My fiancé was programming the remote for the region free DVD player, so we could watch some Without a Trace episodes. I was wandering around, using the bathroom a lot. Which makes me sound like a nervous puppy. So let me start that part over.
Of Remotes and Bathrooms.
November 15th, 2009Recipe: Simple Crepes
November 15th, 2009Preparing crepes as they are meant to be made requires a special cooking surface, special tools, and even special punctuation! Here’s a recipe that gets you more than halfway there that you can make at home in just a few minutes. These are sweet crepes. Feel free to reduce or omit the sugar for something more savory.
2 eggs
3 T sugar
1/2 c flour
1/2 c milk
a few shakes of salt
(optional) a dash of nutmeg or a bit of vanilla
Mix all ingredients until smooth; try to incorporate air into the batter to make your crepes fluffier.
Heat medium-sized (8 inches is best) nonstick frying pan over mediumish heat (5-6 on a scale of 10). When the pan is hot, drop a pat of butter into it and swirl to coat evenly.
Pour in about 1/2 c of crepe batter. This will thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Let cook 1-2 minutes until it sets up, then turn. If the crepe scrunches up when you flip it, try to smooth it out without tearing it.
Crepe won’t need quite as much time on the second side. When my crepes are done they are lightly patterned with golden brown.
Flip the finished crepe onto an empty plate and roll it up. You may wish to garnish it with a fruit syrup made from jam thinned with a bit of hot water. Serve them hot as they come out of the pan to the eager faces lined up at your kitchen door.
This recipe makes about 4 crepes – enough for 2 people. Double or triple as necessary.
overheard: at the vet.
November 11th, 2009“Did it come out looking like a pile, or like a sausage?”
Overheard: at school
October 27th, 2009On the way to my dorm, passed a girl talking on her cell phone:
“…and she’s already talking about divorce, and I was like, man she only got married like an hour ago.”
Overheard: at school
October 25th, 2009One guy to another, while walking to class:
“Okay, and this time don’t overload your harddrive with porn.”
Word to your mother.
October 19th, 2009I’ve got my brain on inside out
And I cannot help but shout
That you never loved me
The way I loved you best
And this world’s tired and old
Quite a lot like the two of us
Remember what you’ve been told
And forget what you knew of us
If the day is done tonight
The sun doesn’t rise tomorrow
Please tell your mother
That there never was another
And I loved her daughter
More that I could ever say Read the rest of this entry »
Rock & Roll Hoochie-Koo
October 14th, 2009Playing Covers in the ‘Burbs for Small Change and Big Fun
Craigslist is magic. Where else can you find a new job, a car to get you there, an apartment to sleep in, a bed to sleep on, and a lover to sleep with — all in one place? Craigslist is also where I found my band, by answering an ad in the Musicians community section.
I had spent a few years playing original acoustic music around town, both solo and in a trio, for free coffee and not much more. In this market, the “good” coffeehouse is the one that puts in ten bucks of their own money to start off the tip jar. Of course, this is the same place that double-booked my date, let me put up posters, and didn’t tell me I was frozen out until I showed up with all my gear the day of the show.
So in the fall of 2008 I was ready for something different. Instead of playing originals for love, I wanted to play covers for money. Instead of being an acoustic player who owned an electric guitar, I wanted to sharpen my chops and hold down my place in a four-piece band. And I wanted the energy that comes from a group pushing and pulling together, instead of sitting alone in my living room wondering what to do next, or who would care.
Perpetual Surprises
October 12th, 2009I have striven as a parent to teach my child to be considerate of others. It’s something I personally find very important, something I think the world sadly lacks.
But now that my son has become the thoughtful little boy that he is, I recently developed a new worry. What if he becomes the one that gets picked on. He loves other kids but tends to be shy around them. Strangely, he is never shy around adults and loves conversing with us like we’re all his best friends (he’ll even shout “Hello there!” across a parking lot to strangers he sees loading their groceries into the trunk of their car. But with children? He never seems to know what to say. And so I became worried that “the mean ones” might single him out as weak; a target to throw their abuse at.
Yesterday we took Miles to the park, and I was pleasantly surprised by something.
The YMCA Conspiracy
October 6th, 2009The other night I dreamed that I was looking for some different community sports and music programs to sign my son up for. For some reason I decided the YMCA was the place to do this, so I went down to ask them about it.
The YMCA was located at the bottom of this long trench-like hill with a steep switchback driveway lined with a jungle of thick trees. Up on the street the noise was very oppressive, but once I slipped down that driveway the foliage protected me from the intense sensory overload of afternoon traffic.
I was also sheltered from most of the daylight. It was cool and breezy, and the sudden quiet was almost eerie.
Dukeburgers
October 6th, 2009Making a good hamburger is an art. Making them eight at a time is a science.
You Will Need
8 frozen quarter-pound hamburger patties, 80% lean
Hamburger buns
Sliced cheese
Hamburger sauce (recipe below)
Sliced onions or sliced pickled sweet banana peppers
