this one's a doozy!
George Bush is engaged in a reading battle with Karl Rove. Apparently, Dubya is at 60 books this year, while Rove lags with only 50. Did Rove fail to tell Bush that Little Golden Books don't count?
My paid account has expired. Boohoo.
I honestly did next to nothing after work. I got makings for pasta salad for the work potluck today, then went home, did dishes, called my mom for a pep talk (she's good for that, and endlessly patient with me, which is more than I can say for myself), and lay around the house reading John Irving's Son of the Circus which is wonderfully brilliant and fucked up all at once--John Irving is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors of all time, inching up perhaps even on my beloved Bukowski. My sister called me for coffee, but I didn't honestly have enough gas in my car to make it to her house and a coffee shop, and I didn't want to pay $2 cash for less than a gallon of gas...that's too pathetic for even me (no worries, I got paid at midnight, so, while not banking, I now have a full tank of gas).
It's funny actually: when I was in a relationship with a live-in boyfriend, it was far easier for me to score an evening more or less by myself than it is single.
Making my pasta salad last night, I realized I don't like my pasta salad that much. It's not bad; I'm just not crazy about it either. I have no idea why I make it. In case you're wondering, here's the recipe, in case you want to make some pasta salad that I don't like that much, either.
Generic Potluck Pasta Salad
12 oz. bag Wacky Mac
1 c basalmic vinegarette
1 1/2 cups broccoli florettes
1/2 red onion, diced
1 small can diced black olives
1 can garbonzo beans
2 ribs diced celery
Cook pasta in salted, boiling water. When half done, add broccoli florettes to blanch (optional, but I don't like raw broccoli). When pasta is al dente, drain and rinse with cold water. Combine in a large bowl with remaining ingredients (you can pretty much toss in whatever you want, but I keep it simple. I don't like using cheese because it gets mushy, as do tomatoes and pepperoni), toss to combine, taste to see if salad dressing is strong enough (you want it to taste pretty strong initially because the flavor will subdue as you chill the salad), and then let sit in the fridge till chilled or you have to take it to work in the morning.
And, in the interest of making this entry absurdly long, have some memes!
fridayfiver
1. Who do you live with?
A random dude off Craigslist, named Josh.
2. Do you like who you live with or do you want change?
Definitely want to change. I joked with my mother last night about going nuts and strangling him and his dogs with daisy-chained tampons.
3. Describe the ideal roommate:
Honestly, I don't think I'll be living with another person for quite some time if I can help it, theoretically not until I find myself ready to shack up with someone in a very serious relationship context. I've come to the conclusion, I just don't like living with roommates very much.
4. How much sleep did you get last night?
I think I just might have hit 8 hours last night, actually. Not sure, I passed out on the couch reading. Recently, I've been averaging 6 hours though, not good.
5. Where would you love to play hide-and-seek?
I don't like that game much. If you play it right, it's very lonely. I like sardines much better.
thefridayfive
1. What book or books were special to you in your childhood?
Chronicals of Narnia, Judy Blume books, Anne McCaffery (I sooo wanted to be a dragon rider!), Wizard of Oz series (yes, I read them all), the Wrinkle in Time series, Little House on the Prarie series, and last but not least, Hank the Cowdog.
2. What was particularly special or memorable about those books?
Engaging stories, far away places. I was a compulsive reader, even as a child, and my mom made an effort to surround me with good, classic stories.
3. Have you re-read any of them as an adult?
I think I reread the Chronicals of Narnia in high school, but that's the best I got.
4. If so, were the books as good as you remembered them?
Absolutely. C.S. Lewis's adult writing is even better, though.
5. What do you think about movies being made out of children's classics (like the Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of The Rings, etc.)?
I think it's fine. I don't think that the movie should replace the book in our conciousness as it seems to (will the masses ever be able to envision their own version of Middle Earth again?), but I don't have a problem with books of any sort being turned into movies. I'll likely see Bukowski's Factotum this weekend.
Now...movies into books...not so sure about that. I thumbed through a novelization of Snakes on a Plane the other day at Recycled. I think if I'd read more than the page I did, it might have caused cerebral hemoraging.
Recipes, memes, bitching, links, and a picture of my cat. What more could you want out of a bluestarliz entry?
My paid account has expired. Boohoo.
I honestly did next to nothing after work. I got makings for pasta salad for the work potluck today, then went home, did dishes, called my mom for a pep talk (she's good for that, and endlessly patient with me, which is more than I can say for myself), and lay around the house reading John Irving's Son of the Circus which is wonderfully brilliant and fucked up all at once--John Irving is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors of all time, inching up perhaps even on my beloved Bukowski. My sister called me for coffee, but I didn't honestly have enough gas in my car to make it to her house and a coffee shop, and I didn't want to pay $2 cash for less than a gallon of gas...that's too pathetic for even me (no worries, I got paid at midnight, so, while not banking, I now have a full tank of gas).
It's funny actually: when I was in a relationship with a live-in boyfriend, it was far easier for me to score an evening more or less by myself than it is single.
Making my pasta salad last night, I realized I don't like my pasta salad that much. It's not bad; I'm just not crazy about it either. I have no idea why I make it. In case you're wondering, here's the recipe, in case you want to make some pasta salad that I don't like that much, either.
Generic Potluck Pasta Salad
12 oz. bag Wacky Mac
1 c basalmic vinegarette
1 1/2 cups broccoli florettes
1/2 red onion, diced
1 small can diced black olives
1 can garbonzo beans
2 ribs diced celery
Cook pasta in salted, boiling water. When half done, add broccoli florettes to blanch (optional, but I don't like raw broccoli). When pasta is al dente, drain and rinse with cold water. Combine in a large bowl with remaining ingredients (you can pretty much toss in whatever you want, but I keep it simple. I don't like using cheese because it gets mushy, as do tomatoes and pepperoni), toss to combine, taste to see if salad dressing is strong enough (you want it to taste pretty strong initially because the flavor will subdue as you chill the salad), and then let sit in the fridge till chilled or you have to take it to work in the morning.
And, in the interest of making this entry absurdly long, have some memes!
fridayfiver
1. Who do you live with?
A random dude off Craigslist, named Josh.
2. Do you like who you live with or do you want change?
Definitely want to change. I joked with my mother last night about going nuts and strangling him and his dogs with daisy-chained tampons.
3. Describe the ideal roommate:
Honestly, I don't think I'll be living with another person for quite some time if I can help it, theoretically not until I find myself ready to shack up with someone in a very serious relationship context. I've come to the conclusion, I just don't like living with roommates very much.
4. How much sleep did you get last night?
I think I just might have hit 8 hours last night, actually. Not sure, I passed out on the couch reading. Recently, I've been averaging 6 hours though, not good.
5. Where would you love to play hide-and-seek?
I don't like that game much. If you play it right, it's very lonely. I like sardines much better.
thefridayfive
1. What book or books were special to you in your childhood?
Chronicals of Narnia, Judy Blume books, Anne McCaffery (I sooo wanted to be a dragon rider!), Wizard of Oz series (yes, I read them all), the Wrinkle in Time series, Little House on the Prarie series, and last but not least, Hank the Cowdog.
2. What was particularly special or memorable about those books?
Engaging stories, far away places. I was a compulsive reader, even as a child, and my mom made an effort to surround me with good, classic stories.
3. Have you re-read any of them as an adult?
I think I reread the Chronicals of Narnia in high school, but that's the best I got.
4. If so, were the books as good as you remembered them?
Absolutely. C.S. Lewis's adult writing is even better, though.
5. What do you think about movies being made out of children's classics (like the Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of The Rings, etc.)?
I think it's fine. I don't think that the movie should replace the book in our conciousness as it seems to (will the masses ever be able to envision their own version of Middle Earth again?), but I don't have a problem with books of any sort being turned into movies. I'll likely see Bukowski's Factotum this weekend.
Now...movies into books...not so sure about that. I thumbed through a novelization of Snakes on a Plane the other day at Recycled. I think if I'd read more than the page I did, it might have caused cerebral hemoraging.
Recipes, memes, bitching, links, and a picture of my cat. What more could you want out of a bluestarliz entry?