The Ramblings of a Mental Meanderthal

Out of the twelve toilet paper tubes I planted spinach and parsley seeds in, I had to throw two parsley out because the bottoms of the tubes had fungus on them. So I've taken them out of their holders and left them free-standing on the windowsill. I saw the first green from a parsley tube four days ago, and another sprouted the next day. This morning, FOUR of my spinach seedlings have showed green! I'm excited! I don't have access to a camera, but I will this weekend, so I'll post a photo of the tubes if I remember. Edit: Make that three parsley sprouts. I found a hint of green that I didn't see two hours ago. Not sure what Saturday holds, but Sunday is church and the laundromat (I don't like to do any kind of work on Sunday -- or any day, to be perfectly honest -- but it's gotta be done), and then Monday is house work liek woah. Mom and I are setting ourselves two five-hour shifts, breaks, and an hour's lunch break, and we're gonna work our

So I've started a compost pile. I've read conflicting reports; I could be able to use it in a year or as soon a few weeks. Depends on how long it takes for everything to decompose. I've thrown some shredded bills and credit card offers in a one-gallon container with a lid along with some crushed eggshells, water, soil, a few stray Cheerios, and a banana peel. It's a rubbish way to start (pun intended), but it's all I've got at the moment because I did a thorough fridge cleaning last week. I'll need a larger container eventually -- something that can hold enough compost for my patio but is still small enough for me to lug around -- but that can wait for a few weeks at least. I do need to do some research before then so I know what kind of a bin to get (and what I can afford), but that's what Google is for: Image found here . I also planted Italian parsley seeds in four toilet paper rolls and set them outside. They're getting plenty of sun, and i

Terraforming. The term seems a bit pretentious, but I'm using the term for my tag anyway because I like it. So step one in my patio project is clearing out the rubbish that's been sitting there for over a year. (I used to think I was a pack rat, and that might be true, but really, I'm just really lazy and can't be bothered to pick up after myself.) Step two is putting things that need to go in the garage where they belong, and step three is clearing all the pots and the plot of earth of old weeds and dead plants. Step four is planting new stuff, which I have started even though I'm getting ahead of myself, and now that I've done that, I've set a deadline for steps one through three: when the seedlings are ready to be transplanted into the soil, I need to have everything else ready to go. (Step five will be making a couple of raised beds for the garden so I don't have to strain my back to maintain the garden, but I'm holding off on that until I s

The friend I visit teach said something Tuesday night that made me say DUH in a big way: "If it's ugly and you can't do anything about it, then work on top of it so it looks like you did the ugly stuff on purpose." Why didn't I think of that years ago?! I've griped to everyone at one point or another about my kitchen. I live in a one-bedroom flat in SoCA, and I've been there for almost thirteen years. The kitchen is spacious and has lots of cabinet and drawer space, but the color combination is not one I would have chosen. The cabinets are ancient (the silverware drawer is falling apart) and varnished a dark-but-bright orangey-brown color. The counter tile, on the other hand, is a bright baby pink. It's like putting a bright pink sweater on a Weasley; you just cringe. The landlord, lovely man that he is, did a ton of plumbing, carpeting, and painting improvements to the flat a year ago, so I don't want to antagonize him by asking for new cabi

The Library subscribes to a number of magazines that aren't circulated among the rabble patrons: Bottom Line , The Harvard Health Letter (I read a brilliant report about hiccups in there once), Library Journal , and Wired among them. The June 2010 issue of Wired had me at Hello because Woody and Buzz from Toy Story 3 are on the cover, but the article I go back to the most is "Don't Call It Gardening: the Wired Guide to Domestic Terraforming." Guys, you'd agree it's just gardening if you saw my patio. Whenever I see a bandwagon I ought to jump on, it isn't until I see it's well traveled before I actually get with the program. I visit teach a friend from church who plants spinach, squash, corn, tomatoes, and other vegetables in every free inch of soil around her apartment. "I ought to do that," I said, but I didn't do squat. (Or squash.) Then I saw the article in Wired and got a little more interested, especially since it suggest

This is the easiest Good Deed of the Day I'll ever have. Tomorrow, the U. S. Postal Service is holding its annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive. I'm glad a neighbor already had cans of food by the front of the building when I went to get my mail this evening, or I would have forgotten about it! And that's all I have to do: just put some cans or boxes of food in a plastic bag and leave it for the mail carrier to pick up tomorrow. How easy is that? (I have some boxes as well as cans, so the plastic bag is by my front door; I don't want that stuff out in the damp night air.) Details are at the USPS's website: Stamp Out Hunger !

A friend at SparkPeople blogged about visualization. She laughed at that because she's always been fat, and she can't imagine what she'd look like if she was more slender. I haven't been thin since I was eleven, so I have no idea what I'd look like. I have dreams of coming out of this having a body like Joan Blondell's or Betty Grable's (though to be realistic, she's a little petite). Curvy, a little plump, and hourglass-ish. I love vintage clothing -- styles from the 1910s, 1940s, and 1950s especially -- and I want to make some of those outfits for myself. Dad's family genes make me worry (we're narrow of shoulder and heavy in the bum and hips), but I'm hoping Mom's genes are strong enough that I still have a rack two or three years from now. One good thing is that I do have legs. Big, but curvy. If all else fails, I will still have my legs to fall back on. Compliments about my looks (as a whole or anything specific) over the la

I'm used to being alone. I've always liked it, even when I was a baby. I am a social animal like everyone else, but efforts to be social has usually led to me being by myself again (either excluded or overwhelmed). I've spent the last decade sitting in front of the computer, writing stories and blogging and socializing via the Internet. Not the best way to conduct my life. Then came Max, lots of dates, and having conversations with someone without our computers connecting us. It's been scary and delightful, and I've never been happier, even though I am the personification of insecurity. But I'm a little less insecure after a year of this, and acceptance from one source has given me the courage to think that maybe I don't have to be a cringing mess for the rest of my life. Not that everything's perfect. After several months of having more of a life than just LiveJournal, the solitary beast within has thrown back its head and howled, I can haz alone

My nieces (Boo's 13 and Squirt is 6) and I made these yummy gems last night. The recipe is another of Bakerella's creations, and the recipe is here: http://www.bakerella.com/upcake-decorating-101/ It doesn't matter what kind of cupcake you start with. I had a white cake mix, and we added blue food coloring to the batter to make it a nice sky blue. We omitted the white sanding sugar, though. And as you can see, I didn't find the confetti that the recipe's creators used. Mine are more like mini jawbreakers or rainbow-colored ball bearings. Boo and I did the bulk of the work -- she'd never separated an egg before, so that was a chance to show her something new -- but we included Squirt whenever we could. VERDICT: Very good, indeed! It was worth all the effort (and all the cleanup) to see the look on Boo's face when she understood where it got its name: UP cake. She chortled for at least five minutes. I must be more circumspect about what foods I bring i

I found this one via Spark People yesterday and tried it tonight. Chef Meg's Fake 'Fried' Cheese Sticks . Verdict: Tasty, though not as yummy as the restaurants' fried cheese sticks. (Frying will do that.) I like the healthy alternative to frying, but I think I'll stick with regular bread crumbs after the Japanese bread crumbs (panko) are gone. When I make this again, I'm going to try grinding down the panko into smaller pieces, and I'll try the egg substitute, too. (I used an egg white because it's what I had.) Also, a lot of the cheese seeped out during baking, spreading out over the baking sheet and leaving hollow shell of bread crumbs. The one I double breaded kept the cheese sealed inside, but the other three leaked.

A month to six weeks is usually when I lose motivation and give up on losing weight and exercise and eating better. I just get discouraged because I haven't lost half my weight in the few weeks since I started. (I am aware that this isn't a realistic goal, but I never claimed to have a realistic outlook on things.) Or at least that I never made much progress in that month. A lot of things are different this time. I'm not just getting up at the crack of dawn and stomping around the neighborhood where I've lived for twelve years for the sake of stomping around. (Boring.) I'm not exercising for some lofty, vague, hazy goal of "lose weight" and "be healthy." I have a specific goal* now: Dance my butt off. It's all about the dancing. I have such a good time every week in class. I feel graceful, feminine, strong, and -- dare I say it -- even a little sexy when I practice. And I want to make sure I can keep up with everyone else and have t

Not Your Grandma's Phone Book, indeed. http://www.spokeo.com/ I entered in my first and last name and the city where I live. It accurately gave my age, address, and other personal information including a photo of the building where I live . It showed that my mother lives with me, which is accurate, though it says my father does as well, which isn't. (And it says my mom is African American ... all these years, and she never knew!) A girlfriend at LiveJournal posted the following public service announcement on her blog, and I'm pasting her instructions and commentary here (edited to take out the swearing): If you're interested in getting yourself removed from public searches (notice I didn't say you can remove yourself entirely, and I expect people who give Spokeo money can still find you): 1) do a search for yourself, 2) capture the URL that results from your search (yes, you'll have to go all the way to YOUR entry, not just the Susan Smiths in Poughkeepsie),

My belly dance teacher, Alexiis, told us about the classes she's going to be doing in Seal Beach this spring, so here's a little belly dance pimpage! If anyone who lives in the South Bay/Long Beach/coastal Orange County area wants to learn how to shimmy, Alexiis is starting a new eight-week class in Seal Beach. She also teaches in San Pedro once a week, which might be more convenient if you're coming down from L.A. or Torrance. From her promotional flyer: Classes are ongoing [this is the San Pedro class] and suitable for all healthy bodies. This dance style has no age, race, or size limitations. One must simply show up and be prepared to join in on learning steps from the ancient language of woman's communal dance. The Level One class reinforces grace, strength, and community through the combination of fusion and American Tribal Style influenced belly dance. Contact me for information about the eight-week class in Seal Beach, or go to the city's parks and recrea

I work in a law library, and the lobby to our building doubles as an art gallery: There was another art swap this weekend, and all four walls are covered with beautiful pieces by five or six different artists. I love it when there's new stuff, and I spend about fifteen minutes meandering from piece to piece. (I'd take more time, but I have a lot of work to do.) I'm not educated in art (or much of anything else), but I know when I like something!

Chocolate is going to feature heavily in this year of new recipes, especially since I discovered Bakerella. Hooray for the Internet, which is full of foodies who want to make their mark! I just Google whatever I'm looking for and come up with thousands of hits, no matter how obscure I think the recipe is. A week ago, I combined two of my great loves: brownies and peanut butter cups. http://www.bakerella.com/brownie-candy-cups/ Verdict: Delicious. I had one when it was still warm, and it was gooey mess, but so worth it. They kept well for a few days in a glass dish under plastic wrap, too. (I don't know how long they'll remain fresh if stored correctly, because they didn't last more than a few days!) Max certainly seemed to like them when he came over for Family Home Evening. They do dry out a bit after 48 hours, but the last one I had was just as yummy as the first second. Recipes to come: something vegetarian, so this whole Lent project isn't a total waste

Good heavens ... cooked lasagna noodles are slippery little buggers! But after a few slips (they were trying to escape, I kid you not), I managed to pin them onto the cutting board: I am not posting the recipe here because I found it in a cookbook that has copyright and trademark symbols all over it, but I can tell you how to find it: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook . 1996 edition, published by Better Homes and Gardens Books; Des Moines, IA. Page 355. Verdict: YUM. It needs the parmesan to complete it, though. I tried half a roll with mozzarella, which did nothing to bring out the flavors. But parmesan really made this dish. Broccoli haters, don't be intimidated; the spaghetti sauce keeps the broccoli from overwhelming everything else. Why yes, I do hate vegetables; why do you ask? I also had bruschetta instead of plain garlic bread. It's the recipe developed for Julie and Julia , and I found it here: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/dianna_marder/2009080

Ooo, wow. Nora Ephron not only makes delicious movies, but she also makes delicious pies. This is the chocolate cream pie Amy Adams' character makes in the first fifteen minutes of Julie and Julia . I found this recipe and three others connected to the film on the Internet, so I think it's okay to share here. I haven't had any of the finished product yet. I put the chocolate custard into the pie crust, swooped a few pretty flourishes on the top, then mashed them down with a cover of plastic wrap. It's in the fridge to cool and congeal and will be ready for consumption in the morning. (I'll have a taste then, but I'm waiting until I have someone to eat it with before eating a whole piece.) But there were several spoons to lick after I'd finished cooking, and let me tell you ... WOW. The finished custard was a little bitter, like semi-sweet chocolate. But it'll be between a sweet graham cracker crust and whipped cream with sugar and vanilla mixed