First off, go here to see where I'm stealing this idea from; I do so love his blog.
Anywho, here we go:
1. What's something people might ask you for help with?
Answer: grocery shopping: I have mad skills when it comes to food shopping on a budget; give me a price limit and I will give you a week's worth of food to feed any sized family. Recognize.
2. What's something you might ask someone else for help with?
Math...and math...did I mention math? Throw in a spot of algebra while you're at it; I could do with a refresher in that, too.
3.
Did your family take summer vacations when you were a child? If so,
where did you go? If you're a parent, did/do you plan summer vacations
with your own family? Did/do they resemble those you took as a child?
Edisto Beach, SC. It's basically the only beach I know, and the only one I want to vacation at...although I hear the Gulf Shores of AL are lovely and I would like to vacation there at some point in the near future to see what their beaches are like.
4. Pool-lake-ocean...which one is most appealing to you on a hot summer day?
Ocean...see #3
5.
Have you ever justified using the expression, 'you gotta be cruel to
be kind'? Was it really necessary or were you rationalising?
No, never. I tend to err on the side of caution; I can never bear to hurt anyone's feelings. What's the point of giving someone a bad day?
6. The Journal of Psychology
recently mentioned the results of a survey identifying the ten most
hated foods as-liver, lima beans, mayonnaise, mushrooms, eggs, okra,
beets, brussel sprouts, tuna, and gelatine. Of those foods, how many do
you actually hate? Anything you'd add to the list?
How could you possibly hate mayonnaise? If I had anything to add to the list it would be sweet or bread and butter pickles...they are an abomination. Everyone knows that pickles should be dill or sour.
7. What's your favourite book or movie set in a beach or lake town?
Prince of Tides or Conrack. I have watched both numerous times and I make no apologies. Both are awesome.
I loved Tony Soprano, and beyond that, James Gandolfini. He was amazing.
So, what have I been up to? Not much. On Saturday, whilst cooking up frozen sausage links, I managed to flip them in such a way that the frozen meat combined with the hot grease that splattered all over me and therefore, gave me huge blisters and burn marks all over my face.
Needless to say, I was unhappy. It's amazing how much my sense of vanity kicked in when "faced" with the fact that I may have to go out in public with pretty obvious burn marks all over my face.
I felt like this:
It was a weird sensation; usually, I am so concentrated on how ashamed I am of my body, to have visible markings on my face, that really threw me for a loop, to have my face "disfigured"...yes, it made me realize how superficial I am, in that I took advantage of my sick time at work and just managed my way in today, when I was able to cover everything up with makeup.
And side note: I highly recommend Neosporin. It is like Noxzema in the way that it is a miracle worker. Sometimes the old remedies are the best; they are tried and true for a reason. I am nearly all healed up and able to cover everything with make up.
So, what else: once again, I realized that when the Rottenator and I are forced to spend extra time together, I am filled with murderous rage. In that: truthfully, it was his time to enjoy himself at home and I was the unwelcomed intruder, but in the other sense, I was significantly unhappy with the fact that we spent 48 hours watching ESPN and old Alabama football games on YouTube. I am again trying to deal with the fact that we have nothing in common but we still try to make sacrifices because God knows, we do love each other when it comes down to it.
Other thoughts: my happy pills: they seemed to be working at first but now I just feel angry and confrontational about my life...but at least I'm not depressed, right? I'm reserving judgement for at least two more weeks, but right now...I don't feel a significant difference.
My Mood Ring(tone) Of The Day...oh wait, I have two...
Another weekend at the beach, yes, I know my life is so hard. Whatever.
Anyway, it was a very nice weekend, with more relaxation than work, and I have come to the decision that I am going to retire at the beach...hopefully within the next year.
In my dreams. OH, but I wish I could, because how I envy the laid back, easy going, island life. Even the Rottenator is in a better mood at the beach. There's just something about it.
So, thanks to my sister and brother-in-law, there was less furniture putting together, and more relaxing, and more eating this weekend, which is good and bad. And I cannot truly distinguish between the two, so I will offer you a mixture of both:
First good and bad: we had time to explore Botany Bay which is a protected nature habitat near Edisto Island which is great if you love birds and wildlife and, as the Rottenator calls them, "tree-hugging hippies". Whatever, is was very pretty, even though the "tour" left much to be desired.
I would insert a bunch of pictures here of our tour and how anti-spectacular it exactly was but for some reason, my phone and my computer are not communicating so you will have to just imagine the spectacular that was the "stone beehive"...and imagine the Rottenator saying, "What...the...fuck...this...is...bullshit..." as he sped up the car and we whizzed by at 100 mph.
And for once, I did not blame him. I was done at the ruins of the plantation house that consisted of a pile of bricks that sat surrounded by what I assume is electronic fencing. And this was after we passed the John Deere tractors. Did they have those back in the 1800s?
Needless to say, the tour was not memorable. But the beach was very nice, and the shells were quite pretty...to look at. Because don't take one, or someone might report you to 1-800-Thief, and then...yeah, well, get ready to pony up that $470 Mister, or you're off to the pokey.
Despite the disappointment of the tour, the beach is very pretty. Au natural, as it were. So, not a wasted walk. I will now offer you up a link of spectacular photos to look at because I cannot provide my own: Gorgeous.
I loved the hermit crabs the most.
Part two of the good and bad: oh my Jeebus did I eat too much this weekend! I mean seriously, I am done. Not just with seafood, but I'm talking all of it: biscuits, chicken, hamburgers, shrimp, red snapper, hollandaise sauce, crab, more shrimp, more burgers, more Rubens, more chips and salsa, Reeses white peanut butter cups, Snickers peanut butter bites, you are all the devil! I renounce you all!
So, moving on, the diet starts tomorrow. Power bar breakfast, yogurt for lunch, lean cuisine for dinner. I'm not fucking around. Just one week of this and I'll be back on course. Because I am pretty fucking sick of my belly jiggling like Santa Claus every time I laugh. Yes, before you start, I have weight issues. I finally got to the point where I am in the "normal" weight range and I'm not about to let it go now, and I see my triggers and I'm catching the problem before it becomes a true issue. This is just me. A daily struggle on how to be healthy.
Meanwhile, my mother is about to get her pool all kinds of fancied up with a new liner so that's how I plan to spend my summer: laps in the pool. Because god knows, the only thing I hate more than excercise is sweating, so I figure, burning off some calories in the pool is a win-win...win.
In the meantime, I adore this tune, so here is My Mood Ring(tone) of the Day:
Are you kidding me, he is in Batman footie pajamas, how could I not love him?
I've just finished preparing a ginormous packet of useless paperwork to send to the IRS to prove to them why I can't possibly pay off the exorbitant debt that they claim I owe. I've managed to make it as confusing and disorganized as possible; payback, you might say, for how I've found their dealings with me when it comes to this situation.
Plus, my income is approximately $30 less than my outcome per month so let's see how they handle that.
Also, I desperately need new clothes. Like, desperately. I do not know how I managed to overlook this, but I have no appropriate spring/summer clothes. So I'm danger of either quitting my job for fear of appearing like a hobbit hobo or dying of heat-stroke because I'm wearing wool sweaters in 80 degree weather. So, despite the Rottenator's budget, I am going shopping this weekend.
I had a "WOW" call evaluation at work which probably means nothing to you, much as it means nothing to me other than the fact that maybe I'll be left alone for a minute. Basically, it looks like I'm fairly competent at a job that I despise. I don't know how I feel about that.
Other than that, nothing new.
Although, after reviewing my recent posts and Mood Ring(tones) of the Day, I have come to realize that I am this guy:
I'll have to examine that in a future post, how to reconcile my love of Britpop and Rap and the occasional country song into one cohesive summation of my overall being.
But in the meantime, I'll just share this picture of a pine tree that I captured at work the other day.
It is totally giving the world the finger. I am this pine tree.
And to continue with my seemingly out of character Mood Ring(tone) of the Day, I give you:
Incidentally, this song was played both at my sister's bachelorette party AND her wedding reception. We are an interesting family indeed.
The Rottenator does love his stew. And I welcomed the opportunity to cook something other than Hamburger Helper or Beans and Rice so today's meal of Beef Stew was a happy change of pace.
Behold...
My apologies to Riot Kitty; this one ain't for you ;-)
What you'll need:
2 lbs of stew meat
1 lb red potatoes, cubed, skins on
2 celery hearts, roughly chopped
1 large sweet onion, roughly chopped
1 pt cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 pkg baby carrots, pre-washed and peeled
1 envelope Lipton's Onion Soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom and roasted garlic soup
2 T. flour
2 T. olive oil
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. Dale's steak sauce
Seasonings to taste (I'm not giving measurements, because we are a family that loves salt, but really between the soup mix, sauces, and soup you really don't need anymore...but you can't be Southern and not add some Lawry's...)
salt
pepper
garlic powder
non-stick cooking spray (like Pam)
Heat 2 T. olive oil in a pan; sprinkle flour, Lawry's seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder over stew meat and toss to coat.
Lightly brown stew meat in pan for seriously, 2-3 min, just enough to seal in those delicious juices.
Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray, and throw that stew beef in there.
Chop veggies and throw them all in a big tupperware bowl, lightly salt and pepper and stir to mix them all up. Or pop a top on that bowl and turn it upside down and shake until they're all mixed up and pretty.
In another bowl, pour in worchestershire sauce and Dale's; add soup mix and whisk together. Next, add can of soup, whisk some more until it's smooth.
Throw half of the veggies into the crockpot on top of the stew meat. Add half of your soupy mixture.
Throw the remaining half of veggies into the crockpot, and the rest of the soup sludge.
Top on top of crockpot, cook 6-8 hours, depending on your crockpot. This is my first time trying out my sister's hand-me-down crockpot and she says it's a fast-cooking one, so I'm going for six. It actually took about 8 hours for the potatoes and carrots to get completely done...
Now, a lot of people love crockpots because you can just leave it. I like to check on it every two hours and give it another stir, but that's me. And that's why this meal is best made on a weekend.
Back to work tomorrow, blech! But it's a paycheck that brings me that much closer to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter so I will endure...
My Mood Ring(tone) Of The Day...and this one is dedicated to Riot Kitty because she recently reminded me of one of my favorite movies, and what it is like to grow old gracefully and fabulously.
Back from Easter vacation at Edisto Beach, SC, and am very sad to be back, I must say. I love the beach. The relaxation, the wind, the waves, the smells, the food...oh, yes the food...
There is no more appropriate place than the beach to enjoy a uniquely southern dish known as "Shrimp and Grits". And oh my God, if you've never had it, then you are missing out:
I decided to indulge this weekend, and had a taste test between two local restaurants (not that there are a lot to choose from on this humble island) and tried out the shrimp and grits at the Sea Cow and the Waterfront...which doesn't have a website, which is so stupid, because they are awesome. And they won this taste test.
Though both were amazeballs. You know what else is amazeballs? Pimento Cheese burgers. Those were enjoyed courtesy of McConkey's Jungle Shack.
So, tomorrow, the diet and the dreaded workweek start again, but in the meantime, I will share with you the best recipes I have ever found for Pimento Cheese and Shrimp and Grits and just a few pics of my lovely holiday weekend.
Pimento Cheese:
6 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup Vermont extra sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup Monterrey jack cheese, grated
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
4 ounces pimientos (in a jar), chopped
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 dash hot sauce (or more!)
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
1
Using a hand held mixer, beat cream cheese until soft.
2
Add the remaining ingredients and beat until creamy and combined.
3
Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.
Ta-da! Then smother it on everything: burgers, fries, celery, crackers, your face, the possibilities are endless!
Bring chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat; stir
in grits. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes or until
thickened. Remove from heat; stir in salt and next 3 ingredients. Set
aside, and keep warm.
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon from pan.
Cook shrimp in same pan over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until
almost pink, stirring occasionally. Add lemon juice and next 4
ingredients, and cook 3 minutes. Stir in bacon.
Spoon grits onto individual plates or into shallow bowls; top with shrimp mixture. Serve immediately.
Trust me, you'll love them both. And if you ever happen to find yourself at Edisto Beach, if you find a shark's tooth while walking the shore at low tide, I hope you'll think of me...because I didn't find one this time around, dammit. I'm usually a pro at that sort of thing.
Happy Easter everyone! And despite whatever anyone else says, it IS all about the bunny...
And the Godiva truffles...thank you,Rottenator!
Meanwhile, the Nooge survived his first overnight alone. Although he did greet us like this at the door...
Obviously, he has very short term memory and forgot who we were for a few minutes. Oh, he was not happy with us being gone, and greeted us with fluffy tail and mohawk. The Rottenator says it's because it was he was prepared to protect the house against strangers. My thoughts are that he was so fucking pissed that he'd been abandoned he was ready to rip our throats out.
Nevertheless,all was forgiven. Never...leave...again...
They both had a hard weekend
I like this pic because it's kinda abstract
This let's you know that you've really arrived; famous decorated Edisto "tree"
This pic does not accurately show how fucking cold it was
2nd place winner in the Scrimp & Grits contest
Awesome pimento cheese burgers
Oak trees, wisteria and spanish moss...telltale signs you're hitting the low country
Improved service and awesome food...preview of my Tripadvisor review...
One way in...one way out..."THE" bridge onto the island
My Mood(ring) Tone of the Day:
Just to add, the main purpose of the trip was to put together
furniture for my mom's beach house. Whilst the Rottenator excelled at
this task...
He
put together two of these bad boys, plus two other chairs
lickety-split, whilst I was not so fortunate. My mother ordered a
microwave cabinet that was supposed to look like this...
And I gave her an end product that looked like this....
Needless to say, JC may have been a carpenter, but Kathleen definitely is not.
We always debated over where Victoria got her spectacular blue eyes from, and that unique impish expression, and finally have photographic proof.
Genetics are a hell of a thing. I miss my dad; it's been nearly 20 years since he passed away of "the cancer" (always said in a whisper) and I still think about him constantly. How things would be different. And how he would love his grandchildren, especially that little supastah up there.
My nephew turned 11 years old yesterday, and my mom and I travelled to my sister's house to celebrate this momentous occasion.
This is the birthday boy:
Yet I remember him when he was like this:
And even younger. Man, I'm old.
This kid is awesome, btw. All of my sister's kids are. Thank God she had some to carry on the family line because I sure as hell wasn't going to.
I can barely handle a Nooge and a Rottenator.
Such is life.
My sister, btw, is a cupcake genius. Check out these badboys:
And they were delish. The Rottenator and I are on a budget to save up for a second car so currently I am no longer concocting delicious dishes (unless you count Hamburger Helper or Beans and Rice as delish, and why would you) so I am living vicariously through the sis's creativity.
And am massively impressed.
Meanwhile, it's St. Paddy's (not Patty's) Day and to honor my forefathers, here are my Mood Ring(tones) Of The Day: (and oh yes, there are more than a few...)
It always makes me sad when people I used to admire make fun of people I currently admire.
Case # 1: Joan Rivers:
I used to think this woman was funny, amusing, the precursor to the lovely Kathy Griffin. But then she crossed the line. She made fun of Adele.
A woman who has gone through so much plastic surgery that she resembles more of a puppet than a real human being makes fun of a beautiful, talented, charismatic woman with a god-given ethereal voice?
Why yes, she did.
And so did Case # 2 Seth McFarlane...during the Oscars ceremony, in fact, when Adele was sitting RIGHT THERE.
And although I regret I cannot find a film clip of it, he said, and I quote:
"Rex Reed will be out here to review Adele's performance of 'Skyfall"
Which was referencing this film review that Rex Reed did of Melissa McCarthy. Obviously, I was not the only one who caught this.
Seriously, I am so tired of this perception that society has as "fat" people and how they are unacceptable. Do you see the picture above? Is that not a gorgeous woman? It also makes me think of Delta Burke, another gorgeous woman who was constantly ridiculed because of her size.
And Kirstie Alley.
And even Marilyn.
It's an old and tired topic to be sure, but one that I am still affected by, being an overweight gal myself.
I have been overweight all of my life; in fact, in 2001, I had gastric bypass surgery to help me overcome this. It didn't work. I'm still fat.
I am 41 years old, 5'1", 163 pounds (on a good day), and full of flab and self-loathing because I feel that I look like this:
When in my mind I should look like this:
And the most frustrating part is that as much as I tell myself that I want to be thin and in-shape for health reasons, I'm still trapped by that ideal image of a beautiful, wrinkle-free 25 year old that I aspire to be.
And why the age of 25 is stuck in my head as the ideal age is a mystery to me; obviously something for the therapist's couch.
I think my recent overdose of "Scrubs" and "Freaks And Geeks" has affected my:
Can we just take a second to discuss the Top Chef finale?
Let me just back up a moment to say that this is my favorite show on television; I have been a devotee since the very beginning, when Harold Dieterle won way back in 2005, way before the world was introduced to the semi-delights of one Padma Lakshmi.
I have suffered through the Hoseas ,the Kevins, and still...I love this show. And not just because Tom Colicchio has the most amazing blue eyes since Ian Somerhalder.
But this year, the finale, I don't know...
First off, I am thrilled that there is finally another female Top Chef; it has been a long time coming since Stephanie Izard won back in 2008. And Kristen totally deserved the win...but I disagree with the voting process this year.
Even though it did include my latest celebrity chef crush, Hugh Acheson, as one of the judges.
This year it was based on a round by round comparison; there was no debate at the end of the 5 course meal, there was a death by elimination factor wherein the judges decided there on the spot which dish was better. And whoever had the best three out of five was automatically deemed the next Top Chef.
So Kristen won after round four. And Brooke never even got a chance to present her final dish. So, what, Top Chef is suddenly a death match?
This is where my mother and I disagree; she approved of the new format, stating, fairly, that normally during the debate portion of the program, certain judges can thereby exert their opinion on other, weaker-willed, easily persuaded judges, and proclaim the winner of their choice.
Fair enough. But I always enjoy the debate. But I guess the bottom line is this: Tom Colicchio always gets his way. And he's always right.
And it's near time for Top Chef Masters. The scary part: Kathie Lee Gifford is signed up to be a guest judge. *sigh*
So, I would post a picture of this latest and greatest recipe, but my cell phone never does my food justice, so I won't. Let us just say I made a chicken soup in the crockpot tonight that was awesome. And, better yet, delish!
To start: everything is chopped up into bite-sized pieces, and this meal is very economical if your grocery store is having a sale on chicken breasts, and you feel up to deboning and skinning the breasts yourself...which I was:
4 lb. chicken breasts
1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup with Garlic
1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken with Herbs
6 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, chopped
6 carrots, peeled, chopped
6 celery ribs, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 c. chicken broth
Lawry's seasoning salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning mix, season to taste.
Throw everything into a crockpot and 6 hours later...ta dah! Yummy chicken soup. I served it with some of those Pillsbury frozen biscuits and it was a perfect effortless meal for a cold day.
Chicken soup: it's good for what ails you.
I've been using my crockpot more than usual because my oven is on the fritz.. I'm totally pissed about it because it's an older oven, and it seems the temperature is slightly off but I can't figure out if it's running too high or too low. My biscuits get burned, and my casseroles aren't cooked through so bottom line: I look like I don't know how to cook, which is a complete outrage. We're currently renting our house, so technically, it is our landlord's responsibility for having something like this fixed, but short of it breaking, or me taking a sledgehammer to it, I don't see the situation being remedied anytime soon, so I'll make do, I suppose.
You see, I am a really good cook. I mean, it's one of the few things I excel at, and enjoy. I find it relaxing and rewarding to lose myself in a recipe and forget about all life's other annoyances while I focus on combining ingredients in such a way that the end result is something that will bring enjoyment and pleasure to others.
I think I was an Italian grandmother in a former life.
It's one of the few things in my life that shouldn't feel like such a challenge. Work is challenging enough.
Haven I mentioned that I cannot wait until Feb. 1 which is the end of tax filing season?
Bottom line: what does this have to do with me going to Orlando to see The Wizarding World of Harry Potter? Not a damn thing.
I'm currently watching season 2 of American Horror Story (I highly recommend!) so:
For a long time I thought it was me, I was the black sheep of the family, the problem child. But no, oh good God no, I finally realized that every one of my characteristics and my troublesome nature are derived from somewhere in this branched and crooked family tree.
Number one would be my food issues. I'm sure I've mentioned my relationship with food before. As in, it's mine, all mine, not yours, there is no edible scrap of food anywhere on this planet that does not belong to me. I don't care if you bought it, you cooked it, you cared for it and cleaned it, it's mine. Even if I don't want it. I may develop a taste for it someday and therefore, you cannot have any, because it may never be replaced, and then I will starve to death.
In like...50 years, because I'm pretty sure I've stored up enough fat that my body can subsist on its own for that long by devouring itself.
But hey guess what, I'm not the only one who has this til death do us part relationship with food. So does my sister.
We discussed it ad nauseum this weekend at her house during my niece's birthday party:
That, btw, is the one and only picture I managed to get of this child because much like her Aunt, she doesn't like her picture taken because she's afraid it may steal her soul. That, and she doesn't appear on film. This was a miracle Hail Mary shot.
So, where as all of the food on the planet belongs to me, my sister's thing is that she's desperately afraid that the planet's food supply is going to run out and it's never going to be replaced so she will never be able to eat again and starve to death. This is actually a realistic fear because being that the food is mine and I seem to be eating everything in sight, a world-wide famine is highly probable.
It's always amazed me that some people view food as merely the fuel by which we need in order to survive. It doesn't matter if it tastes good, they have no particular favorites, they just eat what they need to and move on. Even crazier are those people who forget to eat. How can you "forget" to eat? Like, didn't your stomach growling, or the fact that you're feeling weak or fainty clue you in to the fact that you may have missed a step. Like, sleeping, peeing, pooping, blinking, or, breathing? It makes no damn sense.
I've always had food issues. I don't know if this was a turning point for me or just another phase in my food obsession, but I distinctly remember connecting food with my father. We would have long, drawn out family meals that lasted for hours, long enough that you'd finished eating one meal and were hungry again for another one. It was where I developed my love of food, connecting it with family, and good conversation, and togetherness. That's also where I learned to eat slowly, so slowly that when I watch the Rottenator devour an entire chicken in 0.02 seconds, I am equally fascinated and horrified. Our meals are nothing like that. He's seriously done in, 10 minutes, tops, and I am struggling to keep up with him which usually ends up with me puking in a bathroom because I've eaten too much too fast and I'm totally stressed that my stomach is in a knot knowing that meal time is almost over and I may never get to eat again.
I finally understand my sister.
Going back to my father, I also remember when he got sick with cancer. The extent of his illness was hidden from me for a long time, I was maybe 12, so I didn't understand how serious it was. He was dying of cancer, but I remember my grandparents (my mom's parents) buying him Ensure because he was getting soooo skinny and losing so much weight he was getting gaunt and weak and they were trying anything to get him to keep his strength up. And I remember thinking to myself, "if only he would eat, if only he gained weight, then he wouldn't be so sick and he'd get better".
Food saves all. So maybe that's why I'm fat. Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with my love of ice cream and cheese at all. I'm just sayin'.
Another issue I have is OCD. And it's getting worse the older I get. This I get from my maternal grandmother. Yes, the older I get, I am not, in fact, turning into my mother. I'm turning into my grandmother, thereby completely bypassing middle age and hurdling straight down the tunnel of death towards the light with breakneck speed.
I remember my grandmother driving me bat fucking shit crazy when she got older because when she got something on her mind, it had to be taken care of now, not later, now. Like, stop what you're doing right this very second and handle this thing now. I don't care if you're in mid-stream, or driving, or solving the budget crisis, if you don't change this light bulb right now, the world is going to end, Rottenator. I mean, Buster (my grandfather).
Because I'm nothing like that at all. And neither is my mother who recently called me while I was getting ready for work in a panic because she couldn't figure out her direct TV remote and Judge Judy was coming on...in six hours.
I'm just sayin'. These issues run deep. And the good news is, I don't have to beat myself up for my bad habits anymore. It's hereditary.
And what exactly does this have to do with my trip to Orlando to Universal Studios in September to see Harry Potter? Not a damn thing, so it's not worth mentioning.
That's pretty much how I'm going to see every conversation for the next 8 months: "And what exactly does this have to do with my trip to see The Wizarding World of Harry Potter? Nothing? Then why are we still discussing it".
So, my traditional Southern New Year's Spread turned out to be a smashing success, if I do say so myself.
Ham, Hoppin' John (with black eyed peas and sausage), cornbread and collard greens. Assured to bring good luck and wealth in the New Year.
It'd damn well better because I cooked and cleaned my ass off today.
I am the superstitious sort and so I succumb to the ritualistic portions of the holidays, in this case, being you should ingest some sort of greens and corn to ensure wealth (dollars and cents), the black eyed peas for luck, and the pork...well, everything tastes better with a little pork, doesn't it? Though surprisingly, chicken isn't part of this holiday tradition. I guess it's because fried chicken is part of every Sunday southern supper, so you switch it up with pork on special occasions to get all fancy.
No champagne toast, those are a thing of my past, but a day's worth of cleaning because this signifies a clean sweep of the year before and starting off the next one brand new, as it were.
And I vacuumed and swept and laundered my heart out today, which is why I am exhausted and it's only 6:30pm.
But I feel better looking at a clean house; in the past I never really understood the phrase "cluttered surroundings, cluttered mind" but it makes sense. There's less stress when everything is neat and tidy.
So I enjoyed my mopped and swept floors for a few hours until the Rottenator and the Nooge awoke and then, inevitably, chaos and mess ensued.
The Rottenator spent the day watching football and playing video games. I hope he's enjoying the last day of his vacation because I sure as hell am ready for him to go back to work. It's frustrating when his version of a vacation is exactly that: not doing a damn thing. Literally. On my few and far between days off there seems like there's always something to do: cleaning, grocery shopping, there's always something. Must be nice to have someone else worry about those things so you are free to sit on your lazy ass all day playing with yourself and your controller.
A part of me is glad the holidays are over, a part of me is not. Because now it's back to the same old mundane routine of work, cook, clean, sleep, and so forth. Nothing really exciting to look forward to unless you count Harry Potter and Universal but September seems so far, far away.
But until then, there's only one thing left to do I guess.
I worked all day, came home, made chicken pepperoni for the Rottenator, and checked up on Facebook to see all of the exciting plans that my friends and family had for the evening and realized: this is going to be my life.
For good or for bad, this is it. I always get down after the holidays; this year is no different. I'm still sitting her, less than an hour until 2013, hoping that something will happen. The Rottenator will have tucked away a small surprise, gesture of love or affection, but as he stares transfixed at yet another football game, the likelihood of that happening lessens.
So tomorrow, I will get up, I will clean the house, make the traditional Southern Good Luck New Year meal of ham, collard greens (my first attempt at this hideous concoction), hoppin' john, and cornbread and go to sleep and prepare for another day of work.
Rinse and repeat.
This year, I am sober, relatively healthy, relatively comfortable, and still filled with an unshakable, nagging depression that just won't go away.
I hope it is the holiday blues, and I truly hope that this New Year brings everyone health, happiness, love and life.
Two more days of work this week and then I'm off for a lovely Thanksgiving holiday. I'm really looking forward to it this year, possibly more so than Christmas even. This probably has something to do with the fact that since my change of career, I won't get much time off for Christmas this year. And by much, I mean barely any other than Christmas day.
However, I was lucky enough to score the Friday after Turkey Day off so not only am I looking forward to an extended weekend off, this year marks the first time that this guy...
will meet these people...
Needless to say, I am uber excited. The Rottenator is less enthused. I believe his comment was, and I quote, "I'd rather poke my eyes out with a dull butterknife."
He is not a social person. Sociopath, maybe. Sociable, no. But it's high time he meet the fam. I mean, it's pretty obvious he's not going anywhere any time soon and I am very close to my family, so he just needs to suck it up.
Besides, he's gonna be watching a day of college football with a fellow SEC enthusiast who has testicles, so that's gotta be fun, right? Even though their two teams may just be playing each other for the championship game, but thank God, that's not until December, so that definitely lessens the possibility of smack talk that gets deadly serious. And luckily we don't own guns. And the alcohol supply will be limited.
And there will be food. Oh, yes, there will be.
Turkey
Ham
Mac and cheese
Mashed potatoes
Green bean casserole
Stuffing (or dressing, as the rednecks like to call it)
Cranberry Sauce
Cheesecake
Artichoke Dip
Little smokies in bbq sauce
And though the turkey may not be stuffed, I sure as hell will be.
I just hope it doesn't turn out like this.
But if it turned out like this, that would be pretty awesome.
My Mood Ring(tone) of the Day...
PS: the only version I could find of this was in Italian but if you've seen this movie as many times as I have, you'll know the English by heart.
