shaky perspective

Tsunami death toll could top 60,000 BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (CNN) — The “putrid stench of the dead” hung heavily Tuesday over Banda Aceh as officials slowly came to grips with the devastation caused by a massive underwater earthquake and the equally massive tsunami that followed it. More than two days after the 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the westernmost portion of Indonesia’s northern Sumatra Island, the official death toll stands at over 33,000. But that number could be deceiving. Officials could not reach some remote areas, like Indonesia’s Aceh province, India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Maldives, until Tuesday, and once there, they found scenes much worse than they imagined. “The center of Banda Aceh...

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Posted on 28 Dec 2004 | 6 comments

successful recipes

Christmas dinner was splendid. Since Thursday evening, the MSG and I have been cleaning, decorating, cooking and baking for Saturday. At the farmer’s market, we found a gorgeous holiday bough of pine, eucalyptus and mistletoe that I fastened to the central pole of the MSG‘s spiral staircase so it would greet our guests with its fresh scent as soon as they entered. Also around the pole, I wove a few strands of tiny white icicle lights, which draped around the bough and lit up the foyer cheerily. We made two batches of cornbread for the stuffing, which also contained andouille and chipotles. I baked my pumpkin cheesecake with maple-bourbon sauce, the one I’ve been tetchily describing for the past few weeks, and it turned out very well. ...

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Posted on 26 Dec 2004 | 1 comment

numa numa

It begins with a simple LOL in the subject line, and turns into an all-day meme fiesta. My employee Robbie sent me this link, a video of a cute boy lip-synching to what sounded like an Eastern European pop song involving lots of “numa numa”. I am all about the numa numa, so of course I loved it. But that was not enough for me! NOT ENOUGH! I need INFORMATION! The song is “Dragostea din Tei” by a Romanian-Moldovan boy-band named O-Zone. Indisputable evidence of their boy-band-edness can be found in their music video. Whether O-Zone refers to environmental concerns or le petit mort, I have yet to find out. This review speaks volumes: “With their clean-cut appearances, melodious songs, and warm singing voices — spiced with a...

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Posted on 23 Dec 2004 | 7 comments

mistletoe

You think I didn’t notice that after we walked through the market and paused to ask about eucalyptus wreaths next Friday — tomorrow, there will be a few waiting for us — we found ourselves under and among several bunches of mistletoe. You think I didn’t notice that you noticed, and that you put your plan (efficient, direct, as always) on hold and lips to startled lips left me a smile. — Halsted M. Bernard

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Posted on 22 Dec 2004 | 2 comments

louie the sun conure

louie the sun conure

One of my favorite patrons brought in his Sun Conure, Louie, to visit today. Louie is extremely well-behaved and gorgeous too. I heart Louie!

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Posted on 22 Dec 2004 | Comments Off

damaged laptop

damaged laptop

It’s no longer working, and I still have not found the culprit. Update: The MSG‘s theory is that the battery exploded, which would support the fact that it worked almost all day yesterday, then went into an endless cycle of standby/on/standby/on. This also explains the burning sensation on my hands. What in the world would cause a laptop’s battery to explode, though?

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Posted on 21 Dec 2004 | 5 comments

unidentified substance

This morning, I arrived at work to find something — emphasis on something, since I have no idea what — splashed all over my desk, including my laptop and connected keyboard, my photos, my calendar … you name it. Tiny gross droplets of grossness. I’m trying to mop them up with a soft rag and just a touch of Windex. The experiment in pumpkin cheesecake with maple-bourbon sauce was … an experiment, to be sure. I don’t think the cake baked long enough, the crust ingredients need to be crumbled finer, and I whipped the cream for the sauce too early. However, after some conferring with the MSG, I have tweaks in mind for its betterment on Friday. I will post the recipe once it has been successful. I also baked cornbread, replete...

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Posted on 20 Dec 2004 | 3 comments

how zen feels about going to the vet

how zen feels about going to the vet

Her actual reaction was ten times more horrifying. Seriously. I didn’t know a cat could make half those sounds. She was terrified, poor girl, but she is going to be just fine.

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Posted on 17 Dec 2004 | 5 comments

mirrored zen

mirrored zen

I am taking Zen to the vet today, because she is sick, but apparently not too sick to pose for this little photo. That’s my girl.

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Posted on 16 Dec 2004 | 3 comments

holiday sushi

I stirred my miso with my chopsticks, knowing it was too hot to lift to my lips and sip. One of the four people at the table to my left plopped down in her seat — a seat on the opposite side of the table, on the comfortable bench, where I wanted to be sitting — and sighed, exasperated. “Do you want another beer? It’s taking forever.” Carefully I used my chopsticks to stir in a dab of bright green into the dark brown liquid in my saucer. I watched it melt, turn into coffee-color. “I can’t even get her attention. Why won’t she look over here?” The students filming two actors at a table in the middle of the restaurant took notice. I tried to give them a look that conveyed I’m sorry and I’m not...

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Posted on 15 Dec 2004 | 1 comment