Weekend Roundup

Ahhhh, what a great weekend, and it's not even over yet!

We got a lot of R&R in this weekend, but I also feel like we got stuff done. Ken had a lot of "work" work to do, and I got the laundry done, changed the sheets, filled all the bird feeders, etc. A productive and fun weekend!

Tonight we're going simple, and having spaghetti. Ken makes a mean spiced-up sauce, so he's working on that right now. The onion and garlic aroma in here right now is making my stomach growl! I'll bake some garlic for our garlic bread, we'll have a salad, and it will all be very tasty. I still have some Pecorino Romano to grate on top of our spaghetti, too. That's some expensive cheese, but I have to say that a little goes a long way, and it's lasting us a long time.

I'll pass along a tip we learned in one of our cooking schools in New Orleans. We've used it ever since. If using lots of different spices (like Ken uses for spaghetti), mix them all up in a bowl before adding to your sauce. That way all the dry spices are combined and ready to be distributed throughout the sauce. Tonight, Ken is using dried Trinity (onion, garlic, bell pepper), garlic salt, rosemary, basil, oregano, parsley flakes, tarragon, seasoned salt, and Italian seasoning. Ooo-wheee! A good hour and a half of simmering, and we'll be good to go. We also have a nice Chianti to go with our pasta and sauce. Salut! Looks like a Sopranos episode might be in order tonight....

And a heartfelt thank you to all of you for your comments today (and always). I've enjoyed reading them all, and hearing your opinions on things. Looks like my entry about attire struck a chord with everyone. I think we all agree that while there's nothing wrong with going casual, there are times when dressy attire is welcomed and appreciated. And sometimes, it's even necessary, if you want to make a good impression. Here's to dressing up, and here's to looking nothing less than fabulous. Here's to each and every one of you. Salut!

I keep forgetting to mention this, but was anyone else really impressed with Prince Harry, and equally as pissed at Matt Drudge for breaking a story that had been kept under wraps--for the protection of Harry and every soldier around him--for several weeks? This is a guy--an actual prince--who wanted to serve in Iraq, but it was felt that his presence would be a target. So they sent him to Afghanistan, to a fairly dangerous place, where he served well and said that this was about as close to "normal" as he would ever get. I'm glad he got to serve, and I am very impressed. I'm as equally UNimpressed with the Drudge Report for breaking the story and forcing Harry to be sent home when I believe he would have been okay with sticking around for a while. There was an agreement with the British press that they'd keep things under wraps, but this Drudge dork had to step in and muck it all up.

Here's to Prince Harry. Salut!

 

Tags: Prince Harry

A chat with my Mom

Mom just called to see how our dinner was last night. She was happy that we enjoyed it so much, but was shocked to hear what our bill was! I said, "It was really good...but had better've been!" She said, "Boy, that's right!"

She was telling me about reading the ads from today's paper, and in the Menard's ad, there was a faucet by Moen called the "Lexie." That happens to be my Mom's name, and she was so tickled by that that she cut out the ad to show people. My Dad's comment? "At least it wasn't a toilet." He went on to say, "There's probably a toilet called the Ezra." (That would be my Dad's name.)

<snicker> Mom and I had a good laugh about the whole thing, and believe me, I'm so happy to know that no matter how old we get (Mom is 79 and Dad is 84), we can still get a chuckle out of 5th-grade humor.

Question of the Day

Courtesy of Zobmondo's Would You Rather...?

I'm just going to have to get this game, because I find these questions so much fun! Here's the question:

Would You Rather... Be stuck in a small plane with bad turbulence for 2 hours or… be a passenger in a car racing in the Daytona 500?

That's actually an easy one for me. While I'm not crazy about turbulence, it doesn't totally freak me out. I think that after two hours, I'd be getting fairly uneasy, but the alternative? A passenger in a Daytona 500 car?

Please. I own a Mustang. I like to go fast. I would LOVE to get out on a track like that. A while back, they had Kristi Lee from the Bob & Tom Show ride with someone at the Indianapolis Speedway. It was so funny, because after they stopped, she was almost hysterical with laughter, glee, and excitement. She was ready to go again. That would be me.

Yep--easy one!

 

 

Tags: Zobmondo, Would You Rather, Kristi Lee, Bob & Tom Show

Dressing down

                                                           

Something that dismays me a bit is the dressing down of America.

We really noticed it last night. It was a very nice restaurant we went to, and while I didn't wear a dress, I wore nice slacks and a sweater, and Ken also wore slacks and a sweater. While we were eating, they seated someone next to us, and the guy was wearing jeans and a denim shirt. They were also going to the comedy show, which was not a dressy event by any means, but the restaurant WAS--or at least it should have been.

It was really apparent this past summer, too, when we took our cruise. There were two formal nights in the dining room, when women were expected to wear dresses, and the men tuxedos, suits, or sport coats and slacks. The kids initially didn't seem thrilled by this, but once they got dressed up, I think they realized how fun it can be to be just a tiny bit elegant. They both looked great, and they both commented several times on my "cool" dresses. Unfortunately, even on the formal nights, some of the guys at the table next to us were wearing very casual clothes, including baseball caps. I sent Royal Caribbean an email about a few concerns (as well as compliments) I had, and one of them was that if they are going to have a dress code in the dining room, they should probably enforce it. We really wanted the kids to see and experience a dressy occasion and formal atmosphere, and while they did get to experience that, it was spoiled just a little bit by seeing the casual attire at the next table.

Believe me, I'm as casual as they come, she wrote, while lounging in her flannel pants and sweatshirt. However, on the occasional event or night out when I have a chance to dress up, I really enjoy it, and as my folks like to say, I "clean up pretty well." It's fun for me to wear a nice dress, and pretend for a little while that I'm a tiny bit elegant instead of the klutz that I usually am! I think we've lost something in becoming overly casual. Maybe a sense of refinement, style, and grace, or maybe just a sense of believing that we can be butterflies for a night.

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Good writing, good reading

I mentioned that this month's book club book is Sophie's Choice, by William Styron. I'm several pages into it now, and what a pleasant reminder of some outstanding writing. Everything just flows, and the conversations seem so natural, the descriptions so effortless, and the content so disturbing and thought-provoking. There's a lot going on, but Styron pulls it all together wonderfully. Wow. I'm amazed and impressed all over again.

Tags: Sophie's Choice, William Styron

A fun evening

We had a great time last night!

Our dinner was SO good. We started off with appetizers: "schrimpscargot" (not as good as escargot, but still tasty) and a blue crab tater tot (basically a crab cake--not as flavorful as some we've had but I always love crab cakes). After salads, Ken had rack of lamb, and I had smoked duckling breast. I was glad I chose it, because it was tender and delicious. We washed it all down with a nice bottle of Kenwood zinfandel. For dessert, Ken had a scoop of peanut butter ice cream, and I had a Bailey's on the rocks. I suppose it sounds silly to have a drink as dessert, but Bailey's is so sweet and creamy to me, and tastes like dessert! It was very yummy!

The show was excellent, too. We were in the second row! (It helps to have a day off when tickets go on sale.) We didn't get picked on, but the guys sitting next to us did. All the comedians were hilarious, but one of our favorites was this guy, Drew Hastings:

                                                   

His bits about living on his farm in Ohio were too funny. The guy we probably liked the most, though, was Greg Warren:

                                              

                                                                "Hit 'em with your flute, Greg!"

If you like going to the comedy club, if either of these guys come through your town, go see 'em. Lots of fun!

Tags: Drew Hastings, Greg Warren

Beware the Ides of March

I know we're a couple of weeks away from the official Ides of March, but that's just a fun phrase to say, as long as you say it in your most dramatic voice. Give it a try!

Happy March! Rabbit rabbit rabbit! Gotta keep those evil spirits away. Today is a fairly pretty day, with some peeks of sunshine. It's not a heat wave, by any means, but it's up to 41°. I'm feeling like spring is on the way! My hopes and optimism will be dashed next week, when we get more snow, so I'll just enjoy the day and not think about what is in store for us.

It's been a nice, quiet day. I had a good chat with my Mom and Dad, and they're doing well. My Mom and I started talking a little politics, and I was stunned to hear her say that she really kind of likes Obama. Wherever you're at, you might have heard the sound of me being knocked over with that particular little feather! Granted, her or Dad won't vote for him in the general election--they are staunch Republicans--but I couldn't believe my ears! Mom basically said she likes it that he's getting people to hope that things can be better, and she said, "And oh my, is he smaaaart? Gosh." Have I mentioned how much I love my Mom? She tickles me to no end.

        

I've done a little laundry, but the rest of the day up until now has been spent reading the paper and surfing. My mind is officially boggled. I was looking at a web site called RefDesk, and it's unbelievable how much information is there. It led me to another site called Library Spot, and I spent more time looking through that one. I never paid attention, but there are crossword puzzles online--I love crossword puzzles! Ooo, I wonder if I can find my favorite, Crypto Families, where letters are substituted in a list of items....

<getting a grip> I think my curiosity level has reached critical mass. We were talking the other day at work about how the Web has changed our world. Some of us are at a certain age where we remember the time B.W. (Before the Web). I used to actually have REFERENCE books, can you imagine that? As a kid, I remember looking through what we called our "set of encyclopedias." What a cabinet of curiosities! We have so much information at our fingertips today, and I wouldn't change that, but have we lost something in the process? Maybe a little...I remember how much I enjoyed leafing through books and seeing what I discovered. Knowledge didn't come with a few keystrokes, it came with actively seeking out that which we wanted to learn more about. Curiosity fueled my desire to learn and explore, and books were the best way to do that. It was a slow process, and the knowledge came in at a trickle, more readily absorbed and processed than the flood of information we're now subjected to at every turn.

But all in all? The information available today is astonishing and wonderful. While I can recall my childhood encyclopedic wanderings with fondness, I'm amazed and grateful to have so much information so readily available, and so quickly. It truly is a world of information, and I love it.

In my exploration today, I came across this quote and liked it very much.

Nothing is ever lost by courtesy. It is the cheapest of pleasures, costs nothing, and conveys much.

-- Erastus Wiman

I would also add that it's simply the right thing to do.

Tonight is our nice dinner out, followed by a comedy show--6 great comedians, including one of my favorites, Drew Hastings. I'm not sure what I'll go for at dinner tonight. We have plenty of beef in the freezer, but prime rib is always good. Seafood? That's a possibility. I always like to try something that I normally wouldn't have at home. At one time, this restaurant served ostrich, so I'd love it if they have that on the menu tonight. I've had it before, in San Diego I think, and I thought it was delicious. I've had alligator, too, but I'd be surprised if that's on tonight's menu. Hey, I'm getting hungry!