Happy H Day

Happy Halloween!!

I hope that each and every one of you stuff yourself on candy and other sweets! The sun is getting ready to set and as soon as it is down I'll take photos of my ghoulish pumpkins.

On a totally separate note - I have a new bothersome peeve. Have you ever noticed that if there is something that you want or don't want ... that you never really get what you want? Does this sound like the refrain from a Rolling Stones song .... "You Can't Always Get What You Want!". This has been happening to me a lot lately. Is it being unlucky? Or wanting something more than you should? I have no idea. But in the realm of silly things that I wish I didn't have to deal with ... FINGER NAILS. As you can see from the photo ... my nails just grow out of control. I trim them ... they grow super fast. Once a week I'm clipping away and they just keep on coming. Oh the audacity.

Illness

I'm not feeling terribly well today. A bit of a headache ... okay a lot of a headache ... and just sort of under the weather. As I sit here on the couch, a bowl of delicious soup in hand ... I find that my sick feel good movie is on, "Independence Day". What rocks about this would be the fact that first I don't have to put it on and also that it appears to be some lengthened directors cut. I've seen this movie so many times that each extra scene is freaking me out. When did they come out with a 2 hour and 40 minute version? And why don't I own it? And how can we forget my favorite line in the whole film, "I've got complete failure in the staff."

I found that this version is probably the extended 2 disk special set. It is now on my amazon wish list!!!

Yellow Fingers

I know ... who says such a thing. Last night Dana, Karin and I carved pumpkins. Karin did an old school Charlie Brown pumpkin. Dana carved one of my mini pumpkins from the garden. She did a super cool ghost. I did two large pumpkins. One with a flaming skull head and another with the 70's style standard head. I'll take photos tomorrow night once it becomes dark out.

But today - the pumpkin goo still has my fingernails died yellow!

Two Bits

I just finished watching The Astronaut farmer. It was a very nice movie. Note on POTKU - I wanted to be an astronaut until I was probably 14. I was sort of obsessive about space as a child. I guess that is what you get when you grow up in a place where you can see the stars.

I also saw a preview for I Am Legend - which I happen to be listening to right now. I'm pretty excited to see it. It is coming out in December sometime ... I'll be seeing it in the theater ... anyone interested?

F* Geocache

I've tried for this geocache from Mouser twice now. And with no luck. Today we hiked for like 2 hours and never found it. Here is the exciting photo from the lovely hike with NO geocache at the end. Fing Pissed At U Mouser!

Dark Mornings

This morning I woke up at 6am. Not unusual for me - but it was darker than it seems most mornings. I laid with Moab until 7am - and it was still dark. I decided to get up, make a cup of coffee and look at when we'd be falling back (and thus making for a much brighter morning). Turns out that the Bush Administration changed the time for this and now it is set as:

Beginning in 2007, Daylight Saving Time is extended one month and begins for most of the United States at:

2 a.m. on the Second Sunday in March

and lasts until

2 a.m. on the First Sunday of November.



Why does our administration feel the need to screw with daylight savings?


On a totally separate note, I bough a Venus fly trap a while back (I'm sure I blogged about it). And it bloomed. I've never even heard of a blooming fly trap. I'm surprised it even likes it in this dry climate.

Americans Or Just Idiots?

In my haste to hit the publish button I forgot to rant about a new radio commercial. I wonder if all people are this idiotic ... or most consumers ... or no one and the commercial will never work. You be the judge. This is how the ad goes. "My son comes home from Bill's house and asks, why don't we have duel swivel seats, dvd player mini van. We tell him that if he likes Bill's family car so much - he can just go live there. So, he's moved out. This message is for Bill. If you hear this - we bought the new mini van. Please come home."

Give me a fing break. Parents go out and buy a new car because some kid says he wants it - or needs it? What in the world is happening to us?

Pumpkin Glow

Had a couple of busy days. Yesterday was ABQ, Santa Fe, and then Ellie hanging out for an evening of eating take-out Chinese and drinking Cosmopolitans - while watching The Fifth Element (and don't even argue that it is a good movie). Of course the photo of me was taken by Ellie, while I try to avoid her crazy use of my Iphone. Tonight was the local pumpkin glow. The Star Wars pumpkins were amazing!

Mouser's Thoughts on Moab

Social Mind Of A Man

Can anyone out there answer this question for me. I'm attending a conference right now - and I look around the large auditorium. This is what I notice.

There are cluster of men - but there is ALWAYS 1 seat between two men. If there is a lady near them ... then there can be man, lady, man. Or there may even be man, man, lady. But there is NEVER man next to a man next to a man.

What is up with this? Is there some type of region that men aren't allowed to cross over?

I'll Eat Your Baby

Need I say more?

Fridge Review Recipe 2

Given that it is starting to snow outside - my favorite "clean out the fridge" minestrone recipe is needed. This soup can be doctored for any veggies you may have sitting around the house. Corn, peas, broccoli or zucchini. The bread is also good for mixing in any type of flour or nuts you have ready to be used.





Snowfall Minestrone
1 lb. turkey kilbasa (diced)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 yellow onion (diced)
1 green pepper (diced)
4 garlic cloves (diced)
1 can petite diced tomatoes (16 oz) [including juices]
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1.5 teaspoons fennel seed
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
1 can kidney beans (16 oz) [drained and rinsed]
28 oz container of chicken broth
1 cup of penne noodles

1. Heat oil in a dutch oven. Add meat, onions, pepper and garlic. Brown up ingredients.
2. Add in rest of ingredients (omitting the noodles).
3. Simmer the soup for 30-40 minutes.
4. Add the noodles and cook until soft.
5. Serve with asiago cheese on top.

This bread is designed for a 2 pound bread machine.
Becca's Whole Wheat Wonder Bread
1 2/3 cup water
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup white flour
2/3 cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon yeast

1. Add ingredients into your bread machine in the order given above. Select the Whole Wheat bread. This will take ~ 3.5 hours.

Fridge Review Recipe 1

I've been working on using up items in the house and inventing my own recipes as I do. This is the Fridge Review. I'll post recipes as they are invented and only if they taste good.

Bean Chicken Chili Stew

2 grilled chicken breasts (shredded)
1 can black beans (15 oz), rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans (15 oz), rinsed and drained
1 container of chicken stock (28 oz)
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons fresh puree green chili
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Add all of the items to a stock pot. Heat over medium heat until boiling. Reduce heat until beans are soft. Serve with fresh herb bread or tortillas.

Cats of A Fancy

From this past weekend I have a couple of photos of the kitties. Methow works hard to get some last moments of sun. And Bend tries to push into Methow's captains chair.

Thanks goodness I'm not allergic to them.

Stomach Has Spoken

Most of you know that my stomach has been killing me lately. I've tried removing crap from my diet. Just eating rice. All kinds of stuff ... and nothing really seems to help or work. I was worried I was allergic to dairy, then soy, and maybe wheat.

The results of my allergy scratch test are in though. I'm NOT allergic to soy, wheat, cats, MSG, garlic, or dairy.

Given that my favorite food is mac and cheese I was VERY happy about the dairy bit.

Now ... what am I allergic to. EGG, PEANUTS .... and the FREAKING KILLER ... CHOCOLATE!

Can you believe it. Who in the hell is allergic to chocolate? The answer ... me.

Now that more of my crappy stomach stuff has been sorted out ... I'll get back to posting about my irritation with the world, my lovely house photos and maybe a cat shot or two.

No I Don't Think So.

Why is it that there are people who like to make incessant noise? There is a guy in my building who whistles at the top of his lungs all day long. I think it actually give me a head ache. I have no idea why he does it - and there is no reasoning for the noise ALL THE TIME. I know he thinks it is a "sign". A sign that he is happy. I think he might just have some type of OCD.

This past weekend was spent in windy Deming - motorcycle racing. I have some photos of the kitties to post later!

Bathroom For 2

For most of you who have been reading my blog - you know that the bathroom has been under remodel since Christmas break of last year.

Today marks the end of this chapter in home improvement. Thank goodness. I was getting tired of spending most weekends working on it.

This past week I sealed the grout and then tested out that you can shower without water splashing out of the shower area.





It will be left like this - so that the bathroom (which is small) feels more open. Plus Methow likes to come in and drink the left over water in the bottom of the shower. Also the shower heads are those rain maker heads - which spray down and not out.

Today is also the first official day of fall for me. I did my closet transition - which involves moving all of my summer clothes into bin and taking all the winter clothes out of the bins and putting everything away again.

I know there are lots of people who never do this "transition". But, since the closet it tiny - there is no way to keep two seasons worth of clothing in it. Unless I just went with the same outfit all year round.

Paranoia Be Damn

Alright. Maybe I am a bit paranoid. But, isn't everyone? "Why are you looking at me?" "Stop staring!"

My food experimentation reached a very interesting point last night. I've been trying to figure out what I'm allergic to: dairy, soy or nuts? Or maybe all three. My latest break through is that soy is in everything - and everything I eat with soy in it makes me sick. Last night I got a pizza with soy free crust, sauce and toppings ... but with cheese, and I'm fine. I have an appointment with the allergist in 1.5 weeks. At that point they will tell me exactly what I can't eat. But darn that soy!

What Is That?

Ever feel like everyone on the planet is looking at you? Lately - I feel this way. I went to Trader Joe's and people were jumping out from boxes to ask me if I needed anything. And I notice they are staring at me. Do I have something on my face? A booger? What is the deal?? Is my third eye showing again? Someone please enlighten me!