Crystal and Beer Cans

Gainesville

Typical Sunday: Sleep late. Change and launder sheets. Spend longer than usual reading comics online. Get caught up with online Sudoku puzzles for the past few days. Read. Get caught up with other people's blogs. Read some more. Sleep a bit. Read.

Plus the usual routines, and dinner of course. Tonight was another take on a chicken and artichoke casserole, (or, "Cluck & Choke"), this one using strips of chicken and marinated hearts. Ran out of time to get the sauce reduced enough before putting it in the oven, so as I expected, it was a bit thin. Tasty, though.

I enjoyed reading my 1986 letter. It was nice remembering that Christmas I spent with Lee Shiflett. We'd been friends for 15 years at that point, and during that holiday, we decided that if we were both still free in 5 years, we'd get married. Five years later, he was married (second time) to a woman with two kids, and I was about to move in with Bill. I ran into him a couple of years ago at ALA in Orlando. It's funny-- I saw him, and thought, what an interesting face. What a prototypical male librarian face, but a very sweet one. I walked ten steps further until I suddenly realized who it must be. He's now dean of the library school at UNC-Greensboro after many years as a prof at LSU. He still credits (or blames, depending on circumstances) me with influencing him to go to library school himself.

I have absolutely no memory at all of doing research in the Documents Department for Dad. I can't even remember who would have helped me do it, back then. I might be able to find it in one of my old journals, but don't care enough to dig it out.

Ah yes, my fabulous beer can collection. I finally recycled it when I moved out of the little house on 11th St. And I still have those Austrian crystal champagne glasses Chris gave me, but one got broken just a few months ago, sad to say, while they were being washed.

Mom, you get up every morning at 5-something, no matter what time you go to bed. It's no wonder you need some sleep during the day. I see no need to apologize for this. Sleep is good.

I'm reading on Genius of the Place. Also picked up Neil's Fragile Things (which has been on my To Read pile since it came out) because one of its short stories, "How to Talk to Girls at Parties," has been nominated for both a Hugo and a Nebula award. He stacks up awards of all kinds like cord wood, but seems to take pleasure in each of them. It is a very bizarre story! I kept reading in the collection, because I'm still looking for something of the proper style and length to do at a Read-a-Thon-- even though this year's has been over for several weeks. There's always next year.

Strange Sunday

Gainesville

Way too late for a decent post-- got caught up in the Sunday crossword, now about half done.

Gators in the finals AGAIN. Holy Moly! Just too weird. I refuse to watch tomorrow night until the very end, and then only if they are winning. Just like last year.

Slept late. Changed sheets. Shopped. Had a nice mint-garlic chicken thing, and a "risotto" from leftover cauli-rice and some mushrooms. Both were hugely successful, but left the kitchen in a mess, especially since I was steaming some artichokes at the same time. Cleaning up lasted well into the late evening.

I really want to read "Chivalry" for the Read-a-Thon, but when I listened to Neil reading it tonight, I realized it would take about half an hour. I can't bring myself to abridge it, and it has to all be there to work. The slots are 10 minutes each, with a 5 minute slack. I must figure this out now, as the event is a week away. Whimper, whine. Maybe next year.

Mom, doctors ARE available on weekends! You call their number, their answering service takes the message and passes it on, and they call you back! If something like this happens, just call, especially in a post-op situation where the doc tells you to call if anything is not right. I'm glad you have Rita nearby looking out for you.

Another swell letter from Chris. Interesting to read that era of my life from his perspective. I well remember that Christmas we labored over the DOS -> CP/M -> Apple port of the OCLC training program. We never got it to completely work because of the "killer array" statement that fragged the BASIC language of the time. And I'd forgotten about staying at Lynette's that time, though I remember how impressed I was by her neatly organized closet. Her wardrobe choices were a really lesson in how to dress for success, too.

Two AM. Sleepy Time.

Brining Adventure

Gainesville

I'm about to have a cooking adventure: I've launched the Chipotle Roast Pork which Sandy and I spotted in the Chronicle when we were in Alameda. I couldn't figure out the logistics several weeks ago when I bought the roast, so popped it in the freezer. Of course, that just added to the logistical problems, since thawing has to be factored in. I thawed it today, and tonight made the brine. I will wait til the last possible minute to start the brining process, as it says 12-16 hours. It will probably be close to 17 if I do it before bed tonight. I should have my report on it, along with tips and traps, tomorrow night.

I finished another book: Rosa's Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck. It is very wonderful, a fitting tribute to Barks, and dripping with love for the Master. Now, of course, I want to read or re-read every single source he used. If only I had them all. Actually, the Library probably has most of them, since Donald Ault has given us most of his stuff. I'm still planning to go into the Lib on Wednesday to see about the comics collection. Think I'll make Ault Collection the first order of business.

Wrote some bills and needed to get them to the P.O. today. While out I did a supplementary shop, so we should be set for the week.

Tonight's meal was bizarre-- little pizza-like things on portabella mushroom caps, and a piccata tuna salad. Not all that successful, as far as I'm concerned, but Bill and the cat both enjoyed the tuna.

Think I'll maybe read Gaiman again this year: either a passage from Stardust, or the short story "Chivalry." He's just so much fun to read aloud.

Sorry the blog upgrade caused you problems, Mom. I hope Sandy can get it straightened out for you. I wish I had a functioning Mac so I could help.

Your bug infestation-- how awful! Don't you have any kind of pest control companies that make house calls? We couldn't survive here without that service.

Sandy, I must know about Sage Cheese Rebaked Mashed Potatoes! And Julienned Leeks, and... well, it all sounds wonderful, and I wish I were there to snarf it all up.

And speaking of snarfing, I can see I'll be ready for another pass through Austen herself soon.

Guess it's about the last possible moment now. I go forth to Brine!

Brave New Blogger

Gainesville

Well, Blogger forced me to upgrade when I signed on tonight-- no way around it. I don't know if or how it might affect the rest of you. Let me know if you have problems and I'll see if I can help.

Did not need this tonight. The time change always messes with my head. And so what do I do? Why, sleep till noon, of course. My new motto:

When in Doubt, Sleep 'til Noon

I'm not a speed-reader, Mom. Far from it. I'm a very slow reader, in fact. I just have a bad habit of starting many many books and finishing only a few. I've been trying to counteract this by keeping track of what books I think I'm reading now in the blog and noting when I actually finish them.

I looked into speed reading when it was all the rage. The idea of packing a lot of information into my head quickly was appealing, but when it comes down to it, a lot of the beauty of reading comes from being able to do it at your own pace, to reread parts if you want, to wallow in certain scenes and situations, or certain beautifully written passages. Reading for pleasure, rather than reading as a race.

Which reminds me, I realized today that this year's Library Read-a-Thon is in less than a month. I enjoyed reading a chapter of Coraline so much last year that I want to do it again. But that means I have to decide what to read at once so I can get started on practicing! It was my obsessive, relentless practicing that made it possible for me to do it, and have fun with it, last year. Coraline was so perfect, I'm not sure I'll be able to find anything that is so much fun and so easy to read-- the words just felt good in my mouth, so to speak, and the small audience that heard really got off on it-- I could tell. What to do for an encore?

I dragged myself out to shop late (by the clock) this afternoon, only to produce a very strange meal: Green Horse Chicken (a sauce of pureed frozen spinach, mayo, horse radish and lemon juice as topper for plain browned chicken), over-baked butternut squash and miked edamame. It was okay, and Bill actually liked the strange sauce. I have tons of it left over, and I'm thinking it might make a halfway palatable spinach dip if I add some cream cheese and/or sour cream.

Well, I see we now have a field for labels for our posts. This should prove a better way to mark posts with recipes or transcriptions of various sorts. We should talk about how to use these in some vaguely consistent manner.

Alas, this particular post has nothing that anyone would ever want to recall. I think. Maybe Read-a-Thon would be a good one. Or Menus. Hmmmm....