20 Minute Movie. Actual Character Development. Holy Cow.

Obvious Child from Gillian Robespierre on Vimeo.

While the characters are cutsey, and I'm ambivalent about the abortion plotline, the actual writing, acting and direction wowed me.

Is It Really Cheaper To Live In Cleveland?

Keep in mind that I don't love Phoenix, but I do feel towards it as one does an attentive and skilled lover who goes home at midnight. You know the limits of the relationship, you're grateful, and if it doesn't work out you had some fun times and can move on. My relationship with Cleveland was more like an abused wife with a ham-fisted husband. I don't love either of them, because places don't love you back. But I do realize that I'm better off here in Phoenix.

So upon reading this description and assertion, "Phoenix AZ, meth capital of the world and generally nasty place. Cleveland is cheaper and less demanding of my constant attention, plus the seasons change" I asked myself, "Was it really cheaper in Cleveland?"

I don't have great cost comparison data, and certainly my finances have changed since I've been out here. For instance I have a full time job with benefits, no house, and a lot less in the way of expenses. But let's play around with the aggregate numbers, shall we?

I found this:

Cost of Living Comparison: compare Phoenix, Arizona to Cleveland, Ohio


Posted using ShareThis

The only field that Cleveland really beats Phoenix in is housing costs. But wait! That's an imprecise category. Do you own, do you rent, what kind of place do you rent? So I went looking for apartments in Cleveland (since there is tax associated with living outside the city but working within the limits that people are very eager to avoid--plus I both live and work in Phoenix which has no such tax) that match up with the amenities I have here. For $673.20 (which includes 2% sales tax and $10 cat rent) I live in a not charming but not bad urban environment noted for its walkability, access to public transit and the fact that utilities are included except for electric and hot water. It's a 1 bedroom apartment. I played with the apartment finder at Apartments.com to see what within Cleveland I could rent in a professionally managed building, with a/c, a balcony (the cat likes it), a dishwasher, laundry on-site, and parking. My complex has a pool, but I think it is unfair to expect one in Cleveland. After I excluded the places that would want me to declaw the cat (not happening!), I was left with surprisingly few places that met my requirements. 4 out of 5 was the best I could hope for, as balconies are not common in the CLE. And these building tended to be newer construction/rehab like the National Terminal Warehouse in downtown Cleveland. I am not sure how I would feel about living next to the Shoreway.

But wait--these buildings also tended to charge for parking. I get that for free here. And no, I don't think you can live without a car in Cleveland--it's too damn cold, plus these apartment place were not within my 1 mile radius by which I could get groceries, dry cleaning, cheap dinner and fun the way I can here. And utilities were not included.

Additional data points--my salary of $47,900 and ability to secure an apartment for under $700 is in not proportionate to salary in CLE. According to Salary.com, the equivalent salary is a little under $37,000. The $8400 I'd pay in rent is 17.5% of my salary out here, but 22.5% of the lower salary in CLE. And the tax burden is actually much higher in Ohio.

So my conclusion is that it's NOT cheaper to live in Cleveland necessarily. If you do so, it's not an equivalent lifestyle to what you get out here.

Criticism of methods, things I've forgotten? Put it in the comments!

Culinary Therapy Wrap Up

How much do you identify with your ethnic or regional background? And does that affect your cooking?

My family background is Anglo-Irish and Slovak, and I was born and raised in New Jersey.

Jersey is good because the ethnic makeup of the area I grew up in prizes vegetables and good food and good cooking. However, a lot of it tends towards Italian style cooking and the worship of tomatoes, neither of which I am on board with. Yes, I am a changeling. I don't love Italian food, but I'll eat it every once in a while. Tomatoes I can take or leave most of the time. Yes, even homegrown tomatoes. Yes, even heirlooms.

The Slovak side--My grandmother grew up in a mountain village where you grew stuff or starved, and she always farmed even in this country with another job. Her two specialties were pickles and homemade chicken soup with homemade noodles. I have got the stock down, but my noodles are always too thick. Her cooking was heavily reliant on using what was at hand and not wasting anything.

The Anglo-Irish side--Supposedly, Grandma Jane did not cook. The family "joke" (maybe true, maybe not) was that she and Aunt Mary Jane ate at Friendly's every night. When Dusie was about 3 or 4, she told my parents she wanted to go live with them. They came and picked her up and some clothes and went out to Friendly's for dinner. Dusie ate her Happy Endings Sundae and then got very serious. "I have to go home now. My baby (meaning Aces) needs me." So they brought her back.

She remembered this incident, but couldn't figure out why she had wanted to go live with them until last year when I told her about the Friendly's aspect.

My father liked his meat and vegetables overcooked. In rebellion, I undercook all meat and veg.

Grandma Jane apparently was a huge Coke fiend, a trait I inherited.

An important point of family history that I hadn't known until recently--my paternal grandfather weighed over 300 pounds. While my parents were always dieting during my childhood, I think that I grew up with good eating patterns and nutritional ideals. However, I realized over the past couple of years that I use sugar and caffeine to manipulate my mood and basically home treat my anxiety and depression. I don't know what I would have done differently with that information, and the connection to mental health. And I don't know where that leaves me now.

Culinary Therapy--Final Questions

1. Is there anything that makes the act of cooking (not thinking about cooking) appealing to you?
Having people come over to eat with me. Praise. Interesting new recipes or ingredients. Wanting to try something, but being too intimidated to eat it out in a restaurant for the first time.

2. What would you rather be doing than cooking?
Screwing around on the internet, writing, walking around the neighborhood, reading, dreaming of kittens.

3. What prevents you from cooking and/or posting about the cooking you do?
Lack of a digital camera. But honestly, I am very comfortable making a large something, pairing it with salad or refashioning it (those freehanded lamb meatballs, for instance) and eating it for several days until it either runs out or spoils or I lose interest. This is a utilitarian approach to eating, but not real exciting for most.

4. What, if anything, have you gained from CT?
I came to at least one important personal realization that I'll elaborate on in more detail in the future: eating makes me anxious, or at least triggers the same pattern of anxiety that the phone and writing and a score of other activities of daily life provoke in me.

But also--I like my cooking and eating style. I just need to improve my focus enough so that I am actually (gasp!) managing to pack a lunch and plan out both lunch and dinner menus in advance.

I do have a list of dishes to try in the next few weeks. Invites are forthcoming, and well, leftovers are always appreciated at work.

artichokes
gingerbread
Lady Baltimore cake
applesauce cake
pumpkin chicken goulash
chicken with 40 cloves of garlic
samosas
date & apricot chutney
green tomato chutney
doughnuts
duck
My Thanksgiving Dinner! (which might be held on Veteran's Day)

Upcoming Shows

So Wende and I went out to Bon Iver this week, which was an experience. Any feedback on which of these upcoming shows look interesting?

10/21 Monsters of Folk
10/28 Dirty Projectors
10/30 Sea Wolf
11/4 Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros (This show is down in Tucson--I very much want to go, but it will be a complex endeavor, with travel, time off and a late night.)
11/5 Lucero
11/17 The Swell Season or Thao With The Get Down Stay Down

Derby Girl--Shauna Cross

Intrigued by the trailer for the film Whip It!, I went to the YA book it is based on. This is a case of hopefully a 2nd draft of a story (Cross wrote the screenplay too) turning into a better product, as the book was really annoying.

Bliss Cavendar lives the life of a "rebel" in Bodeen, TX with a snarky attitude, blue hair, and an Emily the Strange backpack. No one understands her deep hatred of the town, her mother's hopes and expectations that Bliss will follow in her footsteps to become the Blue Bell Queen, and terrible boredom. Bliss herself is actually quite boring as her rebellion is completely manufactured and not really thought out--through the book it is revealed that the the shallowness and hypocrisy that she accuses the town of, she's guilty of herself, but as a teen she doesn't even have the maturity the prides herself in thinking she has to be able to realize it. Bliss is an extremely unlikeable and a frustrating narrator. But anyway, LIFE CHANGES when she finds out there is such a thing as roller derby, where women skate around tracks beating the shit out of each other in short skirts. AWESOME! GIRL POWER, WHOA!

The main problem I had with this book is the lack of dramatic tension and annoying ease by which Bliss conquers all obstacles in her path. Haven't skated in years? Bliss turns out to be a natural on the track. Lack a ride to Austin to practice? No worries, the senior citizen bus will take you! Act like an entitled bitch and let your friend down? All is forgiven! Caught lying about your age, sneaking out and being a snot to your parents? They will turn out to respect and understand you and let you go follow your dream, baby! Your dream of black eyes and broken collarbones!

Hell, even the hottie musician likes her. This book is the most annoying fantasy ever.

But anyway, check out the trailer below. It makes it look like the film is an improvement on the book. It opens Friday.

In Which I Whine, Piteously

1) So my phone has been missing since last Saturday. I do not want to pay $100 for another freaking phone. I already had to replace it back in June.

2) I signed up for the wrong health insurance at work. Which pisses me off, because I was actually going to use it for once.

3) I am undecided about that stray cat Minka. I need to get the collar on her to see if she has an owner who just lets her roam. If she doesn't have people, I feel obligated to take her in, but I really, really want a Meezer kitten.

4) GMAC sent me a bill for $1600 for an escrow account shortage on a house I no longer own. While I am ignoring it, it was just aggravating.

5) I made a mistake and moved cubicles. On the positive, it's a layout I prefer and I am within shooting distance of Anners. On the negative, it's too noisy.

6) So I walked over to the Viet Salon yesterday to get a pedicure and my eyebrows done. Also in that shopping lot is my new drycleaners. Except they were closed at 2pm on a Saturday with a big "For Rent" sign although all the washers and dryers are still in the space. They have my good tan suit, which I love, and which I prepaid to have cleaned. Columbus Day weekend marks the end of casual summer. I need to buy more work clothes.

7) My hair is too long. See item #1.

8) I am procrastinating on buying a bike, even though it would be a positive thing.

9) I have a zit in my ear and it is very painful.

This Is What Hot, Smart Women Do On Their Saturday Nights

First, in an effort to locate my phone and to figure out what I might want to eat over the next few days, I cleaned out my fridge. I noticed that the fennel looked like it was starting to turn, so I sliced it up along with some celery and a green apple and made it look pretty in a serving dish. I also mixed up dressing--German mustard, honey, salt, apple cider vinegar and olive oil--and heated up a chicken burger with caramelized onion and pepper that I bought at Costco this week. It is really, really, tasty.

While this was going on, Cain was trying to eat the fennel, as he like leafy vegetables. iTunes went into a 5 song stretch of Billy Bragg and finished up with trippy, danceable Indian pop that I was swaying to as I mixed the dressing. The cat stood on the counter and watched with big eyes as I made come hither gestures towards him, as the most important male in my life. Then he fled into the bathroom and his drippy faucet.

Confronting the rest of the veg, I recalled that I bought fennel in the first place to try to make pickled fennel like Cookbook and I had at Lolita. I bought crackers, salami and cheese last week, a favorite lunch/dinner option of mine, so hey--fake gracious living here in CenPho. After a quick trip to the grocery store for vinegar, I put the fennel slices, some green apple and slices of onion into a jar with mustard and dried tarragon and followed the 2nd recipe here.

Oh, and I had a Hagen Das double chocolate ice cream bar for dessert.

Wow, how exciting. How can I even stand myself?

I Am A Content Provider

Who is behind on writing up the content she wants to deliver, and who also had an interesting week. So the next few posts will be a little...disjointed in tone. Don't worry, at the moment I am not quite as crazy/depressed/disgusted/estatic as I may appear.

What's For Dinner?

Thursday night, Aces came over for dinner and I made Moroccan Stuffed Peppers. I varied it a bit due to circumstances--instead of pistachios I used chopped smoked almonds, and I think the turmeric was actually curry powder. She ate two, and the next day I brought one in to Anners for lunch. She declared it delicious, but as she firmly believes anything she hasn't cooked is automatically 50% more delicious than her baseline alternative, who knows what the objective criteria might grade it as.

I kind of want to know where Wende's sweet potato pancakes went wrong, as I am the only non-Jew I know who makes expert latkes.

I have a sweet potato, 4 avocados, and 3 roma tomatoes to use up, along with cucumbers and red peppers. For the sweet potato, I might do my classic pairing with onion and frozen roasted corn. I think I might make a chopped salad with the rest of the veg. I need to clean out the fridge. Last night I bought green apples to pair with fennel for salad/slaw, artichokes for a gigantic crying project, and 2 pounds of giant butternut squash ravioli. I am also making Cannelini Beans With Garlic And Sage from the latest Bon Appetit--it's a cool feature that shows you how to make the beans and then gives 5 or 6 recipes to use them in.

Lamb Meatballs--The Experimental Version

I love it when I am clever in the kitchen.

So those Lamb and Bulger Meatballs were not the greatest. I mostly disliked the sauce they were served with, and though they also needed less parsley. But I had about 6 ounces of ground lamb left and remembered those lamb keftades Cookbook and I had at Lolita's. So...

6 oz ground lamb
1 tb finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup bulger
1 egg
1-2 tbs seasoning--I used Penzey's Tsardust Memories, but you can use a combo of cumin, ginger, cinnamon, dill, whatevs
2 tbs olive oil

Combine bulger and 1/2 cup water and let it sit for a few minutes. Drain into a fine sieve. Combine all ingredients but the olive oil. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then take it out and shape into 4-6 meatballs. Put it back in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil. Preheat the oven to 350. Panfry the meatballs to get a brown crust, then throw it in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve with yogurt cucumber sauce.

Next time I will play with the seasonings a little, and add only an egg white. Not bad. Plus points for using up odds and ends, and a good lunch for tomorrow.

More Scenes From The Trip

• In OK and in TX, I started to pass oil/natural gas derricks by the side of the road. They look like a spooky form of kinetic sculpture. In Cleveland there's a sculpture of a pink thing with wheels (I don't know what it's called or I'd give you a link to a photo) that's weirdly similar.
  
• The only accident I had with the truck was in NM. I saw this flash of pinky brown and heard a loud THUMP! above as the poor bird hit the truck. I am a murderess.
  
• There is a town in NM called Thoreau, but it's pronounced "Theer-oh" and not "THOR-oh." I am amused by regional pronunciations. Back in PA there is Dubois off I-80, but it's not pronounced the French way but as "Dew Boys."
  
• The Flying C Ranch offered, food, drink, ice cream, Indian jewelry, Indian pottery, fireworks, T-shirts, and just about everything BUT used CDs. Which is what I could have really used at that point.
  
• At every turn off in NM, there's an Indian casino right off the road. I wish I was kidding.
  
• Oklahoma is a magical place, and not just because of the musical. It's because you can get NPR from one side of the state to another on I40 and I44. No kidding--totally clear. Heck I started to pick up the signals in Missouri. That's good because they replayed this excellentinterview and performance Joe Doe did in support of his newest album, and it really fit my mood, even if Terry Gross is a twit. GREAT album by the way.
  
• Also in OK, at the McDonald's I heard a mom shout her daughter's name. "Agatha!" I told her I love it. Cute little blond thing.
  
• One of the things I should have done to prepare for the trip is pick up a copy of Lyle Lovett's album Step Inside This House, which is a collection of covers of songs by Texas songwriters. I should have also picked up more literature over the summer that covered the West. This trip stressed me out end to end. However, one of the things I found is that the Cline's Corners truckstop referenced in the song below is a real place--there's signs for it for 150 miles before you hit it.
  
  
  I loved West Texas. It looks exactly like an alien mirror world to ours, just harsher and a little run down. All the Southwest is like that to my eyes.
  
• Albequerqe paints its highway overpasses in turquoise and terra cotta to cover up for the fact they are all maniacs on the road.
  
• In TX, off in the distance over the ridge outside Amarillo, I caught sight of the wind turbines in the gray distance. It looked like I was about to be rushed by ghosts.
  
• My Mapquest directions didn't send me to Flagstaff and then south the way sensible people head south from NM through AZ. Oh no. I went down the Beeline, down the twisty rural roads and through the mountain passes green with pine to Payson, and then into the dust and cactus of the reservation. If I hadn't been so nervous, I would have been in love. There's something about being up there in the roads they cut out, twisty difficult ways that were the best way to navigate the terrain that make you stop and think "Holy hell, what must it have been like to do this?" Just looking up at the mountains you are filled with awe that people could do this in large groups with the technology of carts and horses and guts.
  The mountains...they go up and over forever and are so green with pine trees it's like being drunk or stoned and fascinated by Astroturf and carpet. Each tree is clearly deliniated, like an an example of abstract pointilism.
  

Sometimes My Brain Is So Random I Boggle Myself

NPR's Marketplace devoted this week's show to the economic troubles of Cleveland. Fresh off that bit o' depression, I read how Phoenix's light rail is a boon for partiers (hey, they're spending money at least.

Cleveland and Phoenix are like two sides of the same coin--sure, Cleveland's an older town and Phoenix is shockingly new, but they both have sprawl, and need more diversified economies.

But the other thing I thought typified the whole dichotomy was this song by Nanci Griffith, "Drive-In Movies and Dashboard Lights." Phoenix is the sunny sister everyone loves, and Cleveland is the plainer sis who is just waiting for her downfall. I have always loved the line "Heavy of thing and light on integrity."

Yeah, maybe I am pushing it.

Department Of Best Lines And Descriptions

The list of what women wanted was growing longer and more complicated the more she thought about it. The first rule of thumb, though--and this wasn't a bad thing:
1. What women wanted was always in flux. There was always something more, something new, something different to want. In her twenties, for example, Every Woman wanted to couple, to share, and if she was successful in that department, she wanted, by the time she was forty, to be left alone to watch Comedy Central.
2. She did want to be the right woman for her man, easier said than done, but still, a goal. It was sad if the situation arose that she irritated him, belittled him, or henpecked him. Because she absolutely wanted to honor who he was.
3. She wanted dominion in specific areas but with the knowledge that he she was way off course he would steer her straight without ever bragging about it or even acknowledging his superior navigation abilities.
4. She wanted a respective and attentive and sympathetic audience, a man with advanced listening skills but not so advanced that he seemed like a phony or a girlfriend. His skills were male, his own, and empowering.
5. She wanted genuine appreciation for her creativity, her flexibility, and her generosity. In addition, she wanted her own genuine appreciation for his talents.
6.When it turned out he had very few of the qualities on the wishlist, and if the Serenity Prayer didn't work, that old saw about accepting the things you cannot change, then women wanted the perils of freedom.

Jane Hamilton, Laura Rider's Masterpiece, pg 211-212.

Have Some Fun: Twilight Cover Art Parodies

Go vote too!

I am happy to explain any of the romance illusions you don't get--ask in the comments!

Culinary Therapy 4-5

Left over questions, activities, and notes to self...
What level of cooking effort do I find enjoyable enough to do it most nights with my available time and energy?

We're looking at minimal effort here. Throughout the course of this project I have figured out that if I want to cook, it has to happen on a weekend. During the week, it's all I can do to make salad or heat things up. Which is a shame because I like meals--you know, a plate with 3 veg and a piece of meat.

I bought a crockpot. I think it might be a partial solution.

Do I have the recipes or templates to support this level of effort?

Laugh, laugh, laugh. So when I was in Ohio, I expressed dismay about the amount of stuff I have and Cookbook countered with "Believe me, we wondered it ourselves when we encountered THE BOX OF GOURMET MAGAZINES!" It's actually Cooking Light. There is a stack waist high (literally) next to the desk now. I don't know quite what to do about it--I pulled out one to look at and found about 10 things to make. They just changed the format and I don't like it, but the older issues I have have such a great mix of techniques and good food and are filled with ideas. Later this week I will be making Bulgur and Lamb Meatballs in Tomato Sauce. Perhaps I shall also attack an artichoke.

What staples do I need to have always on hand in order to make sure that the routine is, in fact, routine?

I think the list of staples in the previous post is a good start.

Anners sent me an email today that she made Summer Salad for her own family.

Note to self: Clean the fridge, oven, and for heaven's sake wash the dang floor! Find something to hold the spatulas et al on the counter. Also toss and replace the crappy can opener that takes the rim off everything. Finish unpacking the boxes and find places for the cookware, and toss what you're going to offer up to homeless people on Craigslist in one place.

There are no pictures of what I have cooked lately but I made flank steak and fry sauce lately. My goal is still good, and I do succeed when I actually have the food in the house. It's just a combination of having a project that has sucked my brain and motivation for several weeks and not having the cookware to carry through with what I'd like to do. So, meatballs this weekend, and a pot of beans to turn into other things. Maybe Crockpot carmelized onions too--I am very into the sweet potato plus onion these days.

Quit Talking About A Revolution In The Pantry; Start Talking About Revolution In The Streets

About the chickens...Go read Wende's story about our trip; she does a better job of describing the oddity and pathos of the day than I could. This scene was at The Lottery levels of disturbing (didn't Ursula K. LeGuin also write a story in which a harmonious and prosperous society owes it all to a child chained in a cellar?) I was initially confused---surely this might be a variety of chickens that naturally has no feathers and red and irritated asses?

Then I just got pissed. Look, I make no apologies for the fact that I think the trends in current food politics are short-sighted and based on crackpot utopian ideals that are frankly unworkable in the society as it is currently set up. Alice Waters deserves a quick kick in the ass and exile to western Maine; we'll see if she can maintain her ideas in a cold climate with a short growing season. For his last piece in the NY Times, which was frankly rather sexist, Michael Pollan can have 6 months of shopping for a family of 5 at a supermarket in Duluth with a budget of $200 a month. Minnesota or Iowa, your choice.

Food has become just the latest tool to bully people into feeling imperfect, like they are not enough and not doing their best live well and be kind to others and try to get along in the world. No, I am not going to spend $34 on a chicken. I am not going to buy organic when there are actually very few fruits and vegetables for which organic growing practices should be practiced due to the pesticide load (and the term "organic" has a specific meaning that doesn't mean a particular produce wasn't farmed without unnecessary pesticides and using alternate practices, to add to confusion). And locavore--give me a break. From the minute a tribe of humans figured out the other tribe out aways had cooler/better/more food, we've been trading back and forth. I like to eat, and I like to eat well, but I'm cynical about this latest trend that if only we all do it, right now, will transform the world and fix everything and make it a better place.

It's like how SuperC was telling me about how she's been getting shit from the newbie hippie gardeners back in Cleveland. She's a Master Gardener with 30+ years experience. Yet these people who are reading Pollan and Waters and the like act like they know it all and in the meantime are exhausting the soil, spreading disease by not pulling out dead plants and leaving them to "enrich the soil" over the winter, and getting pissy about careful, minimal use of pesticides. Like we didn't invent pesticide to begin with, because it was needed. Because back in the day they idealize, if you didn't have something that killed the bugs before they ate your crop, you got no yield and had no money, no food, and no backup supermarket. You starved. Remember that part of the Little House on the Prairie story?

It's just the hypocrisy of this sustainable, foodie restaurant/farm treating the chickens they boast of on their website poorly that particularly rankles. I mostly go along in the world cognizant of the fact that we are all commodities in overarching system, be it capitalism, religion or what. It's a social lie that we aren't. In a way I don't mind being lied to; it gives me a chance to get riled up on the blog and practice my Nancy Pelosi bitch face in real life. But friends, my face is starting to freeze that way.

Who The Hell Is Hope Marsh, And Why Does She Now Own My House?

When I was in Cleveland, I did stop by my old house to see what was up. My key didn't work in the door, but I could see inside that someone had been doing some work. I thought it was a bit odd, since the house only transferred to Fannie Mae on August 6th and I didn't believe banks were putting any work into foreclosures.

There was an envelope in the box addressed to Hope Marsh from Northeast Ohio Title Company. "Why is that name familiar?" I thought.

I looked up the transfer details online when I got home. Hope Marsh bought the house for $62,000 on August 27th. That's good, as it puts the decline in value right where I thought it would be. Remember, I bought the house for $99,000 in 2001. But that name...why was it ringing a bell?

Oh yeah. Hope Marsh is a prominent Cleveland-area real estate agent.

Keep in mind, I have no emotional attachment to the house or the issue anymore, and I am happy with the way I relinquished the house. But I am a thinking person with an interest in macroeconomic trends and foreclosure crisis issues. This is very, very interesting to me.

• While Hope Marsh and my real estate agent do not work for the same company, I can't help but think the practice of realtors buying property in the area they sell in as being a conflict of interest or a form of insider trading. I mean, what realtors are touting is their customer service and ability to leverage relationships, not just to find the buyer the home she wants but also to negotiate with the seller and their agent and recommend contractors, inspectors, insurance agents, mortgage brokers. That's a lot of information and ability to manipulate it and market players to capitalize on it for one's own gain.
  
• Realtors control the MLS. What's recently sold, at what price and why is not necessarily apparent or comprehensible to the man on the street. My real estate agent recommended an original price of $110,000 which if you recall I thought was optimistic. Now I wonder if she wanted a higher price that was unrealistic in the market so that it wouldn't sell and an investor friend could scoop it up. Again, manipulation of the market.
  
• Frankly, I am a little surprised that an investor bought the house, and that I assume the plan is to rent it out for a bit. One of the things I learned on the housing audit is that investors are buying the better houses on the market, and here in AZ it was a horrible frustration that working people who intended to stay in a neighborhood for a long time were unable to access decent properties And certainly that a sale was completed within 3 weeks of my surrender of the deed being filed is suggests that Ms. Marsh was able to put her own knowledge and contacts in the Cleveland area market to good use. But is that really good for the neighborhood in the long run?
  
• As we've been rickrolling the blame for the foreclosure crisis through the major players (investors, banks, people who bought too much house who should have known better, appraisers, mortgage brokers), real estate agents and their role haven't been examined, as far as I can see. And I do think they had a bigger part in stirring up the froth that they've been credited with.
  

Any comments, aspects of this I've missed, opinions? I'd love to hear them!

And Now My Apartment Is Filled With Boxes

I went to Cleveland this weekend and picked up my worldly goods. It was an adventure.

Miles driven: 2044
Days spent driving: 3
Number of Tylonol taken to help with the cramping up of my right quad muscle: 6
Size of van: 16 feet
Number of approximate feet too long the van was for the job: 4
Miles per gallon fuel consumption: 10 mpg
Approximate cost of gas: $600
MPG I thought the truck would get: 10
Cost of truck: $854
Percentage discount given for a AAA membership I don't have by the sweet guy at the Penske truck rental @ W. 117th: 12
Number of glasses of red wine Cookbook consumed at Lolita, after being told to drink up because I got that discount: 2
Amount of money spent on books, a movie and fancy cupcakes with the discount funds: $60
Amount of regret for that: Minimal
Ratio of cupcakes purchased to consumed: 4::1
Friends I like that I saw: 3
Number of former friends I narrowly avoided: 2
Stars I would give to the accommodations at Cookbook's: 4
Amount of time it took to load the truck: 2 hours
Number of items that appear to be irreversibly damaged due to my inexpert loading: 0
Number of times I hit something backing up: 0
Number of cars I nearly sideswiped off the road: 0
Number of incidents of the sort above my mother imagined my having: Heavens only know
Times it rained: 4
Number of states crossed: 7
Number of elk or moose I saw in the wild despite being warned they were out and about: 0
Types of domesticated farm animals I saw grazing: Horses, goats, cows, elk
Number of calves I witnessed making a break for it across the highway in my rearview mirror: 1
Color and type: Black and small. Sex indeterminate.
Number of lanes I saw him make it across: 2
Number of "World's Largest Cross" crosses I saw: 2
Locations: Indiana and Texas
Approximate height of each: 3 story
Differences in appearance: None, they were identical as if assembled from a kit
What I thought Jesus would appreciate as a modification: Wind turbines added to the arms

I have some other thoughts I'll type up later. 'Night, all.

Because Wende's Back In Town

I'm going to Cleveland this weekend, but I almost really want to be in San Diego seeing this band. They are another one of my long time musical favorites.

I first heard of them when I was about 12. We were spending a lot of time in North Carolina, and their first album was reviewed in The News & Observer. I was already in the throes of my Southern obsession, and this just fed it. I want to say I've seen them do a show, but I just can't remember. But come on, who doesn't love a tune like this? Or the classic "Eight Piece Box?"

Lessons Learned

Last week we had a lessons learned meeting for the end of the substance abuse audit. I was left completely in love with the people I work with and my organization.

The last meeting in which I was encouraged to be candid about what did or didn't work was at Ye Olde Fortune 500 Bank, when they promoted a member of the work group to be our manager and Human Resources had a 4 hour meeting with us to make sure we were all okay with the change, It was during the confidential part of the meeting that we (those who hadn't been promoted) relayed that sure, we were fine with the change as our current manager was batshit crazy, an egomaniac, a micromanager, untrustworthy, and manipulative. Our new manager was also untrustworthy and a bully, but more professional about it, and we generally thought that whatever input either solicited was never regarded. I wish I had called HR the time Manager 2 used the word "nigger" to describe someone. Someone else did call HR on her for other behavior. She still got promoted though. And I don't think HR ever realized that if in a work group over 3 years and 7 hires, if 4 of those hires have been put on action plans for performance at various times, you've got problems with either your manager, the expectations of the hires, skill levels matching the position or some expensive craziness going on.

Yeah, glad to be out of that.

Back to the report--we all agreed that the end result was really good and solid in its research, analysis and presentation, even if due to personnel changes there was a lot of havoc and stress to get it as such. And we are happy that it seems to be a report that will make a difference. The managers owned up to actual mistakes they made in managing and reviewing things that made it all harder later in the process. Seriously. We talked about processes that worked and where we hit snags. Some of our experiences are being incorporated into other work being done--we really broke a collaborative wall in some ways. Usually when you say you are "collaborative" in a working environment, you're not really being collaborative--you are doing the bit assigned to you and putting it together later. We really strive to refine out thinking as a group and now we are splitting the work up in such a way to truly put that into practice.

I got good comments; that I was the perfect person to handle the case studies because I can get people to open up, that the librarians are good to work with because we appreciate ambiguity but aren't intimidated by it. Pinch is a miracle worker.

I love my job. I'm constantly challenged, and I do think I am appreciated as an individual and not just as a cog in a machine. I am amazingly lucky.

In This House, We're All Earthy And French

Is It Normal To Wear The Same Bra For Weeks?

The Makers of 'Taking Woodstock' Ensure Hirsute Historical Accuracy

I read this and am left worried and insecure about my personal hygiene. And frankly, a bit boggled that people have time on their hands to keep up with the myriad grooming rituals that are expected in the modern age. Really? I think I'd relish a return to the 70's.

I will say this--my young looking skin is due to not using soap on a regular basis. When we were young, the dermatologist told my mom soap aggravated my sister's eczema and not necessary on most occasions. I also try to keep away from antimicrobial stuff. I like my healthy immune system, and don't worry about germs. And...I have great teeth and only brush them once a day. Am I totally hopeless?

CliffNotes To The Food Revolution

Finally, someone who is talking about food and how to eat well that sees the whole fucking picture and makes sense. Go read it, please!

Grocery Shopping, Kerry Style

I photographed my groceries at the beginning of the month to show how/what I try to eat. Then Target lost my film. Sorry, no pictures. These items were purchased to last at least 2 weeks.

Purchased @ Sprout's (regional organic/health food chain):

Blackberries, blueberries, burro bananas (I don't usually care for bananas, but I am experimenting. I had red bananas recently and they were good--less annoyingly stinky than Cavendish), Bing cherries, cilantro, garlic, ginger root, Rainier cherries ( I don't like these usually, but felt like trying them once this season) lemons, limes, pineapple ( $.97, Cookbook!) strawberries and a Santa Claus melon, and a puffed corn cereal. Also, $1 worth of assorted spices to make lentil dal with sweet potatoes.
Not pictured: 2 bags of Alexia oven fries, one rosemary, garlic and salt and the other chipolte sweet potato. Total cost=$30 exactly.

Purchased @ Fry's (regional grocery chain):

Cluster tomatoes, London broil (sub for stew meat, as I was going to make Cinnamon Beef Noodles, but they didn't have what I wanted at the price advertised), milk, oranges, vanilla yogurt (impulse @ $1.88), blueberries (at $1.25 I couldn't resist) and cantaloupe. Total=$13.93

Purchased @ Target (note to self, Saturday @ 8:30pm is kind of a lousy time to shop):

3 boxes of Kashi health cookies @$2.54 (this is a super price--over at the supermarket they are $4), orange juice, Cafe Bustelo coffee, and a box of almond butter granola bars. Plus a single serving frozen pizza and a 20 oz bottle of coke. Total=$21 something. Note these were all impulse items.

Purchased @ Costco:

Mexican coke, feta cheese, and a roasted chicken midweek. $30 approximately (the coke was expensive--$18.99 for a case of 24 bottles).

I love to grocery shop. Phoenix is actually pretty diverse and competitive. We have little ethnic markets (mysterious Zam Zam, Indian, Korean, Vietnamese), we have multiple markets aimed at the Latin population, farmers' markets, CSAs, fancy national markets (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods), regional groceries that are reasonable (Fry's) or overpriced but with good loss leaders (Safeway), and locally owned (Basha's). If you wanted, you could shop all the time and do a pretty penny pinching on specials and stockpiling.

I don't shop that way. I get the flyer for Sprouts on Tuesday, and make a list of whatever they have on sale that looks good. I do the same on Wednesday for Fry's and Safeway, but truly I never go to Safeway. I also add whatever ingredients I need to round out what meals I plan to make from recipes or whatever. I'll go to Trader Joe's if there is something convenience that I want/need, like the $1.50 bags of shredded carrots or broccoli slaw. I try to go shopping on a Saturday am and not midweek after work because I am convinced I can't find what I want or the produce will be wilted. I would say Sprouts is my main grocery because of price and not any allegiance to ideals of organic produce.

Coming up with a list of staples is hard for me, and it seems to come down to two core concepts: coffee and salad. If I have coffee + milk, I have breakfast, and if I have vegetables I can at least make salad.

Staples:
Coffee
Milk
Dried fruit, particularly dried cherries. But also apricots, peaches, cranberries, and raisins.
Steel cut oatmeal
Almonds (plain, not any fancy kind)
Cucumber
Carrot
Red pepper
Red and Spanish onions
Salad greens
Some large pieces of meat that can be recycled
Lemons
Cookies (yes, prepackaged cookies)
Butter
Flour
Sugar
Frozen vegetables
Vinegar (red wine, balsamic, rice + apple cider)
Olive oil

I feel this list should be longer or is lacking something. Any comments?

Urban Agriculture

Even when it's going to be 115 degrees, things are still growing and ripening out here. Spotted lately are ripe olives falling onto sidewalks, the way mulberries fall back east and mess the sidewalk. Olive trees are a common landscaping tree out here, and out in Queen Creek there's an olive mill that presses local oil. If you have an olive tree on your property you could harvest and cure them yourself. The other thing that has started to ripen and fall is palm nuts. I spotted a bunch on the apartment complex property this week, large tan nuts that you think would be eaten by squirrels if we had any out here. And of course, we have purslane growing out of the cracks in the sidewalk.

There was a heat advisory yesterday that continues through tomorrow. I am sick of 110 degree days.

I also wanted to mention 2 bits of regional awesomeness: the seed bank in Patagonia, AZ and Mexican style hot dogs available at Tucson street carts. I may brave the college students to take a trip down to Tucson to sample. Or just go to South Phoenix to see if I can find some (along with some of the best doughnuts ever!).

Sentimental Favorite: Summer Salad

You know how in each family there is 1 dish that you eat that outsiders just cannot wrap their heads around? Ours is called Summer Salad, and it is traditionally made only in summer. My mom does not know where she discovered this bit of awesome, but I found a similar recipe in a very old Joy of Cooking.

1 box elbow macaroni
3 cans tuna
1 bag frozen peas and carrots
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 small/1 large sweet onion chopped
1 green pepper/1 red pepper or combination, chopped
Mayo (to taste)

Cook the macaroni and peas & carrots separately. In a large cooking pot or mixing bowl add all ingredients, and stir until well blended.

Now in a schism that is matched only by the debate over what color Cloister wanted the hats to be in Fuchal , Summer Salad can be eaten hot or cold. I have been known to microwave mine. But with enough s&p it is good cold.

No picture of tonight's batch, and it's a little disappointing because I forgot celery! It's really not the same. I might have to go and buy some tomorrow am to improve it, as I am taking it to share with Anners.

What Grows In Arizona?

I got this question from SuperC, and so I offer you the harvest schedule from the CSA I'd like to join.

Kerry Had A Little Lamb

Ha, ha, I can't resist a stupid pun sometimes. I made a boneless leg of lamb tonight. The last time I made one was more than 5 years ago. I love lamb. I usually get the lambchops from Trader Joe's for my birthday and special occasions.

Right, so I honestly tried to find a recipe. But everything I came across required what I thought of as excess ingredients. So I DIYed it. And sorry, there's no pictures because I am cameraless. But there are plenty of leftovers, so if you'd like to get together you can have some.

Following Cookbook's lead from Zuni Cafe's Chicken's admonition to DRY THE CHICKEN, I rinsed and dried the lamb. Then I stabbed it several times and inserted half cloves of garlic into its wounds. It made me feel like I was a nurse cleaning out a particularly gory wound. "So Lambie McLambkins, this won't hurt," as I softly chuckled. Then I scored the thick layer of fat at the top and liberally shook out the Penzey's Turkish Spice Rub on top and inside. Seriously, this stuff is the bomb and makes everything better. Then I put it in the oven at 425 degree for 15 minutes.

Then I took it out, and started squeezing lemon quarters on top of it. However, this caused the glass baking dish to crack and break. Thankfully, it was only 2 pieces. (Let me tell you about the exploding Pyrex incident that sent shards of glass and casserole potatoes everywhere sometime. No wait, let me bury that memory. Please.) I sighed. I adapted. I took out my baking sheet, threw down some aluminum foil, moved Lambie over, and finished squeezing. Tossed the lemons along side and underneath, and then I put him back in the oven for 60 minutes at 350.

It looked gorgeous. It was a little overdone for my tastes, but the next time I eat it will probably be cold on salad for lunch Thursday as we are eating prison food tomorrow. I would skip the garlic next time and maybe make roasted garlic along side as the garlic perfumed it but didn't soften. I also made my favorite side, the Near East Original Rice Pilaf. No veggies tonight, as I don't have enough salad toppings. I'm out the door for that now.

Our Trip To Cooler Climes

Yes, Wende and I got out of town yesterday.

Check out pictures of Miami and Globe here. I know they don't look like much but it was a surprising trip (even before Wende bought the dollhouse).

To get there you drive east on US 60 up to the mountains, up the elevation of high cheekbones with a 3 day stubble. It's so beautiful. Back east, they are sensible and put the road through the mountain so it doesn't touch the town. Unless you're really itching to go visiting there, you just pass by and they prefer it like that. Here you just drive and it feels like you wind up at the end of the world.

We hit Globe at 10am. Globe is the hometown of Satanist Anton LaVey, who they don't mention, and a really neat arts center housed in the old courthouse and a dozen antique joints. They had the county fair's winning quilts on display, and the work of local painters and photographers, along with costumes from a recent production of The Jungle Book for sale. The volunteer at the desk told us all about the history and evolution of the arts center--the courthouse closed in '76 and about '84 they started on the rehab, pulling up lino and painting and turning the main courtroom into a theater. It was amazing that they had this idea 25+ years ago and have made such a success of it. They are stymied on some of the mechanicals since the building is on the National Register, particularly with the a/c and an elevator. I was talking to people all day and Wende didn't find it irritating at all as I used my super friendly face to pump for information.

It was about 10:30 and downtown was pretty quiet as Wende and I set off to see what we could see in that 2 square blocks. We were fascinated because we both agreed that even on a Sunday morning with no one else around there was an energy to the place. We finally figured out what it must be--Globe is still a town where all the businesses on the Main Street are services and goods people in the town actually need, in contrast to a place like Flagstaff, where the businesses were all tourist crap and outdoor stores and Thai restaurants and coffeehouses. Not that we despise those places, but there did seem to be an abnormally large proportion of them in the Flagstaff downtown. But Globe has a clothing store, and beauty parlors and a diner and a flooring store, along with a lawyer and a guy who fixes computers and a health food store. IT was shabby and charming and it seemed like it was still working for the people. This was confirmed when we realized someone was doing work in a building on the corner and peeked in and got to talking with the couple who were working on fixing it up to be a movie theater! They said the town had suffered since the movie theater had had a fire and shut a few years back, and this would be good for the town. They thought that if there were movies, then the diner would stay open later and it would give the town a little jolt. It would also give folks who come down to stay at the B&Bs something to do if they didn't want to stargaze or whatever. They open in November!

We hit some more antiques places and then went to lunch at Judy's Cook House out on the highway where a charming old guy dropped by our table after he struggled to put his wife's wheelchair away at the waitress station. I didn't understand a word he said. Super powers went wrong there, I guess. But my cheeseburger was good and Wende had an enormous omelet. Then we went down to Miami where we found the bookstore/coffeehouse with cats that she promised me was CLOSED! Grrr, but sadly predictable--whenever Wende and I try to go somewhere, there's a good shot it is closed, not where we thought it was, or a figment of our mutually imagined reality. So we walked the dusty streets of Miami, the runty sibling of Globe with equally good architectural bones and genetics who is just a little off. Slow, maybe, but means well. Again, filled with antiques stores and I want to win the Powerball so I can get the real estate agent to show me the inside of the YMCA--it looks to be a honey of a building.

And then we went back down to the copper swelter of Phoenix.

Culinary Therapy, Week 3

Okay, I am playing catch up here. Pictures of food I made will have to wait as I took pictures of them with a disposable camera and had to get them transferred to CD. I made lentil & sweet potato dal and a lot of salad.

Week 3 Assignments:

What motivates me to cook and take joy in it?

I think that cooking is the main way I try new things. It's less anxiety provoking for me to do things on my own terms in my own home (more on this later). I am also jazzed by the showing off and showing people I love them through food. Which is why the fact that I am not allowed to cook for members of my family is a frustration.

I am also weirdly excited by the frugality/making do angle. I made dal with the lentils I found cleaning out the pantry and paired it with a sweet potato that I needed to use up and it was great!

As for cleaning out my cooking tools and evaluating if they really work with what I cook, I currently cook with the contents of an Ikea kitchen box and an few additional tools. The majority of my tools are in Cookbook's garage, and I don't want to buy more until I have my hands on it all so I can sort through it. So I skip this task this week.

Finding a recipe...yeah, that's a fail. I can't seem to find a recipe that looks good that also isn't something I am completely comfortable with and that is also affordable.I have good skills on the cooking thing. I like to stretch myself.

It also occurs to be that I should start to plan out the things I might choose to make over the course of this experiment based on Wende's themes. Hmmm. I am actually great with my cooking skills and things I like to cook, but I think I am going to try to make the following: pineapple upside down cake (I ask permission to cheat and use butter cake mix for this--I don't have a mixer with me but I do back in Ohio (of course!) and I know I can make this cake without one if I use a mix for the cake only), Lady Baltimore cake (after I have my mixer), tzatziki, and artichokes. Any other suggestions? I am game for almost anything.

Julie & Julia

Wende and I went off to see Julie & Julia today. I'll spare you the details of how I managed to be late and found her in a darkened theater only when I said to myself "That is a familiar silhouette of creamy skin fading into blackness---and is it waving an arm at me? Oh yes, it is!"

We agreed with the reviews; the parts about the Childs in Paris are wonderful and the parts about Julie Powell are extremely bland. My irritation is that the script completely defanged her. There was just no tension at all, which if you read the book and the blog you will recall Powell's life at the time was all about tension. She was miserable. And the project just made her more miserable and unhinged the farther she got into it, but in the end gave her confidence in herself that she was lacking. It was her personal stint in the army--you know, the experience you go through that teaches you you have deep inner reserves of strength. Or confirms you are completely a loser, at which point you join a cult or shoot yourself in the head. I realized that having a main character whose favorite words are variations on the word "fuck" will never get you a PG-13 rating, but there were aspects of her story that Nora Ephron could have incorporated to give her some interest and texture.

• Powell was 30 years old, and when her parents came up from Texas to help her move and her husband move, she was deeply ashamed and uncomfortable about the fact that they were not anywhere near as settled or successful as her parents had been at the same age. They moved to Queens because it was cheap and they had no money. One of their cats lived in the ceiling, which was good because the PYTHON took up a lot of the living room.


• Julie Powell was also so broke that she sold her eggs, a decision I personally abhor, but hey--that's color for you.


• She had a lot of trouble adjusting to the whole working world/real life thing after being great at school and finding her way, which they lightly touch on but never fully explore.


• This project was extremely expensive, took a helluva lot of time and energy just shopping for (and even just finding) the ingredients and was a real hardship in terms of the family budget.


• She was a picky eater. This project made her eat eggs. And BRAINS. And all sorts of organ meats. At least they could have explored the grossness of some of the project.


• She loved her husband and they were/are well suited, but they were high school sweethearts and stable marrieds in a city filled with single people in search of hot sexy times.

Instead of exploring any of that, even briefly, the movie has a lot of Amy Adams looking cute as she stares at a computer. Waste of talent, as she is an excellent actor who conveys subtle charm in some otherwise annoying characters.

So in short, worth catching on DVD or at the $5 morning movie.

Life Does Go On After Foreclosure

I got a couple of questions from friends last week about the house and the repercussions of having the house go into foreclosure, along with hearing the radio report up in the title there. I figured it was time to address the details for those interested.

Look, there's this popular misconception that people are just walking away from homes like it's nothing, but I tell you--it's not true. The financial devastation is so bad that you'd either be incredibly stupid or very desperate to do this. I haven't had the nerve to check my FICO score or credit rating, but from what I've heard it is as bad as bankruptcy. I can tell you that my credit card limits were slashed and the interest rates raised. I'll be at this apartment complex for a couple of years until I improve all that and can rent a better apartment without a cosigner. I start working on improving my credit in October after I've managed to get my furniture out of Cookbook's garage. And I'm lucky that I've wound up in a fairly stable job that is more lucrative than what I was expecting.

I wound up handling losing the house in a fairly efficient way out of dumb luck. I had a firm idea of what I wanted--to be out of Cleveland and free of the house. Putting the house on the market below the price I bought it at in 2001 as a first step worked out because it showed that I had tried--it's just that the market was against me, and later that I had already exhausted that option, as well as having 2 years of underemployment and tax records that showed it. When I contacted the agency the PMI company contracted to work with me on this, I was very clear on that I wanted to surrender the deed in liu of foreclosure.

That the new mortgage relief plans look to be difficult and lengthy to maneuver and that employers are now running credit checks on applicants makes me nervous about my future, but happy that I choose the solution I did. I don't mind spending the next 7-10 years cleaning up my life. Frankly I'd rather have it in shape by my early 40s than deal with this dragging on forever.

It drives me nuts that some people think that avoiding foreclosure is somehow tied to personal honor. The banks that loan money are doing it based on calculated risk--that's why I had PMI. If that we both got caught in the subprime fueled decline of the Rust Belt, so be it, but my worth as a person is not tied to the fact that I defaulted on my mortgage. And as for the people in the story in the title who are criticized for trying to save their house and afford that over their health--look, when you're short of money, you prioritize. They prioritized poorly, because their home meant a lot to them emotionally. To somehow think that they shouldn't feel ambivalent about the huge weight that's gone, or spend their newly spare money on things they need--as what, penance?--is unrealistic and cruel.

I figured out what the differential was between the rent I would have paid and the cost of improvements I made on the house, and I'm frankly down $65,000 over the years. It's amazing to me--I never thought I would even have so much money, and I thought for so long that I was actually improving my long terms financial prospects when I could have gone traveling or bought a monkey. I'm not the only one; it looks like single women in general got completely snowed by the idea that we were being sensible and thinking long-term buying property. It's a feminist issue no one's talking about much now that it's gone wrong, the fact that a lot of women who bought homes as a place to live and for long term security are now screwed financially.

Any questions? I don't mind talking about this and answering questions based on my experience.

Fancy A Night Out?

There's an interesting photo exhibit at Lux, and a free band that looks interesting.

Lyle Lovett is in town too. True confession: I have had a bit of a crush on Lyle Lovett for almost 20 years; apparently my ideal man is tall, thin, ugly-handsome, has multiple master's degrees, good with language, and Southern/Texan. Shouldn't be too hard to find. /sarcasm

The Only Reason I Was I Were Back In Cleveland

It would be so easy to get to Pittsburgh to see this. I have the DVD on my buy list. I can't do a party for his birthday today, but maybe the anniversary of his death...

Anyone Interested?

My mom will be here this weekend--maybe we could drag her around and make the case that there are fun activities in Phoenix!

Yeah, I didn't think so. But I still want to check it out.

Culinary Therapy, Week 2

Week 2

This is a difficult week for me.

I don't really have a dish that I used to make all the time. Matter of fact, I never make the same dish twice. Home cooked food is something that I have a huge novelty factor with--when eating out, I will generally pick the same thing in the same place over and over, or at least a variation or version of something that is familiar. But when I cook for myself or others, I make new things all the time, every time. I have thrown dinner parties where I am just trying out new recipes but not trying out new techniques or ingredients.

Unlike my sister, who is a slavish recreator of childhood dishes (for which I am grateful, don't get me wrong--last summer's obsession with Chicken Portugese was fabulous) and eschews "fancy food," I am all about fancy new food. All the time. As long as I prepare it. I also don't make many childhood favorites, because I don't have many.

So my old favorite I've fallen away from is...salad, maybe? I certainly go through cycles with my allegience to it at home.

It strikes me that this is because of/tied to the way I shop. Since I don't have set dishes I prepare, I buy what's on sale or looks good, or items that are needed because I read a recipe that looked particularly interesting. So therefore I have rotting and Odd Food Items.

As for calcium, I am sure I am at least a bit down on that so I will share with you my secret for remaining hopped up on caffiene and building strong bones.

Too Frugal For Starbucks Iced Latte

Which honestly, I'm not.

1) Make a 8 cup pot of coffee.
2) Pour 7 cups into a glass pitcher. Add 1/2 cup sugar, stir.
3) Before leaving for work, pour 1/2 -1 cup coffee into thermos or plastic bottle. Top with milk. Take with.

I am so clever.

I don't have any "how to eat" material around. Unfortunately, my nagging sense of "not enough vegetables," "too much fat," and impulse control issues are all in my brain. Not even followed through into behavior modification, damn it.

Sorry. This sounds more snarky and depressing than I really feel about the whole issue.

ALA 2009: Twitter Confidential--@ALASecrets Interview

I don't post much about librarian things anymore, but I do keep up a little. I was fascinated by the reaction to the @ALASecrets Twitter mini-scandal, that "Oh no! Librarians are having fun! Unprofessional! They must be stopped!" as opposed to snickers. Check out the link in the title.

Check out these quotations from the interview:

"If people are honestly worried about how @ALAsecrets reflects on the profession, we're in bigger trouble than I thought. We have so much work to do right now to retool and reassert libraries' positions in the communities they serve that to worry about some Twitter experiment seems foolish at best."

"That said, we could stand to be a little more assertive and encourage candid criticism among our ranks."

"With six months until Midwinter, I might have time to form a committee, do some focus grouping, and see how much of the spirit I can take out of the project between now and then."

I just think it's a shame that there is no room for any sort of fun or criticism in librarianship.

To top it off, it's this hoary old chestnut that conference attendance is a) useful and b) a mark of dedication to professional skills and improvement and c) unofficially mandatory to try to attend in a lot of places, even if your job doesn't offer any sort of funding or reimbursement and you wind up burning a couple thousand dollars and vacation time to show you are such a good librarian sheep. It's bullshit really, and it makes me sad and angry.

More Options For Leaving The House

This week I went drinking. I hit Happy Hour for a colleague's goodbye, and learned some interesting tidbits. And on Friday I went to The Crimson Conquest's to watch True Blood and drink limoncello.

Here's a few things I am interested in:

Good Times In Hard Times: How To Enjoy The Recession. Wende, you can practice your deadpan! I'll even join in!

Ballet Under the Stars. It's not until September, though.

Flashlight Tours of the Desert Botanical Gardens. A little expensive at $15, but I think it might be worth it.

If You Need Some Inspirational Pretty

A link stolen from PoseyGalore: Vintage Printable, a website of public domain images that you can print out at Kinko's, and then go nuts using them for visual art.

Culinary Therapy: Week 1

The questionnaire was done, but here are the results of my other activities:

The library trip-- I went over to my itty bitty branch and picked off the shelves:

Traditional Teatime Recipes
Jellies, Jams & Chutneys: Preserving The Harvest
The Lunchbox Book
The Little Saigon Cookbook
Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes For Entertaining
Southern Cocktails--Dixie Drinks, Party Potions & Classic Libation
All New Complete Cooking Light Cookbook


What does this say about my fantasy diet?

1) I don't mind my food bastardized.
2) I like my food, quick, easy low fat and filled with possibilities for entertaining.
3) High need for novelty. And baked goods.
4) I wish I drank more, in a party-like setting.

Did I clean the fridge and go through the food? Yes. It wasn't that bad, since I've only lived here 8 months. I did throw away remnants of holiday ham, 2 kinds of cookies that went stale, butternut and acorn squashes that I bought in February, and found dried cherries, a work lunch usable soup pouch and Wheat Thins.

Those of you who have known me before and have seen evidence of my hoarding know that for me, this is under control.

So, after a month did I finally hand in the maintenance request to get that burner on the stove fixed along with the kitchen light? YES. And I also asked for them to come in and spray for roaches.

In Which I Go Nuts Promoting Myself

My audit was published this week.

You should go read it. It has lots of interesting info about treating substance abuse in Arizona.

It even got picked up by the media. My bet was on a little article to begin with and then a 3 part series in the fall. We shall see.

Plots, Plots, Plots--You Know, The Stuff That Happens In A Story

I wanted to throw this out as a discussion question--what fictional plot setup makes you dash to the nearest library checkout or bookstore register? What's a fictional must read for you?

I will automatically try to read two setups--caper tales and bands. Capers are usually mostly men, mostly well dressed and usually very smart, committing fraud and theft. Yes, I find that exciting. Sexy even. Hey, I like sharp guys with elaborate justifications for trespassing over the boundaries of polite society. I was a Daddy's girl.

The love of band tales is odder--I have no musical training or talent, I hate to travel, and I have never really experienced the joy of creative group work (although audit work is kind of close). But I love stories about musical groups--the stress, the music, the bickering, the near familial ties. Go figure.

New College Graduates Reject Jobs?!!

Sigh. Someone should really get it into these young ones that your 20s will always suck, that you'll have no money, make lousy choices, and that's why at the time drinking lots and hookups make sense. And pry them away from their parents. I cannot get it through my head how much of a generational shift there was in the 10 years or so after I was born.

Let me tell you (adjusts cardigan, pushes glasses up her nose) when I graduated in 1997, I lived in a grotty apartment on Madison that cost $365 a month. I made $10 an hour at the law firm, and my parents told me that if I didn't have a job with health insurance I was coming home (where I shortly would not have had health insurance either, but I digress). It was a crappy time, but it made me a better person. For one thing, I taught myself how to make samosas out of The Moosewood Cookbook. Because I couldn't afford anything but potatoes bought on sale! And I was ashamed that I couldn't fend for myself better, that I had no skills and no clue, and worked hard to turn myself into an adult.

Save the world, slap some sense into a Millennial!

Let's Try Getting Out Again

The past couple of weeks have been a little slow in the getting out and doing things. Two weeks ago I bailed on The Phoenix Reading Society and water aerobics. I did go out to dinner at Joe's that Friday and had fun with the coworkers.

Last week, I went to Stacy's with The Crimson Conquest and Wende. We intended to go to see The Starlight Mints afterwards. At quarter to 8, the doors will still closed, and a guy came out to inform us he didn't know when they'd be opening up, that the first band had just finished soundcheck. We were not in the mood to be up until all hours, and Wende started ranting about professionalism. So we went to Conspire Coffeehouse. Click the link and look at the website, please.

Would you expect vegan cupcakes, no seating except outside, and dreadlocks? Not that there's anything wrong with any of that, but it was the sort of place where I'm like 10 years older than the average client, and even at 24 I was too old for all that because I had to be at the office at 8:30am and got health insurance with my job. It's the kind of place that says it is warm and welcoming, but really only warm and welcoming to a particular kind of clientele. I don't know--it is what it is and what it wants to be, but I did not feel comfortable.

This week:

Tuesday--Based on our previous experience, I will not be attending the Phoenix Reading Society meeting. Sigh. I should just find myself a book club, shouldn't I? There's a free Mexican indie movie at Scottsdale PL I might go to.

Wednesday--I have already tortured Wende by sending her the listing for the Raise Chickens In the Urban Backyard class at Drip Coffee this evening. She says the chicken fad has passed and is now obsessed with camels. At least they are good for carrying your junk behind the hump as you flee the heat. And they are good for managing the mountain pass as you escape to Flagstaff in search of Thai food.

Thursday night--Havana Cafe is having a mojito mixing class for $10, and Scottsdale PL is having a paperback swap at the same time.

Maybe I'd Rather Stay Single

I like to boggle the Mormon girls by saying that in my family there's no pressure to get married, and as a matter of fact, it's a little looked down on that you would do such a thing. It's truth; Dusie confirmed that she managed to absorb the same message.

I always thought I'd end up alone. I can't decide whether it's self-fulfilling prophecy or just my personality. I broke up with the ex when I realized that I didn't care so much about kids or not being married, but what I wanted was someone who loved and adored me, and liked to spend time with me and he...didn't.

I had 2 dates in Cleveland in 3 1/2 years. However, compared to the girls in "Love By Committee", I'm a healthy relationship marvel. On the one hand, I am truly convinced there's a lack of single men in their late 20's or 30's there. I would joke that I had to wait for the first wave of divorce to get a boyfriend. But here's the thing--I don't mind being single. There's a lot of advantages to the whole thing. And I find the "Board of Love" to be awfully depressing and grasping in their strategies to find love.

Check out the commentary on Jezebel too.

Culinary Therapy

Favorites (or not)

Is there a chef/cook, real or fictional, whom you admire? If so, what's the appeal of this person?

Alton Brown from the early Good Eats days. He's not hung up on the food, but he's into explaining and having fun and it really comes across in the show. We saw him at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Shaker Square when his first cookbook was published and he was all dazed that people actually showed up and wanted to see him talk about the show and food and buy his book.

And Julie Powell when she wrote the blog of her original project on Salon. She was crazy and funny and stressed out. The book wrote sort of on the same subject was not so good--she needed the structure of that day's recipes and events to focus her.

Is there a chef/cook, real or fictional, whom you find annoying? If so, what's the offense by this person?

In general, anyone who fetishizes and overthinks food drives me nuts. I've mentioned Peter Wells over at the NY Times before; generally most of their food coverage and writing has me spitting in anger while bookmarking the recipes to try later. The Dollar a Day people I find pompous; the 30 A Week couple make good looking food and are less annoying. Tigers & Strawberries needs to learn how to come to the freaking point.

But the worst food creep of them all is Christopher Kimball and Cook's Illustrated. The overthinking, the sucking the joy out of food, and lecturing tone while opining on the incredibly subjective "best" way of making a recipe makes me want to steal their pots and knives and force feed them Chef Boyardee ravioli cold from the can. And I'll snap that fucker Kimball's bowtie in his smug face.

Personal history

What's your earliest memory of cooking--or assisting with cooking--yourself?

My mother did not teach us to cook in order to advance the cause of feminism. I had to teach myself how to cook after college. I did know how to grocery shop though, because I took Ursula Ross shopping at Severence our sophomore year and had to walk her through basic selection of produce.

I remember my mom making French bread out of a box with me as a project when I was 8 or 10. Also around that time I remember being left in charge of the corned beef and cabbage when she went out and my dad fussing at me about it. I told him that if he had a problem with the way I was doing it he could make it himself.

No, wait. The Kraft macaroni & cheese incident. I don't know how old I was when this happened, but my mom and dad went out and left me to make it for my sisters. I didn't realize you're not supposed to keep it on the heat, so the sauce burned and they were all upset and yelled at me. I defended myself with the fact that (at the time at least) the instructions on the box were imprecise. Didn't work.

What do you consider to be comfort food?

Chicken soup with homemade noodles. Salad with oil and vinegar. Beef, noodles and gravy--we ate a variation of meat + noodles or rice + gravy + veg all the time.

What piece of cooking advice would you never take again?

Buying in bulk is a good idea. Convenience foods are expensive and a waste.

What do you enjoy about cooking?

I enjoy the project/learning/showing off aspect. Which is why I make things like homemade samosas, cake for the department fun lunch, limoncello, Thanksgiving dinner for 10, 3 full course dinners for friends.

I also like cooking for people, hence the previous dinner party habit. I also like eating with people (best part of living with my sister and her husband last year).

We always ate dinner together. Either my mom and us girls would all eat early, and then have salad when my dad came home, or we'd eat together as a family.

What do you dislike about cooking?

With the dishwasher, I don't mind the cleanup aspect. I find it lonely, mostly, and time consuming. I have to get my furniture and then maybe I can have people over again.

What animal best summarizes your current cooking and/or eating habits?

A camel. I eat and drink a lot in one sitting, and then I just abstain for a long time.

Goals

What is bothering you about your current eating/cooking habits?

I seem to be inacapable of getting food into the house, and then making and eating it. I also come home, don't get hungry for 2-3 hours, and then either skip dinner, eat fast food, or go out. This is expensive and has to stop.

What do you want to be able to say about your eating/cooking habits at the end of eight weeks?

I want to be preparing most of the meals I eat, and eating what I prepare. I also want to be eating more vegetables and fruit--they are so good here, and cheap.

Comments?

Environmental Consciousness Has Its Consequences

My manager is kind of green--she's a vegetarian, drives a Prius, carries reusable cups around. I wasn't surprised when she suggested we take the light rail from the office downtown as we had an interview in the only section of the city nowhere near a parking lot.

We did the interview and went back on the train, and as we were waiting to cross back to her car a young guy on a bike says to me, "You have really pretty legs." I know, I really don't but a compliment is a compliment in my book and it just cements my love of high heels.

I would have flirted just for the practice, but with my manager beside me all I could do is say "Thanks" and rebuff his further attempts to start conversation.

I went back to the office and sent an email about this to my work friends.

The Crimson Conquest shot me a look across the aisle and said "That's what you get taking public transit."

Jonathan Richman "You're Crazy For Taking The Bus"

Deathwish--Rob Thurman

I liked this book a great deal, more than Jia over at Dear Author, whose reviews turned me onto the series. You can check out my previous review here. I've mentioned before that in a way this series is kinda over-the-top, but those of you who know me well know I'm always loving over-the-top. I just do. But I'm embarrassed by that and that's why it's taken me a while to write this review.

I've said it before, that revealing what your tastes are is an intimate act. More on that later.

But anyway. So our story picks up at the cliffhanger of Cal being stalked by his murderous kin, the Auphe, vigorous fighting occurs and game on! The Auphe have decided nows the time to get with their threatened torture of Cal via nearest and dearest. Oh wait, there's more--Promise has a new client for their agency, an "old friend" who is being stalked and wants to know why. He'd also like to get Promise back. And then the plot is shaken again with the arrival of Promise's daughter, Cherish, whose hobbies are theft and making enemies.

If it seems like this is too much plot for 336 pages, it's surprisingly not. It's a fast-paced book with a lot of fights and action, and again--heavy on the emotion, but not gratuitous or inauthentic emotion. There's the same dark sarcasm and ironic humor, but Thurman's not afraid to vary her approach to storytelling. This novel's view point is split between Cal (who narrated all the other novels) and his brother Niko. And yes, if you thought Niko was maybe even more damaged than Cal, you'd be right.

I don't think that it's a spoiler to say that by the end of this book, major recurring issues have been resolved. It's part of the reason I'm a little worried that this is the last story for these characters Thurman intends to write--she has a new series coming out in September that I will pick up, but I haven't heard if she'll be writing 2 books a year now and quitting her day job, or if publishers were interested in something new. If this is the last book, I'm satisfied. Even if I didn't agree with all the resolutions, it's nice to read a series where characters have emotional arcs and don't repeat the same blah blah blah for ten books (cough, Dresden Files, cough). As a fan and a reader, I'm grateful and satisfied--you don't often get that sort of development and resolution in a series.

If Thurman wants to continue this series, she doesn't need pick up her characters' activities right after this book. It might be quite interesting to see what happens 2 or 3 years out from these events. She has done a lot to build up the secondary characters and world in this series, including new allies and foes in this book, and it seems a shame not to fully exploit them. There's at least a novella in Delilah's Kin politics. Plus Rafferty and Catcher are still out in the world--what's up with them? And other readers often complain that Promise and George are idealized--Promise takes a major fall off her pedestal in this book, and I would like to see a story where the viewpoint switches between Cal and George, with more detail on the life of a struggling girl psychic who can't let herself know how it will all turn out for fear of destroying her sanity.

If you're looking for urban fantasy, this is one of my favorite series and I do vigorously recommend it.

Jenny Lewis @ The Marquee

I went out last night to see Jenny Lewis and The Heartless Bastards over at the Marquee last night.

It was a very energetic show, much more rock than I had been expecting. I hadn't heard Acid Tongue or much Rilo Kiley, so a lot of the songs were new to me, but it was all well done and enjoyable. Jenny Lewis likes her crowd pumped, and she's good at getting that energy out of people.

The 90's revival is in full swing--seen on the youth of America were numerous vests (matter of fact, as I was walking in the teenish girl beside me said, "Oh she's wearing a vest too, why are we all wearing vests?" when she saw her friend and I laughed and told her she was giving me a flashback to college), plaid shirts, big round 80's eyeglasses that do no one any favors, and babydoll dresses worn over leggings or cut offs. The ubiquity of phones and texting was a bit of a "huh?" moment--everyone was being seen and chatting with friends, but they would also pull out the phone at odd moments. About 10% of the crowd was over 25 it seemed, which made me feel so old. I was grateful the show started at 7:30 too, and I was home by 11. Old sleepless hag.

It's a big space with a floor that slopes towards the stage. They set up chairs at the back, and about halfway through I realized my new blisters The teenage girl in front of me was joined by her mom, and nudged her mom over a bit so I could see the stage. Seriously. I told them I was fine. I was so touched though. And another thing, the Marquee has a bike rack. How freaking awesome is that? It's only 3 miles from my house too. I might even go down to Tempe if I had a bike. Okay, I haven't been on a bike in 20 years. And the othopaedic surgeon warned me not to injure my right arm in the elbow area as it will be very hard to fix. But still, what is life?

This week:

Tuesday, The Phoenix Reading Society.
Wednesday, I have been invited to water aerobics with Le Chat, but Anners and I were going out to Joe's on Friday but might have to reschedule to this night.

Also, on the 22nd the Starlight Mints will be over at The Rhythm Room--anyone interested?

Running Through The Rye

You've heard about J.D. Salinger suing a writer for infringing upon his copyright and writing a novel featuring a thinly veiled 70-something Holden Caulfield with dementia stumbling around NYC, right?

Get A Life, Holden Caulfieldwhich discussed contemporary teenagers' reactions to The Catcher In The Rye. In short, Holden is an annoying git who should buck up quit whining.

If you're looking for an alternative to Holden's self-indulgent blather, take a look at King Dork by Frank Portman, which I've reviewed before, and coincidentally took out out the library a few days before all this hit the news.

Another riff on Catcher worth a look is K.L. Going's Saint Iggy, which takes a teen boy on his own tour of New York City after being suspended from high school. Going's character has more reasons to pity himself than Caulfield--he was born addicted to crack and has a bad case of ADD, along with parents who are either absent or still using. But Iggy seizes on the idea that he has to do something good with his life and decides to help his friend Mo reunite with his family, an adventure that ends so sadly. Going proves herself as an excellent stylist with this book with great skill at building a character's voice.

Other Fun In Phoenix

Mesa Contemporary Arts
Free until 8pm on Thursdays

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
Free until 8pm on Thursday

Heard Museum
Free 11am-5pm second Sunday of the month (July 12!)

Also the Coronado Historic District is having a problem with peacocks and people are talking about trapping and relocating them. Anyone interested in peacock hunting at dusk one night?

There's no one interesting visiting The Poisoned Pen in the near future. I should go up to the park and canal on the Scottsdale border for a look around--it seems like a cool area.

I am really longing for a monsoon. If it doesn't rain soon, I might have to hatch plans to flee to a cooler clime for the day at least. A/C can only do so much. So can Ladies' Night at Trader Vic's, which also has a special prix fixe menu for $30 Sunday through Thursday. It includes 3 courses and a cocktail. A Mai Tai does not substitute for a monsoon. Be wary!

Like I Don't have Enough Things To Worry About

Migaloo, the world's only albino whale, has his own website.

And he also crashed a 40 foot yacht several years ago.

Menace to society, yet adored by the masses.

Random Insults from Jack to Liz

The United States Of Song

So Wende has been playing a little game of finding songs for each state. She challenged me to find each state featured within a song and the link in the title shows my results. I twisted it a little further and only allowed myself songs I knew or owned--so all these songs are ones where I can at least sing the chorus if not recite most of the lyrics,

By the way, not only should you rightfully divide California up into several regions to put all the songs in, but you should really do the same for Texas. And Tennessee, because it is so rhymey and has both Nashville and Memphis. And I was surprised to remember I know 2 songs that feature Alaska. I am not fully finished with this spreadsheet but thought a lazy Saturday was a good time to share.

It's interesting to see what sort of places capture the imagination enough to earn a place in a song.

What I Am Up To

As Wende wrote, we had a goofy evening over at the Phoenix Art Museum. It started out by my showing her the painting my imaginary art thief boyfriend will steal for me (as opposed to all my other imaginary boyfriends, whom have other missions). It culminated with a quest to find an open coffee place, which should not be as impossible as it was, and that's even with my confusion of Thomas and Indian School Roads.

We did go past Kitty's Cocktails, which boasts of liquor, music and pool and opens up at 6am. I think it may be the gold standard of dive bars.

There are a couple of other things I have on tap for this week: Scottsdale Public Library has an exhibit on this crochet Great Barrier Reef thing, and tis the season to go bat watching. The limoncello needs to be decanted, which means I have to find some cute bottles as a lot of people want to try this product. And I have 2 big meetings coming up that I need a suit for. And groceries. I have to be into low cost entertainment for a while, as I am planning on going to Cleveland Labor Day weekend to pick up my stuff.

Any questions, ideas, feelings to share? Anyone want to check out the bats with me?

Alma Rose--Edith Forbes

I want to encourage attention for this novel. It was published 15 years ago but it's a great story and worth checking out at the library.

Pat Lloyd is Kilgore's town oddball. She's intelligent and self-educated, and interested in a thousand things outside her small Western town. Despite that she still lives with her widowed dad, works in his store and keeps her inner self alive through regular shipments of mail order books. She spends a lot of time training her dogs and sketching on property she owns outside town, and while she's lonely, it's such a habit that she's accepted it.

This changes when Alma Rose starts coming in to town regularly when her trucking route changes. She's a feminine and flirtatious lady truck driver, befriending Pat and opening her eyes to the loneliness of her life and her place within the network of Kilgore. Through her relationship with Alma Rose, Pat begins to understand and value herself. And when their relationship ends, she embarks on a monumental project inspired by Alma Rose made possible only by her own oddities and gifts.

All of this is interesting of course, blah blah personal awakenings, yea! lesbians, yea! But Forbes is working a particular set of themes that I wrestle with in real life that that isn't often explored in fiction--What's a successful relationship? Can something good still come from betrayal? Where's the dividing line between crazy from love and just crazy? If cutting yourself off from others is protective, how do you deal with the aftermath when you open up? And how can you break yourself from the habit of cutting yourself off from others?

The author's website is here. She's written other novels that sound really interesting and look like they continue to explore these themes. I'm putting them on my reading list.