Thursday, November 30, 2006

Ice Ice Baby!*

Be sure to file this away under "No freaking way!"

Today, on his Delta flight, Bubba sat across the aisle from (wait for it!)....
Robert Matthew Van Winkle

Better known to you and me as Vanilla Ice...

Now who says that work travel isn't glamorous????

*Who wants to bet I'll be humming this for days now????

Happy Birthday, Phil*!


I hope it's a wonderful one!
lymi...


*You can learn more about Phil by visiting The Digital LandPhil...

(I originally typed "More information on Phil can be found on the Internet" - but thought that reference might be a bit obscure. I recognize that not everyone reads Mark Trail.
Honestly, that's probably a good thing...)

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Tossed Salad Post

Sorry for all the whinging yesterday.

It is a documented weakness of mine - computer issues really get me all cranky. Way cranky, way out of proportion.
Back in another incarnation - my life before Schecky - I was a big old computer geek. And, in certain (very small) circles, I was kind of a big deal. I designed software applications, I built networks, I actually taught other people to do the same. Blah de blah de blah...
So the fact that I was once something of an expert adds to the frustration. I know how stuff is supposed to work, it really gets to me when it doesn't.

Anyhow - a simple browser change* seems to be a temporary fix to the problem. I have no idea what is up with that, but for now it works for me...

And so, with little further ado - the aforementioned "Tossed Salad Post." A collection of unrelated nibbly bits that are on my mind as of late...


My Mom
Thanks to everyone for the kind thoughts and wishes about my mom. When she first went to the emergency room, they told her that she broke her arm, stuck her in a sling, and basically said not to fret about it too much.
It took her almost a week to get in to see "the good doctor" - who painted a much bleaker picture. Yes, her arm is broken, but she did so in such a way that the ball part of her upper arm (the part that fits into the shoulder socket) is broken (detached) from the rest of her arm.
She goes in for surgery tomorrow - it is not clear whether they are going to repair what's there, or replace her whole shoulder. There are pros and cons to both procedures, and right now the attitude is that they're just going to go in there and get a better idea of what they are dealing with.

At any rate, she's going to be in the hospital for at least an evening, probably more. I am trying to see if I can juggle things so that I can go up if needed.



Lest you think that it's all been worrying about my mom, and complaining about Blogger around here, I got some other stuff, too...



I Am Such A Girl
Yup. It's true.

ThingOne brought me a mouse the other night. I was sitting on the couch, minding my own business, when she walked in the room, walked right up to me, and proudly deposited a mouse (mostly dead) at my feet. Of course, no one's home but Schecky, and he's asleep, so I can't delegate this one and must deal with myself.

I also had to be quiet, because I didn't want to wake the Scheckster up. So, I begin crooning to the cat "You're a good girl, yes you are," in as soothing a voice as I can manage. I don't want to rile her all up and have her snatch the mouse up and begin batting it around, or something equally dreadful.

I'm also crooning to the mouse, "You're OK. You're a good mouse. Aren't you a pretty mouse? You're going to be just fine..."
Because I don't want the mouse getting all upset, and bolting. (Because everyone knows that complimenting an upset and possibly injured mouse whilst crooning to it is the surest way to win its heart...)

So, as I singsong along to both cat & mouse - like a crazy woman - I manage to scoop the mouse up into a plastic cup using two pieces of cardboard. Success! The mouse is in the cup...

I dash outside, and racewalk as quickly as I can down to the park a few doors down. Catch and release: that's my motto.
And as I am trotting down to the park, I realize that someone is squealing - like an even crazier woman - "ick. ick. ick. mouse. Mouse. MOUSE!" And that crazy woman is me!

I love the way that I can hold it together when I have to - so as not to awaken and worry the sleeping boy, for example.
But the minute that I can totally lose it, I do. My poor neighbors... they must think I am the biggest nutcase.

Ick Ick Ick mouse Mouse Mouse, indeed...


OK - this post is getting quite long, especially for a non-picture post, so I'd better wrap it up...
Two last things....


  • Where can I get me one of those fabulous "Knit or Die" shirts like Lorelei was wearing in last night's Gilmore Girls? At the risk of sounding like Veruca Salt: "I need a Knit or Go Home shirt!"
    (And how much does this just reinforce my whole "I-Want-To-Be-Lorelei-Gilmore" Syndrome? So much!)

  • This cartoon is really cracking me up....
    (found at RedLobsterBlog)



*Firefox instead of Safari, FYI.

Argh... :(

I had a few little things to share - nothing big, nothing major - not even enough for a nice coherent post. Just several small nibbly bits.
As Autum would say: "a tossed salad post..."

HOWEVER...

Given that it has taken me TWO WHOLE DAYS to be able to access my very own Blogger account, and given that Blogger has been taking forever to load anyone else's blog, my enthusiasm for blogging has waned somewhat...
Grrrrrr.

Adding to the frustration is the fact that not only is Blogger taking - and I am not exaggerating here - approximately 4+ minutes to load a single site,* it is also not allowing me comment on anyone else's blog**. I attempt to, but the comment window just times out after an indeterminable wait.
Grrrrrr somemore.

So, yes - to make a boring story even longer, and more boring: Blogger is giving me fits. And I've been trying to access my account and blog for two days now. And now that I finally have accessed my account, all I can do is whine and fuss about how displeased I am with Blogger.

And, no, the irony is not lost on me.

But apparently, I'm still going to do it anyway.
Going to hit the "Publish Post" button now. Wish me luck...


I think Baby wants a TypePad account for Christmas....



*Yes, I am so anal that I am timing it. Or at least I was. But I was getting too cranky. So now I start the page loading, walk away and come back by several minutes later. It's like a bad DSL commercial. Except it's not my DSL line that's acting up, because everything else is fine. It's just Blogger-blogs.

**I feel like a Who down in Whoville - "YOP! I am here, I am here!" I really am visiting your blogs, you'd just never know it. I'm being all LucyLurkerish. Not sure I like it....

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Quick Question...

UPDATED (Sunday the 26th):
Found it! The gorgeous picture of the beaded trees can be found here, at the blog Free People.

I can't quite believe that I found it again, it was a tiny little link on LoobyLu from a few days ago.
I also can't quite believe how much time I spent searching it down. Basically, I tried to remember, and revisit every single place that I went yesterday. Ay yi yi...

But now I am feeling all smug and Nancy Drewish, and I think that MyBoySchecky and I are headed off to Michael's to pick up some supplies for this. (I would head to HobbyLobby, but - as Bekka and I have often commiserated, it's Sunday, and they're not open...)

I hope this isn't one of those crafts that makes your thumbs hurt. I'm wondering how much fun it's going to be once you've pushed in the umpteenth pin...

(Just in case you are wondering what this is all about, I'll leave the original post below...)



Someone please tell me where I saw this...

I've been blogging about today - getting caught up on all the wonderful reading that I've gotten behind on* - and someone, somewhere had a post with a great picture of beaded trees to put on a mantel for holiday decoration. Simple instructions were given (use beads, Styrofoam cones, pins, etc.)

I intended to bookmark it; I honestly thought I had bookmarked it, but I didn't and I can not begin to retrace my steps and find it again...

I'd really love to see that picture again - I think that Scheck and I may be up for a craft tomorrow, and that not only seemed doable, but it really looked gorgeous!

If you've seen the post I'm talking about (and I am sure you have - it's either on your blog, or a blog that I found by clicking on a link from your blog), please leave me a comment or drop me an email: kingsportgrrrl [at] yahoo [dot] com.

Thanks bunches!



* It just figures that at the exact same time that things get busy around here, and I cut back on daily blog-reading, -writing, etc., all the rest of you start celebrating NaBloPoMo and have all this wonderful DAILY content that I've missed...
Guess I'm doomed to be forever a square peg in a round hole... :) )

(hee hee! I made an emoticon with a double chin! It was a typo, but I'm so totally leaving it! )

Friday, November 24, 2006

Bubba, If You Are Reading This, You Better Stop Now...

Just rolled in from the whirlwind trip to Tennessee... more about that next post, I'm totally wiped out. But one quick thing that I just had to share with someone... 'Cause I'm all silly and giddy right now...

Schecky and I were driving home this afternoon (We dropped Bubba off in Knoxville so that he could have some good one-on-one time with his parents. It's nice to get to be selfish and have your parents all to yourself sometime - and it's a luxury in which he rarely gets to indulge!) and I was feeling all good karma-ish.
I was feeling that way, firstly because traffic was non-existent! Which was a delight, because as you know, I've spent a LOT of time in the car in the last two weeks*, and the traffic has been pretty sucky for most of it.
In addition to a really easy-peasy commute from East Tennessee back to Atlanta, the MusicGods were quite pleased with me. I had my iPod on shuffle, and I swear, I don't think there was a dud in the bunch. So, I returned home in a pretty good mood.

Once home, we get out of the car, and I see a FedEx sticker stuck to the front door. Hmmm - it appears that a package was delivered Wednesday, right after we left town, and was signed for and left with my neighbor, Mark. "That's weird," I think, Were we expecting anything?" Long story short, I retrieve the package from my neighbor, and still have no idea what it is. Don't recognize the sender, etc.

Feeling somewhat apprehensive, I cautiously open it.
Holy Good Karma Day, Batman!

Seems I entered an online contest** back in September. And won. A Sony PlayStation Portable - also known as a "PSP" for those of you who are cooler than me.
Which is pretty much all of you.... OK, true confession time - I am totally so unhip that I only had a vague sense of what this is. A gaming console of some sort? (I know, I know - I'm terminally uncool... I'm so unhip it ought to be painful. Actually, I suspect that my complete lack of coolness *is* painful -- to my friends and family!) I have to go to Amazon to see exactly what this is.

Oh, Sweet Cracker Sandwich! This thing sounds like it rocks!!!
I was just excited to have won anything, but this thing is totally cool!

I'm so going to hide it under the bed, and I now know what Bubba's going to get for Christmas. Hee!
I know that this seems like shameless regifting - but the thing you've got to know about Bubba and me is that we really don't give each other big presents. There have been a few exceptions over the years, but as a rule, we keep it really simple and save our budget for presents to use on Schecky, and friends and family. So even though this is a big old regifting of sorts, he will be blown away, just because it will be totally unexpected.

At least, it will be unexpected if he quit reading when he read the title of this post - like he was supposed to!
Bubba, if you are reading this, you better pretend to be all surprised and stuff on Christmas Day! Or I'm keeping it... ;P

I hope that everyone had a big old helping of excellent karma along with their Thanksgiving turkey! And that it sees you through the weekend...



*My poor little station wagon is probably going to go into shock. Remember, I'm the girl who only drives 50 - 75 miles a week. In the last 2 weeks, I've put over 2,000 miles on the car. I think it has tasted long distance driving, and found it sweet. I hope it doesn't rebel when it has to go back to my usual pokey pace....

**Another true confession time - I belong to a few sites, like MyPoints and FreeRide, etc. and not only do I click through on the emails to accumulate points (hey - it's not like I have anything better to do, and all those dinky points eventually add up to something!) but I enter any contests they offer. I'm not the luckiest girl in the world - but I do tend to win stuff from time to time. Never anything huge, and not with any regularity, but often enough that it keeps me entering contests....

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

On The Road Again...

It was never my intention to be so inactive here as of late. But, as you all know, sometimes that crazy thing called life rears its head and lots of stuff gets pushed to the side...

The hubbub here has all revolved around the Thanksgiving Holiday - originally to be here at my home, the plan has changed half a brazillion times, all due to circumstances beyond my control.

The latest: My poor Mom fell and broke her arm earlier this week! She's waiting to get into see the "good doctor" ('cause when you live in a small town, there's usually only one that you really want to see...) and has an appointment late this afternoon.
Hopefully, all will go well there - I'll know more this evening, as I am loading up the family and the station wagon, and headed up to Tennessee. I've got boxes and boxes of food, and yesterday I bought a big old cooler at Target to help me transport it all. Have turkey, will travel...
(It's a really, really big cooler. I'm kind of in awe, and terrified, of it, in equal parts.)

I hope that you all have a wonderful, and safe Thanksgiving!* May your celebration unfold beautifully, and may everyone be healthy and happy.

(And when I return, I look forward to responding to the many lovely emails and comments that you all have sent along recently, and which I have been unable to see to. It's ironic - even though hectic times make it impossible to respond to each of them in the way that I would like to, it's those same hectic times which make me appreciate your thoughtfulness and kindness even more! So thank you, thank you, thank you!)



*and to any non-US readers, how about y'all just have a plain old great weekend??? Cheers!

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Is It Too Early For Ho Ho Ho????

It didn't feel like it this weekend, as my friend and neighbor James - whom I have mentioned here before - came over to take our annual Christmas Card picture.
(Alert readers will remember that James is the one who made us all look cute in last year's photo, as well as the one who took the amazing pictures of the Little Five Points Halloween Parade... I really think he has a fantastic way with focus and light.)

It was a fun photo session, which is saying something - because I really, really, REALLY hate to have my picture taken.
But we went to the park and had a good time with it. Thought I'd share a few of the fun ones...




Bubba Claus




Worrying About SantaHat Head...




Schecky Claus




It really was fun, and we've got several great pictures from which to choose. My only complaint is that in many of the pictures I am looking mighty double-chin-some. Wish I could blame that on the lighting, or the photographer, or something - but I think the credit falls squarely on me. Too many cups of grits from The Flying Biscuit Cafe (my latest culinary love affair...)
Oh well, maybe it's a good thing to kick off the holiday season feeling a little pudgy? Maybe that is the incentive I need to keep from overindulging... (or maybe I should say overindulging further...)

One last shot - this is what happens when the eight-year-old in the photo shoot starts to feel like it's been going on too long*...




What Happens When the Photo Session Runs Too Long...




*Personally, I think this photo is hilarious, and I would love to use it on a Christmas Card. However, both Bubba and Schecky tell me it would be wildly inappropriate.
Sigh.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Because Some Occasions Just Call For Fancy...

Like today. An exceptional icky and unpleasant day - cold and very, very wet. Days like today - you just need a little pick-me-up.

Like this:
Hummingbird Cake Cupcake



Isn't it lovely?

And before you get all impressed, I didn't make it, I bought it*. It is a Hummingbird Cake cupcake - and if I've not impressed you before now with the delight that is Southern Cooking - the Hummingbird Cake might just be the thing to make a convert out of you.
And quite frankly, if you can't be won over by a Hummingbird Cake, then there's just no hope for you... I'm sure we can still be friends, but I ain't never inviting you over for a meal...

Simply put, Hummingbird Cake is a very rich cake, which is enhanced with bananas, pineapple and a generous amount of pecans in the batter. Once cooked and cooled, it is topped with a decadent cream cheese frosting and (if done right) topped with more pecans** and a sprinkle of coconut...

The origins of the Hummingbird Cake are somewhat shrouded in mystery - it first appeared in an issue of Southern Living magazine in the late 70's. Due to its insane popularity it has been repeated in those pages many times over the years - and was rewarded with the title of "Most Favorite Recipe" in the 1990s. It deserves the title, it's just that good.

The name of the cake is somewhat a mystery too - some insist that the cake is so good that it'll make you hum. I don't know that I quite buy that - if we're going for truth in labeling this should be called "I'd Slap My Momma For the Last Piece of This Cake"...
Others say that the name is supposed to reflect the exoticness of the ingredients. Not sure that I buy that explanation, either... Oh well, some things may just have to remain a mystery...

Anyhow - you can find the original Southern Living recipe here. And an interesting variation with "pineapple flowers" here. (Isn't that gorgeous?)

It's really a quite simple recipe - so don't be put off by the long-seeming list of ingredients. You pretty much just throw it all together in a single bowl, and stir it all up with a good sturdy wooden spoon!

If you're lucky enough to live near a Whole Foods Market - you don't even need to fool with recipes, they make a fantastic one (it's what Bubba usually gets me for a birthday cake, so I don't have to bake my own!)

So, go ahead, rain! Do your stuff, cold! See if I care - my little cupcake friend and I will just stay indoors today! It even though its icky out there, we're feeling mighty fancy here inside....



*And this is actually a fun part of the story as well. I bought it at the takeout portion of The Flying Biscuit Cafe - which has a rabidly loyal following for their wonderful breakfasts (served all day), as well as their fabulous comfort foods (think best turkey meatloaf ever!) and daily specials.

Anyhow - this darling gem of a cupcake was sold to me by none other than Dewberry - of "Hell's Kitchen - Season One" fame. (Those of you out there who are as shamelessly devoted to reality television as I am will surely understand what a little thrill this was for me!) I gotta tell you, I was rooting for Dewberry back in the day, and now that I've met him, I am even more smitten. Such a sweetie - he must have called me "Sweet Pea" no fewer than 5 times in the span of about 3 and half minutes. I wouldn't tolerate that from most people, but Dewberry can carry it off....

**Astute viewers will notice that the cupcake pictured above seems to be topped with walnuts. I'm thinking they really should be pecans, but Dewberry - my new best friend - wouldn't steer me wrong, would he???

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

I'm Baaaack...

Now the intrigue, such as it is, can be revealed...

First off, let me say there was never supposed to be any intrigue about the Washington, D.C. trip. Originally, the post stated exactly where and why we were going. In fact, a few of you may have read the original post, as it was up for a few hours. But then Bubba came along and read it, and got all worried and so I changed it.

The whole reason for the trip was that a dear, dear friend of ours - from our college days - was turning 40. And his wife was throwing a surprise party* for him, to which we were invited.

On the surface, it seems crazy to drive all that way (it turned out to be about 25 hours of travel time when all was said and done) for a party that is going to last three, maybe four hours tops, right?

And I acknowledge that yes, yes it does seem crazy. But my thinking was this: I've gotten to the age** where my friends are scattered all over the country. And with the exception of weddings, and funerals, we tend not to see these friends. Oh, we have good intentions, I'm sure all of us do. But it seems like we ever only really make the effort for weddings and funerals. And, again at my age, most of my friends are done with the former and hopefully we're all a good ways away from the latter. Hence the car trip.
(We decided on a car trip, because this time around we had a bit of time to take it - but not much money. Yes, there are fairly cheap plane tickets from ATL-DC. However, cheap tickets multiplied by three = suddenly not as cheap anymore!)

Honestly - it was a long trip. Particularly Sunday, where we literally got in the car at 7:30 in the morning, and spent all day there, arriving back home after 8 in the evening (this includes stopping for meals, gasoline, etc.)

Fortunately, my boy, Schecky, wins the award for best traveler in the whole wide world. Not once did he ask "Are we there yet", "How much longer?" or any of the pesky things I did when I was a kid in the for much shorter stretches of time. Particularly, when you realize there was nothing in it for him - he spent all that time in the car, and what did he get to do? Go out for appetizers at a restaurant with a few boring grownups he didn't know, and then on to a party full of boring old grownups - virtually none of whom he knew. Schecky, you're a champ!

But even with it being a long trip, and even though I think Bubba and I are still exhausted from it - it. was. so. very. worth. it.

I worry that sometimes I (and I don't know, maybe we all do) get so caught up in my own thing - my life, and all the minutiae that entails - that I don't always make the effort that I should to connect with the people in my life who mean so much to me, and who add so much to it.

So, was 25 hours on the road worth the few hours of face time to connect with a smattering of old friends? You better believe it. It was a fabulous time, and I got to spend time with not one, but two of my best friends from college. And I got to spend a lot of good talking time in the car with my two favorite people in the world.

And when you look at it that way - can you think of a better way to spend a weekend???



*And that word "surprise" was the reason for the unintended mysterious editing of the post. For some reason, Bubba decided to sit down and get caught up on the blog -which is odd, because he almost never reads it unless I ask him to proof something to make sure I'm not being too illiterate. Or too bitchy.
(So that's something to consider - whenever you read BadFortuneCookie, and I am coming across as either illiterate, or bitchy, or both - the post has probably been edited already to tone those elements down. How scary is that????)

Anyhow - long story longer: Bubba read that I said that we were going up to DC for a surprise party for a friend, and he got all worried that our friend would somehow see the post and the surprise would be ruined. Never mind that there are exactly three people who actually know me in real life who read BadFortuneCookie, and not one of them exists in a sphere that would ever overlap with the birthday boy's. Nope, there was no way that blog post was going to ruin the surprise - but I just decided not to argue about it, and edited it instead. I figure it didn't pay to pick a fight with a man I was going to be stuck in the car with for a really long time. Not when I wanted him to do most of the driving, anyways!

**38, for those of you who track such things....

Monday, November 13, 2006

Introducing Small Square Bear....



I made it safe and sound through two days of toddlers, and 25 hours in the car/on the road. Too tired to talk about it right now, though... Understandably, right????

Anyhow - I finished up the last WIP that I blogged about, so thought I'd show the final product... I hate doing all the final finishing work; you know, the stuffing, the assembling, etc. But I like it when stuff is done. Particularly when he makes me smile, like this little guy does...

Off to get some sleep....
It's nice to be back....

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

It's Going to Be Quiet Here for the Next Few Days...

Just thought that I'd give everyone a heads up that it's going to be quiet around here, probably until Monday or so.
Everyone is so sweet and considerate, so I just didn't want anyone to worry about the lack of activity...

There's going to be activity, though - just not here at the Fortune Cookie. I'm actually teaching at a preschool the next couple of days.

Substituting, that is - which will be rough, in all honesty. One day I've got five 18-month olds, the next I've got six 2-year olds. Which means everyone is going to be in full swing separation anxiety mode, and be scared of me since I'm neither their mommy, nor their "real" teacher.

Even knowing that it's going to be a rough couple of days, I'm kind of looking forward to it (esp. the day with the 18-month-olds - I love that age!) It'll be nice to get my toddler-fix in...

Then, after work on Friday, (it seems so strange to get to say that again!) Bubba, Schecky and I are loading up the car and heading to Beverly Washington, D.C.
Because nothing says "quality family time" like a 20 hour round-trip in the car now, does it?

It is a long trip, but I've got a good reason. At least I think it's a good reason. I'll fill you in when I get back...
Ooooh - very mysterious....

So - that's what I'll be doing while I'm not here over the next few days. And what will you be doing? Hopefully, you will be perusing the Flickr set I created - of the Big Fat Bathroom Painting Project. (Complete with notes, and snide comments!) Take your time browsing, you've got a couple of days before I return!

In the meantime - enjoy yourselves and your weekend!

And the Schadenfreude* Just Keeps On Coming...

First Britney shows K-Fed to the curb, and now Donald Rumsfeld is stepping down...

This week is shaping up to be a most excellent one for schadenfreude!

This is almost enough to placate my frustration at living in one of the few states that managed to get even redder yesterday.

Sigh.
At least the rest of the country seems to be wising up....

Hopefully, this will mark the end of celebrity gossip and political commentary here at Bad Fortune Cookie.

Let the knitting, reading, eating and general blatherings-on about my life (and how inept I am at handling it!) resume...



*Oh - want to see the best use of the word "Schadenfreude" in a comic strip EVER? You can do so here.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Oh Happy Day...

I had hoped today would be memorable because of some Republican incumbents being elected out of office without so much as a "don't let the door hit ya" on the way out.
(And yes, that was the number one item on my "Sonny Do" list, Gov. Perdue...)

And hopefully, this will still be the case - although I am see-sawing wildly between feeling hopeful about the midterm elections, and feeling despair...

But I digress - even if the elections don't go my way, today is a happy one. Why?

Because Britney, apparently, is K-Fed up! That's right, divorce papers have been served*. Buh-bye! (Oh, and Kevin, don't let the door hit ya...)

Just so you don't think that this post is solely to announce the news about the implosion of Britney's marriage (Which, sadly, it probably is) I'll tack on the pork chop recipe, which a few of you have been nice enough to ask after. Once again, I am not sure where this came from, as it, too, is scribbled on the back of a piece of scrap paper...

This is so simple - truly done in about 10 minutes. But it tastes like you did a lot more work than that...

Balsamic Honey Pork Chops

cooking spray
4 boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 4 oz each, 3/4 inch thick)
salt
black pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey

Coat a non-stick skillet with cooking spray, then heat pan over medium-high heat.

Add pork chops to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done.

Remove pork chops from pan.

Put the skillet back on the stove, and stir in the vinegar and honey. (Be sure to scrape the pan to loosen any browned bits.)

Bring the mixture to a boil; cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring consistently.

Return chops to pan; turn to coat, then serve.

This sauce is good stuff, so you'll want to serve something with it to sop it all up. As you know, I recommend the grit. Preferably with cheese.



*I know I shouldn't care about this. But when I heard this on the radio in the car this afternoon, I was oddly elated. I do try not to delight too much in the misfortunes of others, really I do. But c'mon - this is K-Fed we're talking about here... I think that schadenfrude is the order of the day...

Monday, November 06, 2006

That's What I Like About the South...

The food!

Dinner tonight wasn't necessarily pretty*, but it sure was good.

  • Pork Chops, which I first brined all day then cooked up with a Balsamic Honey Glaze.

  • Cheese Grits (because we love our grits around here!)

  • Black Eyed Peas

  • Baby Corn Muffins (because, as you also know, I do love corn bread! And the only thing better than corn bread is cute and tiny cornbread. Plus - I got a mini-muffin pan at Target, and I was itching to use it....)


Dinner

Seriously, if I get any more Southern, I don't know if I could stand it...



*I know, I know - I really should have taken some sort of care with photo styling. However, honestly? I just wanted to eat...

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Evolution...(Revolution? Love?)*

I am starting to suspect that "cuteness" is an evolutionary defense mechanism - it helps to ensure the survival of the not-so-fit.

Case in point: babies. Babies are adorable, because they have to be. Babies come into this world completely unfit for survival; they rely upon someone else for all the things they need in order to survive. Their contribution to the table? Cuteness. Their very cuteness causes us to form attachments, and make us want to care for them.

I also suspect that is why people are so interested in conserving the panda bear. We get a lot of news in the paper about pandas, since the new panda baby was born at Zoo Atlanta.
The more I read about pandas, the more they seems to fly in the face of "survival of the fittest."

Basically, you've got this animal who only eats one food, doesn't like to move much, wants to live its life in a fairly small area (although I empathize with that one!).
They seem to have trouble mating, and once they do have babies, they have the biggest disparity between size of the parent/size of the baby of any species. This sadly leads to accidents like rolling over on the baby, which often has tragic consequences.

I pointed this out to Bubba - that pandas seemed to defy Darwin, since they seem singularly unsuited to propagation of the species.
Darling Bubba, smartie that he is (and he is, I tell you!) is the one who pointed out that he thought evolution had provided the panda which a pretty good evolutionary tool. Cuteness. We love them (and one theory as to why we love them states that it is because pandas look like babies, and those protective mechanisms kick in...) and we want to help them. Sure, there are other endangered species - and some of them are even ugly. But none of those ugly species get as much attention/conservation efforts/publicity as the panda. (This is just one of the reasons why I just love Bubba, the way his mind works. This never would have occurred to me, and yet I think he is so right.)

So - in the spirit of evolution - I present a comparison between the first bear that I knit and the most recent:



Henry was the first bear that I made, from the fantastic Jess Hutch pattern, and I made him as directed (except for the whole "missing limbs thing"). And it's funny, because at that time, I thought he had a big old melon head. Little did I know...

The bears keep getting smaller, rounder, and definitely chubbier. They are becoming more and more baby-like. I thought perhaps that I was regressing - but do you think this is the fine hand of evolution** at work?




*Totally stuck in my head this morning. I know that this happens to everyone - getting a song stuck in their head - but sometimes I think my case of this is acute...
Top of my sun
Keep all my love
Top of my chest
Tip of my breast
Top of my earth
Walking on the road
With my soul in my hand
Tip on my toes
Top of my span


**Updated to note: Bubba shuffled through and peered over my shoulder. "Aren't you worried about being from Georgia and talking about evolution?" He's got another good point. Thanks to Cobb County, the rest of the country (the world?) thinks that none of us believe in evolution. So - for the record: I believe in evolution.

Friday, November 03, 2006

WIP - Friday

In addition to the "K is for Kate" bear, I also completed (yet another) washcloth on the Day in Which I Did Nothing But Knit... (Otherwise known as "Wednesday".)
However, there are really only so many ways to take pictures of those, and I figured that none of us could bear* another...

I've got one other thing that I'm working on - a sibling to Small Square Bear. Or maybe it's a cousin...

Whatever it is, I thought I'd try to make another one - for a friend who is going through a rough time, and could maybe use someone small to slip into her backpack/briefcase/whatever...


Originally uploaded by lla.




*No pun intended, seriously!
Of course, as I was proofing this (and I know it's hard to believe that I proofread, but can you imagine how many more mistakes there would be if I didn't??) I caught the pun and it made me snicker.
So it's staying in... Get it? Bear it?
< snicker >

Thursday, November 02, 2006

K is for Kate...


K is for Kate...
Originally uploaded by lla.
This little sweetie is already on her way* to her new home - Seattle!
Where she will be given to a brand-new, gorgeous baby girl...

Welcome to the world, BabyKate!



*How impressive is that? Not only did I actually finish something, but I went to the post office, too!
Now if only I could bring home the bacon/fry it up in a pan...

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Sweet Cracker Sandwich! It Can't Be *November* Already! (Can It?)

Does anyone out there remember that I used to knit?

I do.
Vaguely.

Seems like it's been a while - that pesky thing called life has been getting the way. :)

However, I've got nothing big scheduled on the horizon, and the house is as clean as it's going to get. The laundry is done and the ironing, too. (WooHoo!) And it won't kill any of us if Bubba picks up dinner from Moe's on his way home from work, since there's no food in the house that isn't candy, or leftover and mummy-shaped.

So, today I knit.

It's going to be quiet around here, until I actually get something done. I'll probably still sneek some peeks at your blogs (because I don't want to miss what's going on!), but I might just be a lurker, instead of being a comment-er.*

See you when I've got something finished!



* I frequently suspect that I am a much better blog commentator than an actual blog author.

Except for those times when I am so overwhelmed by someone's craftiness, and yet all I can come up with is "Oh! So cute!" etc.

I acknowledge that sort of comment doesn't add a whole lot to the ongoing blogging dialog - but I know how what a commitment blogging can be, and if I read/see something that I like - I want to send a message to the author. Just to let him/her know - "Hey, I really appreciate what you're doing here..."

Even if it just takes the form of "Oh! So cute...."