location, location, location
I’m doing this week’s Friday Five a bit early … What’s your favorite vacation spot? For today, at least, it’s Pacific Grove, California. It’s close to Monterey, right on the ocean, and the little downtown area is just heavenly. And o, the butterflies. Where do you consider to be the biggest hell-hole on earth? Columbus, Ohio. This needs no explanation. What would be your dream vacation? A summer in Europe, visiting friends and family, and showing Chad real castles. If you could go on a road-trip with anyone, who would it be and why? This is a very hard question for me, since I want to go on road-trips with all of my friends. After careful deliberation, I choose Mish, because we’ve never been on a road-trip together and I...
Read Morewaking up indian
Sleep was not exactly mine last night; sleep curled up down the street, and left me staring at the ceiling, counting seconds between Chad’s breaths, and turning the dial up, down, up, down on the electric blanket. 3. 17. 9. 20. 1. 3. 14. I was a safecracker, attempting to steal shut-eye. It leapt over me, one sheep, two sheep, three sheep … Work was a dream, a book-colored haze, people whose faces I thought I remembered but didn’t floated in and out of my office. Sometimes they knocked; sometimes they just passed right on through the door. Was it ever closed? I miss my Daphne odora there. The yellow roses in my side yard won’t grow, won’t go, too cold. I’ll wait. Roses would look good on my desk. Suddenly it was...
Read Morehappy birthday, ham box
Last night. Where do I begin? Our friend Gina, who lives in Monterey, decided at the last minute to drive up Saturday morning for the party. While she made the three-hour hike, Chad and I did our last-minute party-prep shopping (Target and Safeway) and I tried not to freak out. Since we had cleaned so thoroughly the weekend before, there wasn’t much straightening to be done, but I hadn’t laundered any clothes for the evening and had a spot of angst about that and the state of the bedroom, in case anyone wandered back there. Gina arrived and decorated the living room with purple and ivory streamers and balloons. I bought a hydrangea to match and was going to add candles to the whole mix, but then I would worry about burning the house down so I...
Read Moretwenty-ninth
Twenty-nine years ago today, my mom and dad drove through a grueling blizzard in northwestern Pennsylvania to the hospital so I could make my leisurely, worrisome first impression on this world. I am happy to report that I still do things ass-backwards and worry the hell out of everyone around me. Thank you, my friends and family, for making my life not only possible but bearable and even enjoyable. I’d manage, but I’d be a sad, bitter little person were it not for all the love in my life. Here’s a toast to all you other incorrigible optimists out there: I have no idea what I’m doing and I’m having a damn fine time fumbling through it. Cheers!
Read Morebee-day
Well, hello again, Friday Five! Hey, baby, what’s your sign? Do you think it fits you pretty well? Pisces (Moon in Scorpio, Cancer rising). The people I know who do believe in horoscopes seem to think it fits. What’s the worst birthday gift you’ve ever received? When I lived in Birmingham, my best friend there moved away right before my 26th birthday. What’s the best birthday gift you’ve ever received? Other than life? That would have to be last year’s surprise birthday party. What’s the best way you’ve celebrated your birthday thus far? Again, last year’s surprise party was pretty terrific. What are your plans for this weekend? Funny you should ask! I will spend the weekend preparing for, enjoying, and...
Read Moremorning stew
Perhaps what I like best about religion is the dictionary it creates for its proponents. I do love seeing people of like minds acknowledge each other, and create belief and understanding, merely by using common terms. Of course, this is its major drawback, as well: the ease of labeling and criticizing non-believers by virtue of this common tongue. In the place of “religion” in the first sentence, substitute any culture you like. … Listening to a popular morning show during the one-hour commute this morning, I realized two things. First of all, I dislike traffic. What is normally a fifteen-minute drive turned into an hour-long fiasco. Whatever. Everyone deals with it. Secondly, I dislike listening to strangers talk about boring things. The key...
Read Morehoney, i’m cooking
After the Friday Five posting about how lame I am in the kitchen, I decided to do something about that this weekend. So Sunday night, I cooked dinner. It turned out well. No, not just well: really well. Excellent, even. I took a picture but I am sparing my vegetarian and vegan friends by placing it a click away. Tonight, then, I decided I was on a roll so tackled Lily’s tofu curry recipe. And dammit, it turned out good. I can do this! The true test will be if I can bake that Waldorf Astoria red cake I want for my birthday on Saturday. I’m having a few local people over, and we’re having a make-your-own-pizza theme, but it wouldn’t be complete without a birthday cake. Honey-Ginger Chicken 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons margarine...
Read Morei am a cooking disaster
I only wish I were joking about my answers to this week’s Friday Five: What was the first thing you ever cooked? Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. What’s your signature dish? Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Ever had a cooking disaster? (tasted like crap, didn’t work, etc.) Describe. I’m a cooking disaster. Other than that, I suppose it’d have to be the homemade Thai food incident. Chad and I cooked for a friend of mine who was passing through Birmingham, Alabama, when we lived there. This friend was subjected to terrifying pad thai and horrific tom kha. I’m surprised he’s still speaking to me. If skill and money were no object, what would make for your dream meal? Lobster bisque, filet mignon, brussels sprouts, coconut ginger rice,...
Read Moreall i wanted to know about enron
Ah, Dave Barry. How I adore thee! If you’re an average layperson, your grasp of high finance consists of knowing your ATM code. So you’re probably bewildered by this scandal surrounding the collapse of Enron, which had been the seventh-largest corporation in America. Today we’re going to explain the Enron story, using simple financial terms that you can understand, such as “dirtballs.” [read more]
Read Morenot selfish, just not parents
Here’s an excerpt from a good article on adults who choose not to have children (thanks, Jeff): Despite their growing numbers, many childless individuals and couples complain that they are ignored as a legitimate interest group and consumer class and even shunned by society for their lifestyles. “We are with childlessness where we were with homosexuality 20 years ago,” Cain says. “We always talk about family-friendly America. It is always part and parcel of a politician’s package. But the package they’re selling doesn’t match the general public.” Those who are childless say they get all sorts of unwelcome, and unfair, observations from strangers, family, friends, and co-workers alike. They’re told they are:...
Read MoreNestcam
The cam was last on Friday, May 4.
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I am Halsted, a/k/a cygnoir, and I do stuff with words.
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