Long overdue update - part 1?

Sorry for the long delay! This is a long overdue update (duh you can read the title right?) that I'm probably going to have to break into two parts. First off - I have some photos for y'all finally. The first two concern two goals I have achieved in the "things I have been meaning to do" cat. Coincidentally I feel that one, nay perhaps both of these may now qualify me as a redneck. Please discuss amongst yourselves - which makes me more "red"? Would it be my new ghettofabulous clothesline?



or perhaps the box of chickens in my living room:



Either way, I think that both are nudging me a bit closer to owning a shotgun.

Sorry for the wonky alignment, blogger and I are not really getting along so well today. Moving right along, I have completed two more knitting projects - some slippers for my mom:



I also finished a little purse thing for myself but I haven't taken a pic. of it yet. What else is new you ask? Well it should be noted that this is blog post 30 - so 100% for that goal!

I finished another book - Black Olives - I forget the author, I give it a meh. It's about this older woman who's boyfriend breaks up with her and then like 9 months later she sees him at the store and climbs into the back of his jeep and hides while he drives around. It was pretty lame, but didn't totally suck. The ending was super weak though, and I despise a weak ending. Why bother putting in all that work if you are just going to puss out at the end? Lame. So Black Olives - Meh!

This week I watched Pirates of the Caribbean 2 - Black Pearl - which I give a Woot! Yes it was about 45 minutes too long, and the ending was a cliff hanger and yes it was Disney, but it was entertaining, has a good story, and my boy Johnny of course. Hey this is my blog and if I can automatically give good ratings to movies just because they contain Johnny Depp or John Cusack, I'm going to. That goes for books by Stephen King too. Deal with it! So Pirates 2 gets a woot!

Last night we watched Lady in the Water, which was written and directed by M.Night Shamalamadingdong. I'm going to give this a reluctant Woot! It really straddles the line between Woot! and Meh! It was a pretty good family movie, if I was about oh say 13 I would probably be freaking out about how cool it was. M.Night wrote himself into the movie and acts in it which I give a resounding BOO HISSSS! THUMBS DOWN! Don't do that again Mr. Shamalama - please. Good Directors do not make good actors. Well, unless you are Clint Eastood but that's neither here nor there.

Now for a new weird portion of my blog, which I guess also falls into the things I've been meaning to do cat. I'm going to keep track of weird trends/coincidences that I feel are not coincidental. For example, lately I have been intrigued with the idea of the suns rays having antibacterial properties (radiation? anyone? anyone?) because of the clothesline. Since I first heard that, I have heard it a few more times, about not only the sun being antibacterial but the idea of gross things dying in the light.

Ok, so today I was at the library and went upstairs to see what they had for Tom Robbins books (Still Life With Woodpecker, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, etc.) as I was making my way over to Robbins, some books by Salinger, J.D. caught my eye, and I grabbed a copy of Franny and Zooey which I loved in high-school but haven't read since and have recently heard mentioned a bunch of times in the media. I had 2 Robbins books to chose from: "Skinny Legs and All" or "Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates". I chose the later because on the inside of the jacket where it describes the book it says the following: "Moreover, the internationally acclaimed, best-selling author, with his love of language, nuance, and surprise, is as opposed to story summations as J.D. Salinger." - which I thought was kind of weird since I had just randomly picked up a Salinger book - then here's where it got even weirder - "Robbins also has said that throughout the writing of Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates he was guided by the advice of Julia Child "Learn to handle hot things. Keep your knives sharp. Above all, have a good time." Now, most of you know, (if you know me) that I freaking love Julia. I even have an autographed pic. of Julia. I just feel that the combo of these two statements on the jacket of this book to be very odd in a specifically pertinent to my life kind of way. It is these kind of little blips and coincidences that I'm going to try and use to make future choices, or at the very least recognize their existence.

This blog is far too long, and I will be adding a part 2, hopefully tomorrow. With more pics. AND news of my new exercise regime. Oh, also check out the Klog, I have been sporadically been updating that as well. Ciao!

My Career

Thinking of titles for things is hard. It's one of the most difficult parts of writing, for me anyway. I get stuck on titles for inordinate amounts of time. Anyhow, the title of this blog isn't very good. It is not witty and does not have any puns. I apologize, thank you for reading it even though I paid little if no effort luring you in.

Still progressing on the list. About 23% completion average over all. Some, like blogging are at nearly 100%, in fact I think this is entry #29. Don't worry, I won't quit after 30. The writing portion of the list has really seen a jump thanks to my new reporting job, yes I am counting my articles as submissions and my time writing them as writing time. In one short month I am up to 16. Boo Yaa! Lagging behind as you can see - weight loss, water consumption, and exercise, which clearly all go together, oh and as a result of my new job - reduction in driving has fallen by the wayside since I am cruising around to meetings all the time. I've read some great books and seen some kick ass movies - I'll get to those in a sec. and am feeling pretty rocktastic over all.

Good News! For those of you who remember the great XCS debacle of last winter, I was at a yard sale on Saturday and bought a fat pair of Rossignol ski's with poles for.....$10!!! Score! Now I wish it would snow just one last time so I can use them. I will just have to wash them and gaze at them lovingly until next winter.

In cooking news, I have been trying some new recipes, and am excited to try a new ingredient that I am mildly obsessed with. What is it you ask? Lard. That's right. Rendered pig fat. A friend gave me a jar of homemade lard the other night, and since then I have been reading all about lard. It's the wonder fat! For example, did you know that it has less fat and calories than butter? AND doesn't have any trans fats but twice the amount of monostaurated (good fat) than butter? Why is everyone afraid of lard? Because all the stuff you get in the store is hydrogenated in order to make it shelf stable. Otherwise you have to keep it in the fridge or freezer. I could go on and on about lard, but I'll stop now. Though I will say, the lard trials of '08 are probably not going to help my weight loss goals any.

I read Last Night at the Lobster (because Stephen King had a blurb on the back saying it rocked) and of course it did. It's a short book about the manager of a Red Lobster in Mass. on the last night that it's open. Sounds boring right? It's not though, I recommend it. Double Woot!

Been watching a lot of documentaries lately. The Shakers by Ken Burns was absolutely fantastic. If it wasn't for the whole celibacy thing, I would totally be a shaker. They should just ditch the celibacy thing and watch their population soar! I think their philosophies are fantastic and very relevant even for today. Shakers by Ken Burns Double Woot!

I went and saw This American Life Live, at the Strand Theater in Rockland. Before the movie we ate sushi at Suzuki in Rockland. Best. Sushi. Ever. I ate raw Maine shrimp. Who knew? I had been cooking them all this time, when I could have been just throwing them in rice raw and eating them. This place is the real deal. Please go there and eat you will thank me. We saw the movie at the Strand, which I have never been to, actually if you must know, I don't go to Rockland much because I'm scared of Rockland and think it's kind of gross. However the Main St. is so pretty and dare I say, hip, you forget that one street over it's totally skank. I'm sorry Rockland, I should have given you a chance. The Strand also rocks. It's an old theater totally restored, and has a very old timey feel. They feature really cool movies, the marquee stated that they would be showing Blade Runner next. Sweet! Oh, and here's the best part, there is a bar in the theater. People were drinking beer and watching the movie. Wow. Genius I tell you. Ok so, on to TAL, it was amazing. Totally weird to see all the people that I listen to on the radio all the time. Do you not know what TAL is? It's a radio show click here. It featured scenes from their new show as well which I have added to my queue. Double Woot! I'm feeling generous with my woots these days.

Hmm, what else? Oh knitting. I was knocked out of the 3rd round of the Yarn Smack Down! fairly easily since I totally slacked and didn't start the hat until the day after I got the pattern. I made a sweet pair of leg warmers for a very deserving toddler, and am currently knitting some slippers for my mom. I think that's it for now. More updates soon.

Be well bitches!