Slipping in my faith until I fall

Day one of my two-day weekend and I haven't done much at all. I went by my old office to return a key, and unsuccessfully looked for rice flour at Raley's. Besides that... well, that's pretty much it. Some reading*, and way too much snacking because my parents bought the jalapeno-artichoke dip from Costco that I love.

*I got two Ruth Rendell mysteries at the last Antioch book sale because they sounded interesting. Today I started "The Veiled One," about a social worker who is found murdered in a parking garage**. I didn't realize they were British mysteries, which I thought I didn't like; certainly, I really don't like Agatha Christie. This novel seems pretty good-ish.

**Since I already brought up the subject: Apparently there's a scary movie about a parking garage coming out called P2. Gulp. Did I ever mention my phobia about parking garages? Well, I have one... which I guess means I have to go see this when it comes out. I'm definitely going to have to recruit someone else to go with me though!

Other movie junk: I would have gone to see "Hitman" if they hadn't forced Timothy Olyphant to shave off his beautiful hair. I get that he has a barcode on his head, or whatever, but couldn't they put it on his neck or something? (Or, to be a bit naughty; his ass, just so we could ensure a nice moment of male nudity?***)

***Good lord, I'm wearing out the asterisks tonight! But "male nudity" reminded me that the new season of "Nip/Tuck" started last night and we got a good look at the main reason for the show's existence (or at least the reason I watch it): Julian McMahon's cute little bum. Really though, it seemed like a pretty strong episode, especially after the too-ridiculous last season. I like Lauren Hutton as a cynical publicist, and Daphne Zuniga as a "middle aged" actress reluctant to succumb to Hollywood's youth obsession.

Now tomorrow, I've got some serious work to do as NaNoWriMo is starting. The info about my novel below is taken verbatim from my MySpace blog, because I'm trying to reserve my creative energies for the next thirty days. Also, I'm lazy.





This postcard that was featured on PostSecret some time back kind of inspired me - but my novel is not about 9/11 at all. It's about a pair of lovers (I don't even know their names, yet) who take advantage of a devastating fire in their hometown to disappear and start new lives elsewhere. Years later, the woman hears some news about the daughter she left behind that drives them to return.

Is this "Lifetime movie of the week" melodramatic enough for you? More than enough, for me... but I'm determined to have fun writing it anyway. It certainly can't be any worse than my first NaNo attempt in 2004. I'm totally over serial killers, at least as a writer.

I'm waiting for something to give, I hope it's not me

You have no idea how happy I was to check the site awhile ago and see that, out of nowhere I had four comments on the last post! I need comment love. Of course, it would help if I actually blogged more often...

Contrary to my fears, I actually made it through today! We had our first big party: 24 ladies for a baby shower. I'll tell you a secret: This whole "cooking for money" experience had gotten me thinking about starting a catering business or the like, but after today all I can say to that idea is "Oh god no!" Okay, it wasn't that bad, but it was still pretty rough. Of course, you have to take into account the fact that I've only been doing this "professionally" for about three weeks now. It'll get better. I'm just too impatient (you knew that, though, I bet).

Tomorrow I have to be there early (7:30). But I can deal with being there early since it means I can leave early. I intend to get some good writing done, like I did this last Wednesday. I stayed up until 1:00 a.m. (very late for me) starting something new that I'm now sharing at morning writer's club.

I haven't been doing too much with my time off, unfortunately. Payday is later this week and I'll be able to start... Christmas shopping! Whoo! I will also admit to some online shopping as of late, but at least some of it wasn't for me. My awesome book club that I had to give up is doing a donation of children's books to a battered women's/children's shelter, and I definitely still wanted to particpate in that. So I bought some books I loved as a kid (a few Amelia Bedelia books, and the three books from Louis Sachar's "Wayside School" series... god those cracked me up) to donate.

"Cops" isn't on tonight for like the third week in a row! I am not pleased. At least there will be two episodes of "Prison Break" on Monday... sweet! I've been feeling kinda "eh" about this new season (blasphemy, I know) but this last week's episode was actually pretty great. I am definitely rooting for Lincoln and Whistler's girlfriend (Sofia?) to get together.

It's pretty sad when you're such a procrastinator that you can't even get caught up on TV, but I just haven't been able to! I did watch the season finale of "Meadowlands": Disappointing compared to all the other episodes, but at least it leaves a definite space for season two; oh man if there's not a season two I'm going to be pissed.

Last night I watched "Even Scarier Movie Moments" on either Bravo or A&E (AFAIC they're the same channel) and while it was awesome enough to have a moment from the original "Stepford Wives" it had mostly really gross ones like from the "Saw" movies and from "Hostel." Ugh. I just don't know when I lost my taste for blood and guts... but I don't exactly miss those days, either.

I don't know what my little doggie Pepe's deal is, but he has these certain blankets and certain toys that he will gnaw on. Not like just regular chewing; but he does this weird little nibbles where he actually pulls off fabric and then spits it out. He's a little old to be teething, hee hee.

Oh! Before I forget: I made pesto for the first time on Thursday night! I made a rather yum dinner, if I do say so myself; chicken and sauteed veggies (eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper) on fettucine (regular and spinach-flavored) with pesto sauce. Mmm... I bought so much stuff that I can actually make it again, sans chicken. Since I'm getting home at a decent time tomorrow maybe I'll do it then.

Last night I was exhausted and in bed at nine, but I don't know if I can get to sleep at that time tonight even if I have to be awake butt-ass early tomorrow. I think I'll go read the paper; current events always make me drowsy.

You look like a perfect fit for a girl in need of a tourniquet

Because I always like to start my blogs off on a confusing note: Tomorrow is Tuesday, which is my Friday! Whoo...

We did have a pretty busy weekend, but not crazy-unmanageable. I was semi-worried about yesterday when the head chef was gone and I was in charge of the kitchen, but it went quite well. We had one party of nine red hat ladies that came in for lunch, another group of four red hats, a family who came in for their little girl's birthday, and some others.

I know my blog hasn't been that interesting lately; all work stuff, which always bores me in other people's blogs. That's really been my main focus for the last couple weeks, but I promise that will change and the blog will get back to "normal" (what's that?) soon.

I'm going to be able to go to both morning and evening writer's club meetings from now on... yay! Which means I have to write more, which is good because that's what I should be doing anyway. I'm looking forward to NaNoWriMo, even though I still haven't done any outlining yet or even my usual perfunctory character notes. Only ten more days!

And only nine more days until Halloween, for witch (get it? ha, ha) I still have no plans. Fandango won't give me the damn showtimes for that day yet so I can't decide whether there's anything decent that I could go see. Of course, even though EC won't be here with me, I have to watch "The Exorcist." It's like a law. Oddly enough, I don't have to watch "Halloween" on Halloween; mostly because I watch it so often anyway.

I gave myself some nice scares last night reading true ghost stories on Castle of Spirits. In fact, I got a little too freaked out and had a hard time falling asleep... or would have, if I hadn't been completely tired. In fact, I'm off to bed now (or very soon - I need to tidy my room a bit) since I go in earlier tomorrow.

I could bring you the light and take you home into the night

Is it Friday, really? All day it's felt like Monday. Mostly because I had yesterday and Wednesday off, so today kinda is Monday, for me. We had a busy day, with a just-as or more-so busy day tomorrow.

I did a lot more on my days off than I thought I would. On Wednesday I went to breakfast with LT, went shopping with my grandmother, then went to have sushi with LT and MB. I didn't enjoy the food as much this time, for whatever reason. It would probably help if I paid more attention to what exactly is in whatever I'm eating. Yesterday I did some windowshopping (bor-ing) and, in the evening, went to a poetry reading. Or meant to - I went to the place and it was crowded with kids and their parents and grandparents, leaving no seats or place to stand, so I drank my hot chocolate in the parking lot and went to Dollar Tree for some shopping I could actually afford, ha.

I've a terribly exciting plan for this evening: catch up on TV! I'm behind on "Dexter" (haven't tuned in since the season premiere), "Dirty Sexy Money" (ditto), and - most importantly - I have to watch the first season (series?) finale of "Meadowlands." Best show ever; I don't want it to end, which is why I've been putting the finale off for so long.

That's pretty much it. I've just started doing morning pages again after a week-long break. Naughty me. I haven't even written my dreams down, and I've had plenty of them. They've been full of smells, too; I had one gross dream that reeked of marijuana* and a great one where I was hugging this hot guy who was wearing this brilliant cologne.

*I was visiting a friend who was running a marijuana stand - you know, like a lemonade stand? Only way more gross. In this dream, it was somehow legal to sell weed but not to buy or use it. Whatever that means. Oh, and then it was Halloween and we were going to break out the Ouija board. Clearly, my subconscious is somehow on drugs while the rest of me is not...

Though it may be secondhand it's by no means second rate

Before anything else, you should know that I am head-over-heels in love with Elvis Costello's "Armed Forces," as I have been since I bought it. I'm listening to this CD for like the third time today.

Also: I'm annoyed that "Prison Break" has been pre-empted by baseball. Grr! Though, I'm glad to have a week to recover from last week's hella disturbing episode. For the record: I refuse to believe that Sara is dead. (I still think it would have been a better plot point to have Gwyneth Paltrow's head in the box, but maybe that's just me. And speaking of supposedly dead characters, I remain in denial about Kellerman's death too. So there.) In other news: Mahone doing (hard) drugs is totally gross.

So! Where have I been for six days, you ask? Working! (Oh, don't look so shocked.) I have been at my new job every day since last Monday. I work again tomorrow and then have Wednesday and Thursday off, just in time to save my sanity.

If you're not caught up, I now work in the kitchen of a brand new restaurant that's like five minutes (sweet commute) from my house. I have been referred to a few times as the sous chef, but that's a serious stretch. My main duties are food prep, though I also also pitch in with cleaning and dishwashing when needed.

I have done some real cooking on my own. I made shrimp salad (at least I don't have to eat it - blech) today, and yesterday I put my own twist on our classic scones recipe with brown sugar, maple and candied walnuts. They need some fine-tuning, but they weren't bad at all. Especially with the super-sweet maple glaze the boss made up to go on top of them.

Kitchens are dangerous places to work, dude. I've already had one cut (drying a knife), one scrape (zesting a lemon) and the Worst Papercut Ever (opening a can of peanuts - no joke). And today I spilled soup on myself while eating. It was lukewarm and I didn't get burned, but it left a gross orange stain on my workshirt*. At least it was delicious (I was finishing the last half-cup of butternut squash soup).

*Because I was broke before starting this job, I only bought two white shirts. I'm going to Fashion Bug on one of my days off, so I definitely need to correct that. Speaking of wardrobe: Not only do I have to wear my hair up (which I expected), but I have to wear a hat! I hate hats! So far I've been wearing one I borrowed from the pastry chef, but I want to get my own. Something cute. I may be daring and get a pink one, or black with a pink logo/design. I also need better shoes. I worked a nine-hour shift yesterday and thought I was going to die.

I'd blog about other stuff, but there hasn't been much "other stuff" going on. The job is definitely keeping me on my toes, mentally and literally, and I'm looking forward to my days off to kinda step back, digest what's going on, and see how I can fit all the pieces of my puzzle together.

Throwing punches under water, sink with me

To begin with some news that you really don't care about, I'm currently crunching on some vastly disappointing "Cherry Passion" Tic Tacs. I was hoping they'd taste like the awesome Wild Cherry Tic Tacs (remember those??) that they haven't had in hella years, but instead they taste like cherry cough syrup, and some other gross flavor that I guess is meant to be passion fruit. Bleh.

And now: Recap of my Birthday Weekend!

Thursday

Since it was mostly cool, I'm including Thursday. I went with some people from a moviegoer's club I joined to see "Poltergeist" at the theater. Fun! I'm definitely looking forward to more meetings, and also the Halloween party the group's leader is going to have.

Friday

My mom and I managed to avoid the "Wait, where are we meeting?" mishap of last year and met with EC at the Oakland BART station (Bonus: Cute BART cop with dog was there). I somewhat traumatized my mom by driving home partly on the freeway (I was only going 70!), we picked up some Papa Murphy's pizza, and went home and ate said pizza. Chomp. Little did I know this would be one of the many times I had pizza over the weekend.

I had the world's most hogmongous shopping list for the dinner party on Saturday, so EC and I went to Raley's and bought half the store. I'm glad I took her with me because I would never have been able to make decisions otherwise. We had pigs in a blanket for dinner, and I even tried some of this fish my dad made - tilapia? He made this awesome pesto-type sauce (cilantro, garlic) to go with it that I loved.

After dinner we went out and did a bit of shopping. We went by the mall, and to Rene's (or Renee's?) Fashion in Pittsburg, where I haven't been in super years. I didn't realize they had such cute clothes, and even some for chubby girls. I'm seriously going back there when I get my first paycheck. (Okay, maybe my second or third.)

Saturday

EC and I had breakfast at Starbuck's and went to Target for some last-minute supplies. I got some neato square (paper) plates for dinner, napkins, and plastic cups. I also found some adorable lemon-shaped placecards for future use. I think I want to start having regular (like every other month) dinner parties. Anyway:

We went back home and much time was spent in preparations. Some cleaning, some rearranging, a lot of cooking! The menu:

Snacks/Appetizers

Crackers and spreads (There was a brilliant artichoke-jalapeno one I got at Costco, so good!)
Pineapple-teriyaki meatballs
Asian salad
Naan bread and hummus (LS brought these and they were freaking awesome)

Dinner

Tomato-Zucchini Casserole (came out delish, if I do say so myself)
Scalloped corn (came out okay - not as good as the first time I made it)

Dessert

Fruit pizza (Crescent roll crust with pudding/Cool Whip topping and fruit, duh)
Candy bar cake (Chocolate + Sweetness + Butterfinger = me in a coma)

There might be some stuff I'm forgetting, but it was all good. And while a few people couldn't make it, it was a really awesome group. EC, LS, MH, LT, JH, and... R-Something (my bad). Between dinner and dessert we had a rousing game of Apples to Apples that I was really kicking ass at.

Oh! Funny cooking story: I was using both ovens for awhile, then turned off one because I didn't need it... and I turned off the wrong one! I blame this on the two wine coolers I had (a Blue Hawaiian, and then the brilliant Pomegranate-Raspberry). I finally figured it out after getting mad at why dinner just wasn't cooking fast enough, ha!

Sunday

My real birthday! EC and I were up early for our traditional breakfast at Panera Bread. We challenged some souffles to a delicious duel, and lost. Mmm, but it was tasty. They have a new turkey souffle that is pretty interesting. After that it was straight to BART to get out to Berkeley.

Smarty EC looked at a map (I certainly can't make heads or tails of them) and got us to Telegraph without the usual confused lostness. She found cute stuff for family and friends back in Arizona and we both found the Best Pizza Ever at Blondie's. We were totally pissed that the guy who looked like Eddie Furlong wasn't there! Hee.

We had the Most Ghetto Chick Ever sitting behind us on the way back to Pittsburg. She called approximately ten thousand people on her cell phone with slight variations of this speech:

"Yo, me and my dude ain't together no more. He slapped the shit out of me last night and made my nose drip (???) so I stabbed his ass twice. I'm coming into town so let's get together for drinks."

Oh, it made my head hurt. Plus, there were some construction delays and every time the train was stopped at a station for longer than 30 seconds she's start bitching about how she wanted a cigarette. It was getting so I wanted to slap her myself.

Back at home, we picked up another pizza (I told you there was a lot of it!) and EC started work on her brilliant lasagna. Mmm... there was family dinner and cake and general fun times, it was pretty great. The only bummer was...

Monday

That EC had to go back to Arizona and I had to go to work! We said goodbye in the morning before I left to start my newest adventure... which I'll blog about next time. I've been neglecting Bloggie lately so I'm going to be better about that - promise!

I found my feet again, now I can't lose

I had the worst panini ever on Sunday afternoon. I was killing time at Barnes & Noble while some people were looking at the house, and for some reason thought, "Hmm, the B&N Starbucks will have something tasty! Ooh... four cheese panini!" Learn from my mistake and never buy one of these things. It was sitting all nicely pre-pared in the refrigerated section and while the bread, I admit, was indeed toasted, the cheese inside the sandwich was mostly cold but kinda gooey and gross. I wouldn't have finished it except I was starving, and I would have complained but I wanted to forget about the entire experience. I suppose only years of therapy will do that, ha!

Armed with a "20 percent off 20 items" coupon, I went to Mervyn's today and actually found five cute tops. Two different purple ones (my new favorite color, for some reason), a red one with white scribbled-looking cherries, a brown one with white and orange hearts, and this neat black one with designs that I can't explain but it's awesome. It's sleeveless, which I almost never wear, but I'm making an exception because it just kicks ass. I would make it my birthday shirt if I hadn't already designated one as such.

In more "intellectual" pursuits: I've already read Jonathan Kellerman's "Self Defense" that I bought on Friday - awesome and scary, up until the ending that I found kinda blah. A lot of Kellerman's endings are anti-climactic, though, or at least seem that way compared to the beginning and middle. Maybe it's just me. And now, I'm halfway through Ann Rule's "The Stranger Beside Me." Wouldn't it just ruin your day to find out that a friend of yours was a serial rapist and murderer?

I'm still doing that unsuccessful multi-tasking stuff and bouncing back and forth between various projects. Really, the only thing I haven't been working on is writing, which I should probably be focusing on most of all. D'oh. Yet in between all of that, I still find time for... "TV Notes!"

- "CSI" I finally watched last Thursday's season premiere last night. I knew they wouldn't kill Sara! Because she and Gil have to get married and have smart but socially inept children, duh. I don't plan to watch any more episodes; I wouldn't have watched this one except I got snared by last season's cliffhanger finale. I never even saw any of the other "Miniature Killer" episodes, though I'm at a loss as to why people are all "OMG it's a woman?" Maybe I'm sexist, but if you're talking about someone to who makes TINY DOLLS, gruesome crime scenes notwithstanding, I'm telling you it's got to be a lady. Or Mr. Smithers, with his Malibu Stacy obsession.

- "Dirty Sexy Money" Again, in doing some catch-up, I just watched the pilot last night. My thoughts... funny, but it's occupying a weird space between dysfunctional family comedy (see "Arrested Development"), trashy soap opera (see any drama on BBC America) and murder-mystery (see... um, any murder mystery). But it definitely made me laugh so I'm going to continue, and I've really missed seeing Peter Krause. Bonus: Also starring as two of the Darling* children are Samaire Armstrong (Anna from "The OC") and SETH GABEL (Adrian Moore from "Nip/Tuck").

- "Prison Break" This should in no way be misinterpreted as a complaint, but how many more unrealistically attractive men are they going to try to squeeze into this show? Scofield, Burrows, Mahone, Sucre, and it turns out that this Australian dude Whistler is a hottie, now that he isn't living in the sewer pipes beneath Sona. The accent does not hurt in the slightest.