Charles David Just Tried to Kill Me
4" sling-back pumps + clumsy woman who doesn't pick up her feet when she walks = recipe for disaster.
Meatless Mondays
I'm not a vegetarian and probably never will be; however, I've been convinced that cutting back on meat consumption is a healthier and more environmentally friendly way of living. That being said, I decided to give Meatless Monday a try. Will it make a difference? Maybe... maybe not. All I know is that it certainly can't hurt.
Today, I had cereal and a banana for breakfast, peanut butter & jelly sandwich for a snack, spaghetti marinara & spinach for lunch, an apple, and a strawberry yogurt for dinner (I had a late lunch so I wasn't hungry for a big evening meal). Deanna volunteered to participate as well (I would never expect my kid to follow my weird eating habits). She went all tree-hugger-vegetarian on me a couple of years ago during summer camp and came home looking like Nicole Richie. Eventually, she started eating meat again: "Can we go to Five Guys? I need a burger in my life."
Ruth's Chris stuffed chicken & petite filets still rock my world,
Susan
D's Room, Version 1.4.5
Before:
We still have a few more upgrades like curtains and better lighting but D-Nice is one happy camper.
One stripped Phillips head screwdriver later,
Susan
Adventures in Cuban Cuisine
It took me 2 hours and 15 minutes to get to CulinAerie but I was so happy to get out of the house after being snowed in for a week. 14th Street was an absolute nightmare and for a second, I was afraid I would miss the cooking class altogether. I felt relieved when I showed up 15 minutes late and there were still empty seats; the instructor had not started yet and was patiently waiting on stragglers like me.
Class began with an introduction to Cuban food. Did you know that Cuban cuisine is a fusion of Spanish, African, Caribbean, and Chinese influences? I would have never guessed Chinese! Our instructor, Eliza Gonzalez, quickly schooled us on the four dishes we would be preparing and doled out fun facts about the cuisine.
Our first dish was tostones con salsa verde (fried green plantains with salsa verde). Green plantains are similar to potatoes - they are starchy, dense, and don't have a lot of flavor. After frying them in vegetable oil and adding salt and pepper, they turned out crispy and delicious.
Look who showed up! Poor Will also got caught in the 14th Street gridlock but he arrived just in time for the next recipe: moros con cristianos (rice with black beans).
While the rice and beans were simmering on the stove, we started shredding beef and cutting up the veggies for ropa vieja ("old clothes" - shredded flank steak).
The last dish we prepared was camarones al mojo (shrimp in garlic sauce). Will took the lead on this one and impressed everyone with his knife skills - he chopped the garlic super-fine.
The Grill Meister:
Spreadin' garlicy love on the grilled shrimp:
Our Cuban masterpiece:
The hellacious commute to DC was quickly forgotten as we enjoyed our savory meal. I ate all of my shrimp and actually enjoyed them, which is unprecedented.
¡Buen provecho!
Susan
Calm After the Storm
Snow can be a pain in the ass but it is also beautiful and elegant. I snapped a few pics at dusk today after the flakes finally stopped falling. It was so serene and peaceful outside.
I took these pics on Wednesday morning before going to work. That 3-4" was a joke compared to the final count of 27" I took this evening!
Who's ready for a snowball fight?
Susan
We Aint...Goin' No Where
Saturday, February 6, 2010 ~2:00 p.m.
25" and it's still snowing! Wowza, what a storm this has been. It's still flurrying where I am but I think the worst is over and the precip is about to taper off soon.
Look how sad the trees are:
The weight of the snow is becoming too much for some of the branches:
I'll probably venture out for a walk later on and take some more pics. That's IF it ever decides to stop.
Snow My Goodness,
Susan
We've Only Just Begun
Commander's Log: Sioux Shepard
Saren is dead. These words would mean so much more if Kaidan and Wrex were here to share in the glory. I lost two valuable members of my squad and I grieve for them tonight. My head is pounding. Every bone in my body is weak; every muscle is screaming in agony. Williams stayed by my side until Saren took his last breath; she is the epitome of what a true soldier is. I only wish Garrus was as strong a fighter; he struggled during combat and became more of a hindrance towards the end.
Captain Anderson has accepted the Council's invitation to serve as their human representative. Udina had the nerve to publicly question my nomination! I had to bite my tongue from lashing out at him in front of the Council. I will never forget how he double-crossed us; however I'm not too surprised - I have yet to meet a politician who can be trusted.
Our victorious moment was short-lived; I quickly reminded the Council that the Reapers were still a threat. I do not rest easy knowing their return is imminent. Saren's demise is only the beginning of a long and brutal journey but we are ready for war and will stop at nothing to secure the future of our galaxy.
Signing off,
Sioux
It's Lonely at the Top
Commander's Log: Sioux Shepard
I have come to the realization that diplomacy and sympathy no longer take precedence on this mission. It is time for The Renegade to emerge and I do not care what it costs me. I am a Spectre now - letting the Council down is not an option and I will do whatever it takes to save this galaxy.
We destroyed Matriarch Benezia today after learning she was permanently brainwashed by Saren. There was nothing we could do to redeem or free her from Saren's control and she perished in despair. I haven't spoken with Liara yet - what do you say to someone after ambushing their mother with over 45,000 rounds of plasma? Ashley vehemently disrespected Liara after we reconvened on the ship and I did not stand for it. Tensions are high but disciplinary action will be necessary if Chief Williams does not leave her ego at the gate.
Kaidan is acting friendly again after brushing me off the other day when I just needed someone to talk to. Dr. Chakwas and I joked about slipping Midol into Kaidan and Joker's coffee in the morning. Perhaps Kaidan needs more time to forgive himself - he still takes the blame for my injuries when the Beacon exploded. It wasn't his fault.
Tomorrow we will take on further exploration of dusty, debris-laden Feros; but tonight, we sleep.
Signing off,
Sioux
The Five People You Meet in Whole Foods
Wealthy Old Woman
She's usually in her late 70's or early 80's and wears a full-length mink coat when she shops. Wealthy Old Woman makes it a point to take up the entire aisle with her cart so no one else can get by while she studies the nutritional information on a can of organic prune juice. Her 10-gallon leather Louis Vuitton Speedy bag is home to her Toy Yorkie who barks incessantly and snaps at each passerby. She has 54-carat diamond rings on each French-manicured hand and enjoys bathing in Chanel No 5. Wealthy Old Woman doesn't believe in waiting her turn and will suddenly appear in front of you on the checkout line. When you try to protest the blatant disrespect, she can't hear you anyway so you bite your tongue and accept the fact that you are a peasant as Toy Yorkie pees on your $20.00 pineapple.
Stay-At-Home-Mom
These women let their unruly kids clad in Crocs and Gymboree terrorize the entire store while they carry on loud cell phone conversations with other stay-at-home moms about who the neighborhood slut is and how much money her husband makes. They keep their Christian Dior might-as-well-be-ski goggles sunglasses on while they shop and wear Uggs over Juicy Couture track suit pants or Rock and Republic jeans. When they're not pushing their youngins around in a $5,000 jogging stroller that will never be used for jogging, they opt for the cumbersome happy-faced kiddie bumper car carts that nonchalantly knock over store fixtures and other shoppers. After they hold up the checkout line for 10 minutes because allowing Hannah or Riley to sign their name on the credit card pin-pad is "cute," they jump into their Escalades/Excursions/H2's, run a few people off the road because they haven't put down their cell phones yet, and finally head back home to watch Oprah and/or Dr. Phil.
The Poser
This person shops at Whole Foods just to say they shop at Whole Foods. They don't know what free range, cage free, fair trade, or organic actually means but they make sure to tell everyone they wouldn't be caught dead shopping anywhere else and are proudly doing "their part." They tell everyone their food is better just because it comes from Whole Foods and try to make you feel bad for "going corporate" by shopping at Safeway, Giant, or Shoppers even after they are informed that Whole Foods is publicly traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange and is a insanely profit-driven corporation. This is Whole Food's favorite type of customer because they are brainwashed and make it a point to belittle other people who can't afford Whole Food's exorbitant prices or... just choose not to shop there.
Granolas
These patrons are often translucent because they don't eat meat/fish/poultry/dairy/animal bi-products. They have P.E.T.A. on speed-dial and almost pass out when Wealthy Old Woman saunters by in her fur coat with an enslaved canine in a cruel dead skin prison. Like everyone else, Granolas are invisible to Stay-At-Home-Mom so when they are almost run over by Screaming Baby Buggy, they secretly say a prayer to the Vegan Gods that Stay-At-Home-Mom's porterhouse steaks are contaminated and that E-Coli sends her entire flesh-eating family to the emergency room. Granolas worship edamame, tofu, and garbanzo beans and will fall over if you blow on them.
The Whole Foods Hater in Denial
S/he *cough Susan* genuinely enjoys the food selection at Whole Foods and is fairly educated on the world of organics, healthier food options, kinder farming methods, etc. Hater is conflicted with the political and social controversies that are associated with patronizing Whole Foods and goes on sporadic boycotts when the mood strikes. Hater is a member of the Facebook group Boycott Whole Foods and writes letters to the corporate offices accusing them of elitism by purposely staying out of lower income or "urban" areas. Hater is quick to tell everyone "I am never shopping at Whole Foods again!" but quietly un-bans him/herself whenever they feel like it (especially when the deli offers free range whole roasted chickens for $5.99 every Thursday). Hater can't get enough of the Whole Foods salad bar and acts like it's a surprise every time s/he checks out and is forced to fork over $10-12 for a small container of vegetables.
Please don't take me seriously (it's Shark Week),
Susan
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