Categories
update

My ears are desperate

Time for another plea from yours truly.  My iPod is stale.  My stereo frowns at me every time I pass by.

I need some new tunes!

Please tell me you’ve been listening to something good.  What is it?

Categories
update

First Slurpee of the season

Slurpee

With the sun shining and a 7-11 on my way back from a meeting, I filled up a dome lidded cup with Coke Slurpee.  Rarely, I will stray from the greatest flavor, but not today.

Categories
recipe

Quick whole wheat and molasses bread

This is the first recipe that I have made from my new cookbook, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman.

The bread was certainly easy-peasy and, after one slice, I would say it’s delicious as well. Looks like a smiley face will be going next to that recipe. There are plenty more to work my way through.

If you don’t have this book, the recipe is also on Bittman’s blog – Quick whole wheat and molasses bread.

Categories
library

Epic

I am attempting to read an epic science fiction book.  The going is a bit slow.

Grammy Linda says Oliver likes to read.  Yay!  As his librarian aunt, this pleases me.

One thing that doesn’t please me is my local public library’s ridiculous hold policy.  When the Watertown Free Public Library sends me a notice that one of the books I’ve put on hold is ready to be picked up, I have 3 days until it gets snatched off the hold shelf.

There are many things that I have been unable to pick up.  I have wasted the time I put in searching for the book and placing the hold and the library has wasted resources delivering a book that never gets checked out.

Categories
aunthood image

Cute overload

Oliver!

Categories
update

Denied

This just in via certified mail, my TSA claim is denied. Apparently they carefully evaluated all of the evidence and determined that there are no legally sustainable grounds upon which a finding of liability can be based on the part of the TSA.

Blah blah blah.

I will translate this mumbo jumbo for you:

We stole your stuff, you can’t really prove it, so there’s nothing you can do about it. Thanks for the Nintendo Wii.

The Transportation Security Administration is a giant disappointment to the country. I jumped through all the hoops and filed my claim. I got nothing and now they advise that I can file suit if I am dissatisfied.

The TSA, the baggage handlers, whoever, are allowed to steal whatever they like from anybody’s luggage and face no consequences.

Categories
book review

Rock on: an office power ballad

I feel the need to add a note to the beginning of my review regarding how I consumed this book. It was an audiobook that I downloaded for my trip to the west a couple weeks ago. I have a hard time out and out declaring that I read this book. The audio version was read by the author and was unabridged. Did I really read it, though?

Either way, it was really enjoyable. Much of my airplane time flew by (ha!) while listening to this one and I did indeed laugh out loud a few times. The story is about Dan Kennedy’s time working for a record label, but a lot of the humor is the kind of stuff any office worker can relate to. There are a enough insights into the music industry sprinkled in to make it feel like I picked up some insider’s knowledge.

Categories
recipe

Chipotle party yams

For the recent Mexican based party, in honor of Katie’s 30th birthday, I made some yams (sweet potatoes?  what’s the difference?).  At any rate, the produce was labeled as yams and I made a big old batch (4 batches, actually) that turned out to be amazingly delicious.  My guess is the smoky spicy chipotle cut the sweet potatoes (yams?) enough so that they are unstoppable.

  • 2 lbs. yams, peeled and cut into pieces
  • 1 splash milk (1/4 cup?)
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle pepper with adobo sauce

Boil the yams until quite soft, very fork tender.  Mash up with the remaining ingredients.  The chipotle peppers come in a little can with adobo sauce.  I food processed a pepper with some of the sauce and used a spoonful, but they can also be chopped by hand.  Use more or less depending on your threshold for spice.

Categories
book review

The Translator: A Tribesman’s Memoir of Darfur


I wish that more of Daoud Hari would have come through in this memoir. The parts of the book that really highlighted his great personality and really got to the heart of his story were the most enjoyable, but those parts did not make up the majority of the book.

His story is amazing and the situation in Darfur deserves much attention. This book didn’t do justice to either.

This is another book I got from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. I wrote this review for the site.
LibraryThing Early Reviewers

Categories
update

Happy 30th birthday to Katie

We had a few friends over on Saturday night for a birthday party.

We had a bit of cake to celebrate with.

Some champagne.

A little Mexican inspired food.

Check out the rest of the scene if you weren’t able to make it in person.