It's kinda early here (8:10 am). I've actually been up since about 6:30 because the Muttley 6 (our pack of beasts) thought it would be cool to growl, bark and howl right underneath the bedroom window. Now that I'm awake they're all asleep again...bastards. I also, like Sean, had a good albeit ordinary day yesterday. I actually had a client for my business (yay!). She was entertaining guests from out of town and didn't want to cook or go out. I made them my ultra delicious pork chili stew with black beans, corn muffins (home made!), green salad and cinnammon cream cheese brownies. I had a near disaster with the brownies. I tried a new recipe from a cookbook I trust immensley but when I sampled the finished product, I didn't think they were quite good enough to serve to a new client. I didn't have time to risk another untried homemade recipe (I don't bake) so I went to the store and picked up a box of Duncan Hines (which I happen to think are tasty). Well, I made the cinnamon cream cheese frosting and tried it on the first batch of brownies and they turned out to be much better than I'd originally thought. I delivered the Duncan Hines to the client. My hope is that they were so knocked over by the delicioso frosting that they didn't notice the brownies were out of a box. This client is more than an ordinary client. Her and her husband are opening a bed and breakfast soon and will need a chef/caterer. I hope I made a memorable gustatorial impression. Larry works with this woman's best friend so hopefully my name will get mentioned in the upcoming months as a suitable candidate. To top off this little culinary adventure I got a tip when I delivered the meal. 15 bucks! I know that doesn't sound like much but its the first tip I've ever received in my life so it was exciting.
I'm not sure what we're doing today. I need to do laundry and mop the floors, blah blah blah. Kyrielle is here and we talked yesterday about planting some sunflowers and hollyhocks so it looks like a trip to the feed and seed store is in order (yay! I love the feed and seed store!). My passion for cooking has returned and I desperately want to try something new in the kitchen but we have so much prepared food in the fridge right now I think it will be a waste. Hmmm...I guess I'll just read some cookbooks instead.
1. What was your most memorable moment from the last week?
Walking in the woods with my husband. We saw some coyotes and we found a baby turtle. The neighbor also lit his field on fire and it was eerie watching the flames out our window at night.
2. What one person touched your life this week?
My husband but he does that every chance he gets! Seriously…it is Larry…he means the world to me.
3. How have you helped someone this week?
Hmmm….can’t think of a particularly noteworthy incident…I’ll just say it’s the little things that count.
4. What one thing do you need to get done by this time next week?
I need to pack for my trip, buy Diane a shower gift, cook some meals for my husband to eat while I’m gone, mail the taxes…lots of things!
5. What one thing will you do over the next seven days to make your world a better place?
Tell those I love that I love them and I’m glad their safe. So many people in the world can’t do that right now.
Ok…this is not a post about the war. It’s more of a PSA about a website I came across while at lunch. It’s a blog but the blogger lives in Baghdad and I found the whole thing to be mesmerizing, moving and immensely sad. The address is http://dear_raed.blogspot.com if anyone is interested.
I’m having a tough day. I got a lot going on at work and at home and I’m a little stressed out but I’ll get through it. I always do. Someone is coming tonight to look at the two dogs we took in for our friend Amy who joined the military. We have a total of 6 dogs currently and that is just too many. I’m very ambivalent about finding a home for these dogs. They are very sweet but very timid and I’m afraid a stranger just won’t take the time necessary to get to know them. They have become very attached to me (and me to them!) but we can’t possibly keep them. I know Larry loves all of our dogs as much as I do but he doesn’t find the constant tracks of muddy paw prints through the house quite as charming as I do. I’ll actually be surprised if this person wants the dogs….they are not warm to strangers at all. We’ll see.
I’m looking forward to my trip to California and the subsequent cross country trek coming up. I haven’t seen my best friend Diane in three years (time and distance can be a bitch) and it will be great to spend time with her and her husband. I’m also excited because she’s invited some old friends to her baby shower and it will be quite the reunion when we see each other again. I’m a little sad that I don’t get to spend more time with her but then I get to spend a whole week with another old friend (John!) and that is important to me as well.
I’ve been waiting for others to post before I post again because I don’t want to seem boring or whatever. Everyone’s life must be much more exciting than mine and that’s why they’re not posting. Well, here’s a little peek into my humdrum life.
Cooking
For someone who likes to cook I haven’t been very good at getting dinner on the table lately. Larry has brought up this fact frequently. In my defense, however, I was working 12 & 14 hour days for much of February and I just haven’t gotten back into the swing of things. I got a lot of cooking done this weekend, however. I made chicken stock (a staple in my kitchen), Pork Chili Stew with Black Beans, Hummus, Chicken & Wild Rice Pancakes, and we smoked a 12 lb. Brisket. Last night I made Curried Turkey Burgers and tonight I’m making Chicken Saltimbocca. That’s a lot of food for two people! I also got a catering job for this weekend. The client wants a casual dinner for 4 people. Not a huge job but a job nonetheless. I’m really looking forward to preparing and delivering it.
Home Improvement
Last September we moved into a 2000 sf home on ten acres out in the middle of the Oklahoma wilderness (not really the wilderness but it sounds good). I bought the house knowing the kitchen was exquisitely ugly and would require some major renovation. In fact, much of the house is in need of a decoration face lift (brown wallpaper with shiny flowers on it in the dining room!) We just have not had the time (or funds) to do anything with the house. We fenced in the backyard for the dogs and we have had numerous (and expensive) repairs done to the septic system but we have down virtually nothing to the inside of the house…we haven’t even hung pictures on the walls (which need painting). The only project we have scheduled is to build a fence for the chickens so they have more room to roam. At least the animals will be comfortable. I guess its not that bad. We have twice as much room as we had in the old house including an extra bathroom and a fireplace. I love living out in the country and seeing the neighbors’ cows and horses when I look out the window. I just wish we could fix it up to better reflect our tastes. All in time I guess. In the meantime, we’ll have to live with the blue carpet (not my favorite), the old wallpaper and the ugly kitchen and bathrooms. Where is Vern when I need him????
Here are my brief random thoughts on the Oscars last night:
Best Song – Eminem? Begrudgingly, I have more respect for him than I did a few years ago (I dismissed him as the next Vanilla Ice) but an Oscar? Better than Paul Simon? Better than that extremely groovy song from Frieda? BETTER THAN U2??? Whatever.
Michael Moore – Time and place, Dude. Time and place. Get over yourself.
Adrain Brody – Excellent use of time and place to eloquently state what everyone was thinking. Cheers for telling the conductor to stop the orchestra so he could finish. Great moment.
Best Dress – Catherine Zeta-Jones. Even though she is extremely plump and pregnant, she wasn’t afraid to show off her chi-chi’s. You go girl!
Second Best Dress – Renee Zellwiger. Her red dress was stunning, especially amongst all the black and the brown worn by the other ladies. I’m still bothered by her squinty eyes however.
That’s it. Since I didn’t actually see any of the movies in any of the categories, I couldn’t really agree or disagree with who won what. Not that my opinion counts for squat anyways.
WAR
Ok, yes, I said I wasn’t going to say anything more about the war but when have I ever kept my mouth shut? I think everyone has made valid points about the situation and I’m just glad that we have a forum where we can have our say. I’m deeply worried and troubled about going to war, as I’m sure everyone is, and it helps to talk about my fears and frustrations with those who share them. Last night when the news reported we had struck a “Target of Opportunity” I was really hoping we had taken out Saddam. I feel awful for wishing death upon another human being but his death now would probably save the thousands of lives that will no doubt be lost in the weeks to come. What a sad world we live in.
CLOTHES
I need to buy some new jeans and casual clothes before my trip with John in a couple of weeks. The problem is I absolutely hate the way my body looks in pants. My ass is unreasonably big. Could the fact that I’ve exercised maybe twenty times in the last five years have anything to with it? No doubt. I’m still going to bitch about it though. Why is it that as a society we place so much emphasis on looking thin and toned when over half of our society is overweight? I’ve been to the doctor, I know what my BMI is, I’m not overweight. So why do I berate myself for the extra padding? Its those damn GAP commercials. Feeling groovy? Eat a frickin’ cheeseburger why don’t you.
MUSIC
I’m feeling a definite disinterest in music lately and this bothers me. I used to listen to music constantly and now I rarely do. The only CD’s I’ve listened to in the last couple of months have been Coldplay, The Vines and Nick Cave. There is just nothing out there right now that appeals to me. Actually, there is probably a lot of new music out there I would like if I was exposed to it. I’m just too lazy to look. I‘ve been a Johnny Cash fan for a long time and I really like his new Nine Inch Nails cover. That CD would probably be excellent for a road trip…hmmmm…….
I told myself I wasn’t going to get into any debate over the topic of war in Iraq. Partly because I haven’t been following the news all that closely and I don’t have all the facts, partly because I respect other people’s opinions and its not my place to tell them their wrong but mostly its because I’m completely on the fence on this issue. I can argue both sides and frankly I don’t have the strength of will or moral fortitude to take a stand and stick to it. I said last Fall that the Bush administration should put up or shut up. I didn’t see the point of the weapons inspections. Of course Saddam has weapons of mass destruction and of course he was not going to disclose them. Why should he? The Bush Administration made it perfectly clear last Fall that they were not going to settle for anything less than a complete regime change in Iraq. If an aggressive military is saying that you, as the leader of your country, need to vacate power and you have no intentions of peacefully doing so, would you hand over your means of defense? If we have always been intent on ousting Saddam, we should have gone in a long time ago and skipped this whole charade of obtaining approval from the UN Security Council. We just gave him more time to prepare for an imminent invasion.
Here is my concern, for what’s it worth. The UN was established to maintain order, diplomatically if possible, among the worlds’ governments. If an aggressor country willfully and unprovoked attacked another country, as Iraq did to Kuwait twelve years ago, UN forces would step in and counterattack. By proceeding with our war plans despite our failure to obtain UN approval, we are effectively demonstrating the UN to be irrelevant. Are we setting a dangerous precedent here? Will other countries follow our lead when they want to proceed with military action the rest of the world condemns? America is already despised in many parts of the world for its power and arrogance. Jealousy is often given as the reason. I think it is fear. Other nations fear us because they know we have the military and economic power to do whatever we want, including regime change. Instead of using America’s power to foster diplomacy and good will around the globe, the Bush Administration has used it to coerce and bully other countries. France is standing up to the US not because they’re great friends of Iraq or lovers of peace but because they resent our current government’s attitude of “F**k all y’all, we’re doing what we want because we can.” France is also wrong in using this opportunity to prove a point. With that being said, I totally support our countries right to defend itself, as we did against the Taliban and Al Qaiddah. I realize Saddam is a monster and a threat, to his own people as well as the rest of the world. He’s not the only such world leader. Are we taking on North Korea as soon as we’re done in Iraq? I just don’t see the need for military action right now. I hope that this war will be swift and short. I hope we will quickly and forcefully obtain our objective and oust Saddam. I hope we will uncover evidence such as weapons of mass destruction and torture chambers that justify our actions to the rest of the world and redeem our position as a sponsor of global good will. I just don’t see it happening. I support our troops 100%. I don’t agree with our government’s methods and policies. That’s it. I’ve said my piece and I’ll be quiet now.
Yesterday we had our first thunderstorm of the season. As Oklahoma thunderstorms go it was only moderate but Larry and I did enjoy standing on our front porch for a few minutes last night watching the lightning. There were a couple of spectacular lighting bolts but the storm passed quickly. I’ve neglected to mention to John that he’ll be driving through the Texas panhandle, Oklahoma and Arkansas during the height of tornado season. We do have tornados in eastern Oklahoma but it seems that Arkansas gets hit worse than we do. Must be all those trailer parks. I wouldn’t worry too much, however. Larry has lived in Ok for about 15 years now and never seen an actual tornado. We came close though. About two years ago we had a spring thunderstorm that rapidly turned nasty. The weather guy came on the TV and announced a tornado was sighted about two miles north of our house and that anyone living in our neighborhood should get to their safe place (i.e. tornado shelter, cellar, etc) ASAP. Larry and I immediately ran outside (doh!) because we wanted to SEE the tornado. Alas, no tornado but the clouds were swirling over our heads in a very Wizard of Oz like fashion. Spooky! We seem to have a habit of gleefully running into danger. Some time before the tornado incident, one of our neighbors had a dispute with the cops and they surrounded his house with their weapons drawn, ready to open fire at any moment. Again, Larry and I went outside TO WATCH! We’re frickin’ idiots. We did crouch down behind the car though – just in case. Luckily, no shots were fired. I wonder what trouble we can walk into next.
Ok - it appears I'm posting more often then other people. What does this mean? I'm either bored, egotistical or extremely needy of attention. Oh screw it...think what you want about me. Today was good...went for the walk in the woods blah blah blah. I should have mentioned that yesterday was not a good day for everyone in the house. Since moving out here to the sticks, Kyrielle has made friends with two neighborhood boys whom she plays with on her visit weekends. I think being out in the country and living on a deadend road has lulled us into a false sense of security. When Kyrielle goes out to play we don't feel it necessary to keep our eye on her every second. Her and the boys go to each others houses and play in the many fields surrounding our homes. Yesterday Kyrielle rode a two wheel bike for the first time without training wheels. She also rode that bike down an unfamiliar dirt road straight into a barb wire fence. And where were her father and stepmother when this calamity occured? Entertaining their guests and drinking inside the house without a clue what the child was doing. The damage wasn't that severe. Mostly scrapes on her forearms with one particularly nasty one. I was really proud of her. She did cry but she let me clean and disinfect the wounds without resistance. It's probably just unneccesary guilt but I feel completely responsible for what happened. We, as her parents, should have foreseen the danger and prevented it. Our friends last night were very supportive....telling me that kids are kids and they get hurt. I guess I'm just paranoid that her mother will think we're not responsible enough to watch her and curtail the visits. Larry did say however that when he told his ex about it she was actually more impressed that Kyrielle rode without training wheels than she was about the accident. Kyrielle is not allowed to play out of the sight of the house anymore however. So I guess if she runs into the barbed wire on our property it will be okay? At least we can watch her do it!
Yesterday was an excellent day for me. The sun was out for the first time in months and it was actually warm. It was 81 degrees yesterday compared to 29 degrees on Monday - that's Oklahoma for you - don't mind the weather. As I'm trying to start a business as a Personal Chef and I've actually never taken a cooking class I thought it would be a good idea. There's a restaurant and chef supply store in town that offers cooking classes throughout the week and on weekends. I signed up for Basic Stocks and Sauces. I wasn't expecting much but it was so much fun! It was very professional. The kitchen reminded me of Emeril's set with the students setting at a counter in a semi-circle while the chef stood in the middle. There were cameras and TV's as well so everyone could see what the chef was doing. They even served wine and beer - I had a glass of Fat Bastard Shiraz. While the students didn't actually cook (it was all demonstration) I still feel I learned a lot. Definitely doing that again.
We had two couples over last night for dinner and conservation. The menu was casual - we served smoked chickens, broccoli salad and corn bread. Our friend Elizabeth brought a lemon cake. The whole things was yummilicious. The group was diverse as far as age went. Larry and I are 33 and 34 respectively. Jeff and Gayla are 5 to 6 years olders than us and Jason and Elizabeth are babies at 24 and 23. We all found plenty to talk about and the evening was a complete success. It's been difficult for me to make new friends since moving to Oklahoma and knowing people that actually want to come over to my house for dinner makes me feel socially exceptable again.
That's it for yesterday. Today looks to be excellent again weather wise so I think we're going for a walk in the woods behind our house. I hope that counts as exercise because I need it!
I see that everyone has posted at least once to his or her blog. That’s awesome. I feel like there’s so many things I could ramble on about I don’t even know where to begin. For those of you who don’t know me so well, I live in Oklahoma with my husband Larry (yes, that Evil Larry) where I’m trying very hard to escape from corporate cube hell and start my own business as a personal chef. I’m originally from Modesto, Ca like two others in our blogging group. I met Larry on the Internet and after some chit chat and what not packed up most of my stuff, two dogs and a ferret and moved to Tulsa. Life has only gotten better since then.
Right now I’m an accountant for a life insurance company. BORING! I don’t want this blog to turn into a daily venting session for how much I hate my job because all of us have frustrations with our jobs at one time or another and I should just suck it up and deal with it. I will say that I do not have the personality to be either an accountant or a corporate cog. Brie pointed this out to me years ago. Why oh why didn’t I listen to you! I’ve since discovered that I love to cook and I’m not half bad at it. In lieu of spending two years at a reputable culinary academy (of which there isn’t one in Oklahoma – big surprise), I decided to go down the self-taught road. I’ve experimented and learned a lot over the past couple of years. While I’m by no means a gourmet chef, I’m at least good enough to be paid for what I can do – hence the personal chef thing. One day I hope to open up my own catering deli but that’s down the road a bit.
I’m super psyched that John and Brie are moving to Virginia. I don’t know why exactly. They are going to be just as far from us in Va as they were in Ca. I think it’s because I’ve always wanted to visit that part of the country and now I can. I looked up Carrsville on Mapquest and its reasonably close to so many places I’ve wanted to go. Oh…look at that…I’ve taken John and Brie’s big event and made it all about me…typical! I do want to say however that I am thrilled about going to the Holy Land…I mean Graceland…again. Thank you John for wanting to stop on our way out. For those of you who don’t know, I’m a big Elvis Freak so again…yay for me!
1.Do you like talking on the phone? Why or why not?
Generally no…it depends on the person. I like talking to my friends but sometimes it just easier to e-mail. As much as I love my sister I don’t like talking to her on the phone because it’s usually a 90-minute monologue about her life. When its finally time for me to talk about myself she suddenly has to get off the phone. I’m not a diva, I just want to say something more than “Uh huh un huh wow…really? Uh huh.”
2. Who is the last person you talked to on the phone?
Not counting co-workers or my husband (whom I talk to via the phone 5 or 6 times a day), it was my best friend Diane in Albuquerque. She is one of the few people I like to talk to on the phone.
3. About how many telephones do you have at home?
We have two phones at the house (I think) and two cell phones.
4. Have you encountered anyone who has really bad phone manners? What happened?
Aside from my sister (do I dare call her rude?) I can’t think of any one particularly rude incident. I do find people who talk on their cell phone incessantly to be rude, especially in the movie theater.
5. Would you rather pick up the phone and call someone or write them an e-mail or a letter? Why or why not?
I like e-mails because I like to write and I find I can say what I need to say and be done with it. However, e-mails can be frustrating when the other person doesn’t have time to read and respond to your e-mails or when the reader misinterprets your tone.
Cynthia Rebecca Nine Days Old? Good God...that's a nickname my dad gave me when I was a baby. Thanks John!! I forgot you even knew. Hello all...yes I am Cynthia Rebecca but I'm slightly older than 9 days...just slightly:) As my first order of business in my inaugural post I want to thank the superlative, informative and always entertaining Silveria Family website for hosting my blog. I've known John, Brie and Sean (aka Mr. Scary) for 17 years now. I met John and Sean at a birthday party I threw for a mutual friend. They arrived on a Friday night and after much imbibing, socializing and all around frivolity, they FINALLY left on Sunday. Brie joined the party 10 months later as John's main squeeze and a lot has happened since then. But those are stories for another time and place boys and girls. Over the years we've lost contact and regained it but I've never stopped thinking of these people as some of my closest and dearest friends.
So what should you, the general reader, expect from my blog? I plan to use this forum to relate mundane details about my daily life, bitch about my petty frustations and go on rants about nothing in particular...all the things you talk about to your friends. So sit back, relax and enjoy the show.