Thoughts on Phone Replacements, Letters, and Barbeque Sauce

I wrote last week that I cracked the screen on my phone because it fell from my pocket.Well, now my replacement phone is here - thank you 22 month warranty coverage - and let's just say... it's larger then I expected.

I had a HTC Aria, which was on the smaller side of all touch screen phones. But see, that was perfect for me. I'm a person of short stature, so I also have small hands. The Aria was just the right fight for texting and holding my phone in one hand and doing virtually everything that way.

My new phone is ginormous. It's a Samsung Galaxy S, which is HUGE. Texting is certainly uncomfortable and the keyboard is set up a bit differently. So there's lots to get used to now.

But I seriously miss my old phone....

Thoughts on Fantasy, Cereal, & Why Can't I Ever Think of a Third?

The genre; not the daydreams.

I was obsessed with the fantasy genre for the majority of my childhood.  Aside from the usual dalliances into young adult drama and Are You There, God?  It's Me, Margaret to get all the "answers" to my burning questions, I devoted myself entirely to talking animals and people with wings and creatures that spoke made-up languages.  Ironically, I've never been able to finish a book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy - I only read The Hobbit in sixth grade, for fun.  I remember doing some kind of kickass book jacket for it.  I drew a dragon.

Thoughts on Mac n' Cheese, Workshops, and Nargles

It's tough to find some really fantastic Mac n' Cheese. The boxed kind isn't the same and definitely after said box has sat for a time, is a terrible experience. So I've been searching for some delicious Mac n' Cheese. And this certainly hasn't been an easy search.

So far, my top pick has been Costco. It's super delicious, and all I do is put it in the oven. FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC. One night, I ate one-third of the pan - and that's actually pretty dangerous considering all the butter and cheese in the dish. But then again... I was in pain - shoulder issue - and on some pain killers. So I was nomming for anything at that point. A third of a pan though. That's a lot of macaroni and cheese.

I've sampled a few frozen brands, and none come quite as close. The cheese mixture just doesn't taste right and reminds me too much of Kraft - who I'm not fond of.

Since I enjoy cooking, I tried my hand at a few recipes, but none turned out well. I was low on milk and cheese, so other items had to be mixed in to get the right consistency. Definitely a big mistake. So next time I need to make sure I have all the ingredients.

However, I think I've found the right kind for me. As a replacement to Costco until they start making it again - lately they've only been making other pasta dishes with lots of shrimp (gross!) - I've turned to Panera. Holy Hell, that stuff is delicious. It's way too easy to eat my fill of that. Way too easy. If I bought more then just a large bowl, I think I would die from consuming too much.

Thoughts on Childhood Foods For Guests, Entertainment, and New Glasses

It's been interesting finding foods that our two exchange students like. Sometimes they'll like one food, and then a day later, not prefer it. Lunches have been interesting, and so have breakfast. But dinner they've been pretty okay with. We've been doing a mix of various foods with rice, classic "American" foods.

But one thing I know, is how to make foods that kids will eat. Call it having a love for the "classics" or just figuring that like all kids, they love something that's tasty, even if it's healthy.

So tonight we had Chicken Noodle Soup and Grilled Cheese. My mom had said she thought they wouldn't like the Grilled Cheese since they didn't like cheese for their tacos or some other things with cheese in them. But we made an extra grilled cheese just in case and cut all the sandwiches into triangles. After trying one sandwich each, they ended up eating a good portion of them.

Julia Child was right. Butter makes everything taste fantastic. But melted cheese and butter? Now we're talking real amazing food.

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Thoughts on Exchange Students, Cravings, and My Loathing for Twilight

In about two weeks, we're getting two exchange students from China. They're 10 and 11 - with the younger turning 11 the day after she leaves. Yeah, that's right. 10 and 11. From China, and they'll be here in the states, away from family.

It's really cool that they get to participate in the program and travel the world during their summer. But it's probably also scary since they're so young.

Either way, I'm excited to meet them both. We'll have Wendy and Rose - the English names they chose - for about two weeks. We've had an exchange student before. She was cool and it helped that we were/are close in age. So certainly, I'll have more interesting things to talk about, having them here.

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Thoughts on Lack of Posts, Farmer's Market Food, and Hospitals

I know I've been slacking. And some of that is due to the lack of things I've taken notice of. And probably laziness. But I haven't really had anything significant happen lately that I've wanted to write about.

I do have a few topics noted for future nights - and hopefully a guest post or two - but I'm trying to make sure I don't ramble about the same topic multiple nights in a row.

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Thoughts on Theno's Dairy, Hits to the Face, and Allergy Medicine

My hometown has a lot of great things going for it. It's a major technology mecca, home to two major companies - Nintendo and Microsoft - has a pretty healthy economy, and is the perfect distance from everything.

For those that like wine, there's a town not far from here that has plenty of wineries and breweries to sample the Northwest flavors. Plenty of pups, bars, taverns, etc. for the drinking types. Several playing fields, parks, and venues of the outdoorsy type. There's an outdoor mall, two bookstores, lots of eateries, your typical fast food, and several grocery stores. And, it's not that far off from being able to "get away" into the farms and get some space. But I think what really makes this place feel special... Is Theno's Dairy.

It used to actually sell milk that they bottled on site, along with cream and butter. My mom actually still has several bottles and a carrier in our garage. But now, they sell handmade ice cream and fudge. There's nothing better than snagging a cone after a long, hot day at work.

Besides coffee, vanilla, and rainbow sherbert, they've got plenty of flavors to offer that you can only find at their dairy. July 1st will be the first day that their summer special, Cantaloupe ice cream arrives. Right now they have strawberry rhubarb. During the holidays, they have pumpkin pie and peppermint. They've done a fantastic job at withstanding a tough economy everywhere and serving people a delicious treat that isn't fast food or soft serve.

Best part of my home town.

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Thoughts on Writer's Block, Cheese Bunnies, and Ambiguity

My various projects suffer from a great deal of writer's block. My blog, along with both my current novels and just any short story ideas that pop into my head.

Some of it has to do with the fact that I get the feeling that if I start working on anything, I'll hate how it is and it'll join all the other files currently in my "In the Works" folder. Sure, revising and editing are for making things better. But if I'm not in "the mood" or "in the zone" then I shouldn't write anything. Most of the time, I really end up disliking it. I have to be completely consumed by an idea and have it pretty well planned out on paper or in my head before I'm willing to stake a significant amount of time on it and make it the best.

So writer's block unfortunately strikes me a few times a year:
--A month after WriMo, when I've put my story to rest for a time to mull over ideas. Generally I don't pick it up again for quite some time....
--After several days/weeks of writing a short story or even flash fiction consistently.
--Working on a previous WriMo novel and making major changes to it that are for the better, but ultimately, I'm lazy.
--Undecisive-ness in searching for the right direction to take my short story/novella/novel, etc.
--Editing and revising large bodies of work.

Hopefully I can find a cure soon. This requires epic music, me thinks.

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Thoughts on Wood Fired Pizza, The X-Men, and Actors

I tend to take a lot of photos of the fantastic looking food I'm about to eat.

That was a delicious pizza. Made at the farmer's market here in town, held every Saturday.  And it was made in a wood-fired oven. Delicious doesn't even cover how fantastic that pizza tasted. 

Hand-made dough, fresh cut veggies and homemade sauce; it was full of perfection. That was the veggie pizza, however there was also cheese, pepperoni and meat lovers. But there's something about veggies on a pizza that make it look like a work of art. Maybe it's the color, or perhaps that it has basically every vegetable I love; I just couldn't resist snapping this photo before I nommed it in under five minutes. So amazing I wanted another right after the first.

What made it taste even better, was the fact it was baked in a wood-fired oven. That still is super cool to me that they bring in their own oven every Saturday. Portable EPIC oven FTW. 

I can't wait for next week!

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Thoughts on Blue Jays, Mushrooms, and Gardening

This is a Blue Jay. Yesterday, he came and sat on our deck railing. We've gotten a lot of random wildlife that roams through our neighborhood and yard. Obviously, birds are the easiest to come across. But it's not too often they'll chill on our deck for such a long amount of time that I can take several pictures.

It's a pretty grainy photo since I was taking it through the screen of our sliding glass door. After watching him sit in this position for several minutes, I figured out what he was doing - attracting a mate.

He had his chest puffed out like those Foster Farms chicken commercials and would sit in various weird positions. Then he'd fidget for a moment, scratch his head and make his feathers more fanned out, especially the plume on his head, and then pose again. The mating rituals of the feathered kind have always been fascinating. If you've ever watched Planet Earth on Discovery Channel, particularly when they talk about the jungle, you see all these crazy antics that birds would put themselves through just to attract the females. And if the ladies were unimpressed, the guys would deflate and be sad that they were overlooked.

I'm happy to say though, that I saw a Blue Jay today, and he had a mate. They landed on our deck railing and sat for a few moments before taking off.

Congrats little dude.

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Thoughts on Green Caps, Dinosaurs, and Cartoons

My car, Trixie, has little green caps on her tires on the spout where you'd fill them up with air. Confused and thinking that perhaps these were magical caps that change color when the tire is losing pressure - apparently those exist - we decided to ask. Trix was in for a check-up anyway, so we asked the dealership guy what the purpose of the green cap was. Turns out we were completely wrong.

The green caps mean that my tires are filled with nitrogen. NITROGEN. Say wah?

Apparently, filling your tires with nitrogen make them run cooler, so they don't over heat. Also, that's what they fill racing tires with. Confused much? Yeah me too. Especially when you know that my car is a little, first generation Toyota Prius. That is not a racing car. Maybe it helps with efficiency? I have no idea.

But green caps are not magical and change color. And no, the gas won't change the pitch of your voice if you inhale it. So much for my imagination....

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Thoughts on Cheez-its, Guy Friends, and Re-reading Roleplays.

There's something about Cheez-its that makes them so addicting. When they say "Get your own box" they aren't kidding.

Maybe it's the delicate mix of cheese, salt and crunch that makes them so irresistible. Or the fact they don't leave behind much residue on your fingers. They are simply one of the best snack crackers ever. As the snack saying goes, "You can never have just one."

Thoughts on Family, Friendship, & Food

I have friends whose families have been in this town for decades - maybe even centuries, I don't know.  I'm not an outcast around here, but since my family is so tiny, it's weird to see so many people who can be so committed to each other and supportive of one another.  I'm an only child, which has never been a huge issue, though I have contemplated what it would have been to be a big sister (or the annoying kid sister with a crush on all her adorably protective older brother's friends).  It might get lonely, but I hear the horror stories and realize how lucky I have it to be on my own and totally accepting of that.

But we don't really talk to my dad's side of the family; just my mom's.  Through her, I only have one grandmother, two aunts, an uncle, and exactly one cousin.  One.  Some of my friends can't even keep track of ages and birthdays for all their cousins.  I've never been excited for family get-togethers, because there's never anyone my age to talk to.  I've always been a little grown-up and, now that I actually am an adult, they still treat me like a child.

Thoughts on Sunday Mornings, Rainy Nights, and Failed Food Experiments

Weekend mornings are quiet. Particularly Sundays. It's the last twenty-four before the return to work and only a small break in a week where every second counts. But it's not filled with To-Do's and errands, or with hanging out and chores. Those are all left up to Saturday. Sunday gets the things I should make time for. The list of things I love to do, but don't do on a day-to-day basis.

 But most of all, it's the early morning where I'm still in bed, wishing to drift to my dreams. Instead, I listen to the quiet murmur of a television in the next room, and the groaning of the dog as he moves to get up. In the quiet of the bedroom hall, I can hear his collar jingle about his neck as he stretches, yawns, scratches, and whines. His loud waking ritual signals he needs to go outside; and then get his breakfast the instant he returns. I know if I pretend to sleep, he won't wake me. He'll rouse whose bed he slept in. Upstairs he'll venture in the yard before returning for his breakfast reward. Thanking whomever fed him, with a burp to the face.