Show Me the Tater! - Thursday 3/12/2009

There has been a lot of chatter on Facebook today about the impending arrival of a batch of corned beef and cabbage. The raw materials arrived today, but it takes a long time to cook this dish, so we were thwarted in our attempts to have it for dinner.

(It has been started, as you can see, in the big yellow stock pot in the background.)


Dodger's determined to get to the bottom of this.

Where is the potato he has been promised? Huh?

If you'd like to be Dodger's friend, he's on Facebook as Artful Dodger. Is it wise to name your pets after scruffy, pick-pocketing street urchins?

CSI: Toluca Lake - Wednesday 3/11/2009

What the heck happened to OneL's mini-fridge overnight!?

Let's consider the evidence, shall we?



Indentation of some sort in the frost-laded freezer compartment. It's about six inches long, and rounded as if a cylinder was resting there. What could make that distinctive mark?

Cat?

No. Not enough toes.

Gun?

No. Too narrow.

Thermonuclear device?

I don't think so, but the idea will haunt me throughout the investigation.



Further inspection draws my eye to the brown liquid in the bottom of the refrigerator compartment and on top of the filing cabinet upon which it rests. Same liquid is splashed on the interior door.

Dried blood?

A fingerful rules this out. Blood's salty. This is sweet.

I snort some. No effect beyond a sticky burning sensation.

Will need to resort to brute intelligence to determine the type of substance. No time to wait for lab results. A life could be at stake.

What's that? A cylinder rests strangely akimbo in the door! Could it be connected with the indentation in the frost?!?

Cue process music! Darken the lights! Take a swab! Measure it. Measure it twice! Scrunch up forehead. Purse lips.

!?!!?!?!?!?!?!

I think I have the answer!


This Diet Coke, bottled in only a few dozen plants in North America, apparently exploded when the liquid inside froze. Took the whole bottom of the can out and blew open the refrigerator door.

Luckily this happened after work hours, so no one was hurt.

Or were they?

It's 7:00 a.m. No one else is here yet. Was anyone injured? Or worse yet...killed!?!?!?!?!

Will make it my mission to grill everyone regarding her possible involvement upon her arrival.

Making coffee.

Setting up interrogation lamp and unpacking Girl Scout Cookies, which will function as a much better incentive than a carrot with this crowd.

I am on it folks.

Flat Brayden Has Landed! - Tuesday 3/10/2009

My cousin's son is participating in a Flat Stanley project in his second grade class, and they asked me to host his flat self!

If you're unfamiliar with the Flat Stanley concept, you can click on the link above or trust my explanation in a nutshell. It's based on a 1964 children's book by the same name, in which a child is flattened but not hurt, and decides to mail himself to a place he would like to visit but can't otherwise.

I am absolutely thrilled to host Flat Brayden! He arrived today and we set him up in the guest room. Even though it was a long trip, he was too excited to take a nap, but he was very nice about lying down for a bit and having a little apple juice.

We get to have him for a couple of weeks, so I'm looking forward to taking him camping, and to the rocks, and the mountains, and maybe Hydra will teach him a few chords on the guitar.

Hydra and I had our first argument about Flat Brayden. Hydra said it would be okay to give him a Coke, but I thought apple juice was more appropriate for a second grader. I mean, caffeine on a school night?

You have to set some limits. And who's going to stay up all night with him all hyped up? Huh?

This raising kids thing is as hard as everyone says it is!

Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood - Monday 3/9/2009

They've restored the sign at Papoo's Hot Dog Show. Yay!

It's a gorgeous day. Sunny and cool. Perfect for walking during breaks.



Down the street at Trader Joe's it looks like a European market. Wow.



Later, at Braveheart's, I attempt to capture the drool of ecstasy on Jimmy's face. Didn't really capture it, darn it.


Settling in for the night in the guest bed. Braveheart has a keen sense of style and decor, but I wouldn't advise letting your kid spend the night in here.


Seriously.

Oops! It's Spring Already? - Wednesday 3/4/2009

Apparently the apricot thinks so!

I didn't get around to pruning again this year. The fruit trees are a little spindly.

Roasted Veggies - Tuesday 3/3/2009

This one's for Kitty!

The very loose recipe for the roasted veggie mix I've been raving about. It's an adaptation of one from The South Beach Diet. It called for more asparagus and no mushrooms or oregano. The way I made it, it smelled like pizza!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Cut up the following, or something like it:

1 pound of asparagus, cut to bite size
2-3 yellow crook-neck or zucchini squash, cut to bite size
10-12 ounces sliced or quartered crimini mushrooms (buttons are also fine)
2-3 onions, cut to bite size
2 bell peppers, cut to bite size

Toss the veggies in olive oil, garlic powder, and oregano in a big roasting pan. Salt and pepper if you like.

Roast for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. You want the onions to be translucent.

In this case, I topped them with chunks of grilled chicken left over from last night's carry out salad. Mmmm!

Jungle Tub - Sunday 3/1/2009

Every fall I bring all the succulents in from the front porch to the warmth and safety of our master bathroom. They love it. Sometimes they go a little kookoo.


I love succulents because they are so freaky and other worldly. This bloom is about a foot high, and springs from a plant that looks like a giant hen & chickens.


The bottom of the bloom. I've had this thing for 8 years--given to me by Saharazad, and this is the first time it's bloomed.


Blossoms on another succulent. Braveheart gave me this one.


The base for the bloom above. Sweet, huh?

Lovely specimen.


Oh, and yes, there's fauna in the jungle too.

Playful upsidedown fauna, even.

Mormon Rocks Hike - Saturday 2/28/2009

A very welcoming view. We were on our way to Adelanto to meet up with some friends and decided to make time for a hike at Mormon Rocks. We've been by here a number of times without thinking to allow for the time or to dress appropriately.


Closing in on the first goal.


There's a lot more space between the rocks than you'd expect.


Hydra sets off across the ridge between the first set of rocks we visited and the next. This is probably the crest of the same type of rock that's exposed elsewhere. The trail forms a rough crescent around the fire station below, which can be reached from the 138 just east of the 15.


Looking over Hydra's shoulder at the formations across the 138.


I pause to enjoy the view before we head back down. Nice hour long hike on a gorgeous day.

Between Hikes - Saturday 2/28/2009

Part of what I do in my job as a script researcher is come up with fake business names for shows to use so they don't accidentally identify an actual business and depict, say, someone getting killed there. We check everything, no matter how ridiculous it sounds.

Believe me, if one of my clients had sent me "Between a Rock and a Leather Place" I would have laughed and figured it would clear.

This is exactly why we check everything, even if we're laughing.



I wouldn't mind having this flour sifter in my kitchen. But for like $3.00, not $15.00. I don't buy a lot at antique shops, as much as I like to cruise them when I'm in the mood.

Really, I want to be the person who buys it at the yard sale before it gets marked up.



Okay, you tell me.

Does this clock just scream, "I love you, Daddy, even though you blew the milk money playing craps?"

Doo Doo Doo Hiking Out My Back Door - 2/27/2009

Heading up the steps we put in our first year here and up toward Hydra's Mountain.


Just have to point out that this was the view on December 17th, 2008 when we had our rare Snow Day! All the leaves fell off the tree on the left fell off in between pix.


The vinca I transplanted from the too-sunny slope between our house and the neighbors' are thriving in a little light shade.


Looking north up the 14.


Cutting across the neighborhood on the way home. Great way to start a weekend!

#7 Lapsang Sushong from T Tea in the L.A. Farmer's Market

This is a distinctively smokey tea. It reminds me of a campfire.

Apparently this and Russian Caravan were originally created by accident as black tea was carried over the mountains from China to Russia on the backs of camels. When the drivers stopped for the night and made fires, the smoke worked its way into the burlap bags the tea was transported in!

This is a nice one, to my taste. I may try to make tea eggs with it…you infuse boiled eggs with this tea. I’ve had sandwiches made with smokey tea eggs and they were marvelous.

Ooh, and I’m showing off my new tea infuser from Starbucks. I bought it so I could watch flowering teas unfurl, but I haven’t tried it yet.

The little lid that sits on top of the infuser basket while the tea is steeping can be used to sit the basket on when you pull it out of the water. Very nice for carrying tea with you to your workspace or porch!

See more progress on: drink 43 types of tea

Putting My Feet Where My Mouth Is - Thursday 2/26/2009

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to scale these rocks!

Sometime in the middle of the afternoon over on Facebook I said I'd rather be hiking. It sparked a lot of agreeable conversation.

It was sunny and cool, so I bypassed the gym and went to Vasquez Rocks County Park for a hike.



My foot next to some nice moss. Amazing green!


The long view.

As I climbed the first ridge, a ranger called out through a bullhorn that the park would be closing in about 45 minutes.

Ah well. It was time to pick up the pace.



Water on the trail. Very exciting.



The famous rock as seen through the skeleton of a reproduction native dwelling.

Banana Bread - Wednesday 2/25/2009

Jens told me they call it a "Depression Menu." It's when you plan your meals according to what's on sale, and what you have around the house using up.

Actually, it's anything but emotionally depressing. You can end up feeling kind of proud of yourself.

Yeah, the world handed me overripe bananas and I made banana bread. Mmmm.

It was my first banana bread from scratch. I tried the recipe from my trusty Joy of Cooking. Used all three of my over ripe bananas and some walnuts I had in the fridge.

Mmmm!

Across Town - Monday 2/23/3009

The other building at the corner of Hollywood & Highland. It has gargoyles.

I have to make a special trip to get good shots of those. Maybe with the right lens, from the balcony of the shopping mall across the street. These photos were all taken with my Samsung cell phone camera.

The Academy Awards show was done about a half a block from here last night.


Barrels of olives at Monsieur Marcel, Farmer's Market at 3rd & Fairfax.


Samples of the teas I bought at the tea shop in the Farmer's Market, on Braveheart's windowsill. I'm leaving them for The Doc to try. A Keemun, a Yunnan and a Lapsong Suchong.


Hanging out in the kitchen while Braveheart takes The Doc to the airport under sad circumstances. After years of staying here after our bi-weekly writer's group meetings, I am very comfortable.

As you can see.

Opiate of the Masses - Saturday 2/21/2009

Hmm. Funny that I've been letting my suspicions show about TV lately and then I used it as the opiate that it is.

My friend Diver started me calling negative thoughts "neglies" way back in high school.

This morning the neglies, they were tap dancing on my head. It was 1 a.m. and one was clicking out, "You haven't accomplished what you'd hoped you would by now," while another ticked out a counterpoint of "you are always busy, but you are just spinning your wheels."

Tappity tappity. No sleeping through that.

I got up and splashed cold water on my face, drank a glass of it, and climbed back into bed. The dancing didn't stop, though.

So Hydra suggested we watch some TV. I probably would have gone for whatever was on Turner Classic Movies, but come to think of it a 30s musical probably wasn't the best idea. We watched a couple of episodes of Inside the Actors Studio. Nice of him to get up with me, huh?

Thanks, James.

Digital Revolution - Friday 2/20/2009

Just hooked up the digital to analog converter box to the TV on my desk at work. Wow, there are 4 PBS stations. Four substations of the local NBC station.

The big switchover was supposed to happen on February 17th, but the federal government pushed the date back to June or July.

Why are they so worried about keeping our televisions on? Scared of what we'd start thinking about if we weren't zoned out every night?

Step Away from the Treat - Thursday 2/19/2009

Really.

This popcorn heart does not remotely concern you.

Ansel Adams, Eat Your Heart Out - Wednesday 2/18/2009

They say Ansel Adams sat for hours in remote places to get his amazing photographs.



I'm really not saying that I'm anywhere near as good as he was, but I am lucky to have great subject matter right outside my house.