The Value of Passion

I will never forget a lesson I learned when I was young.

"Doing what is popular is not always right, and doing what is right is not always popular."

and reminded:


But, what is "RIGHT" when there is endless debate in politics and social media about everything from:

*The right for LGBT marriage,

*A woman's right for full health care coverage (or denial of such coverage until a government mandated invasive procedure is done) ,

*The #Occupy movement or the

*#Kony2012 awareness campaign.

Everyone has their own opinions, judgements, ideas and passionate displays. Each are controversial, each with passion supporters and detractors.

Is there a 'right' way?

We, as a society, need to stop criticizing each other for our passions, and start doing something productive. Something WE (as individuals) are passionate about. Something more than just sitting down and watching TV at the end of the night. There is so much going on the world, it is a shame to NOT get involved.

I believe:

*Deep down, each person wants to make their world a better place to be.

*Change starts small. It could be one small voice on a school yard that stands up to a bully.

*Everyone has the ability to be great catalyst for change and part of a solution.

My point:
Never stop learning.
Never stop being part of a solution.
Never stop pursuing your passion, dreams or desires.
Never stop doing what you love.
No matter what.

Coffee is my Whipping Boy

I am going to start this post by saying
I LOVE COFFEE!


I love it in all of its shapes and sizes. I love that it never judges me, doesn't care about those extra couple of pounds, or even if my socks match my shirt. I love that it is ALWAYS THERE when I need a warm hug.
Coffee will stay up with me all night watching movies, it will go out dancing with me, it won't care what I look like 'the morning after', and is Always happy to see me.
Coffee is... in fact, the best boyfriend ever.
However....
I've been thinking of cutting back.
So, what do I do? I go around and search on the internet of all the harmful effects.... Here is what I found (full disclosure - I have no idea if any of this is true... I found it on the internet after all):

On Cholesterol
*Coffee consumption is a major contributor to the variation in levels of total cholesterol, of sedentary middle-aged men.
*Increases blood pressure
*Increases Heart rate
*Aggravates coronary heart disease, related to heart attacks by interfering with fatty acid and glucose balances in the blood. 1-5 cups of coffee daily increases the risk of heart attack by 60%. 6 or more cups a day risk is increased to 120%

On the Stomach
*Two small cups stimulates acid secretion and irritate the stomach lining for more than an hour and longer in people with ulcers, therefore will interfere with the healing of ulcers or assist int he development of ulcers. There is a five times higher incidence of stomach cancer in peopel who consume more than 5 cups daily.

On The Adrenal Gland
*This is important for those of you who follow my 'stress-reducing' tactics*
The adrenal gland is the controller of our nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is our rest and repair mode and the sympathetic nervous system is our fight flight response mode. Caffeine stimulates the epinephrine and norepinephrine hormones to bring about the "caffeine high" turning on the sympathetic nervous system. If this happens too often, the gland becomes exhausted and will eventually be unable to react appropriately to stress. The "caffeine high" briefly increases mental speed for the type of thinking required in mathematics but impairs motor coordination. This effect may last up to 3 hours.

Mutagenic Effect
Caffeine breaks (splits) chromosomes of cells and interferes with the repair of DNA. This inhibits the body's ability to heal itself. (Think Wolverine in X-Men, but backwards)


Other Random Coffee Info:
*Caffeine belong to the same alkaloid group as morphine, nicotine, cocaine and strychnine.
*Been called the 'bad habit glue', increasing urges in users for the consumption of alcohol and nicotine.
*Caffeine is one of 273 poisonous alkaloids in coffee

My conclusion:
According to the internet, coffee is bad for you.
But, that doesn't make me want to quit drinking it.
Besides, everything on the internet is a lie anyway, right?

Yum yum, Lamb for Dinner.

Welcome to March.

The phrase 'In like a Lion, out like a Lamb' apparently has its origins with the constellations Leo, the Lion, and Aries, the ram or lamb. It has to do with the relative positions of these constellations in the sky at the beginning and end of the month. But don't take my word for it... check it here.

Personally, I like March. The word just oozes springtime. The Sun starts it's annual courtship with everything green, and everything green responds.
Flowers start unfurling, trees begin to blossom, and the skies are a little less threatening and a little more flirtatious.
Everything 'march'es forward.
What I love the most is the people. Everyone is wide-eyed in wonder and admiration for the blooms, like it is the very first time they have ever smelled a Daphne, or seen the Sakurai. No one is immune to the beauty.
Hearts open, hugs abound and everyone ventures out of their winter caves to tease their skin to the sun. Even the people bloom in the spring. It is as though everything battles the elements all winter, then summons the courage, beauty and strength to show the fragile, graceful petals that have been hiding underground all winter.

So, to all those embodying the Lion's strength, grace and beauty in blooming this spring, three Rawr's for March-ing forward - oh and a little recipe for dinner, just in case you have the Lion's appetite too.

Rack of Lamb with Pecan Herb Crust


Ingredients:
1 rack of lamb, about 7 or 8 chops to each rack, olive oil,salt and pepper, Herb and pecan mixture (including but not limited to: Rosemary, oregano, parsley, mint, chives and 2/3c chopped/toasted pecans), and Dijon mustard (or bold'n spicy sauce)
Preparation:

Wash lamb and pat dry. Rub with olive oil and salt and pepper. Position meaty side up in roasting pan; roast at 400° for 12 minutes. Remove from oven; let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a mini food processor or chopper, combine herbs and pecans; process until finely chopped. Rub mustard over the lamb, then coat well with the pecan and herb mixture. Return to oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes longer, or to desired done-ness. Cozy up and share with the ones you love.

Rawr!

Big Pimpin'

Go ahead, take a few minutes, watch the video. Relish the few minutes of time you get to enjoy a trip through memory lane (of the late 90's).

I can tell this is going to make your day.

Check it, instead of writing, I have been surfing the internet with a long board. Reaching my tentacles out into the great depths of the worm-hole known as the interwebs.
Don't worry, I didn't get lost, but I do have some fun new stuff for you.

My NEW (and improved and very awesome) Facebook Fan Page

Pinterest (for those of you who love to window shop)

My very own store with awesome little nugglets of inspiration.

... and don't forget the books.

It is all here because I love you.

Pinterest - it's the new magical wormhole of the internet

I just joined Pinterest.
I had an invite about six months ago and didn't do anything with it because I was scared to get sucked into yet something else awesome.
I should have stuck to my guns.
Pinterest is awesome.
It is everything the internet should be, with no commitment.

Look at all the stuff I have already pinned...

(If you want an invite, just comment or shoot me a note, i will send you one.)

and... if you don't hear from me for a few days, send help...

Happy Birthday to you.

It's my birthday, today, Friday the 13th, lucky me. For my Birthday I would like: Chocolate cake, Mexican beaches, Margarita's, sunshine, bikini's and all my friends dancing to dirty beats on the beach.

What I will get looks more like: Coffee, Facebook birthday wishes, a trip to Goodwill, a little bit of freezing sunshine, with a scarf to keep me company in the cold.

My one birthday wish is for you to wish someone else a Happy Birthday. (It would be even more awesome if we could get 'Happy Birthday' to trend on Twitter (instead of 'Friday the 13th') Go nuts y'all. Happy Birthday!

Aliens, Einstein and Care Bears. Boo-ya!

*This post really doesn't make any sense, and I probably shouldn't have posted it, but my poor little brain is in a funny place. So let's pretend it's Topless Tuesday, Random Wednesday or No-Pants Thursday and you can click all the links then it will all make sense.*

I missed a post for you on Monday.
It was Money Monday and I know you were just waiting with baited breath to hear what sort of earth shattering revelations I had for you.
Sorry to disappoint.... but it's 2012, get used to it. I'm sure there will be many more disappointments to come this year.

I think people have much too high of an expectation for themselves at the new year. Manifesting as some odd weight-loss/budget-friendly/stress-free/perfect little New Years alien.

But guess what....
You aren't perfect, and you never will be, so stop trying. And. Just. Live.

Many of the most powerful people in the world came from poverty, and yet, sometimes I wonder...
Are they really happy? Are they still doing the things they love?
I hope so.
Then, I read a story about this lady, who hasn't spent a single dime in over 16 years... and I think... is it possible?
She looks really happy.
And my rational mind swims furiously like a turtle in a hurricane about this question of money and value and people and love and E=MC2 ....
Enter Einstein (at stage right):

So let me break it down.... here are my resolutions (you can use them in case you didn't get around to making any) in 2012:

*Less water, more drinks with umbrella's
*More massages and hot tubs and sunshine.
*Toe Socks in every color and pattern
*A first big success
*A first big failure
*More hot dogs and mac & cheese (what? they are good and make me furiously happy.)
*More Uncertainty
*More Change (the jingly stuff, and the life stuff)
*More ball-gowns in cemetery's just because it makes me happy.
*oh, and money.
*More Money.
*MONEY.
*Money that feels good to make.
*Money that feels good to make because you are doing something which makes you furiously happy.
*Money that feels so good to make, you don’t even feel slightly guilty about impulsive purchasing that (________________) because it’s the hottest thing you’ve ever seen and you pretty much want to make love on top of it every single moment of every single day. Followed by heavy cigar smoking. Obviously.

Oh... and.... Caring.
Caring about the goodness and beauty and amazingness that makes up each person. Caring about the strength of the human condition in a way like only the Care Bears could.

Now you can return to your regularly scheduled life.

p.s.
*My sister was a huge fan of the Care Bears when she was little. Now with an antenna on her head, she could almost double as a Tele-Tubby. Anyway, she is in Afghanistan with the National Guard playing GI Joe. I think I might get her a stuffed Care Bear and send it to her, or maybe a GI Joe, or maybe a Tele-Tubby. Shit... I'll just send her all three... This is her...*

p.p.s. I think Rick Perry is a Douche-Canoe. He has obviously never had to live through the stress of sending a brother/son/cousin/loved-one halfway around the world, into war, for a ridiculous reason.
(putting soap-box away and going back to my happy place)

2012 = The end of the world, Zombies and Never Giving Up.

Soooooo...... Happy 2012 to everyone.

Is it the end of the world yet?
(Click here if video doesn't load)



According to the video, it doesn't look like it (although I question what kind of Kool-Aid the guy was drinking when he made the video).

But.... either way, you should be prepared for a Zombie Apocolpse.... just in case.
(I want this... **click** for uhm, disaster preparedness (I wear size medium).... consider it a birthday present.)

Zombies are rascally little critters. Kind of like depression.
Depression is rascally...
...and will eat your brain.
Like a zombie.
Depression = Zombie

Recently, Jenny Lawson, a woman who I admire (not just for her writing, but also for her humor) 'came out' so to speak, about her secret battle with depression and self-harm.

Read it here: The Fight Goes on.

Since she has posted, she has received thousands of comments and messages in support of her, her battle and her bravery. She had letters come in from family members of people who suffer from depression and even a woman who was going to commit suicide and decided against it because of her bravery in her post. *Read Here* Not just bravery, but also her strength in NEVER GIVING UP.

Since then, she has started the Silver Ribbon Project.
Twitter has exploded with the hashtag #silverribbon
You can support all those who fight in silence by wearing, *painting*, pinning or gluing a silver ribbon to yourself.... and we will know.
(You can also go *here* or *here* to buy one and support the Traveling Red Dress Project).

Until then:
Be kind, everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle....
...... especially against Zombies.

Hasta la bye bye 2011

2011 has been intense.
As I make the rounds online looking at status updates and tweets, I find that most people are ready to say goodbye to 2011, and have some ubiquitous hope for 2012.
Are you complete with 2011?
I am.

My friends, my dear followers and readers of this blog, I have a wish for you....

I hope 2012 stomps you right in the face.

I hope it brings to you the most amazing, epic, cash-filled, gluttonously, deliciously, shenanigan-filled year ever.

I hope you are tackled with ecstatic happiness, knocked over with great times, I hope you push your boundaries and start those adventures that you never thought possible. I hope you jump crazily out of your comfort zone into the unknown of awesome-sauce.

I will and already have some big big plans for 2012.

Don't worry, 2012 is not the end of the world.... It's only the beginning.

Whatever you decide to do, Make the most of it!
Cheers and Happy New Year everyone!

p.s. Be safe out there party-people. AAA is offering free, safe rides home. 1-800-222-4357. Dont drive drunk/buzzed. Pass it on.

p.p.s. And always remember: Don't sweat the petty things and never pet the sweaty things.

... and for Random Wednesday.

You get pictures...
Lots of random, not safe for work, things I have found amusing, pictures.
Enjoy.

...and Will Wheaton for the Win.

Barbie, Darwin and Paintballs - it's all here.

I was having this conversation the other day, about how, in America in particular, we are becoming more and more sterilized from the dirty, rough, messy, amazing thing that is called life.

Helmets are required to ride a bike or skateboard, seatbelts are required in cars, there is OSHA at work, TSA in airports, Gun Safety, and even instructions on how to WALK SAFELY!.

...And dont' get me started on the sterilization of the body. Shaving/waxing/boob jobs/vaginal rejuvenation. Don't touch each other, don't spread germs, don't.. don't... don't. Soon we are going to start looking like the Ken and Barbie dolls all wrapped up in plastic bubbles.

(Sometimes I really miss Darwin's theory of Natural Selection.)

I have this theory that we (in America) have (or are quickly becoming) sterilized: from our food crops, the internet, and television programming. We sterilize the education we give our children (have you read "Lies my Teacher Told Me" by Sociologist James Loewen? It is amazing and everyone should read it.), with the tragic result of becoming distant and isolated from each other.

Well, sorry to disappoint you with the truth, but Life is Messy.
Our bodies are hairy, we bleed and poop and barf. We need to be touched and snuggled and pet and loved. It's natural. It's called LIFE.

I say:
Enjoy the Messy and Celebrate the disasters!

In India, they celebrate the festival of colors Holi once a year, and throw paint at each other.
Watch it here. It is AMAZING!

(Note: The reporter talks about inclusion, about how he wishes there was something like this in the West. This is something that families can do together, bringing them together in a very hands-on, interactive way.)

Now I want to show up at Christmas dinner with Paintballs.....

p.s. This year Holi is the 8th and 9th of March. Who wants to go with me?!

I was an Economist.

After 14 years in finance, I left the industry. To the shock and horror of many of my friends and family. I mean, I was making great money, had health insurance, retirement, etc, etc, etc.
But something changed.
Something which is outlined very clearly in this video.
WATCH IT!



Like many others, I have found the intensity of my happiness is tied to my desire for Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose. A desire that in one small way, my life MEANS something. The work that I do CHANGES things for the better.

The point is, there is no amount of money that would bribe a craftsman to turn his or her back on their own desire to grow. Growth is the natural order of things. Working on yourself, doing things that you decide to do, when you decide to do them will not only make you better, but will also feed passion into your life. More passion means more happiness. More happiness equals a better world.

We all have this intrinsic 3rd grade desire to 'Show and Tell'. Show and tell things that we did, accomplishments that we made, sharing our steps of personal fulfillment and purpose. And yet we are all so worried about jobs and money and silly details that we miss the big picture. The picture of growth, of having fun, of letting go and being free to do and create those things in which truly 'disrupts' the status quo and makes you intrinsically happy.

So, perhaps, just for today:
Start thinking outside the box.
Don't worry so much about money.
Make something awesome that will change the world.
Then give it away for free.

An intense model of 'Pay it Forward' perhaps. There are more than enough people in the world, that if we lived our lives in this idea of paying it forward, noone would be without food, shelter, clothing, transportation or... or... the most important TIME for PERSONAL GROWTH!

So, in the vein of this new business model. I will not worry about book sales, marketing, writing (unless I enjoy it) and give away a Free SIGNED Copy of any one of my books to any one person who wants one, for the next 24 hours. All you have to do is comment on this blog. A thought, idea, reaction or just a statement telling me I am a left-wing socialist nut job. Whatever it is.

One comment.
One book.
Free.

and... Pay it Forward.

Pigtails, A Word of the Day and Zombies.

First, for fun, I put this on my twitter account on Sunday for the Win.

*************************

Second, learned a new word.... Inveigles - To persuade someone to do something by means of deception or flattery.
"Casey's voice is pained and passionate, playful and poignant, permissive and provocative. She sings to the soft little hidden spot inside your soul which holds all your secrets. She innocently inveigles and melts your heart like a handful of M&M's, leaving you desperately licking yourself to savor each divine drop.". Check it out and help support an artist living her dream.

************************
And guess what, the Zombies are waking up.

In the Senate.
In Colorado.
and
In the Classroom.

A glittery day is on the way

If you follow me on Twitter, or even on my Facebook page, you will know by now that I have put in a very big order to the Universe.
Now, I've written on the Universe before, and I will be patiently waiting for my little brown box to arrive.... on FRIDAY.
Friday, if you haven't heard already, is a pretty big day.
It is 11/11/11 and it also happens to be the 3rd Quarter (full) Moon in Taurus.

So, if you haven't already, put your order in.
The Universe is gonna deliver something big!

p.s. I ordered mine with extra glitter.

Life is messy (continued), kind of like Childbirth.

Seems as though the messyness of my life is a regular occurrence.
I like to think of bad days as messy rather than 'being depressed' or 'in a hole' or what-have-you (which, all are applicable to today). 'Messy' in my spinning little mind seems have less of the negative connotation to me. Because, life, in general, is messy. And, there are times (like now) in which I EMBRACE the complete mess.

But, take a second, think about this idea of messy existence. The universe was just one big mess of chaos before the 'big bang'.

And the mere existence and creation of a human is messy from the beginning. Sex is the best when it is disasterously messy, not to mention the nine months in utero then.... childbirth. Seriously, have you seen/experienced childbirth.... not exactly a clean adventure. So, if your entire existence on this planet starts in one great natural mess, then for the rest of your life... a mess is easy. It's natural.
********
By the way, on a side-note, DO NOT look up videos of childbirth on YouTube. If you have never seen childbirth or experienced it... there is a reason why. Seriously. Don't do it.
(and if you do, don't tell me I didn't warn you - there are some things that should be left unseen).
********
So, today I'm going to embrace my inner messiness.
Watch out world.

PS. -> Also, on the note of childbirth - congratulations to my cousin who just gave birth to the first Great Grandbaby of the family. Meet Dominic.

He's cute.
If you are into the whole messy baby thing.

Happy Sunday

That is all.
Please continue with regularly scheduled Sunday events.

NANOWRIMO - No big change, just more snippits.

No big update or big word numbers to add today, but here is another snippit I was working on.
Enjoy.

*************************

She didn’t understand what he meant, and as she was gasping for air her movements were becoming less violent. Her body was jerking and trembling. She heard the blood pounding in her ears. Her lungs were on fire. Her head was splitting. Tiny little flash bulbs began popping in front of her eyes.

and he kept squeezing.

She thought,

This is it.

More flashes, brighter, growing in size, filling her vision. And then, between the flashes, blackness. Small patches of blackness between the flashes of light. The blackness grew. It slowly overwhelmed the flashes of light, slowly replaced them. The darkness grew until it was all that was left. Darkness. Pure blackness.

And silence.
Total, complete silence. She was enveloped in blackness. Soft. Velvety. Black. She was floating in it. Floating free with no pain, no fear. Just silence, stillness and total blackness.

Death was deliciously welcomed

Then Science kicked me right in the ass. - UPDATE

This is why I shouldn't be left alone with my computer in the middle of the night sans sleep.

There is a part of my brain that apparently did not develop.

I have come to this conclusion in a variety of scientific methods. But the basic process or steps to the Scientific Method are as follows:

1. Ask a question
2. Do scientific research
3. Construct a Hypothesis
4. Test your Hypothesis by doing an experiment
5. Analyze your data and draw a conclusion
6. Communicate your results.

Let's pose those more as questions to which I will provide the answers down below.

Although this 'brain development' conclusion seems to not be an earth shattering conclusion with me, I'm sure there are some of you out there reading this post who might be surprised. Therefore, I will walk you step by step of how I came to this conclusion.

1. To date the biggest 'question' I have been asked over the course of my life is: "What (the fuck) is wrong with you?!" 'the fuck' was put in parenthesis because obviously when I was very very young, there is no way any reasonable adult would say such harsh things. So, taking this question, I have asked:
"What is wrong with me?"
Great. That is simple. There is an easy answer..... 'Nothing, I am perfect the way I am.'


2. Do scientific research. Okay, before I got ahead of myself in this question, I promptly headed to the internet, I took every personality test, self-diagnosis test, 'how healthy are you' test,IQ testes, Personality Tests,'are you suffering from' tests, 'mode of operation' tests and even psychological strength/operations test I could find. To date, there is a very very (VERY) long list of my 'failed' test results. Including, and my personal favorite: Hypochondriac.

But, I hardly (if ever) get sick (except when I was really little), and I used to be an athlete in college. But, I think the kicker is, I've never been to a shrink/counselor/therapist/psychiatrist for anything, never had an 'intervention' or anything outside what is perceived/considered/box-breaking/whatever 'normal'.

I scoured the internet for articles on 'brain damage', lobes and locations of brain damage and what part of your personality/motor function it would effect. I studied concussions, short term and long term effects. I looked into what affect Religion (or spiritual practice), DNA and family lineage had and on what part of the brain.
It is true, there are a couple instances which could qualify me for 'brain damage'.

I looked at the argument of Nature vs. Nurture. Tabula Rasa. Natural progression. Darwn. blah blah blah-di-de-blah blah.
(I do come from pretty good stock)

Needless to say, we are only scratching the surface with my extensive research (which quite honestly, combining everything, has taken at least 10 years....) Just on this basic question. And questions about yourself... those are the most fun.

3. Construct an Hypothosis. Ok, easy enough... My hypothosis (based upon my extensive research), is: "I am okay the way I am... but there are a few areas I could improve on."
I've sort of taken the middle of the road on this one.... but, *shrug* what do you expect?

4. Test your hypothesis by doing an experiment. Oh... ok. This could be fun.

Me (as I am mashing Oreos into the bottom of a milk glass): MMMM I love chocolate milk.
Other person which shall not be named: "No you don't. You love Oreo's smashed into bottom of the milk so you can crunch on little bits while you 'drink your white milk full of fat and be healthy'". If you loved chocolate milk, you would just pour the chocolate stuff (the brown stuff in the cupboard) into the glass of white milk whereby making in a dark tan colored with no grit."
Me: What's the difference?
OPWHNBN: The difference is, I have to clean your grit covered glasses when I do the dishes, rather than just rinse a glass.
Me: You know if you didn't insist I 'be healthy' and there is something very wrong with dark tan milk, then I wouldn't be having this conversation with you.
OPWHNBN: What is wrong with you?
Me. I'm okay the way I am, but there are a few areas I could improve on.
OPWHNBN: Yeah... that's for sure.

Hmmmm.... well, that didn't turn out too well.

Ok, what about 'brain damage' caused by an accident or injury? Yes, that is possible. A few car accidents (one without a seatbelt), a motorcycle wreck, a couple fights, you know....

Then... the only thing left is 'brain development issues'. I thought about putting Autism in this classification, but decided against it. There isn't definitive evidence (that I have seen recently, anyway) that could make this claim. And since we are sticking with Science, Autism does not go in this category. Seems like a surpising category to end up in especially since from the time I can remember I've been 'learning in special and gifted ways'. Like the game 'Memory' when I was a kid, puzzles with the states and capitols, 'Talented and Gifted' programs, Advanced classes and multiple college degrees. Yet, I have been known to struggle socially... sometimes. But it is pretty rare, so ...


5. Analyze your data and draw a conclusion. Well....
The 'scientific research' says I am pretty fucked up.

I'm in my 30's = -1
I don't have a husband (just a was-band) = -2
I don't have 2.5 kids - -2.5
I don't have a house - -10
I don't have a car, a permanent address or a retirement plan = -15
I suffer from a multitude of sicknesses (in the head and in the body) = -25

Add those bad-boy numbers up.

Yet, I think I feel just fine. I mean, I'm walking.... I have use of all my limbs, I have the capability to feed/clothe/wash myself. and you know what.... I get depressed too. Deeply deeply crazy depressed. But, On those days that the sun lines up with the earth. I feel pretty damn perfect, and those are the days that I put up with all the clouds and the rain for. And yeah my joints hurt ... a lot, and yeah, I think (and sometimes do) some pretty fucked up things. But, you know... if my brain didn't develop in one particular area, then .... well... that would sort of explain things, I mean... right? One tiny tiny little area. Like the size of a tick. No, smaller.... like a grain of sand, no, smaller.... like an atom....

And it wouldn't make someone mad if you told them that - they would probably, actually, maybe feel sympathetic and actually be nice and have a little compassion. *shrug* Who knows these days what is P.C. anymore.

Anyway, in essence, there you go... my conclusion.
When I am asked:
What is wrong with you?
I'll just say, "There is a part of my brain that apparently did not develop".

I can't wait to try that out.... and will definitely keep you posted.

UPDATE: To quote a very good friend.... "Would you like to donate $$ towards a cure?"

Donate

In 2 days, I'll have 30 days. Sounds like a bad math problem to me.

Excuse me while I have a mild heart attack.

Excuse me while I say... 'oh yeah, that tree branch waaaaaay out there, yeah, I'll go and stand on it."

Excuse me.
For just a moment.

I did something ..... scary.
I signed up for NANWRIMO.

Check it here:

UPDATE:
In addition to.... I have also signed up for the Richard Hugo House's New Works Competition....

(slight panic)

Breathe....
Breathe....
No pressure.

Pea Soup is just an excuse to make more bacon

One day, when the house was clean (RARE with 3 other roommates). I got a crazy little idea of making pea soup. Now, first of all, if you know me... you know I don't cook.

So one would ask.... where would you get this idea?
Well, I got it because the night before I saw 'The Boy' eating pea soup out of a Campbell soup can (not raw, that would be gross, but he cooked it in a pan with milk).
I
Was
Shocked.

The Boy is amazing.
But, I don't know if I've ever seen him eat something green soft and squishy EVER.
Not at Thanksgiving (spinach).
Not in any SE Asia country.
Not EVER.

So.... ok. I can get over that...
But then I asked...
Me: "What are you eating?"
Him: "Pea Soup"
Not stopping the rhythm of shoveling pea soup into his mouth. Not to breathe, not to talk and to barely respond.
My curious mind was totally intrigued.... this man likes pea soup? So I ask....
Me: "You like Pea Soup?"
Him: "Oh YEAH"
Thinking to myself... wow? really?
Slurp
swallow
Him: "Love it"
another spoonful.
thinking... hmmm....
Slurp, swallow, spoon, slurp swallow spoon, slurpswallowspoon,slurpswallowspoon over and over and over again until the bowl was empty.
Almost licked clean kind of empty.

Whereby... he looked at his bowl, then headed back to the stove to get a second helping, then a third to eat every single drop.

I just sat there dumbfounded.

So... I thought to myself, I love pea soup but refuse to eat it out of a can... my mom made it once (then she said she would never make it again .... and would just buy the cans, which I refused to eat) Anyway, she made it with onions and carrots and ham and all sorts of stuff... I could do that! I could make pea soup!
It can't be that hard AND it's gotta taste better than a sodium laden can'o'fat I payed $3 for with no flavor! can of soup.
So, the next day, I packed up my backpack and headed to the market. Determined to buy the best ingredients needed to make the most amazing pea soup EVER!
(But really.... secretly.... I was just looking for another excuse to buy thick sliced bacon.)
I set out on a mission, I was gonna kick Campbell's Pea Soup right in the ASS!

So I did.
Here's how I made it.

In a saucepan with olive oil, clarify
1 Onion
1 Clove (the whole thing... not just one sliver) of Garlic (use the squishy thing to make it all mushy and into pieces.

While that is clarifying....
FRY BACON! I added one whole pound.... you could probably do 1 1/2.

Then chop the bacon up into bits.
Then,
In a huge pot
put the onions, garlic, and bacon in.
Add
2 cups of water
1 cup of whole milk (you could use cream - but nothing less in fat that whole milk)
1 package of diced baby carrots (no finger pieces this time)
4 stalks of celery

Rinse and add entire package of split green peas (not the 'soak overnight' kind).

Add a whole bunch of stuff that was in our herb cabinet, (not to mention a few ingredients that I'm sure I missed) salt and pepper to make it taste good while you stir, simmer and taste for about 2 hours.
I just cooked that shit and it is
delicous.
And that is....
A HUGE FUCKING DEAL.
and...
Now.
It is served. In 2 bowls. One for me, one for him.
I take a bite... and ask:
"How do you like it"
"It's good"
Slurp, swallow, spoon, slurp, swallow, spoon.

He went back for seconds.
And thirds.

And the pot was still full on the stove.

and the next day.
seconds.
Thirds.
and we have been eating pea soup every. single. day.
For over a week....
So sick of soup.
So sick of peas.
So sick of green slime in my mouth.... but I just choked down the very very very last bowl of FUCKING PEA SOUP!
Blech.
I hate it and will never eat it again.
And if "The Boy" wants it... he can buy himself a can of it.