Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Pigs in a Blanket...Swine Not? 2
After marinating overnight on this read, I have concluded that this book WAS written in true Jimmy Buffett style. All you have to do is listen to any of his songs to figure that out! DUH!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Pigs in a Blanket...Swine Not?
Following a dinner of pigs in a blanket, tater tots, mac and cheese, and applesauce, I cracked open the cover of my latest Jimmy Buffett novel, Swine Not? I was quite excited to start reading this book with all the email promotions from Borders, and especially after reading Where is Joe Merchant and A Salty Piece of Land, both of which were full of adventure, romance, and complex story lines that kept me drawn into the lives of the characters. (yes, I know that was a terribly structured, run-on sentence, but anywhooo...)
I started reading last night only to find that the book is written on about a 5th-6th grade level, quite out of context for this Buffett fan. I guess he did have his disclaimer at the beginning of the book along with the inspiration for the story, but he's Jimmy Buffett and I was expecting a Jimmy Buffett style book, damnit!
I read the first quarter of the book last night. Continued reading while I had the oil changed in Brutus this morning, but only because I wanted to see if the story got any better. I finished it while watching Days this afternoon. Hey, I already had all that time invested in reading the first 7/8ths of the book, no need to leave it as an unfinished task. I already have too many of those and besides, I wanted to see if the Pigilantes came through for Rumpy!
Anyway, I can't chalk it off as a total waste. It was a really cute story and one that is suitable to share with kids, even if you have to read it to the younger ones. I know my little Parrotheads would love it if I read it to them. In true Buffett style, he did keep me coming back to see what happened next. Yeah, I would recommend it, but know that it is way out of context!
Other books I have read since June...
14 Things Great Teachers do Differently
Gifts From the Sea (I highly recommend this to all ladies, especially mothers...also a great gift!)
A Pirate Looks at 50 (JB's 50th b-day...good read, insightful into his life...seriously jealous..."Feliz Annus", rofl)
Where is Joe Merchant (loved it)
A Salty Piece of Land (stirred my nomadic soul, I wanna move to the beach now)
No one Writes to the Colonel (not sure how this one won the Nobel Prize)
The Old Man and the Sea (a true testament to perseverance)
Swine Not?
I started reading last night only to find that the book is written on about a 5th-6th grade level, quite out of context for this Buffett fan. I guess he did have his disclaimer at the beginning of the book along with the inspiration for the story, but he's Jimmy Buffett and I was expecting a Jimmy Buffett style book, damnit!
I read the first quarter of the book last night. Continued reading while I had the oil changed in Brutus this morning, but only because I wanted to see if the story got any better. I finished it while watching Days this afternoon. Hey, I already had all that time invested in reading the first 7/8ths of the book, no need to leave it as an unfinished task. I already have too many of those and besides, I wanted to see if the Pigilantes came through for Rumpy!
Anyway, I can't chalk it off as a total waste. It was a really cute story and one that is suitable to share with kids, even if you have to read it to the younger ones. I know my little Parrotheads would love it if I read it to them. In true Buffett style, he did keep me coming back to see what happened next. Yeah, I would recommend it, but know that it is way out of context!
Other books I have read since June...
14 Things Great Teachers do Differently
Gifts From the Sea (I highly recommend this to all ladies, especially mothers...also a great gift!)
A Pirate Looks at 50 (JB's 50th b-day...good read, insightful into his life...seriously jealous..."Feliz Annus", rofl)
Where is Joe Merchant (loved it)
A Salty Piece of Land (stirred my nomadic soul, I wanna move to the beach now)
No one Writes to the Colonel (not sure how this one won the Nobel Prize)
The Old Man and the Sea (a true testament to perseverance)
Swine Not?
Monday, July 7, 2008
Commitment
OK, I have seriously failed the NaBloPoMo challenge the first week out! Another testament to support my skiddish nature when it comes to commitment. At least there are no serious consequences for my lack of commitment here...
Here I go with my excuse and topic for today...
Our weekend was filled with fireworks, family, and food. We spent the 4th at SIL's where there was a feast of grilled burgers, hot dogs, sloppy joes, potato salad, numerous snacks and dips, cookies and cakes, and watermelon slices. We played horseshoes, washers, ladder ball, and catch. When daylight turned to dark, we sat back and watched a fireworks show like you wouldn't believe. BIL has been doing this for about 5 years now. It used to be just him and a neighbor, but now it has turned into a neighborhood competition. You can literally sit back and see beautiful displays of fireworks in any direction. It was awesome food and awesome fun for all.
After an early afternoon soccer game, we spent Saturday at Meme and Dzia Dzia's visiting and swimming with Dzia Dzia's daugter and grandkids. Dzia Dzia made his famous rib dinner and OMG were they good! We topped off the day watching the Nascar race and drove home to fireworks on the horizon.
Dzia Dzia's famous ribs...
Babyback ribs
2 cups Jack Daniels
8 cups water (don't forget this, will blow your oven door open if you do, I've witnessed it!)
Place ribs in slow cooker, top with Jack Daniels and water, bake at 350 for 4-5 hours. Grill with BBQ sauce to finish (we use KC Masterpiece).
I guarantee these to be the best ribs you have ever had! For the full meal, add baked potatoes, corn on the cob, and fresh made cole slaw.
Yesterday was a morning of yard work. I cleaned out flower beds and Mr. Wonderful trimmed and cut the lawn. By 11am we were sitting in the front sipping on a Parrot Bay cooler. The rest of the afternoon, we hung out with the kids and watched Star Wars. We had dinner with friends 6 houses down. It's great when you only have to make half of dinner and always more enjoyable in the company of good friends. The kids watched The Empire Strikes Back and we sipped mojitos on the patio.
A great weekend to record on the record books!
Here I go with my excuse and topic for today...
Our weekend was filled with fireworks, family, and food. We spent the 4th at SIL's where there was a feast of grilled burgers, hot dogs, sloppy joes, potato salad, numerous snacks and dips, cookies and cakes, and watermelon slices. We played horseshoes, washers, ladder ball, and catch. When daylight turned to dark, we sat back and watched a fireworks show like you wouldn't believe. BIL has been doing this for about 5 years now. It used to be just him and a neighbor, but now it has turned into a neighborhood competition. You can literally sit back and see beautiful displays of fireworks in any direction. It was awesome food and awesome fun for all.
After an early afternoon soccer game, we spent Saturday at Meme and Dzia Dzia's visiting and swimming with Dzia Dzia's daugter and grandkids. Dzia Dzia made his famous rib dinner and OMG were they good! We topped off the day watching the Nascar race and drove home to fireworks on the horizon.
Dzia Dzia's famous ribs...
Babyback ribs
2 cups Jack Daniels
8 cups water (don't forget this, will blow your oven door open if you do, I've witnessed it!)
Place ribs in slow cooker, top with Jack Daniels and water, bake at 350 for 4-5 hours. Grill with BBQ sauce to finish (we use KC Masterpiece).
I guarantee these to be the best ribs you have ever had! For the full meal, add baked potatoes, corn on the cob, and fresh made cole slaw.
Yesterday was a morning of yard work. I cleaned out flower beds and Mr. Wonderful trimmed and cut the lawn. By 11am we were sitting in the front sipping on a Parrot Bay cooler. The rest of the afternoon, we hung out with the kids and watched Star Wars. We had dinner with friends 6 houses down. It's great when you only have to make half of dinner and always more enjoyable in the company of good friends. The kids watched The Empire Strikes Back and we sipped mojitos on the patio.
A great weekend to record on the record books!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Happy Independence Day!
This post is in honor of my father who served this country in the Vietnam War, I know he still suffers the trauma of those days...
Common things heard at the dinner table from my father...
"Nevermind the (insert request here) and eat your dinner."
"Eat it anyway, it will put hair on your chest."
In response to "I'm thirsty."
"I'm Friday, come over Saturday and we'll have a sundae."
And last but not least..."hack hack cough hack" upon consumption of too much butter or mustard...a trait I have inherited.
Hope y'all have a safe and Happy 4th!
Common things heard at the dinner table from my father...
"Nevermind the (insert request here) and eat your dinner."
"Eat it anyway, it will put hair on your chest."
In response to "I'm thirsty."
"I'm Friday, come over Saturday and we'll have a sundae."
And last but not least..."hack hack cough hack" upon consumption of too much butter or mustard...a trait I have inherited.
Hope y'all have a safe and Happy 4th!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Friend or Foe?
About a year and a half ago, I came to terms with an increasing problem. Quite literally.
You see many moons ago I was the athletic type, competition cheerleader, lifeguard, workout fiend. I finished college, married and divorced within a year, remarried and gave birth to my daughter the next. The following year I gave birth to my second daughter and we moved to Texas. I had given up my career to stay home with the babies, I had also given up so much of what was me, I was also 1200 miles from any family or friends. I didn't have time to take care of myself or my emotions and didn't have a support system close enough to help me out. Needless to say it was a part of my life that was filled with mixed feelings of turmoil, resentment, and happiness.
Mr. Wonderful and I have struggled to keep our family and relationship intact, there have been times of success and times of great failure, but the one constant for me throughout it all was finding comfort in food. It was a quick cure for the stress and depression, but had a long lasting effect on my overall self-image and the increasing number on the scale. At the worst, I was pushing 180, I felt like crap, and I didn't have the internal drive to do anything about it.
I finally joined LA Weightloss. The $$ I had to fork out for the program was my motivation to stay focused. After the initial couple of weeks of learning the program and weighing foods, the task became easier and eventually a habit. The end result, 26lb weight loss and back into single digit clothing sizes. The energy increase was phenomenal too. It's amazing what eating a healthy, balanced diet will do for you.
I maintained the weight loss pretty well. That is until work started getting stressful last year and I got lazy, stopped preparing lunches in advance, and started frequenting fast food joints. It became a couple pounds on the scale isn't too bad, I'll just watch what I eat which really never happened to gaining back half of what I lost. My clothes are starting to get tight again and I'm getting that I'll start on Monday attitude. The worst part, I know I can do it...I'm just not.
It's a vicious thing, food. Source of life on one hand, personal hell on the other. I need to stop internalizing the things that lead to turning to food for comfort, dust off my will power, and deal with life. The one thing I have control of is myself. I'm the only one who can put the right foods into my system and get the results I desire!
You see many moons ago I was the athletic type, competition cheerleader, lifeguard, workout fiend. I finished college, married and divorced within a year, remarried and gave birth to my daughter the next. The following year I gave birth to my second daughter and we moved to Texas. I had given up my career to stay home with the babies, I had also given up so much of what was me, I was also 1200 miles from any family or friends. I didn't have time to take care of myself or my emotions and didn't have a support system close enough to help me out. Needless to say it was a part of my life that was filled with mixed feelings of turmoil, resentment, and happiness.
Mr. Wonderful and I have struggled to keep our family and relationship intact, there have been times of success and times of great failure, but the one constant for me throughout it all was finding comfort in food. It was a quick cure for the stress and depression, but had a long lasting effect on my overall self-image and the increasing number on the scale. At the worst, I was pushing 180, I felt like crap, and I didn't have the internal drive to do anything about it.
I finally joined LA Weightloss. The $$ I had to fork out for the program was my motivation to stay focused. After the initial couple of weeks of learning the program and weighing foods, the task became easier and eventually a habit. The end result, 26lb weight loss and back into single digit clothing sizes. The energy increase was phenomenal too. It's amazing what eating a healthy, balanced diet will do for you.
I maintained the weight loss pretty well. That is until work started getting stressful last year and I got lazy, stopped preparing lunches in advance, and started frequenting fast food joints. It became a couple pounds on the scale isn't too bad, I'll just watch what I eat which really never happened to gaining back half of what I lost. My clothes are starting to get tight again and I'm getting that I'll start on Monday attitude. The worst part, I know I can do it...I'm just not.
It's a vicious thing, food. Source of life on one hand, personal hell on the other. I need to stop internalizing the things that lead to turning to food for comfort, dust off my will power, and deal with life. The one thing I have control of is myself. I'm the only one who can put the right foods into my system and get the results I desire!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Topic of the month....FOOD!
Subject: The Chili Cookoff
Date: Sunday, January 31, 1999 5:04 PM
Recently I was honored to be selected as an Outstanding Famous Celebrity
in Texas, to be a judge at a chili cook-off because no one else wanted
to do it. Also the original person called in sick at the last moment
and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking
directions to the beer wagon when the call came. I was assured by the
other two judges that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy and, besides,
they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted
this as being one of those burdens you endure when you're an internet
writer and therefore known and adored by all.
Here are the scorecards from the event:
Chili # 1: Mike's Maniac Mobster Monster Chili
JUDGE ONE: A little too heavy on tomato. Amusing kick.
JUDGE TWO: Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.
FRANK: Holy smokes, what is this stuff? You could remove dried paint
from your driveway with it. Took me two beers to put the flames out.
Hope that's the worst one. These people are crazy.
Chili # 2: Arthur's Afterburner Chili
JUDGE ONE: Smoky (barbecue?) with a hint of pork. Slight Jalapeno
tang.
JUDGE TWO: Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken
seriously.
FRANK: Keep this out of reach of children! I'm not sure what I am
supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted
to give me the Heimlich maneuver. Shoved my way to the front of the
beer line.
Chili # 3: Fred's Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili
JUDGE ONE: Excellent firehouse chili! Great kick. Needs more beans.
JUDGE TWO: A beanless chili, a bit salty, good use of red peppers.
FRANK: This has got to be a joke. Call the EPA, I've located a uranium
spill. My nose feels like I have been sneezing Drano. Everyone knows
the routine by now and got out of my way so I could make it to the beer
wagon. Barmaid pounded me on the back; now my backbone is in the front
part of my chest.
Chili # 4: Bubba's Black Magic
JUDGE ONE: Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
JUDGE TWO: Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or
other mild foods, not much of a chili.
FRANK: I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to
taste it. Sally, the bar maid, was standing behind me with fresh
refills so I wouldn't have to dash over to see her.
Chili # 5: Linda's Legal Lip Remover
JUDGE ONE: Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground adding
considerable kick. Very impressive.
JUDGE TWO: Chili using shredded beef; could use more tomato. Must
admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.
FRANK: My ears are ringing and I can no longer focus my eyes. I
belched and four people in front of me needed paramedics. The
contestant seemed hurt when I told her that her chili had given me brain
damage. Sally saved my tongue by pouring beer directly on it from a
pitcher. Sort of irritates me that one of the other judges asked me to
stop screaming.
Chili # 6: Vera's Very Vegetarian Variety
JUDGE ONE: Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of
spice and peppers.
JUDGE TWO: The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and
garlic. Superb.
FRANK: My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous
flames. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except Sally.
Chili # 7: Susan's Screaming Sensation Chili
JUDGE ONE: A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
JUDGE TWO: Ho Hum, tastes as if the chef threw in canned chili peppers
at the last moment. I should note that I am worried about Judge Number
3, he appears to be in a bit of distress.
FRANK: You could put a hand grenade in my mouth and pull the pin and I
wouldn't feel it. I've lost the sight in one eye and the world sounds
like it is made of rushing water. My clothes are covered with chili
which slid unnoticed out of my mouth at some point. Good, at autopsy,
they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing, it's too
painful and I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air I'll just
let it in through the hole in my stomach.
Chili # 8: Helen's Mount Saint Chili
JUDGE ONE: This final entry is a good, balanced chili, neither mild
nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge number 3 fell
and pulled the chili pot on top of himself.
JUDGE TWO: A perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili, safe for
all, not too bold, but spicy enough to declare its existence.
FRANK: ------------------
Date: Sunday, January 31, 1999 5:04 PM
Recently I was honored to be selected as an Outstanding Famous Celebrity
in Texas, to be a judge at a chili cook-off because no one else wanted
to do it. Also the original person called in sick at the last moment
and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking
directions to the beer wagon when the call came. I was assured by the
other two judges that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy and, besides,
they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted
this as being one of those burdens you endure when you're an internet
writer and therefore known and adored by all.
Here are the scorecards from the event:
Chili # 1: Mike's Maniac Mobster Monster Chili
JUDGE ONE: A little too heavy on tomato. Amusing kick.
JUDGE TWO: Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.
FRANK: Holy smokes, what is this stuff? You could remove dried paint
from your driveway with it. Took me two beers to put the flames out.
Hope that's the worst one. These people are crazy.
Chili # 2: Arthur's Afterburner Chili
JUDGE ONE: Smoky (barbecue?) with a hint of pork. Slight Jalapeno
tang.
JUDGE TWO: Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken
seriously.
FRANK: Keep this out of reach of children! I'm not sure what I am
supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted
to give me the Heimlich maneuver. Shoved my way to the front of the
beer line.
Chili # 3: Fred's Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili
JUDGE ONE: Excellent firehouse chili! Great kick. Needs more beans.
JUDGE TWO: A beanless chili, a bit salty, good use of red peppers.
FRANK: This has got to be a joke. Call the EPA, I've located a uranium
spill. My nose feels like I have been sneezing Drano. Everyone knows
the routine by now and got out of my way so I could make it to the beer
wagon. Barmaid pounded me on the back; now my backbone is in the front
part of my chest.
Chili # 4: Bubba's Black Magic
JUDGE ONE: Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
JUDGE TWO: Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or
other mild foods, not much of a chili.
FRANK: I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to
taste it. Sally, the bar maid, was standing behind me with fresh
refills so I wouldn't have to dash over to see her.
Chili # 5: Linda's Legal Lip Remover
JUDGE ONE: Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground adding
considerable kick. Very impressive.
JUDGE TWO: Chili using shredded beef; could use more tomato. Must
admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.
FRANK: My ears are ringing and I can no longer focus my eyes. I
belched and four people in front of me needed paramedics. The
contestant seemed hurt when I told her that her chili had given me brain
damage. Sally saved my tongue by pouring beer directly on it from a
pitcher. Sort of irritates me that one of the other judges asked me to
stop screaming.
Chili # 6: Vera's Very Vegetarian Variety
JUDGE ONE: Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of
spice and peppers.
JUDGE TWO: The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and
garlic. Superb.
FRANK: My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous
flames. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except Sally.
Chili # 7: Susan's Screaming Sensation Chili
JUDGE ONE: A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
JUDGE TWO: Ho Hum, tastes as if the chef threw in canned chili peppers
at the last moment. I should note that I am worried about Judge Number
3, he appears to be in a bit of distress.
FRANK: You could put a hand grenade in my mouth and pull the pin and I
wouldn't feel it. I've lost the sight in one eye and the world sounds
like it is made of rushing water. My clothes are covered with chili
which slid unnoticed out of my mouth at some point. Good, at autopsy,
they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing, it's too
painful and I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air I'll just
let it in through the hole in my stomach.
Chili # 8: Helen's Mount Saint Chili
JUDGE ONE: This final entry is a good, balanced chili, neither mild
nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge number 3 fell
and pulled the chili pot on top of himself.
JUDGE TWO: A perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili, safe for
all, not too bold, but spicy enough to declare its existence.
FRANK: ------------------
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