tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25836751012279118862024-03-05T00:20:38.636-06:00Luck With a Capital FVelmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.comBlogger240125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-33756279793220117012010-02-01T15:30:00.002-06:002010-02-01T15:35:33.354-06:00Beware of Marmots in Groundhogs' Clothing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0IlxdxKrUnVJUjJYB3leXXYpsUeQiNlf3Hnn-IhIJGfDLgl4JpsCncnMJ4f-pfcBRWSbZ-6TJ96Xw7VIGyYprhIxrjgiCDkfPgAgaHtJF1L4tZ-DY5ZS7gEIH81RuG38UtKMWF7-YyY/s1600-h/marmot.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0IlxdxKrUnVJUjJYB3leXXYpsUeQiNlf3Hnn-IhIJGfDLgl4JpsCncnMJ4f-pfcBRWSbZ-6TJ96Xw7VIGyYprhIxrjgiCDkfPgAgaHtJF1L4tZ-DY5ZS7gEIH81RuG38UtKMWF7-YyY/s400/marmot.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433391853856732210" /></a><br />Watch out, Phil! <a href="http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/020110/loc_557504638.shtml">There's a marmot on your tail</a>!<br /><br />Governor Palin did so much for Alaska - she gave it Marmot Day. No wonder she stepped down - there was nothing left to do.Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-30747370013952715372010-01-30T05:04:00.002-06:002010-01-30T05:06:19.516-06:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1WoTPlIV0rb2oXMvlxhg_vcYX5OX4_EtwZT17NgjlI1QcX9x6dLwGysrjdoH_y3pKyvuNUK9Q-N7BJ8mym4hAd1jjdWT3CSfG_6mAcZho1vQEZ-V_srnDVAqhOvl-C631cPX9rC5TaSw/s1600-h/END06230.JPG.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1WoTPlIV0rb2oXMvlxhg_vcYX5OX4_EtwZT17NgjlI1QcX9x6dLwGysrjdoH_y3pKyvuNUK9Q-N7BJ8mym4hAd1jjdWT3CSfG_6mAcZho1vQEZ-V_srnDVAqhOvl-C631cPX9rC5TaSw/s400/END06230.JPG.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432487503853703874" /></a><br />Up for the 4:45 Percocet. Drummer Guy's surgery went well. Maybe I'll give him one, too.Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-87746321581386119512010-01-28T14:40:00.005-06:002010-01-28T14:48:11.941-06:00Punxsutawney Phil Releases Letter to PETA<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-5ky2KA69Dj6FUaZkta0tWcYI6B1GJ00e5OGh2xvrdvUFUvzdrEMzBTHAbS_8YytMt2KA_mzCzictVqBjeTa8kYz10QZTlQ71YRdiv33q7KanqWrxV0ocfkQjuGikflgFQoVOJZMCAk/s1600-h/phil.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 294px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-5ky2KA69Dj6FUaZkta0tWcYI6B1GJ00e5OGh2xvrdvUFUvzdrEMzBTHAbS_8YytMt2KA_mzCzictVqBjeTa8kYz10QZTlQ71YRdiv33q7KanqWrxV0ocfkQjuGikflgFQoVOJZMCAk/s400/phil.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431894320556381906" /></a><br />With regard to <a href="http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=14197">this</a> news item<br /><br />Dear PETA,<br /><br />I know you're only thinking of me. When you say "Groundhogs are typically shy animals" you are absolutely correct. My cousin Elliot is crazy shy. Like "needs-meds" shy. Like "can't-even-get-with-a-blind-squirrel-on-St. Paddy's Day" shy. Me, not so much. I'm pretty happy to be yanked out of my burrow - I mean it's only once a year. I get hoisted in the air - it's kind of like I'm Simba. Sure, the guy in the top hot has cold hands. But have you seen the crowds? Thousands of people come to see me! Last year Al Roker kissed me! (Okay, put that one in the pro-animatronic category.) Seriously, you cannot buy this kind of coverage. (I'm working on a plan with Archer Daniels Midland to bleach a logo on my fur.)<br /><br />Besides, did you hear what William Deeley, president of the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, replied? He said I am "being treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania." You KNOW that's true. If you don't believe it, look at the tooth decay rate here - I mean, Hershey's AND Peeps from the same state?! Taylor Swift's blinding white chiclet teeth didn't come from being raised in Reading, PA, I'll tell you that much.<br /><br />The final word to you, PETA - go after some other animal's holiday. I hear the Easter Bunny is pretty pissed off - go work for him. Leave me my one day.<br /><br />Love always,<br /><br />Punxsutawney PhilVelmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-22517511358048838362010-01-27T10:30:00.007-06:002010-01-27T10:58:19.261-06:00Comcast = Scam Cot<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpZYLa4PJHuIcSwoR9AXAsvE6Qa1zN9eZAXfIGm__ootFZYG12bIeC2LieGOnt1kdoWRa_CZLssff_lXYwuaDqiwDbOvviQkbwFssNxYHGyqL8TUrd7DTsOeJ6matq-I4Esyxp6n1XEo/s1600-h/rotate.php.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpZYLa4PJHuIcSwoR9AXAsvE6Qa1zN9eZAXfIGm__ootFZYG12bIeC2LieGOnt1kdoWRa_CZLssff_lXYwuaDqiwDbOvviQkbwFssNxYHGyqL8TUrd7DTsOeJ6matq-I4Esyxp6n1XEo/s400/rotate.php.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431464216257601586" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">A. Reason Number 74 Why Cable Companies Stink:<br /></span>Hmmm... well Comcast, in its infinite wisdom, decided that my cable modem was suddenly obsolete. Yes, it was working just fine, but you know, it WAS 6 years old. So, when I went to get online, I got a lovely message that read "We, the flusterclucks of Comcast, have determined that you can no longer use your perfectly suitable modem. We're only thinking of you. It's for your own good. This hurts us more than it hurts you. Love, Comcast. P.S. If you leased your equipment from us, this kind of crap would never happen."<br /><br />No internet access for A WHOLE DAY!!<br /><br />Sigh. Well, I have a blistering fast new cable modem and big ol' hole in my pocket. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">B. Today is First Day of the Rest of Your Life, Brine Shrimp<br /></span><br />The dog experiment is over (thank you, Jesus!) and my son's science fair experiment begins this afternoon. Will the hatch rate of brine shrimp be affected by exposure to light? Yes, Lone Reader, he's doing an experiment on brine shrimp. NOT SEA MONKEYS, which are a righteous rip-off. See previous post <a href="http://luckwithacapitalf.blogspot.com/search?q=sea+monkey+class+action+suit">here</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">C. Looks like Drummer Guy has a hernia</span> and it needs surgical repair, soon. Oh health care reform, you distant chimera...when oh when will we know relief?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">D. It's 5 degrees outside</span> and it feels like 4 degrees in my house. Really, I'm ready for the end of winter.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">E. Something happy, you request?<br /></span>Hmm... is it <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100127/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_peta_punxsutawney_phil;_ylt=AoK3IChP6AT0yT2SsLQcs0jtiBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTJ1azJxYmV0BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwMTI3L3VzX29kZF9wZXRhX3B1bnhzdXRhd25leV9waGlsBGNwb3MDMQRwb3MDMgRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3J5BHNsawNwZXRhcHJvcG9zZXM-">this news story</a> on PETA's request for a robot Punxsutawney Phil? Perhaps the news that <a href="http://www.mielyleche.net/">the BEST cupcakes in the Twin Cities</a> are going to be available one day a week right down the street from my house? No, silly...it's the <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/187850/apple_tablet_whats_the_killer_app.html/">Apple tablet</a>!!<br /><br />Fight the Power, Lone Reader!<br />Love,<br />VelmaVelmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-83735532770825858132010-01-21T19:36:00.003-06:002010-01-21T19:47:38.255-06:00Pocket Hercules<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CGjT1Va4AsKJZTf7SpMMo7rKy3_sGSpLoelSwmZZmUaSPKWk5rhgKyHYR0C_0mi3j7csDyD-UTSJch5nnhMqeaKpGaEGZJnXHLOyft37VwK4EhlTdyLKy9rKUKpZFCMl4Ex2lvcAToY/s1600-h/08weight1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 335px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CGjT1Va4AsKJZTf7SpMMo7rKy3_sGSpLoelSwmZZmUaSPKWk5rhgKyHYR0C_0mi3j7csDyD-UTSJch5nnhMqeaKpGaEGZJnXHLOyft37VwK4EhlTdyLKy9rKUKpZFCMl4Ex2lvcAToY/s400/08weight1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429374880520513714" /></a><br />Sigh. I LOVED Pocket Hercules. Do you remember him? His real name was Naim Suleymanoglu. He was the tiny weightlifter from Turkey who won three gold medals in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He weighed 136 lbs, was a mere 4’ 11” and could lift three times his body weight.<br /><br />Don’t get me wrong, Lone Reader – this gal is no fan of weightlifting in general. (The bulgi-ness! The oil! The tight uniforms! Wait a minute…) Naim Suleymanoglu captured the world’s attention for a moment and Pocket Hercules became a celeb of the moment at the Olympics.<br /><br />I love the idea of something super small and super strong – it’s like the Ant and the Aardvark in between Pink Panther cartoons. That was way better than the Pink Panther, if you ask me. <span style="font-style:italic;">(No one did. –Ed.)</span><br /><br />Tomorrow I'll write about the make-believe world of super-sized insects. Maybe. For now, I gaze warm heartedly upon Pocket Hercules, that wee li'l fellow.Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-17841922681340183782010-01-19T19:22:00.004-06:002010-01-20T11:06:59.828-06:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmCnmEG_25iQ9sUwEjl_Zx7FMgnsdbQ6fgTgk9o-1iHcwiEPOhNO_S7nZ1OTrDP3khlJGFNAUiAyxVzRxrHq91JkPE5JCVv2xeaZzoszJzcry7xRi7BU_EdZnfUt_5Aq-jlpWOQfpoKo/s1600-h/2007_07_heatmich.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 271px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmCnmEG_25iQ9sUwEjl_Zx7FMgnsdbQ6fgTgk9o-1iHcwiEPOhNO_S7nZ1OTrDP3khlJGFNAUiAyxVzRxrHq91JkPE5JCVv2xeaZzoszJzcry7xRi7BU_EdZnfUt_5Aq-jlpWOQfpoKo/s400/2007_07_heatmich.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428869203097135410" /></a><br />Getting ready for book club at my house tonight. The book was "History of Love" by Nicole Krauss. I didn't love it. Well, I sorta loved it while I was reading it, then as soon as it ended I thought, "Meh." Don't get me wrong, I love a nonlinear narrative as much as the next bloke, but when you need an index card cheat sheet to remember who's who, well then...you might as well be reading Dickens. And it's BOOK CLUB. I did, howver, enjoy reading reviews of the book. I had no idea that Nicole Krauss was part of a literary übercouple...her husband is Jonathan Safran Foer, author of "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close". (Above is a photo of them Park Slope-n'-it-up with baby Sasha an couple of years ago.) Apparently, she don't discuss the home life much and is a little defensive about both she and Jonathan publishing books within one month of each other that deal with WWII survivors who move to America and have non-linear flashbacks. I'm just sayin', if you're havin' lunch with the girl, don't bring it up.<br /><br />My picks for books have been pretty mixed, I must admit. I picked John Banville's "The Sea" a phenomenal, grand book about an old man remember his life. Nothing happens and at least once a page one needs to find a good thick dictionary. Tasty for me and a couple of others in the group, but many were put off by a) the really dense writing and b) the lack of any discernable plot. I picked "Blindness" a fast, engaging read that was liked and a Sherman Alexie book that wasn't liked. What can you do, man? Sometimes you hit it, and sometimes you just need to quit it.<br /><br />*************<br /><br />Do you remember Audra Lee from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrnQUVqRPdc">Kid's Beat</a>? You do?! "I'm Audra Lee! See you next time on Kid's Beat!" It was a one-minute, fluffy news program that was on TBS in the 80s. <br /><br />She's grown up and working in television production now, at least according to <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0505424/">iMDb</a> It's nice to see she didn't go the Dano Plato route. That said, I guess she could still pop up on "<a href="http://www.vh1.com/shows/celebrity_rehab_with_dr_drew/season_3/series.jhtml">Celebrity Rehab</a>." I know she's not on the same level as say, Joey Kovar from Real World #322, but a girl can dream.<br /><br />Stay classy, Audra Lee!Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-45145136854992057912010-01-18T19:36:00.003-06:002010-01-18T19:48:21.910-06:00Been a long time, Lone Reader!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISPF0iej9A57UHZHJrqkDIvYVUwtveOxuf96aA1N1O2cM4RyIwP8t1NvYIT5K0Vu6Q-JQ_TM5rslkhZVQ3JXNiZkrq2_HQxdv6Yfb1bwM3WUvHmcj8idOgVzP7kzKlFECe8V7QToKzSM/s1600-h/holy_mackerel.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 377px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISPF0iej9A57UHZHJrqkDIvYVUwtveOxuf96aA1N1O2cM4RyIwP8t1NvYIT5K0Vu6Q-JQ_TM5rslkhZVQ3JXNiZkrq2_HQxdv6Yfb1bwM3WUvHmcj8idOgVzP7kzKlFECe8V7QToKzSM/s400/holy_mackerel.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428261419940479746" /></a><br />Holy mackerel. There has been a fair amount of crazy in the past few months. Every member of my household got very sick, one after another. (We're well now.) A family member was diagnosed with pretty serious breast cancer around Thanksgiving. My blind, geriatric Pomeranian appears to be going deaf now, which is forcing me to consider when the big sleep might be. Another family member broke her leg. On the plus side, I now have health insurance and I'm getting married at the end of the summer. The nonprofit I work for hit all its financial goals in 2009, despite the economy. The kids had a good Christmas and we had a typical New Year's Eve - fun 'til somebody gets hurt.<br /><br />I must admit that both twitter and facebook have taken my attention from you, Lone Reader, but you were always there...so many little blog notes litter my desktop about funny topics and crazy stories. I'm back, my babies, and I've missed you.<br /><br />Let's be our glorious selves again, shall we?Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-4134591085356947892009-10-14T20:56:00.001-05:002009-10-14T20:57:25.034-05:00OMGSo much sickness, Lone Reader. Tell me what the outside looks like...I cain't 'member.Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-61666081650023194732009-09-28T08:12:00.003-05:002009-09-28T08:53:05.735-05:00What's for supper...Ma?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpGxq6i9pbN2n8kPhUyTssfRu5BMdvT_bWUdFrThyUVr9LTxRqzeNmyAudmUzlOpVUXeROQWZZK6KH3-FLnxetoU3wEgC1ePKdLENLO_iCiIsalBHGCMpOqEpo0R9oB25lGpxA7i1yWc/s1600-h/FE_DA_080221donner.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpGxq6i9pbN2n8kPhUyTssfRu5BMdvT_bWUdFrThyUVr9LTxRqzeNmyAudmUzlOpVUXeROQWZZK6KH3-FLnxetoU3wEgC1ePKdLENLO_iCiIsalBHGCMpOqEpo0R9oB25lGpxA7i1yWc/s400/FE_DA_080221donner.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386515710319063634" /></a><br />Sigh -it was a race out the door this morning. Dontcha hate that feeling?<br /><br />It's a blustery, cold day here and my yard is full of forlorn tree branches, ripped from their rightful places. Seems like a good day to work from home and sip tea. or bourbon.<br /><br />This house is over 100 years old. It does not care for the sudden swerve of autumn to avoid hitting winter head on. AIr conditioners must be moved, radiators drained, mice welcomed with tiny doormats and soft beds. (Remember in Tom & Jerry how nicely appointed Jerry's home was? Something like that.)<br /><br />It feels melancholy in here, but not in a bad way...perhaps I'll watch the Donner Party DVD later today. <span style="font-style:italic;">(She's wearing it out. -Ed.)<br /></span><br />Welcome to the fall, Lone Reader.Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-62044404477979934172009-09-21T15:39:00.003-05:002009-09-21T15:46:27.309-05:00Home again, home again, jiggedy jig.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4dzzVet__uqMpWWRGxXoOSx_hSH0tYcWR-lCwvGMs4NuaUnBozsSUd6i4MoEcan4FOZggk01PPwZy1TqGzuSPLuoq4_2KOs3cxRzppzkxYoq7KWiWrIfLgAJSNuotVO0VW2kfCCcA1SQ/s1600-h/85835617.wwIKNMY8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4dzzVet__uqMpWWRGxXoOSx_hSH0tYcWR-lCwvGMs4NuaUnBozsSUd6i4MoEcan4FOZggk01PPwZy1TqGzuSPLuoq4_2KOs3cxRzppzkxYoq7KWiWrIfLgAJSNuotVO0VW2kfCCcA1SQ/s400/85835617.wwIKNMY8.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384024683382660322" /></a><br />Home as of yesterday from the Chequamegon Fat Tire Race, where my brother-in-law came in 50th in his division. (1,740 riders finished the race.) Yay - that was super exciting to watch and really an amazing feat. I also shot some tasty pix at the event, which was pretty kuhl 2. <br /><br />Sadly, I am now ill. I think it's just a cold that sounds bad, but let me tell you - when you're in the Norske Nook, enjoying some delicious pie and you're sneezing every few minutes, people tend to look atcha a lot. I felt like screaming, "H1 N1! Protect yourselves!!"<br /><br />I didn't. I don't have swine flu...it's just a poorly-timed cold.<br /><br />More soon, love.<br /><br />VelmaVelmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-73179233125347029102009-09-17T08:33:00.003-05:002009-09-17T08:46:04.637-05:00I'm so outta here...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuB-8Ta4Yj89ed7rc8mn0_2QMRukURcELvAPryN18lpNUtinf1XaE3CG1T_xaA7kN5k8363RpUQIRwYrSJVHxRCjpfhP_Y1je9VxCHVpm7i3U_PVlVh03SooJv8fSQ7R7TxGcMkXmJ6c/s1600-h/6927_128270823098_609973098_2545553_2240269_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 231px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuB-8Ta4Yj89ed7rc8mn0_2QMRukURcELvAPryN18lpNUtinf1XaE3CG1T_xaA7kN5k8363RpUQIRwYrSJVHxRCjpfhP_Y1je9VxCHVpm7i3U_PVlVh03SooJv8fSQ7R7TxGcMkXmJ6c/s400/6927_128270823098_609973098_2545553_2240269_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382431742792059474" /></a><br />Off to the Chequamegon National Forest for the big <a href="http://www.cheqfattire.com/">Fat Tire Festival</a>. My bro-in-law rides in it every year, and normally it's the same weekend as my big fundraiser at work. This year, the Jewish calendar intervened, the fundraiser got moved et voilå! We can go. Today the car gets packed and we take off to the woods.<br /><br />I'll catch you on the flipside, Lone Reader. Stay classy, San Diego!<br /><br />Love, Velma<br /><br />P.S. The pic is apropos of nothing. Jeremy Messersmith posted it on his facebook awhile ago and I thought it was funny.<br /><br />P.P.S. If you're an artist who recently made a bet with me, you owe me a drink, my friend. A $9.90 drink, at that. Don't think I'll forget either.<br /><br />P.P.P.S. You look really great today!Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-75858067088375414072009-09-15T20:57:00.002-05:002009-09-16T08:13:05.457-05:00Best Stranded on Tarmac Moment<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7UZ-Oo5M7e-bZ_YJJ4rWR4eCRu1RVdpV_VPsbpghWEWeCnERwa2sNnIIWadlFZYP_2lc5JCC4F_8-UfxRZtcsKdFcU8RTMHG4aCFWT_bb6MR65RrsD2sB_0FitKjSM_xyiuJAswpLus/s1600-h/Biscoff.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7UZ-Oo5M7e-bZ_YJJ4rWR4eCRu1RVdpV_VPsbpghWEWeCnERwa2sNnIIWadlFZYP_2lc5JCC4F_8-UfxRZtcsKdFcU8RTMHG4aCFWT_bb6MR65RrsD2sB_0FitKjSM_xyiuJAswpLus/s400/Biscoff.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382052574035244418" /></a><br />Well Lone Reader, one time when I was flying to Cheyenne by way of Denver, we got stuck for awhile on the runway. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Not really news there. -Ed.) </span>It was close to the Fourth of July. It was hot. The flight attendants were scrambling to entertain us.<br /><br />This was interesting to me. I've been on stalled flights a zillion times. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Exaggeration, given that the woman never leaves a 15-mile radius of her house. -Ed.)</span> Since when does the flight crew feel the need to perform for us? And yet...they told jokes, played a trivia game, asked us questions via intercom. At one point a flight attendant said, "I know! A bottle of booze to the first person to sing the National Anthem!" (Her exact words.) Two different people stood up and tried but stumbled a few lines in. I stood in the aisle and belted out a respectful, yet soulful version of the world's worst example of nationalism in song.<br /><br />I received a large bottle of fairly bad champagne. It tasted briney and sweet at the same time, especially not recommended for pairings with tiny pretzels or Biscoff cookies. I was the superstar of the plane though, the girl who sang the national anthem on flight 1283 to Denver.Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-1496437973137346712009-09-14T13:31:00.002-05:002009-09-14T13:54:21.748-05:00From My Mom & Dad's Bookcase<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEO0xaMZFeoDnZdjpjQ0xn7qyBBf2tWxRLSv342oKG5CqAifZ69vRNb6bPSASWBxBiM0TaR2Ft3WvO9VUBpcqDXPoRwWlP5aoW0YuWEf6tOVyiuhXc7t8gHkN6mgPCL_NAxBwds3p8ilo/s1600-h/large-vintagebooks31.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 223px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEO0xaMZFeoDnZdjpjQ0xn7qyBBf2tWxRLSv342oKG5CqAifZ69vRNb6bPSASWBxBiM0TaR2Ft3WvO9VUBpcqDXPoRwWlP5aoW0YuWEf6tOVyiuhXc7t8gHkN6mgPCL_NAxBwds3p8ilo/s400/large-vintagebooks31.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381398184680649378" /></a><br />When I was a kid I was a voracious reader and, after reading all the Nancy Drew/Tree Grows in Brooklyn/Judy Blume books that were available at school, I raced through my parents’ bookshelves as well. Adult books I loved as a child included: <span style="font-style:italic;">Dummy. Alive. Sybil. Coma. Night</span>.<br /><br />My parents also owned books with more than one-word titles. I read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-Malcolm-Told-Alex-Haley/dp/0345350685"><span style="font-style:italic;">The Autobiography of Malcolm X</span></a> when I was 10. I loved it so much I carried it with me around for about a year. My conservative grandparents were visiting once when I asked my mom, “Hey – what’s a doobie?” because I had read it in that book. (Grandma didn’t seem to get the reference either, but then again, she’s the same woman who once told me that “Gay was still a good word and I should let anyone tell me otherwise.”) <br /><br />My dad wasn’t much of a reader, but we always had copies of the <a href="http://www.wholeearth.com/index.php"><span style="font-style:italic;">Whole Earth Catalog</span></a> and a lot of the <a href="http://www.foxfire.org/thefoxfirebooks.aspx"><span style="font-style:italic;">Foxfire</span></a> books. (If you want to learn how to build a dulcimer or butcher a hog, that’s where to start.)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/">Our Bodies, Ourselves</a> taught a young girl a hell of a lot more than she would need to know for many years yet.<br /><br />There were some real dreck on those shelves - I read some horrid books about Merlin called <span style="font-style:italic;">The Crystal Cave</span> series. (They were horrible to me even then.) I read the <span style="font-style:italic;">Amityville Horror</span> when I was 10 and <span style="font-style:italic;">Mommie Dearest</span> when I was 12. <br /><br />The moral is this: Read whatever you can get your hands on, kiddies. Even the liner notes from <a href="http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1128071/a/Their+Greatest+Hits.htm">Herman’s Hermits Greatest Hits</a> could feed you nuggets of information that you’ll draw from for the rest of your days.Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-32189197781119127052009-09-14T10:24:00.004-05:002009-09-14T10:32:48.028-05:00What's Goin' On?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Eo52WGpS153juTyVszOH0sUIVu7v-z9ak6kx1LUG_30h8W5XZe_3sQuEp3-9MSM5OpFaYLMt0matoR4UEMhfhFEdlQRwAII8yAMU2n2tp1IItdOzeMroe-9bIIHTVWNQ9aSekiqvpzE/s1600-h/ls2_028AudreyII.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 356px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Eo52WGpS153juTyVszOH0sUIVu7v-z9ak6kx1LUG_30h8W5XZe_3sQuEp3-9MSM5OpFaYLMt0matoR4UEMhfhFEdlQRwAII8yAMU2n2tp1IItdOzeMroe-9bIIHTVWNQ9aSekiqvpzE/s400/ls2_028AudreyII.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381345265648089602" /></a><br /><br />Lone Reader! It’s been so long! What has happened since our one-sided dialogue went on hiatus? <br /><br />Hmmm…a visit from a dear friend, another friend bought a house and yet another adopted a baby. School started, I learned a few new acronyms, went to karaoke birthdays, work, work and more work.<br /><br />I read <a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/year_of_wonders.html">Year of Wonders</a> by Geraldine Brooks, a novel about a 17th c. plague village in England. Good, not great. I’m currently reading <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/lovingfrank/">Loving Frank</a> by Nancy Horan. Jury’s still out, since I’m only 40 pages in.<br /><br />I saw numerous movies including Chicago & Little Shop of Horrors (karaoke puts one in the mind of movie musicals) Frozen River (LOVED it), Mama Mia, 500 Days of Summer, Up, Funny People and A Perfect Getaway. Back to Little Shop of Horrors, I adore Ellen Greene. Sigh. <br /><br />Karaoke songs sung:<br />River Deep, Mountain High (Tina Turner)<br />Tempted (Squeeze)<br />Fever (Peggy Lee)<br />What’s Up (4 Non Blondes)<br />Joey (Concrete Blonde)<br />Voices Carry (Til Tuesday)<br /><br />My sister, brother, brother-in-law and niece all rode bikes in a fundraiser last weekend, raising money to fight pancreatic cancer. I’m proud of them, and consider myself part of the team, but will not be getting on a bike anytime soon. (Bring back the dance marathon and I’ll do it.)<br /><br />Now the kids are back in school, the fundraiser is over at work and I’m back to a semblance of my normal self. This weekend I’m driving to the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival with the kids. Should be fun and a much-needed break.<br /><br />What’ve you been up to, Lone Reader? Has summer crept to a close for you or are you still going full-tilt as we head into the brief MN autumn?<br /><br />You know I’ve missed you so. More soon and we’ll get back to where we once belonged. (from a facebook friend: “How many times am I expected to buy THE SAME DAMN Beatles songs on CD?”)<br /><br />Stay the course, sweet baby!Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-74644366959838987652009-08-06T09:00:00.006-05:002009-08-06T09:29:50.337-05:00A River Runs Through It<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuj-k2cXgfl9PP925Im6S76ueM-2C6Sy4iiFRT3Kxi9JwtSgtniJNhM5khUnCbVoRC0uKsIqjPSAekXS-hjJPff120qC9Lz62gqpYPkLn2y-VKpxBrrTdtnrrq7Hdyd90RFdvnImw3Vvw/s1600-h/FluffPoster01sample.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 222px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuj-k2cXgfl9PP925Im6S76ueM-2C6Sy4iiFRT3Kxi9JwtSgtniJNhM5khUnCbVoRC0uKsIqjPSAekXS-hjJPff120qC9Lz62gqpYPkLn2y-VKpxBrrTdtnrrq7Hdyd90RFdvnImw3Vvw/s400/FluffPoster01sample.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366851139986467154" /></a><br />When we first moved to the Twin Cities, I was mystified by ramifications of the Mighty Mississippi in our midst.<br /><br />Remember, Lone Reader, that I was raised by East Coast liberals who dragged their children to various places in Oklahoma and Kansas as they sought…hmm…what? They never really cared about greener grass. Peace from their own parents? Big sky country? Freedom from the long arm of the law? I dunno. One can see making the move from the ivy-laden confines of Cornell and Ithaca to the University of Oklahoma for one’s first professorial gig. A sad move, but an understandable one. Why, however, did we live in 3 houses in 4 years? And that’s right, one of those houses was on the edge of a reservation. (It WAS the thing to do in the 70s – send your kids to a reservation school.)<br /><br />Alas, Lone Reader, I digress. As we moved around the lower Midwest, the constant was “going home” the biannual trek to New Jersey and New York. Every summer and over the winter holidays, we would pack up for the East Coast. While there, my parents would stock up on things one couldn’t get in the Midwest – Spatini spaghetti sauce seasoning, Red Rose tea and raisin biscuits.<br /><br />What did it mean, then, I mused upon arrival in the Twin Cities, to live in a place where items where available only ‘east of the Mississippi’? Did one half of the metro have Dryer’s ice cream and the others ate Edy’s? Was the a black market of traders along the bridge swapping Hellmann’s and Best jars of mayonnaise in unmarked packages?<br /><br />Eventually the river that turns one metro into two <span style="font-style:italic;">(among other things – Ed.) </span>became commonplace…so much so that when a visitor said, “Take me down to the Mississippi” I replied, “We’re over it right now on the bridge – do you mean closer?” <br /><br />Yes, river life’s got its own pace and it’s fast around here. But I still get a thrill when I find a jar of real Marshmallow Fluff on the grocery store shelves.<br /><br />Happy Thursday, Lone Reader!Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-22830677373523662962009-08-05T13:37:00.004-05:002009-08-05T13:48:14.654-05:00And all the herring you can eat...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUWhUEFmzRiO41DhdNkIW75oZZYby43NJFbomDooTNdBMqZuxrAAKEF6QzlxbX8cdgFwyILMsSmXhEAPGQN7V-7C2FKCkgrwxU0gxVMaBAntO4RBqt1phklsJjeqaYXPCSZCNtjl3DTg/s1600-h/20090804__090805sparky_300.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 232px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUWhUEFmzRiO41DhdNkIW75oZZYby43NJFbomDooTNdBMqZuxrAAKEF6QzlxbX8cdgFwyILMsSmXhEAPGQN7V-7C2FKCkgrwxU0gxVMaBAntO4RBqt1phklsJjeqaYXPCSZCNtjl3DTg/s400/20090804__090805sparky_300.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366552940841634706" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Photo by John Doman, Pioneer Pre</span>ss<br /><br /><a href="http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/52448972.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUsA">Sparky the Sea Lion died</a>. He was 31, which is crazy old in the sea lion world. <br /><br />Back in the day, I was a video teacher for the local cable access station. I used to certify people on the three-chip cameras and I used to teach video to summer school students. In a desperate attempt to find a project for one of the add-on classes, I decided we’d do a remote shoot. A documentary about the long-time trainer at the Sparky the Sea Lion show, Norm Byng.<br /><br />Mr. Byng had been working as a trainer at the <a href="http://www.comozooconservatory.org/">Como Zoo</a> in St. Paul for 20 years. My group of Hmong girls and I called him, he agreed to be interviewed and we set up a time to tape the Sparky show, along with his commentary, and ask him questions afterward. We prepped interview questions and finally met up with Mr. Byng. It was hard enough getting the girls to speak on camera…it was a nightmare interviewing the trainer.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Mumbling girl: How hasmdnthe reljrjmbrlsn?<br />Byng: What?<br />Me: Cut.</span><br /><br />Replay that about 17 times.<br /><br />The end knowledge that we gleaned was that the Sparky show had not changed in 20 years. Mr. Byng said the kids would know if even a word was changed, so he had said the exact same words, four times a day for two decades. That might’ve explained his deadpan, monotone delivery. He looked like lovechild of <a href="http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/nolte1.html">Nick Nolte</a> and <a href="http://alanhale.com">the Skipper</a> and he had the vocal charms of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqllhSa8OHk&feature=PlayList&p=1E7C64849F06DF86&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=44">Tom Carvel</a>, yet he was beloved. <br /><br />I don’t know if Norm Byng is still of this world, but today we mourn the Sparky that so many of us remember. He is saving baby dolls and balancing beach balls in the sweet hereafter.Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-69436961407855805782009-08-02T12:26:00.003-05:002009-08-02T12:32:31.237-05:00The Everchangin' Days of Blogs and Roses<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7Imwc_SOR8vgxYCk_owKL4Mkgj84RL7-7so5RrgMY8hu3dDpwCZa3srTICfSvhkuY22e8MUintvovwQhfzwwjWbgMBn06gfzwqQO_mHDgiWaT6QS_qNepXF_8aMhCfDdOYdRNZr4qHc/s1600-h/venting.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 314px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7Imwc_SOR8vgxYCk_owKL4Mkgj84RL7-7so5RrgMY8hu3dDpwCZa3srTICfSvhkuY22e8MUintvovwQhfzwwjWbgMBn06gfzwqQO_mHDgiWaT6QS_qNepXF_8aMhCfDdOYdRNZr4qHc/s400/venting.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365420655653044722" /></a><br />Hmm…well Lone Reader, I find myself in a bit of a pickle. I recently discovered that, despite my cagey maneuvers, relatives are reading this blog and it makes me feel weird. (<span style="font-style:italic;">Velma seems to have missed the “You Know Anyone Can Read This, Right?” day at the blog seminar…Ed.)</span> Is it that my outrageous double-life will finally see the light of day? Nah – I’m cool with that. Do I reveal secrets that were never meant to be blogged about? No. (Rosebud is a sled, Soylent Green is people and Sylvia Poggioli is really a man – Ira Glass told me so.) <br /><br />I guess I thought of this a place to vent and maybe that’s not what it’s going to be anymore. Sigh. <br /><br />More soon and love always,<br /><br />VelmaVelmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-80644230949160024452009-07-14T08:04:00.002-05:002009-07-14T08:56:48.153-05:00Free At Last!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNo9OeaQM5ntfKR3k_elDbCcfLaNbxpIdOnB-2JUztrfoAMHpx_nzb55VTxG3mQqQ2_aqQ-RcktS28EsPzy1y5eT_57KIzUINvCdUgJP20qxaZawR9rWNCJkIEEs3TJg3bJGXALHO7_M/s1600-h/marshmallow.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 335px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNo9OeaQM5ntfKR3k_elDbCcfLaNbxpIdOnB-2JUztrfoAMHpx_nzb55VTxG3mQqQ2_aqQ-RcktS28EsPzy1y5eT_57KIzUINvCdUgJP20qxaZawR9rWNCJkIEEs3TJg3bJGXALHO7_M/s400/marshmallow.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358314389570264130" /></a><br />Yay! Birthday time has ended! My mom's birthday was last night, thus bringing to an end the carnival of crazy. (In case you didn't know, my mom, both kids and I were born in the first two weeks of July. ..different years.) I'm so happy to not be making a cake today!!<br /><br />Random things:<br /><br />1. I had my first ever real martini on Sunday. (Clarification - I've had a BLT-ini, made with bacon vodka, and a lemon fizz martini, which I loved until the bartender sent a fresh one to me with the message "Sorry! The server grabbed it away before I put the gin in...") <br /><br />Guess what? Martinis stink! (To me, anyway.) But it is true what Video Bob said - by the second half of the drink it tastes better.<br /><br />2. You would not BELIEVE how big the marshmallows are these days. These are super gigante marshmallows from the Mexican supermarket. Dang O'Dell - that's large!<br /><br />3. I heard an eight-year-old scream "Fire in the hole!" whilst rearing back a pitch containing said gigante marshmallows. Sigh. And when is your dad coming to pick you up from this play date, young lad?<br /><br />Alright, Lone Reader, I must work. I have three grants due this week. Sigh. Keep your eyes on the prize and a marshmallow in each fist.<br /><br />Love, VelmaVelmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-1865222767058625002009-07-09T19:50:00.006-05:002009-07-09T20:35:44.691-05:00Best Bacon EVER & Other Food Notes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXYvSuX_dlbyzQ5pG3xqAX5eWe5vd8Ss8Eg7J9dz74FuUUYimly4yzYVtpmGoItSp4kILw2kn8FCncczh7Vog9oPALAElmUzHnCdUL6vk4_ynDurfXg0SEcoUv99ZNBz9ycaC9VzjXBE/s1600-h/st-paul-farmers-mar-200805-ss.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXYvSuX_dlbyzQ5pG3xqAX5eWe5vd8Ss8Eg7J9dz74FuUUYimly4yzYVtpmGoItSp4kILw2kn8FCncczh7Vog9oPALAElmUzHnCdUL6vk4_ynDurfXg0SEcoUv99ZNBz9ycaC9VzjXBE/s400/st-paul-farmers-mar-200805-ss.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356637723518517602" /></a><br />If you find yourself anywhere near the Saint Paul Farmer's Market, get yourself some <a href="http://www.chasebrooknatural.com/cgi-bin/chasebrook?MODULE=EXPECT&FOCUS=RESPECT">Chase Brook Natural Farm</a> bacon. DANG! It's some serious good bacon - almost like tiny little bacon steaks. Everyone in the house loved it. Plus you can feel better about it because it's a small family-run farm that practices humane, low stress farming and does rotational grazing. (See? I read my Michael Pollan books!) One cooking note: Because the bacon is thick and pretty lean, it does take a little more time and a little lower temp to cook to perfection.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/gluten-free/gluten-free.htm">gluten-free Devil's food cake mix</a> from Betty Crocker was good! It is a smidge sweeter than a regular cake, so I made a cream cheese frosting with a little less sugar and a tablespoon of buttermilk added. Buy two boxes if you're making a layer cake - each box makes a pretty tall 9" layer. I also lined the bottom of the pans with parchment circles, just 'cause I didn't want to take the chance of a crumbly cake for a party of 12. As mentioned before, the flavor improves the second day, so make it in advance. I layered them with raspberries and it was dang tasty and not noted by anyone to be gluten-free.<br /><br />Costco has organic strawberries!! Yay!<br /><br />The Lund's by my work has the most remarkable selection of salads and sandwiches. One really has to restrain oneself. (By looking at the price tags...)<br /><br />On the list of things I'm loving right now: quinoa, fennel, <a href="http://www.surlybrewing.com/index.php">Surly Furious</a> and you, Lone Reader!Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-13500189772241926832009-07-09T11:32:00.002-05:002009-07-09T11:40:39.517-05:00Birthday Mania, Part 26<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMjIv2bWL_bKK33-_rQ4xMYUhs5VrTUFqsUA30Y_FX0m3tuuJKc7HjFzNDZCrJcAQ8JpMd2xyCBT0ip5a2qVKmUXwOn9A7gvhNKPplTFXI5DHRIc5y9n_0xJtPi11MwUo2EvZedQn2kZA/s1600-h/Lego+Brick.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 356px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMjIv2bWL_bKK33-_rQ4xMYUhs5VrTUFqsUA30Y_FX0m3tuuJKc7HjFzNDZCrJcAQ8JpMd2xyCBT0ip5a2qVKmUXwOn9A7gvhNKPplTFXI5DHRIc5y9n_0xJtPi11MwUo2EvZedQn2kZA/s400/Lego+Brick.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356501252429418354" /></a><br />Today I am making the lego-filled Lego piñata. Tomorrow, the Lego cake. This, Lone Reader, is the last year of the home parties. The kids are getting too cool for this home-spun fun. Today I'm sad about that, but ask me on Saturday afternoon and I'll be delighted.Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-18469244056797426672009-07-09T08:17:00.002-05:002009-07-09T08:23:43.869-05:00He's Drivin' That Big Weinermobile in the Sky...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7-CDGiRV-ks3HlDUkZieUM8bjQV7lh63LCYNFLGlFllUsoMOetgj2pgyvI8bbh6wC5623p81k-D8tweTtV1FrF3FDHRluVhhwmwEcvv-s9eVYQDZTYK2GHptjbQCiiXYF24ER0vdBg8/s1600-h/weinermobile.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7-CDGiRV-ks3HlDUkZieUM8bjQV7lh63LCYNFLGlFllUsoMOetgj2pgyvI8bbh6wC5623p81k-D8tweTtV1FrF3FDHRluVhhwmwEcvv-s9eVYQDZTYK2GHptjbQCiiXYF24ER0vdBg8/s400/weinermobile.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356450458886967026" /></a><br />On Monday, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/business/09mayer.html">Oscar Mayer died</a>. He was 95. Whatever is in the hot dogs can't be THAT bad for you...Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-73635630132341054912009-07-07T23:57:00.004-05:002009-07-08T00:14:40.054-05:00OMG! It's my birthday!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7AqWylt0AnbXNJ58z4CoAm7YwdCkw5tg4rW4EKQbMMOSoYS-l2uNeYcOnPR5blUHv-57jLtB6qbeRZrmqTxBFGtyoTRaR7tQ7WnwzQs_-Uz8px6-htd3t1HJQp0ASSPB7B7KfJY0jntg/s1600-h/p_53b8264f-c6d0-4ec4-6599-fe2a17653ba5_bacon-vodka.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7AqWylt0AnbXNJ58z4CoAm7YwdCkw5tg4rW4EKQbMMOSoYS-l2uNeYcOnPR5blUHv-57jLtB6qbeRZrmqTxBFGtyoTRaR7tQ7WnwzQs_-Uz8px6-htd3t1HJQp0ASSPB7B7KfJY0jntg/s400/p_53b8264f-c6d0-4ec4-6599-fe2a17653ba5_bacon-vodka.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355953212073236514" /></a><br />In honor of the anniversary of my birth, I am again going to start the bacon vodka. Tonight, I cook 1/2 lb. of bacon and add to an insanely large container of Svedka vodka obtained from the font of all things large, Costco. <br /><br />If you play your cards right, Lone Reader, I'll ask you over for a beautiful BLT-ini in three weeks. Yum. I think it'll be even better than last time, if only because I'm gonna throw some peppercorns in the vodka as well. Plus, tomatoes are in season, which will make the tomato water that much better. (I must add a note of caution here: the tomato water was the most onerous part of this project.)<br /><br />Luv Ya, Lone Reader!Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-16190104220133159432009-07-07T12:27:00.002-05:002009-07-07T12:40:43.893-05:00No More Regal Beagle for You.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKIvu1MgIcaS40fThyphenhyphenpEcjWPWNKtAbFlVPlyDvWoExQJlRzwApMRoM-AbzHxzhVCmGfMcS53lr6H00NwgsJ3jbiPeuC_QK5N7B6Hyh9qqMwOnaf4ZLEsdKINhrhXoliM06tV0cvwcUIs/s1600-h/Joycedewitt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKIvu1MgIcaS40fThyphenhyphenpEcjWPWNKtAbFlVPlyDvWoExQJlRzwApMRoM-AbzHxzhVCmGfMcS53lr6H00NwgsJ3jbiPeuC_QK5N7B6Hyh9qqMwOnaf4ZLEsdKINhrhXoliM06tV0cvwcUIs/s400/Joycedewitt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355774551338225762" /></a><br />Joyce DeWitt (of Three's Company and the following two decades of bitterness) was arrested on the Fourth of July for a DUI. Was she driven over the edge by the death of Michael Jackson? Was it perhaps the news that the latest <a href="http://www.suzannecruise.com/">Suzanne Somers cruise</a> is filling up fast? Or perhaps a little too much celebrating about the latest Senator from MN? We may never know.Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-17426959944900692652009-07-05T08:23:00.005-05:002009-07-05T08:39:26.657-05:00The Birthday Marathon continues...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9SGj4CFNdQ7hWnNT5mz0eJSYyxoOd5aeJlhs2la57KCgqSsib8hYOrYL72YINjtnVgAenGad4GyTxE66DGXSJzERf3h4Snwn-bIDirRKzlS1I4EmpPlI_5wFMSRS3I3_mRKA4T5kh7Q/s1600-h/rock_climbing_cake_1web.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 291px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9SGj4CFNdQ7hWnNT5mz0eJSYyxoOd5aeJlhs2la57KCgqSsib8hYOrYL72YINjtnVgAenGad4GyTxE66DGXSJzERf3h4Snwn-bIDirRKzlS1I4EmpPlI_5wFMSRS3I3_mRKA4T5kh7Q/s400/rock_climbing_cake_1web.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354969366350367618" /></a><br />Well, Lone Reader, I’m getting ready for my daughter’s friend party. We’re going to <a href="http://www.verticalendeavors.com/">Vertical Endeavors</a>, a huge indoor rock climbing place. It’s hard to have a birthday so close to the Fourth of July…there are inevitably a lot of cancellations and missing RSVPs due to travel, etc. I’m paying for eight 11-year-old girls to climb and I think only 4 will be there. Sigh…it’s just money, right?<br /><br />Yesterday we had a lovely Fourth with all the traditional accoutrements…<a href="http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4306044">Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest on ESPN</a>, followed by a cookout and then fireworks and frivolity at my sister’s house. Joey Chesnut not only kept the title and the Mustard Belt by beating Takeru Kobayashi, but he also broke the world record by eating 68 dogs in the 10-minute regulation time. Afterwards he said he thought he could've hit 70 (the Holy Grail of competitive doggery) but the buns weren't going down easily. Haven't we all been there, my friend.<br /><br /> I DIDN’T go see Elvis Costello at Taste of MN last night. Sad. I know he was counting on me. Perhaps he’ll show up at the rock climbing today. If he does, he's free. (Diana Krall can pay.)<br /><br />This coming week I have three parties to host and four grants to write. Dang O’Dell, the first two weeks of July kick my fanny. On the plus side, our new dog is a delight. His name is Emmett and he is too fine. Now if I can teach him to make birthday cakes or write grants, we’ll be golden.<br /><br />In the interest of playing cupid, I post this from the Twin Cities’ craiglist ‘Missed Encounters’:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Judas Priest on Friday - m4w - 41 (Shoreview)</span><br />You: Black halter, Levi shorts, long black curls, 23 years old. Enjoying your very first Priest show with lots of Photos. <br />Me: Older concert-veteran with the Danzig shirt, goofy beard and the set-list on my phone. <br /><br />Really had a great time seeing you enjoy the show so much. Your excitement and enthusiasm were catchy, and I felt 20-years younger. Thanks! You told me the name of a band to check out their Priest cover, and I've forgotten it...<br /></span><br />Sir, if you’re 41 and a 23-year-old speaks to you, consider that your date.<br /><br />Off to make a chocolate buttercream frosting…I'll NOT be making the cake pictured above.<br /><br />Keep hope alive! Joey Chestnut rules, Kobayashi drools!Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583675101227911886.post-13967962429688189842009-07-02T23:27:00.003-05:002009-07-02T23:45:32.383-05:00UPMC (Update after a Pomegranate Mojito and Cake)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pwcmo_Tbmw7Bb0ecXcsoIikYAiMFYRrUU8pR6GcTe0mR0zQgOTd0IeFSQLYh7fXHPZtpRM60kjAvKDzoSMDXuh6GDIXPlBdxiMvmm9FL3obuOGi4YJxnbrqSwY_sr7pntdQLnA9igIU/s1600-h/6a00d8341c7de353ef00e54f2149788834-800wi.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pwcmo_Tbmw7Bb0ecXcsoIikYAiMFYRrUU8pR6GcTe0mR0zQgOTd0IeFSQLYh7fXHPZtpRM60kjAvKDzoSMDXuh6GDIXPlBdxiMvmm9FL3obuOGi4YJxnbrqSwY_sr7pntdQLnA9igIU/s400/6a00d8341c7de353ef00e54f2149788834-800wi.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354089715932140706" /></a><br />Well, I've survived birthday number one, Lone Reader. My daughter's actual birthday was today. Her friend party is on Sunday. The family party is on Monday, my birthday is on Wednesday, my son's birthday is on Friday next week and his friend party on Saturday. Holy diabetic coma.<br /><br />I tested a gluten-free cake mix today - I was in Byerly's and saw a Betty Crocker devil's food cake mix. I want to make a gluten-free cake for the family party because I have a niece with gluten intolerance, and wouldn't it be nice to not have to have her bring a separate dessert? Anyway, I made the cake and it was okay. I don't really like chocolate cake or cake mix cakes, so I guess, given that, it was fine. I'm gonna doctor it up with fresh raspberries, buttermilk and cream cheese frosting.<br /><br />I'm also going to begin a new batch of bacon vodka. The BLT-inis shall be fine - this is a better time of year for the tomato water.<br /><br />I'm not going to see Elvis Costello this weekend at the Taste of Minnesota. Here's the deal: I'm a little leary of seeing someone whose music I love in a festival setting. Ya know - a sea of drunks, none of whom give a bleep about anything except a drug-induced stupor and their crazy loud friends. <span style="font-style:italic;">(You'd think she'd be used to be used to this from her upbringing. - Ed.)</span> It makes me sad to miss my beloved Elvis, but we'll always have that special moment behind Memorial Hall. Sigh. And again, I'm legal now, Mr. Costello.<br /><br />Missing you, Lone Reader...why don't you call anymore? Is it the many bizarre texts I've sent? I'm back on my meds, so no worries. In the words of one of my internet stalkers, "If you send me a picture for my cell phone, I promise I'll leave you alone."Velmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736570157124311706noreply@blogger.com0