Makin' supper:

Ta-da:

Remember, lemon slices are key.

Mayumi got me two furoshiki cloths from Japan and I finally get to use them! Unfortunately, these aren't the kind that I can give away. Here is one in action, acting as a two-bottle wine carrier:


Introducing our newest family member, the feral Hot Dog!


He doesn't know it yet, but he's going to get fixed and maybe get a little bit of medical attention. He's real cute & loyal. He just sits on our porch listening for our footsteps. He seems to know which door we will be coming out of.

I can't wait to be in Fayetteville!

There will be a new little grocery store opening in Argenta soon, Inshallah. How now is soon?! I am getting impatient! I blame the weather. There will be (proper) coffee, a juice bar & a deli. Most of the food will be grown here in Arkansas. The owners have actually asked the neighborhood for input on what they should shelve and I put in my request for things like lemongrass, coconut milk, tomato paste in a tube, Greek yogurt & other items that I have to drive far to get. I think one of the things I'm most stoked about is having a place to go for coffee & loitering, looking important with a laptop or an issue of Harper's. (Although I'd have a Martha Stewart Living concealed inside it.) I hope there are baked goods, too.

I have the evening alone with no agenda.  Mayhaps I'll review this new hot Thai chili mayo I just bought.  I will definitely be making our favorite dish for supper.  Maybe I'll do a little straightening around here, the carpet can stand a vacuuming.

Nah.

Yes, Matt Damon.

Friday night, ATM will be DJing @ Cool Shoes. On Saturday, Eclipse Glasses will be playing @ the Smoke & Barrel Tavern in Fayetteville. Aside from the show, I am really looking forward to visiting with NWA pals and eating.

We'll be lodging with Alannah, which is awesome because then I can meet this "Chicklet" and this "Lucy" I've heard about. And, obviously, it will be fun to hang out with Alannah. We've joked about having an Arkansas Blogging Convention while I am up there. Official members thus far? Two. Well, three, if you count ATM. Ha ha. Alannah even conceptualized a logo. Yes, it's a computer screen shaped like Arkansas w/ a typing keyboard. I'd wear it. We should totally do this sometime! Maybe we can go camping and play "trust" games and have speakers. And don't forget the schwag!

So, last night, after hearing Obama's non-State of the Union, I felt better about things. I kept asking ATM if he was really our President, if this was for real. Pinch pinch, right? Despite our mounting economic concerns, I feel better anyway. Why? Because Barack has ideas & plans. That's way better than hand wringing & worrying. Barack & his team will come up with policy which is more than his opponents have done. His opponents are nothing but jerky nay-sayers. They'll say "no no no!", but have no plan or alternative of their own. I'll agree to disagree, but if you have nothing to bring to the table, then...why are you here? I appreciate Barack's call to service. It's like he's Janet Jackson & he's asking, "What have you done for me (your government/your people) lately?" I'm not religious, but I do hear a calling. An aside: Barack's high regard towards his wife always makes me tear up a bit w/ the lip quivering. She is awesome.
So, then there's this Bobby Jindal. Where should I begin with this fella? I've heard him speak before, he usually doesn't talk the way he did last night. He is hyper-smart even if I believe there is something fundamentally wrong with him. His attempt at being folksy was downright obnoxious & condescending. He spoke as if we were children, as if we couldn't possibly understand the happenings in Washington, D.C. Please, don't do that! Also, his message that government is a failure and is bad is, well, BAD. Anway, he should've worn Mardi Gras bead necklaces. Is he not the governor of Louisiana? Hello! Fat Tuesday. Pish. Lost opportunity, man. Keep an eye on this one.

I'm finally caught up on this season's LOST. No pun here, but we're back in real time & will have to wait every Wednesday for new eps. I must say, having watched the latest episode, this show is starting to piss me off. I actually said aloud, "This is so stupid!" Then, I silently cursed myself for investing so much time into it. I guess all I can hope is that the pay off will be grand because there's no stopping now.

Camping season is right around the corner! We have new gear that we received over the holidays that I can't wait to try out. And then there's just the being outside. Cooking outside. Eating outside. Reading outside. Playing outside. Sleeping outside. Being with loved ones. Outside.

Here are photos of a party in Glasgow. I actually know one of the people, but that's not what's important. What is important is the artwork that is hanging in Glasgow.



Yes, Matt Damon.

Waiting for the Lion that is March

February February
Such a trying month!

But, I've seen the signs of the upcoming awakening! The bulbs are pushing up tulips and, well, the daffodils are already here. Here comes more sunlight, camping & open windows.

Our new favorite dish:

Dice & saute 1/2 a yellow onion, 2-3 cloves garlic & 1" of grated fresh ginger in a bit of olive oil.
When softened & translucent, add 5 cups of broth (veg or chicken will do!)
Add sliced carrots & cauliflower (bite-sized pieces) I like a lot, so do a lot if you like!
1 c of red lentils
2 tsp of curry
S & P to taste

Simmer til everything is soft. Serve with fresh lemon wedges. Easy!

Oaklawn, Hot Springs 21 Feb 2009

KMHD, Heather, Keiko (barely!), ATM & Rett:

Seconds earlier, #8 was rearing on her hind legs:

Me, Keiko & KMHD are checking out the ponies, picking the winner:

KMHD, Keiko, Rett, ATM & me:

Heather & Zach finally join us back outside:

After the track, we went for drinks in the lobby of the Arlington & finished the evening with dinner @ Rolando's.

iCE cREAM cITY!

One of the best ways to start your day off right is to have fresh juice & listen to a handful of Shonen Knife songs. There are times when you need a high dose of insanely silly-cute lyrics sung in English & Japanese. There's nothing deep here, but I can totally relate with them. Ice Cream City? I want to live there. I, too, want to eat chocobars & have a cat! Duh!

The lot of us are going to Oaklawn tomorrow! I'm excited even though it might rain & it will be cold -- but I'll be with pals! Wish us all luck!

Three Cups of Tea

I am dangerously close to joining a book club that I've been invited to a few times now.  I guess it's this month's selection that made me drop that large text about Lincoln & run to the library to check it out before anyone else got to it.  It's Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin.  So far, it's been amazing story & I'm not even a third into it.  If I had to make a recommendation based on what little I've read, I'd say yes, go dash out & find a copy straight away.  

It's about an extraordinary fellow who finds himself lost in Pakistan, having gotten separated from his mountaineering expedition team & his Balti guide, Mouzafer.  After a real rough time that I'm sure I wouldn't have survived, he wanders into what he thinks is his destination, Askole, but has actually wandered in the village of Korphe.  The people of Korphe take him in and care for him, restoring his health.  They give until it hurts & he is appreciative.  He wanders the town & he when he sees that the children have no school, he makes it his mission to build them one.  From there, it's a great story on how he raises funds & his haggling for building supplies.  That is as far as I am in the book, but if the first few chapters are this engaging...

So far, this book has given me a lot to mull over -- I love books that let me take away from it.  I get to learn bits & pieces of Muslim culture without the politics or the crazy rhetoric.  It's refreshing and very human.  Too, it's interesting to know that even on glaciers tucked away in remote Pakistan, the mountain trail is littered with cigarette butts & human noises, which is startling to me because I imagine places like that to be clean & pure.  The human mark!  

The idea of the school is to make it hard for militant madrassas to recruit new students.  Education can prevent terrorism!  Too, his aim is to educate girls.  I almost cry thinking about my fortune; I often forget how brutal the world is -- in most of cases, it's especially hardest for women.  The unfair harshness unleashed on the women in say Afghanistan makes the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act seem silly, even if I find that measure a true mark of human progress.  I guess it is fair to suggest that some women do not mind this treatment, but then there are women who do mind & simply want to work or go to school or not wear a burqa amongst many things we take for granted.  They cannot!  And the few who do try to make a different life often suffer -- honor killings, getting acid thrown in the face.  This is not my reality, but it is someone's.

The book is recommended.

Less talk, more photos.

Sunday, we went to Heather & Zach's for a potluck.  Theme = Tex Mex.  The food was great, the company was better!  

Look!  From L-R:  Sara, Heather, Zach, Rett & Keiko.

Keiko, Delores & Collin:

Collin, me:

Ghost cat:

Hazey:

Pearl & Ruby just HAD to be in Heather's lap (pardon the product placement):

The gents:

Ruby, on our way out:

What we came home to:

 

My bad fortune

Friday the 13th, thus far:
I. As I got into the car to go to work, I hear a nice long riiiiiiiip. R.I.P. favorite gray corduroys!
II. About 15 minutes ago, the buckle of my shoe fell off.
III. I am embarrassed by the state of my finances, but I have to tell you guys this. My checking account's balance is $666.00. I either need to spend a couple of bucks or make a deposit. Maybe I'll just move some over into savings. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

I see that I may've spoke too soon about my fortune. (See previous post) I realize that these are just coincidences, but I can't help but look over my shoulder with more frequency & nervousness. My co-worker just pointed out to me that we will have two more Fri. the 13ths this year -- one in March and November.

My good fortune

(This will be posted w/o photos -- I'll inject those later.)

We went to the temple this past Sunday to observe, quieten the mind, meditate & to eat loads of vegetarian food. I wanted to see my mum, too.

We got there a quarter to 11 a.m. and wandered around outside, taking in the abundant sunshine and really just enjoying each other's company. We found mum who unloaded upon us cheerful greetings, our mail that is still sent to her home, fruit, & firewood. She quickly went back into the temple to talk with her friends and prepare for service. We quickly went back to loitering on a bench. Some Vietnamese girls (aged 17-24) approached us and marveled at how American me & KMHD looked. They couldn't even see our Vietnameseness! While we sat on display, they asked ATM & Collin questions, like "What do you do for a living?" and "What do you do for fun?". Where they are real flirty & giggly, they are matched in kindness. After we got past small talk, they asked us if we wanted to get our fortune told. Well, it's not really a fortune, but guidance for something you've been praying long & hard about. Love? Family? Health? Wealth? Career? But, you have to pray in earnest, right? I suppose this is the mystical side of Buddhism because this was separate from the temple, a whole other building. We wandered over there and they showed us the ritual you perform & stressed that your mind must be clear of clutter and that you must focus on your question. I went first, and let me tell you, I didn't clear my mind or focus, I just went through the motions. Maybe it was the overwhelming incense smoke or the fact that I went first and everyone was watching me, I just couldn't get it together.

The ritual: You first light a stick of incense and offer it with a prayer. Then you toss these moon shaped wooden bits in a bowl and ask if your query can even be heard. If it lands a certain way, like if one of the moons land face down, then you can have your query considered. If they land face up, then you cannot do it. You get three tries. If you fail to have one of your moons face down, then you have to come another time. Next you have to clear your mind and focus on your concern. Once you've achieved that and have prayed deeply, then you can shake this canister filled with wooden sticks that have numbers on them. If one falls out, you read the number on it and find your corresponding "fortune". If more than one stick falls out, you have to put them back and try again. Again, you only get three tries.

Anyway, having gone through all of the motions, I got my stick (2nd try) and found the corresponding fortune. It's written in Vietnamese, so I couldn't read it. One of the girls interpreted for me and right away she was like, "This is really really bad." Apparently whatever I do in life, I need to pursue it with extreme caution. It said that I was sad and really stressed. My family life is in turmoil. Now is not a good time for me financially. She said that I drew the "worst of the worst". I don't know why, but it made me feel a touch shitty. Was it because I wasn't feeling well anyway?

KMHD & Collin do it, too. Collin gets a good one. KMHD draws the best of the best. I sink into a deeper silent poutiness.

I don't know why. Petty jealousy? Probably. And besides, I don't really believe in it. I think if you strip away the ritual, you're left with a horoscope, basically. And really, we all know the answers to the questions we seek; I think we just want someone else to say it. Like some mystical god or goddess or Holiday Mathis.

Let me reevaluate my fortune. It said that I need to pursue things in life with extreme caution. I'd say that that is sound advice, yeah? It says I'm sad and stressed. Man, I have my days where I really couldn't be concerned with anything because I'm seriously bummed out. And yes, I am stressed. There aren't enough hours in the day for me to do everything I'd like to do. Family matters? I've got real dad issues. In fact, lately, me & KMHD have been struggling with dealing with our ridiculous father. What else? Oh, money. Yeah, I can honestly say that now is not a good time for me. We're making it, though. Our basic needs are taken care of and I have a little something tucked away. I'd say that this "fortune" or "advice" is really vague, but sensible. Any of my friends or mentors could've told me this. Is my fortune really that bad? I don't think so, therefore, I reject it. Boom.

Me & KMHD sat on one side of the temple with the women and ATM & Collin sat on the other side with the sirs. The service was looooooooooooooong. It was in my mother's tongue, but I didn't understand a word of it. Lots of chanting and reciting. Lots of incense. A very cute dog roamed freely inside the temple. He was really distracting. Eventually, we four wandered outside and waited until it was time to eat.

It was a proper vegetarian spread! I didn't eat my fill. I was too hungry! We hung out a bit and went home.

Gosh, I'm sure I come off as really grumpy & maybe a bit disrespectful. Well, I was feeling grumpy that day.

The previous night, we went to Sara & TJs for drinks. We met Heather, Zach, Keiko & Rett there. I promise, I didn't drink to excess! But, somehow, I fell ill that evening & was hung over the day we went to temple. It was awful. I wasn't into what I was doing.

Eh.

The only word I know on here is "queso".

One rant, please.

Good morning!

You know, as time passes, my dislike of the GOP becomes more refined.  When I was an inexperienced youngster, I didn't like them because I was a "punker".  To me, they represented big business, anti-environment, old white guys, religion (using it as a divisive tool), anti-woman views, stuffiness, and even sometimes racism, amongst other things; our points of view clashed.  Well, it still holds true today.  I don't count myself a punker anymore, but I have held on to the beliefs that I've had from the start.  I'm older now, have mulled things over.  I still think the GOP is so out of touch, so old-fashioned & offensive.  They are really going to have to redefine themselves (only after some deep  soul searching) if they want to survive modern politics.  The make up of this country, the people, it's changing.  Yes, you too can have a mixed-race child in your family!  It can happen to anyone --ooooooooooooooo!  It's not meant to be a scary thing, it's great.  New people, new challenges.  The Republican Party will need to adapt to find a bigger base of supporters. 

But, it's not to say that I actually enjoy the Democratic Party.  Good grief!  As a teen, I thought the the Dems were maybe a lesser evil or indistinguishable from their counterpart.  Today, I find them to be total weenies, absolutely spineless.  These folks will compromise themselves to failure.  Arkansas Dems are racist, I've come to learn.  We're a Democratic state, but we're the reddest state of the nation.  Go figure!  Of course, I do like some people affiliated to this party, but they make me feel like a total fool when they do things like not pay their taxes.  That is just so damn stupid.  My brain tries really hard to accept this party into it's folds, but it's hard.  I guess of the two main parties, this one is the lesser of two evils, but barely.  

All of this said, I love Barack Obama.  He has said things out loud that have floored me.  Things that I've said myself, things that I believe.  No other politician has touched so close to my own beliefs ever.  He maintains a humanness about him, too.  I think people, myself included, will need to be reminded that he's not perfect.  I still can't get over that he's the president!  I still can't get over that there are people still scared of him!  It's humorous to me to hear people attempt to explain why they are scared of President Obama when it's kind of obvious why they are.  Just shush!  It's even more humorous (or sad, really) when these scared folks have probably not heard one speech, read one book, know one true fact about Barack.  They've probably gleaned all of their info from exactly 100 bad emails forwarded a billion times over.  

Oh, politics.  Things would be a lot better if there were more Golden Rulers.  

I would like to see the stimulus bill passed.

What today has in store for us:  I've already washed all dishes, cleaned the stove and mopped the kitchen.  We're on our third load of laundry.  I'm making homemade crackers to take over to the Deeters.  I figure crackers & cheese will go well with libations.  We're about to have lunch with the Rice family.  Haven't visited with them in ages.  I'm afraid baby Olivia will now be a full grown child -- craziness!  I'm hoping the night ends at Collin's house.  Always a fun time.  Can't stay up too late, though.  We've got meditation at the temple early tomorrow.

Anyone else doing their taxes yet? I've been doing the figures on mine, nothing out of the ordinary. I'll owe the feds, but the state will owe me. One will cancel out the other. I pay my taxes with no major qualms. You pay to play, right? I do wish we could say where we'd like our money to go, but then again, can you trust the people en masse to not give all of their money to fill the war coffers?

Got a decent start on my book last night. So far, it's been enjoyable. Doris Kearns Goodwin has also penned a book on Eleanor Roosevelt, which sounds interesting, too. A book about a leading first lady can't be boring! Another book I'd like to add to the pile is Bittman's Food Matters. I think that these 3 books will kick off my 2009 reading list.

I foresee a pretty calm weekend. The weather is supposed to be divine! I may have to sit out in the sun, absorb some vitamin D.

I'm going to the library after work, it's been awhile. I've already got a book in mind; I'm going to attempt to read the brainy "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" by Doris Kearns Goodwin. It comes highly recommended by Judge Kilgore. Too, I've been meaning to read up on President Lincoln. What we learned about him in grade school barely scratches the surface. He was an extremely complex man. Some historians speculate that he suffered from depression & was extremely sensitive. He really struggled not with just the decisions he was forced to make, but regular everyday life choices. And, from what I can infer from the title of the book, he was a political genius. Looking forward to this read.

I quit kickboxing last week. It had become unbearable for me. I missed a lot of class due to tooth issues, illness, and "bad" weather, so I got really behind. Too, I'm going through something right now. I think it's winterness. I need loads of me time. Also, the instructors & other students were wearing me out, they're just a bunch of brutes. In lieu of kickboxing, I'm going to take a class that Lorenza teaches @ Barefoot Studio. According to KMHD, it's a tough regimen. She said they start off with 5 minutes of rope jumping. (She says that they usually start with running for a mile BEFORE the rope jumping, but it's been too cold. !!! !! NO) Then they do yoga-like poses. Then they do push ups and core exercises. Then they do some crazy stuff. Then they do kicking exercises similar to kickboxing. Then they kick & punch with pads. Then, she said they "goofed off" and did cartwheels, etc. She said that she couldn't do much in it's entirety, which frightens me because KMHD is pretty damn fit. Too, my fear is that I'll do so poorly in front of my friends. If I was lagging in kickboxing, I didn't care much because I didn't like my instructors. I'll be sad if I disappoint Lorenza. Anyway, my first class is tomorrow evening. As of right now, it's only once a week. I'm glad to be getting some exercise in.

Upcoming plans: We're going to the temple this Sunday for meditation & vegetarian food. I'm working on a "Day @ the Races" group outing for Feb. 21. We'll be in Fayetteville the weekend of the 28th. Eclipse Glasses will be playing.

We've been summoned by the Deeters to hang out this Saturday eve. I need an appetizer idea. I'm thinking a basket of homemade rolls with softened butter. Sound good?

Tonite is ultimate me night. After the library, I may go over to a major retailer and buy a better sports bra & other lady things. Then, I'm going to go home and make a curried lentil soup. Then, I'm going to read my newly rented book. Probably listen to music, too. Can't wait!

Instead of giving a care about the Super Bowl, we went to Petit Jean State Park.

I tried making a finger-man character, you know, as an EXPLORER, looking out across the valley, but I lost interest in two seconds.  Hand model:  ATM

Lunch at Mather Lodge:


Water tower:


Tree skeleton:


Crazy Bear Cave:


Native stone:

We came home tired, but wanting to be social, so we went to Vino's for beers.  Met up w/ Collin, Zach, Lorenza; bumped into Ike.  After awhile, a few of us went to the house to eat, listen to music & watch stuff on YouTube.  Recommended:  Stevie Wonder performing Very Superstitious on Sesame St.   Will B. came over for the first time!  He brought snacks, too, which makes him an extraordinary guest.  We had guests over late for a Sunday night.  Lack of rest & a surge in womaness made me especially cranky today.  But,...

I found an endless source of laughs.  I give you CAKE WRECKS.  I stumbled across it looking up "silver ball sprinkles", which I've been looking for for years.  Anyway.  It's a collection of professional cakes gone wrong.  If you want to get straight to business, click on the link on the side "Literal LOLs".  Behold:


This is supposed to be a fireplace:


Not a one:



I'm actually considering running to Kroger to see if there are any gems there.

I ordered this offa Etsy:


It's a French-style butter crock! Because happiness & love is a basket full of fresh yeast rolls w/ soft butter.