2 pics for Friday

I am still sifting through my father's negatives of 50 or so years ago, and today, these two brought a chuckle. What is that woman thinking as she helps her *friend* with her garter? Is it a woman? Drag, anyone? Don't you just covet that sweet suthahn belle hat? (Weese, you know you want the whole ensembele!)I am glad the woman in the chair is wearing a solid color, because any pattern competing with that chair, even though I want it, might make me have to sit down. And put my hand on my hip doing so.

Woo.

book purge...part deux

It will be next weekend before these are gone. I decided that rather than deal with ebay, I am taking them to a local used bookstore and I will be happy with whatever I get. I went through and pulled ones I think I might actually read again, or ones I am partial to and not ready to purge yet. Suzanne and Ann get first crack at them because they commented an interest, and because I will see them this month so shipping is not an issue.



Grae, Camarin…The Secret In The Bird
Grae, Camarin…The Winged Dancer
Grae, Camarin…Wednesday Nights
Griffith, Nicola…The Blue Place
Guess, Carol…Seeing Dell


Haddock, Lisa...Edited Out
Haddock, Lisa...Final Cut
Hartman, Melissa…The Sure Thing
Haslund, Ebba...Nothing Happened
Hayes, Penny…Grassy Flats
Helms, Kristie...Dish It Up, Baby!
Hill, Linda…Class Reunion
Hodgman, Helen...Waiting For Matindi
Hoffman, Lauran…Bar Girls
Horn, Phyllis…The Chesapeake Project
Horn, Phyllis…Lodestar
Hull…Last September


Johnson, Barbara…Strangers In The Night
Johnston…Gullibles Travels
Jones, Frankie J…Captive Heart


Kallmaker, Karin…Paperback Romance
Kallmaker, Karin…Car Pool
Kallmaker, Karin…Touchwood
Kallmaker, Karin… Painted Moon
Kallmaker, Karin...Making Up For Lost Time
Kallmaker, Karin...In Every Port
Knight, Phyllis...Switching The Odds
Knight, Phyllis...Shattered Rhythms
Koertge, Noretta…Valley Of The Amazons


Lambert, Mercedes…Soultown
Lang, Elizabeth…Anna’s Country
Lipman, Elinor…Into Love And Out Again
Logue, Mary…Still Explosion

MacGregor, KG...The House on Sandstone
Maiman, Jaye…Crazy For Loving
Maiman, Jaye…Under My Skin
Maiman, Jaye…Someone To Watch
Maiman, Jaye…Baby, It’s Cold
Maiman, Jaye…Old Black Magic
Maiman, Jaye…Every Time We Say Goodbye
Maiman, Jaye…I Left My Heart
Maney, Mabel…The Case Of The Good-for-nothing Girlfriend
Marcy, Jean…Cemetery Murders
Martin, Valerie...A Recent Martyr
Martinac, Paula…Home Movies
Martinac, Paula…Chicken
McCarthy…Cast A Cold Eye
McConnell, Vicki...Mrs. Porter’s Letters
McConnell, Vicki…Double Daughter
McDaniel, Judith…Yes I Said, Yes I Will
McDermid, Val...The Last Temptation
McKay, Claudia...The Kali Connection

Needles and Herbs

Yay, we just got airfare for the cruise!! Whoopeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...

Long time no blog. It's so sad. Last week I had to rush off to Atlanta to save the day for my company. On the flight home we had to sit on the runway in Atlanta for 3 hours only to be let back into the terminal for an hour, only to sit on the runway for another hour before our measly 2 hour flight home. Can you say germs?

In general, I don't get sick. My disease aside, I am fortunate to have relative good health. There was a terribly insidious bug on that plane. As we sat there breathing the anything but pure germ infested air, I could feel my throat getting dryer by the minute and before the end of it, it was on fire.

Thursday was lost to travel. I tried to work on Friday but was battling a high fever that Tylenol was having a hard tiome maintaining. I couldn't concentrate and after an hour or so I went home and stayed in bed all day with Nikita (EB totally unserstands). On Saturday I worked at JCP for 4 hours and it wore me out. My fever was still hanging around, but Tylenol every 3.75 hours took care of it.

On Sunday, I felt better, but if I did anything more than walk to the couch from the bed, I was unable to catch my breath. I had the good fortune to look at two DSW coupons ($10 each that could be used together!)to see they expired when? Not the 10th, but the 3rd. I took my skankhobralessputabaseballcapon ass to DSW to use my xmas gift card before those coupons expired. I got 3 new pair o shoes and spent less than $15. Gotta love gift cards. And coupons.

I'm here to tell you about it, so yes, I lived, but that trip to the shoe store just about wiped me out. All in all with this bug, I was even too sick to knit. That's just shy of requiring hospitalization, y'know?

Now back to my disease for a minute. I have been dealing with the niceties of Crohn's (or *just* IBD or UC depending on the doc) for about 3 years now and I am beginning to get a bit put out with it all. Various meds that after insurance still come in at about $100 a month just aren't cutting it. For $100 a month I want better results dammit.

So we have a friend who has gone to school for Traditional Chinese Medicine. I asked her some questions, she sent me some links...I am almost ready for the needles and herbs. Do any of you have any direct experience with this? Talk to me people!

The first book purge A-G

It will be next weekend before these are gone. I decided that rather than deal with ebay, I am taking them to a local used bookstore and I will be happy with whatever I get. I went through and pulled ones I think I might actually read again, or ones I am partial to and not ready to purge yet. Suzanne and Ann get first crack at them because they commented an interest, and because I will see them next month so shipping is not an issue.

If something interess you, make an offer. The bookstore I take them to usually offers 25% of the cover price.

Albarella, Joan…Agenda For Murder
Aldridge, Sarah…Keep To Me Stranger
Allison, Dorothy…Trash
Alther, Lisa…Kin-flicks
Alther, Lisa…Five Minutes In Heaven
Anshaw, Carol…Seven Moves
Arnold, June…The Cook and the Carpenter: a novel by the carpenter
Ascher, Carol…The Flood
Atwood, Margaret…Cat’s Eye

Baker, Nikki...The Ultimate Exit Strategy

Gone to A...Baldwin, Kim...Whitewater Rendezvous
Gone to L...Bannon, Ann…Journey To A Woman
Gone to L...Bannon, Ann…Beebo Brinker
Gone to L...Bannon, Ann…Women in the Shadows
Gone to A...Barr, Nevada…Bittersweet

Beal, M.F…Angel Dance

Gone to qp...Beecham Rose…Introducing Amanda Valentine
Gone to qp...Beecham, Rose…Second Guess
Gone to qp...Beecham, Rose…Fair Play
Gone to qp...Beecham, Rose...Grave Silence

Bennett, Saxon…A Question Of Love
Bepko, Claudia…The Heart’s Progress
Borgstrorm…Short Rides
Boutilier, Nancy...According To Her Contours
Brooke, Gun...Coffee Sonata
Brooke, Gun...Course of Action
Brooke, Gun...Protector of the Realm(Book one Supreme Constellations)

Brown, Rita Mae...Plain Brown Rapper
Brown, Rita Mae...Rubyfruit Jungle
Brown, Rita Mae...Venus Envy

Gone to S...Brown, Rita Mae...Wish You Were Here
Gone to S...Brown, Rita Mae...Rest In Pieces
Gone to S...Brown, Rita Mae...Pay Dirt
Gone to S...Brown, Rita Mae...Murder, She Meowed
Gone to S...Brown, Rita Mae...Cat On The Scent
Gone to S...Brown, Rita Mae...Pawing Through The Past
Gone to S...Brown, Rita Mae...Catch As Cat Can
Gone to S...Brown, Rita Mae…Murder On The Prowl
Gone to S...Brown, Rita Mae...Sour Puss
Gone to S...Brown, Rita Mae...The Tail of the Tip-Off
Gone to S...Brown, Rita Mae...Cat's Eyewitness
Gone to S...Brown, Rita Mae...Claws and Effect
Gone to S...Brown, Rita Mae...Whisker of Evil

Kris Bruyer...Out of the Night

Gone to A...Calhoun, Jackie...Sticks and Stones
Gone to A...Calhoun, Jackie...Birds of a Feather
Gone to A...Calhoun, Jackie...Second Chance

Calhoun, Jackie...Tamarack Creek
Calhoun, Jackie...Seasons of the Heart
Calhoun, Jackie...Lifestyles
Calhoun, Jackie...Outside the Flock
Calloway, Kate...1st Impressions
Calloway, Kate...2nd Fiddle
Calloway, Kate...3rd Degree

Gone to qp...Calloway, Kate...6th Sense
Gone to qp...Calloway, Kate...7th Heaven
Gone to qp...Calloway, Kate...8th Day

Casavant, Jessica...Twist Of Fate
Caschetta, Mary Beth…Lucy On The West Coast
Clausen, Jan…Mother, Sister, Daughter, Lover
Clausen, Jan…The Prosperine Papers
Conn, Nicole…Passion’s Shadow

Darling, Julia...Crocodile Soup
Davis, Kaye…Devil’s Leg Crossing
D’Erasmo, Stacey…Tea

Gone to A...Denison, Lyn…The Wild One

Donnelly, Nisa…The Bar Stories

Gone to A...Dreher, Sarah…Stoner McTavish

Dreher, Sarah…Other World
Drury, Joan...Closed In Silence

Emerson, Pat…Raging Mother Mountain
Ennis, Catherine…To The Lightning
Erhart, Margaret…Unusual Company
Erhart, Margaret…Old Love

Farrell, Maud…Skid
Fleming, Kathleen…Lovers in the Present Afternoon
Fulton, Jennifer…True Love

Gone to A...Fulton, Jennifer...Greener Than Grass
Gone to A...Furtado, Anna...The Heart's Desire

Galloway, Janice…Foreign Parts
Gambill, Sue…Heartscape
Garden, Nancy...Nora And Liz
Gayle, Marilyn…Free Ride

Can you claim knowledge of any of these children?

I love technology. Really. I do. But sometimes, I am so absolutely taken with one of my dad's photos that it makes me a little crcazy to not know who the people in the photos are. Like this one. I might try to knit it. How's that for crazy?

My mother is not right.

By not right, I don't necessarily mean that she is wrong, but that she is off. Twisted. She's just. Not. Right.

My dad just sent me a new digital camera to play with. He has a collection of cameras going back about 70 years, and it is a hobby he will never put down. Sometimes I am surprised he has gone digital. I asked him if he had an extra cheapy digital camera because I wanted something I could throw in my bag for yarnporn pics on the fly. I figured if I was lucky and he was willing to part with a camera, any camera, I might get his oldest low rent dicital. The one he sent is 6.3 megapixel. Sweet!

Of course my mom had to customize the box with a blast from the past photo. I am pretty sure I made that skirt and matching vest ensemble. And since my dad is wearing his good sweater that was likely an Easter Sunday shot because back in the day, his non-practicing Jewish ass didn't otherwise go to church. I'm estimating Easter 1978 or 9.

Most recently the pics she has sent have been more of the baby variety. I like those. I like this one, too, because if you can't laugh at yourself you're in serious trouble. Sifting through high school photos is a laugh a minute. I still say she's not right.

Sometimes a good cookie is just that

I find it very disturbing that I just cracked my fortune cookie only to find it empty. this has never happened in my numerous years consuming Chinese take out. I. Am. Disturbed.

But the cookie itself was superb. I usually don't eat the entire cookie, maybe a quarter of it, but nary a crumb remains on my desk.

What does it mean? My fortune is up to me? I have no fortune? Aaaaauuuuuuuuuuughhhhhhhhhhhh...

Refining the No Sale plan

On my previous post, I was going to go on to say how the gift cards I got for xmas might now be savored as a sort of free money, an exception to the re-evaluated notion of shopping.

One of said gift cards was for Borders. Yes, I said was. It's history. I took my gift card to Borders today and shot my wad. I was going to be totally disciplined and only use it with coupons I get in email. I used a 30% off and $5 off coupon today and still shot the wad. If I hadn't bought an art magazine, I wouldn't have gone over the amount, but I only went over by a small amount. Art mags are needs, not wants, because eb and I are both working artists and we *need* inspiration. It feeds the soul, you know.

Other than Cloth, Paper, Scissors, I got 4 books, two of which were on my wish list, so I did shop discriminately after a fashion. Today's haul included "Signed, Mata Hari" by Yannick Murphy, and "The Tenth Muse" by Judith Jones, both previously on my wish list.

Not on my wish list was "The Mortal Groove" by Ellen Hart. Ellen Hart is on my short list of favorite lesbian writers and anything new by her will always be exempt from any shopping embargo. I also picked up "Zen and the Art of Knitting" by Bernadete Murphy. I have been cruising this book for quite a while.

As part of Chris' (linked as No Sale on the right)paring down, not only is nothing being bought this year, major purging is going on at her house. A few years ago, eb and I evvected a one in one out rule toward basic purchases such as clothing and shoes. For the most part, we have stuck to it rather well. I think it is time that I apply this to books. I am a bit of a book whore. Until recently, I have been a book whore particularly for mindless lesbian fiction, in particular lesbian mystery.

As I sit here in the library, I am looking at the shelves of lesbian fiction. I would guess there are somewhere between three and four hundred titles. A major weeding is upon us. I am not sure if I should put them in lots up on ebay, take them to Half Price books, or what. I recently reread my titles from Jaye Maiman, one of my favorites, and I think I might pt the lot of them on ebay and see what happens.

I have even thought of putting them on ebay as one huge lot with a reserve in the amount that the yarn for a sweater I want to knit for myself will cost. One habit funding the other. I rather like that, but I am not sure if it would be better to break them up or not. If anyone has any insightful thoughts on this, please pass them along.

No Sale

This post might warm the cockles of weese's heart. I did a little blog hopping yesterday and from a link from a link, I came across Chris, who is linked to the right as No Sale. I am a bit inspired by her resolve that her family of nine will not buy this year outside necessities.

EB and I have over the course of the last year, certainly managed to reel it in a little with the spending. But, it needs to be said. We. Like. To. Shop. Okay, so I like to shop way more than eb, but she likes to indulge me and I in turn, like to indulge her.

We won't say we will not shop, because that is just asking for a breakdown of resolve. I think we are mostly committed to this as in 95%. Necessities will be scrutinized in a way that brings us back to really evaluating if something is a want or a need. I am on the yarn bandwagon excepting when we travel but will only get yarn that is not available otherwise.

I might have more to say about this, but work is calling.

Yarn Contest

Go see!

All to our selves!

Going to the bathroom by yourself can at times be just a wee bit creepy. I am just back from the bathroom at just one of those times. Aren't you glad I shared?

EB and I are at work today. We got here at about 9:30 and not only do we have the office to ourselves, I think we have the entire building to ourselves. Dedicated, aren't we? That makes going to the bathroom and riding in the elevator just a wee bit creepy.

Actually I am here because otherwise my hours will be too few for us to enjoy the bank balance to which we have become accustomed. I am but a lowly hourly employee and when the office is closed for the holidays, if I don't work, I don't get paid. Of course there is the hope that I might eventually be a salaried employee here, but that isn't coming any time soon and it is really not entirely a bad thing if one plans accordingly.

New Year's resolution number one: Plan better next year for the holiday break so I can actually take the holidays off.

This morning, I actually slept til about 6:15. A bit later than what has been the norm recently. I was going to work on Kushu as it is nearly done. Instead, I decided to cast on a new project for the new year. I have committed myself to making the Celtic Knot Stole.

I studied the pattern a bit yesterday a little more deeply that I had when deciding to knit this. I now have confirmed that I am out of my mind. This shawl just might kill me.

I haven't done more than a scarf in lace, and when I did, it was with a larger needle and some fairly chunky yarn. Not this time. William helped me wind the 1300 or so yards of lace yesterday. It's some fairly fine merino. I am knitting with size 4 needles and currently on row 7. I am trying to decide if I prefer the circular as suggested in the pattern, or a pair of stainless straights. The straights have slightly more point.

I'm trying really hard to not think too far ahead to when I will be working two charts simultaneously. I have my highlighters ready.

I think we will work until about 3 or so and then maybe head to Pappadeaux for some Lobster Seafood Salad to start the year off right.

Happy New Year!

PS to the Contractor...we have a working toilet in the master suite as of about eight this morning. Thanks for getting on the crew's ass!

I'm. So. Sleepy.

What a challenge it just was to type that title. Am I really *that* sleepy? Maybe. I might be falling asleep in the pedicure chair. Yippee.

I read yesterday of a search site that gives a penny per search to the non-profit of your choosing, As soon as I figure out how, I will add it as a link in the sidebar, but until then, go check out www.goodsearch.com

A penny a search doesn't sound like a lot, but I read of it in Lesbian Connection and they mentioned that is a hundred readers use this exclusively for a few searches a day, that would be more than $700 in a year which, to a non-profit trying to make ende meet needs, is some serious change. I elect Elsie Publishing (that's LC for Lesbian Connection), but I think you can type in the charity of your choice each time you use it. I have them on my toolbar and will remove the google and yahoo search bars to make it easy for myself.

EB just informed me we will leave a bit earlier than planned, so perhaps more on this later.

What? It's only 10:30?

I was up this morning at about 5:45 and I was the last one up. EB, who has been sleeping in lately? Up bright and early. Chef William who doesn't get up til he has to? His alarm went off while I was on the pot. (TMI, I know...get over it already). Chef was up because he is working this morning. Thomas, well, he came over last night at 11 and we only made it until about 10:20. I think Thomas was still up from xmas eve.

I took the pizza dough out of the fridge and let it warm up a little to make handling it somewhat easier. I made some monkey bread. You pinch off small pieces to roll into one inch balls and then dip them in butter and roll them in cinnamon sugar. Then collect them all on a bundt pan and bake at 375 for about 40 minutes. Hot gooey cinnamon is way hot when it comes out of the oven so be careful when you have at it.

Once the monkey bread was done, I raised the oven temp to 400 and popped in Nigella's Croque Monsieur bake. I made a pan for us and I took a pan to chef and his coworkers. Omigodthatissofuckinggood.

We opened pressies this morning before chef went to work and sadly (ok I'm kidding weese), I got four gift cards from loved ones. Let me emphasize I am kidding about being sorry. Contrary to the opinion of the great and powerful weese, I love me some gift cards. EB might just be addictd enough to Thomas' guitar hero 3 to need her own.

Time for a nappypoo before Papu comes over for dinner which will be cornish hens and roasted winter vegetables because quite frankly, it's time for our asses to be back on track.

Happiest of holidays, y'all!

happy xmas eve eve

Y'all celebrate this, yes?

I am celebrating today by being a slug. I know, you're *so* surprised. EB is out shopping. William is at work and Thomas just left to do Thomas stuff. My shopping is officially declared done and I, am slugging. After I post this I might give William a call to see if he wants a ride, which gets me a chai, but I don't *need* a chai. I don't want one. It is part of the abundance I am feeling, I think, and I posted about that just now at Cultivating Grace, linked on the right if it interests you.

This morning, we had a bot-o-drama with les chiens. I think Sawyer started it when he jumped off the foot of the chaise and snarled at Lilli, who then snarled at Nola, who snapped and flipped Lilli over in an instant. I have never seen Lilli and Nola so pointedly aggressive toward one another. There was no "I was just playing" forth coming from either of them and we simply had to intervene. I am presuming that Lilli Munster is in heat again, and I think in lieu of this incident it might be time to take care of that once and for all.

Last night was the fourth annual White Trash Xmas Buffet. I made the usual feast for WTXB4. We dined on beanie weanies, macaroni and cheese, chicken wings(both spicsy and patented sweet varieties), Pork tenderloin, mashed potatioes, homemade (not lipton) onion dip with not homemade chips, apple cider pound cake, rolls, and dee-lux(typo intentional due to the white trash nature of the affair)queenmaxine chocolate chip bar cookies. There was plenty of wine and beer to go around to the dozen or so guests we had in attendance.

Then. We played cards. Liverpool to be precise. And the fun continued into the late evening hours. We. Had. Fun.

There are enough leftovers that I needn't cook before Thursday (as Chef takes Wednesday), but Tuesday *is* xmas, so I will cook something. I am considering Croque Monsier from Nigella's latest cookbook. It is a ham and cheese on multigrain bread, soaked over night in an egg and cream concoction and then baked off in the morning, or whenever it seems time. What's not to like?

I guess I should see what time eb's pop is coming over because he might be expecting some real food. Croque Monsieur for brunch followed by cornish hens and roasted veggies? I think that might just be the ticket.

Holiday restless

I wish there was a way to suspend reality, alter it to suit the day, then save it as the new reality. That's what we do as we go through life, I suppose, but it seems it might be better served if we could do it consciously without having to learn life's little lessons along the way.

What would happen if a person consciously came to a point where they felt no need to learn further lessons? Shouldn't said person be able to happily go on his or her way in that state of constant contentment. Is this enlightenment? Realizing you have learned life's lessons and need not learn any more?

What is she teaching her children?

On Saturday morning, while doing a less than random act of kindness, I was the victim of a psychotic lunatic's road rage. It was animated in such a way as to have read the story, but have need to experience it first hand to believe it. Surely exaggeration played a part in the grandness of it all. Umm, No. This was so big, no patented queenmaxine exaggeration is needed. Really.

Saturday was the first of the month, and as it often does, it snuck up on me swiftly. Who makes their billing due date the first of the month? Discover. I've asked before for it to be changed and got a swift reply of "I'm sorry ma'am, that's just not possible. It's insane. Fortunately, you can pay your Discover bill at Sears and we happen to have one less than a mile away at the mall I had to go to anyway because I work there on Saturday morning.

It is the holiday season and I had planned to leave plenty of time for traffic and parking, as well as being prepared for lines at the register. On Saturday morning I also like to go by Starbucks to see Chef at work. He works at the second most convenient Starbucks (still within a 2.5 mile radius of home) and his store is particularly busy on Saturday morning. I left a little later than I had anticipated, but I knew the priority was Sears/Discover and if that was all I accomplished, even if it made me late for work, anything else would be gravy.

Apparently, last Saturday morning we were in the eye of the hurricane that is holiday shopping madness. I got to Sears and parked in the very first space by the door and the parking lot was relatively dead. It was 8:45 and I knew JCP opened at 7, so I was relatively sure Sears was open. I walked in and there were 4 men happily greeting me and offering assistance. I always go in through the Craftsman section because it is usually the quietest. I told them I just needed to make a payment. Upon closer scrutiny, I saw that the person assisting me, one of the 4, was actually a dyke. She was cautiously flirty.

I got back in my car and it was just 8:48. Starbucks is on the horizon. Between Starbucks and where I sat, and directly on the way is Shipley's Donuts. I have been extremely disciplined in the low glycemic way lately and truly, it has been pretty easy. I had no onclination toward a donut for myself. Zero. Really. None. Chef, however, likes their kolaches. I decided that if I could park when I got by Shipley's, kolaches were in his immediate future.

There was a space right in front, and still feeling eye of the hurricanish, there was oddly no traffic. This is a very busy place any morning, but on Saturday, there will be no hurrying.

I lie when I say there was no traffic. There was, far enough away that it posed no worry, one lone black SUV. Big, honking, IliveinMemorialandhave$$andyouareaninterloperbegone black SUV. Again, it was safely way far down the street.

I had my signal light on to turn left into the Shipley's parking lot. The parking lot drive area is u-shaped. I turned in and this crazy black SUV with its dark tinted windows came barreling toward me, horn blaring. As I was turning into the parking space, it was trying to cut me off having turned right into the out going end of the driveway. A second mre and it would have hit me. I cut my ignition to see it blocking me in from behind in my rear view mirror. The window rolls down, and there was a rather good looking(other than her disposion making her *so* unattractive) woman leaning across a 6 year old to look out the passenger side window. She was screaming something, and you know, momma didn't raise no fool. I stayed in my car and would have remained there until someone had escorted this psycho away. I had some knitting in my bag and could have settled in for a pleasant morning knit.

After about 2 minutes, She began to pull away and exit the entrance side of the driveway. As soon as I saw that she was not going to Shipley's, I got out of the car. At this time, she was on the front side of my car in the street, not between me and Shipley's any more. Her window was still down and she once again leaned over to shout out, and I quote, "Like you need another fucking donut!!"

There were also 2 small children in the back. The one in the front hadsunken as far as she could away into the seat. There was a man with a double stroller waiting by the door as I went to go in. "Was that a lady driving that car?"

"Ummm, No. I think not." He then offered to buy my donut for me. Wasn't that sweet? He was attractive, too. Very pleasant.

The irony of the entire situation, at least to me, is that I was not there buying anything for my fat ass. I was there getting kolaches to take my son at work. Oddly enough, the whole exchange didn't at all bother me except in that she was really setting a poor example for her children of how to treat people. What else are those children learning from her?

On another note, I saw my new doctor on Thursday and I liked him. It isn't often that I like a male doc right away, so I guess I really like him. We discussed my disease in very frank terms and he asked all the right questions. He called the nurse in so he could feel me up, checking various glands and palpating my intestines,all very benign. Then he said, "Okay Maxine, Drop your pants to mid thigh (they were just unbuttoned and ooched open at this point) and roll on your side, I need to see your bottom." To which I replied, "Dr M! On the first date?" "Don't worry dear (the glove snapped on), I have the lube right here..."

The turkey that was

A success!! The Turkey. Was. Awesome. Juicy white meat so tender a knitfe was not necessary. Back flavors of apple and basil and garlic. And who needs gravy when the pan juices are fantasic?

As I surmised, the macaroni and cheese was the best I have ever made. I used shells and farfalle mixed and poiled in heavily salted water. Then for the cheese blend, it was an 8 oz bag of sharp cheddar, an 8 oz bag of colby jack mixed, and about 4 oz of shredded fontina left over from when Chef made pizzas with wheat crust from scratch. The mac-n-cheese was excellent.

I became a potato snob about 4 years ago upon discovering yukon gold oe yellow fingerling potatoes. Nothing else will please me the same for mashed potatoes, and in general, russets are so terribly pedestrian. When I make mashed, we add a wee wedge of St Andre cheese. Creamy.

EB went to the stoore and took my phone so she could consult as needed for the list. When she got to the St Andre, she called for there was none. I told her any brie or other soft cheese they have would be fine. She ended up gettng Cambazola(sp?) and I wondered if the bleu in it might be too strong, but the Universe has been so good to us of late that I was not sweating it terribly. When I got the potatoes out of the bag, I knew right away they were russets. Eww. Due to no fault od eb's, the bag says in big shiny yellow letters, Pacific Gold (and then in wee teeny tiny letters) russet potatoes. Branding fuckers. They deliberately used trickery to deceive the gold/yellow potato buying public.

The potatoes, despite their inferior russet status, in conjunction with the Cambazola (and some cream and some butter...just a touch I swear) were not too bad. Of the leftovers, that is about all there is left. That and a turkey leg.

It beinf Thanksgiving and all, we were allowed dessert. I was going to make Grandma Mary's Sour Cream Pound Cake, but alas, there was no sour cream in the fridge and eb had done so well at the store, I was in no way going to send her back out again. So online I went to look for a more generic pound cake recipe. Google to the rescue, nearly top of the list was an apple cider pound cake recipe, and given the apple theme so far it seemed an immediate winner.

o. mi. god. I can't say enough to do it justice other than to let you know a cake that usually hangs out around here for a week or so is G. O. N. E. Apple cider in the batter and a fresh caramel glaze on top were a huge hit. Don't let Grandma Mary know her recipe might be shuffled down the list for a while.

We are now off to Texas Art Supply and then to Costco. Woohoo.

Thanksgiving yarny goodness

I was going to make this a picture heavy post, but I can't find the camera cord and the camera cord stasher is still sleeping. And it is Thanksgiving, afterall, so I will let her sleep. (It's a reasonable hour and I am adding some pics...)

Me? I was up at 5:20 this morning. I decided the peace and quiet of te early morning was boding well for casting on the Kushu Kushu scarf. The Kushu is a kit by Habu and I either love it or I hate it, I am not quite sure yet, but I am guessing I love it if I am not sure enought to continue on blind faith.

The Kushu is a scarf made with ultra-fine merino and silk stainless steel. That's right, I said stainless steel, but it is stainless steel wrapped in silk. See why a picture would have been nice? Both of these yarns are really fine. Lke sewing thread fine. And I am using, as per the pattern directions, a size 8 needle. At some future point I will change to a size 6. Then a four and finally a three. The latter two sizes will be knitting the Silk stainless steel solo, sans merino. I am intrigued to say the least.

The instructions, it's so bold of Habu to call them instructions, are a schematic. I am really glad that the sales clerk took the time to open the kit and explain the schematic to me, because it is brilliant in its simplicity and I would have otherwise been staring at it saying What. The. Fuck. As I cast on and knit the firt row, I decided I would put blind faith in the Universe that Kushu would turn out as intended. It's all good.

Habu is a Japanese company and apparentlly knitting is not knitting the world over. Well, I guess knitting is knitting, but patterns and schematics vary widely. I totally resist charted knitting, I think, because it is more work than my brain wants to do. I go with the flow and trust that the Universe is just not ready for me to read charts.

This schematic is brief. Way brief. But it truly offers all the information you need to knit Kushu Kushu. However...the schematic page says nothing about what stitch is to be used. Since there is no mention of purling anywhere, I went with garter stitch. Then, I went back to the cover page before emailing the company and asking (for confirmation before I knit too far) because it is Thanksgiving and I know no answer would be forthcoming, at least not today.

No, not garter stitch, but stockinette (which I thought had a g in it?). So my first 6 rows are garter and I can't see that it will matter. I plan to knit 6 rows further before I decide if it matters enough to rip it out and start again. The piece will be lightly felted when complete, so I might leave it as is.

The process of Kushu is totally consuming. It is such a simple basic pattern, but this is far from mindless knitting. It requires the solitude of early morning for concentration to be optimal.

To contrast my thread knitting, I also bought two skeins of Yosemite (might have to scroll down) by Trendsetter Yarns. I got color 78, Watermelon Slice. It is divine, and soft. And uber-chunky. I question my sanity everytime I grab anything this bulky as I live in Houston, but c'mon, it's gorgeous. I know, a pic would be nice, yes? I will add pics in a little while, perhaps after the brining turkey gets in the oven, perhaps before.

Food. Can't have a Thanksgiving day post and not talk about the food. I just mixed up the mac-n-cheese and I dare say it might be the best mac-n-cheese I have ever made. Ever. Best ever. This is a good sign as the turkey is a new venture and might suck. At least I know we will be slamming down some mac-n-cheese that is muy excellente.

The turkey is brining as explained here. I don't think an issue of Saveur comes out that doesn't have at least one thing I want to try. It's always about expanding my domestic horizons. I have a wife to keep satisfied, afterall.

The turkey has been brining overnight in cider, salt, dark brown sugar, apples, and garlic. 35 cloves of garlic, thank you very much. The turkey will cook at 425 for 2 hours. Hot and fast as turkey cooking goes. Again, I am intrigued.

I am also making mashed potatoes, and something green. I was going to make broccolini, but the store was out when eb went yesterday. Or she couldn't find it, but we will go with her story, they didn't have any. So I told her to just get something green. She brought home broccoli. And zucchini. And snap peas. And asparagus. And spinach. So we will be having at least one green vegetable.

And rolls. If they have any when I go to the store at noon.

I also made some jalapeno dip mixing whipped cream cheese with a jar of jalapeno relish we got last weekend at Gruene Market Days. This morning I am making us a veggie scramble and adding some dip at the end of the cooking. Just because.

Pics soon.

contemplating a new tattoo

I have never been able to add a photo directly to my blog because I was on a Mac and the feature wasn't available. Neither was spell check. Go figure. Recently, EB showed me the feature and it certainly makes it easier not having to first upload to Flickr and then blog it from Flickr, though honestly, that was easy enough.

It is a bit of a light time at work so today, I was learning how to crop an image in photoshop using the pen tool and the convert point tool. Of course the test will come when I try to do it again and can't remember what the hell I did. It was weird because I was mostly getting it, but not really cognitive of what exactly I was doing. The above image is the result.

When we were last in NYC, we went again to Pearl River Market. It is an Asian import market, and if you can't find it there, it might not exist. I think there prices are pretty reasonable, and surely a comparable place exists in Houston, but I just haven't found it yet.

So anyway, I bought a modest ammount of paper goods. A few packs of crane origami paper made it into my basket which I think will be used for wallpaper as I transform more of my dad's old pics. I also got a few small note pads that are a recycled paper with a graphic cover. One of them was the above image. I think it is going on the inside of my left calf at roughly 4 inches. I think baby buddha might sit on a lotus flower or be surrounded with clouds. Or maybe a burst of light like that surrounding Our Lady of Guadalupe.

I thinnk I might need to commission my wife.

Holy Vaginistas, Teresa is 40!

I was looking throught my blog entries for September 2004. That is when I turned the big 40. As I sit here listening to holiday music on my iPod, I can feel the rosy glow as if it were only yesterday. Relatively, it seems as if I am 40 still. I think 40 is that kind of landmark year. I think I might feel 40 until I am 52 (the magical AARP year). Truthfully, I think I feel 37, but that isn't what today is about. Today is all about Teresa turning 40.

Happy Birthday Teresa!!



So while I was browsing my archives, I found a post from the last day of my 39th year. I had gotten a card from my mom for my birthday with the standard $50 check. There was a note inside. My mom always includes a note because she thinks it is ridiculous to send a card for anything and not include some sort of personalized note. My mom and I have never been overly affectionate so imagine the tears in my eyes after reading this:

"Put 9-11 in the back of your mind and never forget.

But in the forefront of all your thinking know that on Sept. 11, 1964

a bundle of joy and delight brightened our door.

In your future always remember to put your many talents to good use for yourself and all womankind.
Love Mom--

P.S. I just was reading this over and it almost sounds like preaching. Or maybe I should get to work and
get that book started."


This is the most intimate sentiment ever expressed to me by my mother. And it is a totally auspicious beginning to my forties. It truly has only gotten better as each day passes.