Tom*fool*er*y

The day has come. The long-awaited day. Ever since Steven was a young adolescent boy, a little rebel with an attitude. And now, while he’s still a big rebel with a big attitude, he at least looks a bit clean cut. It actually really suits him, which I’m glad about because I was the one who egged him into doing it. I think the best part of the adventure was when his ponytail was snipped off and removed to be donated… what a change! Needless to say, he has a much nicer time getting his hair ready in the morning… wash, tousle, done. I’m the only one who breaks hairbrushes anymore.

Here are some stills from the home video:

Innit he puurdy?

We also finally went out and got the poor, deprived fellow a summer wardrobe. I don’t know how long he’s gone without shorts and been juggling only two pairs of freying pants, but it certainly has been too long.

Hello hello, all you lovely folks that I have been neglecting for such a long time. Forgive me, but real life called and requred some attention for a while.

One of the many things that took up my time was setting myself up as more of a presence in internet-land. I’ve made prints of my work available at imagekind.com, a lovely website that allows artists not only to network, but also to sell some of their work. Online galleries are definately a unique opportunity, and I’m glad they are getting more attention.

Original painted in Acrylic, 2009

If you are interested in having a print of my work to yourself, check out my gallery. The images start at $17.45USD (it’s an American website that deals through PayPal), depending on what size you choose and whether or not you order the piece with a frame. Most of the originals are still for sale at my website if you are looking for something more substantial. Also drop me a line anytime if you’re interested in hiring me for a commission. (continue reading…)

I want this so badly… isn’t it adorable?

The object of the “game” is to get faster and faster at saving these little chick beans from their bowl. There are girl beans and boy beans, and they come in four different shapes, the triange being the hardest. The kit comes with a little “Manners” book that illustrates how you should NOT treat the little beans. Don’t poke them, don’t dual wield, etc. They come with the little bowl and chopsticks as well, so you’re set to go.

Link.

If you haven’t already been a good little reader and clicked the link for this website (which I so conveniently placed in my links over there on the right), then do so now. It’s a great review site, and it’s growing and growing. It will grow faster if you visit it, if you join it, and if you think you might want to submit reviews for it. I’m represented there (see Tofu’s Corner, a mini-blog about nerdiness and creativity featured on the main page) and so are other cool people like my significant other, the Subjective Gamer himself. Who, might I add, has well-expressed, helpful and often humourous opinions about the games he plays. And it won’t just be about PC games for long… very soon Board Games, Music, Console games, Books, Movies… they might all become topics reviewed on this great website. So I’m plugging it. That’s right. The Subjective Gamer.

This reminds me a bit of the strange requests book store employees sometimes receive (especially by patrons named James…)

Here we have a man playing Christmas carols with a homemade Broccoli Ocarina, producing quite beautiful sound and helping to instill a love of green veggies in the hearts of his children.

More formal, but also more impressive in some ways, is this Carrot Clarinet. Just drill some holes in a carrot, add a clarinet mouthpiece, and a funnel. Wet the reed and play beautiful music!

In the wake of my super, mind-numbingly busy schedule that is only now clearing up, my blogs have been suffering. That’s inevitable, of course, as real life takes priority over my self-reflective blabbering and my internet surfing. I think now, though, I finally can get back to it.

My university is in the midst of a TA strike, thanks to the administration’s increasing corporate behaviour and insensitivity. The poor TA’s don’t make enough on an annual basis for them to be over the poverty line, and York had the nerve to offer them less than they already have as some bizarre bargaining tactic. I’m all for the strike, since I believe any action against what I consider the unethical treatment of workers– especially those on the front lines of education– is noble and just. Of course, it also helps me in a more selfish way, since the readings and the homework were piling up in the days before the strike’s end, causing me enough stress to cause a breakdown. Now I have some time to pick up the pieces, sweep out the dirt, and try to build more healthy habits.

So far, in this time of the University’s inactivity, a few interesting things have happened. The first, and most amazing, is that my husband has quit smoking. Today is day 7 of the effort, and he’s doing excellently. I’m so proud of him, and thankful for the drugs he’s been taking to ease the physical suffering involved. There are already little signs that he’s getting healthier.

The second bit of news is the new job. Both Steven and I were hired for Parking Services and have been going about our shadow shifts this week. During the strike, that essentially amounts to sitting in a booth (or a room, depending) and catching up on reading. I’m sitting in one right now, typing away, as we’ve only had one patron talk to us in two hours. This might end up being a very productive occupation.

Okay, so, I’ve had quite a few days off lately, both because I fell down with a nasty cold, and because my silly university thinks observing everyone’s religious holidays is a great way of giving us less lecture time than we paid for. Luckily, due to the resistance and sheer awesomeness of David Noble, one of our university’s big name profs (by whom Steven has had the luck of being taught), York will be following the normal protocols of holiday-making.

Anyway, that being said, I’ve been granted quite a bit of free time. I’ve done alot of homework, some drawing, some much needed house-cleaning, some downtown errand fulfilling, some school-reading and some pleasure-reading. Oh, and some illustrations. Oh, and telus-bugging. And neocitran-drinking. And yet, I feel like I didn’t get enough done… I think I may just have extremely high expectations of myself. It’s funny… I always seem to long for free time. Whenever I get it, I always feel like I must get ahead, be productive, get rid of this bizarre freedom I’ve so often sought.

*/end pseudo-introspection*

Whatever’s-Around Hash Browns

So, when I feel like having a healthy lunch or dinner and I don’t know what to make, I usually end up tossing together a “Whatever’s Around Hash Brown”. It’s really flexible, and works great when you have leftovers you don’t know what to do with.  It can be easily made vegan or vegetarian, and it’s obviously gluten-free. In fact, I’m sure many of you have made something that looks like this in the past, but never really named it. If you haven’t, here is how you do it:

Choose Ingredients.

1. Starchy Things:

• Potato
• Carrot
• Sweet Potato/Yam
• Cauliflower
• Beets
• Turnip
  

2. Green Things:

• Shredded Spinach (or other leafy greens)
• Green Beans
• Broccoli
• Green Pepper
• Peas
• Brussels Sprouts

3. Protein Things:

• Egg (scrambled)
• Cubed Ham
• Prepared Bacon
• Beans
• Salmon
• Prepared Tofu
• Leftover Chicken/Turkey

4. Grainy Things:

• Ground Flaxseed
• Wheat Bran
• Oat Bran
• Leftover Rice

5. Spicy Things:

• Sea Salt
• Pepper
• Seasoning Salt
• Chili Pepper
• Herbs
• Garlic
• Onions
• Anything Else.

Start Cooking!

Step 1: Put some water to boil (with a dash of salt) and drop in some cut-up starchy things (choose one or all from the list).

Step 2: Heat some olive oil or butter in a big frying pan and toss in some cut up onions, garlic (if you want) or any of the ingredients you have that might need some extra cooking time (like green beans or carrots if you aren’t boiling them).

Step 3: Add the protein thing(s) you’ve chosen.

Step 4: Drain whatever was boiling and toss it in the frying pan. It might be good to add more oil at this point.

Step 5: Spice it up!

Step 6: Add the green thing(s).

Step 7: Add the grainy thing(s), but keep in mind that these absorb moisture so don’t be too liberal with them unless you like that sort of thing.

Step 8: Shuffle everything around for a while until it’s a bit browned. Taste a bit to make yourself hungry.

Step 9: Put what you’ve made on a plate, garnish (if you’re fancy), and serve!

My head is like a watermelon at the moment, with as much fluid but a bit less healthy goodness. My tissue pile is growing steadily, and I am full of annoying whiny self-pity. It’s that time of year again!

I love how it always happens when the weather changes, like my body just cannot comprehend the fact that there’s no such thing as perpetual summer in Canada. It’s not like it’s been living here all it’s life or anything. You think it’d learn. And I’ve been treating it so damn well! Eating healthy, going to the gym… the thanks I get. Feh. It’s inevitable I suppose. Maybe I should try that resting thing.

*cough-sniffle-sneeze*