The Ramblings of a Mental Meanderthal

Lemme start by saying that Mormons don't do Lent. It is something Christians picked up in the first few centuries after the New Testament, but it isn't in the Bible itself, except for the actual deed Lent is based on: Christ fasting for forty days in the wilderness before His death and resurrection. But some Mormons observe it anyway. I have started a number of times, but the first time I decided to observe Lent was the only time I was even remotely successful. I went meatless from Ash Wednesday to Easter Morning, except for five or six occasions when I chose to eat meat or had no other option at someone else's house. It was an interesting exercise, mostly living on cold cereal, salads, pasta, cheese, and beans. For once, I thought of Lent before Fat Tuesday and decided to remind myself what it's about. I started by listing the dates of Lent on my whiteboard and then a lot of goals I could set for myself. Then I Googled "Mormon Lent" and just "Lent."...

While I managed to surpass my quota of reading 52 books in 2020, I did not finish either the Reading Glasses Challenge or the Professional Book Nerds Challenge for last year. It bugs me a little because I don't like to leave reading challenges undone -- if I can't succeed at reading , I won't succeed at anything! -- but it was a hell of a year. (Like this one hasn't been, but that's another story.) I made a spreadsheet for the 2021 reading challenges from Reading Glasses, the Professional Book Nerds, and PopSugar. I may finish the first two, but I highly doubt I will do all fifty of the last one. But I'm keeping track anyway. I also set a quota of fifty-two books at Goodreads. GR doesn't discriminate between new-to-me books and rereads; if it's in their database and I've read it this year, it counts. (I went back and checked my 2020 books on GR; At least sixty were new to me. I'm not sure about the Lumberjanes comic book series, because I'd r...

So I've been making this cake for over 35 years. Literally! I entered it in a baking contest through my city's parks and recreation when I was eleven. (It got the blue ribbon.) The recipe says to bake it in a 9x13 Pyrex and slap buttercream frosting on the top, but I wanted to increase the frosting-to-cake ratio by making it as a layer cake. I tried it tonight, and the result was delicious. INGREDIENTS 1 Duncan Hines spice cake mix 1 can Comstock apple pie filling 2 eggs 1/4 cup vegetable oil INSTRUCTIONS FOR A GLASS 9x13 PAN Preheat the oven to 350 F. Pour the oil into the pan and tilt to spread, covering the bottom and sides. pour pie filling, eggs, and cake mix directly into the pan and mix with a fork. The mix usually has lumps, so this may take a while. Bake for 40-50 minutes. The toothpick test works on this cake. Cool completely in the pan. Frost with buttercream or cinnamon buttercream frosting (see below). INSTRUCTIONS FOR A LAYER CAKE Preheat the oven to 350F (325 F i...