the tao of patches

i'm here to announce that i received a patch in the mail today. and it really made my day.

food trivia

i bought some ready-to-eat-after-two-minutes-in-the-microwave indian food.* the outside of the box boasted: food trivia inside. i couldn't wait to see what kind of little-known tidbit i'd learn.

*perhaps by the end of the year i'll know how to make some

bumper sticker

i saw a bumper sticker this morning. it read: "i pray. get use to it."

used, people. used.

i'm not sure who i am mocking more... the person who made the bumper sticker, or the ones who put it on their cars?

postpone dtv?

ok, the latest news story is that our president-elect wants to postpone the switch from analog to digital broadcasting. that's fine with me. keeps my 4" b/w sony watchman a useful item for a while longer.

however, i think the rationale for the delay is getting a bit over-dramatic. officials are concerned that the government isn't doing enough to help rural, poor and minority communities with the transition.

apparently reminding us every 30 minutes isn't enough.

but wait. the entreaty goes on. according to john podesta, "With coupons unavailable, support and education insufficient, and the most vulnerable Americans exposed, I urge you to consider a change to the legislatively mandated analog cutoff date."

and the most vulnerable americans exposed?!

ohferchrissakes.

this isn't some pandemic disease. they're losing their tv signal. big deal. if you want to watch tv that badly, go visit a friend and watch their tv. the social interaction* will do you good.

better yet, get a life. stop watching tv and go for a walk (unless you're scared of losing the fat ass). or play a game with your kids. maybe hit the slopes. or read my blogs. something. anything.

just anything.

*i'm pretty sure gazing at a glowing box while not talking to each other counts as social interaction

resolution for 2009

in 2009, i resolve to fulfill my destiny.

about thirty years ago (i was ten or so), i received a gift: the encyclopedia of cooking. the few people who know me from childhood will not be surprised by this. my grandmother was a renowned (locally, anyway) cook and baker. at a tender age, i was stirring the fudge, rolling out the cookie dough, mashing potatoes, and measuring teaspoons by hand. i was being groomed to continue the legacy.

fast forward to 2008. my grandmother would roll over in her grave if she knew how little i cook.

i happened to dig the 18 volume set out from the attic last summer because i was remodeling. instead of putting the boxed up books in the basement, i placed the books in my kitchen. i knew it was time to pick up where i'd left off so many years ago.

in 2009, i resolve to make one dish from each volume of my encyclopedia of cooking.