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Multi-tasking and disjointed
This morning I smoked a hunk of salmon and a whole trout, sans head. I made a marinade for beef brisket. I vacuumed the pool. I took out shredded zucchini and set it to drain. I cleaned up the kitchen and then took a shower.
Tomorrow it is supposed to be cloudy with possible rain showers and a high of 73. Of course. Because we have people coming over to swim and eat some tasty treats.
This is a message for my sister:
Posted in Generic Thoughts
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Thai Food
I’ve had a craving. I’ve wanted something sweet, sour and spicy.
To satisfy that craving, last night we went to a local Thai restaurant. It’s nearly mind-boggling that our little town has a Thai restaurant, but it does and it’s over in a building that’s mostly held together with bailing wire and duct tape. The restaurant isn’t the only business in the building but since I was a kid the building has waxed and waned in it’s ability to not fall over. I think the building once had something to do with the railroad as the tracks run directly behind it. Who knows…this entry is supposed to be about the meal.
The front entryway of the restaurant consists of large planters filled with pepper and tomato plants and I assume other ingredients that will eventually end up on a plate. By mid-summer the whole front of the restaurant will be awash in green.
We started with Yum Nuea which is Thai Beef Salad. Neither of had eaten it before but we have decided we will be making this salad soon. If I could wrangle the ingredients right now, I’d do it. But, alas, I’m at work and we don’t have a grill on premises. If I could figure out how to grill at work, I’d be one happy camper. But, then, I’d never get any actual work done.
Anyway, the salad. We ordered it medium and I was actually shocked by the heat. My eyes saw cool, refreshing salad and my tongue got totally confused. But, the confusion was good and so were the mouthfuls of salad. A perfect blend of sweet, sour and spicy. Just what I was looking for to sate my craving.
The better-half enjoyed the pork drunken noodles and I splurged on the soft-shelled crabs with ginger sauce. The crabs were lightly coated and stir-fried. Eating soft-shelled crabs always makes me happy. Last night’s crabs were fairly large and very delicious. The second crab’s shell had started the hardening process, but crunching through the shell is half the fun.
Now, if I can just get through my day today without some Yum Nuea, I’ll consider the day a success. Some people daydream about a day on the beach, today I’ll daydream about beef salad.
Things that Annoy and One that Suprises Me
If it is raining in the good old Commonwealth of Virginia, you are required by law to run your headlights. Because, really? You are driving a gray car on an interstate with rain and mist. You are nearly invisible, dumbass.
People who don’t do their jobs.
People who enable people to not do their jobs.
People who wander grocery stores like they are the living dead. The brains are over in the deli section; get the hell out of my way.
Elected officials who cheat on their spouses and then blame someone else. Hey, dude, you stuck your wang where it didn’t belong and that was free will(y).
There is someone named Blanche at the national level. Holy cow, who knew there were still people named Blanche and they could be a senator? That’s good, old fashioned Southern cool.
Posted in General Spleen Venting
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A Nice Work Afternoon
I left my office building in the bland office park and drove down to campus today to meet one of my former professors for lunch. We had quite a good conversation and I got to fulfill my buffalo chicken wrap jones.
Since I was going to be on campus, I had set up a meeting with someone in technology services so I could talk about a database we need. Since it’s not for university purposes, we’ll have to pay for it. Bummer. The cost will run over $5K. Which surprises me not one bit, but I’m not looking forward to reporting that back to my supervisor. It’s a complex database and it needs some serious programming. Got to pay to play, so to speak.
I returned two books at the library and checked two more out. When I went to the counter–I know I could use the express check out, but really, I like the interaction with the counter staff–the young woman asked if I was returning books and I told her I was actually checking something out. She laughed and said everyone is returning things this week (graduation is the 22nd). Faculty privileges are so awesome. I have the new books out until November.
I took the long way back to my car. It was so nice being on campus even though I was totally disconnected from the hive and had to check emails when I got home. Actually I could have done that at the library, but I feel weird taking up a computer to check work email when I know a student needs one to do all that hard work on papers or projects Facebook.
Posted in Thinking
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You look like Boris Karloff and you don’t even care
For most of last week, we had no network services at our office because a car hit a pole on Sunday, the office shut down due to no power and it ruined our router. Everyone else in our building was connected, but our router was fried and wasn’t replaced until after lunch on Thursday.
This morning the building slammed into darkness again and this time there was a transformer out somewhere nearby and we were told power would be back up around 2. So, I went home to work. Before I got home, there was an email from work telling me the power was back on. So much for accurate forecasting.
Working from home today has been especially awesome because she’s been hanging out in the backyard nervously clucking for hours:
The cat has also been freaky all day. Then, I found a skink tail in the hallway. About 30 minutes later, the cat was on the rest of the skink. That’s a boy job so I was glad the better-half was working from home today too. The cat was noticeably forlorn when we made his friend go outside.
On the menu
Salad-a mix of our own greens, some romaine and some spinach and young garlic from Victory Farms, carrots, celery, grape tomatoes, roasted pecans and shaved parmesan.
Baked sweet potatoes.
Foil grilled shrimp and scallops with thyme from our garden, butter, lemon juice and salt & pepper.
Grilled Tuna with ginger and two types of soy sauce.
Grilled Tenderloin with salt and pepper.
Dessert-strawberries from the garden, served over a gluten-free sugar cookie and topped with whipped cream and mint from our garden.
Aunt Annie
The better-half had a great aunt named Aunt Annie. She was a single lady and carried a cane in her later days. She liked to play cards and would call people Chap. She was quite a character and had a green thumb.
She grew the plant pictured below and rooted a piece for the MIL. The MIL had it for years. Aunt Annie died before the better-half was a teenager so this plant is no spring chicken.
The plant languished at the MIL’s house for ages. This winter we rescued it, gave it a new pot, new soil, food and a prime spot in our kitchen window. Dang, if Aunt Annie (that’s the plant’s name, of course) didn’t decide she liked it at our house and decided to bloom. I’m sure she knows the better-half is around.
No one in the better-half’s family knows what type of plant this is…anyone out there know?
Update: The internet is awesome. Someone from Canada on Plantcare.com identified the plant. It is in the Streptocarpus family which are related to African violets. The years old mystery is solved.
Posted in Gardening
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