Dinner Last Night

Yesterday afternoon, when I got home from work, I concocted a marinade for chicken breasts and it went something like this: zest of a lime, juice from the lime, salt, pepper, jalapeño pepper diced, parsley chopped, triple-sec, a small bit of tequila. Then I realized the wrongness of opening a bottle of tequila to cook with it only. So I poured a shot and added some lime and lemon juice and got on with my business. The late afternoon flies by when you have a warm spot of tequila in your belly. If you think that the tequila needs a partner, I suggest cranking some Stevie Wonder on the stereo.

To round out dinner, we had a tomato from my parent’s garden, fresh yellow squash with onions and corn on the cob. As we were eating, I ticked off all the items from our fair Hanover County–tomato, yellow squash, jalapeño pepper, corn. The better-half said something to the effect of it’s good to live in Hanover.

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Entering the Electronic Age

Today, at lunch, I took my mother to BJ’s so she could stock up on electronic equipment. Their VCR has one foot in the grave and she’s been looking for an economical replacement. I told her we’d seen a couple of VCR/DVD players while at BJ’s last weekend. Her conditions on purchasing were a good price, simple to use and simple to hook-up. I think in all the years of owning a VCR (since I was in junior high?), my father has never touched the VCR.

We also found a portable phone for them. One of the phones my parents had was an old-school-heavy-weight-from-my-grandmother-it-didn’t-even-work types. The criteria for purchasing the phone matched the criteria for the new video equipment: simplicity.

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Because I Can

Websites that annoy me are those websites that aren’t maintained. Especially websites in support of daily or weekly newspapers in the Richmond area. You know who you are. You are lame.

I stop by Movable Type’s home page to check out recently updated blogs and skim websites to see if there’s something out there that catches my fancy. Should I get over myself when I see a list of the most craptacular music on someone’s site? Isn’t it always “to each his own” with me? Apparently not, since I stop reading and decide there’s no way that I could enjoy their site if they listen to that CRAP.

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Silent All These Days

Finally, last night I slept. I haven’t really slept well since last Friday. Two of those nights, I ended up on the couch reading. This sleepless thing happens occasionally and almost always coincides with a full moon. The odd thing is that today is the day that I’m tired.

Last night we watched Things I Hate About You. It took me a minute, but I identified the “relationship expert” as that chick from the Bobby Flay show. Let me get this straight–you are a relationship expert? Mmm, funny how your bio doesn’t mention years of schooling in psychology or psychiatry or that you have a MSW. Liar.

We kept watching Things I Hate…because I couldn’t stop laughing at the ads for the show next week where one guy vacuums the other guy (after not really sleeping for the last several days, I’m all for finding fault with someone who can sleep through getting vacuumed). It does disturb me though how much they look like each other. Go check out the link–couldn’t they be twins?

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Into Every Life, A Little of It Must Fall

And the stuff that fell into my life yesterday is perfectly splendid:

I did a little Strongbow dance.

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Turning 40

I have a very close friend who is turning 40 next week. Hahahahahahahaha. I spent some time thinking of what I should get her for her birthday because even though we don’t always give each other gifts I figured this was a milestone birthday and I should do something more than take her out to lunch (which we’re doing too). I have finally come up with something that I think she’ll like and I’m having a great time pulling it together. It is especially fun trying to incorporate things we’ve done together that fit with the theme of the gift. No, I’m not going to tell you what it is because she’ll find out and the fabulousness of the gift will be diminished. I’ll reveal next week.

In thinking about her birthday, I did for a split-second think of getting her a forty for her 40th. And, that reminds me of the time that a co-worker and I were eating lunch across the street from our office building and the waitress, who was always having a row with the deli owner, asked us if we could go get her a forty. My co-worker and I looked at each other and cracked up.

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I’m Not Sure How To Celebrate This One

Only 10 shopping days left until National Underwear Day (on Aug. 11th).

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Sweetness and Light

This morning I was flipping channels when I should have been enthralled with a morning news show. I’ve been checking out our movie channels to find some movies worthy of taping and taking with us to the beach. I usually take a tape in case it rains and we’re stuck in the house. Last year we watched Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

I came across Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman. I was appalled and intrigued at the same time. How could a movie full of schmaltz like the first Jack Frost spawn something like Jack Frost 2? Then I realized that there must be two Jack Frost movies. Then I wondered how lame have things gotten in Hollywood, anyway?

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When Life is Unfair

My friend A (who lives in Arizona but hails from Virginia) had some family tragedies this past week. Her parents were visiting when her mother learned her father had passed away. A’s parents decided to head home early. They were in a car accident in New Mexico on the way home and my friend A’s mother was killed. Her father has some broken bones, not to mention his broken heart. From what I can gather, a drunk/high person was headed the wrong way on the road and ran several people off the road. Then my friend’s mother swerved to avoid a head-on with the dumbass and was hit by another car swerving as well.

We’re headed to Arlington tomorrow to attend the funeral.

I didn’t know A’s parents very well but I’ve had some contact with them over the 18 years (wow! has it been that long?) that I’ve known A. I have spent the night at their house. Her parents were very nice. They raised a great daughter and it is shame that their life together had to end this way. It pisses me off too. I can only assume that the person responsible will be found and dealt with. If not in this lifetime, then in the next.

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Couldn’t Stand the Weather

I realize today is the first sunny day we’ve had in a week, but I’m still grumpy about the weather. I wish whatever pressure system is hanging out would move on. Go away; you aren’t wanted. My head has hurt everyday this week in varying degrees. It doesn’t matter if I take the Allegra or not because it isn’t an allergy thing. It is a sinus thing. Oh bother.

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