Sunday, Puppy Sunday: cuddly Chuy

Chuy is a world-class snuggler. The girls are more prone to bounce out of bed and take on that day, but Chuy will hang out and laze with mommy for as long as I'm willing. I've been so busy that there's been a dearth of that. Today they went outside and got food at the usual times, but we went back to bed for a lie-in. Nice to sleep later than usual for a change. 

Now, to take on that day. I have some canning to do!

Blue Ball jars. YAY!!!

I found these lovely pint jars at the store today. I'd like to tell you I kept my mud in a ball and remained composed and ladylike, but I failed on that score. I bounced and giggled and did a happy dance. There was audible squeeing, I think.

I was sorely tempted to swan madly through the store in a fit of Isadora Duncan-style interpretive dance, gaily holding aloft the lovely set of blue Balls. But I resisted on that count, at least.

Apparently they are a nod to the classic blue glass of mason jars in times past. They have refrained from including zinc lids, though. They are really pretty. I'm going to put by some cherries tomorrow, and I'll probably do at least one of these jars for that. I don't want to waste the pretty color of the cherries on the colored glass jar, though, either.

Himself has gallantly been helping me get my kitchen a little more in order, which is saying a whole lot. It's really a mess and needs complete reorganization. I think with help and taking occasional stabs at it, I may put it to rights eventually. Fingers crossed.

This is not paranoia, btw. I'm just being honest.

If the NSA had a recording of Trayvon Martin's swan song of a phone call, And if it proved Zimmerman to be a cold-blooded killer, I think that recording would already have mysteriously turned up somewhere in the public record.  I think they have a recording of that call, and I think it proves the opposite. 

On that score, consider the inane vapidity of most human exchanges via phone, text and email, and consider how soul-killing it would be to have to sift through all that data for the paydirt. What an insulting and steaming pile that things should have come to this pass. I at least take some satisfaction at the sheer volume of photographs of bowel movements they must have to have come across. 

On that score: poop! Poop!  Poop! Poopidoop!

This makes my love of shoes and perfume appear noble and lofty in comparison. 

A prediction:

Trayvon Martin's friend will have a makeover within weeks with a reality show soon to follow.  

Work zombie.

I worked 12 hours today. With no lunch. My ass hates my chair. Blarg. 

Apricot Rosemary Jelly

I found a recipe for rosemary infused apricot jelly that sounded wonderful. I immediately thought of this on pork tenderloin with a sage dressing or some such. Sounded intriguing. 

Bought some apricots to do a batch Sunday night, but they were too firm and not ripe. I put them in a brown paper bag to ripen, and Monday night many were ready for processing, but quite a few were not. I made a small batch of the stuff and ended up with 1.75 pints of the stuff. I was worried it wouldn't turn out clear, but I think it's clear enough. 

Monday was such a crappy day at work that I felt doing something nice for my home and future meals would in some way restore universal balance or something. 

********

People should talk to themselves more before they open their mouths to others. They should think about how they sound when they complain about things. For example, when booking services for which one pays a flat fee for a job completed, it's really vile for someone to demand that the manual laborers not be given breaks for lunch or anything. I generally do not remark on inanities that are too silly to merit consideration, but I could not allow that one to go unchallenged. I explained that these are human beings and very graciously want to assist them, but I kindly refrained from observing that I questioned her humanity.   But between you and me, she has the social merit and nobility of a taint hickey.*

Thank you for searing that concept into my brain, Mike. I may never sleep sweetly again!  *_*

Say hello to my leetle frames:

These frames are available in funkier colors, but the local optician who cared enough to help me when I came a'callin' only had it in black, so that's what I've ordered. I should be able to pick them up this week. I'm kind of excited, because they are funky and distinctive. I still may want them in another color combo, though.

Lafont seems very well-made. I think I may be seeking out their frames in particular in the future. They certainly have some odd ducks, and I find that tremendously appealing.

Sunday Shining and I'm a rainbow: a post for A & S

What is it about a pretty Sunday that feels so right with reggae-infused music? Today I'm thinking of Sunday Shining from Finley Quaye's superb Maverick A Strike album.





the sun is shining
the weather is sweet


Here's a nice remix of the original Bob Marley version, song by Bunny Wailer. If you have to go through life with a name, Bunny Wailer is a damned good one, by the way.





This post dedicated to Blowfuzzy Von Sassy and her husband S, two of the coolest people I've ever met. You amaze and delight me with your uncompromising and very rugged individuality.
You are rainbows, too.

Sunday, Puppy Sunday: Praline-- Portrait of a Squirrel Killer

My Rock Rose is going hog wild.

Also known as labdanum. This plant is sprawling about 10 feet wide now, and I'd be kind of okay with it taking over the whole yard. 

The tall purple flowers is a standing variety of verbena. I originally planted the rock rose and verbena 2 summers ago and both have survived their neighbors and thrived. 

Earlier this spring, I cut the rock rose back a bit. I was going to clean the leaves and stuff out around the base until I realized some baby bunnies called that place home. 

You have to love plants that can only look this good if you completely neglect them!

Welcome, Summer.

In the big, lofty ball-room there were only the two candles on the piano, the rest of the room remaining in half-darkness. The clear summer night gleamed through the open windows.

Happy Ever After
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy
1859

A ringing endorsement.

Is the peace in your home disturbed whenever someone puts up their dooks? Now there is hope for your happy home.

I'm not going into a lot of detail here. Just trust me on this one: this stuff really works. It's a blend of herbal oils that you spray on the water surface and it lovingly envelops the *ahem* new arrivals in a preservative film of aroma-warfare. This is a little on the pricey side, but a small price to pay to keeping the peace in a household. Trap-a-crap is a distinguished member of the Poo-Pourri family of products.

This is some seriously good shit.

That eyeglass thing...

I had quite the ordeal trying to get the glasses I showed you here. I was going to buy both frames and have a spare pair, but in fact, I ended up not getting them at all.

You ever get the feeling someone regards you more as a nuisance than a valued customer?

I went to the dr's next available appointment, which was about a month later. Had the appointment set up between Chemistry class and work, so I had a limited amount of time.

Appointment was 9:30 AM and I finally went back at 10:07. Just like the last 2 appointments with him, he started off by saying that I shouldn't be surprised by it, because I'll need bifocals any minute now. Yes, he said that two years ago and seemed surprised that I didn't need bifocals at the time. About 5 minutes into my appointment, the Dr said "excuse me" and went off for 10 minutes to go speak to a computer guy about an issue he was having on his computer. The remainder of my appointment took about 3 more minutes, and concluded with him telling me I can keep the same glasses I've had, that my prescription has not changed. Oh, and he didn't mention bifocals again, so I'm guessing I don't need them yet. [What is up with this hard-on for bi-focals, anyway?]

At this point it was so late that I couldn't go get the measurement for my pupil-nose-pupil so they could order my lenses. I came back on a lunch break a couple of weeks later to order the glasses (which were on hold for me) and I waited my entire lunch hour for an optician to at least ask me if they could help me. They stayed involved with other customers the entire time and never spoke to me. Would've taken maybe 5 minutes. I was annoyed.

I went back a couple weeks ago and an optician was working with another customer, but finished after a few minutes. I told him of my experience of waiting the entire lunch hour and never getting help, but that I have glasses on hold I need to order. He checked for them and another customer walked in and started asking him questions and he sat with that man and started talking to him as if he and I had never spoken. I walked up an interrupted him and said "so did you find my glasses on hold?" He said no, he didn't. Thanks for telling me, schmuck. I left abruptly, but stopped by their office part to obtain another copy of my prescription.

About an hour later, their manager called and left me a voice mail saying that yes, she still has my frames on hold and they're sorry for the inconvenience, but they try to wait on customers in the order they arrive and she would be there late that day if I wanted to come to the office to get my order set up. If I spoke to her again about this, I'd tell her that the other optician dropped me like a hot potato when another person came into the room. I'm a courteous person and I'll probably call them back and tell her to take the glasses off hold, but something in me wants to never call them again.

I'm through with them. I think they want my money but don't give a damn about giving me shabby treatment. Plus I found some other glasses I like elsewhere, and they seemed to want my business. Yeah, I'm through with them.

Even on a hot night,

Snuggling with my furballs is one of the best things on earth.