7 Days and Counting...

And I found a better deal on the car and hotel, so I was able to extend the vacation an extra day and still spend less than originally planned. Life is good!

Dairy Dessert No Longer Deadly

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But not any more.

A Poetic Evening

I took Ernie to the park this evening after work. It was warm, but the breeze made it perfectly comfortable for a hike along the short one-mile trail, followed by relaxing in the grass, listening to birds and watching butterflies. I couldn’t help but hum Silent Noon, Vaughan Williams’ lush setting of Rossetti’s perfectly appropriate poetry:

Your hands lie open in the long fresh grass,
The finger-points look through like rosy blooms:
Your eyes smile peace.
The pasture gleams and glooms
'Neath billowing skies that scatter and amass.
All round our nest, far as the eye can pass,
Are golden kingcup fields with silver edge
Where the cow-parsley skirts the hawthorn hedge.
'Tis visible silence, still as the hourglass.

Deep in the sun-searched growths the dragonfly
Hangs like a blue thread loosened from the sky:
So this winged hour is dropt to us from above.
Oh! clasp we to our hearts, for deathless dower,
This close-companioned inarticulate hour
When twofold silence was the song of love.

Okay, enough sappiness.

On a completely unrelated note, I had a meeting today, during which I found out that my trip to Kenya has been postponed indefinitely. However, I may have the opportunity to go to Heidelberg, Germany in a few months. Wunderbar! Then, I heard from a co-worker that Glory Days AND Bonefish Grill will be opening restaurants in the Frederick Shopping Center this fall. Pinch me!

No More Shopping. Ever.

Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I’m shopped out and don’t think I’ll feel the urge to set foot in a store for the foreseeable future.

KB and I went to the Prime Outlets in Hagerstown today to take advantage of the end-of-summer sales and tax-free shopping going on this weekend. I bought a stunning red (of course) coat at London Fog. The retail price was $175, but I got it for the bargain basement price of $42. Then, we taste-tested our way through the Harry and David store and each bought a jar of salsa (artichoke for me, mango for KB) and a bottle of martini mix (pumpkin for me, caramel apple for her – yep, we’re ready for Autumn). I also bought some Berry Basket Black Tea, which I’ll make tomorrow, iced, an amazing sports bra (comfortable AND supportive, imagine that) at the Bali store for 50% off, and a skirt and two shirts at the Bass outlet at 70% off. What a steal!

After 5+ hours of hardcore shopping, we were exhausted and hungry. We had mediocre Chinese for dinner on the way home, the best part of which was the fresh Chinese donuts for dessert.

Now, I’m relaxing, waiting for the dryer to finish its cycle, and watching Signs. I saw it in the theater when it came out several years ago and wasn’t overly impressed. I’ve since changed my opinion. It’s thrilling, frightening, touching, has a simple, yet completely believable script, and is very well-acted. Joaquin Phoenix is particularly fantastic and quite adorable. Too bad he’s such a weirdo.

Dial-A-Dog

Good idea or cruel trick to play on your pet?

It's simple. Dial your phone and call your pet. Talk to him. If he/she gets lost. Track them, online or on your PDA or 3G phone.

The PetsCell™ is the first voice enabled waterproof GPS cell phone optimized for animals. It will be available for distribution late in 2006. Measuring approximately 5 cms wide, 2.5 CMS thick and 9.4 CMS long, the PetsCell™ sets the standard for GPS tracking devices for pets.

How would Ernie react if he suddenly heard my voice? My guess is that he would run to the door, expecting me to walk in at any moment. When I didn’t appear, he would probably run from room to room, thinking I was playing game of Hide and Seek. Still not able to find me, he would probably start whimpering and continue to frantically scour the apartment in a panic, trying to find me.

Okay, so the tracking feature would be handy if—God forbid—you lose your pet, but I can’t imagine many pets would react well to hearing their owner’s voice without the owner following close behind. Nor would they enjoy having that bulky device on their collars all the time. I think I'll pass.

(via Virginia.)

NewTree Chocolate

One of my co-workers has been having a rough time at work lately and has been making frequent stops by my desk to vent her frustrations and get my opinion. Today, she brought in a thoughtful treat as a token of thanks: four mini bars of NewTree gourmet Belgian chocolate. I’ve never had this kind of chocolate before, but I’m anxious to try it.

Each bar contains a natural extract that’s supposed to promote some kind of emotional response:

Renew: Dark chocolate with blackcurrant (Rejuvenating)
Forgiveness: Dark chocolate with lemon (Harmonizing)
Sexy: Dark chocolate with ginger (Energizing)
Rejoice: Milk chocolate with bitter orange/crisped rice (Soothing)

The website provides the following information:

HOW TO TASTE CHOCOLATE

Start fresh
The best results are obtained with a clean palate. To get the true sense of the taste, sip or rinse with water or lemon juice before you indulge. Start with the milk chocolates and then move on to the dark chocolates.

Too hot, too cold, just right
Store chocolate in a cool, dry place, no need to refrigerate. Savoring chocolate at the right temperature heightens the taste experience. Before your first bite, ensure a perfectly balanced release of the cocoa and sugar flavors by letting the chocolate return to room temperature, 65 68F. Anything else will throw off the harmony - a lower temperature will restrain the release of cocoa and anything higher will intensify the sugary taste.

Sheesh! I’m not used to hoity-toity chocolate. I’ve tried some gourmet stuff and, to be honest, I’ve always preferred Hershey’s. And instructions for how to taste chocolate? Craziness! I mean, I eat M&M’s so I have even numbers of every color at all times, or I eat all of one color before moving on to another (usually from lightest to darkest), but that’s about as technical as I get. If I’m feeling particularly zany, I might put a York Peppermint Patty in the freezer. I know, I’m a wild woman.

I just had lunch, so my palate probably isn’t clean enough to try any of the chocolates yet. But maybe after my afternoon meeting, I’ll be ready to indulge.

Smoking Banned from Classic Cartoons

Tom and Jerry was my favorite cartoon when I was a kid. I grew up watching reruns and I still watch when I catch them as I’m flipping around the channels. I vividly remember seeing the one where Tom is a virtuoso pianist playing Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. After seeing that episode, I immediately ran to the piano to figure out the music by ear.

Nowadays, some concerned viewers are afraid that kids won’t run to the piano after watching the classic cartoons, but to the store to buy a pack of Marlboros:

Smoking scenes in "Tom and Jerry" cartoons are now banned in Britain, following a viewer's complaint to the government agency that polices the airwaves.

Following an investigation prompted by the anonymous viewer's complaint, regulator Ofcom said Monday that children's TV channel Boomerang has agreed to edit out scenes deemed to glamorise or condone smoking.

Once again, government doing the job of parents. Kids are influenced by things they see on TV, no question. Eight-year-old Mandy, sitting at the piano, plunking out a melody is the perfect example of that. But it’s the responsibility of parents – not the government – to teach children what’s healthy/not healthy, good/bad, right/wrong, etc.

Next, Looney Tunes will have to be edited because Yosemite Sam promotes gun violence. You watch.

16 Days and Counting...

...until vacation. Woohoo! I’m looking forward to playing tennis, horseback riding in the surf, tchotchke shopping in Mexico, and basking in the sun, book and beverage in hand. I already don’t want it to end.

Happy Feet

I love these shoes! Unfortunately, they're $190 and I can't justify spending that kind of money on a pair of shoes, no matter how fabulous they are. Ah, well. I guess that's what a wishlist is for.

Capote

I finally watched Capote this weekend, which I’ve been meaning to do ever since I finished reading In Cold Blood a few months ago. Good flick, although I wonder if I would’ve enjoyed it more had I seen the film prior to reading the book. No matter. It was very well done, except for the decision to cast Clifton Collins, Jr. as Perry Smith. He didn’t capture anything of Smith, physically or emotionally. But Philip Seymour Hoffman was absolutely amazing as Truman Capote. Of the role, Hoffman is quoted as saying,

“It was the kind of role that technically I had to stay with because if I let it go it was pretty hard to try to get it back. So during the day, even in between shots and during breaks, I’d try and stay in character vocally and physically so I wouldn’t have to try to bring it back up.”

Yeah, I’m glad I wasn’t on the set. I would've had to slap him silly.

I’m looking forward to the October release of Infamous. That’s right, yet another film about Capote’s experiences while researching the Clutter murders. Hollywood sure is struggling to come up with an original idea these days.

Hollywood Disses Hezbollah

It’s not often that I agree with political statements made by celebrities. I mean, who really cares what celebrities think? Most of them are completely out of touch with reality and have no interest in, or clue about, life outside of Hollywood.

That being said, this surprised – and pleased – the heck out of me.

NICOLE Kidman has made a public stand against terrorism.

The actress, joined by 84 other high-profile Hollywood stars, directors, studio bosses and media moguls, has taken out a powerfully-worded full page advertisement in today's Los Angeles Times newspaper.

It specifically targets "terrorist organisations" such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine.

"We the undersigned are pained and devastated by the civilian casualties in Israel and Lebanon caused by terrorist actions initiated by terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah and Hamas," the ad reads.

"If we do not succeed in stopping terrorism around the world, chaos will rule and innocent people will continue to die.

"We need to support democratic societies and stop terrorism at all costs."

(via annika.)

Useless, But Fascinating

Can you believe how many flavors of Pop-Tarts there are?

American Idol Wild Strawberry (Limited Edition)
Apple Cinnamon (Frosting was removed in the early 90's)
Apple Strudel
Blueberry
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Cherry
Chocolate Chip
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Cinnamon Roll
Cookies and Cream
Double Berry
Dutch Apple (Discontinued)
French Toast
Frosted Blueberry
Frosted Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Frosted Cherry
Frosted Caramel Chocolate
Frosted Chocolate Fudge
Frosted Chocolate Vanilla Crème
Frosted Cookies & Creme
Frosted Grape
Frosted Hot Fudge Sundae
Frosted Peanut Butter & Jelly (Discontinued)
Frosted Raspberry
Frosted S’Mores
Frosted Strawberry
Frosted Wild Berry
Frosted Wild Magic Burst (Discontinued)
Hello Kitty™ Meow-Berry (Limited Edition)
Ice-Berry Blast (Limited Edition)
The Incredibles Incrediberry Blast (Limited Edition)
Mint Chocolate Chip
Nooby Swirl with Raspberry (Special Edition)
Pokémon™
Wild Cherry (Limited Edition)
Princess Jewel Berry (Limited Edition)
Spider-man™ Spidey-Berry (Limited Edition)
SpongeBob SquarePants™ Wild Bubble-Berry (Limited Edition)
Star Wars™ Lava Berry Explosion (Limited Edition)
Strawberry
Strawberry Milkshake
Yogurt Blasts™ Blueberry
Yogurt Blasts™ Strawberry
Watermelon (Discontinued)

Amazing!

Softball, Interview at FCC, Weekend in PA...

It’s been a week since I’ve posted anything? Jeez, where is the time going? Okay, here’s what’s up:

I played softball for the first time in weeks last Tuesday. The weather was miserable; close to 100 degrees and absolutely no breeze. But despite the sweat and bugs, we still managed to have fun. Playoffs are next week, so that will be the end of the season. I’ve really enjoyed playing, but I’m burned out and ready for it to end.

I had an interview at FCC for an adjunct faculty position in their Music department. As part of the interview, I taught a short lesson to a student. She was sixteen and rather advanced for her age, so we vocalized for about 15 minutes, then we worked on “The Suns Whose Rays” from The Mikado. My sight reading at the piano was kinda rough, as I knew it would be, but the interview went well and, assuming they have the enrollment numbers they expect, it looks like I’ll be teaching there this fall.

I went to my parents’ house this weekend to pick up Ernie, who had been there for two weeks while I was traveling. Boy, was he happy to see me! (It’s nice to be loved.) We stayed in Friday night for dinner and good conversation. (Some topics we covered: Naming the five state capitals west of/on the Mississippi that start with “Sa”. No cheating! Have you seen the “Messing with Sasquatch” commercials or Usama on Family Guy? Hysterical stuff!) Saturday, we went to lunch and a movie. FYI, if you’re thinking of seeing The Night Listener, don’t bother. It’s the worst movie I’ve seen in a long, long time.

Sunday, KB and I spent the afternoon at the pool, getting our fair skin ready for our up-coming fun-in-the-sun vacation. (30 days and counting....) Then we enjoyed dinner at Hard Times Café and a bit of shopping.

This week’s been rather relaxed. Tonight, I’ll head to Rockville for dinner at That’s Amore. Friday, I’m hoping to get together with the G-town gang for cards. And the weekend’s reserved for a good book and a lounge chair by the pool.