i stayed up late into the night
a cough and a hack no delight
i knew in the morn’
a shrill like a horn
gunky green lump up and took flight
you should thank me for not taking a picture of it.
limerick for a friday afternoon: congestion
March 17, 2006
puppy fever
March 14, 2006
most people who know me well, know of my unhealthy obsession with dogs. you would think that baby fever would have kicked in by now, unfortunately for my mother, no (although it is in the back of my mind and i look forward to it…someday). i take a lot of pictures of dogs, almost always little dogs, but the big ones too, especially since they always get in the way with their big fat butts.
sadly, we don’t have a dog and probably won’t get one anytime soon. yet, i could list off at least ten breeds (including a pound puppy) that would suit me just fine if tommy were to come home one day and say, ‘get in the car, i’m getting you a dog’, which i secretly hoped would happen last year for my birthday when i obsessed over a mix named rosie, available for adoption nearby. i didn’t receive rosie for my birthday, instead a santoku knife. just as well, the knife has served me well. at any rate, i’m still holding on to the dream.
a stinky resolution, and a bed of filth
March 9, 2006
thanks to everyone for all the great advice on the stinky shoe issue. you’ll be happy to learn that i discovered a strange solution that seems to work so far – the cleaning spray i use on the carpet after my kitties have barfed. it’s some enzyme spray i bought at whole foods, and after using it on the inside of my shoes and soaking up the excess liquid, the unpleasant odor has disappeared. so far so good, but i’ll definitely look into odor eaters too. loving my non-stinky flats again!
if you haven’t noticed, there’s an amazing bushel of hair waiting for you up there. i had my hair cut a few weeks ago and tommy took some pictures of the remnants. you’re looking at about six inches of hair which translates to about two less pounds weighing down upon my fragile neck. such relief! i have to point out also that i recently discovered frizz-ease and all i can say is, WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG TO DISCOVER SUCH A CONCOCTION! it’s too good to be true. for sure it will cause cancer of the forehead in twenty years – nothing is this perfect without consequences.
don’t mind the smell
March 8, 2006
i did a little shopping for myself last week as a birthday present for my feet. they need a little love too, you know. because of my aversion to wearing socks, naturally i bought more flats.
here’s a fun fact – i was once known as the stinky footed girl at my previous job (stinky footing due to a lack of socks). yes, coworkers complained of the smell when i’d remove my flats after a long walk during a break on a hot summer day. i had a trick that i thought would help diffuse the odor — which did not work — i would slowly remove my shoes from my feet over the course of 20 minutes.
i am a little sensitive to the idea of being known as a smelly girl (i’m a very clean, nice-smelling girl, really, i am), and i want my flats to stay clean and fresh smelling for as long as possible. so let me ask – how do you other sock haters deal with stinky shoe issues? any magical products i should try? and to answer the question that i’m sure someone will ask – yes, i wash my feet at least once a day!
recipe: grilled vegetables and chickpeas with couscous
March 3, 2006
source: cooking light, sept. 05
cooking light says, “served over couscous, this vegetable-bean combination makes a complete one-dish meal with rich flavors of the middle east.”
i say, “it’s just as good served over brown rice. mmm! pick up a rotisserie chicken and you will have enough food for about three-to-four meals for two people. i make quesadillas with the leftovers. also, it says to use a ‘grill rack’ (whatever that is), i use a stove-top grill.”
– 1 large zucchini (about 8 ounces)
– 1 large yellow squash (about 6 ounces)
– 1 small green bell pepper, quartered
– 1 small red bell pepper, quartered
– 1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1/2 cup)
– cooking spray
– 1 cup water
– 3/4 cup uncooked couscous
– 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (i use red pepper flakes instead)
– 1/4 teaspoon salt
– 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
– 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
– dash of ground cinnamon
– 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
– 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
– 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
– 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
– 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained (i always rinse and dry too)
– 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese
prepare grill
cut zucchini and squash lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. place zucchini, squash, bell peppers, and onion on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until well browned. remove vegetables to a cutting board; cool. chop vegetables into bite-sized pieces; place in a large bowl.
bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in couscous and the next 5 ingredients (through cinnamon). cover, remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. fluff with a fork.
mix tomatoes, vegetable mixture and remaining ingredients except couscous and cheese; toss well. serve mixture over a bed of couscous. sprinkle each serving with cheese.
the little camera that could
February 28, 2006
as i stood on the edge of a hill, overlooking the golden gate bridge and the bay, a kid with a canon 20d came up next to me, snapping away, capturing everything that i couldn’t. my poor little camera is so pathetic. my mom use to tell us when we were little, ‘do the best with what you have’. i’ve adapted it to my own needs, ‘do the best with what you have and complain about it until you get something better’.
thread
February 9, 2006
a pile of thread sitting in my jewelry box. i don’t sew and don’t have much patience to learn, so it’s more a pile of colorful eye candy than anything.