Home But Not Very Alone

So the Gumby is out of town for the weekend and I have the boys parading in by the minute!

or not

I'm here with the five children, 4 dogs and a cat. Not really any bad events yet, well except for the basket of clean laundry that got a little pee on it.

So what am I doing tonight?

I am listening to the soundtracks of the musical that I have seen on Broadway and I am forcing myself to come up with my Favorite Top Ten List of songs. I just finished listening to Assassins and can already tell that this is going to be tough. I must say, it is amazingly how easy it is to insert the word Bush into the assassins lyrics!

Well I'm going In alphabetical order so it's time for AvenueQ.

UPDATE: Well the male Beagle has gone to bed for the night. He thought it was ok to break down the gate to Newton's (cat) room to nibble on some kitty-poopy treats.

I've only seen 4 musical on Broadway so it didn't take that long to come up the top ten song that I listen to.

So here are the results. The overall top ten and my favorite songs from each show.

For Good (Wicked)
Defying Gravity (Wicked)
Fantasies Come True (Avenue Q)
If You Were Gay (Avenue Q)
There’s A Fine, Fine Line (Avenue Q)
Suddenly Seymour (Little Shop of Horrors)
The Ballad Of Booth (Assassins)
What Do You Do With A B.A. In English/It Sucks To Be Me (Avenue Q)
Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist (Avenue Q)
Skid Row (Little Shop of Horrors)


Assassins

The Ballad Of Booth
Another National Anthem
Take A Look, Lee
Something Just Broke
The Ballad Of Guiteau
Unworthy Of Your Love
Everybody’s Got The Right
How I Saved Roosevelt
The Gun Song




Avenue Q

Fantasies Come True
If You Were Gay
There’s A Fine, Fine Line
What Do You Do With A B.A. In English/It Sucks To Be Me
Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist
The Internet Is For Porn
You Can Be As Loud As The Hell You Want (When You’re Making Love)
I Wish I Could Go Back To College
The More You Ruv Someone
Schadenfreude



Little Shop

Suddenly Seymour
Skid Row
Somewhere That’s Green
The Meek Shall Inherit



Wicked

For Good
Defying Gravity
Dancing Through Life
No One Mourns The Wicked
Popular
What Is This Feeing?
One Short Day

I hate Tuesdays (Ok it's Wednesday, I'm just running a bit behind)...and I hate this...

There's a new show on FoodTV Ham on the Street. The host is just plain stupid and the food is nothing but excrement. Why???? May I introduce Twinkle Tiramisu. This recipe is from the episode GUILTY PLEASURES. I vote for guilty!

Why must we dumb down food?


For god's sake, leave the tiamisu alone!
This is my favorite TIRAMISU RECIPE

I Do Believe...

I have decided to give up my agnostic ways and become a Christian.

Is it too early to order my meal at the Vatican Museum?
(and yes that is red wine in a juice-type box!)

It's Time to Party!!

I love Birthdays because...

I get gifts that you can eat!


I get a new wardrobe!


I get Ice Cream!

P.S. Could someone please mop the floor?!?!

Happy Birthday Scout!!

Jean Louis "Scout" turns 10 Tuesday the 28th.

Please visit her birthday blog to send her your birthday well wishes.
Scout's Birthday Blog

Monday Pretend

Today, I'm pretending to be on the roof of the Duomo in Milan. It's a nice sunny day and I am walking around looking at the architecture, the city skyline, and also gazing at the other interesting sites to be seen.

Sunday Zen

Chicken Piccata with Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Asparagus

3 Boneless, skinless chicken breast scallopini
Flour seasoned with salt and pepper for dredging
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
4 sundried tomoates chopped
A whopping amount of capers
1/2 cup dry white wine (or vermouth)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Chopped fresh parsley

Dip the chicken in the flour to coat; shake off excess. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken breast and sauté until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and reduce the heat to medium-high. Add addititonal oil to the pan. Add the garlic and sundried tomatoes and sauté until softened, about 1 minute. Add the wine and reduce for about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and cook another 2 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer just until hot, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately, spooning some of the sauce over the meat and garnishing with the parsley.

Summer Has Arrived in Central Ohio!

Well, almost.

Today we went to The Franklin Park Conservatory to visit the Blooms and Butterflies event. The butterflies were flying around the wonderfully warm and humid air of the Pacific Island exhibit area.



I have a major case of Spring Fever and I'm afraid this may get me even more anxious to get my hands into the soil.

Today also was the last day of the Orchid show. I love Orchids and would love to start growing a few. But Orchids will have to wait until I have more time to devote to them



This is a Koi pond at the Conservatory. Some of the fish are huge! I liked the big yellow guy. The floating beach balls are actually glass and were created by Dale Chihuly.

It's Friday and I need me some Robbie Williams

Kids
Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue

My Favorite Food List

I sat down and thought about my favorite foods. Here they are in the order in which I thought about them. I think I'll do this each season to see how the list changes.

1. Southern Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and a slice of a homegrown tomato.
2. Pulled pork sandwich with the cole slaw and vinegar sauce on the sandwich.
3. Bacon
4. Fried Catfish
5. Parmigiano-Reggiano
6. Prosciutto di Parma
7. Capers
8. Pecorino Toscano
8.5. Goat Cheese
9. Mudd-Pie
10. Black-eye peas and chowchow
11. Chicken and dumplings
12. Fried Peach Pie
13. Blackberry or peach cobbler
14. Pound Cake
15. Macaroni and Cheese
16. Chocolate pie
17. Pistachio, Pineapple, or Chocolate Gelato
18. Turkey and Cornbread Dressing
19. Mortedella
20. Fried eggs


What this list shows is that 1. I'm originally from the South, 2. I love Italian food, 3. I'm a cheese whore, 4. Maybe I have found the cause of the whole cholesterol issue, and 5. I might be gay.

Leave No Carb Left Behind ~ Part 1

I hate Tuesdays...and I hate this...

Could not connect to Blogger.com. Saving and publishing may fail.

Monday Pretend.....

Today, I'm pretending to be in Heber Springs, Arkansas, looking over Greers Ferry lake. It is sunset, but we had a bit of clouds, the day was hot and humid. The water on the lake is begining to calm. The Purple Martins are flying overhead and you can begin to hear the night insects and frogs begin to sing along the shore and in the surrounding woods. It's time to go into town for some fried catfish or BBQ and a big glass of ice tea. Then back to the house for some leftover homemade ice-cream and later I'll fall asleep watching The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

Sunday Zen

This was a perfect Zen Sunday.

Today was sunny and cool. Spring is coming.

I got out of bed early this morning, had a quick breakfast with two expressos and started cleaning. I got the first load of laundry started and headed to the refrigerator. An hour later and the first load was in the dryer and the fridge was empty of the 3+ months of uneaten leftovers.

We had lunch out which included a stop at The Krogers and a bit of guy stalking on the side. (Mr. Red vest jacket...love you...call me!!!)

The afternoon included more cleaning and a walk around the neighborhood.

Pasta for dinner. (I'll post recipe tomorrow)

An hour nap.

Some TV.

Time for bed.

Vestiti del formaggio

My new T-shirt.

I guess it's time that I confess and tell you that I'm a Cheese Whore.

Semi-Digestible Cooking with Sandra Lee

Will someone please jessst stop her before SHE kills again!!




Speedy Swedish Meatballs

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup vegetable oil, Wesson®
2 pounds frozen beef meatballs (32-ounce), thawed, Oh Boy® (YUMMY)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, Pillsbury®
1 can (14-ounce) reduced-sodium beef broth, Swanson®
1 1/2 cups whole milk, Cow®
1/4 cup sour cream, Cow®
1 package (8.8-ounce) egg noodles, De Cecco®
Prep time: 5 minutes, 
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Gee with all of those ® one would think she might just be a whore!

PREPARATION:
Heat oil in a heavy large skillet over medium high heat.
Add meatballs and cook until brown, about 8 minutes.
Using tongs, transfer meatballs to a bowl.
Add flour to skillet and cook 1 minute, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet.
Stir in broth and milk.
Return meatballs to skillet.
Simmer until liquid thickens enough to coat meatballs, about 5 minutes.
Remove skillet from heat.
Stir in sour cream.
Meanwhile, cook noodles in a pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm.
Drain.
Transfer noodles to a large bowl.
Spoon meatballs and sauce over noodles. Serve immediately. And prepare to vomit.

Storage and Leftovers, or just throw away: Cover tightly and store in refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, combine meatballs and whole milk (as needed) in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes or until warm. Cook fresh noodles when reserving.

(This one's for you Jenn)

Miserable Failure

"I like my buddies from west Texas. I liked them when I was young, I liked them then I was middle-age, I liked them before I was president, and I like them during president, and I like them after president."—The W, Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 1, 2006

Hey DUMBASS, could you just SHUT UP!?!

Crimes Against Humanity...

The Holocaust, Serbia, Uganda, Darfur, and The New Shrimp Scampi Alfredo at The Olive Garden.

Pi Day

Today at work we celebrated Pi Day, that being (3.14)...159265 etc. Above photo via my phone camera.

We had 11 pies, including a quiche, a pizza, chocolate, cherry, blueberry, apple, wild berry, browine cheesecake, and others of which I didn't have a taste.

So Happy Pi Day!!

I Hate Tuesdays and I also hate this...

Hair "Style"

Monday Pretend.....

Today I'm pretending to be in the Little Italy neighborhood of Toronto. Visiting the nice folks at Centro del Formaggio.

And no, I wasn't stalking the young men. It's all about the cheese.

Impeach Bush

Impeach Bush

The man was lost and then he was found and now he's more lost than ever -- and he's taking us into the darkness with him. It's time to remove him.
By Garrison Keillor

Mar. 01, 2006 | These are troubling times for all of us who love this country, as surely we all do, even the satirists. You may poke fun at your mother, but if she is belittled by others it burns your bacon. A blowhard French journalist writes a book about America that is full of arrogant stupidity, and you want to let the air out of him and mail him home flat. You hear young people talk about America as if it's all over, and you trust that this is only them talking tough. And then you read the paper and realize the country is led by a man who isn't paying attention, and you hope that somebody will poke him. Or put a sign on his desk that says, "Try Much Harder."

Do we need to impeach him to bring some focus to this man's life? The man was lost and then he was found and now he's more lost than ever, plus being blind.

The Feb. 27 issue of the New Yorker carries an article by Jane Mayer about a loyal conservative Republican and U.S. Navy lawyer, Albert Mora, and his resistance to the torture of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay. From within the Pentagon bureaucracy, he did battle against Donald Rumsfeld and John Yoo at the Justice Department and shadowy figures taking orders from Dick (Gunner) Cheney, arguing America had ratified the Geneva Convention that forbids cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment of prisoners, and so it has the force of law. They seemed to be arguing that the president has the right to order prisoners to be tortured.

One such prisoner, Mohammed al-Qahtani, was held naked in isolation under bright lights for months, threatened by dogs, subjected to unbearable noise volumes, and otherwise abused, so that he begged to be allowed to kill himself. When the Senate approved the Torture Convention in 1994, it defined torture as an act "specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering." Is the law a law or is it a piece of toast?

Wiretap surveillance of Americans without a warrant? Great. Go for it. How about turning over American ports to a country more closely tied to 9/11 than Saddam Hussein was? Fine by me. No problem. And what about the war in Iraq? Hey, you're doing a heck of a job, Brownie. No need to tweak a thing. And your blue button-down shirt -- it's you.

But torture is something else. When Americans start pulling people's fingernails out with pliers and poking lighted cigarettes into their palms, then we need to come back to basic values. Most people agree with this, and in a democracy that puts the torturers in a delicate position. They must make sure to destroy their e-mails and have subordinates who will take the fall. Because it is impossible to keep torture secret. It goes against the American grain and it eats at the conscience of even the most disciplined, and in the end the truth will come out. It is coming out now.

According to the leaders of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission, our country is practically as vulnerable today as it was on 9/10. Our seaports are wide open, our airspace is not secure except for the nation's capital, and little has been done about securing the nuclear bomb materials lying around in the world. They give the administration D's and F's in most categories of defending against terrorist attack.

Our adventure in Iraq, at a cost of trillions, has brought that country to the verge of civil war while earning us more enemies than ever before. And tax money earmarked for security is being dumped into pork barrel projects anywhere somebody wants their own SWAT team. Detonation of a nuclear bomb within our borders -- pick any big city -- is a real possibility, as much so now as five years ago. Meanwhile, many Democrats have conceded the very subject of security and positioned themselves as Guardians of Our Forests and Benefactors of Waifs and Owls, neglecting the most basic job of government, which is to defend this country. We might rather be comedians or daddies or tattoo artists or flamenco dancers, but we must attend to first things.

The peaceful lagoon that is the White House is designed for the comfort of a vulnerable man. Perfectly understandable, but not what is needed now. The U.S. Constitution provides a simple ultimate way to hold him to account for war crimes and the failure to attend to the country's defense. Impeach him and let the Senate hear the evidence.

FOG

San Francisco Bay or my brain?

Mi ha spezzato il cuore.

...but then I woke up. It was 3:00am and I had to go pee...

I hate Tuesdays and I also hate this...

Monday Pretend.....

Today I'm pretending to be in Venice. What shall I buy for dinner???

Could You Pass Eight Grade Math?

You Failed 8th Grade Math

Oh no, you only got 5/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

I'm willing to try fourth grade....

What I want for breakfast

Gumby and Pokey do Rome!

anyone want to play gladiator?

Stupid-Ass Monkey

ABC News

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2006

VARGAS: When you look back on those days immediately following when Katrina struck, what moment do you think was the moment that you realized that the government was failing, especially the people of New Orleans?

BUSH: When I saw TV reporters interviewing people who were screaming for help. It looked — the scenes looked chaotic and desperate. And I realized that our government was — could have done a better job of comforting people.