptional. Their whole philosophy of locally grown quality food is easy to support too. Oh, and if you haven't yet seen me thwacked with leaves, here it is.

Other fun things:

Upper Left Trio at work's Jazz Live series. Nicest guys, pretty progressive jazz, but so fantastic live.
Samuel knows where his feet and his nose are.
Benjamin can meow like a cat, but only when he feels like it, because he's not your monkey.
Claudia Russell, continuing her reign as a most-exceptional lady broadcasting LIVE LIVE LIVE from the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland. She even made Bobby McFerrin say "wow". Then he made a bunch of popping noises and slapped his chest a whole bunch.
I JUST finished watching the end of last season's Prison Break. Man, that show is so terrible, and I love it. They almost buried Sucre alive! And now he's in Sona, what?? And Michael, revenging Sarah getting her head chopped off?!? Good stuff.

Wednesday morning I'm off to Orlando for the big nerdfest public radio conference. Yippee!

Experimental Pie

2008-07-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

Chocolate covered strawberries are delicious. How could you go wrong dipping a tart, juicy, sweet little berry of goodness into scrumptiousness. However, I'm partial to a less traditional way of eating strawberries. First, dip the berry in sour cream, then in brown sugar, then eat it. Beyond fantastic.

But let's back up a bit. Many Fun Times ago, I was in charge of dessert. Lately, I've been into making puddings. Easy and comforty. I found a recipe for Brown Sugar Pudding on Epicurious and knew I had to try it. It was also yummy. Why not make it into a pie, I ask you?

So I made the pudding, thickened it up with some extra cornstarch, then spread it around the bottom of a baked pie shell. Then, I layered some sliced strawberries all over it, and topped the whole shebang with a sour cream whipped cream. It was....a big shrug. Everything tasted fine, and it held together so-so, but it was just kind of a let down. Keep in mind, I was already trying to figure out how to enter the Pillsbury Bakeoff, and thinking about what I would do with the winnings.

Oh, Experimental Pie, you were a letdown, but your ingredients are so delicious.

Santa Rosa Plateau

2008-06-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

Other than S's house and the new BJ's Pizzeria in Temecula, there aren't a lot of cultural gems in Southern Riverside County. But there is a natural delight there called the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve. It's a massive natural space just off the 15 in Murrieta, hidden behind the hills west of the freeway. There are all sorts of different hiking trails that take you over undulating hills, past little creeks lined with tiny wildflowers, and across acres and acres of old ranch land. (I haven't fact checked that it was actual ranch land at one time. But there's a ranch house. And it sounds good.)

When S and I feel motivated, we like to try and get there early in the morning for a little hike. We've lucked out in spotting wildlife: coyotes, hawks, snakes, and the teeeeeniest little frogs you've ever seen. Pull out a dime (go ahead, I'll wait)...that's how big the froggies are. They hang out by the vernal pools. The best part of the hike is when we reach the historic old ranch house about 2.5 miles into the reserve. We realize a) that there STILL isn't a bathroom there even though we learned that the last time we came here, and b) we now have to hike BACK to the car.

I have since discovered that there is a Foundation that supports the Plateau, and they have a Cowboy Jubilee! Somebody's found the theme to her next birthday party!

I Loves Me Some Aunting

2008-06-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

I love being an aunt, probably (ok, definitely) to the point of being a wee bit obnoxious. I could not WAIT to be Auntie JJ. By the way, for the record, my sister and I have always referred to each other by odd nicknames, rarely "Kelly" and "Jenny/Jennifer." My nickname for the past few years has been J.J., or the full version, J.J. Jumpy. It doesn't really mean anything, it just sounded fun to my sister. However, she did also say, a few years back when she bestowed this nickname on me, that she was going to start calling me J.J. because she thought the name Auntie JJ would be cute when she and Ross started having kids. She recently told me she doesn't remember this conversation, but I remember it quite clearly as the genesis of my Auntie JJ title. And I love it. But back to the babies. Here they are when they were one day old:And here they are just a few weeks ago (in their cute little shirts from Aunt Janine):

Good job, babies.

Happy Birthday Babies!

2008-06-20T21:46:00.000-07:00

One year ago today Benjamin and Samuel were born, and it was just one of the best days ever! I love being an aunt, and I love these little boys. I'll post some pics tomorrow, but before I go to sleep, I had to make sure they got an official bloggity birthday wish on their actual birthday. I love you!

Just a Typical Wednesday Night

2008-06-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

So as a jetsetting host for a slightly-viewed local entertainment internet sensation, I'm getting to go places and do things that I normally wouldn't go out of my way to experience. And this is a good thing. Because my curiosity and enthusiasm for San Diego nightlife and other extra-curriculars often doesn't translate to getting off of my couch. (It's red! And squishy! And there are books next to it!)

This past Wednesday was one of my more interesting experiences. We were profiling this fancy-pants spa in La Jolla (wait, everything in La Jolla falls under the category of "fancy-pants") called Gaia Day Spa. The employees were all very nice, and very nervous, to the point that they prepared typed answers to all of my potential questions, and were practicing trying to memorize them when I arrived.

As the host I had to experience one of the treatments (the Banya!), but in the interest of time, I didn't REALLY get to have the full 80 minutes of pampering. Sigh. However, I did get to partake in the "best" part of the whole thing. I lay down in a 160-degree sauna, and a nice lady named Sarah thwacked me all over with branches of Eucalyptus leaves. Allegedly this is good for the immune system, or for waking you up, or for your kidneys? I don't know, I was distracted by the thwacking.

Fortunately for you, dear reader, this was all caught on camera, so watch for it soon on Shindy.tv!

But He's So Important!

2008-06-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

That's what my sister said when I called and told her that Tim Russert died. It might seem odd to be so saddened by the death of some media figure we've never even met, but Tim Russert and Meet the Press was just the best.

I'm not profound enough to write anything that interesting about Tim Russert dying. But I'm really sad about it, and feel like our country has been completely ripped off by losing him, especially this year. Please check out Tom Shales' column in the Washington Post, I think it sums that feeling up perfectly.

Even the Swedish Brush Hook?!?

2008-06-09T13:27:00.000-07:00

S and I rolled down to Barrio Logan this morning to go pick up his car from the scary impound lot. Luckily, I was wearing my J. Crew-iest, "Hi-I'm-preppy-who-wants-a-chai?" outfit, so I blended right in.

They wouldn't let me go in the lot with S to check out the car, but I could see him and the impound lady (who kind of looked like Tom Cruise in Collateral with that odd gray hairdo), as I eagerly watched through the razorwire fence. Though it was somewhat obscured from what I could see, Grimace looked ok. He didn't appear to have any physical damage, though I would imagine the emotional toll from being driven by strangers will keep him from being able to trust for awhile. S started him up with no problems, and I jumped up and down in excitement.

They took most of what was in the car, including the delightfully-named Swedish Brush Hook, which as you probably already know, hooks brush. I have no idea how the Swedes got involved. The worst loss was all of his work certificates, which may not be replaceable, and even if they can be, will be a long and tedious process.

S is still feeling pretty down about the theft, but it's a huge relief to have the car back. Still hoping that somewhere in the city, some very itchy thieves are suffering from poison oak rashes.

Great News, Team Sizzle!

2008-06-07T21:49:00.000-07:00

This just in! The po-po called S this evening and informed him that his car has been found! We have no idea where it was found or what condition it is in at this point, but Grimace the Purple Car may live to see another day. After the indignity of having your car stolen, you then 'get' to pay $300 to have it released from the impound lot. Terrific. At least it's been found though, right?!?

Huh. Why Are My Eyes Watering?

2008-06-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

I love politics. I wish I could say that it's because I have passionate feelings about the major issues of our time, or a burning desire to change the world. That's not to say I don't have opinions or questions or frustrations about domestic and international issues. But what fascinates me most about politics are the characters that make it up, the actions they take, the motivations behind those actions, and the way they react to, make, and change history.

I am so looking forward to watching Obama and McCain duke it out, and though I'm pretty confident I know who I'm voting for, I'm curious to see if there will be one statement or cause or event that might change my mind.

And then there are the Clintons. I think Bill is brilliant, charismatic, and was a very effective president. However, he's also, in my opinion, quite sleazy. As for Hillary, I wanted to like her for so long, I really did. I was offended and alarmed by people's hatred of her not for her stance on fill-in-the-blank, but because she didn't dump her husband after he cheated on her. I don't have a problem with ambition in a woman, even when it's as naked as it is in Hillary.

However, I just couldn't ever warm to her. Her repeated lying about dodging sniper fire in Bosnia realllllly bugged me. (It's weird how certain things can get under your skin, while you can forgive other transgressions) I just started feeling more and more uncomfortable with the whole Clinton clan. (Except that Chelsea; who's doing her hair? Fabulous!) But what most turned me against voting for her was the aforementioned hatred of her. Our current President is, um, somewhat divisive. I'm exhausted by how divided we've become over the past 8 years. I don't think either McCain or Obama will inspire such division, but I think Hillary does, and I didn't want to vote for that.

All that being said, I'm watching Hillary's concession speech (oh, sorry, "suspension" speech), and I'm truly sad to see the closest shot we've had at a female president leaving the race. I wouldn't vote for a woman just because she's a woman. But all things being equal, seeing a woman in the White House would be amazing. I don't like her, but I'm saddened. I'm saddened to think of the women who fought for the equal rights amendment, who feel that this might have been their last chance to see a woman president in their lifetime. It very well may be.

But hey, there's Ted Danson in the audience!

People Who Suck

2008-06-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

So various friends who I love and respect have been encouraging me to write more postings and not fret about the brilliance and insight of each topic. I sure didn't want my first post in 5 months to be negative, but here it is, and I promise the next one will be much cheerier.

S got his car stolen from in front of my apartment last night. There are a few silver linings: it wasn't his truck, it didn't have the multiple sets of uniforms in it that he has to keep packed at all times. But there was some electronic stuff he just got for his new gig at the airbase; his beloved, expensive, and always carefully selected sunglasses; and all his work certificates that he has earned for various specialty classes that may or may not be able to be replaced. What an infuriating and absolutely violating experience. It's maddening to basically be left helpless, because there's really nothing the police can do. You just have to say "oh well!" to thousands of dollars of your things, your mobility, your better gas mileage, your connection to your grandma (it was her car), taken from you by some assholes who will probably just end up working for S at Rainbow. Ah, irony.

There was some wildland gear in the backseat, and I am praying it was covered in poison oak oils.

Fromage (not to be confused with Abe Froman, the Sausage King of Chicago)

2008-01-17T15:07:00.000-08:00

My current favorite haunt in San Diego is Cafe Chloe on the corner of 9th and G in Downtown SD. Pal G has the good fortune of living across the street, so we pop in every once in awhile for the Fromage Plate (to share). Anyone who knows me knows I love cheese. I don't discriminate. The stinky, the rindy, the rolled-in-who-knows-what; I love them all. Last night was no exception. The blue cheese we munched on was from Wisconsin. It was crumbly, tangy, and looked like lapis lazuli. Mixed with the tupelo honey that was part of the whole fromage package and Holy Swiss Monkeys it was good.

But doesn't Cafe Chloe offer anything other than cheese? Well, yes, actually, they offer plenty more. I just get carried away sometimes... Anyhoo. What makes Cafe Chloe so special is its attention to detail. The brown and white palate could feel boring, but instead, it's bright and fresh without being cold and minimalist. Touches of marble and dark wood next to chalkboards and fresh cut flowers gives the atmosphere a charm that doesn't feel like it's trying too hard. Even your check arrives on a nice silver tray, weighted down by a heavy silver paper weight. Funsies! (sorry...)

Think classy and French, without the pompousness (is that a word?) or conflicting foreign policies. Dress to the nines, or wears jeans and a t-shirt; you'll fit in either way. The staff could be uppity and all we-only-cater-to-the-Gaslamp-Shiny-Shirt-Brigade, but they are incredibly friendly and welcoming. S ordered a specialty beer last night and our waitress said "oh...don't get that one, it's gross...everyone who orders it hates it!" She kindly directed S towards a much tastier selection. I love that kind of honesty from a restaurant.

The food's delicious too, don't get me wrong. Button mushroom soup that's smooth and creamy with a vein of something sweet running through it? Mmmmm... Something called a "tartiflette" (come on, people, you made that word up) that just involved putting potatoes, bacon, and onion together, and then cooking it with a huge hunk of brie-like cheese on top. Scrumptious.

Enough fawning, I have to go get my cholesterol checked.

It's a Start

2008-01-11T12:54:00.000-08:00

Tonight we are going to opening night of Cirque du (de? di? can we get some uniformity on that, other languages? Please?) Soleil's "Corteo." S is hoping for free ice cream at intermission, my fingers are crossed for some odd display of juggling, like a person juggling another person while being tossed up into the air by a giant parachute held by bodysuited French Canadians. As I reread that last sentence, I realized this scenario is entirely possible.

The show is at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, so we're going to snag some din-din beforehand at The Fish Market right across the street. Last time we went there, we ate in their bar which is far more charming and less crowded than the restaurant, and no wait or reservations were needed. I like that option.

Tomorrow, who knows where the day will take us? Linens n' Things?? Probably. And Go Bruins.