My life (bytes)

2011-10-20T22:41:00.000-04:00

NaNoWriMo site is looking (and running) much better this year, so far...

2011-10-01T18:32:00.001-04:00

apparently a 4 hour nap was needed

What I miss about blogging.

2011-10-01T08:55:00.003-04:00

Everything.

Let's get back to it then!

Stay tuned...

2011-10-01T08:40:00.001-04:00

::Dusting, removing spiderwebs, opening the windows::

Let's air this place out!

Yeah, yeah, yeah

2010-04-05T00:40:00.000-04:00

I suck at this posting stuff, and have for the past 2 years.

One day though...

It's the 4-letter word again...

2009-11-11T01:11:00.003-05:00

Working evenings for a text question site now. Maybe sitting in front of this thing will help me post more...

maybe

Ethan's 2nd Birthday

2009-08-14T23:44:00.003-04:00

Okay, so we get carried away when the love of our life turns 2.

There's a pool, a ball pit, cake, ice cream, wings, dogs, burgers, deviled eggs, chili dip (Cincinnati style), brats, metts, potato and macaroni salad, fruit kabobs, veggies and dip, chips and dip, soda pop and goodness knows what else.

Well, that may be it for the food (where the hell are my picnic beans, damn you kids!!!)...

Presents will takes hours to unwrap, we bought 15 plus the ones the guests will bring, this place will be a madhouse.

gotta charge my camera batteries!

*note to self: remember to hide if they don't all leave in 2 hours...

Found!

2009-03-01T10:00:00.003-05:00

Although technically it wasn't lost...

I was looking for sorbet recipes and this one popped up.

Personally I'd put the mango and nectar in the blender and puree it, along with the jalapeño and then freeze it.

Ice cream maker not really needed, as long as you have the patience to stir the mixture 2 or 3 times per hour until the consistency is right.

New Year's traditions

2009-01-01T12:58:00.002-05:00

In my family it has long been a tradition on New Year's Eve to have a bowl of oyster stew for luck.

Now, don't get me wrong - tradition can be nice, but oyster stew isn't.

Nice that is.

It's the nastiest foodstuff there is. I grew up eating a few bites of this every New Year's Eve despite the taste, the nasty, nasty taste.

I shudder to think of it.

Why did I do it?

Tradition!

I got over it.

Zune

2009-01-01T11:43:00.002-05:00

The Zune, she is happy!

Just plugged it in and it works again.

Silly Microsoft, forgetting Leap Year.

(Though I have to ask why ALL the other Zunes were fine?)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-01-01T08:59:00.000-05:00

Was that loud enough?

Creamy Tomato Chicken Soup with Pasta Shells

2008-11-15T14:39:00.000-05:00

Mmmmmm this turned out goooood

Finally posted it!

I've been un-Grinched!

2008-11-05T00:40:00.006-05:00

Remember how, when the Grinch suddenly realized what the true meaning of Christmas was, his heart grew 3 sizes and he started smiling?

That's how I felt as I was watching the election results with more and more blue marching across the national map. I started feeling again. Something odd, deep inside (no not a penis) I think it's called *hope*.

Yeah, that's how it feels to be unGrinched.

#52

2008-05-25T15:00:00.001-04:00

Light fish curry from open source recipes

this is GOOD!

#51

2008-05-21T23:13:00.001-04:00

Finally, MY choice for American Idol has won!

#50

2008-05-11T00:56:00.001-04:00

Apple Puffs!

#49

2008-04-27T17:14:00.001-04:00

Achiote beef samminch (I didn't put anything else on the sandwich this time)

#48

2008-04-26T20:53:00.003-04:00

To go with my spicy fish stew (recipe to be posted later, if I remember what all I put into it!)
I made soft yogurt sandwich rolls, mmmmmm

#47

2008-04-22T10:08:00.002-04:00

Happy Earth Day

Now go plant something!

#46

2008-04-20T20:40:00.002-04:00

My balcony garden, so far...

The herb garden - parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano and basil - I know for sure the big one is the sage

sweet peas and spinach

really tiny salad bowl lettuce

black Simpson lettuce

doesn't look black to me!

#45

2008-04-19T23:11:00.001-04:00

Mango Chicken

#44

2008-04-13T11:35:00.002-04:00

Carnitas

#43

2008-04-12T21:02:00.002-04:00

#42

2008-04-12T20:55:00.003-04:00

wow, that's a lot of plates!

Fake Fiesta

#41

2008-04-05T19:32:00.001-04:00

#40

2008-04-05T18:27:00.001-04:00

Motherlode!

Today I'm making this and this.

Pictures to be posted later.

Maybe.

#39

2008-03-30T23:14:00.001-04:00

and a glaze...

#38

2008-03-30T19:10:00.004-04:00

Madeleines

They smell yummy, but I probably won't be making them often. I'm sure they can't be good for me!

Note: I made these without the baking powder and they rose just fine.

Thanks to Mr. Lebovitz for all the tips!

#37

2008-03-23T17:27:00.002-04:00

Coconut cream pie and pielets.

#36

2008-03-23T01:31:00.003-04:00

Steamed rice.

Okay, so I couldn't wait the minimum 4 hours soaking time, I added 2 cups water to the 1 1/2 cups Calrose rice. This worked quite well.

Later on I 'fried' some of the steamed rice with leftover pot-sticker filling and some peas.

#35

2008-03-21T00:18:00.004-04:00

Pan-fried Dumplings

The brown stuff is hoisin.

These were incredibly easy to make!

Also, incredibly delicious.

#34 1/2

2008-03-18T17:53:00.002-04:00

mmmmm

I love my tagine, you can't imagine the aroma!

#34

2008-03-18T13:07:00.000-04:00

Today I'm cooking in my tagine. Chicken with lemon and olives. It smells yummy!

#33

2008-03-16T19:12:00.001-04:00

Dinner (to be eaten later, just plated it for the pic)

#32

2008-03-15T17:27:00.003-04:00

I had a lot of wasted space between the kitchen and 'dining' rooms, so I picked up some cubes. These are neat, I like the frosted white.

#31

2008-03-06T00:58:00.002-05:00

mmmmmm

While I was away I made some simple strawberry yogurt.

1 1/2 cups drained yogurt
4 large strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered
2 tablespoons sugar

place all into food processor and run until it's all pink

best fruit yogurt ever

yes, I ate it all

#30

2008-03-02T20:00:00.001-05:00

holes in the snow

yeah, I played in it, a bit...

#29

2008-03-02T00:22:00.001-05:00

Tagine:

#28

2008-03-01T13:10:00.002-05:00

Note to self: Never prepare something in the tagine if you are HUNGRY!

My first attempt is in the oven now; slowly simmering cubes of steak (it's what was in the freezer) with potatoes, onions, mushrooms, shallots and garlic in a sauce of olive oil, cinnamon, coriander, cumin and turmeric and a handful of broccoli slaw (it looked interesting, a combination of julienned broccoli stems with red cabbage, seemed like it would be great for stir-fry), oh and a few squeezes of lemon.

This smells so good!

and I have at least 2 more hours before it's done :(

#27

2008-02-17T19:07:00.002-05:00

dinner - arugula and hearts of romaine with hoisin chicken, mushrooms and scallions...

oh, and blue cheese dressing

#26

2008-02-17T11:38:00.003-05:00

My new couch...

full view

pillows (I made these years ago, I know they don't really 'go')

Pictures need repositioning...

(you realize that I'm forgoing the power nap to post this, right?)

#25

2008-02-16T20:10:00.003-05:00

Tapas, this is my first attempt, the elephant seems happy!

#24

2008-02-14T10:45:00.001-05:00

Happy Snow Day!

I'm NOT going to work today.

So there!

#23

2008-02-09T17:56:00.000-05:00

oh my, how YUM this smells!

#22

2008-02-09T17:10:00.000-05:00

uncooked quiche
I don't have a quiche pan
I used my big cast iron
frying pan...

#21

2008-02-04T22:44:00.000-05:00

Jasmine Green tea has to be the most excellent taste and smell EVER.
I picked some up today at Ross (for which recommendation I will hate you forever, but that's another story).

I can picture it iced, I can taste it blended with excellent vanilla ice cream for the ultimate milkshake, what I can't understand is why you haven't made it a point...

#20

2008-02-04T18:29:00.000-05:00

King cakes!

#19

2008-02-04T15:34:00.001-05:00

My new teapot.
It was supposed to come with one of those tea flowers, but it was missing :(

oh, and I didn't pay that much for it :)

#18

2008-02-04T14:53:00.000-05:00

Tzatziki is so yummy

and so pretty in my new pink* bowl!

*not all of the bowls are pink...

#17

2008-02-03T00:58:00.000-05:00

Note to self:

do NOT buy the blue-labeled Lucerne yogurt EVER again

(The taste of Splenda sucks)

#16

2008-02-02T15:54:00.000-05:00

And this is lunch, the stew, the cabbage/peppers/onions and the bread.

Okay, so the bread is from what I made last week, but that's the wonder of sourdough, it takes a very long time to go moldy.

#15

2008-02-02T14:08:00.000-05:00

Once the cabbage has browned nicely in the 400 degree oven, I'll add it in with the onion and poblano and then cook it until it all reduces into a lovely, spicy glop which I will then use to top off the stew.

A bowl of that and a fresh slice of sourdough will probably hold me until Monday!

#14

2008-02-02T14:03:00.001-05:00

Experimenting with veggies, the small pot has onion, poblano, olive oil and a Sam Adams Boston Ale, which has (mostly) cooked away. The pan beneath has cabbage, which I had on hand, so decided to try out the Brussels sprouts treatment (since I didn't have any BS on hand)

#13

2008-02-02T12:47:00.000-05:00

It's a crock!

and this is the stew in it - mmmmm

#12

2008-01-27T00:31:00.001-05:00

Now THIS is a loaf of bread.

#11

2008-01-26T20:30:00.000-05:00

#10

2008-01-26T19:07:00.001-05:00

I am soooooo hungry! (And it's not even half done yet)

#9

2008-01-26T18:24:00.001-05:00

For dinner tonight (and for a few nights to come) I'm cooking a lamb roast on a bed of potatoes, surrounded by green beans and topped off with onions. A dash of parsley, basil and thyme and a cup of water in the bottom. We shall see how it tastes in a couple of hours!

#8

2008-01-20T13:02:00.000-05:00

As you can see, I did NOT get the light airy loaf I was hoping for. I'm certain I didn't knead it long enough. It's tasty, but I can definitely get a better loaf.

Next time!

#7

2008-01-20T01:33:00.001-05:00

I'm sure I'll get tired of this numbering scheme quite soon.
This is the 2nd rising (beginning), I'll take another one at
the end.

#6

2008-01-19T23:54:00.001-05:00

kneaded dough

#5

2008-01-19T23:40:00.000-05:00

fresh dough

#4

2008-01-19T23:10:00.001-05:00

I bought the pot just for housing sourdough starter.

My starter has actually been around for a while, I was worried about it being dead, but it's sprung back to life with a bit of flour and some warmth!

#3

2008-01-13T12:05:00.001-05:00

My coffee cups (and 1 teacup)

and my coffee pot

and my coffee grinder

and my coffee bean canister

and my spice rack

#2

2008-01-06T17:27:00.001-05:00

Dinner:

#1

2008-01-01T14:42:00.001-05:00

I'm not going to name my posts this year, just numbers...

This, btw, is my current project :)

Resolutions

2007-12-31T23:24:00.000-05:00

So often made,
so often not kept.

My list for this year is as follows:

1. I resolve to post more often.
2. I resolve to NOT bake for others until it's time for King Cake!
3. I resolve to read 8 books a month.
4. I resolve to finish this list....

;)

humbugs light my tree

2007-12-21T11:24:00.001-05:00

Almost forgot!

2007-12-17T00:44:00.000-05:00

Happy Beethoven's birthday!

My xmas shirt

2007-12-10T22:57:00.000-05:00

Sweatshirt that is,

cos...

Baby, it's COLD outside!

The Realist's Thanksgiving Song

2007-11-22T00:36:00.000-05:00

We don't bother
to gather together,
We've worked our asses off
for this food.

The turkey is yummy
because it's bred to be,
the stuffing is spiced
precisely for taste.

I love my squash
with butter and pepper
potatoes with gravy
are so divine...

A taste of cranberry
a slice of pumpkin pie
why should I be grateful
for what I've earned?

Were I living
in 1499
I might think
that this feast
was divine.

But I don't live then
I live now
and I've worked
very hard
to earn this feast.

I suppose
what I'm saying is
thank me
for this feasting
I really have
earned
every bite.

Give one to a child

2007-11-20T23:13:00.000-05:00

Get one for a child in your life...

TV shows I'm currently watching, and why I like them...

2007-11-20T22:00:00.000-05:00

Chuck - I love this show, a melding of Bond and Smart with 21st century technology

Bones - No real clue, it just fascinates me

House - That's a no brainer, I'd do him in less than a heartbeat, as long as he keeps on being sarcastic...

Kid Nation - just how clueless ARE today's kids?

Ugly Betty - a daydream come true for all of us who've been through that stage...

NUMB3RS - brains are such a turn-on...

Now I remember

2007-10-29T19:38:00.000-04:00

why I hate 'normal' working hours.

hint: that's when all the nasty people call

We didn't get to do any of what the new team is supposed to do today because our trainer called in sick.

Moron.

The best part of the new department is that I have top seniority.

I may have mentioned that previously.

But the really great thing is what my manager told me today. Regardless of who comes after the first group, I will always have top seniority, because after this they'll all bid with time in department, not time with the company.

Sun Fairies!

2007-10-27T01:11:00.000-04:00

These absolutely fascinated me for 2 hours on Wednesday. At first I thought they were just dust motes, then I realized that many of them were flying against the wind, and some were even (seemingly) spinning web while flying.

really neat, even without commentary... (though the background noise is irritating, maybe I SHOULD have commented, if just to cover that noise)

painting upside down

2007-10-22T15:28:00.000-04:00

Here we have a blah landscape that I painted a couple of days ago.

I got up from painting and realized that it looked better upside down!

ugh

2007-10-21T12:57:00.001-04:00

My fireplace

2007-10-10T23:07:00.000-04:00

Vacations

2007-10-08T16:25:00.001-04:00

are much more fun when one gets to go places. (Lack of money is heinous)

Thank goodness for Netflix, OnDemand and books I already have.

Yikes

2007-10-04T16:38:00.001-04:00

I have an interview in the morning, so even though it's casual Thursday, I have to dress up.

ugh

oh and, Yikes!

it's been a while since I've posted anything, yeah?

WTF

2007-09-22T12:23:00.000-04:00

it's going to be cooler in your previous address than your current one today?

Kingman, AZ

66°F
Cloudy
Wind: SW at 16 mph
Humidity: 75%

Today

70° | 54°

Sun

72° | 52°

Mon

79° | 59°

Tue

79° | 62°

Albany, NY

72°F
Clear
Wind: S at 16 mph
Humidity: 68%

Today

84° | 53°

Sun

75° | 47°

Mon

78° | 56°

Tue

83° | 61°

Aurora, CO

73°F
Clear
Wind: S at 10 mph
Humidity: 31%

Today

85° | 57°

Sun

81° | 47°

I didn't get what I wanted,

2007-09-22T11:45:00.000-04:00

so what?

I wasn't born to the 'me' generation, I make do with what there is available to me.

That's how *I* was raised.

Making-do isn't a bad thing, millions of people (possibly billions) on this planet make-do with a lot less.

Perhaps that's the message we should be sending to our spawn.
Make-do with what's available, don't whine about what you don't have.

dammit

2007-09-20T18:22:00.000-04:00

I wanted to sleep today.

No matter what I did to make that happen, it didn't.

:(

This is gonna be a rough night, I can tell.

Luckily I did sleep last night, though that 6 hours isn't gonna be enough.

dammit

Arrrrrrr!

2007-09-19T03:08:00.001-04:00

Happy TLAPD!

And when I got the news

2007-09-17T11:32:00.000-04:00

And when I got the news this morning I cried,
and when asked why I cried,
I told them.
They looked at me oddly and walked away.

I am soooo tired!

2007-09-14T13:27:00.001-04:00

n I'm sorry I haven't posted anything for days and days, but I really HAVE been busybusy.

um

I'm going to sleep now, if you must wake me, make it at 7 your time.

Bamboo

2007-09-11T19:05:00.000-04:00

I was looking up pictures of bamboo paintings to study for my latest artistic fad. I found so much more. (Yes I know, the music isn't made of bamboo) ;)

One has to ponder why such an easily replenishable resource isn't utilized more here in the US. And after about 15 seconds of said pondering I realized my answer. It's the US.

We can't be having construction of a durable material that might even withstand the winds of a hurricane in this country. After all, if it's not disposable, it's not American.

my morning, plus pepper plant

2007-09-11T12:40:00.001-04:00

Currently

2007-09-10T10:53:00.000-04:00

Aurora, CO

46°F
Rain
Wind: N at 12 mph
Humidity: 96%

Today 60° | 41°

In other words, excellent sleeping weather. (and a drop of 45 degrees from last week this time)

cool use of a drop cloth

2007-09-07T10:34:00.000-04:00

I found this 9' x 12' canvas drop cloth at Big Lots. My first intention of course was to put it under my painting area but that's not going to work.

First the weave is very loose, more like a soft burlap than any canvas I've ever seen. Second, I thought it would be great (after I wash, bleach, dry and shrink it) for practicing my Chinese characters on.
Third, I may save one section for Timeline. Maybe in Chinese. :)

What do you do

2007-09-06T13:24:00.000-04:00

for someone who has just done something really nice for you?

I'm not used to this; other people being nice to *me*.

This woman from work has given me a bedroom suite for nothing other than me being me and me being in need.

I can see this coming from me to someone else, but from another person?

This now has me confused.

I had given up all hope of people caring about anything but themselves.

The SSF will probably suffer when I get the rest of the suite, because I know she can use the money. I'm thinking a 3k suite of furniture for 300 isn't gonna hurt the fund much.

neat

2007-09-06T10:16:00.000-04:00

rainwater gardens and how to build them

New teapot

2007-09-05T13:52:00.000-04:00

Found at a thrift shop for $3.99 - yeah it needs a good cleaning, but it's sooooo cute!

Lucinda

2007-09-04T23:03:00.000-04:00

Are You Alright?

From 'West'

I heard this at the end of House tonight.

coolest rv ever

2007-09-04T21:15:00.000-04:00

The T@B

progress!

2007-09-04T19:21:00.001-04:00

and some day I'll have furniture too...

yikes

2007-09-04T13:52:00.000-04:00

that didn't last long, it's already 90

let's see, 90 (now) - 53 (last post) = 37 degrees in 5 hours

oh well, might as well go shopping

chill

2007-09-04T08:56:00.000-04:00

it's nice and cool this morning, good sleeping weather

Anger management issues, moi?

2007-09-03T10:44:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I may be having anger issues.

I guess it shows when you start yelling at a manager while a supervisor is shushing you from the sidelines.

It's okay, I was tired of escalations anyway.

Oh

2007-09-02T20:28:00.000-04:00

dinner