For The Record

If I were a crazy killer and on the lam, I’d sure as hell get the heck out of Dodge. Georgia and Mexico aren’t that far away from each other. I will never understand the crazy killer mind. Man, if you are going to go through all the trouble of shooting and killing people, shouldn’t you be able to think a few steps ahead and put the pedal to the metal? So, not only is that guy a crazy killer rapist, he’s also stupid.

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Happy Friday

Well, the new job is pretty awesome. I have my own space which is something I haven’t had since 1998. That’s a long damn time. And, there’s a window. Holy Cow.

I’m busy with some logistical tasks and am learning new faces. I hope to whip out the logistics piece and then start with the more meaty part of the job soon. The bummer is that I’m still not in “the system” so that means that a lot of things haven’t happened yet. Hopefully, that will be taken care of next week.

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Posted in Thinking | 4 Comments

Poorly Formed Opinions Are My Specialty

All the blah, blah about Martha getting out of prison has helped me solidify my opinion regarding her. I say if she has anything at all to do with making sure that we don’t slide into an avocado green-harvest gold-shag carpet-polyester plaid wearing society again, then I am on her side. I have lots of horror show pictures from elementary school to offer as irrefutable proof that we should not go back to that decorating and fashion unconscious time. Actually, I have remained a loyal MSL subscriber so really I just wanted to write avocado green and harvest gold in one post.

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Posted in Thinking | 1 Comment

Duck Breast

We purchased a duck breast over the weekend. We’ve never cooked duck before but knew we liked it from ordering it in various forms in various restaurants.

I found a recipe on epicurious for Duck Breasts with Orange Ancho Chile Sauce. We didn’t have any anchos on hand but did have a package of pasilla which is the dried form of the chilaca chile. The results were darn tasty.

I was a little nervous throughout the cooking because duck isn’t cheap and I’m not very confident on fancy sauce making. The better-half made the caramel portion of the recipe since I have done that and he hadn’t. I took care of searing the duck and then pulling the final steps of the sauce together.

We served it very simply with some crusty bread and roasted asparagus (a riff the better-half has on an old Julia Child recipe).

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I Wasn’t Going To Go Here But I Can’t Help It

It isn’t even spring yet and I am laboring to breathe. It sucks and I blow and blow and blow. What is especially bad about today’s breathing issues is that it was raining like I should build an ark earlier this morning and now it is snowing (so any air pollutants/allergens should be on the smackdown). The wind is blowing so much that we have a wind advisory. Come on through front and make it snappy because my head would like to clear.

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Posted in General Spleen Venting | 2 Comments

I’m Looking for Hector

We have most of our insurance (home, life, auto) with USAA. The better-half’s father was in the military so we’re eligible for coverage. I didn’t know anything about USAA until I married the better-half. Now what I know is that they love their customers.

We are currently carrying two home insurance policies because our closing date on the house we’re selling isn’t until next month. Hector at USAA has had several conversations with the better-half regarding our home insurance policy needs. One day a few weeks ago, Hector called and I talked to him. He asked me if we’d sold the other house yet and I told him it was under contract. He asked me when we were closing and when I told him, he said he’d flag the account to close on the day after closing. I thanked him and didn’t think much more about it.

Every year we get a refund check from USAA. I guess when they settle year-end accounts and find that they could give back some of what their customers have paid, they do it. Remarkable isn’t it? Yesterday we got something in the mail from USAA and I dumped it on the better-half’s desk (it was addressed to him). It turns out the check is for the balance for the house that is going to close next month. They are giving it to us early. That’s why I’m looking for Hector. I want to give him a big smoochie.

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I Think I Need A Cigarette

I promised the better-half that this weekend we’d do no home improvement projects. Yesterday we read and then watched Napoleon Dynamite. Today we drove to Charlottesville to go shopping.

Our first stop was Crutchfield’s. We’ve always just used the catalog so it was like going to Mecca. I had to keep my hands in my pockets. We bought a in-wall speaker jack so that we can spread out our speakers and eventually hook up as yet unpurchased exterior speakers. I was a little happy when the cashier asked the better-half what his phone number was and the account came up under my name. I’m a girl who likes her sound, what can I say?

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Posted in Eating | 8 Comments

Holy Cats!

This morning I’m up and showered a tad earlier than usual because I’m taking a visit to the new job. My boss really wanted me to come in and see how things are going to work before I actually start. I guess if things go really badly this morning than she and I can gracefully get out of our agreement and go on our merry ways. I think the chances of that are actually very small.

I was checking my email before I go in since I’m sure I won’t be able to check until later today. In one of my accounts I had a sales email from a company I’ve purchased from before. One of the new things they were offering was a cute pair of cropped cargo pants. I clicked just to see what was what. The pants come in sizes 0-9. I looked no more. My days of single digits are long gone.

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The key to the room of your own and a mind without end

When I got home this afternoon five or six deer bounded into the woods. One of them stopped short and I’d like to think it was because the deer recognized me (it’s nice and warm here on Fantasy Island). Most afternoons when I get home I see the deer and often they just stand still and watch me go into the house. Today they were pretty close to the driveway and I guess standing still for a single person is a whole different thing than not moving when a car approaches.

After putting my things away, I sat down at the computer and saw this out my window:

Posted in Watching | 2 Comments

Not Covering Any New Ground Here

I was just cruising the net to find a recipe for Chiles Rellenos. I was able to find some fresh Anaheim Chilis and wanted to figure out a simple recipe for tomorrow night. I was thinking of stuffing with cheese and maybe potatoes–which isn’t exactly kosher, apparently.

The shocking thing about my search was how brutal reviewers were on epicurious. Calling someone catatonic because they didn’t want to seed peppers? WTF?

I applaud technology all the time but I think it has absolutely given people too much leeway in writing whatever comes to mind and they forget that it is a medium that is wide open to de-personalizing the experience. I have no idea if the person who made the catatonic comment was someone who uses that word in regular conversation and thinks it’s funny or if that person is a total dick. I’m inclined to think the latter.

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