.....and other random stuff......

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

It’s Wrong, Just Wrong

Since rearranging the house with this remodel, my computer is now in the studio. It’s next to the window and I have a great view of the street. I get to watch the neighborhood coming and going.
I get to see whose air conditioner needs maintenance, who is getting a new dishwasher, what pool ‘boys’ they use. I get to see the walkers, the bikers and the gossipers…….. Basically I’m a nosey voyeur!
I see all sorts of things.
But what bothers me, I mean, really bothers me is……. all the ‘cool’ cars that pass by are driven by white haired old men!
Muscle cars from the 60’s and 70’s all restored to their former splendor and looking glorious! 
But driven by hunched over, spectacle wearing, wizened OLD men!
I appreciate that they’ve taken these old cars and brought them back to life. And I realize they are reliving their heyday…….but it’s WRONG.
Just wrong.
These cars need testosterone fueled teenage boys driving them. Young men looking to make memories. Someone not afraid to burn rubber and half the tread off their tires in order to impress some girl.
These cars were made for mating rituals! Like male birds showing off their plumage by doing their fancy dances to attract a mate!
NOT for old men with cataracts to putter down the road staying well within the speed limit!


Just. Not. Right.

Monday, February 27, 2017

Punny Monday

I'm glad I know sign language, it's pretty handy.

Friday, February 24, 2017

Confessions of a Picky Eater

According to my mother I was an incredibly picky eater when I was a kid. Even as a baby I made my likes and dislikes vividly apparent. Family lore has it I ruined her favorite cashmere sweater after tasting strained beets for the first time.
I put that one on her. I mean…….really? Wearing your favorite cashmere sweater to feed your child strained beets is just asking for trouble…… (and just so you know, I still don’t like beets….)

I think it has more to do with texture than taste. That and certain things just don’t ‘go’ together.
For example: Whipped cream on Jell-O.
NO.
Just no.
Jell-O is clear and whipped cream is opaque….you don’t mix the two.
The same goes for sour cream in Stroganoff. She used to have to take my portion out of the pot before she added the sour cream.

And don’t even get me started on legumes! Chick peas???? Please! They are little balls of mealy wax that have no discernible taste as far as I can tell! ALL of the legume family to me is tasteless and like eating wet sand.
I shiver here just thinking about it!

But all that changed when I met Husband. He will eat anything. And I mean ANYTHING!
One night, when we were dating, he offered me a taste of what he was having and I naturally declined.
He said, “Okay, more for me!” In that one simple sentence he changed my entire epicurean life! He wasn’t trying to sway me or cajole me or entice me or control me! So I tried it! And you know what?????
I was right!
It was AWFUL!

I’m not quite as picky as I used to be but I wouldn’t say I’m adventurous either.

Except for that time I ate a handful of chocolate covered ants.

But that was a trick. And as soon as they told me what it was, I immediately threw up…….so I don’t think it counts.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Raise Your Hand If You Believe This.......

I admit it, I'm a stat junkie! 
I check the stats on my blog every day. 
I've been holding steady with 53 followers...... and that's okay. 
I love that 53 of you out there think my scribblings are interesting enough to follow me! 
I'm humbled and honored! 
I also realize that more people stop by than just you 53 loyalists! 
But I'm sorry, I just don't buy that 1,355 people just happened to pop in for a visit last Saturday! 
Color me skeptical! 
LOL
Great for my ego, but I think Blogger is broken! 

Monday, February 20, 2017

Punny Monday

Q: What was Donald Trump's campaign slogan?
A: We shall overcomb! 

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Program…..

For a Valentine’s Day Tale……..

So, I’m at the grocery store. It’s Valentine’s Day. It’s mobbed. Men buying balloons, chocolate and flowers.
I’m in the checkout line and there’s a guy in front of me. He has five items. Three bottles of wine, two of them are Ménage A Trios, (shouldn’t all of them be Ménage A Trios? I mean, symmetry people!)   Mennen Speed Stick deodorant and a small cellophane bag of cilantro.
I don’t want to think about it but my mind is racing with all sorts of scenarios and I’m trying not to laugh.

Oh, the possibilities of his evening!!!!!!

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

29 Faces 2017....con't

Here's another one. Started with this:
And got this:
I'm waaaaay behind, number wise, but I'm having fun doing them! 
So I don't care! ;)



Monday, February 13, 2017

Punny Monday

What did Donald Trump say when he declared bankruptcy? "I don't have toupée!" — Jimmy Kimmel's Indian joke outsourcers

Friday, February 10, 2017

29 Faces 2017: #7...?

I've lost count......I'm not holding myself strictly to a daily face, just so long as I end up with the requisite 29 at month's end, I'm good. 

I was looking for something different, some sort of inspiration. So I made up a handful of collaged pages. Just 'guidelines' if you will. Then I scanned them into Tabley and using my favorite app (Sketchbook Pro) I went to town. 
This is the second one (I think) I've done this way. I'm trying to push myself to get more 'depth' and using more layers. 

I'm liking the results.

Started with this:
And as he progressed I thought he looked like a Pharaoh. 
He ended up like this: 
But as I was falling asleep last night something about it kept niggling at my brain. 
I realized I had forgotten his eyeliner!
No self respecting Pharaoh would allow himself to be depicted without his eyeliner! 
He wouldn't let me wait until morning, I had to drag myself out of bed and fix him! 



Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Slow Cooker Update: Getting Better…….

Second recipe in the slow cooker.
I used this: Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls as a starting point.

But I ‘tweaked’ it because….well, I’m me and I just can’t leave well enough alone. Plus it tasted kind of flat…..
In the interest of full disclosure my tweaks included: a splash of white vinegar to give it a bit of zip, a can of tomato soup because I over did it with the chopped meat and it was kind of dry and I only bought the one jar of tomato sauce…………
and white rice (Chinese take out) because, low carb be damned!
(Also, I ALWAYS doctor the tomato sauce with a pinch of sugar {or sweetener of your choice} and a dash of cream, because that’s the way I roll!)

I was smart this time and set it on HIGH!

As a review of the new slow cooker I have this to say:
I LOVE that you can do the whole prep in the cooker, sauté the onions and cook the ground beef and not have to mess around with a bunch of pots and pans and utensils.
You can change the temp as needed…or not.
You can even partially steam veggies if you want to cut down on the slow cook time (this detail has nothing to do with this particular recipe….just sayin’.)

The end product was tasty and I’m sure it will ‘develop’ an even better flavor over time.

I have enough leftovers for two more meals for the two of us (which is part of the reason to use a slow cooker to begin with, amiright?) 

And as a note to myself….I will buy some sour cream to either stir into the whole mess or just dollop on top of individual servings. (Leave it to me to take a healthy recipe and turn it into a heart stopping cause of death!)

Monday, February 6, 2017

Punny Monday

Did you hear about the pronoun war? No, who’s fighting? It’s us against them.

Friday, February 3, 2017

29 Faces 2017

First face of 2017
Materials: Samsung tablet, Sketchbook Pro app
(ahhhh, comfort zone......)