Category: Food

Friends and video

Tammy’s got a chronic ailment.  She’s in research mode because that’s what she does when she gets bad news, but the thing that made me cry after I got off the phone was that her big thing was that it not affect our trip to France.  Her health is so much more important than the trip…

Crashed early again last night.  Saw a guinea pig and a puppy in Brentwood Town Centre Station last night.  I’ve seen more critters there than in most zoos. Bought veggies and made tuna salad for supper – too hot for anything else.  I THINK I MIGHT BE WINNING against the dreaded video editing issue.  It says it’s going to take 1400 minutes to convert the file, but that might just be blowing smoke into my eye.  Anyway, I have 15 hours of family video – at least – to boil down, like I NEEDED another fracking project.  Spoke briefly to Katie last night.  Picked huckleberries and – get this – saskatoon berries yesterday at lunch (me, Trevor, Patricia, ScaryClown and Robof9) as well as grabbing salmonberries on the way by.  Watched the video Patricia took of the raccoons in Stanley Park – cute.  Anyway, let’s see if I can load the damned file once the import into iMovie is done.  1400 minutes?!  Zow. I am beginning to see how Loki might have been spending his time when he first converted the files from tape to VOB!

Waffles on Sunday

As has come to be traditional on Sunday morning, I make up a big pot of coffee and a big batch of waffles. I contemplate the waffle iron, which is close to me in age and still functional, although rather beat up, and I think to myself, do they still make bakelite? Because it’s pretty cool stuff, and quite durable. Kitchen appliances just aren’t made as they used to be, and I wish that would change.

Meadow came upstairs yesterday afternoon; it was good to see her. She was happy to see me, but as soon as she saw Jeff she came over all puppy, twisting around with happiness to see him. Critters sure love Jeff.

It was hot enough in here yesterday that the air conditioner came on – Jeff has it set for 26 degrees.

I am contemplating elective surgery on my face (my eyelids are hanging so low I can hardly see) and elsewhere; details, no.

drfilk was over for dinner (beef stew, diced tomato salad and garlic bread). He and Lady Miss Banjola are rehearsing for Denvention – they have an hour long concert – and also recording with Tony in Seattle in August. w00t!

Jeff has introduced me to the works of Daniel Pinkwater. I particularly liked Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars and Young Adult Novel.

I called my m0m to check up on Katie, but Katie was out running errands with Alex and Darwin. I can’t even be worried about her if she’s at her grandma’s – all I can do is think kindly thoughts, towards everyone involved, and hope for the best. A special shoutout to Paul for being there for Katie

Today will be a lazy/slash/domestic kind of day, and maybe if it stays quiet I’ll try to record something.
I feel mellow and contented, and it’s great to sit in the bright sun in the kitchen.

ScaryClown was here

He had an interesting day at work so he went to our place early after I checked with Jeff, and when I got there he and Jeff were ensconced in the living room watching something. Then Jeff and I made dinner (he broiled the chicken breasts to perfection, I must say) and we consumed it on the back deck with attentive cats and much hilarity. The cats liked him… it was sweet watching ScaryClown leap to his feet to let one in when he scratched at the door. “You’ve set a precedent,” Jeff said drily, and ScaryClown said something to the effect that cats easily train him.

I have no beer left, but I’ve seen Robert Macnamara in Fog of War and I was amazed. It’s one of the best shot and most interesting and best scored documentaries I ever saw. I remember DrFilk raving about it when it first came out.

Keith started early

He was supposed to start today but they started him yesterday.  I hope for a full report at some point.

Watched The Big Red One yesterday.  The firefight scenes are great but everything else suffers in comparison to Band of Brothers… especially the music, holy crap it was bad.

I made purple food yesterday – purple home fried potatoes.  I’m having some more now, damn they’re good!

The Niña

Paul’s cunning plan for Father’s day involved taking us all to see the reproduction of Columbus’ Niña and then feeding us.  This was indeed a cunning plan, endorsed heartily by all involved, and Jeff joined us for Phó afterwards.  In the middle there was the BsG latest episode (loved the last 10 seconds) as Keith was anxious to see it, and bringing the sewing machine from the boy’s place over here so Jeff and I can sew the blackout curtains, which popped like a cork to the top of the household list with the longer day lengths.  There was also an interesting walk with Paul which included a candid and constructive assessment of the emotional carnage of the last 18 months or so.  I got kinda drippy a couple of times but didn’t otherwise embarrass myself; I just kept repeating the mantra speak respectfully, listen carefully and got through it okay.  So I may be in a good mood today (of course!  the Sun came out!) but I am also in a reflective one.

The Niña itself is a dinky toy.  When we first saw it I said, there are Tall Ships and Small Ships, and this is very Small Ship.  Katie and I had two reasons for wanting to see it – one was to extend our historical knowledge after our trip to the Dominican Republic last year, and the other was to imagine Niccolò sailing on such a vessel (Niccolò being yet another Dunnett character) because it was built just like what he would have sailed in.  The boys had their own reasons, chief among which of course was the ‘messing around in boats’ thing.  The ship’s boat was made single handed by a fourteen year old man.  I’m hesitant to call anyone with such an accomplishment a boy.  The Niña’s sailing away today.  It was a perfect day to see it, and of course I didn’t remember to take my camera, so the pics are courtesy Paul.  BONUS For my Seattle fans…

Yummies, Mummies, Dummies

So we cooked oysters and pork chomps and garlic bread and taters and squash and garlic and set out brie and crackers, and ate rice and ginger beef (leftovers from lunch, my gosh they were good) and I made a salad and Peggy brought plum squares (heavenly, just heavenly) and I set out melon, and then in a pleasant state of repletion we sat around and talked. I found myself becoming very tired so I kicked them out, but they took Keith with them, Tom and Peggy did, so it all worked out very well (and it’s not like I really kicked them out, it’s just we’re old and tired and it was starting to really piss me off that Keith just sat down and started playing Condemned II Bloodshot while we were trying to talk – you could see Tom starting to get into it). That was the first time we’ve had a formal sit down meal with cloth napkins since we moved in, so really it was about time. Jeff put me at the head of the table. Hmph.

This morning I’m going to go protest Scientology, which is a complete waste of time, but once you have a V mask it just seems like the right thing to do, and then I’m going to the partay…. Tomorrow Father’s Day like family stuff with Paul and the kids, which hopefully will be lighthearted and civil (those hopes are for my behaviour, not other people’s). And somewhere in there, laundry, feeding plants, mucking out my room which once again looks like a bear pit, getting another copy of Songwriter or finding the old one because there’s something screwed up with the registration, and the usual behind the scenes, keeping the whole shivaree running, kinda activities.

One could say “Why not go protest Catholicism?” and that’s a very very good question. Or Mormonism. I’ll tell you why I care enough to protest. L Ron Hubbard used what he learned being a science fiction author to start a religion, make a lot of money, and put himself beyond the law. As an SF fan, I feel a moral obligation to denounce his works. Also, on a personal note, a buddy of mine in Toronto started protesting Scientology 15 years ago, and I feel like a jackass not supporting that effort until Anonymous started up.

And it’s not a religion. The big difference between a legitimate religion and a cult is that you can show up broke and they’ll still love you. You can show up unable to stooge for them and they’ll still love you. In a cult, if you show up broke and unable to help out, out you go. The keeping your mouth shut if you know what’s good for you applies all around, including Unitarianism although less so, but you get the idea. There’s always a price for being part of a group, and in this case, I consider the price to be too high for society, let alone the folks keeping it propped up.

Man, the things people do to belong….

I have been invited to a baby shower! So has Katie! it doesn’t conflict with anything on my schedule! Me happy!

added 16 June – I forgot to mention that the demo went well and about 30 people turned up, but it was a real sausage fest.  The bus drivers were honking in support!  It was fun!

Free Pizza

The darnedest thing happened to me last night. I was minding my own business as I walked out of Brentwood Station, and I see a young woman carrying a frozen pizza box.  Then I see a young man carrying a pizza box, and another, and another, and I start getting excited. Sure enough, at the bottom of the ramp there’s a whole bunch of people giving away pizza.

Took care of dinner, anyway.

Dinner

It was raining so hard when I got out of work that I took a cab home – I couldn’t deal with not having a brolly and it was ASS FREEZING COLD on the mountain, tks.  And the cabbie hit on me.  No further comments on that.  The Luddite was here – we had chicken fried rice and salad, and the usual Dread Bar of Yummy Chocolate.  Watched some more Earth to the Moon.  The Luddite picked up the Dunnett that Keith is leaving lying around and wanted to know where the naughty bits were.  “Sheesh,” says I in exasperation, “there’s like two sex scenes in that novel and if you blinked you’d miss them.”  “Too many characters,” says he, and I laugh, because that’s what certain other non fans have said to me.  The Luddite makes me laugh rather immoderately; his take on things is wickedly skewed.

I really don’t want to go to Jericho.  It’s at times like these I wish I had a car, because I’d go more often if I did.

Getting used to changes / Bloomsday

In honour of Bloomsday, my mother who sent the link, and to demonstrate that I’m not a complete waste of space as regards littrachoor herewith the dummies guide to Ulysses.

Spent a bit of yesterday helping Katie find a part time job.  Yes, she’s living with Dax.  Yes, 1/2 an hour of our time yesterday consisted of listening to the two of them bicker over the phone.  (I had to say to her, “Quit calling him names!” at one point.  Because, you know, somebody with an anger disorder really responds well to that.  What a pair.)  Anyway her resume is up to date and that was my excuse for finding out where the hell she’s living so I can quit worrying about it.  And she applied to a number of places to work and I saw her do it, so that’s all good too.

Rest of the day spent hanging with Keith and Jeff, and Jeff cranked up From the Earth to the Moon (the first two episodes) and my gosh what great TV.  Hanks and Howard cooked up something good.

I made chocolate rice pudding yesterday, because I can.

Blah

Everybody I know is either sick, sickening with something, or just plain sickening.  And I don’t feel so well myself.

Got hold of Peggy last night and she’s in for the Hilario Duran trio.  w00t.  Also I’m feeding her and Tom on Friday the 13th.  Scary stuff.

I think I need to clean the barbecue/Stanley Cup

It was rather flame-y yesterday.

Right now, I have two things to look forward to; Dandy Warhols at the Vogue (yes yes yes please and thank you Doug!) and Hilario Duran and Roberto the amazing bassist less than a week after that.   (Yes Please and thank you Katie K!).

I have now gone to bed early 3 days running and I have either kicked the cold that is trying to land on me, I’m fighting off the brain deadening effects of the pollen count, or I’ve got sleeping sickness.

I watched the last game of the Stanley Cup last night.  My interest in hockey is lightly sketched at best, but I have to say that the Pittsburgh team skated as if they, one and all, had pianos tied to their butts, whereas Detroit looked like Mercury had kissed every one of them.  Jeff and I both screamed simultaneously with that last Pittsburgh shot on goal as the clock dived for zero – it came SO CLOSE to going in that we just shook our heads at the replay.  It was a good game, and sportsmanlike.  I found the commentary next to useless.

Domestic tranquillity update

I phoned Jeff last night after going a little wacky at the mall (total haul $100, shoes and tights) and said, “Don’t feel like cooking.  How do you feel about the Keg?” which plan met with enthusiastic endorsement.  Out of respect for mOm’s diet I’m going to skip the usual trough report.

My plants arrived!  Gai Lan, peppermint and Thai Basil.  I’ll be repotting them this weekend. I just gave them a little water.

I have a mild two inch scratch from Eddie, having helped clip his back nails.  No other injuries were reported.

There are at least fifteen blossoms on the strawberry plants out front.  I must go water them.

I send good thoughts to: mOm, Granny, Tammy, Katie daughter, Kopper, LTGW for the unwitting suggestion which finally broke the dam on the homily, the Luddite, Jeff and kitties of course (although one side growl for the unbelievable amount of hall-running they did last night), Tom and Peggy (get over here for dinner!), Glenn and Maggie (ditto!), Tom U. (ditto!), Mike, Heather, Jarmo and the gang that’s going to Indiana Jones tonight, Patricia, Tom McM, Carolyn Porco, everybody at JPL, all Dunnett fans, and all filkers everywhere.

Oh, I ordered a Zoom H2.  I couldn’t help myself; after almost a year of drooling on Lady Miss B’s H2 I gave in to the dark side and ordered it.

I have cancelled my planned trip to Denvention – I’m going to be needing every penny for France.

I am thinking of a certain pregnant woman, and confecting an especially airy and happy nest of thoughts for her.

A particularly happy and grateful shout out to Jeff, who has shouldered my tech support issues with the understated competence of a true professional.

Oh, and a big hug to the HR department at work.  I approached them and said, calmly, “I want to kill a co-worker.”

Response:  “Really?  Have some chocolate and tell me about it.”

End result:  15 minutes later, I’m back at my desk, snickering, and feeling much better.

Oh.  Nobody in my department – somebody else.  The folks in my department entirely rock, I love them.

Mike drops by

So last night Mike asked what I was up to (the first time the phone rang with my new ring tone, Elvis Costello’s Pump it Up) and I said Nothin – so he came over and watched Shoot Em Up with me and Jeff.  I fed him mango and beer – and home made garlic bread.  I liked the movie the second time.  Keith will be annoyed that we watched it with Mike, because Keith frankly worships Mike and enjoys every opportunity to spend time with him.

Last night’s meal was salad with tuna.

Now that we’ve figured out it’s impossible to ruin garlic bread on that barbecue, we’re eating it a lot.