Reviews, Recipes, and Random Slices of Life

Other than the job interview, the big excitement for today was Phil bringing home groceries. It's been about three weeks, and we were poorly stocked before that. We were quite literally running out of food, yet resolute in not going out to eat because we're trying not to spend money. Among the crucial items we had none of: tortillas, butter, cheese, canned tomatoes, potatoes, vegetable oil, etc. etc. etc.

I never knew how much I relied on butter until I didn't have it anymore.

I didn't go in to work in the morning, and they didn't try and call me in.

Phil's cousin, whose body is killing its own red blood cells (they're being produced, then killed), had his spleen surgically removed today. They've got no idea what's causing it. Next stop: chemotherapy. Where's Dr. House when you need him?

Tomorrow should be odd, as I've been essentially banned from the house all evening because there's a bachelor's party going on. I'm not entirely sure how I'm getting places, and I'm really not sure where I'm sleeping or how/when I'm getting home.

+ + =

Thanks to everyone who came to the Sumo Party! We had a decent turnout, despite a number of schedule conflicts and the bout of Plague that seems to be sweeping through (I can count about a dozen people off the top of my head), and I hope everybody had fun! The recipe for "Sumo Soup" (Good Luck Chankonabe) is here. For the vegetarian/vegan version, I subbed in an extra cake of firm tofu, removed the chicken, and used a combination of vegetable broth and vegetarian dumpling soup base.

Here's your first notice that we are planning on holding a sumo party on Saturday, October 7th. I thought the sumo parties were over, but, um...apparently there have been requests. More details to come. You're invited! Mark your calendars!

Big thanks to everybody who came to our party (and some who didn't). I think it went pretty well. We had lots of people all dressed up, a large spread of food and liquor, everybody seemed to be playing nice with each other, it carried on into the wee hours of the morning (made wee-er by Daylight Savings Time, civilization's April Fools' Day trick), and there were delightful surprise guests (devilstears and erragal)! The supplies held out for the length of the party. People participated in the alternate activities on offer--playing cards and watching old Ali fights. There were pleasant corners of "fewer people" where the crowd-averse could relax for a bit. The cats didn't complain about being shut in the attic for the entire length of the party. Also, I don't think I flashed anybody because of my unfamiliarity with the whole strapless-dress thing, which is good.

scathach wins for best outfit with her silver-and-blue pinstripe vest and long blue skirt.
susanofstohelit wins for Most Popular Food Offering with her assemble-your-own mini
strawberry shortcakes, though the devil-breathing-fire cheeseball was inspired.
raoulthegoatboy wins for best gift--a clock that fits the traditional five-year "wood" theme.

Aftermath:
The entire kitchen floor was...sticky.
We have an incredible amount of booze.
Lots of juice and pop in the fridge, along with a bowl of leftover strawberries. Yum.
Very affectionate cats.

Note to self: Yes, do actually clean the bedroom properly. Because if cute girls decide to lie down on your bed and cuddle and wriggle around in an aesthetically pleasing fashion, people will stop to watch. And you will be wondering if they notice that the bedroom's kind of trashed. And that's Just Plain Wrong.

Watching a squirrel sunbathe is remarkably restful, even though I did start to wonder whether he was actually dead.

Though I love clouds and gray days, they lasted for too long. The sight of blue sky gladdens my heart. I suppose that makes me fickle.

The cat's are all like, "Sun? What the hell's that?" Nameless has taken to prowling windowsills, and Foundling flops down on the hardwood floor in the middle of patches of sun.

Huh. Just called 911 on "some dude just climbed in through the window of that house across the alley."

And as quickly as it came, the blue sky seems to be going away.

Writing a scene involving blueberry pancakes makes me really want to make blueberry pancakes. Unfortunately, I have no blueberries. Curse you, grocery-shopping man!

Curry's even better the second day. Tasty redcurrymushroomsbeefpeasbambooshootscrushedtomatos. Mmm.

( And after lunch.... )

Advance warning: we will be having a celebration of our fifth anniversary on April Fools' Day. There will be hors d'oeuvres and fine alcoholic drinks and poker and classic boxing videos and (if I can't stop it) cigars (in the garage, if not further away). It is a black-tie occasion. That means suits, or fancy dresses. I don't particularly care what gender goes in what, but you better bloody well be dressed up. And if you (including y'all who don't read livejournal) don't show up, you'd better have a damn good excuse. Like having emergency surgery that you couldn't reschedule.

Further details to come.