A New Leaf

Let’s see… I’ve been an ex-smoker for a month.  I don’t make myself proud often, but this one is a source of pride for me.

Now, for your viewing pleasure, this month I’m going to lose the five pounds I gained while quitting smoking.  (It’s a price I was more than willing to pay.)

I’ve been reconnecting with some old friends, which I suppose I needed.  Oh, and some of my old friends are real whack jobs.  Like, gonna end up on Court TV crazy.  So I’m gonna try not to reconnect to some of them any more.  But, on the flip side, I’ve come into contact with a few people I really like and I’ve really missed.

The job search is stalled once again.  That’s all I’m going to say about that, for fear of making myself ill with the pathetic bitching.

But, one true blessing–a mild end of summer.  I don’t know if I could’ve handled the four or five weeks of 100-degree weather we usually get.  I think it might have done me in.  Instead, it’s the middle of the day and 82.  God does love me.

The Omnivore’s Hundred

I came across this on the Chocolate & Zucchini blog, although it appears that it originally came from Very Good Taste.  Great idea!

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten. (Bold doesn’t really show up in the theme, so I’m adding italics as well.)
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare (Strange that I’ve never had it, but…)
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht (Hated it.  But when in Russia…)
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (Um, I’m from Appalachia.)
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes (Just this morning!)
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas (Doesn’t everyone have that one odd coworker who always brings in weird snacks?)
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O (Yeah, I went to college.)
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (Weird coworker again!  And those roly-polys I used to snack on when I was little.)
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi (Seriously hated it.)
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (Again, college.)
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill (People, don’t taunt.  I’m from Appalachia!)
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef (But thanks to Top Chef, I feel like I have.)
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse (Can’t eat Black Beauty!)
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish (Please.  Served fresh all the time less than a block away.)
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Not bad–I’ve got 57.  And you’ll notice that I didn’t strike though any of them.  Granted, I didn’t look them all up, but I know myself.  I’ll try anything once, even if it is potentially lethal.  (Roadkill, anyone?)

The Most Trusted Man in America

And the picture’s quite nice too.

Favorite Olympic Moments, Thus Far

Anyone who knows me knows that I can’t pass up a major sporting event.  Add a bit of pageantry and drama, and I’m sold.  I’m the girl who is still crying over the fact that the Great Outdoor Games and the Eco-Challenge are no longer happening.  (I’ve still got my fingers crossed for the return of the Outdoor Games.  Not sure why I love watching competitve sawing, but I do.)

Well, needless to say.  I’ve been practically glued to my TV for the past week.  I’m pretty sure I can’t keep up this pace much longer.  I might have to forgo the rest of the games for the sake of my sanity.  But, it’s been a while since I’ve had a list, so here it is:

1. The look on Michael Phelps’ face when Jason Lezak took the last-second lead in the men’s 4×100 relay.
2. Seeing Nastia Liukin cheering on Shawn Johnson during the final rotation of the Women’s All-Around Final.  (That scoring was a little wacky, wasn’t it?)
3. Yao Ming’s 3-pointer.  You know the one.
4. While I’m on Yao, he was pretty darn cute holding that kid during the opening ceremonies.
5. I know you’ve seen it, ’cause they keep replaying it–Bela watching Liukin’s final event.
6. The US men’s volleyball getting through group play undefeated.
7. And just now, Dara Torres giving up her pre-race routine to make sure a competitor gets to race.  Very classy.

And, exhale…

I finally have a few days off, and I truly don’t know what to do with myself.  Originally I was going to visit P. & the little G. in Colorado, but plans changed.  And now, I can’t decide what to do.  Do I stay glued to the Olympics, which I adore?  Do I hop in the car and head for a lake?  Should I finally install that new radio, get my hair cut, groom the dog, buy a new door, put together a poker game, shop for an interview suit, read that pile of books, clean out the closet, go to an exhibit, do the other 59 things I’ve put off all year?  Oh my god!  Too many options!  Must breathe and relax.

It’s sad.  I have so little vacation time that I feel utterly pressured to maximize its use.  Which totally defeats the purpose!  So, in defense of vacation, I should sit on my ass.  Right?

SYTYCD Final Thoughts

I’ll try to make this quick.  Happy for Joshua, although I had a strange realization during the finale: I didn’t care who won.  They all seemed like nice people and I found them all entertaining.  But, big ups to Joshua.  He was wonderful all season long.

Phillip Chbeeb totally kicked Robert Murraine’s ass.  Apparently everyone but Mia was watching something else.

For once I completely agreed with the picks for the best performances of the season.  I really enjoyed watching them all again, though I’m not sure where they would rank in terms of past seasons.  And, even though I don’t normally enjoy Debbie Allen, I LOVED her L’il C impression.  And can they please give Mary’s permanent judgeship to Shankman?  He is so much more interesting.

Where the hell is Sabra?

Loved seeing the all-stars, but I really couldn’t see them all that well.  Are the cameramen all drinking during the show?  (It didn’t help that my local station was displaying election results on part of the screen.)

Congrats to both Nigel and Mary on having the guts to take the stage and for not making fools of themselves.  I think every judge should have to prove themselves in a similar manner.

Cat Deeley for President.  Oops… Foreign born.  Well, hell.  It’s time for a new amendment.

Another day, another job lead…

Just got another interview for a position here it town.  I think it could be a really good fit for me, despite the fact that it is here.  Then again, I just spent a whole day and $400 on my yard, so maybe I should live here for a while to enjoy it.

My alma mater sucks.

I didn’t like my school when I was a student there.  Then, last week, they called ME and asked if I wanted to interview for a job there.  I said yes, since I think they still owe me some money.

So, today, I am ready when they call for the interview.  It’s a panel of six people–a real hardcore telephone interview, especially considering I live about a mile from campus and offered to come in for the thing.  Three questions in, they end the interview abruptly, saying I don’t meet their qualifications.

THEY called ME.  WTF?

Did the school want one more chance to humiliate me?

I’m losing my patience.

The Best Book I’ve Read This Year…

I’ve read a lot of really good books this year, but The Art of Racing in the Rain definitely takes the prize.  I’ve never been so genuinely moved by a novel.  From the first page, I had fallen in love with Enzo, the narrator, and I just could not put the book down.  In some ways, it is a simple story but at the same time it is so much more complicated.  It’s about love, dedication, perserverance, faith, friendship, hope and auto racing.  What more could a girl want?  I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys great writing, loves dogs or believes in the zen of racing.  And I don’t care how big and tough you think you are, make sure you have some Kleenex.