You're Doing It Wrong

We got new recycling bins. Instead of sorting our stuff into three little bins, we dump it all into this big bin. Except for glass which goes in a separate little bin. I probably should read the instructions in more detail. Our garbage cans are so small, you could maybe fit a 12 year old in one. This thing is so big you could fit a 12 year old, me AND Bob in it.

Part I

Last week when I was at the airport, I went to LameAss Airlines to see about the potential problem with my plane ticket.

The LameAss guy shook his head and said, “Oh no. That’s a problem. On an international flight the ticket must be issued exactly like it says on your passport. But I can’t help you.”

LameAss Airlines has been purchased by Ginormous Airlines. This is the second time that LameAss Airlines has allowed me to purchase a ticket to fly on one of their planes but when I had a question told me they couldn’t answer it, I had to deal with Ginormous Airlines.

So I walked to the other side of the airport where everyone at Ginormous Airlines was on a break. I flagged down a lady and she listened to my problem and then flapped her hands at me like how could I be so silly. “One letter different? That’s no problem. Don’t worry about it.”

“You’re sure?” I said. “I don’t want to arrive for my international fight and find out I have a problem.”

Her smiled disappeared. “I’ll ask my colleagues.” She then goes back to where the Ginormous Airlines employees were sitting around and said, “One letter off on the ticket isn’t a problem is it?”

“Nope,” they all agreed. “No problem.”

I’m doomed.

Looking south on Interstate 5

Part II

Here’s the tentative menu for tomorrow

Matt’s Salmon Cakes with Easy Remoulade Sauce

Cedar Plank Salmon

Mark Bittman Quinoa-Wild Rice dish (#24)

Bob’s Acorn Squash Fries (I don’t know where he got the recipe. I think he said a vegan resource which if you know him, is pretty hysterical.)

Jay Lake’s Knot Rolls.

and Cooks Illustrated Pumpkin Pie using pumpkin I grew myself.

I’m going to do a computer free day tomorrow since I haven’t done one in forever and I want to spend the day hanging around the kitchen.

Photo courtesy of kworth30. Thank you for CC licensed photos. The photo was taken in Jan 04. There is no snow on the ground right now.

This morning on the bus in I saw a spectacular sunrise over Mt. Hood and then saw Rudolph on the Made in Oregon sign as we pulled into downtown. I didn’t think they lit his nose until after Thanksgiving.

I want to get a new raincoat. The one I have is at least 5 years old and has a broken zipper. I think I can justify the expense. I had Bob help me with this arm measurement that they want you to do for the Internet order and took my data back to the size chart and learned that with that arm measurement, I am an extra-large.

When it comes to clothing I find it hard to believe I’m an extra-large in anything except children’s sizes. Then Bob and I tried again and then decided to just take a couple inches off and use that measurement. It’s sure going to be funny when my hobbit-sized raincoat arrives.

I’m working on my menus for food I want to make this weekend. I’m loving this 101 ideas list from Mark Bittman. We’re probably skipping the traditional Thanksgiving dinner although I’m still up for making it if things change. Otherwise we’re having salmon and I have a giant hunk so I’ll probably try a couple of different things. I’ll crack into my pumpkin supply and make soup and a pie. I’m thinking about doing a pot of gumbo.

I’m talking about over the whole long weekend, not just Thanksgiving dinner.

This past weekend I made my second favorite bread recipe, the Cook’s Illustrated sandwich bread. It’s fantastic toasted with butter or Nutella. Or both.

I started this post this morning and then got busy so I’m finishing it in a big rush. Back to work.

We did our annual Bob’s Red Mill trek this morning. Serving breakfast starting at 6am. (We didn’t get there until 8am)

Misheard Lyrics

Bob and I went on an long walk this afternoon when the rain stopped.

On the way home Bob randomly said: “What’s up with that Madness song? ‘Our house, in the middle of the street … ‘ Was it really in the middle of the street?”

I said, “In the middle of OUR street.”

He thought for a few seconds and then said, “OH. Like the middle of the block. I get it.”

But that reminded me of my favorite song lyric of all time. I’ve probably already blogged about it because I love it so much.

It’s from the classic Warrant album Cherry Pie from the song, Uncle Tom’s Cabin and it goes like this:

Me and Uncle Tom were fishin’ it was gettin’
Pretty late
Out on a cypress limb above the wishin’ well
Where they say it got no bottom say it take
You down to Hell

– – –

They were fishing in a bottomless wishing well!?!?!?

I just hope I get to meet Jani Lane someday so I can ask him about it.

I Couldn’t decide on a title so we have three:

Stephenie Meyer is Saving The Economy

or

I Can’t Believe I Set My Alarm to Go See a Movie That Made Me Laugh Out-loud. At it.

or

I Switched Teams: Go Jacob

I don’t even know where to start with this.

I am a veteran of the first-show-of-the-day-on-the-day-the-movie-opens-but-not-midnight-showing going back to 1983 when Episode VI was released when I was in college. I was not a person who ditched class but I retrieved my car from the far-reaches of dorm parking and snuck off without telling anyone what I was doing. I drove to downtown Santa Barbara at 9am and waited in line with five other college students who I’d never met before but who became my best friends for the next couple of hours. There was only a handful of people in the theater but I think that fact that I was supposed to be doing something else made the movie even better.

Since then I’ve seen lots of stuff. I saw Episodes I – III on the first day. LOTR I-III the first day. Both Narnia movies. Probably Golden Compass. Probably the second Matrix movie but not the third. I think one of the Harry Potters. I’m sure there are others.

I have never seen anything like I saw this morning.

Backing up a second. I ended up getting home later than expected last night. I thought about driving by the theater to check out the Twihard action on my way home but I was tired and hungry so I skipped it. I got online to double check that the 6am shows were still on. If I understand Fandango correctly: the 11-plex that’s a couple miles north of us sold out eight midnight shows. Before I went to bed there were still three midnight shows on sale and a 3am show.

I was going to a different theater, downtown, which had sold out three midnight shows and added 2 more. These are just the two theaters closest to where we live.

By the time I had eaten and wound down last night I was in bed late (for me) but I set the alarm. When it went off it was dark and rain was beating against the window. I couldn’t do it. But I woke up again 45 minutes later and decided to go for the 7am. I grabbed my shopping list (for after) and zoomed downtown completely prepared to be watching a movie with three other lame people.

The parking lot was full. I have seen this parking lot full one other time — a Friday evening when Bob and I went to see something, possibly Kill Bill. At 6:50am the cinema parking lot was full. Well, there were two spots and I took one that was next to a post so I had to climb out through the passenger door.

There was one TV crew there and one morning radio crew. I put my money on the counter and the kid said, “What did you need?” Really? Hm, 7am. What are the choices?

The lobby was nuts. There were people, excuse me, women and young girls buying t-shirts and jewelry and taking their pictures next to cardboard cutouts of Bella and Edward. My show was in one of the big theaters and it was at least one third full. I’m still having a hard time believing all this.

All the trailers were for romantic movies. There was a Nicholas Sparks thing, a Michael Cera thing which I guarantee the trailer showed the best parts no need to go see it, something with Romeo and Juliet and a letter, Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin. There was a trailer with RPattz and the theater went silent.

If I ever get my hands on a time machine I’m going to go back in time and destroy everyone responsible for the notion that all visual entertainment must be accompanied by an emo soundtrack. WTF? Someone points to a YouTube clip of a hamster trying to crawl out of a paper bag. Cue: angsty guitar music with breathy vocals. Every trailer. argh! Every quiet moment in the movie. argh! Can we just watch something without someone trying to beat us over the head with the emotion they want us to feel?

So what did I think of the movie?

Speaking of Twilight in general, I don’t think I’ve ever been so thoroughly entertained by something that I think is so awful.

I enjoyed it but I laughed at it. A lot.

When Jacob took off his shirt the first time, every woman in the audience gasped. Jacob is so way better than Edward. I’m totally switching teams.

Well, this wasn’t the best weekend of my life but not the worst either. I managed to get my act together today and took care of some business and did a bit of writing.

Yesterday I noticed some sunshine and I thought it would be smart to get my butt outside and rake but, of course, I found something better to do. That, naturally, involved sitting on the couch.

Today I figured I’d get out there for at least an hour but it was gray, drippy and 48 degrees. I made a pot of soup and roasted some beets instead.

I’ve got another busy week. Tomorrow is my long day and I don’t get home until almost 8pm.

Tuesday I’ve got a regular work day and then leaving at the end of the day for work travel and won’t be home until late Thursday night.

Then Friday I have the vampire movie.

I’ve been preoccupied with other things and I sorta forgot about the vampire movie. Especially since I thought the last one was so mediocre. I hadn’t planned my whole life around seeing it the first day until I saw the schedule.

Back when I was all excited about seeing Jedi movies and Hobbit movies, I wished they had early morning showings. I can’t stay up until midnight to watch a movie but I could get up early.

I could see the vampire movie at 6:01am. (If I go at that hour it’s six-oh-one I want.)

I really don’t feel that strongly about the movie but I sort-of want to just because I can. And my two strongest reasons for not going would be because I’m getting home late Thursday night and because what kind of dork goes to see the vampire movie at 6:01am?

But I’d really like to see what kind of dorks go to a movie at 6:01am. Plus I could put it on my dork resume next to: naming my laptop after a vampire, (this was my first laptop and it was named Lestat) going to science fiction camp, and dressing up as Nefertiti for Halloween after I read The Egypt Game back in the 70’s.

We’ll see how I feel on Thursday night.

A few years ago I used to get skin treatments at this day spa across town.

They sold some special line of make-up which I managed to avoid for awhile. I thought make-up was cool when I was young but I don’t really have the kind of face that’s improved by intense applications of spackle.

I needed some new foundation and I never know how to pick a color so I asked for some help. I specifically didn’t want a powder-based product and I really meant it which is why I left with a powder-based product. But you see, this wasn’t your ordinary powder-based product. This could be used together with a yummy smelling water-mist spray that you gently applied after you powdered your face and this would “set” your foundation.

Even now it’s hard to believe I went for it. I make fun of other people who buy stupid things because some retail genius convinced them they needed it. Yet there I was, paying an absurd amount of money for scented water in a spray.

The thing is, I became addicted to it. I loved that refreshing spray. I quit going to the spa for many reasons but mostly because I got tired of organizing an entire day around driving across town so I could sit in a chair and “relax” for two hours. I found a company with a similar product but I quit buying stuff from them, too. (Long story omitted.) A couple weeks ago I used the last of my magical mist.

Last time I was in Target I went through the beauty supplies because I figured every company must now sell lightly scented water in a spray bottle for your face. That’s free money. Why wouldn’t you? Couldn’t find any.

So there’s a marketing idea for someone who has the initiative to make products.

Meanwhile, the point of this post that I’ve been leading up to is that I want my job to be naming skin products. There was an entire wall of products and they all have names like: “anti-aging replumpifier with toning beads,” “rejuvenating line eraser with relaxing agents. And aloe” and “super oxidizing radon scrub with cinnamon enhanced century diminishing injectors.”

I don’t know what half that stuff means but it sounded really good. I wanted to try them all.

Pumpkin Crop 2009

I screwed up and didn’t get a good photo of my entire crop. I already gave a couple away. I also had a surprise and hearty volunteer crop of acorn squash. We’ve eaten at least three and given away about eight. And we still have that many left. They are yummy.

I still have some pumpkin in the freezer from last year. I took a bit out last weekend thinking I’d whip up some soup for myself for lunch. But then I never got to it and had to do something with the pumpkin.

Meanwhile, I made a pot roast in the slow cooker on Sunday. As I’ve written before, I’m not much of a pot roast person, but I make it because it’s easy, especially when I’m going to be gone all day. And Bob likes it.

These tomatoes look like planets or something. My amateur photo skills don’t do them justice.

Last night as soon as I got home from work I threw together some stuff that I thought might turn the pumpkin into a soup quick and easy. I also got out some salad stuff and the loaf of bread I made over the weekend.

Bob came in the door from work and looked that the gorgeous pot of orangeness and said, “Oh. So we’re having beef sandwiches tomorrow then?”

“You can have a beef sandwich,” I told him.

So I make the soup, and cut a hunk of bread and make two nice slices for his sandwich and left some wedges that I could butter with my soup. Then I turn around and he’s taken my wedges and sliced them further and is making these ginormous plates piled with every speck of leftover pot roast, vegetables and gravy.

I looked at the plate and I said, “I would never eat that much in a million years.”

This story isn’t very good now that I’m typing it but the point is that he wanted beef sandwiches. We were having beef sandwiches. Even I was going to have a beef sandwich with my lovely bowl of wonderful soup.

Later when we got in bed I told him: “That beef sandwich made me mad.”

I finally had some time this morning to organize the last of the tomatoes. I’d brought them in and they were piled around in bowls and trays. I sorted through everything I had and composted all the ones that had gone ooky. Then I took the ones that needed to be dealt with right away and I’m slow roasting them now with some onion and garlic and spices. The kitchen smells fantastic. This will be turned into a sauce which I will eat a little of and give the rest away since tomato sauce doesn’t agree with beef sandwich man.

Tree Next Door: Oct 09 09

Problem: Violent leak from ceiling vent in remodeled bathroom.

Stage of Being Dealt With: Had been identified as problem area earlier but no leakage had ever occurred. Then we got 1.5 inches of rain in 36 hours and water streamed from vent. Have raised level of urgency in getting fixed.

Tree Next Door: Oct 17 09

Problem: Low pressure in kitchen sink faucet.

Stage of Being Dealt With: Fixed

Tree Next Door: Oct 22 09

Problem: Funny smell in kitchen sink.

Stage of Being Dealt With: Obvious things have been done but results only short term. Probably some sort of plumbing/drainage nightmare lurking in our future. Will ignore until something worse happens then raise urgency level.

Tree Next Door: Oct 30 09

Problem: No warm air coming from heating vent in living room.

Stage of Being Dealt with: Just noticed and fiddled with vent. Needs to be removed from wall for further investigation. Have put tool kit in living room to help inspire me.

On Wednesday I attended a meeting all day. At first I wasn’t happy when they gave us a 90 minute lunch. I would have rather gotten the work done and finished early (Which we did, but that’s another story.)

I had brought a sandwich and it was sunny and 60 degrees so I went outside and found a sunny bench. Nothing like a bright fall day when you know winter is right around the corner. Now we’ve got big rainy storms blowing through so I’m glad I got my fix.

Another busy day. This morning I noticed an appointment I thought was at 2pm is at 12:30pm so I need to get my bootie in gear.