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New Old Year's Resolutions

Last year I came to the vaguely depressing realization that my list of New Year's Resolutions hadn't changed substantially from the previous year's list. And guess what? The same is true this year. So I will once again cut and paste the 2004 list, with updates: red for 2005 and green for 2006.

1. Spend an hour a week putting photos in albums. It's time that Julie made it to the albums, don't you think? Once I catch up, I swear I will do every roll of pics the same day I get them, but I'm too anal to start with the new ones until I do all the old ones. I don't think I put away even one photo in all of 2005. Ditto for 2006. Sigh.

2. Frame Stephanie's best kindergarten artwork. Add Pete's to that. Nope. Never happened. Most likely never will.

3. Make duck confit. I still intend to do this! I have a ton of duck fat in the fridge. Still haven't.

4. Go through the boxes in my office that have been there since we moved in four years ago. One of these days. I think I glanced at one of them this year. Yes, I definitely did.

5. Get rid of my old PowerMac, which hasn't been switched on in over a year. Any ideas what to do with it? Oh, and my old scanner. Well, I moved them to the basement a month or two ago—that should count for something, right?! And they're still there—anyone know of a charitable organization that takes old Macs?

6. Plan to start considering thinking about whether to contemplate getting some exercise. (Why can't I seem to go back to yoga, which I loved?) Inquiring minds—and lazy bodies—wanna know. OK, this is a big one! 2006 was of course the year I joined a gym! I went two or three times a week for most of the year, except for that big chunk of time in the summer (when I couldn't see) and the whole end of the year (Disney, Thanksgiving, etc.). I plan to start again next week. Look for a new Resolution #6 for 2007!

7. Go through all my clothes and give away the stuff I will never wear again (some of which I haven't worn in almost 10 years as it is). I've done a little of this, but not enough. I did even more, in 2006 and I've started keeping a box in the corner of the bedroom for when I come across a single item that I no longer want—into the box it goes, awaiting my next charitable donation. A new Resolution #7 to come, too, then!

8. Make Andy go through all his clothes and give away the stuff he will never wear again (some of which he hasn't worn in almost 10 years as it is). He never will, and I can't make him. Surprise! He did do some. Still not enough, but it's a start. This isn't really my resolution, so there'll be a new #8 next year too.

9. Try at least one new recipe a week. I'm usually pretty good about this, but I've slacked off lately. I do pretty well, but still not enough. It must be the time of year. I haven't posted many new recipes lately, have I? Look for more in 2007. Really.

10. Go on a date with Andy at least twice a month. (Yay, Brooke!) We're lucky to get out once a month. I still don't know why. And again: Why?

Going Postal

I am going to postulate that the upcoming three days without U.S. mail is unprecedented. Anyone care to challenge me on that? No disrespect meant to Gerry Ford, but couldn't they have made the no-mail day later in the week? I was at the post office today, mailing off my BAFAB offering and my holiday new year's cards, and there was a line out the door with people also mailing off their cards (Ha! I'm not the only late one!), returning unwanted Christmas packages, etc. I asked the postal workers if they get paid for Tuesday, and they said yes, but they also complained that Wednesday is going to be a hellish day for them.

I'm sure the Netflix people are none too pleased either.

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

I've had to restrict myself to a single game of Word Shoot a day, otherwise I walk around with claw-hands that a Bionicle would envy. (And, not for nothing, but do they have to have so many typos? I can't seem to find a way to send in comments over there....) And now Deb has gone and posted this challenge, to type the alphabet as fast as possible. My high score so far is 3.8755529 seconds. Hunt-and-peckers need not apply.

Friday iPod Random Ten

1. Prodigal Daughter (Cotton Eyed Joe) - Michelle Shocked
2. I Heard It Through the Grapevine - Marvin Gaye
3. Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours - Stevie Wonder
4. Women and Wine - Martin Sexton
5. Hold On - RedBird
6. Vic and Ray - Mark Knopfler
7. When I'm at Your House - Loudon Wainwright III 
8. Wishing on a Star - Paul Weller
9. Ol' 55 - Tom Waits
10. Rudie Can't Fail - The Clash

Friday's Feast

Appetizer: How do you usually celebrate on New Year's Eve?
It's been years since I was awake at midnight. Andy and I usually just prepare a nice meal, toast each other over a bottle of wine, and watch a movie. Much like every other night of the year, I guess!

Soup: Name one thing unexpected that happened to you in 2006.
Having holes drilled in my eyes—yeah, that was pretty unexpected.

Salad: Where was your favorite place that you visited in 2006?
That would have to be the only place I visited: Disney World!

Main Course: What resolution is your top priority for 2007?
Get back to the gym; I haven't gone since the first week of November!

Dessert: Using just three words, describe 2006.
Nothing terrible happened.

More Movies

1. "Miami Vice" - I had high expectations for this one. I have mostly positive memories of the '80s TV show (well, the concept anyhow, and the newness of it all), I like Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, and I'd read or heard numerous favorable reviews. Well, unfortunately, none of that made up for its slow pace, confusing plot, and crappy dialogue. B-O-R-I-N-G. I really tried, but I just could not get into it, so I went to bed without finishing it. And you know I hate to do that.

2. "The Da Vinci Code" - Usually I'm the only one who read the book before the movie, but in this case the opposite was true: I think it's possible I'm the only person on the planet who didn't read the book. I was intrigued by the idea behind it, but frankly, I just don't have the time or energy to slog through that long of a poorly written book. And I know it's poorly written; even people who claim to have liked it admit that. I hate pedestrian writing, and I find it a chore and a distraction. So I got to be in the minority of people who go into the movie fresh, without more than just an idea of what it's about. And you know what? It's a pretty good story, and Ron Howard really knows how to bring a good story to the big screen. That being said, I'm not sure why he chose Tom Hanks for the lead; I like him just as much as the next gal, but he seemed miscast. He was fine, but that's the best I can muster; other performances were much better than his. I adore Audrey Tautou and would be very happy to just watch her buy groceries and put them away, so I was all for that casting choice. Ian McKellen and Jean Reno were just right for their roles, and the various supporting actors worked too. So I'm giving this my thumbs-up, although I can't say how much of that is because I didn't read the book and/or because I had low expectations based on what I knew of the book.

3. Tom Cruise is a total douchebag. There. Now that that's over with, I can tell you that "Mission Impossible III" is great fun. If you can just put aside the usual logical problems (Why are our guys always better shots than their guys? How come when there's only 8 seconds until the world ends, it's OK to spend 3 of them making a clever remark? Etc.) and sit back, you'll enjoy this, particularly the wicked awesome gadgets and the endless is-he-good-or-bad? plot twists. I still think Cruise looks ridiculous when he's running (standing perfectly erect instead of leaning forward and with his hands open instead of in fists), but otherwise he's just right for this kind of role and film. Whatever you expect from a Mission Impossible movie, this delivers.

Law Man

I've seen Jude Law in a few movies, and I know that people are all ga-ga over him, but he never really did it for me. If anything, I would say that he was a little too pretty-boy for my taste. And I never saw him take on a really meaty role, so I had no real sense of his acting ability.

I'm not sure why I rented "Alfie," because it has all the makings of a disappointment (starting with the mere fact that it's a remake). But you know what? It was good! It's a sappy story we've all heard before, of a womanizing cad who realizes—perhaps too late—that he's going end up alone and just as hurt as the women he strings along and dumps at every whim. Law turned in a really good, believable performance here, and Marisa Tomei and Susan Sarandon in supporting roles never hurt a guy either. So I'm recommending this, surprisingly enough.

Next thing you know, "I Heart Huckabees" comes in, featuring—you guessed it—Jude Law again. This time he's an up-and-coming department store executive with a supermodel girlfriend and the world seemingly at his feet. I have to give him credit for doing a really good American accent—and you know how intolerant I am of bad fake accents.* I bet someone who didn't know he was a Brit would never have guessed from this movie. It's impossible to really describe or even understand what this movie is "about." Jason Schwartzman (whose miserable haircut was such a distraction I couldn't even decide if he's a decent actor or not) is having a life crisis, so he calls upon the services of husband-and-wife "existential detective" team Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin, who are really, really funny. His "other" —or partner in existential rediscovery, is Mark Wahlberg, who does a great deadpan job. And Jude Law works here too. I laughed a lot at this movie, but I know I still didn't really "get" it—and I doubt it's really gettable anyhow. If you like offbeat stuff, you'll like this. If you're looking for a linear plot, you'd better take a pass.

*Speaking of fake accents, could someone please 'splain me why everyone who plays a European has to use a British accent? For instance, we recently saw "Sunshine," which takes place in Hungary. Everyone would normally be speaking Hungarian, but they have them speaking English so that it doesn't have to be subtitled. But what's with the British accents? Bill Hurt, I'm talking to you.

Wiki Wednesday

Time to learn something!

1. Go to Wikipedia.
2. Click on "Random article" in the left-hand sidebar box.
3. Post it!

Heard of this guy?

Thomas Levet (born September 5, 1968) is a French professional golfer.

Levet was born in Paris, France. He turned professional in 1988 and won the French PGA Championship that year, but he had to wait for a decade for his first win on the European Tour, which came at the 1998 Cannes Open.

Notably, in 2002, he finished second at the Open Championship at Muirfield, being one of four players in a playoff. He had a good chance to win, but bogeyed the final hole of the four-hole playoff to fall into sudden death with Ernie Els, where he again bogeyed to lose to Els.

After spending 2003 on the PGA Tour, he returned to the European Tour in 2004. He claimed the most prestigious title of his career at the Scottish Open and ended the seaon 5th on the Order of Merit. In 2005, he returned to the PGA Tour.

He has featured in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings.

Thomas Levet was a member of the 2004 European Ryder Cup Team, team which won the Ryder Cup.

0 for 2

I must really be a Grinch. I saw two kids' movies this weekend and hated both of them. On Saturday Julie was invited to a birthday party to see "Flushed Away," and she requested that I stay there with her. At least this one had the lovely Aardman animations (think Wallace and Gromit); unfortunately, it was just one long burp/fart joke, a confusing plot, and way too many singing leeches. (One would have been too much, if you ask me.) All of the music felt intrusive, in fact. A long, boring movie.

Then on Sunday we begged the kids to go see "Night at the Museum," but they insisted on "Happy Feet." Also known as "Robin Williams Playing All Roles." Enough, already, Robin. The animation was great, as we've come to expect, but this one was also long and dumb. And the opportunity to send a great environmental message was ruined, because it turned out that the humans wanted to save Antarctica only because all the penguins learned to tap-dance, not because it's the right thing to do. And again with the soundtrack! Music rammed down our ear canals in every scene, and I can do without penguins dancing and singing suggestively, thank you.

Grumble, grumble, grumble.

Get Any Books?

I hope everyone is having a merry Christmas! I've got a duck in the oven and am looking forward to opening a nice bottle of wine after the kids are in bed.

While you're surrounded by crumpled giftwrap, let me remind you that the first BAFAB of 2007 is next week! Consider regifting that book you don't want (or already own), or use that Barnes & Noble gift card to surprise a friend. Help spread the karma!

Puzzlemaster Andy

I've probably mentioned this before, but Andy is a whiz at jigsaw puzzles. We frequently have a puzzle going on our dining room table, and it's a nice way for us to relax and chat with a cocktail after a long day, while the kids are doing homework or whatever. But whereas I am pretty good at puzzles and enjoy them and eventually can finish them (I tend to go about it in a very methodical way), Andy is frighteningly skilled. He can pick up any random piece from the box and just know where it goes. He rarely has to "try" a piece to see if it will fit; he can tell from the size, shape, and color before even picking it up. If I'm working on a puzzle without him, he will just wander by, survey my progress for 3 seconds, and then solve the problem I've been struggling over for 20 minutes—whether it's finding a piece for a particular spot or vice-versa. It's a good thing I'm not terribly competitive, or it would be downright maddening.

Happy, Happy

Best wishes for the holidays, from my family to yours!

Presenting Mr. Jones...

...in all his glory:

And no, he didn't swallow Gracie whole, it just looks that way!

Belated Photo

Happy Birthday, Steph!

Happy Hanukkah!

Tonight's the last night of Hanukkah. Gifts were given, dreidels were spun, and candles were lit:

I regret to report, however, that no latkes were prepared or eaten these eight nights!

Christmas Cheer

Here's the man himself, Bob Dylan, doing "The Night Before Christmas" on his XM radio show.

Friday iPod Random Ten

1. Long Black Veil (live) - Dave Matthews & Emmylou Harris
2. Looking for a Way Out - Uncle Tupelo
3. Autumn Leaves - Eva Cassidy   
4. I Want You - Elvis Costello
5. Something So Right - Paul Simon   
6. Genesis -  Jorma Kaukonen & Tom Hobson
7. Knocks Me Off My Feet - Stevie Wonder
8. I'm a Worried Man - Willie Nelson & Toots Hibbert
9. Midnight Lullaby - Tom Waits
10. Stay (live) - Jackson Browne & Bruce Springsteen

What a Difference a Decade Makes

Today Stephanie is 10 years old! It's hard to believe. Her teacher makes a big deal out of birthdays this year, so Steph got to wear the Double Digits crown and necklace all day.

We're trying to make today seem extra special for her, even though it's also Hanukkah, so Pete and Julie will be getting gifts too. So what did Meanest Mommy in the World do? I scheduled our flu shots for today! Nothing says Happy Birthday like a needle in your upper arm. Steph didn't care; she is mostly hoping Julie won't throw up on her cake again this year.

For her, the big news is that although I claim not to have backed down on my anti–dangly earring stance, I've decided that only wires are out. I bought Steph some regular post earrings with a little bauble dangling off the bottom. Her eyes got huge when she opened the box, and she said, "Can I wear them?" as if she wouldn't put it past me to give her something and then forbid her to wear it. She even requested a ponytail this morning so she could show off her ears at school!

Book Review

Even though I finished reading Justin Tussing's novel The Best People in the World only a day or two ago, I'm already forgetting most of what I wanted to say about it. All in all, I liked it. The first-person narrator's voice is original and credible enough that I'll be curious to see what Tussing comes up with next—in other words, is that really just his voice or is it in fact his narrator's voice? There were some very nice passages and descriptions, enough to keep me going even when the book slowed way down for the second half or so.

It's the story of Thomas, a 17-year-old boy from Paducah, Kentucky, who is swept off his feet by Alice, his 25-year-old teacher. They leave town together, along with Shiloh, a mysterious but good-hearted drifter who knows how to do everything to survive (like tap into the county's electricity in the Vermont house where they become squatters, trap and skin and cook rabbits, and so on). The whole story takes place over the course of a few months in 1973–1974, and that time period was depicted very authentically.

The main problem I had with the book was the secondary plot called "Two Men" that appears before each major section. It's about these guys who travel around the world investigating "miracles" for the Pope. It was really bizarre and did nothing to enhance the main story for me, even when there was, finally, a tie-in.

Because of their isolation and hunger, the characters become depressed, paranoid, desperate, and just plain weary of everything, and that's how I ended up feeling. I did enjoy the story and the characters, so I guess it just went on too long for me. It got lots of rave reviews, though, so don't cross it off your list on my account. I am glad I read it; I just can't give it a really enthusiastic recommendation.

The Truth Comes Out

Lie #1: "We've taken dozens of holiday photos and we just can't seem to get one where we all look half-decent."
Lie #2: "What do you mean you didn't get our card? I sent them all out weeks ago!"
Lie #3: "The post office was all out of stamps—again!"

Truth: I haven't done a darn thing about holiday cards yet this year. So plan on getting a Happy New Year card in January. Or February.

That's So Funny I Forgot to Laugh

Bad News: The spin cycle on my washing machine sounds like an airplane preparing to take off.
Good News: The repairman said that there's nothing wrong with it. (He explained why it's making that noise, but I forgot what he said; I just remember the part where he said there's nothing to fix.)
Bad News: He charged me $60 just to tell me that.

He also told me that my Maytag washer and dryer are really made by Norge. The only other time I ever heard of Norge was—you guessed it—when Todd and Lisa Loopner were giggling at Dan Aykroyd's butt crack. With that running through my brain, it took a superhuman effort not to laugh at my repairman, who is very nice but mostly humorless. Oh, and for the record, he recommends Whirlpool top-load washers and front-load dryers with the lint trap up top.

Wiki Wednesday

Time to learn something!

1. Go to Wikipedia.
2. Click on "Random article" in the left-hand sidebar box.
3. Post it!

I'm going to bet someone's heard of this one, but it ain't me:
 

Dschinghis Khan  (Pronounced "Jingis" Khan) was a German pop band, created in 1979 to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. The name of the band is the German spelling of "Genghis Khan", and was chosen to fit the song of the same name, written and produced by Ralph Siegel with lyrics by Bernd Meinunger....

Though the group broke up in the mid-1980s, it has enjoyed a recent resurgence in popularity on the Internet due to a video of them performing their hit song Moskau being discovered. The video and the song associated with it have become a popular topic on blogs and can be considered an Internet fad....

What's Their Point, Exactly?

Remember my rant against piñatas in general, and soldier piñatas in particular? Well, check this one out:

Yup, it's a HumVee piñata with little soldiers visible through the windows. Hit the HumVee, kids! Harder! That's right, smash it to smithereens! As someone said over at Boing Boing: What were they thinking?

Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

Scott had a dream that he woke up Freddy Mercury from death. Not a bad choice, I'd say. So ... if you could "wake up" three dead musicians for one last concert, whom would you pick?

Me? Maybe Lowell George, Bob Marley, and Jerry Garcia. I considered John Lennon, but then I felt bad that I didn't want to pick George Harrison too. And I also considered Rick Danko and Richard Manuel, but didn't want to use up two choices and couldn't decide which one to pick.

Fun Stuff

Let's say you won a gift certificate for any 3 free items from this site. What would you choose? Here are my picks (for today, anyhow):

cat eyeglasses case

flower flask

travel mug

Queen King of Laundry

Yesterday I noticed Gracie asleep on a pile of (clean) laundry. Later I wandered by and saw that Mr. Jones had usurped her throne.

Calendar Girl

I did my 2007 dodecahedral calendar on neon yellow paper. I always keep one on my desk and find it rather handy indeed.

However, I'm none too happy with my 2007 wall calendar. I'm always surprised by how hard it is to find a wall calendar with a food theme. Don't lots of people hang calendars in their kitchens? Anyhow, I finally found this one, which has some nice still life photos of grapes, cheese, chocolate, etc. But, and this is a big but, the boxes for each day are much smaller than what I'm used to. I have a lot to write in each box, with all the kids activities and appointments and such, and it's cramped. I briefly considered tossing it and buying something else entirely, but I felt too guilty. So I'll just suffer every day for a whole year, what's the big deal.

Movie Multiple Choice

1. Where did the movie "Sunshine" get its name?
(a) The word sunshine has eight letters, and this movie felt like it was eight hours long.
(b) There are about eight hours of sunshine in an average day, which is about how long this movie felt like.
(c) The family in the movie had the name Sonnenschein, which is German for sunshine.
(d) All of the above.

Answer: (d) All of the above.
I love Ralph Fiennes. Really, I do. The prospect of seeing him play three roles—three generations in the same family—was exciting. The story, of a Jewish family trying to assimilate in Nazi-occupied Hungary was compelling. The problem was that it seemed to play out in real time. L-O-N-G. It should have been a miniseries.

2. Why is the movie "Trainspotting" unwatchable?
(a) There are too many scenes showing diarrhea in realistic detail.
(b) There are too many scenes of people shooting up.
(c) The characters are all repulsive, and there's no real plot to speak of.
(d) All of the above.

Answer: (d) All of the above.
We tried. We really did. This movie was so irredeemably upsetting and gross that we just couldn't take it. At the moment when I was pretty sure that the junkie's baby was going to be found dead, I flicked it off and gave up for good.

3. In the documentary "Word Wars," what did the four main characters have in common?
(a) They all lead thoroughly dysfunctional lives.
(b) They are all really weird.
(c) They are all on their way to the National Scrabble Championship.
(d) All of the above.

Answer: (d) All of the above.

• Meet Joe, the guy who reads flash cards in the car on the way to and from work (he took a night watchman job so he can study words all night). He does tai-chi and blames his poor game performance on a missed acupuncture appointment. But ... he does have a job and a family, which says a lot in this crowd.
• Meet G.I. Joel, so called because of his Gastro-Intestinal reflux problem. He chugs Maalox and spits mucous into a cup during games. He has no source of income other than the occasional Scrabble game prize money.
• Meet Matt, the surly stand-up comic and one-time writer for Conan. He pops handfuls of questionable "brain-enhancing" supplements and thinks he could eventually make it to the big time in comedy.
• Meet Marlon, the inner-city, dreadlocks-sporting, spliff-smoking guy who oversleeps and shows up to a game when it's halfway over—and still wins. We learn that MARLON is an anagram for NORMAL, and indeed, Marlon is the closest we get to normal in this movie... which is not saying much indeed.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie but found the personalities more than a little disturbing. Their obsession and lack of anything else meaningful in their lives haunted me. It reminded me of "Spellbound," which followed four kids through their obsessive preparations to the National Spelling Bee. I liked that movie better, but this one is worth watching too—just for the glimpse of that kind of life. And some of the words played and scores achieved were almost exhilarating!

QWERTY Heaven

In case you never hear from me again, I'm either busy playing Word Shoot or my hands have seized up from playing Word Shoot and I'm saving my money to buy voice recognition software. My new motto: Spell Fast or Die!

I've Been Cited!

Not only did I get a batch of yummy homemade toffee from Kathleen (Steph thought she said tofu and was understandably less than thrilled), but she also found the perfect gift for me:

It might as well say "Made exclusively for Karen" at the bottom! But with only 60 sheets in the pad, I'll have to choose my recipients carefully....

If I Should Die Before I Blog...

Is it just me* or does everyone wonder what would happen to all the details after they die? Every now and then I say something to Andy like, "If I die, don't forget to clip the kids' toenails once in a while" or "Do you even know who their dentist is?" But, aside from the kids and the household, I wonder what would happen to my blog, my online accounts, and so on. So I was interested to learn of the macabre-sounding Death Switch. In addition to passwords, you can also leave info like funeral instructions and financial information, as well as "unspeakable secrets" and "last word in an argument." I'd never pay to do it, but I can definitely see the appeal. And I love this question from the FAQ: "What if I go into a coma for 3 months and then recover?"

*Andy always looks nervous when I start a question off like that.

Better Than a Panic Button

Thanks to Pam for turning me on to this site! Expect to see a lot more where this came from....

Coincidence

You know that strange phenomenon where you learn a new word and then over the course of the next week you encounter that same word three times? Or you rent two movies and see the same obscure actor playing bit parts in both movies? Well, yesterday I was catching up on some NPR podcasts I'd downloaded. I was listening to Will Shortz's Sunday Puzzle from October 1. The answers were all two-word phrases that begin with "L" and "G"—for instance, the clue "things you wear on your hands to do cleaning" would yield the answer "latex gloves." I got them all very easily, until the one that said "another name for Parker Brothers' Monopoly." I had absolutely no idea. The contestant got it pretty quickly: "landlord's game." I had never heard of that. So later the very same day, I was catching up on the previous day's Growabrain posts and came across one called "Monopoly and Landlord's Games"! I had never heard of a landlord's game, and then it came up twice in a row—and the Sunday Puzzle was from a few months ago, and I usually don't miss Growabrain . . . weird!

Friday's Feast

I wrote only the first question this time.

Appetizer: What was your very first job with a paycheck?
summer camp counselor

Soup: Did you ever lose something really important to you?
no

Salad: What is the best Christmas present you ever received?
Stephanie, who was born in between Hanukah and Christmas 1996!

Main Course: Tell about a favorite "hang out" place for you and your friends when you were in high school.
the Friendly's parking lot

Dessert: Name something that always brings a smile to your face.
smiles on my kids' faces

Friday iPod Random Ten

1. The Streets of Baltimore - Nanci Griffith & John Prine
2. Charlie Brown Theme (live) - Dave Matthews
3. When the Angels Fall - Sting
4. I Know Sometimes a Man Is Wrong - David Byrne
5. Alexander's Ragtime Band - Louis Armstrong
6. Italian Leather Sofa - Cake
7. Wake Me When It's Over - Willie Nelson
8. Should I Stay or Should I Go - The Clash
9. I'm on Fire - Johnny Cash
10. Willin' (live) - Little Feat

Survey Says!

No ideas for a post today, so I'll invent some questions. Please respond in the comments and/or in your own blog.

1. What did you have for dinner last night?
Chinese take-out

2. What book are you currently reading?
The Best People in the World by Justin Tussing

3. What color socks are you wearing?
purple

4. What blog or web site did you visit just before this one?
CooksTalk

5. What's your middle name?
Michele

BYE-BYE CAPS LOCK!

Don't you just love when you're reading a blog and a post seems aimed right at you? I found myself grinning and saying, "Yes, yes, yes!" as I read James' post about accidentally hitting the caps lock key. He wonders why on earth it occupies such prestigious real estate when it is so rarely used by most people. I have to say that I never gave it much thought until I got my MacBook Pro; the keyboard is condensed enough that I frequently tap the caps lock key by mistake when I'm reaching for the "a" or the tab.

Usually commiserating is satisfying enough, but I actually discovered a resolution to this problem! A commenter on the post informed me that on Macs, you can remap the keyboard, so I disabled the caps lock key! (I can reinstate it anytime I please, although I can't imagine ever needing to; as long as the shift key works, I'm all set.) Non-Mac users have to resort to prying the key off with a metal implement. Nyah-nyah.

Wiki Wednesday

Time to learn something!

1. Go to Wikipedia.
2. Click on "Random article" in the left-hand sidebar box.
3. Post it!

File this one under "WHO?":

Desiree Heslop (born 27 November 1961) is an English singer, who is using the stage name "Princess". In the late 1970s she worked with the group, Osibisa.

Her first solo album Princess (1986) was composed and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman. Her second album All For Love (1987), was produced by a group of: Ballard and Magness, Richard James Burgess, Fox and Drinkwater.

Her single hits were:

• "Say I'm Your Number One" (#7 UK 1985)
• "After The Love Has Gone" (#28 UK 1985)
• "I'll Keep On Loving You" (#16 UK 1986)
• "Tell Me Tomorrow" (#34 UK 1986).
• "In The Heat Of A Passionate Moment" (#57 UK 1986).
• "Red hot" (#65 UK 1987).

The single "Say I'm Your Number One" has sold over one million copies worldwide.

From 1991 to 2003 she lived in U.S., but in 2003 she returned to England where she appeared in ITV's 2005 production Hit Me Baby One More Time performing both her biggest hit and a contemporary cover.

She must be all washed up, because I've never heard of her, and Lord knows I'm just so up on pop music....

Two Twosday Twofers

Two Things I Just Can't Understand No Matter How Many Times People Explain Them To Me:

1. football
2. how ultrasounds work (specifically, how you can see through some things and at other things)

Two Somewhat Embarrassing Admissions:

1. I don't always know which Beatle is singing.
2. I didn't have a shower yesterday, opting instead to stay in bed an extra 15 minutes.

Trivial Pursuit

Here's the sort of thing Andy just casually mentions in passing, and I can never figure out how he always knows these things:

Brad Dourif played Billy Bibbit in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Wormtongue" in "The Lord of the Rings" and Doc Cochran in "Deadwood"! Those were all the same guy? Yup.

King Cliché and the Knights of the Boring Table

On Friday as we sat down for our nightly dinner-and-movie ritual, Andy was flipping through the channels and came across "Braveheart." As much as I loathe Mel Gibson*, I loved this movie (and many of his others, particularly the earlier ones). But as we started watching, I realized that it was far too gory to watch while eating. So I slipped in our latest Netflix rental, which was "King Arthur." D'oh! Same gore, just about 800 years earlier and 300 miles south. And not anywhere near as good a movie. Clive Owen (who I think Andy looks like) was good—he's always good—but overall the movie was a cliché-laden disappointment.

Meanwhile, here are all the Clive Owen movies I've seen (my reviews are here): "Sin City," "Inside Man," "Croupier," "The Bourne Identity" (although I can't remember his role), "Closer," and "Gosford Park" (no review for that one, for some reason—I think I recall liking it but can't be sure, which in and of itself is not a terribly glowing recommendation). I have several more in my Netflix queue.

*I recently thought of a line from a Shakespearean sonnet (sorry) that is the perfect description of my opinion of Mel, as he went from charming hunk to despicable bigot: "Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds."

More on No-Knead Bread

Mark Bittman has written an addendum to his feature on no-knead bread, so if you were planning to make it from my earlier post, you might want to consult it first.

Pete's Poetry Collection

My House (acrostic)

My toys are fun!
Yummy cakes.

Humming people in my house.
Old couches in my house.
Umbrellas in the mud room.
Steph being mean to me.
Every person having fun with me.

Tiger (couplets)

Tigers don't squeak.
Tigers don't have a beak.
Tigers have long nails.
Tigers swing their tails.

Tiger (haiku)

I am a tiger.
I like to pounce on bunnies.
I have many stripes.

Mom (cinquain)

Nice, caring
Plays with me
Tired, happy, sad, loving
Parent

Fireplace (free verse)

Flames coming from my wood.
I am hot and red.
Really cold people coming in.
Excited people.
People love to sit next to me.
Lay next to me.
Awesome marshmallows.
Cold snow outside.
Eat marshmallows.

Funny Holiday Memory

Rosey, an old friend and former colleague, sent me this today:

It's holiday time, and the poinsettias have appeared in our office. I'm reminded of the time that we sat in side-by-side cubicles at Heath. You were on the phone (with Andy maybe?), and the mailroom guy delivered two poinsettias to your cube. Over the wall I heard you say, "Wow, my author just sent me two poinsettias." Then there was a pause, and you said, "No, no! Plants, not dogs!"

I don't remember that, but it probably was Andy; that's his brand of humor.

Doctor's Orders

Best Arroz Con Pollo Ever

I subscribe to just about all of the "better" cooking magazines, and I catch a lot of flak over at CooksTalk because I cut up every one of them and file my favorite recipes in an accordian-style folder divided into categories. (The CooksTalkers consider it near-blasphemy to take a pair of scissors to an issue of Fine Cooking.) If I didn't, I know I would never consult all the mountains of magazines that I'd have all over the place. I have enough trouble remembering which of my cookbooks have recipes I've enjoyed or have been meaning to try.

The exception to all of this is Cook's Illustrated. Rather than receive the bimonthly magazines, I get the annual edition (containing every issue all bound together in book form) at the end of each year. I don't like to cut up CI because there's no ads, so you invariably end up cutting up other recipes; plus, there are interesting articles about technique that I like to keep. (Not that I consult them much, but still.)

Anyhow, my 2006 bound annual arrived recently, and the first recipe I tried was this one. I've made lots of different variations of arroz con pollo over the years, but this one is by far the best. The rice is almost as good as paella rice—I even got a little soccarat going on the bottom. Oh, and for the record, this version is a variation on the original recipe, which had no bacon or paprika or red peppers but did call for oregano, olives, and cilantro; I prefer these flavors. It looks really long and complicated, but we did the whole thing in just over an hour. Man, is it ever good.

Latino-Style Chicken and Rice with Bacon and Roasted Peppers

6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed (about 2 Tbsp)
1¾ tsp salt, divided use
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp sherry vinegar, divided use
½ tsp black pepper
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3–4 pounds), trimmed of all fat and any excess skin flaps (This is important, or else the whole dish will be greasy!)
4 strips thick smoky bacon, cut into ½” pieces
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 small red bell pepper, chopped fine
1 medium carrot, chopped fine
¼ tsp hot red pepper flakes
¼ cup minced fresh parsley leaves, divided use
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup water
3 cups Goya (or other Hispanic brand) medium-grain rice (Italian and Japanese brands will make the dish too sticky. To use long-grain rice, increase the water to ¾ cup—but don’t expect the final product to have the proper consistency!)
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup roasted red peppers from a jar, cut into 2x¼" strips

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°. Place garlic and 1 tsp salt in large bowl; using rubber spatula, mix to make smooth paste. Add paprika, 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar, and black pepper to garlic-salt mixture; stir to combine. Place chicken in bowl with marinade. Coat chicken pieces evenly with marinade; set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Fry bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, 6–8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper-towel-lined plate; pour off all but 1 Tbsp bacon fat. Add onion, red bell pepper, carrot, and pepper flakes to bacon fat; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 4–8 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp parsley; stir to combine. Push vegetables to sides of pot and increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to clearing in center of pot, skin side down, in even layer. Cook, without moving chicken, until outer layer of meat becomes opaque, 2–4 minutes. (If chicken begins to brown, reduce heat to medium). Using tongs, flip chicken and cook on second side until opaque, 2–4 minutes more. Add tomato sauce, broth, and water; stir gently to combine. Bring to simmer; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Add rice and ¾ tsp salt; stir well. Bring to simmer, cover, and place pot in oven. After 10 minutes, remove pot from oven and gently stir chicken and rice once from bottom up. After another 10 minutes, stir once more, adding another ¼ cup water if rice appears dry and bottom of pot is beginning to burn. Cover and return pot to oven; cook until rice has absorbed all liquid and is tender but still holds its shape and chicken is done, about 10 minutes longer.

4. Using tongs, remove chicken from pot; replace lid and set pot aside. Remove and discard chicken skin; using 2 spoons, pull meat off bones into large chunks. Using fingers, remove remaining fat or dark veins from chicken pieces. Place chicken in large bowl and toss with olive oil, remaining 2 tsp sherry vinegar, remaining 2 Tbsp parsley, and roasted red peppers; season with salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken on top of rice, cover, and let stand until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Garnish chicken and rice with reserved bacon. Serve.

Something Julie Noticed

"You know what? When kids color something, their moms and dads always say they love it. And their babysitters too."

Friday iPod Random Ten with Lyrics

1. What A Wonderful World (live) - Eva Cassidy

I see friends shaking hands, saying “How do you do”
But they’re really saying, “I love you”

2. James (live) – Huffamoose

He answers to a higher calling
The moon and the sun and the stars are falling
Through his time and his space
And I am lucky to be part of it all.
He is bigger than life.
He sees things, he knows things
He is not like you and me.

3. All the Money's Gone - Greg Brown

We Americans, we are so easily pleased
A jug of wine, a loaf of bread, and fifty thousand dollars

4. Traffic Jam - James Taylor

Time I get home my supper'll be cold
Damn this traffic jam

5. (I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea - Elvis Costello

Oh no, it does not move me
Even though I've seen the movie

6. Make Believe Mambo - David Byrne

A line for every situation
He's learning trivia and tricks
Having sex and eating cereal
Wearing jeans and smoking cigarettes

7. Sittin' on Top of the World - Chris Smither

If you didn’t like my peaches
Why’d you shake my tree?
You get out of my orchard
Let my peaches be.

8. Speed of the Sound of Loneliness (live) - John Prine

You come home late and you come home early
You come home big when you’re feeling small
You come home straight and you come home curly
Sometimes you don’t come home at all

9. Ripple - Grateful Dead

There is a road, no simple highway,
Between the dawn and the dark of night,
And if you go no one may follow,
That path is for your steps alone.

10. Statesboro Blues (live) - David Bromberg

My mama let me run reckless
And my daddy died and drove me wild, wild, wild

Friday's Feast

Appetizer: Which language would you like to learn and why?
I'd like to improve my Spanish. I can understand it pretty well (particularly when it's written as opposed to spoken), but I can't speak it much at all. My French and Italian are both passable (which is what makes the Spanish come so easily—I've never studied it formally), but Spanish is far more useful.

Soup: What's the funniest thing you've heard or read so far this week?
How about "or seen"—I was looking at the Top Ten YouTube Videos of all time, and rewatching "The Evolution of Dance" was just as much fun as the first time. (You should also check out the real-life Simpsons intro and the quick-change artists. Oh, and Andy wants to know whether Ronaldinho is really doing all those tricks—I say yes.)

Salad: Which movie was so bad you couldn't watch the whole thing?
In the last year or so, I've started allowing myself to stop watching a movie rental before it's over; in the past, I'd always forced myself to watch until the bitter end (and I still force myself to finish even the worst books). But the only movie that ever caused me to walk out of the cinema was "AI"—Andy and decided that our precious free time (and babysitting money) could be better spent on dinner and drinks.

Main Course: If there were a holiday in your honor that didn't use your actual name, what would the day be called?
National Syntax Awareness Day (It's a joke, guys! Well, sort of.)

Dessert: Name one movie which is coming out soon that you would like to see.
I don't know what's coming out soon, but "Casino Royale" is already out and getting raves all over the place, so that's at the top of my list.

Pretzel Logic

Now I know what's been missing in my life: a font that uses photographs of actual pretzels to render the alphabet.