Dott Comments

Food we don't miss

2008-07-26T13:37:00.000-04:00

Last week I found this list of "Discontinued Food ... that I really miss" published by somebody named Roger.

I am mystified. What ARE these things? Franco-American® Superiore™ Hearty Twists? Betty Crocker® 2-step preparation Noodles Romanoff?

To be fair, I have heard of a few items on the list, like Five Flavor Life Savers® with lemon and lime and Tan M&M's®.

In 2005 the boy-child really, really liked Kraft® Easy Mac™ Nacho Cheese flavor -- for a total of 97 seconds. But COME ON people, does the world really need State Fair® low fat corn dogs?

I didn't think so.

Batman needs more women

2008-07-21T18:11:00.003-04:00

I went to see THE DARK KNIGHT over the weekend and while I enjoyed the movie I left feeling that something was missing.

Thanks to Bitch Ph.D. I now know why. This movie, like so many others, failed the Bechdel Rule. You'll want to read the entire post, but briefly the Bechdel Rule states that movies should have:

1) at least two women
2) who talk to each other
3) about something other than a man.

Oddly enough, MAMMA MIA! might just pass but I haven't seen it so I can't say for sure.

Team Obama

2008-07-20T22:17:00.003-04:00

Okay so I went to an Obama fundraiser last night (and yes, I made a contribution) but I couldn't be officially considered an Obama supporter until my Hillary bumpersticker was covered (thanks Belinda!).

Stuff I don't have in my kitchen

2008-07-10T21:47:00.002-04:00

Over at Accidental Hedonist there's a post about "stuff in my kitchen" which made me want to provide a list of "Stuff I don't have in my kitchen."

1. A toaster oven
2. A Kitchen Aid stand mixer
3. Le Creuset anything
4. Pyrex anything
5. A crock pot
6. A bread machine/rice cooker/fondue pot (or similar)

I do, however have these things:

1. Many things made by Cuisinart
2. Cupcake tins (4)
3. Cast iron skillets (2)
4. Knives that cost over $100 each (3)

What about you?

Dinosaur Eggs can kill you

2008-07-07T17:40:00.003-04:00

How many of YOU can say that you've been hit by a runaway motorized grocery cart?

I thought so.

Babycakes was minding her own business and I was making faces in the breakfast food aisle (the boy-child had requested something called "Dinosaur Eggs Oatmeal" which I did not want to been seen buying) when it happened. She was struck in the back by a cart driven by a 100-year-old woman. When she jumped out of harm's way, the motorized cart then rammed directly into our (regular) cart which then hit me full force, threatening to propel us and our Dinosaur Eggs all the way down the aisle.

I grabbed our cart to keep it from hitting me again when I realized that the driver still had her foot (hand? how do those things work?) on the throttle and that it was up to me to keep the rest of the shoppers from sudden death and dismemberment in front of the oatmeal and Cheerios.

So what did I do? I squealed of course. Loudly.

"Make it stop!" I think I said. Babycakes didn't squeal (she doesn't squeal) but calmly and cooly reached over and did something that made the cart stop moving. The 100-year-old driver looked around, re-adjusted her oxygen delivery system and corrective lenses, hit the gas (electricity?) and drove away.

And, in case you're wondering, the Dinosaur Eggs squealed too. Just listen.

Home again

2008-06-30T10:41:00.002-04:00

I'm still tired, even after I slept well for two nights running and took a long nap yesterday.

Today I'll be doing some work from home plus taking care of piles of laundry and mail. I tried to schedule a massage -- no luck.

I am appreciating home cooked meals, my own bed and my family.

Whadusay?

2008-06-18T09:19:00.003-04:00

This list of the 100 most mispronounced words and phrases reminds me of my Southern roots [pronounced RUTZ].

My favorite: Heineken remover.

Brazen is a very, very good thing

2008-06-12T11:43:00.002-04:00

Can I just tell you (again) how much I am in love with Penelope Trunk and Brazen Careerist? I love her writing style. I love what she writes about. I love that she is honest with her readers about her life. I even love that her name isn't really Penelope, because, come on -- if we could choose another name for ourselves wouldn't we pick something like Penelope?

I follow her blog. I follow her on Twitter. I am "linked in" with her. Now I want to meet her and have a glass of wine and a conversation.

Call me girl. We have a lot to talk about.

Consuming ...

2008-06-01T20:31:00.002-04:00

- LOST season finale
- Top Chef (the recent episode made me want a steak)
- Krispy Kreme donuts
- Limes, tonic and Bombay (Honey, I think we're out of ice)
- Brazen Careerist (I think I'm in love with Penelope Trunk, or whatever her real name is)
- Strawberries from the farmer's market
- Bill Bryson, who writes the best books to read on airplanes

"Snap out of it!"

2008-05-26T13:31:00.003-04:00

I'm feeling better now, thanks.

Severity scale: 4
Length of this episode: 2+ months
Most noticable symptom: Irritability
Treatment: Isolation, self-talk, support of loved ones

No, I don't really talk about it. Depression has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Like most people, I didn't recognize what it was. For me, it's a brain fog and a physical fatigue. It comes, it goes, I deal.

Yeah, I'm one of those.

Grounded, with meatballs

2008-05-23T20:12:00.003-04:00

Lovely dinner tonight (spinach spaghetti, meatballs and sauce, garlic bread, salad) with the boy-child and babycakes.

The boy-child was a major kitchen slave tonight. He cooked almost everything. I just supervised.

Maybe we should take his car away and ground him more often. Then he has no choice but to spend quality time with us.

Disappointment

2008-05-07T21:17:00.002-04:00

It's been a week, both professionally and personally. But I don't blog about work, so this will be a post about personal stuff. As usual.

- I have been sleeping. But the dreams are vivid and catastophic. Planes crashing into bridges. Strange people asking favors. These are dreams that mean something, I'm sure. I just don't know what.

- I have not been sleeping. My quiet time is filled with doubts and apprehensions. For most of my life I've paid close attention to the messages that aren't clearly stated. These are among those. I have fear.

- Images are everywhere. They are visions. They are colors. They are things I have not yet encountered. I pay attention. I write them down. I tell others, when they will listen. I tell those who can understand. The rest ... well, I'm not sure about the rest.

- Emotions are very close to the surface right now. I search for the stories to tell. Those stories have always been helpful to me. But, today, not so much. I'm not sure where the words are.

- I need to remember to say thank you to the people who are around me. I frequently forget to do that. I'm trying. Thanks.

My ears are too close to my brain

2008-04-30T18:45:00.002-04:00

You know how people say drivers shouldn't talk on cell phones because they become too distracted? This is so true for me.

But why is that? I can talk to passengers in my car without getting too distracted. I can listen to the radio and I don't get too distracted.

So why is it that I can't talk and/or listen on a cell phone without completely forgetting that I'm driving a vehicle?

While driving home today I realized this (before I wreaked any havoc) and quickly put the phone away.

I'm voting for Hillary

2008-04-23T18:31:00.003-04:00

In my neighborhood the Obama signs are sprouting faster than the dandelions. And I keep getting invited to more and more Obama campaign events.

But I'm for Hillary Clinton.

It's not that I don't like Barack Obama. He's an appealing choice. He'd be easy to support. And if he becomes the nominee I will work hard to see that he gets elected.

But I'm for Hillary.

Barack Obama is like the new kid who moved into town during his sophomore year. He's likable and smart and is elected class president even though he's only been at that school for two months. By his senior year he is Student Council President and King of the Prom. Did he work hard for those things or did he just get picked because he's a boy and we were fascinated by his biracial background?

Hillary Clinton is like my best friend's older sister. The one who explained the facts of life to us and who invited us to her Women's Consciousness Raising Group, even though we were only 12. She joined the Chess Club even though she was the only girl in it. She ran for class president too, but she only got enough votes to be secretary. But she kept working at it.

Hillary reminds me of that girl who finally made it to vice-president of the Student Council and the president was a boy who played football. There were no sports for girls back then -- unless you counted cheerleading or being a majorette for the marching band. But Hillary has thick ankles and doesn't care about those things anyway.

I'm for Hillary.

I think it's true that women have to work twice as hard as men to get to the same level of respect. We live in a sexist world. And I'm sure Barack was a very nice boy in high school. I'll bet he didn't have to work as hard as she did.

What's up with my brain?

2008-04-16T12:54:00.003-04:00

I left the house without my keys this morning.

But I never lock myself out. I never lose my keys. I don't leave my umbrella behind in a restaurant. My sunglasses break but they never get lost.

I was lucky that Babycakes stopped at Walgreens before she headed to work today. And that her cell phone was turned on when I called her. I stood on the porch for 5 minutes before I was rescued. Could have been much worse.

2008-04-06T12:15:00.002-04:00

About this video:
The Academy-Award® nominated animated short-film tells the story of a lonely inventor, whose colorless existence is brightened only by dreams of the carefree bliss of his youth.

By day, he is trapped in a dehumanizing job in a joyless world. But by night, he tinkers away on a visionary invention, desperate to translate his inspiration into something meaningful.

When his invention is complete, it will change the way people see the world. But he will find that success comes at a high price, as it changes himself, as well.

I deserve it

2008-04-02T21:01:00.002-04:00

Things I think I deserve:

- More than one sunny day in a row.
- Someone to agree with me at least once every day.
- Free tickets to something. Anything. Please.
- A meeting-free day at work.
- Absolution.
- A good night's sleep.

March musings

2008-03-25T19:13:00.002-04:00

- What the heck does "seed" mean to the NCAA? Why has this never been explained to me?

- According to my calendar, it is spring. Dammit. Act like it.

- Where did all of the new Indian restaurants come from all of a sudden?

- Why are democrats still campaigning? It's been over a year people. Figure it out. Nominate someone. Stop embarrassing us.

- I'd like some new entertainment that doesn't involve food, drink or listening to someone talk, sing or act. Kite flying comes to mind.

Peanut butter is not dessert

2008-03-10T17:33:00.002-04:00

If you want to read about what I ate last week while I was in Las Vegas attending a conference check out what my colleague Dana wrote on her food blog.

I have a lot of food rules but Dana and Jonathan were excellent sports and wonderful dining companions.

Al Watan in the house!

2008-03-02T12:48:00.002-05:00

Wonderful meal last night with Alex and Bay. Takeout from Al Watan.

- Hummus (both kinds)
- Babaganous (both kinds)
- Falafel
- Yogurt salad
- Arabic salad
- Grape leaves

Consuming ...

2008-02-20T19:32:00.003-05:00

Chicken Soup
What was going around finally took me down. My cure: Soup and television.

The Wire
HBO's landmark series about Baltimore is one of the best things I've seen in a while. I only started watching during season 4 and now I can't miss a second of season 5. I'm sad it's ending in two more episodes. Favorite character: Bubbles.

Letters from Iwo Jima
Wow. Ken Watanabe. Wow. He really is the last samurai. Wow.

Make Me A Supermodel
Okay, okay. I tried to resist Bravo's latest reality series but once I saw 15 minutes I had to DVR everything. And watch it more than once. I like the boys best. But I don't like the viewer voting part. Someone else judge please! I just like to watch.

Abject failure

2008-02-17T14:42:00.002-05:00

I tried hard to have a computer-free weekend.

But I woke up late this Sunday morning with itchy fingers and intense guilt over my lack of blogisity lately.

I've been READING blogs but I just haven't written anything. I think I will blame it on the writer's strike (solidarity forever) or laziness or the lack of vermouth in the house. I might also blame it on snow days, birthdays, long work days or a boring life.

Ready for weekend

2008-01-25T17:56:00.000-05:00

It's been a week. A really busy four day week.

Jury duty continued (I never got picked for a jury, dammit) plus I went to work every day. Before jury duty. After jury duty. During the waiting around time at jury duty. At lunch while on jury duty. There was work to be done. So I worked.

I think I hear a martini shaking ...

Films from 2007

2008-01-22T07:38:00.000-05:00

These are the films released in 2007 that I saw last year.

Atonement
Charlie Wilson’s War
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
The Golden Compass
Hairspray: The Movie
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
I Am Legend
Into the Wild
Michael Clayton
A Mighty Heart
The Namesake
No Country for Old Men
Oceans 13
Peaceful Warrior
Pirates of the Caribbean 3:
Ratatouille
Sicko
Sweeney Todd
What Would Jesus Buy

Jury Duty: Day 3

2008-01-16T21:41:00.001-05:00

I was part of another voir dire panel today. This time 60 of us were questioned for more than two hours.

For a murder trial.

Again, the questions were personal -- "Has anyone in your family ever been a victim of a violent crime?" "Do you own guns? What do you use them for?" "Have you ever gotten into an argument with a stranger?" "Did you drive downtown for jury duty today? Do you ever feel nervous driving downtown?" and "Do you have any bumper stickers on your car?" (WTF?)

They didn't ask if we ever watched "Law and Order."

The process was fascinating. My fellow jurors were in a talkative mood and spilled their guts (and prejudices) to the court. Sometimes I was shocked at what they said. Several men bragged about the fistfights they'd been in. The gun owners were downright cocky. One man said "You don't have no right to ask about guns" but the judge politely explained that they certainly did have that right.

If we wanted to give our answers privately we were asked to "approach the bench" but we quickly learned that doing that would prolong the process so most people didn't.

I noticed that the prosecutor tried to be charming and funny while the defense team was deadly serious and professional. I'm sure that was a calculated tactic by both sides.

No, I wasn't picked. But, for the record, I'm not afraid of driving downtown and I have three stickers on my car: Yarmuth for Congress, a Human Rights Campaign "equal" sign and a rainbow squiggle.