3134,
6028, 6021,
5069;
Friday 5014, 3048, 3105,
3005 Friday August 31 light scatters when you walk into the room
MEtRoday: Thursday
3134,
6028, 6021,
5069;
Friday 5014, 3048, 3105,
3005
There's some confusion in the DD camp. Or maybe a misunderstanding. Or maybe a re-direction.
That's what it feels like when you come up for air.
Duranduran.com is now promoting two new songs from Red Carpet Massacre: the originally rumored first single Nite Runner and the newly rumored first single Falling Down. Other tracks are leaking on dedicated sites and if you ask me nicely I might reveal to you a secret futurejunkie.com download page where you can snatch these trax... and only if you promise to turn it up, remember this is the band you want to be dancing to when the bomb drops.
The Duran Duran fan community site is also offering artwork for a Falling Down single, which pushes even more credence that the "tempo ballad" will trump Nite Runner as the lead-off single. The track list is: 1. Falling Down [Single Edit] 3:41, 2. Falling Down 5:42 (presumably the album track).
Red Carpet Massacre is in stores November 12 in Europe and November 13 in the U.S. Other territories: TBA.
MEtRoday: Tuesday
5077, 5076,
3134, 2072;
Wednesday ?, 3131, 5040, 
4079, 5165
When I was growing up my family moved a lot. Like every summer. Sometimes more frequently. We moved and traveled so much that we even had our own house-on-wheels that we towed behind our 1971 drab-green and white Dodge van. The trailer was a Holiday, and I was with my parents with they bought it. In fact, I was the first of my family inside of it. I've always remembered that. It was around 1973 when we bought it, so it had a lovely orange decor, not unlike the vintage Sears curtains now hanging in my apartment. It slept four (there were five of us) and had no air conditioning. An air conditioner and fold-up bunkbed (which I got to sleep in, since I was the smallest and therefore lightest) were eventually installed. But I digress.
My parents, trying to stretch their food dollar to feed three hungry, growing (and fighting) boys, usually opted for the most economic option when it came to our meals on the road. Sometimes this was a bologna and mustard sandwich at one of those roadside picnic tables that you don't see anymore, usually because those roads aren't traveled much these days, they've been trumped by the Interstates.
Most of the time, though, delicious and hearty meals were prepared by my Mom, cooking and baking and frying and hardly ever looking in a recipe book, although the books were present. I asked her one time how she made her chili, how much of each ingredients she used, and she replied "I'm not sure. But I know when it gets to the right color." I always liked that answer.
But often meals were quickly and conveniently served up from fast food restaurants. We knew that the Burger Chef in El Paso, Texas would taste the same as the one in Ft. Carson, Colorado and the McDonald's in Arlington, Virginia would taste the same as the one in Tacoma, Washington. So as I grew up, I knew my complete fast food history: what I would order at A&W, Burger King, Gino's, McDonald's, etc. I can remember ordering my first Big Mac instead of a simple cheeseburger. I knew I was an adult.
Patterns were setting in.
^-–— This is what is going through my head while I'm in Harold's advanced step class tonight. I'm watching the people in the class (to learn the steps) and surmise that some are there to fight the weight and some are there to maintain fitness. I fall into the former. I'm thinking, if I were raised differently, if I had made different choices, had a different palette, would I fall into the latter? Would I be like that guy over there: trim, healthy, vibrant, healthy body all his life? Would I be more together? Would things come easier? Would I be in a better place right now?
MEtRoday: 3081,
5006, 5052,
1144
VW has rescinded the European-based Golf nameplate, replacing it with its original 1978 moniker, Rabbit, and even bringing back the 70s-inspired Rabbit logo. This is foolish, after almost 15 years of building the brand (the Golf nameplate debuted in America in 1993), This is similar to Mazda's recently renaming of the Miata to MX-5. While the MX-5 was always part of the Miata name, it was rarely referred to outside of motorhead circles.
Some
sassy definitions from the Rabbit downloadable brochure are:
Bumper Broadcasting Letting the entire city know what schools you've gone to, what team you root for, what radio station you listen to and who you voted for with bumperstickers. "What's with the bumperbroadcasting? Nobody cares what mountain you drove to the top of."
Hatch Hiker Somebody who needs to have something moved and begs you to use your car because it has a hatchback. "Susan called to see if I would help her move something again. She is becoming a total hatch hiker."
Periscoping To have a conversation with the person in the backseat through the rearview mirror. "How do cabbies make periscoping look so easy?"
Dial Hunting To hear another driver's music and attempt to find out what station they are listening to. "The tunes blasting in the car next to me rocked. I dial hunted that mother."
Eye Contract To make eye contact with the driver in the lane you are attempting to merge with. "You have to let the person in if you make eye contract."
They've even brought back some of the door tape graphics, including the bunny-ear rabbit "bounce" and logo-in-motion "quick", although these appear more prominent than they were back in the 70s.
You can build and breed your own Rabbit here.
Saturday August 25 errands on the hill & nokes in the ville
MEtRoday: none
I'm up early this morning, but not quite early enough
for kickboxing. I don't wanna be a chunky bridesmaid bridal attendant at the
J-T wedding so I better make sure I'm awake early enough for class next week.
And the week after that. And the week after that. Etc.
A few early morning calls and I discover that Becker is bringing the salad to our potluck to visit two-month-old Avary (and her parents) in Nokesville this evening, rurning my plans to try a delicious-sounding Maple Basil Dressing (thanks Jocko for the tip):
2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or a combination of the two
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper or more to taste
1-2 tablespoons maple syrup, to taste (start with 1 tablespoon, then taste)
1/2 teaspoon brown mustard
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
Mix all the ingredients together in a blender except for the basil leaves. Whirl it around until it is completely mixed. Taste the dressing. Adjust the garlic, salt, pepper, and maple if need be. Now add the basil leaves and whirl it around in the blender until they are completely broken down and incorporated throughout the dressing. Serve over sliced tomatoes, green salad, rice, or barley.
After some googling I discover a quick recipe for Corn & Black Bean Salad and think it will be an excellent summer side dish:
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup uncooked fresh or frozen (thawed) corn kernels
1 large ripe tomato, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Place the black beans, corn, tomato, onion and parsley in a large bowl and stir gently to combine. Place the garlic, vinegar, olive oil, chili powder, cumin, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the bean mixture and toss to coat. The salad can be kept at room temperature for up to 6 hours.
I also stopped by the vet to pick up two more meds for The Twin™:
Liquid Hepato Support
[Rx Vitamins]/#1
Give 1/4 ml by mouth TWICE a day for 7 days, then 1/2 mL TWICE a day there
after. [sic]
Lot 071041, esp. 04/30/10
Amino B-Plex Vitamin Supplement
60 ML/#1 Bottle
Give 1/2 ml two times daily.
Lot 071042, exp. 04/30/10
MEtRoday: 3105, 3115, 3285, 3099, 1135, 3279
I'm headed to the H8ST8 for a first date with The Baron.
I call him The Baron because he lived in Munich for ten two years. He's
'murican, raised in Chicago with family now in Phoenix. We met last Sunday
during the $2-Skyy-n-pineapple marathon with Chipster and mcG. He's 37 and
works for a large aeronautics company that maybe you've heard of. Vague hint:
they have offices in Munich.
He's also a 23-year vegetarian, and this worries me. I have nothing against vegetarianism. But this means there will be no splurging at Five Guys on a weekend where we've slept in. No kicking back with margaritas and tacos Al carbon at La Lomita. Tonight we're going to an Indian restaurant. A vegetarian Indian restaurant. I was going to mention Guajillo, a Mexican restaurant in Arlington, but he suggested dining in Georgetown, at the Indian—vegetarian—restaurant so I said OK.
I'm on the 'tro now to meet him. I should have ironed my shorts. The girl across the aisle from me has a blue streak in her hair. I like that. She's just finished shopping at Bed Bath and Beyond in Chinatown. She's exiting the train at Fo-Bo. She's a student stocking her dorm room. I wonder if she's aware of Home Rule?
It's 8:04 as I get off the train at Ross.L.Yn.
I am late.
The Baron arrives twelve minutes later.
UPDATE: We go to Papa Razzi instead. We share tomatoes & fresh mozzarella and two bottles of wine. Individually, The Baron had a tomato and goat cheese pizza while I had linguini pesto with shrimp, scallops and squid. Yum.
Thursday August 23 where is my interrobang
MEtRoday: 2022, 2072, 3068, 5150
Wednesday August 22 my number one priority
MEtRoday: 3013, 3114, 3007
The Twin™ started her hyperthyroid meds today, so she's going to start her geriatric role of yelling "More Drugs for Seniors!" when election day comes 'round. In cat language, of course. She had blood taken at the vet's today and they will use the results of these readings as a constant for her thyroid and liver enzymes levels. Since both these levels are high, she will have a follow-up in approx four weeks, to determine whether to raise, lower or maintain her dosage. Her pills are tiny, and with the assistance of Pill Pockets, she took her first one down no problem.
Hyperthyroid (Antec.# 85712)
Rx#: 36448
Methimizole 5 mg/#60 Tablet
give 1 tablet TWICE a day, indefinately [sic]
18443501, exp. 02/28/08
Tuesday August 21 courtesy cbs.com
MEtRoday: 3099,
6040,
3050, 3101
Guessing game indeed. Talk about your royal inbreeding...
MEtRoday: 5049, 1004, 3194, 1166
take a moment if you dare
catch yourself a breath of air
there's another life out there
and you should try it
dead-ends hide on every street
look before you place your feet
cracks and fissures keep the beat
and you're inside it
every thought you never dared to think
every mood you always knew would sink
every line you spoke out loud in a jest
all time you took to be your best is soon forgotten
the sun must never touch your skin
it could expose the dark within
you're paranoid about the paranoia
and panic hits without a sign
you worry about it all the time
every perfect moment is a hidden warning
because everything makes your pretty head spin
and nagging thoughts are starting to sink in
with everything this way it's better to forget
than end up in a place with something to regret
your transatlantic shopping sprees
your health forever guarantees
organic-bio-life's a breeze in cosy prisons
but hiding out in the salad bar
isn't gonna get you far
and bottled wine is vinegar tomorrow
and everything around here makes your pretty head spin
it's piling up high—you're back where you begin
moments you have tried so hard to forget
are promising to have been the best ones yet
yeah, everytime you shut your eyes it appears
everytime you trace your steps back here
none of your convictions have the same old ring
but no doubt you've found a place for everything
in cosy prisons
so if you're careful
you won't get hurt
but if you're careful all the time
then what's it worth?
words & music by Magne Furuholmen
Cozy Prisons can be downloaded here for the next seven days.
Sunday August 19 catching up on my stories
MEtRoday: 3151,
3119, 3237, 3031
I tried to watch Heroes, I really did. I tried to save the cheerleader and all that jazz. But then I missed an episode here, and an episode there, and then I was totally confused. It's set five years in the future now? Half the cast is dead and there are about 40 new Heroes to track? Oy. So I gave up on watching the end of the season, opting instead to catch up on the DVD when it's released.
Heroes episodes to watch before Season Two premiere:
23
DVD release date: August 28, 2007
Season Two premiere date: Monday, September 24, 2007
Number of days to watch 23 episodes: 27
Viewing schedule: one episode every 1.17 days
I never tried to watch Lost but put them in my queue and now I'm enjoying the show. I'd like to catch up on this also so that I'm not a year behind everyone else and have to shush them when they start talking about the show.
Lost episodes to watch before Season Four premiere:
24
DVD release date: unknown
Season Four premiere date: February 2008 (unconfirmed)
Number of episodes available online: first 9 of Season Three
Number of days to watch 24 episodes: approx 180
Viewing schedule: one episode every 7.5 days (to be recalculated once DVD releases)
I wanted to watch Battlestar Galactica, but since I ain't gots no cables, I had to wait for episodes to be picked up by iTunes. Apparently these I will pay for, while Heroes and Lost I'd rather rent. Since Season Four will be the final season of BSG, I thought I'd whip through all the existing episodes to have everything fresh in my memory when S4 kicks off in January. But then Sci-Fi is producing and airing Battlestar Galactica: Razor in November and while not entirely of the same direct storyline (it details the Battlestar Pegasus before it re-joined the fleet in Season Two), I'm setting that as my goal date to have all episodes viewed. That way I won't miss out on any holiday parties because I'm trying to determine who is and is not a Cylon.
Battlestar Galactica episodes to watch before BSG: Razor
premiere: 4+13+20+20=57
BSG: Razor premier: November, 2007
Season Four premiere date: January 2008
Number of days to watch 57 episodes: approx 90
Viewing schedule: one episode every 1.58 days
2007 Premieres: ANTM on September 19 and Bionic Woman a week later on September 26. Don't bother trying to get hold of me on Wednesdays this fall. Unless it's during a commercial.
Friday August 17 uh yes um yes?
MEtRoday: 3184,
6039,
2019, 3068, 3069
Tuesday August 14 i'm on the hunt i'm after you
MEtRoday: 3154, 6003
Have you ever been on an organized scavenger hunt? I have, once before, years ago, I even think it was a church-sponsored event. Read into that what you will. I believe my cousin John was my teammate and instead of running around trying to find everything we went over to a friend's house and found everything there. It was so much easier and less embarrasing. We were supposed to ring strangers' doorbells to find the stuff. As if.
Today I'm on my 2nd scavenger hunt. This one is work-sponsored. The good part about this one is that, in addition to getting the day off, we're not kicking it off untili 10:00 at NMAI. This means it will take me approximately 4.5 minutes to get there, instead of the 60 minutes if I were going into the studio, and that I also get to sleep in an extra three hours later than usual. Sweet.
Our hunt consisted of finding the height of the Washington Monument (555 ft.); the only U.S. Government-approved medicinal use of snakeroot (treatment of hypertension); which country provided troops to the United Nations during the Korean War, listed alphabetically between The Netherlands and Norway (New Zealand). Also included was locating and photographing a Soviet nuclear warhead (Air & Space) or a papaya (we asked some water to bring one out from the kitchen in some restaurant, but we later discovered one at the Botanical Gardens).
After the hunt: our team didn't lose, but we didn't win. Which means we don't have to participate in clean-up detail at the studio with the boss (honest, this was the loser prize) but we didn't receive gift certificates to ebay, so we could do more scavenging, either. I came home and took a nap.
Saturday August 11 warning: skin ahead
MEtRoday: none
2nd Saturday at the pHierce School and Dive-In at the pHierce pHool. [thanx Ammiie(e)].?
Friday August 10 the ink is on the paper
MEtRoday: Wednesday
3077,
3038, 3277,
5046, 2017; Thursday ?1129, 3080, 4097, 5114; Friday 5015,
1218
The J-T's have bought a new house. A quick inspection of the ceiling height and room sizes in the basement apartment and I'm sure to move in. The J-T's invite everyone over for a welcoming Porch Party, where we meet the previous owner (who showed up with the first beers) and some neighbors. A quick yet thorough tour of the apt means that I'm taking it and I'll be moving late October. Now it's time to start purging seven years of living at Jump Street, having boxes and storage closets that I haven't opened in years. I don't think there are any skeletons residing in there, but one never knows until you peruse through them, right?
Tuesday August 07 we've analyzed their attack, sir, and there is a danger
MEtRoday: 5026, 1244, 2028, 3069
I have to agree with Jimbo: the Green Line Sux Donkey Dick. But so does the Yellow. And the Blue. And the Orange. And also the Red Line. Especially if you're in a hurry. Or it's rush hour. Or if you're in a hurry during rush hour. Or heaven forbid you hit the DC Trifecta: 1) You're in a hurry. 2) It's rush hour. 3) There's a Nats game. Payoff!
With DC's "advanced" computerized train-monitoring system, a slight delay (usually a sick passenger) in any one of the stations will destroy the entire system. Just like when Luke Skywalker dropped that sparkler down the hole on top of the Death Star. But then the Empire Struck Back. Unfortunately we lowly passengers don't have that amount of power so we stand there on the platform, which is getting 7–8 people deep, waiting for everything to reboot. My advice to WMATA on dealing with sick passengers: stop the train, empty the one car (not the ENTIRE train) and keep the train in service until it can get to the end of the line and then hose out the car with the vomit. Don't empty the entire train, forcing two train's worth of riders to board the next train which will arrive in about 20 minutes, if we're lucky. Keep it moving, people <snapping alternate fingers in the air, repeatedly>. And I'm not even going to mention the lack of air conditioning on the trains. There. I mentioned it.
The Terrorists don't need to introduce airborne chemical agents or a dirty bomb to shut down this city's public transit, all they need to do is have one bad burrito, buy a farecard and get on a train. Mission accomplished.
Monday August 06 virtual crapfest
MEtRoday: 3139, 2062, 1222, 3094
Wife
Swap (perennial culture clash)
Fat
March {overweight people walking from Boston to DC}
Supernanny [parents
who don't pay attention]
It just sucked me in and I couldn't leave the couch. I'm so ashamed.
MEtRoday: 3008, 3088
Mike m2 invited some g-folks over to watch 300, which
had just been released on DVD. He ordered pizzas, had 7-layer dip, beers and
drinks, so it somewhat resembled a birthday party for grownups. Definitely
lots of comfort food, with cocktails, a good way to end the work week.
300 was a softcore moving palette of black and silver, gold and crimson, which we surprisingly followed up with Ferris Bueller's Day Off, as a dessert.
I'm posting the pictures taken by sissyphus, since she's a better photog with a better cam, plus she was using the precioussssss and really rockin' the shots.
MEtRoday: 3223, 3203, 5094, 1095
These are the people I chatted with today. Do you know any of them?
MEtRoday: Monday 3033, 3032, 6018, 1135;
Tuesday 1162, 3045, 3263, 1151;
Wednesday 5050, 1094, 1272, 1038, 6007, 5090
Let's kick off August with today's MEtRoday graph, since I was on all five lines today. I think this has only happened one other time since I've been graphing. Anyone know that date?
This ain't gonna be a lengthy post anyway, I've got one more ep to watch of Footballer's Wive$, Season 2, Disc 1 that I want to get in the post tomorrow. You don't know Footballer's Wive$? Imagine Bri'ish versions of Melrose Place + Desperate Housewives. Hot Hawt Haute Haught. OMG! Checking the link for FW I've found that mega-betch Joan Collins has joined the cast, which is up to Season Five, which means I really have to start plowing through these ep's. Retake: Melrose Place + Desperate Housewives with a shake of Dynasty = Footballer's Wive$.
Gotta run! BTW someone has put the first season of Sex And The City in the building's laundry room. Anyone want it? It's VHS. <insert cricket sound>
There is a hidden link in this post.
