Archive | June, 2011

The Magician

30 Jun

According to EzineArticles.com…

The Magician can also signal the revelation of new ideas and innovative new vistas when he shows up in a tarot spread. The querent may have recently come up with a groundbreaking new plan for a business endeavor, a possible solution to a dilemma, a fabulous new creative idea, or something else along those lines. The surrounding cards and the position in which the Magician appears in the spread will better define the exact nature of the revelation and advise the querent on how to proceed.

On a whim last night, I got my cards read.  Apparently, The Magician had something to say.  He showed up all three times I was shuffling for the first reading, and appeared in the reading itself.  Keeping my cards (heh) close to my vest, I didn’t say
anything about my writing, but she picked up on the fact that I’m presently doing something “to pay the bills” and that I want to do something significantly more creative.  With that in mind, the magician’s position in the spread is significant as a sign that I’m doing the right thing.

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General Tso’s Chicken

27 Jun

Despite the drama of the weekend, I also found the time to put together the Slow Cooker General Tso’s Chicken from the Crockpot 365 blog.  Perfect for race day, I threw everything together in less than 10 minutes on Saturday before leaving for the race.  By the time I got back from my post-race WW trip, I only had an hour to wait to add the last little bit.  Another hour after that, it was done.

And it was delicious.

There are definitely a few differences between this one and a General Tso’s from the Chinese takeaway.  For starters, like the Crockpot Lady said, the chicken isn’t battered and double-fried.  Personally, I think that’s a good thing.   The second is that it’s not quite as spicy.  I think next time, I’ll add a few more red pepper flakes and see where that takes me.

All in all, with it being so quick and easy, and only 4 points per serving, this one’s definitely a keeper.

 

“Dreaded” Druid Hill? Pshaw.

25 Jun

This morning, I finished the Dreaded Druid Hills 10K in 1:09.

A decent time to be sure, but that wasn’t the real victory. See, when I first started running a few years ago, I couldn’t seem to master hills. I’d be on the road — making a decent pace — then I’d run into a hill and it would all go to hell in a handbasket. I’d slow down and walk and then never quite get the momentum up again when I started heading down. I’d speed up a little, but all in all, with each hill, my race time would slip away.
Nemo and Dory
I went into this morning with kind of the same mentality. Then, something started to change. I don’t know what happened, but it was like I suddenly turned into Nemo. You know, that little clownfish from the Disney movie? As I approached a hill, I’d mentally chant “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.” And then, I did. I may have slipped the pace a little, but I just kept RUNNING. Even on the hill from hell that we have to do twice.

I feel so empowered now. And downright sexy. Awesome start to the weekend.

I’m back, baby

25 Jun

Well, that was kind of a fail.

Rest assured, I did really start out intending to not make so many damn calls to the delivery guy. I did intend to learn how to cook. I did intend to do it without making the fireman next door come over, extinguisher in hand, to put out the charred remains of a slow cooker that had been left on high too long.

Okay, that last one wasn’t true. When I burned the slow cooker, it was a few years ago and I had my own extingusher.But somehow, after just two weeks, I realized something: I not only hate cooking. I hate writing about cooking.

So, I stopped. Not cooking (though, I definitely slipped, and now it’s June and I have a huge project and the delivery guy could probably find the house blindfolded at this point), but writing about it. I was sick of finding new recipes, hacking my way through them, and then coming up with some witticism that was a little more significant than “It tastes much better than it looks!!”

And then, a funny thing happened. I spent a significant part of the day at work this week waiting for a proc to finish running. I used the time to check out my pal’s blog  and found myself at the beginning. In September 2004, he signed on with one of those “Hi, welcome to my world” posts and never quite stopped. Over a thousand (probably closer to two) posts later, he’s still at it. Personally, I think he should write a book, but he won’t listen to me. The difference, though, is that his blog is varied. Whatever strikes him is what he writes about.

So, I’m proposing a change. I’ll still write about kitchen fails (of which I am sure there will be many), but I’m also going to focus on other things. I’m more than just a kitchen disaster. I’m a singer, an aspiring novelist, an IT geek, a marathoner, and a hopeless romantic. I think it’s time you knew that too.

Welcome back. I hope we both stay awhile.

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