KDOC has been playing tons of cooking shows lately, so guess what I've been on the look out for? That's right - recipes I can make with no milk. I keep a stack of index cards on the coffee table so I can jot down ingredients on one side and instructions on the other.
I watched this vegetarian cooking show which I found disgusting, Cuban veggie? no-no-no! Add some GD beef in that dish, please!
The next show was this everybody's Italian momma next door and I loved the recipes because the show was themed as well as the way she presented the recipe while she cooked. I believe the website that accompanies the show is entitled www.ciaoitalia.com. I collected the ingredients in order to make Crema di Piselli, Patate e Pancetta. I'll be making this tomorrow for lunch.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Carlsbad Premium Shops
I was dying to get out of the house since it's been raining on and off for the last two weeks or so, so I decided to hop in the car and drive to Carlsbad. My son, the wise ass he is at times (I wonder where he gets *that* from??) asked me if I was going to try to get a job at Legoland dressed as one of the Lego block people. Oh, sure right, kid. Just as soon as you're willing to put on the Goofy suit at D-Land.
There is an outlet mall located near the auto mall off of Palomar Drive. It's premium meaning, all the expensive stores you may or may not shop at are there. I especially wanted to go to the La Creuset store to pick up another small white oval casserole dish to match the others I have. I also found while I was in the store this bad ass baster which has a screw on top, and two tips: one for a showering effect and another to be used as a flavor injector. It's one hundred times better than the $1.99 version you have to invest in every other year before thanksgiving because you remembered last year is was a piece of crap. I love kitchen gadgets.
Lucky me - across from the kitchen store was a Jones New York store. I think I've collected more pieces from them than any other store. I got a silk blouse and brown leather shoes both on sale, so I didn't feel so guilty about spending the money.
Smack in the middle of the mall was someone who was set-up selling paintings. There were two that caught me eyes: 1) was a knock off of a Van Gough, and 2) a large martini glass with a deep red background. I immediately thought of my friend in Florida when I saw that painting. Hrmmm.
I then walked to the end of the inner mall and couldn't find Barney's, so I went to the other end where I parked and bought me a snack of a hot dog on a stick and a small lemonade at Hot Dog On A Stick, which now, by the way, also serves breakfast at selected stores in the from of sausage on a stick (I kid you not), but hash browns are served on the side.
I decided to leave on the other end of the parking lot and remembered that when this place was only called Carlsbad Company Stores, many of the shops entry doors were on the outside of the complex, like the Samsonite Outlet Store. At the west end, there it was - Barney's, but I was shopped out and dark storm clouds were looming overhead, so I bailed and left at about 6:30PM. I was there for over 2 hours shopping.
There is an outlet mall located near the auto mall off of Palomar Drive. It's premium meaning, all the expensive stores you may or may not shop at are there. I especially wanted to go to the La Creuset store to pick up another small white oval casserole dish to match the others I have. I also found while I was in the store this bad ass baster which has a screw on top, and two tips: one for a showering effect and another to be used as a flavor injector. It's one hundred times better than the $1.99 version you have to invest in every other year before thanksgiving because you remembered last year is was a piece of crap. I love kitchen gadgets.
Lucky me - across from the kitchen store was a Jones New York store. I think I've collected more pieces from them than any other store. I got a silk blouse and brown leather shoes both on sale, so I didn't feel so guilty about spending the money.
Smack in the middle of the mall was someone who was set-up selling paintings. There were two that caught me eyes: 1) was a knock off of a Van Gough, and 2) a large martini glass with a deep red background. I immediately thought of my friend in Florida when I saw that painting. Hrmmm.
I then walked to the end of the inner mall and couldn't find Barney's, so I went to the other end where I parked and bought me a snack of a hot dog on a stick and a small lemonade at Hot Dog On A Stick, which now, by the way, also serves breakfast at selected stores in the from of sausage on a stick (I kid you not), but hash browns are served on the side.
I decided to leave on the other end of the parking lot and remembered that when this place was only called Carlsbad Company Stores, many of the shops entry doors were on the outside of the complex, like the Samsonite Outlet Store. At the west end, there it was - Barney's, but I was shopped out and dark storm clouds were looming overhead, so I bailed and left at about 6:30PM. I was there for over 2 hours shopping.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Daydream Believer?
I had a little catnap today and when I did, I dreampt that I won $114,340 dollars on a slot machine. I looked up and saw the lights go off and the music got loud on the machine and I looked at the screen and I saw that number. Someone came over to my machine with something to sign on a clipboard and said, "You're a winner! Congradulations!"
Weird. I'm not planning a trip like that - I'm unemployed!
Weird. I'm not planning a trip like that - I'm unemployed!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
It's winter and the Grapevine is closed!
We, the people of California, don't do well when roads get wet and then freeze. We don't believe in sanding the roads. We don't even believe in salting the roads. It seems we don't believe in doing anything except let nature run its course and wait for the ice to melt.
So today, Thursday, January 24, 2008, the major route that connects from north to south ,Interstate 5 , was closed. The CHP is busy putting up the road blocks and taking people off of the freeway.
I believe the snow line on the San Bernardino Mountains is at about 4500 feet and the lower is goes, the colder the valley remains. The weather report looks like something out of Seattle rather than sunny Southern California should have. The forecast is for cold and on and off rain for the next 10 days.
I was lucky enough to get some blue sky over my head long enough to get all of my laundry done today and the towels washed, too. And then the cold wind kicked up again and the gray storms clouds rolled back over my fair city and I retreated back into my condo to put away all of the tiems that I washed.
Better yet, I worked on my condo today! I had bought tan rubber moulding to install into both of my bathrooms awhile ago and I got sick of looking at the ugly wall, so I thought that actually installing the moulding would help cover it up. It was a little tricky, but not so hard and I have four lengths done and then I needed to take a break. So I'm writing this blog on my break. I believe I have three more lenghts to install and then I can maybe work on the walls yet another time and paint! Woohoo! It would be nice to have a nice, normal bathroom for the first time since I lived here and not tore up one.
So today, Thursday, January 24, 2008, the major route that connects from north to south ,Interstate 5 , was closed. The CHP is busy putting up the road blocks and taking people off of the freeway.
I believe the snow line on the San Bernardino Mountains is at about 4500 feet and the lower is goes, the colder the valley remains. The weather report looks like something out of Seattle rather than sunny Southern California should have. The forecast is for cold and on and off rain for the next 10 days.
I was lucky enough to get some blue sky over my head long enough to get all of my laundry done today and the towels washed, too. And then the cold wind kicked up again and the gray storms clouds rolled back over my fair city and I retreated back into my condo to put away all of the tiems that I washed.
Better yet, I worked on my condo today! I had bought tan rubber moulding to install into both of my bathrooms awhile ago and I got sick of looking at the ugly wall, so I thought that actually installing the moulding would help cover it up. It was a little tricky, but not so hard and I have four lengths done and then I needed to take a break. So I'm writing this blog on my break. I believe I have three more lenghts to install and then I can maybe work on the walls yet another time and paint! Woohoo! It would be nice to have a nice, normal bathroom for the first time since I lived here and not tore up one.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
From the book of prose 01/23/2008
My rain song
1
I wish you were here when it rains
I wish you were next to me
So you can hear the raindrops and
How they sound to me
2
I wish you weren't so far a-way
On this rainy day
Because I miss you most
in the worst way
br
Even now when you're
resting your little head on your pillow
in dead of night
under the moon's blue light
rep 1
(C) MMM Art, Inc., 2008
Yesterday...
"...all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it's seems as though there here to stay. Oh, I believe in yesterday. Suddenly..." No, not really, but isn't it a nice thing to start off a rambling blog with a bit of verse from a Beatles tune... I'm still unemployed after 11 weeks.
I had a nice little interview with a company in Orange yesterday. I've got a good feeling about it, even though I'm a bit over qualified. The interviewer was super nice, the company seems stable and I really hope I get this job.
Winter is here in southern California finally in full force with a weeks worth of storms looming to hopefully mitigate the drought that has been going on for months. It's snowing on the Grapevine and maybe on the Devore Pass, too, this morning which makes it cold-cold-cold down in the valley below. The wind patters generally travel from the desert out to the sea, so now my Orange County home is as cold as it has been all season. The proof was the $132 electric bill I received for December because we were running the heaters in the bedrooms at night. January's bill is probably going to be the same or worse.
I had a nice little interview with a company in Orange yesterday. I've got a good feeling about it, even though I'm a bit over qualified. The interviewer was super nice, the company seems stable and I really hope I get this job.
Winter is here in southern California finally in full force with a weeks worth of storms looming to hopefully mitigate the drought that has been going on for months. It's snowing on the Grapevine and maybe on the Devore Pass, too, this morning which makes it cold-cold-cold down in the valley below. The wind patters generally travel from the desert out to the sea, so now my Orange County home is as cold as it has been all season. The proof was the $132 electric bill I received for December because we were running the heaters in the bedrooms at night. January's bill is probably going to be the same or worse.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Vote!
Every red-blooded citizen of Orange County should be registered to vote by midnight on 01/22/08. Why? Because this is the first time in the history of voting in the United States that you have the opportunity to vote for someone other than a white Anglo-Saxon bloated businessman AKA "The Man" when you cast your vote during the presidential primary election occurring on February 5, 2008. And I think that's fabulous. Why shouldn't our elected officials look more like us? Have you looked at the census statistics for 2000?
50.8% of the total population are female
24.5% of Americans are something other than white
10.4% of Americans are veterans
...and look who is running for president...
Hillary Clinton
Barack Obama
John McCain
But what really gets me going is not the presidential election at all. It's the California budget crisis and the pending propositions that ratify Indian gaming agreements with the state to pay even more in order to expand their casinos. Why does this bother me so? Not because the Indians want to expand their business, but because I don't want the California budget to be magically solved on the backs of Indians who finally have a voice at the table because they are holding more money in their hands now than ever before when the state government refuses to take action to preserve the public services the illegal immigrants drain from the property tax payers.
These two things especially need to be fixed:
1. You don't have to be a citizen to get a public school education. All you have to show is a proof of residence.
2. You don't have to be able to pay for medical services because everyone knows you can go to the emergency room of any hospital and not be refused treatment.
50.8% of the total population are female
24.5% of Americans are something other than white
10.4% of Americans are veterans
...and look who is running for president...
Hillary Clinton
Barack Obama
John McCain
But what really gets me going is not the presidential election at all. It's the California budget crisis and the pending propositions that ratify Indian gaming agreements with the state to pay even more in order to expand their casinos. Why does this bother me so? Not because the Indians want to expand their business, but because I don't want the California budget to be magically solved on the backs of Indians who finally have a voice at the table because they are holding more money in their hands now than ever before when the state government refuses to take action to preserve the public services the illegal immigrants drain from the property tax payers.
These two things especially need to be fixed:
1. You don't have to be a citizen to get a public school education. All you have to show is a proof of residence.
2. You don't have to be able to pay for medical services because everyone knows you can go to the emergency room of any hospital and not be refused treatment.
I'm trying to keep my head up and a good attitude about this but...
I found this article today about a part-time job opening at a restaurant in Ohio and now I think I don't feel so bad anymore about my personal situation. Click on the title to access the full article. At least I giggled a little.
My friend who helped me revamp my resume woke me up this morning with a telephone call because he was on Cincinnati time and hanging out in the airport waiting for his flight. I know the feeling. I usually just take a light nap waiting for my flights. He said he had a feeling about today...
I got a telephone call from a recruiter today about an administrative assistant's position. I did a telephone interview, so we'll see.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Bush is stimulating again
"swift and temporary actions" is what President Bush said today in a speach about a tax rebate to get business to create jobs and people to buy consumer goods.
Wasn't this the same guy that lined my pocket with somewhere around $50 when he first started in this job?
Well, Mr. Bush, I got to tell you... you can hand out all of the tax rebates you want, but it's not going to bring back all of the jobs lost because of the greed and fraud perpetuated in the mortgage market collapse. It's also not going to bring back all the manufacturing jobs that ran to cheap paying countries due to NAFTA either.
This is the first time I've been out of a job in 14 years and I've never been laid off until now. How are you going to fix that for me? How are you going to make sure that my interest-only mortgage doesn't go into foreclosure? Because I'm out of work, my only option right now is to modify my loan, but that's *if* my servicer agrees.
Wasn't this the same guy that lined my pocket with somewhere around $50 when he first started in this job?
Well, Mr. Bush, I got to tell you... you can hand out all of the tax rebates you want, but it's not going to bring back all of the jobs lost because of the greed and fraud perpetuated in the mortgage market collapse. It's also not going to bring back all the manufacturing jobs that ran to cheap paying countries due to NAFTA either.
This is the first time I've been out of a job in 14 years and I've never been laid off until now. How are you going to fix that for me? How are you going to make sure that my interest-only mortgage doesn't go into foreclosure? Because I'm out of work, my only option right now is to modify my loan, but that's *if* my servicer agrees.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Music on prime time TV 01/17/2008
Chase credit card commercial = Queen - I Want It All
My Name Is Earl (Hector and Jamal episode) = Montrose - Rock Candy
Nissan commercial = Stevie Ray Vaughn - Pride and Joy
Carnival Cruise commercial = Queen - Best Friend
My Name Is Earl (Hector and Jamal episode) = Montrose - Rock Candy
Nissan commercial = Stevie Ray Vaughn - Pride and Joy
Carnival Cruise commercial = Queen - Best Friend
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Life Lessons
Life Lessons
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion.
Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words:
'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will.
Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion.
Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words:
'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will.
Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Windy and Warm
If you weren't cognisant of the fact that today was still in the first half of January, you' think it was a nice warm spring day with the Santa Ana winds blowing the cold wintry air away.
Weeks like this are the one's that bring snowbirds from the frigged northeast to live in California permanently. It will be 70ish all week.
Weeks like this are the one's that bring snowbirds from the frigged northeast to live in California permanently. It will be 70ish all week.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Local Pop God
(Click above for full page)
My friend Kenny Howes was in the Orange County Register today. Woohoo! He's performing with his new band, The Fridge, as well as part of The Pop Dudes tonight, January 11, 2008, at Fitzgerald's Pub, Huntington Beach, during John Borack's "Shake Some Action" book release party.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
$25 Off H&R Block
On and off, I get into the habit of clipping coupons and today was one of those moments. Yahoo Mail was telling me to "go get coupons". O.K., I'll indulge them and see what it's all about. I rather get something like that online then be sent to a site to buy something I don't really need with money I don't have to spend right now. So I click onto the coupons site and and near the very end of this pretty good coupon list which is mostly for food - thank you, is a $25 coupon for tax services with H&R Block. If you going to be using them anyway to sort all of your grocery bags full of receipts and file your 1040 at their office, why not use a freakin coupon and get some money off their fee, right?
Click here for $25 off H&R Block Tax Services
The coupon list. Input your zip code and you may get even more coupons targeted to your location.
Click here for $25 off H&R Block Tax Services
The coupon list. Input your zip code and you may get even more coupons targeted to your location.
Monday, January 7, 2008
The Invasion of the Starbucks
Dear Starbucks,
I live in a town located in the heart of Orange County, California. I believe my hometown has close to 100,000 residents, and even though I don't live in the most desirable place around, your company has chosen to invade it like a plague. I have no less than 8 of your shops within the confines of my fair city, many even within walking distance of eachother. The worst offense is the two shops that flank each end of the block on the street of our local high school. "Hook 'um young and they'll be a customer for life!", is the words I can hear echoing all the way from your offices in Washington state from inside your boardroom right before the evil laughter begins again and you throw the fees collected from all of the carmello mocha lates in the air.
I live in a town located in the heart of Orange County, California. I believe my hometown has close to 100,000 residents, and even though I don't live in the most desirable place around, your company has chosen to invade it like a plague. I have no less than 8 of your shops within the confines of my fair city, many even within walking distance of eachother. The worst offense is the two shops that flank each end of the block on the street of our local high school. "Hook 'um young and they'll be a customer for life!", is the words I can hear echoing all the way from your offices in Washington state from inside your boardroom right before the evil laughter begins again and you throw the fees collected from all of the carmello mocha lates in the air.
Specimens:
1. Red Hill x Edinger "new"
2. Red Hill x El Camino Real "east side of high school"
3. El Camino Real x Newport "west side of high school" "newner"
4. Newport Ave "old Ditrick's site"
5. Newport Ave "original site at Larwin Sq. on 1st St."
6. Barnes & Noble "Irvine Marketplace"
7. Park Ave "Inside Target @ Tustin Legacy"
8. 17th St. "French Quarter"
In conclusion:
disposable income = your extra $ Starbucks wants
snack money = your extra $ Starbucks wants
breakfast beverage = your extra $ Starbucks wants
coffee break = your extra $ Starbucks wants
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
