There have been a large number of celebrities that have died this year. People that I have admired for a large portion of my life but none have hit me as hard as Carrie Fisher.
Princess Leia was the first strong, female character that I really connected with. She was brave in the face of torture. She fought with all of her heart for everything she believed in. She ended up rescuing the men who came to rescue her.
She was sassy and outspoken and didn't take anything from anybody. I fully believe that Carrie Fisher was the full reason that Leia was who she was. The script was a small part of that, Carrie's portrayal really brought her to life.
I remember how excited I was when I found out her birthday was the day after mine. Almost exactly 22 years apart.
Then there was Soapdish.
"I'm Lori Craven and I'm an actress"
"I'm Betsy Faye Sharon and I'm a bitch."
I fell in love with her character right then and there. And she really did live up to that statement.
Carrie helped fix the scripts to some of my most favorite movies. I don't know what they were like before she got her hands on them but after they were pure gold.
Yes, she lived a hard life, but she was a brilliant, talented woman.
I remember tracking down and reading all of her books when I was in high school. Back in the mid 90's that wasn't as easy as logging on to amazon and ordering them. Surrender the Pink is my favorite but they were all absolutely wonderful.
Carrie Fisher made an impact on my life like no other. She's always going to be one of my favorite people.
My heart goes out to her family but especially to Debbie Reynolds. No one should ever have to outlive their child.
Rest in Peace, Carrie. You will be missed.
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
My dad and I were talking about this last night so I decided to do it. I winged the recipe so I'm posting it here.
16 oz baby portabella mushrooms (approx 18)
1 6oz package of cornbread stuffing mix
2 6oz cans lump crab meat drained
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
Cook the stuffing mix as directed and let cool.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Wash the mushrooms and remove the stems, do not discard the stems
Separate the parmesan into two bowls, one with 1 cup and one with ½ cup
Chop the stems to desired size and put in medium sized mixing bowl
Once the stuffing is cool, add it to the bowl with the stems
Thoroughly mix crab meat, onions, 1 cup Parmesan, stems, and stuffing
Stuff mushrooms with desired amount of stuffing (there will be stuffing left over). Place on greased cookie sheet.
Sprinkle remaining ½ cup Parmesan over stuffed mushrooms.
Bake for 20 minutes or until liquid forms under the mushrooms.
Let cool and serve.
Monday, July 27, 2015
Over Analyzing Supernatural.
This is what comes from paying way too much attention to detail and from rewatching things over and over and over again.
The fact that Sam Winchester got enough of an education to actually get into any college, let alone Stanford, is really freaking amazing. Especially with all the moving around that they did. Transferring of records from school to school, staying at one for at most a year. He was VERY lucky. Applying himself could only do so much. And the fact that he took the LSAT after his second year of college is confusing as you usually take that after your third year but we're supposed to ignore that.
This is where my brain came up with this. We know that Dean has a GED which means he didn't actually graduate from high school, he finished it later. That's pretty understandable given the situation growing up.
I was born Oct of 78 and Dean was born Jan of 79 which means that we would have been in the same school year. In the 4th season episode "After School Special", Dean is still in school in November of 97. This means that he was held back because he should have graduated in May of 97 like I did. Also the fact that Sam is 4 years younger and they're both in high school proves that Dean was held back. That's because Dean didn't bother to apply himself. He knew he was going to be a hunter. He knew that he didn't really need all that much of an education. So what's the point, right?
We know from various clues that Dean is actually very intelligent. He reads a lot. He read and understood Vonnegut. I haven't even touched Vonnegut and I have a high IQ. So it stands to reason that in a different life, under different circumstances, Dean could have gone to college. He could have had a really great job making lots of money. But he likes being a hunter. And he has the education that he needs for being a hunter. He knows most of the lore by memory, and what he doesn't know he has in books. While he hates research, he can do it without any problem.
It really irritates me that Sam looks absolutely surprised every time Dean knows something that proves how smart he really is. It's like Sam is constantly underestimating Dean just because he never graduated high school. But he didn't need to graduate high school because he knows everything that he needs to know to stay alive. Even if he has died like 136843546834354 times (remember "The Mystery Spot") .
This is what happens when a reasonably intelligent person over analyzes a fictional TV show when thinking about their favorite character on said show. Sometimes I hate the way my brain works.
The fact that Sam Winchester got enough of an education to actually get into any college, let alone Stanford, is really freaking amazing. Especially with all the moving around that they did. Transferring of records from school to school, staying at one for at most a year. He was VERY lucky. Applying himself could only do so much. And the fact that he took the LSAT after his second year of college is confusing as you usually take that after your third year but we're supposed to ignore that.
This is where my brain came up with this. We know that Dean has a GED which means he didn't actually graduate from high school, he finished it later. That's pretty understandable given the situation growing up.
I was born Oct of 78 and Dean was born Jan of 79 which means that we would have been in the same school year. In the 4th season episode "After School Special", Dean is still in school in November of 97. This means that he was held back because he should have graduated in May of 97 like I did. Also the fact that Sam is 4 years younger and they're both in high school proves that Dean was held back. That's because Dean didn't bother to apply himself. He knew he was going to be a hunter. He knew that he didn't really need all that much of an education. So what's the point, right?
We know from various clues that Dean is actually very intelligent. He reads a lot. He read and understood Vonnegut. I haven't even touched Vonnegut and I have a high IQ. So it stands to reason that in a different life, under different circumstances, Dean could have gone to college. He could have had a really great job making lots of money. But he likes being a hunter. And he has the education that he needs for being a hunter. He knows most of the lore by memory, and what he doesn't know he has in books. While he hates research, he can do it without any problem.
It really irritates me that Sam looks absolutely surprised every time Dean knows something that proves how smart he really is. It's like Sam is constantly underestimating Dean just because he never graduated high school. But he didn't need to graduate high school because he knows everything that he needs to know to stay alive. Even if he has died like 136843546834354 times (remember "The Mystery Spot") .
This is what happens when a reasonably intelligent person over analyzes a fictional TV show when thinking about their favorite character on said show. Sometimes I hate the way my brain works.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Supernatural Drinking Game
I'm rewatching the entire series because I can and I came up with this. I'm sure there are plenty of versions of this out there but this is mine. The series is view instantly on Netflix so enjoy.
Supernatural Drinking Game
Sip
Every time Sam flares his nostrils
Every time someone says “I thought that was just a myth” or something similar
Every time Dean says the word pie
Every time we see random demon black eyes
Every time Sam or Dean say something about their dad
Every time Bobby says “Idjits” or “Balls”
Every time Sam says “libary” (that is not misspelled, listen when he says it)
Every time they make a pop culture reference
Every time Dean eats or drinks on camera
Every time someone says “hoo doo”
Every time Sam or Dean get thrown across the room
Every time salt is poured
Every time someone/something is burned
Drink
Every time Dean is a pervert
Every time Sam yells “Dean!”
Every time Dean yells “Sammy!” or “Sam!”
Every time you hear a hell hound
Blatant car porn
Every time Castiel doesn’t understand a pop culture reference
Every time Sam or Dean think they’re going to die
Every time Sam and Dean have a fight
Every time they fight a ghost
Every time there’s a flashback
Every time Dean lies to Sam
Every time Sam or Dean get punched
Every time the Supernatural books are mentioned
Shot
Every time Dean mentions porn
Every time Crowley says “Hello, boys.”
Every time Dean jumps after praying to Castiel
Every time you see Dean with black eyes
Every time Sam or Dean kick in a door
Every time Dean says “Son of a bitch”
Every time a demon is exorcised
Every time Sam or Dean actually die
Every time a demon makes a “call”
Every time Sam is surprised that Dean knows something
Every time someone thinks Sam and Dean are a couple
Every time there’s a shifter
Every time Sam lies to Dean
Every time someone mentions the tablets
Every time a demon is summoned
Saturday, July 18, 2015
My delivery area alone is grounds for higher pay
I have been thinking for a while that I would sit down and write out a typical day for me. The thing is, one day to the next isn't typical. I have a certain routine but hat routine gets interrupted quite often. I'm going to be honest, this post is going to be very long, so quit now if you don't want to do some serious reading.
Let's start with my delivery area. That alone is worth more money. Why you ask? Let's see...
River Hills Cir
River Hills Ct
River Hills Dr
Green Oaks Cir
Green Oaks Ct
Green Oaks Blvd
Trinity Oaks Ct
Trinity Oaks Dr
Brown Oaks
Summer Oaks
Sleepy Oaks
Canyon Oaks
River Oaks
Fair Oaks
Southern Oaks
Forest Oaks
Forest Dale
Forest Glade
Forest Brook
Forest Point
Forest Hollow
Here's a map. Everything inside the red is where I deliver.
And that's just the ones that I can think of off the top of my head. There are many more confusing streets. And then there's the fact that my area has 82 apartment complexes and 19 hotels. And most of the apartments I go to are either second, third, or even fourth floor walk ups. So there's that.
Now, let's talk about my day, shall we?
I get to work at 10 am. I have to organize and take out the trash from the night before which usually involves a lot of breaking down boxes and at least two trips and sometimes four to the dumpster which is about a half a football field per trip. And that, of course, is if the dumpster that is closest to the store isn't already full from the unbroken down boxes of the convenience store and the dry cleaners.
After that's done, I have to make sauce. This works out to anywhere from 1 to 4 gallons of sauce. Each bucket of sauce weighs about 30 pounds and that has to be carried all the way from one side of the store to the other to put it in the walk in. And that's just the pizza sauce, that doesn't include the bread stick sauce.
All of this is SUPPOSED to get done by the time we open at 1030am. But it rarely happens because it usually takes me about 20 minutes just to get the trash organized so I can take it out. Then I have other things that have to be done. I have to make sure that the cut table is completely stocked. On Fridays I have to stock the 2 liter and 20 oz coolers so that I can order the Pepsi shipment. You read that right. I, a minimum wage, non management worker orders the Pepsi shipment. On Mondays I have to make sure that the coolers are stocked before the shipment arrives so that the driver will take all the empty cases away.
And all of this has to be done while trying to take deliveries so if it's busy, which means I spend a majority of my time at driver pay rather than in store pay, then I can't really get anything done. Does it matter that it's busy? No, of course not. If I can't get anything done during my scheduled shift than I usually end up having to stay after my shift to get it done because it's MY job and no one else's.
Is there a second day driver? Why yes there is, when he bothers to show up. Why do I say he? Because I am the only female driver. I am also the only driver that stays past their scheduled off time when needed which has resulted on many an occasion in me staying until close. The day drivers that I usually have are kind of idiots and intent on doing only specific jobs so guess who gets to try to do all the in store stuff while having to answer the phone because no one else will? That's right, that would be me.
I have to fold literally hundreds of boxes a day. Sometimes as many as a thousand in one day. Not an exaggeration. I have to take deliveries, make sure that the deliveries are correct before going out the door because who gets yelled at by the customer if something is forgotten? Me. Who gets yelled at by the customer if the cook made the order wrong? Me. I have even gotten yelled at because I have had to take manager calls and deal with angry customers on the phone because the manager couldn't be bothered to do his job.
At the end of the day I am the only driver that actually asks if I am allowed to go home rather than saying that I need to go home. I actually ask if the manager needs anything else of me because that's how I was trained. I don't know where these guys get this "I need to go home now because I'm scheduled off" attitude but it is EVERY SINGLE MALE DRIVER in the damn store.
When one driver shows up at 10am and one driver shows up at 11am and both are scheduled off at 5pm, the 10am driver should get to go home first. That's usually me. I never get to go home first because I don't demand to go home. The 11am driver will almost always get to go home before me because he has to get off work on time regardless of how busy we are. I've lost track of the number of times I've been kept late because all the men insist on leaving on time.
Then there's the fact that I spend about $250-$300 a MONTH on gasoline and that's even in my extremely fuel efficient vehicle. And I have to get oil changes more often than most people. I already need new tires that I can't afford even though my car only has 30000 miles on it, oh and that car is only 15 months old by the way. So yeah, that's about 2000 miles a month. Most people put about 12000 miles a year on their cars. Roughly.
So after all that I have to go through. All that I put up with on a daily basis. And I do all of that for $7.25 an hour when I'm in the store and $4.25 an hour when I'm on the road. That averages out to about $5.25 an hour. I had a 93 hour paycheck that totaled $468 after taxes. That works out to $5.03 an hour. INCLUDING OVERTIME.
Now, tell me again why I don't deserve $10 or more an hour?
Let's start with my delivery area. That alone is worth more money. Why you ask? Let's see...
River Hills Cir
River Hills Ct
River Hills Dr
Green Oaks Cir
Green Oaks Ct
Green Oaks Blvd
Trinity Oaks Ct
Trinity Oaks Dr
Brown Oaks
Summer Oaks
Sleepy Oaks
Canyon Oaks
River Oaks
Fair Oaks
Southern Oaks
Forest Oaks
Forest Dale
Forest Glade
Forest Brook
Forest Point
Forest Hollow
Here's a map. Everything inside the red is where I deliver.
And that's just the ones that I can think of off the top of my head. There are many more confusing streets. And then there's the fact that my area has 82 apartment complexes and 19 hotels. And most of the apartments I go to are either second, third, or even fourth floor walk ups. So there's that.
Now, let's talk about my day, shall we?
I get to work at 10 am. I have to organize and take out the trash from the night before which usually involves a lot of breaking down boxes and at least two trips and sometimes four to the dumpster which is about a half a football field per trip. And that, of course, is if the dumpster that is closest to the store isn't already full from the unbroken down boxes of the convenience store and the dry cleaners.
After that's done, I have to make sauce. This works out to anywhere from 1 to 4 gallons of sauce. Each bucket of sauce weighs about 30 pounds and that has to be carried all the way from one side of the store to the other to put it in the walk in. And that's just the pizza sauce, that doesn't include the bread stick sauce.
All of this is SUPPOSED to get done by the time we open at 1030am. But it rarely happens because it usually takes me about 20 minutes just to get the trash organized so I can take it out. Then I have other things that have to be done. I have to make sure that the cut table is completely stocked. On Fridays I have to stock the 2 liter and 20 oz coolers so that I can order the Pepsi shipment. You read that right. I, a minimum wage, non management worker orders the Pepsi shipment. On Mondays I have to make sure that the coolers are stocked before the shipment arrives so that the driver will take all the empty cases away.
And all of this has to be done while trying to take deliveries so if it's busy, which means I spend a majority of my time at driver pay rather than in store pay, then I can't really get anything done. Does it matter that it's busy? No, of course not. If I can't get anything done during my scheduled shift than I usually end up having to stay after my shift to get it done because it's MY job and no one else's.
Is there a second day driver? Why yes there is, when he bothers to show up. Why do I say he? Because I am the only female driver. I am also the only driver that stays past their scheduled off time when needed which has resulted on many an occasion in me staying until close. The day drivers that I usually have are kind of idiots and intent on doing only specific jobs so guess who gets to try to do all the in store stuff while having to answer the phone because no one else will? That's right, that would be me.
I have to fold literally hundreds of boxes a day. Sometimes as many as a thousand in one day. Not an exaggeration. I have to take deliveries, make sure that the deliveries are correct before going out the door because who gets yelled at by the customer if something is forgotten? Me. Who gets yelled at by the customer if the cook made the order wrong? Me. I have even gotten yelled at because I have had to take manager calls and deal with angry customers on the phone because the manager couldn't be bothered to do his job.
At the end of the day I am the only driver that actually asks if I am allowed to go home rather than saying that I need to go home. I actually ask if the manager needs anything else of me because that's how I was trained. I don't know where these guys get this "I need to go home now because I'm scheduled off" attitude but it is EVERY SINGLE MALE DRIVER in the damn store.
When one driver shows up at 10am and one driver shows up at 11am and both are scheduled off at 5pm, the 10am driver should get to go home first. That's usually me. I never get to go home first because I don't demand to go home. The 11am driver will almost always get to go home before me because he has to get off work on time regardless of how busy we are. I've lost track of the number of times I've been kept late because all the men insist on leaving on time.
Then there's the fact that I spend about $250-$300 a MONTH on gasoline and that's even in my extremely fuel efficient vehicle. And I have to get oil changes more often than most people. I already need new tires that I can't afford even though my car only has 30000 miles on it, oh and that car is only 15 months old by the way. So yeah, that's about 2000 miles a month. Most people put about 12000 miles a year on their cars. Roughly.
So after all that I have to go through. All that I put up with on a daily basis. And I do all of that for $7.25 an hour when I'm in the store and $4.25 an hour when I'm on the road. That averages out to about $5.25 an hour. I had a 93 hour paycheck that totaled $468 after taxes. That works out to $5.03 an hour. INCLUDING OVERTIME.
Now, tell me again why I don't deserve $10 or more an hour?
Thursday, July 16, 2015
When crossovers attack
When Adrianne Palicki plays two different characters on two different TV shows that are not even remotely related, and I realize that both characters are played by the same actress, this is what happens.
SHIELD is very aware of demons and shifters and monsters and ghosts and all of that. This is why they allow the hunters to exist. Because that way they can concentrate on terrorists and super humans. SHIELD is also very aware of the various and sundry prophecies in regard to the Winchester brothers. They know that Sam and Dean are very important and that they need to be hunting together.
SHIELD sends in operative Bobbi Morse undercover as Jessica Moore, the woman who would be the love of Sam Winchester's life. SHIELD was also responsible for John Winchester's disappearance. They needed Sam to drop out of school and get on the road hunting with Dean. This had to happen. So Dean came to get Sam to go look for their dad. But Sam wouldn't go. He wanted to stay and be with his girlfriend.
This is when it was time for Bobbi's undercover assignment to end. SHIELD knew all about how Mary Winchester died and figured that the best way to get Sam to actually leave and go hunting with Dean is to have Jessica "die". So they copied the way that Sam's mother died and it worked, Sam hit the road.
Of course Azazel took credit for the death because he's a demon and he wanted to get his way and that was the best way to do it. And all these years Bobbi had been off on the sidelines, just watching and making sure that Sam and Dean have what they need to save the world because they are very, very important.
SHIELD is very aware of demons and shifters and monsters and ghosts and all of that. This is why they allow the hunters to exist. Because that way they can concentrate on terrorists and super humans. SHIELD is also very aware of the various and sundry prophecies in regard to the Winchester brothers. They know that Sam and Dean are very important and that they need to be hunting together.
SHIELD sends in operative Bobbi Morse undercover as Jessica Moore, the woman who would be the love of Sam Winchester's life. SHIELD was also responsible for John Winchester's disappearance. They needed Sam to drop out of school and get on the road hunting with Dean. This had to happen. So Dean came to get Sam to go look for their dad. But Sam wouldn't go. He wanted to stay and be with his girlfriend.
This is when it was time for Bobbi's undercover assignment to end. SHIELD knew all about how Mary Winchester died and figured that the best way to get Sam to actually leave and go hunting with Dean is to have Jessica "die". So they copied the way that Sam's mother died and it worked, Sam hit the road.
Of course Azazel took credit for the death because he's a demon and he wanted to get his way and that was the best way to do it. And all these years Bobbi had been off on the sidelines, just watching and making sure that Sam and Dean have what they need to save the world because they are very, very important.
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Taste the rainbow. Be the rainbow?
For most of my life I have assumed I was a heterosexual cis woman. I was to be a "girl" and get married to a man and have kids and be happy. Growing up Southern Baptist in Texas raised by Republicans that was really the only option I thought I had. I was as devout a Christian as a kid can be. I told gay jokes and pulled the Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve bullshit. It was how I was raised and I embraced it because that's what you did.
As I have gotten older a lot of things have changed. My eyes have been opened to more than just male and female. More than just heterosexual and homosexual. There's a big range of things that a person can be. I never felt like I fit into the binary world that had been presented to me. The problem is that even with this multichromatic life I have been shown, I'm still not sure where I fit in.
This is what I know about myself. I feel more comfortable in men's clothing but I don't feel like I was born in the wrong body. I've always known I was a woman and I am okay with that. As a matter of fact, there's only once a month that I would really rather have a penis and I'm sure you can guess the reasons for that. I used to have a huge problem with people that wanted a sex change or considered themselves to be in the wrong body but that was my upbringing and I have since opened my mind. But, as I was saying, I don't feel like I was born in the wrong body but I feel like I was made for the wrong clothes. Men's clothing is more comfortable, and easier for me to work in. I have a hard time finding women's clothing that fits me properly or that I feel good in. I also know that whenever I have dreams, I am a man. That's always the case. In all the dreams that I actually remember, I've only ever been a woman one time. The rest I have been a man. I don't know what that means exactly. And then there's the fact that I have been told that I am very good at writing gay porn for someone that's never had a penis.
I appreciate beauty and can even identify people as being "hot" but I find that I am not actually physically attracted to any one specific person. Of the men that I have slept with only one would actually be considered attractive by a large group of people. When I say "sexy is an attitude" I genuinely mean it. I've been with men that managed to turn me on even though there was no real physical attraction to them. And I don't just find men aesthetically pleasing. I look at women and think "Damn she's hot" but I don't want to sleep with women. I truly appreciate boobs. I would play with Kat Dennings' boobs if she'd let me and it would be completely nonsexual. I do have sexual desires but they're not attached to any one specific person and I honestly can't really think about having actual sex with a person. The idea turns me off, really.
I look at men like Chris Evans and honestly think "I bet he gives great hugs." While other women look at him and think about tying him down and having their way with him. The only remotely sexual thing that I even imagine doing to him is licking chocolate sauce from his abs and I don't even know why I want to do that. Seriously.
I form more emotional attachments to fictional characters and, more correctly, cars than I do to actual people. Watching Baby get smashed to bits hurt me more than seeing Dean laying dead in Sam's arms. No lie. And I feel more sympathy for the Tardis than I ever did for the Doctor. I look at older cars and see these amazingly beautiful things that are practically art. I look at a person that is considered to be attractive and I just see someone that's good looking. There's no real desire to have sex with them. And I say them because I am talking about both men and women.
There are all kinds of labels out there now. Lots of things that you can consider yourself. And I'm still not entirely sure what the hell any of that has to do with me. How I fit in to any of this. I guess I'm just looking for a little bit of help in figuring things out. Because after nearly 37 years of being alive and thinking about who I am as a person, I still have no fucking clue.
This is what I know about myself. I feel more comfortable in men's clothing but I don't feel like I was born in the wrong body. I've always known I was a woman and I am okay with that. As a matter of fact, there's only once a month that I would really rather have a penis and I'm sure you can guess the reasons for that. I used to have a huge problem with people that wanted a sex change or considered themselves to be in the wrong body but that was my upbringing and I have since opened my mind. But, as I was saying, I don't feel like I was born in the wrong body but I feel like I was made for the wrong clothes. Men's clothing is more comfortable, and easier for me to work in. I have a hard time finding women's clothing that fits me properly or that I feel good in. I also know that whenever I have dreams, I am a man. That's always the case. In all the dreams that I actually remember, I've only ever been a woman one time. The rest I have been a man. I don't know what that means exactly. And then there's the fact that I have been told that I am very good at writing gay porn for someone that's never had a penis.
I appreciate beauty and can even identify people as being "hot" but I find that I am not actually physically attracted to any one specific person. Of the men that I have slept with only one would actually be considered attractive by a large group of people. When I say "sexy is an attitude" I genuinely mean it. I've been with men that managed to turn me on even though there was no real physical attraction to them. And I don't just find men aesthetically pleasing. I look at women and think "Damn she's hot" but I don't want to sleep with women. I truly appreciate boobs. I would play with Kat Dennings' boobs if she'd let me and it would be completely nonsexual. I do have sexual desires but they're not attached to any one specific person and I honestly can't really think about having actual sex with a person. The idea turns me off, really.
I look at men like Chris Evans and honestly think "I bet he gives great hugs." While other women look at him and think about tying him down and having their way with him. The only remotely sexual thing that I even imagine doing to him is licking chocolate sauce from his abs and I don't even know why I want to do that. Seriously.
I form more emotional attachments to fictional characters and, more correctly, cars than I do to actual people. Watching Baby get smashed to bits hurt me more than seeing Dean laying dead in Sam's arms. No lie. And I feel more sympathy for the Tardis than I ever did for the Doctor. I look at older cars and see these amazingly beautiful things that are practically art. I look at a person that is considered to be attractive and I just see someone that's good looking. There's no real desire to have sex with them. And I say them because I am talking about both men and women.
There are all kinds of labels out there now. Lots of things that you can consider yourself. And I'm still not entirely sure what the hell any of that has to do with me. How I fit in to any of this. I guess I'm just looking for a little bit of help in figuring things out. Because after nearly 37 years of being alive and thinking about who I am as a person, I still have no fucking clue.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Tallywackers
I feel like Tallywackers needs a decent review rather than just saying "On hey it's good" and leaving it at that.
It was a Wednesday night and there was a half an hour wait for three people. My mom, daughter, and I went tonight and it was busy. ON A WEDNESDAY NIGHT. That says something. Though our waiter and I agree that part of it was probably the novelty of the place. It has only been open for about a month. And that business might die down a little once it's been there longer but we're both hoping it doesn't.
It was a Wednesday night and there was a half an hour wait for three people. My mom, daughter, and I went tonight and it was busy. ON A WEDNESDAY NIGHT. That says something. Though our waiter and I agree that part of it was probably the novelty of the place. It has only been open for about a month. And that business might die down a little once it's been there longer but we're both hoping it doesn't.
That was our waiter. His name is Geraldo and he's very nice. And it's not waiter nice, either. He's genuinely a nice guy. We nicknamed him Mackie, though I think he fits Fresh Prince a bit more. Normally, they take their shirts off for pictures but Kaitlynne asked that they keep their shirts on. She also got pictures with one guy that we call Captain America.
And another guy that we called Alcide.
Kaitlynne kept smelling her shoulder after that picture because some of his cologne rubbed off on her and it smelled nice. It was kind of adorable. We gave a few other nicknames out but these were the only ones she actually wanted pictures with.
The restaurant was a bit noisy but it was full of people talking and have a good time so noise was to be expected. They had great music and some videos playing on the TVs that were pretty cool. Sometimes the music matched the videos and sometimes it didn't but it was still cool.
Now, onto the food. It was amazing. I got the rigatoni pasta which had braised beef and mushrooms and spinach and cherry tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. I asked for no tomatoes and it came with it anyway, but they were easy to pick out so it wasn't a big deal. Now, you have to understand that I am a ridiculously picky eater. Not only because of my tastes but also because of certain issues that I have that make it hard for me to find food that I actually CAN eat. So it's hard for me to find restaurant pasta that's actually edible for me. Especially since they don't always cook the pasta right. This was not the case with Tallywackers pasta. It was the perfect tenderness, and the meat was so soft I almost didn't have to chew it. The whole meal was very enjoyable and I ate every bite, which is rare for me, especially these days.
Kaitlynne got the Croque Monsieur which she loved. She didn't finish it, though, because it had EIGHT LAYERS of ham on it. And their french fries are pretty amazing. The sandwich just looked really good.
My mom got the "Bobby Duke" chicken fried stake. It came with mashed potatoes and green beans. The green beans were so covered in garlic that they were actually spicy and they were fresh green beans which is kind of awesome. The steak was a decent size. Big enough that my mom couldn't finish it. It looked really good, though.
My only real complaint about the place is that the only iced tea they have is mango flavored and I don't really like mango. And they don't have root beer. But most of the time I drink water anyway so it was okay. And the water was good, not typical Dallas tap water.
I definitely look forward to going back to Tallywackers at some point. They offer free valet parking, but the valets do work for tips. I gave ours a $9 tip, though most people were giving them one or two, which irritated me. Doing business with someone that also works for tips has advantages for sure.
Over all, I highly recommend it. The waiters are a large variety of guys that cater to pretty much every taste. And there weren't just women and gay guys there, either. It was a nice mix of clientele.
If you find yourself in Dallas, stop by Tallywackers. As far as the good goes, you definitely get what you pay for, and the ambiance is very enjoyable.
And no, I did not get paid to write this review.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Grammar Sucks Sometimes Part 2
I've been doing more thinking about how hard the English language is and have come up with a few more examples, though this time the list isn't quite as long as the first one.
Words that I couldn't fit into sentences.
I took it as a compliment that he said we complement each
other.
They decided to have tea before time to tee off.
He told a lie about the lye and I had to lie down.
I watched her sink down in the chair after putting the
dishes in the sink.
The bird flew up the flue while I had the flu.
I had to use my shoe to shoo the dog away.
The waist of the skirt could not be fixed. What a waste.
The principle reason for the new principal was a lack of
principles.
My aunt is allergic to ants.
(This is only a problem in the south lol)
I shall bear witness to the fact that the bear was
bare.
The hair of the heir seemed lighter than air.
bred/bread
Saturday, February 28, 2015
LLAP
I've actually been thinking about whether or not I was going to do this and I decided that I would.
There have been a lot of celebrity deaths in the first two months of 2015. Though I don't think there have been any more this year than in previous years. The thing is, I'm starting to recognize more and more of the names. They're starting to be people that I grew up watching on TV, or in movies. People that I have admired for most of my life. Names that make me a little sad. The same can be said for 2014, in all honesty. I recognized a LOT of those names as well. I haven't really done posts for any of them because I didn't feel like I had all that much to say. Even Harold Ramis who played one of my favorite movie characters of all time. Egon Spengler will forever live in my heart. But that's not why I'm posting today.
I'm posting because of Leonard Nimoy.
There have been a lot of celebrity deaths in the first two months of 2015. Though I don't think there have been any more this year than in previous years. The thing is, I'm starting to recognize more and more of the names. They're starting to be people that I grew up watching on TV, or in movies. People that I have admired for most of my life. Names that make me a little sad. The same can be said for 2014, in all honesty. I recognized a LOT of those names as well. I haven't really done posts for any of them because I didn't feel like I had all that much to say. Even Harold Ramis who played one of my favorite movie characters of all time. Egon Spengler will forever live in my heart. But that's not why I'm posting today.
I'm posting because of Leonard Nimoy.
I grew up watching reruns of Star Trek with my family. It was the first science fiction that I was really engrossed in. The original Star Trek series was something that I would actually hunt for in the TV guide. I actually sat down and created a list of the things that happened in every single episode with just a few exceptions. There's a part of me that always connected with Spock because he didn't always get the joke. While he managed to say "That's illogical" in some form or another in every episode, he was not illogical to me. And the fact that McCoy kept making fun of him on a regular basis and he didn't let it bother him spoke to me. I was reading a lot of things into the character that probably weren't even there, but that's how I interpreted it. Spock was highly intelligent and could make a joke every now and then even if he didn't always get the funny. The character just spoke to me. I'll be honest that I haven't watched the show in a while and I'm probably not remembering things as clearly as I would have a few years ago, but that's what I do remember about the show and the movies. Spock was my favorite character and I felt like I could connect to him. Like if I could pick anyone of the cast to just hang out with, it would be him. And that is because of the wonderful acting talents of Mr. Nimoy. The writing only goes so far in creating a character. They're just words on a page that could be put in front of anyone. But the actor is who brings the character to life. Who makes them a real person, in a way. And Leonard Nimoy was brilliant.
Star Trek has been a part of my life longer than even Doctor Who and definitely longer than Star Wars. Spock has been a member of the family for all this time. My dad watches the western channel on a regular basis and Leonard pops up there every now and then as well. He had a pretty extensive career, though Spock was his most famous. He was on Dragnet and Mission: Impossible both of which I watched as reruns. And he was also the voice of King Kashekim Nedakh. His career goes all the way back to 1951 and has been full and varied.
There was a twitter post that said that every geek just lost their favorite grandfather and that's not wrong. I realize that this isn't as eloquent or heart felt as some of the other posts about Mr. Nimoy, but that's just because I have a hard time putting my feelings into words when it comes to someone I actually admired and cared about. At least as much as you can care about someone you've never actually met. He will always be remembered as one of my favorite actors and Spock will always be one of my favorite fictional characters.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
@edwardnorton and the jar of hotness
So today's Jar of Hotness name is Edward Norton. Not only is he a talented actor but he's also very good looking. Though I have to admit, I prefer him in his comedic roles like the various Wes Anderson movies that he's done. He's got an over all talent, though.
He doesn't always have such a nice body but everyone is allowed a break from the gym.
There also aren't many men that can pull off that kind of mustache, but Edward definitely can.
And he looks good in a "boyscout" uniform. That's a rare quality for an adult as well.
So you have your eye candy for today. Mr. Edward Norton. Enjoy.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Grammar sucks sometimes
I have randomly been thinking about a lot of different words so I am going to make a list of sentences that help prove why English is so hard to learn, even for native speakers.
The lead actor's footsteps were like lead as I led him off the stage.
The tear in the dress made me tear up and because it was torn she teared up as well.
He was close to the clothes and asked me to close the door, then bring him the cloths.
We're wondering where you were and did you wear that dress.
I told him to read the paper so he read it and corrected it with red pen.
The costumer was a great customer.
They're going to their house over there.
You're going to go to your room.
Those pants look loose. Did you lose weight?
Are those two going to the store too?
Do you have an apple that we could halve for them to share?
John was too sore to get on the glider and soar.
Our plan is in an hour.
The price of that fare just doesn't seem fair to me.
The cough was tough but he got through the rough patch because his doctor was thorough.
I threw the ball through the window.
Due to the dew on the grass we can't finish our to do list.
I had to raze the old building in order to raise a new one on that plot.
The bass in the music seemed to attract a lot of bass to our fishing base.
We had to wind the ropes tighter because of the wind that was coming.
The bow on her dress made it hard for her to bow.
John at his cereal as he read the serial in the newspaper.
She had to let her ankle heal after a broken heel caused a sprain.
The steel sculpture proved almost impossible to steal.
I find it very hard to accept anything except the truth.
That's just 25 examples. There are so many more.
feet/feat
peek/peak
pray/prey
way/whey
or/oar
for/fore/four
lightning/lightening
way/weigh
wait/weight
The list goes on and on. And let's not forget that some of these words are homographs and some are homophones making pretty much all of them homonyms depending on who you ask.
And let's not forget:
I before E except after C or in sounding like "A" in neighbor and weigh unless it's weird or science.
There are rules, there are exceptions to the rules and then there are exceptions to the exceptions to the rules. It's really no wonder it's so hard to learn.
The lead actor's footsteps were like lead as I led him off the stage.
The tear in the dress made me tear up and because it was torn she teared up as well.
He was close to the clothes and asked me to close the door, then bring him the cloths.
We're wondering where you were and did you wear that dress.
I told him to read the paper so he read it and corrected it with red pen.
The costumer was a great customer.
They're going to their house over there.
You're going to go to your room.
Those pants look loose. Did you lose weight?
Are those two going to the store too?
Do you have an apple that we could halve for them to share?
John was too sore to get on the glider and soar.
Our plan is in an hour.
The price of that fare just doesn't seem fair to me.
The cough was tough but he got through the rough patch because his doctor was thorough.
I threw the ball through the window.
Due to the dew on the grass we can't finish our to do list.
I had to raze the old building in order to raise a new one on that plot.
The bass in the music seemed to attract a lot of bass to our fishing base.
We had to wind the ropes tighter because of the wind that was coming.
The bow on her dress made it hard for her to bow.
John at his cereal as he read the serial in the newspaper.
She had to let her ankle heal after a broken heel caused a sprain.
The steel sculpture proved almost impossible to steal.
I find it very hard to accept anything except the truth.
That's just 25 examples. There are so many more.
feet/feat
peek/peak
pray/prey
way/whey
or/oar
for/fore/four
lightning/lightening
way/weigh
wait/weight
The list goes on and on. And let's not forget that some of these words are homographs and some are homophones making pretty much all of them homonyms depending on who you ask.
And let's not forget:
I before E except after C or in sounding like "A" in neighbor and weigh unless it's weird or science.
There are rules, there are exceptions to the rules and then there are exceptions to the exceptions to the rules. It's really no wonder it's so hard to learn.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
The Return of the Jar of Hotness
This is something that I actually started on another blog but that blog has fallen to the wayside. I also, kind of, maybe, lost the Jar of Hotness on my desk that my daughter has deemed "The Land of No Return." Well, she's wrong because something has been returned to me. So here's how the Jar of Hotness works. I have a jar that has a bunch of names of hot celebrities in it. Whenever I feel like doing so, I will draw a name from the Jar of Hotness and then proceed to gush about said celebrity.
And today's celebrity is...... *insert drum roll here*
James McAvoy
And today's celebrity is...... *insert drum roll here*
James McAvoy
First of all, look at those gorgeous blue eyes. I could stare at them all day long.
It's really hard not to just fall into those eyes. They're gorgeous.
And then there's his adorable smile. He has one of the best smiles out there, really. It's not absolutely perfect and that's one of the things I love about it.
And added to all of that beauty is the fact that he really is a wonderful actor. He's very talented. Almost sickeningly so.
But the most wonderful icing on this fantastic cake is the fact that he's Scottish. I am a sucker for that accent. So you have a gorgeous man who is extremely talented and throw a Scottish accent on top of it. Ugh, it kills me, really it does.
And that is my incoherent, fangirly babbling about James McAvoy.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Never Judge a Movie by its Poster.
So I've been having a discussion with a friend of mine about what gets me to continue to watch or read something. I laid it out pretty specifically.
TV: You have 5 minutes. Not even joking. If you do not grab my attention in that first 5 minutes and make me want to watch more, I turn it off and move on. That is why I don't watch BBCs Sherlock. It's why I don't watch any of the NCISs. It's why I don't watch a lot of shows.
If you grab me in that first five minutes I will give you three episodes to keep my attention. That is all. Three whole episodes. Then I stop watching. It's why I stopped watching How To Get Away With Murder. It was confusing and hard to follow and I didn't like it. So I stopped watching.
Movies: If it's a movie in a theater that I paid $10 for a ticket I will sit through the entire movie. I will mercilessly nitpick it in my review afterward, but I will sit through the entire movie.
If it's a movie that I rented, you have 30 minutes. I will watch a movie for the first 30 minutes. Now, you have to understand that when I watch movies and TV shows at home, I am almost always on my laptop chatting or doing things online. If, in that first 30 minutes, I spend more time looking at my laptop than I do at my TV, I turn it off. If I am drawn in and spend more time watching the movie than looking at my laptop, I go the distance.
Books: If I pick up a book and a time comes that I have to put it down and I am perfectly okay with putting it down, I most likely will not pick it back up again. This happened with Blood Canticle. The book came out in 2003. I borrowed it from the library, got about halfway through and had to take it back. I did not renew the book. And actually, all these 11 years later I still have never finished that book and I have no intention of doing so.
I have had times, however, when I have picked up a book and did not want to put it down again. I have gone through entire book series in a matter of a few days. This does, of course, depend on the availability of the books. I went through an entire 13 book David Eddings series in roughly a month because the books drew me in that well. And this was while holding down a full time job and taking care of a (at the time) toddler. I didn't sleep much during that time.
Yes, I am very picky about my entertainment. I mean, the only reason I honestly keep watching Once Upon A Time is in the hopes of seeing Sebastian Stan return at some point. Yes, actors that I like have gotten me to watch some SERIOUSLY shitty movies. I have watched movies for Robert Downey Jr that made Sharknado look oscarworthy. I sat through one of the most boring movies in the history of boring movies just because Jeremy Renner was in it. A movie that was so boring I had actually forgotten that I watched it. I watched a movie that had literally every teen drama cliche known to man and a few I didn't realize existed all shoved into one movie just for about 5 minutes of Chris Evans. But if an actor that I adore isn't in it, I am one of the pickiest people you will ever meet.
TV: You have 5 minutes. Not even joking. If you do not grab my attention in that first 5 minutes and make me want to watch more, I turn it off and move on. That is why I don't watch BBCs Sherlock. It's why I don't watch any of the NCISs. It's why I don't watch a lot of shows.
If you grab me in that first five minutes I will give you three episodes to keep my attention. That is all. Three whole episodes. Then I stop watching. It's why I stopped watching How To Get Away With Murder. It was confusing and hard to follow and I didn't like it. So I stopped watching.
Movies: If it's a movie in a theater that I paid $10 for a ticket I will sit through the entire movie. I will mercilessly nitpick it in my review afterward, but I will sit through the entire movie.
If it's a movie that I rented, you have 30 minutes. I will watch a movie for the first 30 minutes. Now, you have to understand that when I watch movies and TV shows at home, I am almost always on my laptop chatting or doing things online. If, in that first 30 minutes, I spend more time looking at my laptop than I do at my TV, I turn it off. If I am drawn in and spend more time watching the movie than looking at my laptop, I go the distance.
Books: If I pick up a book and a time comes that I have to put it down and I am perfectly okay with putting it down, I most likely will not pick it back up again. This happened with Blood Canticle. The book came out in 2003. I borrowed it from the library, got about halfway through and had to take it back. I did not renew the book. And actually, all these 11 years later I still have never finished that book and I have no intention of doing so.
I have had times, however, when I have picked up a book and did not want to put it down again. I have gone through entire book series in a matter of a few days. This does, of course, depend on the availability of the books. I went through an entire 13 book David Eddings series in roughly a month because the books drew me in that well. And this was while holding down a full time job and taking care of a (at the time) toddler. I didn't sleep much during that time.
Yes, I am very picky about my entertainment. I mean, the only reason I honestly keep watching Once Upon A Time is in the hopes of seeing Sebastian Stan return at some point. Yes, actors that I like have gotten me to watch some SERIOUSLY shitty movies. I have watched movies for Robert Downey Jr that made Sharknado look oscarworthy. I sat through one of the most boring movies in the history of boring movies just because Jeremy Renner was in it. A movie that was so boring I had actually forgotten that I watched it. I watched a movie that had literally every teen drama cliche known to man and a few I didn't realize existed all shoved into one movie just for about 5 minutes of Chris Evans. But if an actor that I adore isn't in it, I am one of the pickiest people you will ever meet.
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Halloween Memories
Every year around this time I think about the time, many years ago, when I helped raise money for the Tex-Annes (my sister's drill team) by working in a haunted house at Six Flags Fright Fest. One time I was the nanny for Rosemary's baby. I had to sit in a rocking chair and make it look like I was a robot and then jump out and scare people. I was wearing this really creepy mask along with the old school dress they had me in.
One guy came through with his little girl, who was maybe six years old, and she was screaming and crying and saying "She's gonna jump out at me!" over and over again so I stayed perfectly still and did not jump out because I have been that little girl before. I understood what she was going through and didn't want to scare her even more than she already was. I did want to smack her dad for taking her into the haunted house in the first place, though.
The best moment, was when this group of guys who were in their late 20s or so came into the room and started messing with me, flipping me off. One even stuck his finger in the hole in my mask (if I had any idea how clean his finger was I would have bitten it). They were cussing at me as well. They started to walk away and I jumped out at them. They all screamed like little girls and then started apologizing for the stuff they did and said. I laughed so hard because I scared the crap out of guys who were literally twice my age at the time.
Another time I was the demon that was possessing this woman (who was a mannequin). That mask was tighter on my face than the nanny mask so it was harder to breathe and I really hated being in there. I had to leave after about twenty minutes.
Here's something you have to understand about that whole experience. I hate haunted house. I don't like being scared. I don't understand the purpose of intentionally scaring yourself. I have been forced into haunted house by my siblings and by a girl's club field trip and I hated every single minute of both of them. I spent the entire way through one of them with my head ducked down and my fingers in my ears and trying to get out as quickly as possible without looking at anything. So you can imagine that working in a haunted house was not the most fun thing in the world for me. Especially since I had to go through the haunted house to get to my station. But I did it because it was a way to raise money for one of my sister's various and sundry trips. And it ended up not being the worst experience I've ever had. It was kind of fun getting to be "behind the scenes" at Six Flags for a little while. I got to go into the costume department and things like that.
I have a lot of other Halloween memories but that one is the one that sticks with me the most.
One guy came through with his little girl, who was maybe six years old, and she was screaming and crying and saying "She's gonna jump out at me!" over and over again so I stayed perfectly still and did not jump out because I have been that little girl before. I understood what she was going through and didn't want to scare her even more than she already was. I did want to smack her dad for taking her into the haunted house in the first place, though.
The best moment, was when this group of guys who were in their late 20s or so came into the room and started messing with me, flipping me off. One even stuck his finger in the hole in my mask (if I had any idea how clean his finger was I would have bitten it). They were cussing at me as well. They started to walk away and I jumped out at them. They all screamed like little girls and then started apologizing for the stuff they did and said. I laughed so hard because I scared the crap out of guys who were literally twice my age at the time.
Another time I was the demon that was possessing this woman (who was a mannequin). That mask was tighter on my face than the nanny mask so it was harder to breathe and I really hated being in there. I had to leave after about twenty minutes.
Here's something you have to understand about that whole experience. I hate haunted house. I don't like being scared. I don't understand the purpose of intentionally scaring yourself. I have been forced into haunted house by my siblings and by a girl's club field trip and I hated every single minute of both of them. I spent the entire way through one of them with my head ducked down and my fingers in my ears and trying to get out as quickly as possible without looking at anything. So you can imagine that working in a haunted house was not the most fun thing in the world for me. Especially since I had to go through the haunted house to get to my station. But I did it because it was a way to raise money for one of my sister's various and sundry trips. And it ended up not being the worst experience I've ever had. It was kind of fun getting to be "behind the scenes" at Six Flags for a little while. I got to go into the costume department and things like that.
I have a lot of other Halloween memories but that one is the one that sticks with me the most.
Monday, September 22, 2014
The Staff of Awesomeness
That is the Staff of Awesomeness. I'm open to suggestions for other names. It's approximately six feet tall. (I haven't measured it since it was completed). I made this to go with a costume that all started with two bracelets that I got on clearance.
I started with two 3/4" dowel rods and one 1/4" dowel rod. The two dowel rods were actually four feet each and I cut one in half.
The next step was to paint it gold. I used hammered gold because it has kind of an antique look that goes with the bracelets. After the paint dried, my dad drilled holes into one end of each dowel and then I used a small piece of the 1/4" dowel as a dowel pin to support it so it would wobble less. (Sorry no pics or video of that)
I then had some more painting to do because there were some spots I missed the first time.
After that paint dried, I used this stuff called Fiber Fix. It's basically the same stuff they used on my cast when I broke my hand last year. It's easy to use and hardens quickly and it's VERY secure. So that staff is put together and will not wobble. I decided to leave it black to give the staff a little character, and that is a natural place for me to put my hand.
Next I did the orb for the top. I used a clear plastic Christmas ornament and some glass paint.
I poured a whole hell of a lot of paint into the ball and then shook it around to get that kind of smokey look. It actually turned out a lot better than I thought it would. And it took forever for the paint to dry because there was so much paint.
I'm still not completely sure that the paint was dry when I got around to attaching it to the dowels. I had to do a little sanding but I did slide the dowel into the ornament and then taped it in place with gold duct tape.
I then cut the 1/4" dowel into six pieces approximately 5" in length. I put glue on one end and attached that to the ornament and then I taped the dowel in place on the staff part. (No pics of the step by step process of that because my dad helped and he was in his underwear at the time.)
Once the glue dried, I used some more of the gold duct tape to reinforce the dowels and hold them in place. I then coated the duct tape in glue.
I then wrapped the whole thing with twine to cover up the duct tape to give it a really cool look.
Once that was done I put painters tape around the top part and painted the twine with the same hammered gold as the rest of the staff.
This is a close up of the top of the completed staff. It only took me a few hours total over a couple of nights. Once I have everything done, I'll post a picture of the entire costume. I think it will be epic. And I did mean that, I'm totally open for suggestions of other possible names.
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